Journey Through Matthew: Practice What You Preach!
Journey Through Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
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· 15 viewsMatthew 23 contains a mixed bag of admonations by Christ. First he admonishes his disciples to "practice what they preach" and then draws a sharp comparison on how we should be acting to how the Jews had actually been conducting themselves in what comes to be known as the "7 woes" to the Jews.
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Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
It is good to see everyone out this fine Sunday night.
Tonight if you do not care turn in your Bibles to .
Tonight we are going to try and cover quite a bit of ground by covering this entire chapter which contains 49 verses.
And the reason I feel like the Lord has led us in this direction is because this whole chapter is really one big conversation that Jesus has with his disciples.
And what we are going to find is that Jesus is once again going to draw a comparison between how his disciples are supposed to be acting and how the Jews were actually conducting themselves.
In the fist part he is going to issue a warning about falling victim to the hypocrisy of the Jews.
Then he is going to move into what we call the “Seven Woes” which basically outline how the Jews are condemning themselves by their own behavior.
And then Jesus is going to call them out for what they truly are, a brood of snakes an vipers.
But before Jesus gets to any of this he actually is going to set the stage by posing a question to the Jews.
The end of chapter 22, records this question . . .
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied.
Matthew 22:
And when we get into tonights Scripture we are going to see why Jesus asked them this question.
But first, once they replied that the Christ, or the Messiah was the “Son of David,” Jesus tells them this . . .
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord’, how can he be his son?”
Matthew 22:
And what Jesus is drawing out is their misunderstanding of the nature of the Messiah.
They were expecting a King or a military leader, simply a descendent of David to rise, take the throne, and lead them out of Roman bondage.
And they were too near-sighted to see that the bondage they were going to be delivered from was eternal bondage.
However, when Jesus posed this question to them, their reaction was . . .
46 No-one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no-one dared to ask him any more questions.
And they couldn’t say anything because they knew that Jesus spoke the truth.
And now that their lack of knowledge and understanding was completely exposed, Jesus turns his attention to the disciples and the people, in order to clarify some real truths about the Pharisees and Sadducees and how we as His followers are really supposed to be acting.
Which brings us to our passage.
So, if you are able to stand, I’d invite you to stand with me.
Starting in , verse 1, Matthew writes . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
Matthew 23:1-
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the market-places and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Warning Against Hypocrisy (vs 1-12)
Warning Against Hypocrisy (vs 1-12)
So, Jesus really leaves nothing much to the imagination here.
He has the Jews in a place where they cannot really question his understanding of the Scripture, or even his authority for that matter.
And Jesus has already called them on the carpet for several things and now he is going to turn to their overwhelming level of hypocrisy in how they conduct their religion—how they do church.
So, we need to pay careful attention here because it also can reveal some levels of hypocrisy in how we do “church” as well.
So, again Jesus starts out . . .
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
And this aspect of sitting in “Moses’ seat” is in reference to their position as the spiritual authority over the nation of Israel.
Remember Moses had a direct line of communication with God and these Pharisees and teachers of the law are supposed to have the same direct line of communication with God.
They were supposed to be so connected to God that . . .
3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.
So, first point is that their authority and supposed connection with God dictates that the people are supposed to listen to them and follow their direction.
However, the problem is that they do not practice what they preach.
In other words they are really good at telling others how to live their lives, but they don’t apply those same principles to their own lives.
And to take it a step further, the things that they are telling others to do and advising them on how to live are things that do not benefit the person, but rather the Pharisee.
They are basically exploiting people “in the name of the Lord.”
Lifting themselves up and lining their pockets at the expense of the people.
Their allowing the buying and selling at the temple is just one example.
And they got by with it because they claimed authority from God and claimed that “God told them it was okay.”
And it is the same thing we see play out many times in the modern church.
We have a group or a leader who convinces their people that they are closer to God than anyone else and that everything they say is directly from God and they demand the strictest loyalty.
It is their way or no way.
And this is very destructive and very dangerous.
And just to be honest, this can apply to any of us.
We should all practice what we preach.
How can we expect others to do what we are unwilling?
Jesus goes on to explain that . . .
4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
They make good bosses but not good leaders.
And then he exposes the real reason for their (and our own) hypocrisy . . . .
5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the market-places and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’.
Matthew 23:5
It’s all for show.
It’s all to be seen.
It’s all to make themselves look “big” and “important.”
There is no substance to them—no sincerity—it is all a bunch of talk.
Ever know anybody like this?
They talk a big game and everything that comes out of their mouth lifts them up and not God?
That’s what Jesus is talking about here.
And Jesus’ followers are not to act that way.
God did not call us to rule over people and lift ourselves up.
Matthew 23:8-
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
And if we are truly His follower—truly filled with the Holy Spirit . . .
11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:11-
But what about those who do not live this way.
Those who follow men and their own desires as opposed to God.
Jesus addresses them.
He says . . .
The Seven Woes (vs 13-32)
The Seven Woes (vs 13-32)
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
Snakes and Vipers (vs 33-39)
Snakes and Vipers (vs 33-39)
Do you think Jesus was making a point here?
He is doing nothing more than calling them out.
And he goes on as well . . .
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barakiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Matthew 23:33-
But to his true disciples . . .
39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Matthew 23:39
Altar Call
Altar Call
And really the message for us tonight boils down to how we conduct ourselves.
Do we conduct ourselves like disciples?
Or, do we act like these Pharisees and teachers of the law?
Do we practice what we preach?
Do we obey Christ?
Do our actions and speech lift up God our ourselves?
What would others say if they were asked about us?
Are we Christians or are we hypocrites?
That’s what it boils down to.
And you know which you are, because God has revealed it to you.
But the real question is, if God has revealed hypocrisy in our life to you, are you willing to do something about it?
Are you willing to remedy that, to fix it?
Because revealing it to you is one thing—doing something to fix it is completely different.
What are you willing to do?
We are going to put on some music and I would like everyone to spend some time in prayer this morning.
Will you do that?
Will you allow God to speak to you tonight?
It is time to act, what will you do tonight?