Hypocrisy

Have your Bibles with you as you turn with me to Mark chapter 7 and will be looking at verses 14 through 23. They call the people to him again and said to them, hear me all of you and understand there is nothing outside a person that by going into him can do following the things that come out of a person, or what the filing and then when he had entered the house and left the people disciples asked him about the parable he said to them there.

You also without understanding you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot do filing since it enters not his heart but his stomach is expelled.

Thus he declared all foods clean and he said what comes out of a person is what defiles him from within, out of the heart of man comes evil, fault, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, NV, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and day. The file person there with me as we got our Lord in prayer.

Heavenly father I pray for Karen Starcher for Rita Haynes for Karen Simpson want Abercrombie give them healing and grace. Please be when Nicole loads as she is suffering with vertigo. We would Janet Kraft as she heals from a knee replacement, have mercy on always heavenly father, I thank you this morning for allowing us to see the courage that Jesus had to confront his enemies, that we might say yes, but that was easy for him because he's fully God, the truth of matters. The as he was also fully million. He knew that these enemies of his.

We have no mercy owning when he told them the truth, they would not be broken and repent. They would get angry and plot to nail into across suffering and humiliation would be painful in daily and yet Jesus told him the truth, with no hint of compromise. Lord we want to be like that father built steel into our backbones.

May we be repentant of our own sins and then give us the courage to share your truth with others, help us to lovingly not arrogantly but lovingly share truth in May our witness have a profound effect on others for what is in the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

You may be seated. Only verses 14 and 15. Once again they call the people to amen said to them here. May all of you and understand there's nothing outside a person that by going into him can do filing with the things that come out of a person are what the filing. William Barclay said that this particular statement of Jesus was one of the most revolutionary statements in the entire New Testament. Now I we found that kind of odd because we live in America we know nothing in America about ceremonial eating we say, eating is a physical issue is not a spiritual issue. That's not to say that what you eat is not important is if you have a diet of deep flat deep-fried liver mush and fatty barbecue ribs, possum burgers and large sandwiches and add 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts to that big pile of chocolate ice cream with whipped cream, you go to the doctor. He may tell you you're about three meals away from a major heart attack. So were not saying that it doesn't matter what you eat for it certainly does matter. All were saying is that this is not a spiritual issue for us. But when Jesus said what he said it was absolutely revolutionary. What Jesus said here shot the Pharisees and confuse the disciples because I knew what Leviticus said the method dietary restrictions and several other places in the Scripture, and so they they were concerned and that the Pharisees had believe that that by not eating nonkosher foods that was helping you spiritually that was going to make you right with God. If you did that Jesus said nothing Jesus said what comes into the mouth goes into the stomach and was eliminated is has no real spiritual effect on you.

In other words, the heart is God's concern and not the stomach. One of the disciples who was listening to this just didn't get it and that one of the disciples probably all of this particular this one is name was Peter Peter Hearn exactly what Jesus said in Jesus but with clarity to the Pharisees and the disciples heard it, Peter didn't get it all on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled Peter's heart. Peter still didn't get it when Peter later on that day preached to the multitudes, and 40,000 were saved. Peter still didn't get it. How do we know he didn't get it well several months later Peter was a little town called Joppa.

He was up on the rooftop of the particular house and God put them into a paralyzed position and gave him a vision we read that to you from Eckstein and he became hungry and wanted something to eat. But while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and he saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, bringing being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it, were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air, there came a voice to him rise, Peter kill and eat. Peter said by no means Lord Bob never eaten anything that is common or unclean voice came to him again a second time what God is, make clean, do not call common is happened three times the thing was taken up at once to heaven, God use this principle about eating to teach Peter a principal about race. What God was saying was the payees God is not so concerned with your ethnicity or what country you live in or the languages you speak God's concern about your heart.

The black man the white man the red man the yellow man the brown man had the same problem and that problem is a sinful heart and folks.

The only thing that can cure the sinful heart is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God gave Peter a vision and that vision.

