WEBVTT 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:12.720 This sermon was recorded at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:29.679 What are the two elements that we are not supposed to speak about at the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:34.240 Religion and politics. 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:36.880 Guess what we're going to talk about this morning? 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.240 We're having a family gathering and we're talking about religion and politics. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:47.280 Please take your Bible and open it to Matthew's Gospel, the Gospel of Matthew. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:53.920 We are in chapter 23 of this gospel and our walk through it. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:01:00.320 And you know, I don't get excited or wrapped up in about or get wrapped up in politics or government. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:09.280 I suffered through American government class in high school, and it was made worse by being right after lunch. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:12.879 So it was so hard to stay awake. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:23.120 I have a low level of interest, but that doesn't mean that I don't have opinions about politics. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.719 It's just not a subject that keeps my attention for very long. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:43.280 There's one aspect of politics and government that I do find intriguing, and that is the difference between the terms democracy or democratic and republic or republican. 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:53.680 In fact, I don't really care much about the politics behind those terms as much as that really fascinated about the meanings of those terms. 00:01:54.719 --> 00:02:00.319 What's implied or intended in the use of those words? 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:08.960 For example, it's common in our country to hear the term democracy applied to our governmental process. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:20.960 It's so common that many people are accustomed to saying, just in the normal course of communication, that the United States of America is a democracy. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:28.080 But that's not the language that was used by our founding fathers. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:33.120 They tended to use the term republic instead of democracy. 00:02:33.599 --> 00:03:01.120 So when Abraham Lincoln spoke of our forefathers bringing forth a new nation on this continent under the conviction that all people are created equal, he referred to those involved in the founding process of the United States of America who were convinced that the best means of governing a group of equal people was through a republic, a representative type of government. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:09.039 Like democracy, individuals in a republic have a voice. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:24.000 They have a voice in the selection of representatives, and then a lesser voice in the detailed decisions made by the representative that is selected and who represents their interests. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:45.199 Now, today, as folks look back at the founding of the United States of America and they read and study the original documents, some come away from that study, concluding a more democratic kind of leading. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:52.960 Others would look at those same things and come away with a more Republican type of leading. 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:01.280 It's not much different. 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:11.039 Some look at our original document, the scriptures, and they walk away thinking that we are a democracy. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:17.199 Some walk away and think we are more of a republic. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.680 What type of leadership should be in the local church? 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:24.000 What should the local church look like? 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:28.160 Now that I've asked those questions, I'm going to tell you that I'm not going to answer them. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:31.439 And the parallels aren't exact. 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:40.959 We can't look at the United States of America and the local church and say that these parallels between democracy and a republic, that they match one-to-one. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:42.639 They don't. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:45.120 But there are similarities. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:51.759 And one of those similarities that I want to look at this morning is the fact that there are two groups of people. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:05:09.920 There are leaders, those who are responsible for leading a group of people in a particular direction, representing those people, and there are those who follow that leading, who come behind them and support them and encourage them. 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:17.040 And the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter which of the two categories you are in, it is difficult. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:22.800 If you are walking as a leader, it's difficult. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:29.920 If you are trying to follow those who are leading, it's also difficult. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:41.120 It's difficult to lead when those following you are disagreeing, sometimes vehemently. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:50.480 It's difficult to lead when there is misunderstanding or misperceptions, when those following don't have all of the information that you have. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:06:13.120 And frankly, it's difficult to follow when leaders make decisions with which we disagree, that we think are unwise, or if we think the leader who got elected was unqualified, or is arrogant, or just does not understand wisdom. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:26.800 You don't have to be a Christian for very long and part of a local church to experience that same thing in a local church. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:56.000 So as you look around this morning, whether a person is categorized by any means as a leader or a follower, that person is imperfect and sinful. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:02.079 The Lord's risen from the tomb, but he's not returned yet. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.959 So everybody here is imperfect and sinful. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:23.439 Our passage in Matthew's gospel recounts a messianic sermon that speaks to some of the elements involved in functioning together, kind of in a political way, in the local church. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:27.680 Now, Matthew 23, all of Matthew 23 is one sermon. 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:30.800 I'm not going to preach all of Matthew 23. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:37.199 This is a sermon, though, about leaders and Bible teachers from long ago. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:39.120 We call them the Pharisees. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:52.800 It's not about church leaders, modern church leaders per se, but Jesus' sermon was addressed to Jewish crowds who followed Jewish Bible teachers, Bible leaders. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:58.240 And it was addressed to Jesus' disciples who would become leaders in the Lord's church. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:03.120 So this passage is about an historical situation in Judaism. 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:12.959 But as Matthew includes it in his book after the resurrection of Jesus, sometime later, he intends it for the local church. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:22.480 And so it has application for leadership in the church and for following leadership in the church until the Lord returns. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:27.199 Now, the Sermon of the Lord Jesus in chapter 23 has three parts. 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.959 The first part, up till verse 12, is corrective. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:36.399 The second part from verses 13 to verse 36 is critical. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.600 That is, it's critical of Jewish leadership. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.519 And the third part, the last three verses, verses 37 to 39, are condemning. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:50.240 So Jesus goes from corrective to being critical to being condemning. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:54.080 And this morning we're going to look at the first part of the sermon, the corrective element. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:59.759 If you guide your attention to verse 1, I'll read verses 1 through 12 if you would like to follow along. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:10.799 Matthew records for us that Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:22.000 So, these are commands, practice and observe whatever they tell you as they sit on Moses' seat, but not what they do. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.559 For they preach, but do not practice. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:38.000 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and they lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:55.279 They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces, and being called rabbi by others. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:06.240 But you, but you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:20.240 Implication they're brothers and sisters, your family, and call no man your father on earth, for you have one father who is in heaven, neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ, the Messiah. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.279 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:31.279 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:32.399 Could you pray with me? 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:33.440 Lord Jesus. 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:45.120 We all have um difficulties sometimes in in the local church, much less in in life. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:58.399 Um either either with leaders or in leadership or following leaders or we all have opinions, we all have convictions, and and so it's it's a struggle sometimes to figure out how all of those fit together. 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:07.600 I pray that your your spirit would guide us and and our understanding this morning to open up your word to us as we look at this together in Jesus' name. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:08.399 Amen. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:26.399 Have you ever heard a sermon where you understood what the preacher was saying, but you you walked away not having a clue how to apply it? 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:30.080 That's how I feel about Jesus' sermon here. 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:39.200 This is one of those sermons where you say, I get what you're saying, Jesus, but I don't really know what you mean for me. 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:58.720 It's kind of difficult to figure out how do we take a corrective and a critical and a condemning sermon that was directed towards leaders 2,000 years ago and have some application for us. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.000 That's what we have here. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:13.120 What Jesus means is somewhat easy to understand, but how we are to apply it, especially as a local church, is much more difficult to gather. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:19.679 And even after wrestling with it this morning, we may walk away wishing that Jesus said a little bit more. 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:23.360 I know we you never walk away wishing that I had said more. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.759 But we might wish that Jesus said more this morning. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.519 Now there are two main parts to these verses that we've just read. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:38.480 The first main part is primarily about the Pharisees, the scribes and the Pharisees in verse 2 who sit on Moses' seat. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.639 It's talking about their position. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:49.519 And there's a literal image that's implied here that Matthew's readers would most likely have been very familiar with. 00:12:49.759 --> 00:13:00.559 Today we have these things called standing desks that are made to lift up and to lower so you can sit down at them and you can stand up behind them. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:04.879 What's going on here is sort of a standing seat. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:16.080 There was a literal seat that was designed to be such that a teacher could sit in front of people and sort of rest himself on it, but not be fully seated. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:28.799 And that was the position of the teacher in the synagogue who was opening up before him the word of God, the scroll of God's word, and he would read it and he would explain it. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:31.360 That's Moses' seat. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:37.440 So it's opening up the word of God, so it's representing the person who's in that position. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:38.080 Okay? 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:49.200 The second part, though, doesn't really focus so much on the Pharisees as lead us away from the Pharisees to consider ourselves. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:58.240 It's directed primarily towards the followers, towards the listeners of Jesus, the people who are in verse 1, the crowds and the disciples. 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:07.679 Both sections, though, have elements that pertain to leaders and to those who are following leadership. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:12.000 Especially, though, those who lead through the Word of God. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:20.159 I really like how commentator Frederick Bruner has described these sections, and so I'm going to borrow his terms. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:23.200 He uses the terms gracelessness. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:26.240 My wife has asked me all week, is that a word? 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.279 Well, it's in a book, so I'm going to use it. 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:33.039 Gracelessness and greatnessism. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:38.159 Gracelessness, I'm going to mess up those words already. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.240 Gracelessness and greatnessism. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:47.039 He uses those terms to describe the problems that Jesus addresses here. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:59.279 So first, in verses 1 through 7, Jesus characterizes the Pharisees by describing them as being without grace. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:07.360 We've already covered some of the required background for this passage in our study of chapter 22. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:19.360 Judaism, you remember, worked on identifying and listing out all of the commands that Moses gave in the Torah in the first five books of the Old Testament. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:23.279 And they came up with roughly 613 of them. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:31.200 And if you were here at the time, I had them all printed on 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper and taped together, and we rolled them out up here. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:33.440 There's a lot of commands. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:37.120 They wanted to know what God expects of us? 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.519 They listed those all out. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:46.879 Then at some point, Jewish leaders began to build fences around those 613 rules. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.960 And they had good intentions. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:57.679 They said, listen, if this is what God tells us not to do or to do, we want to make sure that we don't even get close to disobeying those. 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:04.639 So let's let's back up and let's say put a perimeter around that and say, we can't even get close to that. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:14.960 So they added certain restrictions and regulations and explanations that would help keep people from getting too close to the fence. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:22.480 That wouldn't have helped me because I wanted to touch the electric fence and see what it felt like. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:30.320 For example, there were limits as to how far you could walk on the Sabbath day. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.480 So you had to count your steps. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:38.320 There were rules as to how much you could carry on the Sabbath day. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:45.039 There was even rules about how to define what was and was not work on the Sabbath day. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:47.759 Think about the lame man in John chapter 5. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:58.000 Jesus healed the lame man, telling him to get up, to take up his bed, his pallet, his rolled-up bedding, and to walk. 00:16:58.639 --> 00:16:59.600 And he did. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:06.640 Jesus displayed his power over a man that had been lame from birth. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:13.200 As a result, though, the healed man was accosted. 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:18.880 And the crowds that were around him said to him, It's the Sabbath. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:22.799 It is not lawful for you to take up your bed. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:26.640 The man has just been healed. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:30.240 Can't he go home and take his bed home now? 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.240 The man, I love this story. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:39.519 The man responded with the equivalent of, but Jesus told me to. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:46.160 Those are the kinds of heavy burdens that Jesus refers to here. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:50.079 So the scribes and the Pharisees, they have good intentions. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:59.519 But in their good intentions, they're adding burdens onto the people in order to help them follow God's law. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:06.799 But they effectively, those extra burdens, effectively made God's law more strict. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:14.319 And instead of actually helping people follow God's word, they made it more difficult. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.960 Now that's the bigger historical picture going on here. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:24.000 The Pharisees and the scribes have righteous intentions. 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:26.880 They mean well. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:34.720 They want their people to follow God's word and to not disobey what God has said. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:39.279 They are genuine in their desire to obey God and his word. 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:45.039 Sometimes we beat on the Pharisees rightly, but sometimes we beat too much. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.319 They had righteous intentions. 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:58.400 But as we've seen, there were times when they did not love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their mind. 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:04.000 Nor did they love their neighbors as themselves. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:07.119 We're in the same boat. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:16.079 Whether we serve or work in a position of leadership or not, we in many ways act like the Pharisees. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:25.759 We have good intentions, we have righteous intentions, but there are times when we do not love the Lord our God as we should, and nor do we love our neighbor as we should. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:38.480 And so by rejecting Jesus in chapter 22, rejecting the incarnate, the word made flesh, they have effectively rejected Scripture, the written word of God. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.799 All of that comes together right here in chapter 23. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:52.559 And this first section identifies these leaders of God's people as graceless men. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:58.960 And Jesus calls out three problems associated with their leadership. 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:07.359 The first problem is that they preached without practicing what they preached. 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:10.640 Jesus says that in verse 3. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.880 For they preach, but do not practice. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.720 Now wait a minute, Jesus, that's kind of harsh. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:22.720 Maybe you should, maybe that's just your perception. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.400 Now, this is the Son of God, right? 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.839 He knows everything. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:52.079 And so he knows that while they might have the right intent, the reality is that they sit in Moses' seat and they read Moses' words and they tell people what Moses' words mean, but then they get up and they leave church on Sunday morning or Saturday morning and they don't do what they've taught, what they've preached. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:58.880 Jesus says, do what they say, but not what they do. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:08.880 So the implication is that whatever these Bible teachers and leaders say to do is grounded in Scripture. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:11.200 It's grounded in the Word of God. 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:24.319 And so when they reveal the Word of God, when they read the Word of God, when they teach the Word of God, do what they say to do, because they follow in Moses' footsteps when they teach what Moses wrote. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:28.799 Jesus says that is appropriate to listen to and to obey. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:34.559 Likewise, friends, it doesn't matter who's in this pulpit. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:39.359 If they're teaching the word of God, we have to hear it. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:41.519 And do it. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:46.400 It's the word of God that has the priority. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:50.640 But Jesus says you have to be discerning. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:59.839 Because even those with the most righteous intentions are still impossible. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:02.480 And sinful. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:07.200 They may mess up. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:12.960 They may say the wrong thing, or as in this case, they may do the wrong things. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:20.480 Discernment is involved in those who hear the Pharisees and the scribes sitting in Moses' seat. 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:24.400 Whenever they preach what God's word says, Jesus says, do that. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:25.759 You're obeying God. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:31.920 But listen carefully and do what God says, but filter out what is not from God. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:46.400 That's why our intention, and whoever fills this pulpit, is to open up the Word of God and to read it and walk through it phrase by phrase, sometimes, word by word, so that you can discern whether or not what is being said is what God says. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.119 You should not blindly accept what we say. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:54.160 You should look at God's word and say, Is that right? 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:08.400 According to Jesus, the crowds and the disciples would find that the teaching from Scripture in the synagogues was generally correct. 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:21.039 But the follow-through by those teachers and leaders was disobedient, was sinful, was wrong. 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:26.079 They taught the truth, but they lived something else. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:37.200 I think, at least in part, this is why the Apostle Paul gave instructions regarding who should serve as elders and deacons in the local church. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:38.319 It's vital. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:49.039 In 1 Timothy chapter 3, for example, the focus is largely on observable actions that are driven by a proper regard for God's word. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:58.079 So it says, when you choose elders in your local church, you must choose men that are above reproach. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.640 Well, how do you know that they're above reproach? 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:02.559 By watching. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:07.839 Says they have to have a commitment to one's spouse and to purity. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:09.279 How do you know that? 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:10.720 You watch. 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:25.519 Managing one's household well, et cetera, et cetera. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:27.759 These are observable characteristics. 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:39.440 So the Apostle Paul set in place for the local church expectations that said the men that lead you should preach and teach God's word, but they must also live it out. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:45.440 Jesus corrects the Pharisees. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:47.279 Uh-uh. 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:49.039 Not getting away with that. 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:53.599 Yes, God's word is God's word no matter what mouth it comes out of. 00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:56.400 But watch what they do. 00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:58.319 Watch what they do. 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:09.279 Jesus pointed to observable elements among the Pharisees and the scribes, and he noted they don't live out what they teach. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.200 That's a problem. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.119 That's a problem in Judaism. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:20.559 And frankly, friends, it's a problem in the modern church. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:28.799 It's a problem when leaders in the Lord's church today preach without practicing what they preach. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:35.599 Second problem is that they prescribe without providing. 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.000 This is stated in verse 4. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:51.440 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and they lay them on people's shoulders, give them a backpack full of things to carry, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:55.519 So the first problem naturally leads to the second problem. 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:22.319 And in this case, it only made it more difficult to follow Jesus. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:26.400 Not only did they not help them, they made it more difficult. 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:31.680 And that kind of leadership is the opposite of Jesus' leadership, is it not? 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:40.160 Didn't he say in Matthew 11, 29, take my yoke, take my burden on you, and learn from me. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:41.519 Be my disciple. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:42.319 Why? 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:50.000 Because I am gentle and I am lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:55.680 Now notice, notice that Jesus, though, isn't absolving people from obedience. 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:59.759 He's not saying, uh, just forget what they tell you. 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:03.119 No, he's saying what they tell you from God's word, you need to obey that. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:04.559 You need to do that. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:07.039 There's follow-through that's expected. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:15.359 But instead, he's telling them to focus on hearing God's word when it's preached and doing it, regardless of who is preaching it. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:22.720 But if they're not following through, don't do what they're doing. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.680 Pharisees and the scribes were preaching and not doing. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:32.480 That led them to a particular kind of gracelessness. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:45.519 This is talking about making rules and making following difficult for others. 00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:47.920 But you know what? 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:53.359 If you make rules for other people and they don't apply to you, who cares? 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:57.119 You can make them as difficult as you want if they don't apply to you. 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:00.240 Go on, lay down the law, lay down the rules. 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:02.799 But if they don't apply to you, who cares how difficult they are? 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:04.640 Who cares how hard it is? 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:07.839 I'm above those rules. 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:08.960 I don't have to follow them. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.720 They don't apply to me. 00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:17.759 That's the Pharisees and the scribes, but Jesus comes along and what does he do? 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:21.200 He obeys the law entirely. 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:23.440 He comes to fulfill it. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:26.559 And in his grace, don't miss this. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:37.039 In his grace, his obedience, his perfect obedience is applied to our lack of obedience. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:49.519 When we fail to carry on the perfect obedience, Jesus' obedience is applied to our failures. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:57.680 We find rest in his grace because he is gentle and lowly. 00:28:57.839 --> 00:29:00.319 Of course, we are still called to obey God's word. 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:05.359 That calling, that order, that command is still there. 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:11.119 We do not escape the command to follow Christ, to obey Christ. 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:21.839 But our inability to do it wholly and perfectly finds forgiveness in Jesus, and his perfect obedience gets applied to our accounts. 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:24.640 Isn't that freeing? 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:30.880 We're imperfect, sinful people. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:34.640 That means we're going to have the right intentions. 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:40.319 As God's people, we're going to love Jesus and we're going to want to follow him. 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:42.000 We're going to want to do what he says. 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:46.079 But beloved, we're going to fail and sometimes we're going to fail miserably. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:52.559 And Jesus comes along and says, get up. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:57.519 I did this perfectly for you. 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:00.559 What? 00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:03.519 Yeah, my obedience is your obedience. 00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:05.759 Get up and keep going. 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:15.839 The third problem is pride because of position. 00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:18.960 This is stated in verse 5. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:25.359 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. 00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:30.720 For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:34.240 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:36.160 There's your intention. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:51.599 They had righteous intentions to obey God's word, but in setting up their fences around God's word, their fences pointed back to wah, to me. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:53.440 Hey, look at me. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:56.559 Look at how well I'm obeying. 00:30:58.079 --> 00:30:59.680 Look at how holy I am. 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:04.880 Philacteries are those little boxes that you sometimes see on Orthodox Jewish people today. 00:31:05.119 --> 00:31:16.799 Little boxes that they had scripture or prayer written on tiny slips of paper and rolled up inside of them, and they would strap them to their foreheads, strap them to their wrists, especially during prayer times. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:29.279 And we have historical records that Pharisees and religious people of the first century sometimes would make their phylacteries, their little boxes extra large. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.519 Sometimes they would even have two of them up. 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:39.359 And that was the indication that, oh wow, that's an especially holy person. 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:54.640 The law of Moses said that when you put on your outer garment, that it was not to be shaped, it was to be square, and the four corners of that garment had tassels on them. 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.039 Generally, those tassels were white. 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:02.000 But in those white tassels, there was to be one thread that was blue. 00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:06.960 And that blue thread was there to remind you of the word of God. 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:13.599 But the law did not stipulate how long those tassels were to be. 00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:16.880 So guess what happens? 00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:19.599 Let me show you how holy I am. 00:32:19.920 --> 00:32:21.920 My tassels get larger. 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:24.240 Why? 00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:26.400 Well, they want people to notice them. 00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:30.319 They want people to notice their prayer boxes. 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:34.000 They want people to notice their tassels. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:46.559 So when the woman who had suffered for 12 years with bleeding came along and touched Jesus' garment, the word that's used there is she touched, she touched not the hem, she touched the tassel. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:51.119 She touched the tassel of Jesus' garment. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:55.440 She reached out and didn't touch the garment, just the tassel that was hanging down. 00:32:56.720 --> 00:32:58.079 Bringing healing. 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:04.400 So here are scribes and Pharisees who are wanting to draw attention to themselves. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.279 That they're following in Moses' footsteps, they're proclaiming God's word. 00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:13.200 And so that naturally set them apart as leaders of God's people. 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:19.599 But by now we can see that Jesus is identifying not simply an outward problem, but an inward problem. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.559 These Pharisees and scribes have a heart problem. 00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:26.960 The Apostle Paul would say they need heart surgery. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.359 More, they need a heart transplant. 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:34.559 They need to have their hearts of stone taken out and given hearts of flesh. 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:36.240 They have a heart problem. 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:41.119 This isn't so much an issue of what they're not doing, although that is problematic. 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:45.440 The great concern is that their hearts are full of pride. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:56.559 And therefore, they do not practice what they preach, nor do they provide grace for what they prescribe, because they are filled with pride in their position. 00:33:57.680 --> 00:33:59.200 So they want to be first. 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:03.839 They want to be first in dedication to God. 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:08.639 They want to be the first ones to the synagogue and the last ones to go home. 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.639 They want to display their phylacteries, they want to display their tassels. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:20.559 They expected to be first in honor and to be first in the synagogues, to have the best seats of honor in the synagogues. 00:34:20.719 --> 00:34:25.039 They wanted to, and ironically, in our churches, that would be the back row. 00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:31.199 They wanted to be noticed, right? 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:38.159 They want to receive the loudest and the longest honorific greetings in public. 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:42.880 They love being called rabbi. 00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:55.199 Now in our in our modern world, we understand rabbi to mean teacher, and that that's right, that's an appropriate meaning of the term, but strictly speaking, it means great one or princely one. 00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:58.880 And it seems that's how Jesus uses it here. 00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:05.920 These are Bible teachers and leaders that loved to be set apart as oh great one. 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:10.880 I am so glad to have you as my teacher. 00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:14.960 Rabbi, I get to follow you. 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:20.400 So their position fed their pride. 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:23.440 Three problems. 00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:30.239 Preaching without practicing, prescribing without providing, and pride because of their position. 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:36.400 Now, friends, we all fight sin, don't we? 00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:45.360 And and we are more or less successful at it. 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:47.840 Some days are better than other days. 00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:53.440 Some mornings we just can't avoid sinning even on the way to church. 00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:56.480 That's just the way we are, right? 00:35:57.119 --> 00:36:05.519 So because we are imperfect, sinful people, we will be able to identify these same problems in the leadership in our world today. 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:10.239 And we will even be able to locate them in the church. 00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:22.159 But the danger, the danger is to associate faces and names with these heart problems immediately. 00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:26.159 So we all start thinking, oh, I know that guy. 00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:37.280 I've worked with him, I've served with him, I've heard him teach, and then walk out the church and swear up a storm. 