Week 156 - Matthew 23:13-22 - The Seven Woes, Part I

4/14/02

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH - www.faithbiblechurch.net

RAY RUSS - PASTOR-TEACHER

MATTHEW: THE KING HAS COME, WEEK 156

TITLE: THE SEVEN WOES, PART I

TEXT: MATTHEW 23:13-22

INTRODUCTION: (1) MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY ARE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISING INFLUENCES OF HUMANISM, SECULARISM, RELATIVISM, POST MODERNISM AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE.

* YET THOSE EVILS, GREAT AS THEY ARE, DO NOT TOGETHER POSE THE THREAT TO CHRISTIANITY THAT FALSE TEACHERS DO.

** IN FACT, THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION, THE GREATEST THREAT TO GOD’S TRUTH AND GOD’S WORK HAS BEEN FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS.

*** THE REASON BEING, THEY SAY THAT THEY SPEAK FOR GOD AND SPEAK IN HIS NAME.

*** BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE ARE MANY SCATHING DENUNCIATIONS, REBUKES AND WARNINGS IN SCRIPTURE ABOUT AND AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE PROPHETS.

(2) LET ME GIVE JUST A FEW IN THE N.T. IN MATTHEW 7:15&16 JESUS SAID: (READ THEM).

* THEN IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE IN MATTHEW 24, WHICH WE’LL BE STUDYING SOON, JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 24:3-5 (READ THEM).

** THEN IN MATTHEW 24:11 & 24 JESUS SAID, “AND MANY FALSE PROPHETS WILL ARISE, AND WILL MISLEAD MANY.” “FOR FALSE CHRISTS AND FALSE PROPHETS WILL ARISE AND WILL SHOW GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS, SO AS TO MISLEAD, IF POSSIBLE, EVEN THE ELECT.”

*** IN ROMANS 16:17&18 PAUL WAS INSPIRED TO SAY AS HE CLOSED OUT THIS GREAT DOCTRINAL EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS (READ THEM).

**** ALSO READ II COR. 11:13-15, GALATIANS 1:6&7, EPHESIANS 4:14, COLOSSIANS 2:8, I TIMOTHY 4:1&2 AND I JOHN 4:1.

(3) NOW BELOVED THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE WARNINGS IN THE N.T. ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE PROPHETS.

* IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, WITH SERIOUS REPEATED WARNINGS.

** YET FOR SOME REASON, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY IS OFTEN HESITANT TO CONFRONT AND WARN ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS WITH THE SERIOUSNESS AND SEVERITY THAT JESUS AND THE APOSTLES DID.

*** AND TODAY, MORE THAN AT ANY TIME IN MODERN HISTORY AND PERHAPS MORE THAN AT ANY TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, FALSE RELIGION AND FALSE PROPHETS ARE AT WORK IN OUR WORLD.

**** AND EVEN WITHIN THE CHURCH, MANY IDEAS, TEACHINGS, AND PHILOSOPHIES THAT ARE LITTLE MORE THAN THINLY VEILED PAGANISM HAVE BECOME POPULAR AND INFLUENTIAL.

(4) AND AS IN ANCIENT ISRAEL, THE FURTHER GOD’S PEOPLE MOVE AWAY FROM THE FOUNDATION OF HIS WORD, THE MORE FALSE RELIGION FLOURISHES IN THE WORLD AND EVEN IN OUR MIDST.

* THE BATTLE CRY TODAY FOR THE CHURCH SHOULD BE “SOLA SCRIPTURA” ONLY SCRIPTURE AND TEACHING AND LIVING SOUND DOCTRINE AND EXPORTING A BIBLICAL GOSPEL TO THE WORLD.

** AND AT NO TIME HAVE TRUE CHRISTIANS HAD A GREATER NEED TO BE DISCERNING. I MEAN WE NEED TO FILTER WITH THE WORD ALL THE FALSE DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS OUT THERE TODAY.

*** AND WE NEED TO BE HONEST, BOLD AND UNDER THE SPIRIT’S CONTROL IN CALLING BACK PEOPLE TO THE SCRIPTURES AS OUR FINAL AUTHORITY FOR BELIEF AND PRACTICE.

