Exposing Religious Phonies, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll, model genuine. Don't be like the guy that wrote the book became the most humble man in the world with 12 life-size pictures don't promote it just just live in such a self forgetful way you're surprised with anything that comes down the pike reveled in their self-imposed spiritual authority over bearing rules for their community that were impossibly difficult to follow today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll. This teaching from Matthew chapter 23. In this passage we see Jesus exposing the hypocrisy of the religious zealots. He warned his disciples and the crowds that gathered to be wary of their pretentious ways. Once again, Jesus urged his followers to walk in humility. Chuck titled today's message exposing religious phone warnings are meant to be taken seriously this morning is important because Jesus is the one who first delivered. He first gave these words regarding those who were religious phonies hear someone trustworthy expositor describes this sermon referring to the whole of Matthew 23 Jesus words fly from his lips like claps of thunder and spears of lightning out of his mouth. On this occasion, came the most fearful and dreadful statements that Jesus uttered on earth." Improvement that in the latter part of his penetrating delivery.

Jesus repeats the condemning evocative to all of his listeners what you want to you all you want for you. Seven consecutive times you count the beginning of verse 13. When you read it in the message. It's your hopeless your hopeless your hopeless strong strong words I repeat, he calls those he is exposing and I quote hypocrites, sons of hell.

Blind guides fools robbers vessels for greed, self-indulgence, and all sorts of impurity whitewashed tombs, snakes, Vipers, persecutors and murderers still quoting outwardly. You look like righteous people but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. They told you one thing and they live another way they were deceivers with her Bible open to Matthew 23. Please observe that before Jesus begins his message we read that he was in front of crowds and his disciples said in verse one, so there's a different agenda for the two groups.

Verses one through seven. Literally versus two through seven or for the crowds and I suggest verses eight through 12, would be for the disciples.

Let's look at them a little more carefully.

First, to the surprise of many who have heard my warnings to begin with, there were some things they were to practice and obey. That came from the Pharisees look first to the scribes and the Pharisees that is the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees who by the way, don't miss it really knew their scriptures really knew the Old Testament that spent their lives studying the Scriptures the law of Moses. The Psalms, the prophets, so he says the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees or the official interpreters of the law of Moses everything right about that. So he says of them. It's worth your time to hear what they are telling you to understand and obey the teachings of Moses.

That's what verse verse three as it begins is all about practice. He says practice and obey whatever they tell you what, that's a big contrast. You could hear the brakes screech verbally but don't follow their example.

They may deliver the truth from their lips as Moses has stated that they live a lie. They say one thing but they live another way.

In fact, if I were to divide their the reason for not following them I would find three, three of them look closely. Verse three says they don't practice what they teach, so there was a lack of integrity. If I teach one thing and that I go out and live another way, I'm a hypocrite I'm a phony. There's a second look at verse four and you who have lived under legalistic teaching won't have any problem understanding this, they crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden look at those words. Their words are crushing in that they add to what Moses is written, and they make the words of a burden, so they lack sympathy. They don't help you live the life that God tells us were to live third and don't miss this verse five. Everything they do is for show what they do they do to be seen. So there's a lack of humility, a lack of integrity they don't carry out what they teach a lack of sympathy they burden you with the requirements, the do's and don'ts, and third is a lack of humility. Whatever they do they do to be seen there, dripping with self-importance and conceit and all my they love titles they love to be called Rabbi see when you think through this enough you realize this is in the message for someone else. This is to you and me. Which is why he speaks to his disciples very carefully. His followers is what we are hopefully were followers of of Jesus and he says to us, don't let anyone call you have the idea I see it like that. Is it nothing again wrong with the title or even if you earned your doctorate in your and that's what you're known for that spot. Don't don't expect that in in in other words, let me put this week Sean pretentious titles Sean pretentious titles. Don't let anyone do that part for you have only one teacher in your all equal, his brothers and sisters all of us remember that there is no status there is no rank in the Christian life and anyone call you Rabbi verse and I don't address anyone who on earth. His father is it for Godot in heaven alone is your is your spiritual father so the next thing is resist pedestal lysing others don't miss these points folks there were we fall. First, we we will like pretentious titles about setting aside so you got that you got an honor in receiving that great get over is get on with the work that's were called second.