He won trying to to help them to understand the difference between kosher nonkosher foods. He was putting the desire in Peter's heart to go and witness to a Gentile military commander named Cornelius the message that Jesus is teaching Peter and the Pharisees and all the other disciples and us is this quit minoring on the majors quit major ring on the minors got to point someone to share with you today. Number one. The truth stated the truth stated looking in verses 14 to 16 and he call the people to him again and said to them here.

May all of you and understand there's nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him with the things that come out of a person are what do filing.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Nephew got ESV then you don't have a verse 16 goes right from 15 to 17 if you got a King James version. You do have a verse 16 and wise that will the ESV was translated from a much earlier print up much earlier translation a much earlier manuscript and it was much closer to when Mark actually actually wrote the gospel. The King James version was written much later and probably what happened is the King James version. Scribe was copying the date, copy, and thus the Scripture down. He looked in the probably put in a little footnote and then that footnote the next time a scribe wrote it are copied it was probably placed into the Scripture is what we have in verse 16 and that verse says if any man have ears to hear, letting here so that particular verse probably is not really what we can consider to be the inerrant and infallible God breathed Word of God that didn't mean it. In true Bernie is true and is also very pregnant that it been said what's being said here is this take what Jesus is saying here seriously, do not gloss over. Listen to this with spiritual ears huge crowd as they are in the religious leaders up and in Jerusalem had been furious at Jesus because his popularity was growing and they were scared as can have an effect on them and so they send a contingent of Jewish scholars down to Galway for purpose they were going to confront Jesus there would I tell him that he was wrong. There were the men to make him look foolish in front of all the multitudes they were to put him down and they were going accusing him of being mistaken in what he said had a Jesus hamlet we saw that last week, Jesus called them hypocrites. He said you have broken the fifth commandment. Honor your father and mother said your cheek, your mom and your dad got older in life they got to the point they couldn't work, they didn't have enough to eat your supposed to take care of them. She didn't want to do that you came up with this man-made law that you use a Corban and that would mean your inheritance was going to go in the for the work of the Lord and that's what you gonna do. That's how you were to handle all that. But what what happened your your parents went out and because you said that that you thought that gave you the right to not take care of your parents so what was this man-made law said you created this man-made law to legitimize breaking the fifth commandment. In other words you love money more than you love your parents is the Pharisees or ceiling in anger, and the crowds are reeling in shock that Jesus spoke so blatantly to them. Jesus moves forward. What is Jesus say he says listen your under a delusion. You believe that what's on the outside defiles a man that eating nonkosher foods makes him wicked and sinful. Jesus said, not is not what goes into a man makes an sinful is not what's on the outside. The problem is the heart. The problem is the heart and the parallel passage this in Matthew chapter 1511 Jesus said that which proceeds out of the mouth makes him sinful.

James explained it this way in James three 6012 and the tongue is a fire world, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members thing in the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life and set on fire by hail. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed and is maintained by mankind, but no human being, contain the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison with it we bless our Lord and father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God from the same outcome, blessing and cursing. My brothers these things ought not to be doesn't spring forth. The spring pour forth from the same of opening both fresh and saltwater can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine reduce pigs. Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water know what is that mean is the physical tongue. The problem no other words that we say the problem no the tongue says what the heart tells it to say talk about the heart not talking about the the the blood pump not talking here about the blood pump with all its vessels and its veins in the end the violence and all that I'm talking about the old man, the carnal nature. I'm talking about your flesh looks, why it is is is the flesh so corrupt and so sinful is the answer because we were born with the sin nature. The Scripture tells us we were conceived in sin. I didn't have to sin in order to become a center I see end because I was born that way.

I was conceived that way.

I was always from the very first time the that the, the, the sperm connected with the egg. At that point in time there was sin. I like what my brother Clay Brogdon since Sunday school a few weeks ago. He said you know we we look down at the little baby in the cradle. Any suite is innocent. We set always so sinless and decent bit. Then he said whoa he said buddy Baucom got it right when he quoted Jonathan Edwards and said those little babies or Vipers in diapers. And that's exactly true. Exactly true, our mind, will and emotions are painted with CN at conception. So the tongue expresses what the heart is and what the heart desires the prophet Samuel said, for God does not see as man sees for man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart Paul dealt with this issue powerfully and in Romans chapter 2, he said this for no one is a Jew who is able who is merely one outwardly, nor circumcision outward and physical, but a Jew is one inwardly and circumcision as a matter of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter's praise is not from man but from God. Matthew something is not relevant today. You better believe it is you don't believe it is go out and witness go out and share the gospel. Somebody they do immediately.