**** WELL, ALL THOSE THOUGHTS PREPARE US AND LEAD US TO OUR TEXT IN MATTHEW TODAY.

(5) FOR IN MATTHEW 23:13-33 JESUS RELENTLESSLY CONDEMNED THE FALSE SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF ISRAEL, IN PARTICULAR THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, WHO THEN HELD THE DOMINANT POWER AND INFLUENCE IN JUDAISM.

* AND JESUS WARNED ABOUT THEM IN HIS FIRST SERVICE, THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW 5:20 AND MATTHEW 7:15.

** AND JESUS WILL WARN HIS DISCIPLES AND THE MULTITUDES ABOUT THESE FALSE TEACHERS IN HIS LAST PUBLIC SERMON IN MATTHEW 23.

*** AND THIS SECTION THAT WE ARE STARTING TODAY IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL DEALS WITH WHAT A.T. ROBERTSON CALLS JESUS’ “THUNDERBOLT OF WRATH AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES”.

**** SO I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE TODAY, “THE SEVEN WOES, PART I” AND THOSE WOES ARE PRONOUNCED BY JESUS AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS OF HIS DAY.

(6) AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF SUNDAYS IN OUR ONGOING STUDY OF MATTHEW, WE’LL LOOK AT ALL 7 OF THESE WOES, BEGINNING WITH 3 OF THEM TODAY, WHICH WILL BE OUR OUTLINE.

* AND TO BEGIN WITH, LOOK AT WOE #1 FOUND IN V. 13. LOOK AT MATTHEW 23:13 PLEASE.

I. WOE #1, (READ MATTHEW 23:13)

A. NOW JESUS BEGINS IN V. 13 WITH THE WORD WOE, “BUT WOE” OR “WOE TO YOU” DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE.

* AND THE WORD WOE IN THE N.T. IS AN INTERJECTION. AND HERE THE INTERJECTION DENOTES STRONG CONDEMNATION IN THIS CONTEXT.

** FOR THIS WORD IS USED IN THE N.T. TO SPEAK OF SORROW AND OF JUDGMENT, CARRYING THE MINGLED IDEAS OF PUNISHMENT AND PITY, CURSING AND COMPASSION.

*** AND CONTEXTUALLY IN MATTHEW 23, JESUS USED THE WORD WOE AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AS A DECLARATION, A DIVINE PRONOUNCEMENT OF JUDGMENT FROM GOD.

**** IT IS A DENUNCIATION OF RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION AGAINST FALSE RELIGION.

1. NOW AFTER JESUS BRINGS FORTH THIS FIRST WOE AGAINST THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HE USES THE WORD HYPOCRITES TO DESCRIBE THEM, AND WILL USE IT SEVEN TIMES IN MATTHEW 23 IF WE INCLUDE V. 14, WHICH WE’LL TALK ABOUT SHORTLY.

* AND AS WE LEARNED LAST SUNDAY, THE GREEK WORD FOR HYPOCRITES CAME TO REFER TO ACTORS, AND PLAYING A PART, THE PUTTING ON OF A MASK, A FALSE FRONT, A PRETENDER WHO WAS PERFORMING BEFORE OTHERS.

** AND THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE PRETENDERS, THEY WERE RELIGIOUS ACTORS WHERE THE EXTERNALS AND INTERNALS DID NOT CORRESPOND. THEY WERE FAKES.

*** THEY DID NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACHED AND LIVED FOR THE PERFORMANCE IN FRONT OF THE AUDIENCE, TO BE NOTICED BY MAN. THEY WERE NOT WHAT THEY PROFESSED AS WE LEARNED LAST SUNDAY IN VV. 1-12.

**** NOW THESE BLISTERING WORDS OF CONDEMNATION IN V. 13 ARE GIVEN TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR EXCLUSION OF MAN FROM THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

2. WHICH REMINDS US THAT THE CHIEF EVIL OF EVERY FALSE RELIGION IS THAT IT SHUTS PEOPLE OUT OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

* AND THE PICTURE JESUS GIVES HERE SUGGESTS THE IDEA OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES STANDING JUST OUTSIDE THE GATES OF THE KINGDOM AND SLAMMING THEM SHUT IN THE FACES OF THOSE WHO WERE ABOUT TO GO IN.

