Am I a Pharisee?
This is the conclusion, part 10.
Hi, welcome to today's little lesson and this'll be the final little lesson in a series of
10 little lessons asking the question, am I a Pharisee.
Have you missed the first nine?
Well, it'd be good for you to go back and find those other nine ,because we made a lot
of progress and done some great self-examination to see if by any chance we're at all Pharisaic.
And we've discovered that yeah, there is a chance that we are.
Okay as we are honest with ourselves, and look at the principles behind what Jesus was
saying to the scribes and Pharisees.
All right, I don't want to go any longer on this because I think we've gone long enough,
but we're going to pick up in Matthew chapter 23 and verse number 24. which I actually quoted
the at the end of the last little lesson and I said, I'm not sure this is in this section
or not.
And here it is as the very next verse that we are about to read.
You blind guides, this is verse 24 who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
A very funny illustration that basically says that you're making the big things, little
things and little things are the big things.
And that certainly is a characteristic, a Pharisaic thing that we do witness within
Christian circles, right?
Right.
I mentioned just one thing among many things that could have been mentioned and that is
doctrine.
When doctrine becomes the all important thing, it actually can become idolatry.
Can usurp God's rightful place in our lives, because our Christianity is all about the
knowledge that we accumulate about God.
Rather than the heart love that we have for God as indicated by our obedience to the commandments
of Jesus Christ.
Okay?
All right, so we've talked about that.
So we go on and verse number 25 of Matthew chapter 23 today, woe to you scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites for you clean the outside of the cup.
Excuse me, and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self indulgence.
And so Jesus repeatedly called them hypocrites.
It just means you're an actor.
And so this is another way of saying the same thing.
Externally, you look so great, but internally it's not near as nice looking.
And he uses an illustration shortly, but let's read verses 26 and then verse 27.
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so the outside
of it may become clean also.
And so this is an important spiritual principle for all of us who don't want to be pharisaic.
So often when we do any self examination, we look at what we know everyone else's seeing,
the outside.
And we don't ask the more important question about what's the inside looking like?
What are my motives?
What are my thoughts that nobody can see or hear?
what am I doing in my private life?
How is that different than my public life?
What do I not want anyone to know about what's going on in here?
Okay?
So that's where the focus ought to be.
As Christ said, when you clean up the inside, the outside naturally cleans up.
And that is simple.
But it is absolutely profound, simple, but absolutely profound.
And if you and I would take regular time to monitor what's going on inside, what's not
pleasing to God inside and working on, purging ourselves of those things, the outside would
automatically clean up.
Simple but profound.
And, same point almost in verse number 27, woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
for you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside
they're full of dead man's bones and uncleanness.
So you too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy
and lawlessness.
Okay.
So I don't know how else to say this or to elaborate it on any better than what Jesus
has said here.
And I'm not implying that any true Christian is guilty to the degree that the Pharisees
were okay.
Because if you have, and I trust that you have been born again and believe in Jesus
Christ and your sins have been forgiven you.
And you're on the path, the narrow path your whole life, you're striving to please God.
Then you're not at all like Pharisees.
Pharisees were way, way far from pleasing God.
But what I'm saying here is that we too, can be, to a degree, guilty of the same things
that the Pharisees we're guilty of.
And we all know that it's very possible to look better on the outside than what's going
on really on the inside.
Okay?
So I'm just encouraging you in your prayer time and I hope that you have prayer time
every day.
That that would be a great component of the prayer time.
To pray Lord, search me and know me and show me if there's any evil thing within me.
I believe that's one of the Psalms of David.
Search me and know me.
Show me, Lord. if there's anything displeasing within me.
So that would be a self-examination.
That is, Oh Lord, show me my heart.
Don't let me deceive myself.
And again, the outward stuff is an indication of what's going on inside.
And so if you are aware of exterior things that are displeasing to God, again, the place
to go is in your heart to say, now, Lord, okay, I've got this exterior problem.
Is there something going on in my heart?
And it could be as basic as love for God.
Because we all know this, right?
I'm not telling you something you don't know.
I'm just reminding you.
Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.
So there's a basic problem with...
Disobedience indicates lack of love for God.
And in our relationships with others yeah, we have conflicts.
We're having fights, we're jealous, whatever in all interpersonal relationships, all of
the problems that people have.
It can be directed or once again, the source of the problem goes down into the heart.
Selfishness.
And that's something that Jesus pointed out here.
Those pharisees, you're full of robbery and self-indulgence.
Okay, so the real problem is you don't love your neighbor as yourself.
So these are the important things that we ought to be focused upon as we look at our
lives and as we ask the Holy spirit to help us to become more like Jesus.
Right?
I'm going to stop there.
There's more we could go on to in this 23rd chapter of Matthew but I trust that you could
do that yourself.
And I think we've gone through the parts that are the most applicable to us.
Okay.
Thanks for joining me.
Hope to see you next time.