Then start talking to you about the good that they do want to get this good thing I do that good thing that makes me right with God shared my testimony a lot from this pulpit. I want to shares add something to that today. Why was it that I went down to Chip's lungs house chips lungs a guy that led Christ while as I got into his house that night when he shared the gospel with me. I went down because his pastor had offended me. That's why went down on that Sunday before that chip and divide me to go to church with them. I went to church and then the next Monday night. His pastor David Wilson from North Anderson Baptist Church, David Wilson came to our house on visitation and so I invited him and he had a deacon with him. He sat down on the couch. I went out and I got coking and some cookies and brought them back in and gave tooling.

We talked for a little bit just small talk and then David looked right in my eyes. He said Doug when did you get saved I said I've always been saved. I said I don't use Lord's name in vain. I live going to church all my life. I'm a good person.

I've always been say and I said, I've always been a Christian and David just about choked on his cookie and he said to me.do you not know what Jesus said Jesus said you must be born again.

Have you ever realize that you are a sinner and that you needed a new heart that you ever repent of your sins and turn to Christ assigned nobody need to do all that.

I've always been a Christian, and we they finally just left I went right down to Chip sales and I told him Chip.

I'm offended by what you are what your pastor said to me to question my Christianity, and Chip said to them, and he looked over at Mesa Doug, are you a Christian and I said yeah I'm a Christian. He said I don't think you are, I suggest you casing my heart. He said that you can't see your own heart.

He said Jesus said that we would know those that are he is by their fruit synonymously fruit you drink like a fish, you cuss like a sailor and he said there's nothing about you that resembles prized. He said Doug you need a new heart, and only Christ can give you a new heart so I went back home now. Not only was I mad it at David Wilson is also matter Chip, but I knew as I was walking home what he said was right. I got home I tried to go to sleep at night couldn't sleep finally got up I walked into the to the living room about 2 o'clock in the morning. I got down on Mondays, not crowned that the Lord is to Chip and and David Wilson. They were right, said Lord I'm I'm not a Christian I am a sinner. My hearts filled with wickedness and I need you desperately. And Lord I'm asking you right now to forgive me of my sins and repent of my sins and submit myself to your Lordship. Lord have mercy on me and save me and I can remember standing up after that. After praying that and I knew I'd never be the same. I felt like somebody it's probably on the inside with the scrub brush.

I knew that when I died I was going to heaven. It was most glorious day of my life that I got to think about everything later, and I thought man what a deception. I was under. I thought that what took place on the outside was what was important in God was concerned about my heart when I witness to people today so many have that same issue.

They are blinded to the fact that the heart is the problem. They don't realize that they are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins when they look at their their external works. I think that's all that really matters. And so they compare themselves with other people might say I think I'm doing just as good as they are, so that must mean I'm right with God. But that's not the issue. The heart of the issue is the issue of the heart and let me add this because I'm always trying to learn better ways to help communicate the gospel. I deeply appreciate the ministry of Alister bag got a radio ministry is listening to the other day and he was promoting a book written by Randy Newman called extreme evangelism. Great book. I got it ready to just tremendous it was CS Lewis's. It was it was a synopsis of CS Lewis's evangelistic methodology started off by saying has CS Lewis said anytime you share the gospel.

You gotta share the word because faith comes by hearing hearing by the word of God is the word of God that breaks the heart open so that that that the Holy Spirit can do his mighty work in that heart, he said, but also what's important is using imagery and then he explained it went back to David and Nathan and David had Cindy commit adultery with Bathsheba.

He had had ordered Iraq to be killed and Nathan could've come to him right there at that point and Nathan could've just given them the word because it David you syndicate your audio you sinned against Bathsheba, you sinned against Israel, you sin against God's judgment is coming. David could've done that he didn't. He went back and share the story some imagery and he said David there was a very rich man who had flocks and flocks of sheep and a friend came to visiting and he said I want to fix a dinner for you. Please all go and get a lamb, but he didn't go to his own land, PA went to his next-door neighbor sales a very poor man that poor man and his children had really nothing but this little you lamb that they kept as a pet.