* PEOPLE WHO CAME TO THOSE RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR DIRECTION AND HELP WERE ACTUALLY BEING SHUT OFF FROM HIM.

** IT’S AS IF THESE MEN LED THE PARADE TO THE VERY DOORS OF HEAVEN, BUT THEN HAD REFUSED TO GO IN AND HAD EFFECTIVELY BLOCKED THE DOOR FOR OTHERS.

*** THEY, IN ESSENCE, WERE TAKING AWAY THE KEY TO THE DOOR.

**** NOW THIS DOES NOT SUGGEST THAT THESE MEN ARE STRONGER THAN GOD AND ABLE TO THWART OR FRUSTRATE GOD’S DESIGN.

3. IT JUST SIMPLY MEANS THESE MEN WERE SERVANTS OF SATAN AS THEY HAD REJECTED CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH, THEIR SAVIOR, AND WERE LEADING OTHERS ASTRAY IN THE PROCESS BY THEIR FALSE TEACHING.

* THEIR WORK-RIGHTEOUS SYSTEM HAD NO PLACE FOR THE GOSPEL OF GRACE, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY INTO THE KINGDOM.

** AND BY DRAWING PEOPLE AWAY FROM JESUS CHRIST, THOSE FALSE TEACHERS THWARTED THEIR SALVATION AND CONFIRMED THEIR DAMNATION.

*** AND BELOVED EVERY WORKS-RIGHTEOUS RELIGION, EVERY DO RELIGION LIKE THE ONE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES PROMOTED IS AT EMNITY WITH THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S GRACE, DONE RELIGION IN A SENSE, FOR THE WORK WAS DONE BY CHRIST.

**** AND BY THEIR VERY NATURE – DO RELIGIONS, WORKS RELIGIONS EXCLUDE PEOPLE FROM GOD’S KINGDOM AND JESUS PRONOUNCED A WOE ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES IN V. 13 FOR SHUTTING OFF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN FROM PEOPLE WHICH CONFIRMED THEIR EXCLUSION ALSO. NOW LOOK AT V. 14 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 14. NOW V. 14 IS NOT FOUND IN THE OLDER MANUSCRIPTS OF THE N.T. AND BECAUSE OF THAT IS NOT FOUND IN THE N.I.V. AND IS IN BRACKETS IN THE NAS TO COMMUNICATE THAT.

* AND THERE ARE STRONG REASONS FOR DOUBTING THE TEXTUAL CREDIBILITY OF V. 14, FOR EVEN IN MANUSCRIPTS THAT CONTAIN THE VERSE, NUMEROUS VARIANTS SUGGEST SOME CONFUSION ON WHEN IT IS INSERTED, BEFORE OR AFTER V. 13.

** AND MOST LIKELY WHAT HAD HAPPENED, THIS VERSE WAS ADDED LATER BY WELL-MEANING COPYISTS, WHO USED TO HAND-COPY MANUSCRIPTS, WHO PICKED IT UP FROM MARK 12:40 OR LUKE 20:47.

*** MARK 12:40 SAYS: “THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DEVOUR WIDOWS’ HOUSES, AND FOR APPEARANCE’S SAKE OFFER LONG PRAYERS; THESE WILL RECEIVE GREATER CONDEMNATION.”

**** NOW BEING TAKEN FROM ANOTHER PASSAGE MEANS THAT IT IS STILL TRUTH, THOUGH NOT ACTUALLY A PART OF MATTHEW’S RECORD.

1. THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT DIMINISHED, AND BY THE WAY, ALL THE MAJOR SCHOLAR’S SOUND TRANSLATIONS ALL AGREE ON ALL THE MAJOR DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE AND THE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE.

