Spiritual Blind Spots, Part 2

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll. Anybody called a Pharisee to be told what self-righteousness your body there forever dictating condemning. Judging streaming classic legalistic approach because of what they are one of a building to a broad.

Sometimes we tiptoe around legal something to be accommodated. After all, is far better to follow strict religious rules rather than ignore them today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll recounts a scene in the first century.

When Jesus called out the Pharisees for their legalistic ways.

He withheld nothing from his scathing attack against their arrogance and their hypocrisy. Jesus made it very clear that twisting the gospel with legalism's lethal check title to study in Matthew chapters 14 and 15 spiritual blind spot again where we come today our father from all over something from across the city, some from across the state. Others from another state.

Others from another country and we are here together as one. We come with our needs.

We come in our brokenness, we, acknowledging our own failures, inadequacies, personal struggles, those things that qualify us as humans and were grateful that were not rejected but were welcome. Thank you for the reminder that we can come to you because we find through your son Jesus, one who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.

Grateful we are for that person in this room is even near perfect, but we worship the one who is not one person in this room knows what this week holds is returned to you. We realize you know the complete and from the very beginning, knowing at all knowing us that well you love us like no one else could ever let us rebound with gratitude. Thank you for that father, as we have the joy of looking to you to meet our needs. We certainly pray for our country.

We need your guidance board. We are in great need. As a nation and so we bow before you, knowing that you care about that and we lay these needs before you. I pray that you would prompt each one of us to do what we could do and should do and can do by your grace, see us through.

Pray ring wise counselors and those who know you near those who will represent us and may they give them counsel.

We heard and respected. Thank you. Now for the privilege of giving, we do so with gratitude. Great joy in the name of Jesus praying we get sick to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download is searching the Scriptures study by going to Insight world war/studies.

Another message from Chuck called spiritual blind spots were building to a climax here. One miracle after another miracle. This is following Jesus and the crowds of enlarging the numbers are increasing word reaches Jerusalem were the official teachers reside and they make their way all the way to Galilee to connect the and there they want to see Jesus wasn't a Pharisee wasn't a scribe, so naturally he's called into question because he's been breaking a lot of their man-made rules and they're sick of it. I want to point out three major blind spots among the spiritually blind. The first is this and I get it from verse two. They asked him why do your disciples disobey our age old tradition, for they ignore our tradition of ceremonial handwashing before they eat so the first blind spot among the spiritually blind is they ask the wrong questions that's wrong? And believe me, these Pharisees and scribes had a way this course to wash the disciples hadn't done that.

Furthermore, Jesus had broken a lot of other rules never have been handling the letters and spending time with the with the centers he had worked with those that had hemorrhages of blood. He touched the dead, they they rose against all of that and now the little things disciples are coming along eating without washing like they should get gracious of Jesus, at least to begin with.

For him to address them is a man-made rules and the truth is man your man-made rules are so powerful in your eyes that they cancel out the written word of God gives him an example, look, he replies to their question with another question. Great pedagogical principal.

Why do you buy your traditions violate the direct commandments of God, your traditionalism is such that your rules will override the very commandments of God must've made him frown and he tells him how that work for instance, God says honor your father and your mother, anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father mother must be put to death, but you say this, here's your rule you say it's all right for people to say their parents. Sorry I can't help you for about to give to God what I would have given to you. And in this way, you say they don't need to honor their parents and so look at this you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own traditions second blind spot. The first one is, they asked the wrong questions. The second is the spiritually blind trust in unscriptural traditions.

There are many legalists who hold more tightly to their list than they do to the truth of the Scriptures you question that then you been away from it too long. These people had rules on top of rules on top of rules and they were so blinding doesn't matter what Scripture actually says that God wrote with his own finger in the tablets on our father and mother nominally got a plan that will keep you from doing that what you gotta do is make a statement not really given this to God. And so you look at verse six. In this way, you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition will as if that isn't enough, he decides to take the gloves off and land a haymaker you have a credits will stop right there.

Good place to pause. Let's take a deep breath was last time you called anybody to his face hypocrite. Been a long time and I can't remember last time on have I written.

Maybe I I was probably little more tactful.

That's because Jesus is on us to the core and I tend to be a little nicer when I shouldn't be times like this you think I did get their attention was the last time anybody called a Pharisee hypocrite then long time but what you don't read anything about the disciples.

Here they are shadows is watching something happen. They couldn't imagine whatever happened and then he lands the full-blown woody quotes from their own prophet Isaiah.

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me there worshipers of forests for they teach man-made ideas as commandments from God loving mother saying it I love it that he says it is not learning from him you get older you care less about what folks think, so watch out. You may hear things like that as Jesus called the crowd to come in here. Listen, he said, try to understand is not what goes into your mouth defiles you your defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. Disciples finally come back. They say Jesus you realize you can you open the Pharisees about what you said one of my favorite verses. Can you think that you see Jesus really they need to be offended.

They need to be told what they are walking along in their self-righteousness is not a vulnerable bogey in their body. They are forever telling telling telling dictating dictating dictating, condemning, judging streaming the classic legalistic approach because of what they are one of a building to across. No wonder they would not forgive. Ever anything was there to forgive. He told them the truth, you realize Lord that there offended. I love Jesus response oh Jesus replied every plant not planted by my heavenly father will be uprooted look at the next command. Ignore them know what the Greek says leave get away from that kind of un-biblical authority years ago. Since then I made a very important decision.

Many years ago. Early on in our marriage we realized we were going to the wrong church. It was a long-standing tradition that we attend a particular denomination, we realize the longer we were there the more legalism was being stuffed into every message. The more we were around people who were frightened because they weren't keeping all the rules that the pastor laid down, not biblical rules, legalistic requirements, taboos should do this you can't do that were supposed to do these things you do these things, you can answer for lot of intimidation on the power playing in, we made a decision.