He stole that lamb he brought it back to kill that lamb and they ate it for supper was when David heard that he had the same reaction that you and I would've had. He was furious. He said that CN that man needs to God.

This is not right. What had Nathan done naked and used imagery in order to get David's heart prepared for the word via knife engaging the word David Val art the man you sinned against Uriah you sinned against Bathsheba, you sinned against Israel. You sinned against God, and you need to repent and David with a broken heart repented most of you have either read the book or seen on film.

CS Lewis is's book called the lion the witch and the wardrobe in that great book.

CS Lewis explains how how the children fell in love with Aslan. Aslan was a big lion, who represents Christ.

They are wild by his righteousness by his goodness and by his love is a story is closing Aslan goes to an altar, realizing that these children are guilty of sin and rebellion and it has to be paid for in Aslan goes up and he allows his enemies to take his life.

So he's there, he's become the substitute for those children and his body is laying there on the altar and the children come back and they see it and they know what is happened that he is died in their place. He is died for them and then they cried for three days. After three days.

The Aslan miraculously is raising the dead to assure the children of their forgiveness and to assure them that they have a glorious eternity with him forever. We watch that film in our house. A lot of times we brought our grandchildren over to watch it with us when we watch that film and get to the point where Aslan is laying on that altar and the children are crying there's not a dry in our living room.

It gets to us what is happened. Imagery is being used. They are to help explain to us the gospel we need to take that to heart. All right, point to the truth. Explain verse 17 through 23. When you hear the house and left the people. His disciples asked him about the parable and he said to them, then are you also without understanding do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot the filing since it enters not his heart but his stomach and his explain yield. Thus he declared all foods clean and he said what comes out of a person is what defiles me for from within, out of the heart of man comes evil thought sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality in the slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come for a foot from within and defile a person's is an amazing thing to me after Jesus's confrontation with the Pharisees.

With this huge cry out here and everything that Jesus just said Jesus and the disciples go back to Capernaum I go to Hiles probably Simon Peter's pals in the Scripture tells us that that the disciples are absolutely baffled by the parable that Jesus said to the up to the Pharisees now. Jesus didn't really tell parable I think is a parable. That's not what Jesus was doing Jesus one given them a parable that was hard and almost impossible for them to understand Jesus spoke to them purposely, pointedly, deliberately and with power and he said to them. Pretend you're a fake phony that's what you are, but he assured them that there little performance rituals did not put them in favor with God. Listen, Jesus is not worried about who your friends.

He doesn't back up. He didn't slow up and even shut up. He opens both barrels and he lets them have it when you quit listening to the one churches depiction of who Jesus is easiest to mid cowardly week little cc no, no, these are some of God and he's tough as nails is to physically stuff mentally. He's tough emotionally stuff spiritually.

He backs down from no one. I think of when Jesus this trial was going on and Pontius Pilate gets very upset with Jesus and he says do you not realize Jesus who I am fark you talking to me. He said you not realize that I have authority I can put you to death, or I can save your life. Jesus looks at them said only authority you have is that which my father's given to you while disciples are afraid Jesus is step over the line here with the dislike with the with these Pharisees. Matthew 15 Scripture says this, then the disciples came and said to him, do you not do you know that the Pharisees were thinking when they heard this saying answered every plant that my heavenly father is not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone. They are blind guides, the blind lead the blind, both will fall into.

Can you believe this. The disciples was saying to the son of God, Jesus, you better be careful.

Did you not know you're talking to you later.

These are the fiercely seasonal legislators may make up power.

Jesus, you better watch what you're doing and this is dangerous for you to go get yourself in trouble. Would Jesus say oh my goodness, nothing realize that they're all old guy I might be at all times of trouble known as this is the son of God. This is the creator of heaven and earth.

He knows that these people hate him. He knows that they're going nail him to a cross because he's voluntarily going up again. I give his life. Not that they take is like running he's going to voluntarily let them do this to him.

