What Can I Learn from Jesus' Warnings about Spiritual Hypocrisy and Blindness? | Matthew 23:13-39

Series: All!

• Jesus has all authority,

• So that all nations

• Might pledge all allegiance to him.

Title: “What can I learn from Jesus’ warnings about spiritual hypocrisy and blindness?”

Scripture: Matthew 23:13-39

Matthew 7:21-23

Last week we said, Jesus says the antidote to hypocrisy, pride and sin is to humble yourself and serve one another.

This week we’ll say, Bottom line: Humble yourself and ask God to open your eyes that you may see and repent of your spiritual condition.

1. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

2. SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES

3. MAIN REFERENCES USED

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:

1. Even for unbelievers, hypocrisy is despised. Why do you think this is? Define hypocrisy.

2. Why is it not enough simply to be sincere in what you believe? How does this passage serve as a warning in this regard?

3. Compare Matthew 23 to the teaching about faith and works in James 2:14-26 and the necessity of righteousness in 1 John 3:4-10.

4. What is the difference between strong, biblical leadership and leadership that is self-promoting? How might these principles apply to Christians who aren't spiritual leaders?

5. What other sins does pride lead to? How can you fight against a proud heart? Can you think of any relevant biblical passages?

6. What does it mean to neglect the "more important matters of the law" (v. 23)?

7. If purity begins in the heart, then what should our fight against sin look like?

8. In what ways do you see yourself in Jesus' indictment of the Pharisees? Be specific.

9. What counsel would you offer to someone who is not sure whether his faith is genuine?

10. How can we be diligent about holiness without being overly introspective and without expecting perfection?

Final Questions (optional or in place of above)

• What is God saying to you right now?

• What are you going to do about it?

Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast

SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES

Introduction

Today we will answer the question: What lessons can we learn from Jesus’ warnings about spiritual hypocrisy and blindness?

Story/Illustration

I saw a tweet last week that showed me both sides of this pride/humility dynamic.

The first picture is of a line of 900 people hiking along a ridge to summit Mt. Everest. Most paying $50k to have a Sherpa (a Himalayan with exceptional mountaineering expertise and skill often hired to help others summit Mt Everest) personally help them succeed. Many doing this for personal glory (competition/pride). The comment by the tweeter was that the huge numbers put more people at risk to death than ever before.

The second picture is of Gelje Sherpa leading his client towards the top when he comes across someone laying on the ground dying. He’s only 500 yards from the summit. This Sherpa, on a job helping his client survive the same climb, runs over, wraps the man in a sleeping mattress, gives him oxygen (of which his client might need), put him on his back, and then hiked him down the mountain, a trip that took 6 hours.

The first picture is one of pride. The second, one of humility. We don’t know how many people walked past the guy on the ground. And I’m guessing few of those people could have carried anyone down with the incredible challenge that it is just to summit and descend Mt Everest without dying yourself. But to add the weight of a full grown man to your load…

I think of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who didn’t walk past the dying man on the road but instead, at great personal cost and risk of life, helped this man recover. He saw this man and humbly saw his neighbor in need and helped him.

Questions we should ask ourselves:

1. Are we hindering people’s salvation? (13-15)

1. By not practicing what we preach/teach.

2. By encouraging people to follow our ways instead of His ways.

2. Are we more concerned with biblical minutiae than we are practical ministry? (16-24)

1. Do we justify sin according to our traditions or current cultural mores or do we flee sin according to God’s truth?

2. Do we pride ourselves on following convenient laws or do we spend ourselves expressing costly love?

3. These are the “more important matters of the law.” (23:23)

1. “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; Plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17

2. “…And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

3. Are we focused on outward cleanliness or inward holiness? (25-28)

4. Are we sincerely following a religion but not a relationship with Jesus Christ? (29-36)

5. 3 Certainties

1. The condemnation of sinners is imminent.

2. The salvation of sinners is possible.

3. The exaltation of Jesus is guaranteed. The question is…

6. Will you see him as your consuming judge or welcomed king`? (37-39)

Conclusion

This week we’ll say, Bottom line: Jesus is a consuming judge and good king. The question is how does my life see him?

You Can Change

There was a woman who lived on the streets near our church. She would ask for money and react aggressively to those who refused. When she died, I took the funeral. I discovered afterwards that this woman had inherited a large fortune. She had acquired a luxurious flat and many valuable paintings, but she chose to live on the streets with her plastic bags full of rubbish. She could not bring herself to leave behind the life she knew and she never enjoyed her inheritance. Some people are afraid of change, while others believe change is not possible. Yet the wonderful news is that with God’s help *you can change*. This change is key to spiritual life, growth and transformation. It is not just about changing our actions or appearance; we need to change on the inside – we need a change of *heart*. How can this happen?

Applies to

1. Church leaders

2. The rest of ya’ll (ROY bus); how?

1. Hide under the shelter of Christ’s mercy (hen’s wings)

2. Walk in surrender to Christ’s authority.

3. Proclaim the supremacy of Christ’s glory.

What lessons can we learn from Jesus’ warnings about spiritual hypocrisy and blindness?

That we all have a tendency towards pride

We all have our blind spots

We tend to ignore what’s happening on the inside while pretending on the outside

We all tend to major on the easier parts and ignore the more costly way

We not only keep others from Christ, we ignore him as well.

Where’s our heart today? Are we more like those who pridefully summit Mt. Everest for personal glory? Or are will more like the Sherpa who served and loved his neighbor as himself?

What about us?

What is God saying to you?

What are you going to do about it?

Write it down right now.

Pray

Other

And then he closes with something paradoxical. He says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Ephesians 5:11–12). So, there’s a way to expose the sins of the world without being verbally contaminated. “It’s shameful even to speak of them,” Paul says. Which I think means it’s shameful to find pleasure in talking about them, lingering over them with excessive attention. It is possible to find pleasure — we’re just so deceived on things like this; we can deceive ourselves so easily — in talking about the things we hate. Isn’t that awful? It’s possible to find pleasure in talking about the things we hate. God doesn’t want this. That’s not good.

So, the right way to summarize that paradox would go something like this, I think: Expose, but don’t gloat. Expose, but don’t linger. Expose, but weep. Expose, but pray. Expose, but don’t grovel in the mire, even in the name of mocking the mire. Some people think they’re justified in lingering in the mire by spending a lot of time finding clever ways to put it down. Expose, but then return quickly to the clean, clear, holy, happy air of the mountains of Christ’s fellowship.

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/dangers-in-exposing-cultural-sins

MAIN REFERENCES USED

“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes

“Matthew” by RC Sproul

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)

“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)

“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)

Outline Bible, D Willmington

NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)

ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)