We would leave. We made a few right decisions in our lives. That's one of the best decisions we ever made, literally pull up roots went to a place where we didn't know many people left those we have known for years were still friends with some but most of them looked at us over the top of their glasses and warned us that the Lord gets blamed for lot of things he has nothing to do with as we told him that the Lord was leading us elsewhere right Jesus is legal if you say under the authority of a legalist you will suffer the consequences. You will live in shame. You will be rejected.

You will be shunned, you will forever find yourself juggling man-made rules trying to square it with the Scriptures and you can't do it because they're not there. Jesus is leave them get away from that, this translation says ignore them. The Greek is even stronger. Leave. Here's the third blind spot is the reason he tells them to leave him spiritually blind failed to realize that spiritual this defilement is a matter of the heart, the inner person. Defilement is what comes from within out. It's not based on what you eat going in on no friends who were on the mission field where it was impossible in that particular mission field to get peanut butter on. They love peanut butter and their family but they are, young missionaries there in the group and they didn't know that the rule was it's a sign of spirituality not to eat peanut butter that's hard to find in the gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, where is peanut butter mentioned but that's a little, don't you forget it live for God.

They had a special ordered from home and they would get cases the put the bottle peanut butter on the table eat from it, regularly enjoying the peanut butter.

Then it became the object of the ire of the leader among the missionaries and the missionaries turned on because they were needing peanut butter and these people were. They were the peanut butter eaters get near them are eaten peanut butter and ultimately they left the mission field broken because of the stringent rules of that legalistic body of people. Some of the most stubborn people on the planet or legalists.

They will control you to the last day of your life, but they didn't Jesus they don't realize that the wrong heart is where the problem it's an inside job. It is important peanut butter in your mouth it's judging top people who were eating the peanut butter making it an issue when it's not an issue at all. So Peter said to Jesus explained to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat. Jesus response because he's talked about this before, don't you understand anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer, but the words you speak come from. Look at it, your interbeing, your heart down deep within where decisions are made.

Your soul or spirit that come from your heart. That's what defiles you for looking at the next verse from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery or sexual immorality, theft, lying, slander, these are what defile you eating without washing like they tell you why doesn't file you. He says it right in front of the Pharisee, not you ready for a tough statement. I wrote it down so would mess it up. The filth of the sewer is not as great as the defilement of the human heart not get cleansed by the blood of Christ, the filth of the super is not as great as the defilement of the human heart not get cleansed by the blood of Christ leapt up and went on us.

Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked filthy and the blind person is guided by it. Those without Christ. What can wash away my sin.

Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What you make me whole again. Nothing but the blood of Jesus precious is the flow makes it white as snow. No other fountain I know nothing but the plot Jesus, you need to acknowledge where you are hearing the story. You're one of the disciples who have spiritual sight may be intimidated by legalists or those who want to control you. You need to get into the word for yourself and gain stability from the Scriptures is what Cindy and I decided we were doing when we left that place we'd never once regretted leaving some were flying people just under the God of this legalistic demanding kind of religion us promise the Lord if I'm ever involved in any kind of his work. I spend my day setting people free with you need to know. You are free.

You are free to obey Christ as he leads you for everybody lead you, you're free to go there. You might be like the disciples a little afraid little intimidated is the traditionalism of a legalist that so wrong. Yellow slip pelican of Gail said it best.

Tradition is the living faith of those now dead.

Traditionalism is the depth faith of those still living great state is a disciple of Christ become a student of the traditions of the Scriptures set aside the man-made rules that may be your own parents tried to force upon you or someone else along your journey of faith. On the other hand, you may be like the scribes and Pharisees, you have your eyesight but you're asking the wrong questions you're trusting and unscriptural traditions failed to realize that spiritual defilement is the thing of your heart. That's were the sewer.

It's that's for the moral super finds its source. Let's turn to Christ, but with me. Would you, I invite you to come to the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Savior without having all of your questions answered and will note that they never will all be answered. I'm asking you to trust in him to invite him to become for you your master, your Savior, your enthroned Lord, really. I'm asking you to accept the gift God holds it out in the person of his son. God so loves you that he gave his one and only son that if you would believe in him you would never perish. Listen to that never perish, but you would have everlasting life joined the ranks come on board become a disciple. Join the following people who were still sinners.

The grace of God found that that blood of Christ is washed them free from that which contaminated them eternally. Trust in Christ. Now father I pray that you will use these words and drill them home to our hearts. I asked about your spirit that the blindness will be lifted among those who find themselves enshrouded in the video. Their hearts are hardened.

Soften those parts reach into their lives break through and penetrate your power and grace. And lead us as followers of yours to take your word most seriously as we find those instructions for our life guard us from ever following blind guides. I pray in the name of Jesus. Everybody said amen and his insight for living. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry.

Please visit us online@insightworld.org it's possible you grew up in a home where man-made rules were forced upon you. Maybe you were taught certain traditions that now in your adult years. You discovered to be more damaging to your soul than healing to your soul what Chuck Swindoll wrote a classic book that's liberated millions of readers through the years.

It's called the grace awakening and if you're prepared to shed the legalistic ways that were pioneered by religious extremists like the Pharisees in exchange for freedom in Christ, then we highly recommend this book from Chuck again. It's called the grace awakening and you can purchase a copy right now by going to the insight for living website.

It insight.org/offer or call us if you listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 Chuck titled today's message spiritual blind spots and as we close out another week of Bible teaching together, Chuck and the entire team. It insight for living, would like to thank those who responded Chuck last month. Your comments and donation been a tremendous encouragement to all of us.

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The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ.

Every nation and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll insight for living ministry March 6-17, 2022.

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