We tell you what else he knows knows of these Pharisees are to stand before him one day and the final judgment of the great white throne and they are going to give an account for his wickedness. But thanks Jesus is not concerned about what they think about him is not concerned about that what he's concerned about is that they are perverting the word of God. He calls them blind guides that are leading the blind and details in this that they and their followers are headed to an eternal hell when a message to the American church in 2022 is not right for us to water down the word of God and compromise. It is not right for us to try to appease wishy-washy professing church members and the blatantly lost culture. If you stand for truth and you share the word of God, rest assured of the people going to call you a judgmental person there going to call you unloving. It's going to come I want you to know that what they're saying is a lie. That's not being judgmental.

It's not the end unloving me ask you something. If there was a doctor who was examining a man to think through the examination.

Shouldn't it knows it in because the examination that he's got stage IV cancer and probably only has a few days to live would be loving for that doctor to say oh you're okay everything's fine. It just it it's okay that would not be unloving, but that would be as evil as it could be that man needs to hear the truth. He needs to get ready and prepare for his death. He needs to hear the truth.

Jesus is being honest and forthright in his word to the disciples think is this disciples. You need to do what I'm doing right here. This is what you need to do the disciples did come to understand that that the gospel is offensive. It's always good to be offensive. Why, because the gospel stings the heart and it has to sting the heart that the heart might be broken.

Truth is more important than life itself.

I know that they got the message because all the apostles were martyred for their faith, except one that was John, and John was thrown into a data ball and all of the live through it God when finished with him, yet still had the book of Revelation to write but they they were all martyred for the title me ask you somebody think there were martyred. They were martyred because they did the same thing. Jesus did, they would not back off and compromise telling the truth. So Jesus tells his disciples that what you eat is not the issue. The depraved heart is the issue. Then he went on to explain what's in the depraved heart. John MacArthur said this in and this is good.

I want you listen to it. Jesus list of six representative evil actions began with fornication, a form of the Greek word tornado from which the English word pornography is derived a general reference to sexual sin. Next, he identified FAFSA form of play play during the related verb klepto provides the basis for the English word kleptomania murders a form of phone us denoting the illicit taking of another person's life. Adulteries of former Macao meaning sexual sin that violates the marriage covenant and deeds of coveting a form of play.

Next, the reference to desires and behaviors motivated by greed and avarice all for those actions were included in the second half of the 10 Commandments.

Disciples would have immediately recognize them as flagrant transgressions. Jesus also mentioned bearing false witness. In this context, completing the category of the evil Jesus and it wickedness, a form of poor Naya a general reference to iniquity that encompassed everything else that violate God's law in his holy will. So here's the question for us is there hope is there hope on a point you to the apostle Paul also fiercely of the Pharisees. He is no different from the Pharisees that we see here in this passage, he thinks that his exterior works. He is he is superficial religious acts.

He thinks that they're fine. If they make him right with God. Same as the fiercely stalled, but they were wrong in the resurrected Lord appears on the Damascus road before Paul he breaks his heart.

He saves his soul and he corrects his wicked theology. Paul went on to become one of the greatest men of God to ever live, and then in the book of Titus is Paul didn't have much longer to live. He speaks to his preacher boy and he tells them this piece is not by works of righteousness which we have done according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. But here's a question for us. Do you have religion or do you have Christ.

If you have religion I can promise you this. You're heading for an eternal hail. If you have Christ you're headed for an eternal heaven last week, I shared with you that if you're not sure about your salvation. Don't leave this building today without grabbing a over or a pastor in sin please please please explain the gospel to me. Tell me the truth.

I've got to know that I belong to Jesus is praying. Heavenly father, we confess to you that we are so sinful that we often do in our Christian lives with the Pharisees did we get caught up in the externals.

We think that you're more concerned with our works in our hearts forgive us and help us to be so open to your spirit that we would learn to live in a continual state of repentance and renewal. Forgive us for arrogance and pride and build humility and dependence on you into our hearts. Lord help us to be better witnesses, not just with our males, but also with our lives guide and direct us forcing Jesus name I pray, amen