* THERE IS NO CONSPIRACY TO DIMINISH THE WORD OF GOD, FOR TODAY THERE ARE OVER 5,300 GREEK MANUSCRIPTS OR PORTIONS OF MANUSCRIPTS THAT EXIST.

** AND THERE ARE NO MAJOR DOCTRINAL DEVIATIONS FROM THE FAITH. YOU CAN TRUST THE BIBLE, GOD HAS TRULY PRESERVED HIS WORD.

*** NOW IF V. 14 WERE INCLUDED IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL, THERE WOULD BE 8 WOES, BUT AGAIN IS NOT FOUND IN THE BEST EARLY MANUSCRIPTS OF MATTHEW.

**** BUT AGAIN THIS VERSE IS FOUND IN MARK 12:40 AND BASICALLY SAYS THAT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF WIDOWS, VULNERABLE PEOPLE, BY LONG PRAYERS, WHICH GAVE THE APPEARANCE OF SPIRITUALITY.

2. AND FOR THIS ABUSE, A MORE SEVERE CONDEMNATION WILL BE FACED. THAT’S WHAT IT IS CONDEMNATION.

* AND WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, I MUST MOVE ON TO V. 15, WHERE WE’LL SEE THE SECOND WOE. LOOK AT V. 15 PLEASE.

II. WOE #2, (READ V. 15)

A. NOW THIS SECOND WOE BY JESUS GOES BEYOND HIS FIRST ONE.

* FOR NOW IT IS NOT MERELY A QUESTION OF FALSE TEACHERS STOPPING PEOPLE FROM ENTERING CHRIST’S KINGDOM, BUT OF DRAWING PROSELYTES OR CONVERTS INTO THEIR OWN CAMP AND CORRUPTING THEM.

** AND BELOVED THIS WOE CONDEMNS THE LEADERS FOR NOT BEING SATISFIED WITH PERVERTING THE JEWS ONLY, BUT GOING ALSO ON MISSIONARY EXPEDITIONS TO CONVERT OTHERS TO THEIR FALSE BRAND OF PHARISAISM.

*** AND MANY TIMES THOSE CONVERTS WERE TWICE AS BAD AS THEIR TEACHERS, THE ONE WHO CONVERTED THEM, THUS MAKING THEM TWICE AS MUCH A SON OF HELL.

**** AND THE PHRASE “SON OF HELL” WAS A HEBREW PHRASE “TO BE DESERVING OF HELL.”

1. SO THESE CONVERTS TO THIS BRAND OF FALSE JUDAISM THEN “OUT-PHARISEED” THE PHARISEES. THEY WERE WORSE THAN THEIR TEACHERS, THEY OUT DID THEM IN THEIR ZEAL, BECAUSE THEY WERE WORSE THAN THEIR TEACHERS AND THUS WERE TWICE AS MUCH A SON OF HELL.

* A.T. ROBERTSON SAYS OF THESE CONVERTS, “THE MORE CONVERTED THE MORE PERVERTED”. AND THIS DOUBLE DEVOTION PRODUCED DOUBLE CONDEMNATION.

** THE SENSE IS THAT THE ZEAL OF THESE PROSELYTES MADE THEM TWICE AS BAD. AND THAT CERTAINLY HAPPENS.

*** SO NOT ONLY WERE THESE RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITES STOPPING PEOPLE IN ENTERING THE KINGDOM, THEY WERE CONVERTING OTHERS IN THEIR FALSE MISSIONARY ZEAL TO BE THEIR ZEALOTS, THEIR FOLLOWERS AS SONS OF HELL.

**** AND JESUS PRONOUNCES A WOE ON THEM FOR THAT, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR THIRD WOE TODAY. LOOK AT V. 16 PLEASE.

III. WOE #3, (READ V. 16)

A. NOW IN THIS THIRD WOE UPON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES JESUS CALLS THEM “BLIND GUIDES”.

* AND HE ADDRESSED THEM AS BLIND GUIDES TO POINT OUT THEIR LEADING OTHERS ASTRAY.

** I MEAN THEY WERE BLIND TO THE TRUTH AND DID NOT SEE THE LIGHTS, BUT CONSIDERED THEMSELVES AS GUIDES TO THE BLIND, AS LIGHTS TO THOSE IN DARKNESS.

*** BUT THEY WERE BLIND LEADERS TRYING TO LEAD BLIND PEOPLE, AND TOGETHER AS MATTHEW 15:14 SAYS THEY BOTH WILL FALL INTO A PIT.

**** AND THE CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 15:14 ALSO DEALS WITH THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, AND OUR LORD INSTRUCTED HIS DISCIPLES TO LEAVE THEM ALONE.

1. IN FACT MATTHEW 15:14 SAYS: “LET THEM ALONE; THEY ARE BLIND GUIDES OF THE BLIND. AND IF A BLIND MAN GUIDES A BLIND MAN, BOTH WILL FALL INTO A PIT.”

* NOW WITH MATTHEW 15:14 ON OUR MINDS, AS WE GO BACK TO MATTHEW 23:16, JESUS AGAIN USES THIS PHRASE “BLIND GUIDES” TO TALK ABOUT THOSE FALSE TEACHERS.

** AND AS WE MOVE ON IN V. 16 WE’LL SEE THAT AMONG THEIR MANY PERVERSIONS OF TRUTH WAS A TEACHING THAT YOU COULD BREAK A PROMISE, AN OATH, A VOW, AS LONG AS YOU SWORE BY THE TEMPLE AND NOT BY THE GOLD OF THE TEMPLE.

*** LET ME EXPLAIN. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AND OTHERS HAD DEVELOPED A DOUBLE STANDARD FOR MAKING AN OATH, OR A PROMISE, SWEARING TO DO SOMETHING.

**** THEY HAD LOOPHOLES FOR DISHONESTY, A WAY TO EVADE OR BACK OUT OF SOMETHING FOR SELFISH INTERESTS.

2. FOR EXAMPLE, A PERSON COULD LIE ALL HE WANTED, PROVIDED HE SWORE BY THE TEMPLE AND NOT BY THE GOLD OF THE TEMPLE.

* SWEARING BY THE TEMPLE WAS NOT BINDING WHEREAS SWEARING BY THE GOLD OF THE TEMPLE WAS BINDING.

** FOR YOU SEE THEIR POSITION WAS THAT AN OATH MADE IN THE NAME OF GOD WAS BINDING. BUT SINCE THE JEWS DID NOT USE THE NAME OF GOD IN THEIR SPEECH BECAUSE GOD’S NAME WAS REVERED AND HOLY, THEY WOULD USE EUPHENISMS SUCH AS THE TEMPLE OR HEAVEN, OR GOD’S THRONE.

*** AND FROM THAT THEY DEVISED A SYSTEM OF OATHS WHICH COULD BE LESS BINDING.

**** SO IF A PERSON WANTED TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT SOMEONE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH, HE WOULD MAKE HIM SWEAR BY THE GOLD OF THE TEMPLE, WHICH SUPPOSEDLY MADE HIS WORD BINDING, THE LAST PART OF V. 16, THEN HE IS OBLIGATED, HE IS BOUND, HE IS A DEBTOR TO DO IT.

3. BUT IN THIS SYSTEM, IF A PERSON SWORE BY THE TEMPLE, IT WAS NOT BINDING ON A TECHNICALITY. NOW THIS IS CRAZY STUFF.

* BUT THIS WAS A SYSTEM THEY DEVISED TO CLEAR THEIR CONSCIENCE WHEN THEY WANTED TO BACK OUT OF AN AGREEMENT OR PROMISE.

** AND THAT’S WHY JESUS CONDEMNED ALL SWEARING OF VOWS IN MATTHEW. 5:34-37.

*** FOR YOU SEE, A GODLY PERSON WILL ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH AND FOR THAT PERSON A SIMPLE YES OR NO IS SUFFICIENT, BECAUSE THEIR WORD IS THEIR BOND.

**** AND THE WOE HERE IS PRONOUNCED FOR A LACK OF TRUTH AND HONESTY IN THEIR DEALINGS. THEY

WERE PERVERTING TRUTH.

4. AND JESUS WILL CONTINUE TO ILLUSTRATE AND SHOW THAT THIS IS RIDICULOUS. LOOK AT V. 17 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 17. NOW IN V. 17 JESUS CALLS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES FOOLS AND BLIND MEN FOR THE GAMES THAT THEY WERE PLAYING WITH THE TRUTH.

* THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IS TELLING THE TRUTH AND THEY WERE ACTING FOOLISHLY, THEY HAD A LACK OF COMMON SENSE. JESUS WAS CONDEMNING THEIR WICKED HEARTS NOT SLANDERING THEM TO BE MEAN.

** AND THIS FOOLISHNESS IS COMMUNICATED BY A QUESTION TO DEAL WITH THEIR BENT LOGIC. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, THE GOLD IN THE TEMPLE OR THE TEMPLE ITSELF, THAT SETS APART THE GOLD AS SOMETHING SACRED.

*** AND THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS THE TEMPLE. AND WHAT KIND OF LOGIC MAKES A VOW ON SOMETHING THAT IS LESSER IN IMPORTANCE MORE BINDING THAN ONE MADE ON SOMETHING GREAT.

**** FOR THE ONLY REASON THE GOLD COULD BE THOUGHT OF AS SACRED, AND THEREFORE MAKE THE OATH OR PROMISE MORE OBLIGATORY, WAS THE TEMPLE THAT SANCTIFIED THE GOLD.

1. THIS IS FOOLISH LOGIC BY PEOPLE THAT ARE SPIRITUALLY BLIND. AND JESUS WILL GIVE TWO MORE ILLUSTRATIONS OF THIS TWISTED LOGIC, NO DOUBT USING TWO REAL LIFE PRACTICES OF THE GAMES THEY WERE PLAYING, LOOK AT V. 18 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 18. NOW THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS APPLIED THE SAME TWISTED LOGIC TO SWEARING BY THE ALTAR WHICH WAS CONSIDERED TO BE NOTHING, THAT IS NON-OBLIGATORY, AND TO SWEARING BY THE OFFERING UPON IT, WHICH WAS THOUGHT TO MAKE A PERSON OBLIGATED TO KEEP HIS VOW.

* SO IF YOU SWEAR BY THE ALTAR, IT IS NOT BINDING, BUT IF YOU SWEAR BY THE GIFT ON THE ALTAR YOU ARE BOUND, OBLIGATED.

** NOW IN V. 19 JESUS AGAIN REBUKES THIS KIND OF LOGIC. LOOK AT V. 19 PLEASE.

D. READ V. 19. NOW JESUS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN OUR STUDY TODAY USES THE WORD BLIND TO TALK ABOUT THESE FALSE TEACHERS.

* AND AGAIN AFTER THAT, HE ASKS A QUESTION WITH AN OBVIOUS ANSWER, WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, THE OFFERING OR THE ALTAR IN THE TEMPLE THAT SANCTIFIES OR SETS APART THE OFFERING.

** AND THE ANSWER IS, THE ALTAR. AND THEIR FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THAT SHOWED THEIR BLINDNESS.

*** FOR YOU SEE UNDER THE O.T. SYSTEM, THERE COULD BE NO SACRIFICE WITHOUT THE ALTAR. THE ALTAR IS THE GREATER, THE OFFERING, THE GIFT, THE SACRIFICE, THE LESSER IN GOD’S SYSTEM.

**** THE ALTAR SANCTIFIES THE OFFERING. THE ALTAR REMAINS WHEN THE OFFERING IS GONE. BECAUSE OF THAT JESUS MAKES A VERY CLEAR STATEMENT IN V. 20. LOOK AT V. 20 PLEASE.

E. READ V. 20. NOW JESUS’ CONCLUSION TO THIS SECTION WAS INTRODUCED BY THE WORD “THEREFORE”, INDICATING THAT HE WAS GOING TO OFFER THE CORRECT TEACHING THAT THESE BLIND GUIDES HAD FAILED TO SEE.

* FOR TO SWEAR BY THE ALTAR WAS TO SWEAR BY EVERYTHING ON IT.