00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:40.159 We know people like this. 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:42.000 We know people like this. 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:44.320 But let's not go there too quickly. 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:48.400 Let's not go to assigning faces and names too quickly. 00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:57.760 Let's consider applying what we find here by first considering what Matthew is doing with this passage in the overall flow of his book. 00:36:58.079 --> 00:37:03.039 We know that Jesus is correcting the religious leadership of his time. 00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:03.679 We know that. 00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:04.800 That's clear. 00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:08.239 But what else does Matthew show us about Jesus? 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:09.920 What is implied? 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:19.119 Looking carefully, we can identify at least three implicit actions that Jesus undertook here. 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:29.440 First, implicit action is that Jesus acknowledges the uniqueness of leading by and teaching God's word. 00:37:30.079 --> 00:37:32.480 He says, yes, that's a unique position. 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:35.760 The Pharisees sat in Moses' seat. 00:37:36.079 --> 00:37:42.639 That was a position of respect, not because of Moses, but because of what Moses did. 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:47.039 Moses spoke the words of God. 00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:50.239 The Pharisees were Bible teachers. 00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:56.320 And so Jesus upholds the uniqueness of that position and of leading from that kind of place. 00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:59.519 He says, that's a good thing, not a bad thing. 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:04.159 When they preach God's word, listen to that and obey it. 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:09.360 The disciples were soon to become apostles. 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:12.480 They too would be Bible teachers and leaders. 00:38:12.880 --> 00:38:18.079 They didn't follow in Moses' steps in so much as Jesus' steps. 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:20.639 That's an even greater position. 00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:26.480 The elders in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament follow after the apostles. 00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:34.639 So Jesus acknowledges a position of leadership and direction that declares the word of God. 00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:37.599 He acknowledges that and he approves of that. 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:43.519 Second, Jesus acknowledges the priority of God's word for life and godliness. 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:51.840 The Jewish rabbis provided commentary and instruction on the scriptures by this point in Jewish history. 00:38:52.079 --> 00:38:54.800 In some cases, they were adding to Scripture. 00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:58.719 And so Jesus starts trimming that off. 00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:01.199 And he says, get back to the Word of God. 00:39:01.280 --> 00:39:06.079 And so what you hear in the Word of God, that listen to, and that obey. 00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:10.880 God's word is the bread of life. 00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:14.639 And we find in Scripture all we need for life and godliness. 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:17.679 Jesus points to that priority. 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:34.400 The third implicit action is that Jesus acknowledges the pull of pride that is inherent in any leadership position, but especially the position that declares the word of God. 00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:44.079 Those who fill leadership roles and proclaim God's word face a unique fight against pride. 00:39:45.039 --> 00:39:50.320 That was apparent generally in the Pharisees and the Bible teachers of that time. 00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:52.639 But it wasn't limited to them. 00:39:53.920 --> 00:39:57.920 It's common in leadership of all times. 00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:07.039 That's why, at least one reason why James would say, listen, church, not many of you should become leaders. 00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:09.360 Not many of you should be teachers. 00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:16.880 Because there's an inherent danger and pride eating away at your soul. 00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:26.880 So Jesus approves of biblical, spiritual leadership that leads people to live by the bread of God's word. 00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:32.800 But he warns that pride stalks those who serve in that capacity. 00:40:34.639 --> 00:40:42.079 Of course, he doesn't say that all leaders fall prey to that stalking enemy. 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:48.079 Not all are intent on acting in pride and misleading. 00:40:48.159 --> 00:40:52.320 They're just common ways in which sin works itself out in leaders. 00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:58.079 But the underlying point in all of this is that Jesus is not like this. 00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:02.639 That's what Matthew's trying to tell us. 00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:11.360 If all you do is walk away from this concerned about Pharisees and concerned about your church leaders, you've missed the point. 00:41:12.239 --> 00:41:15.360 Matthew's saying, look at Jesus. 00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:19.679 Look at how perfect he is. 00:41:21.679 --> 00:41:23.599 He fulfills the law. 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:25.519 He keeps the law. 00:41:25.760 --> 00:41:34.320 And in that, he leads his people, he leads his sheep with grace and mercy and tenderness and care and restfulness. 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:38.400 And he lifts you up and he gives you his own obedience. 00:41:40.559 --> 00:41:42.320 What a place to be. 00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:57.760 Those who lead like these Bible leaders, the Matthew's pointing out, do not lead by the heart of Christ. 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:13.039 So if you identify a leader who's having one of the three problems, you're identifying they're not leading like Christ. 00:42:13.519 --> 00:42:38.639 In fact, to put it bluntly, if leaders fail to demonstrate the practical application of grace to those who are struggling to follow Jesus, then their teaching of God's word can have the effect of just trampling over the Lord's own compassion and grace to his people. 00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:44.320