Don't be guilty of civilizing anyone would tell you I will get in the story, but Cynthia and I can tell you are stored. We made the mistake of pedestal lysing, a minister, and when he felt it was just about all we could do to keep our feet when you've had us lies anyone. You're in for a real disappointment because I got Peter play. They may not fall in some huge way, but they'll let you down they'll show their humanity, and when they do, you'll be disillusioned. So this is wise counsel for all of us.

It's okay to admire and appreciate it's never okay to exalt and worship another human being. Never somebody comes down to the very end he says what we all need to remember first cultivate a servants heart is the path to greatness.

Cultivate a servants heart.

Verse 11 the greatest among you must be a what a servant, a servant, all of us would do well to improve our server.

Look for ways to help others get ahead. The message reads, do you want to stand out then step down good counsel the greatest among you must be a servant, Jesus teaches this. Those who exalt themselves will be humble and those who humble themselves will be exalted second model, genuine humility model don't announce it will be like the guy that wrote the book became the most humble man in the world with 12 life-size pictures don't don't promote it. Just let it just live it in such a so forgetful way that your surprised with anything that comes down the pipe for you this past week I want to spend a few closing moments on this very important point this past week I pulled from my shelves of book that has helped me a lot to keep my feet on the ground and to keep things in perspective. It's a book by Paul David Tripp titled dangerous calling. You have a friend in ministry that would be a great book to give up dangerous calling. You know what I believed to be the most dangerous career on earth. The ministry.

The ministry you have the power of God at your fingertips and is to be delivered via broken human vessel who is not deserving of that calling source dangerous and we can so easily fall into the it into the trap of feeling like we've arrived. His book is filled with warnings. The third section of his book is the danger of arrival and there's a chapter called self glory very convicting.

I read it again toward the end of this last week. In it he lists several characteristics, damaging characteristics of self glory.

I want you to write them down, but I want you to hear them. He offered to an end of time doesn't allow me to give all 10.

I'll give you a select number of them, all of which make you quiet and make you think you're very convicting for all of us, not just individuals in ministry because were all given to self glory. We all tend toward pride soon as we earn something we gotta deal with the pride of earning it or or or whatever. Anyway, all this six of them for us. Number one self glory will cause you to parade in public. What should be kept in private repeating self glory will cause you to parade in public. What should be kept in private number two self glory will cause you to be way to self referencing will cause you to be way to self referencing proud people like to talk about themselves a lot. Proud people tend to like their opinions more than others opinion, proud people tend to think they know more and understand more than others. They think they have glory to offer when in fact they have not have none, self glory will cause you to be way to self referencing number three self glory will cause you to talk when you should be quiet those who are proud of themselves tend to say more than they need to.

Number four self glory will cause you to care too much about what people think of you and interestingly can also cause you to think too little about what people think of you. You can be so stuck on yourself that even the comment made for your good. That may be confronting will be ignored and missed altogether.

One of my props confronted me when I was a student I got to know them really well and he felt a closeness that I felt with him and I was so grateful for it.

He told me. On one occasion I'll never forget it Chuck you got a great sense of humor, but there's a problem off-limits at another person's it's it's at the embarrassment of another person.

He was right aboard to stop doing that. I need to hear that that strong word and another person's expense. That's the word I was looking for. You have a sense of humor but is often at another person's expense.

In other words, their sarcasm, be careful about using sarcasm as humor because usually someone else's the brunt of it and there the usually the ones not smiling anyway, back to this list number five self glory will cause you to struggle with the blessings of others so glory is always at the base of in the when you're envious of someone else or thinking about yourself because you to struggle with the blessings of others and were commanded to rejoice with those who rejoice, someone gets promoted fantastic. How wonderful. Let's celebrate someone or something great happened.

