I want to begin with (what I personally consider) some of the most alarming words Jesus ever spoke. If anyone dare presume to speak and act on behalf of God, it best not be a sham. God holds ministers to the absolute highest possible standards— “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The verses I’m thinking of are found in Matthew 7:15-23:
“{15} Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So, you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
{21} “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!”
How easy it is to maintain outward appearances while our inner nature is no more tamed by the Spirit of Christ than a pack of bloodthirsty, ravaging wolves.
How easy it is to put on rings/rings of growth, produce lush foliage, and become the biggest and largest and most impressive tree in the forest yet fail to produce much (if any) God-glorifying fruit.
How easy it is to put on a spectacular show (miracles, deliverances, power sermons), to draw a crowd, to pack buildings, to impress men, to masterfully script all the right words (Lord, Lord), or masquerade as God’s true servants… when in REALITY… none of it, absolutely none of it, is of God!
What more dreadful words could we possible hear from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ than, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!” Do you remember how John the Baptist called people to repentance in the wilderness? He was preaching, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” People were being baptized left/right. But when the religious leaders come out John says, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Now we know that God’s grace covers even the preacher. Though Christ commands us, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” it’s also true that “all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God.” For the growing, striving, kingdom-loving, obedient preacher there is abundant grace. But for that sham-wow preacher, the ax is already at the root of the tree. James says, “Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.” We can endure the judgement of men, but who can stand on the Day of the Lord?
By the way, I was careful to say that these are “some” of the toughest words spoken by Jesus. The harshest words spoken we explored last week. Jesus said, “it’s better that a millstone be tied around a person’s neck than they harm a child.” Nothing more powerfully provokes the wrath of God than the abuse or killing of a child. We hear daily reports about clergy abuse scandals. Denominations may try to shield those who harm children, but they cannot protect them from the fury of God’s wrath. It doesn’t bode well for that person who sets aside the garments of Christ’s righteousness to put on evil. Eternal fire awaits the evil doer, the lawbreaker. You cannot honestly read the teachings of Jesus and thing harming or taking the life of a child (born or unborn) is sanctioned in the eyes of God. Jesus didn’t mince words about these things!
In Matthew 23 (p 878) we find our Lord’s most direct teachings, warning against religious hypocrisy, calling us all to the highest stands of integrity. What kind of things is our Lord most concerned about?
Do You Practice What You Preach?
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.
Recently some extremely high-profile pastors have fallen. We’re talking about guys who’ve established global networks of hundreds of thousands of Christian leaders. Maybe there was a dearly beloved Christian leader who really loved you, encouraged your faith, inspired you… but fell. What might Jesus say? I think he’d say, “Do whatever they taught… obey the things of God they taught… but don’t do what they did.”
Do You Serve More Than Your Ego?
Listen to this! “4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do everything to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels {equiv. bringing huge KJV Bible to church}. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.”
What Jesus is describing here is the person who is always posturing to be seen by others. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out how hypocrites love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. They imagine their prayers will be heard for their many words. When they fast, they try to make themselves look all distraught, gloomy, and ragged to broadcast their spirituality. When they give, there is always a trumpet nearby, there is always a press release and a selfie being posted, the audience applauds right on cue. What drives a servant of God? The size of the crowd, the decibel of applause, or is it whose burdens get lifted? If we’re truly doing gospel ministry, we’re helping shoulder people’s burdens, not building a fan base, indulging in vanity for vanity’s sake.
Do you exalt God, or do you exalt yourself?
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Sometimes people ask what they should call me. Should we call you Senior Minister? Lead Minister? Preacher? Teacher? Reverend? Father? Well, how about brother… brother Jon? Can that be enough? Do we need titles? Titles exist to convey a sense of power, hierarchy, control, authority. Titles are of men. In God’s eyes, we’re all brothers and sisters. There is one God and Savior, who is Lord over all.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to always distinguish between Role and Self. My role describes what I do. I preach, teach, pastor, etc. But my role isn’t who I am, we’re servants. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Paul says, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
Though we may appreciate the role some beloved servant of God plays in our lives, our attachment better be to God. In whatever role we serve in the Kingdom, we must see to it that people are not growing attached to us, but rather to Christ Jesus, for whose sake we’ve been saved. God’s servants come and go, Paul, Apollos, Elders, Ministers, Teachers, Leaders. Our faith in Christ Jesus.
What Kind of Disciples Are You Making?
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!
Pastors love to boast. I have a church of 100, 500, 1000, 10,000! But 500 what? 1000 what? If people aren’t obeying Jesus, you don’t have a church, you have a crowd. We have to carefully assess these things. Are we making disciples of Jesus, or disciples of our organizations? Our systems? Our church programming? Our brand?
Are You Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels?
Sometimes we become so obsessive about words, and forms, and rituals… chasing the shadow of something without ever encountering the reality whose to be behind the religious form. So many things can become an end in itself. Baptism. The Lord’s supper. The Day of Worship. The music we sing. People can be so demanding that the church sing a particular hymn. I always want to ask, “Is it more important that people sing your favorite hymn or whether people know Him?” We can major in our traditions (straining gnats) while neglecting him (swallowing camel).
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’ 17 Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’ 19 Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne and by him who sits on it.
Another example is tithing. We can get a degree in Financial Peace, yet fail in weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness! “23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things [yes tithing!] should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat but gulp down a camel!”
Are You Washing the Inside of Your Cup?
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
It's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—it’s what comes out of the heart--this defiles a person.
What Are You Doing with Jesus?
The religious leaders in Jesus day professed a love for God, even as they prepared to crucify God’s Only Son Jesus Christ. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!
33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? 34 This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks[p] under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”