** AND THEY HAD ESTABLISHED A FALSE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THE THINGS OF GOD AND THE OFFERINGS TO GOD.

*** THE ISSUE WAS GOD – THE ONE WHO RECEIVED THE OFFERING AND THE ONE WHO OWNED THE TEMPLE AND EVERYTHING WITHIN IT. LOOK AT V. 21 PLEASE.

F. READ V. 21. NOW THE SAME TRUTH AGAIN IS COMMUNICATED. IF YOU SWEAR BY THE TEMPLE, YOU ARE SWEARING BY THE ONE WHO DWELT WITHIN IT AT ONE TIME, GOD ALL-MIGHTY.

* TO SWEAR BY THE TEMPLE IS TO SWEAR BY GOD. THERE ARE NO LOOPHOLES.

** JESUS BRUSHED ASIDE ALL THESE HYPOCRITICAL PRETENSES BY SAYING THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO JUDGE BETWEEN OATHS, FOR ANY OATH, REGARDLESS OF THAT BY WHICH IT IS TAKEN, ULTIMATELY GOES BACK TO GOD.

*** AND JESUS WILL RECONFIRM THAT ONE MORE TIME IN V. 22. LOOK AT V. 22 PLEASE.

G. READ V. 22. NOW IF IT WASN’T CLEAR THE FIRST TIME, CERTAINLY BY THE THIRD TIME IT SHOULD BE CLEAR.

* IF YOU SWEAR BY HEAVEN, YOU ARE SWEARING BY GOD ALSO, FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN ON HIS THRONE.

** AND AGAIN THE REPEATED TRUTH IS, EVERYTHING INVOLVED WITH THE TEMPLE AND EVERYTHING INVOLVED WITH HEAVEN INVOLVED GOD.

*** IN FACT, SINCE GOD IS THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING, TO SWEAR BY ANYTHING AT ALL INVOLVED GOD. AND ALL OATHS, ALL PROMISES, ALL VOWS ARE BINDING.

**** THERE ARE NO LOOPHOLES, NO SYSTEMS, NO PROCEDURES TO LOOSE SOMEONE FROM TELLING THE TRUTH, WHICH OF COURSE THEY DID NOT DO, SPEAKING OF THOSE FALSE TEACHERS. AND A WOE IS PRONOUNCED UPON THEM FOR TRIVIALIZING TRUTH.

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY: (1) IN APPLICATION, THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IS TRUTH.

* THESE FALSE TEACHERS BLOCKED PEOPLE FROM THE TRUTH, THEY PROSELYTED PEOPLE WITH LIES, AND THEY TRIVIALIZED THE TRUTH.

** AND BELOVED, WE THAT KNOW CHRIST MUST BE PEOPLE OF TRUTH. WE MUST ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH, OUR WORD SHOULD BE OUR BOND.

*** IF WE SAY WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, WE ARE GOING TO DO IT. IF WE MAKE A COMMITMENT WE SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT.

**** WE NEED TO BE HONEST IN ALL OF OUR DEALINGS. WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL AND BE CHANNELS IN PROCLAIMING THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD.

2. WE SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE, EPH. 4:15. WE ARE SANCTIFIED BY THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD, JOHN 17:17, AND WE PROCLAIM JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, JOHN 14:6.

* AND BELOVED, IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THIS, GOD IS A GOD OF TRUTH AND CANNOT LIE, TITUS 1:2.

** JESUS IS THE TRUTH, AGAIN JOHN 14:6, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUST, JOHN 16:13, AND THE WORD OF GOD IS THE TRUTH, JOHN 17:17,

*** AND SATAN IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT, JOHN 8:44.

**** AND IF THE PATTERN OF OUR LIVES IS NOT TRUTH AND ARE LIVING A LIE AND ARE LIARS, OUR END WILL BE HELL, REV. 21:8.

3. I TRUST TODAY THAT IF YOU ARE A TRUE BELIEVER, YOUR LIFE IS IMMERSED AND FLOWS THROUGH TRUTH, AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW CHRIST, YOU WILL COME TO HIM TODAY AS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. (LET’S PRAY)