Let's get together and have a party let's celebrate your promotion or what you've accomplished self glory don't like to go to parties like six and finally self glory will cause you to resist facing and admitting your own sin's weaknesses and failure. It was the longest time before I realize the value of just being who I am I my wife to think for most of that she endured years of bad preaching and my attempt to to do and I was called to do to. She finally said to be what you just try being who you are and I thought that maybe is the dumbest thing of ever heard in my life, which sounds like self glory done it and she said no, really.

It works well at home and I think it would work well in public.

Just don't be too afraid to tell them where you struggle or is Jim Peterson with the navigators taught me. Don't be afraid to let people see the cracks in your life wise counsel for self glory, unlike what you think I have any cracks in my life.

First, when you get rid of that nonsensical way of thinking, you freely say I struggle with that. Even more, you are understand that battle been there many times. Okay strong words today. Straight talk. Be careful about who you listen to is a religious leader.

Be careful.

I care about you 10 years from now when you been following someone you shouldn't of been following. Pay attention to what they say and what they don't say. Remember that little list what you would know about is watching and when you're looking for someone to really exalt choose Christ choose Christ, the great apostle. He saw himself as the least of all possible said I glory and nothing but the cross of Christ. John Bowring wrote from that line out of Galatians 6 in the cross of Christ I glory, towering over the wrecks of time.

All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime's about the cross but with would you put the cross uppermost in your mind.

Think of Christ, who bore it for you and as you sit there thinking, thank you for going through what you didn't have to go through so that your sins would be paid for in full and you would have a path to heaven based on his greatness, his faithfulness, not yours. If you've never trusted in Jesus trusted him now turn to him now help us all our father in this meeting is age help us all who have learned all through life how to watch out for ourselves how to come out on top hello look good. Give us an ability to get beyond that and live for the glory and could Christ, he must increase. We mistake in his matchless name we pray. Everyone's Chuck Swindoll gave us six points today. Each one helps us resist any temptation to bask in what he calls self glory and this is in Chuck's personal conviction rises out of our study in Matthew 23 were Jesus made it clear that no man deserves to be placed on a pedestal above others because we are all equal, as brothers and sisters in him. You're listening to Insight for living and learn more about Chuck in this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org over the past several programs we been reminded that is not the sole duty of the clergy to interpret the Bible on our behalf is important. Chuck says that we search the Scriptures on our own rather than relying on others to present the truth.

Well, I'm pleased to tell you Chuck is written the daily devotional for you that celebrates this theme is called God's word for you and listen to the subtitle because it gives you a taste of what this book is all about. The subtitle is an invitation to find the nourishment your soul needs every entry in this devotional contains an insightful quote about the Scriptures, a brief devotional from Pastor Chuck a prompt to help you grow in spiritual maturity in the Bible verse to meditate on the purchase a copy of this devotional from Chuck. Go to Insight.org/offer or cause if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888. In closing, I remind you of your generous donations are what empower Insight for living to deliver these daily Bible studies, when you give your actually making it possible for others across our country and even around the world to have access to Chuck's Bible teaching by giving you enable them to grow in Christ, just as you have. Thanks for giving generously to this nonprofit ministry listening in the US, call 1-800-772-8888 four give a donation today online@insight.you heard him teach about the holy land using word pictures to make us feel like we are actually strolling through the old city learning about Jerusalem is fascinating for sure, but seeing the land of Israel with your own his his life changed. In fact, is absolutely magnificent. And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and the gracious hosts and experts assembled by Insight for living ministries. Join us on an unforgettable 12 day tour March 6-17, 2022 at special sites along the way, I will teach from God's word will worship at the Mount of Beatitudes and share the Lord's table at the garden to impact will Sail the Sea of Galilee together and will visit places where Jesus walked and talked to learn more, call 1-888-447-0444.

Just imagine walking along those sacred sites and seeing the Bible come to life before your very mark your calendar for March 6-17, 2022 and make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to Insight.org/events Insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Dave Speicher.

Join us again tomorrow when our study in Matthew continues on Insight for living with Chuck Swindoll the preceding message exposing religious phone was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited