"Hypocrisy: The Highway to Hell" | Pastor Steve Gaines

take your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 15 I want to read verses 1 through 9 the title of my message is hypocrisy the highway to hell Matthew 15 beginning at verse 1 then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said why do disciples break the tradition of the elders for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread and he answered and said to them and notice he answers with the question it is a great way to answer someone who is being antagonistic to you they ask you an antagonistic question you can answer them with a better question and he answered instead of them applied to you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition there's the question the title of this whole series that I do on Sunday night is answer our what Jesus the questions of Jesus answering the questions of Jesus finding answers and the questions of Jesus he's asking a question to make a statement not to gain knowledge verse 4 for God said honor your father and mother and he who speaks evil a father our mother is to be put to death but you say whoever says to his father or his mother whatever I have that would help you has been given to God he is not to honor his father or his mother and by this you invalidate the Word of God underline that phrase you invalidate the Word of God for the sake of your tradition you hypocrites Riley did Isaiah prophesy of you this people honors me with their lips but their heart is far away from me but in vain do they worship Me teaching as doctrines the precepts of men according to Jesus there are many people who will stand on the Judgment Day who thought they were going to enter into heaven only to discover that they're actually going to spend eternity in hell when our children were growing up in Alabama cheerleading tryouts were some of the most tense times our girls ever faced they all wanted to be cheerleaders and I can remember one particular time when our oldest daughter is trying out for the high school cheerleading squad there were about a hundred girls that tried out I think only 12 made it it was so competitive so rigorous that the people who were the judges were taking were called from out of town so that there would be no favoritism to anybody in Gardendale and so they wanted to post the twelve but they were so afraid of the reaction of the parents they literally sealed off the gym and they would send one of the people that worked at the school and they would just put the names on the window the doors being locked and then they would run out back and get their cars and go no embellishment and what happened there reminded me of what it's going to be like for people who think they're going to get into heaven but they didn't make it and I can remember a little girl named Katie one of my daughter Lindsay's best friend she and Lindsay had cheered together all the way through middle school and she was sure she made it but she got up to the doorway and you can hear it I'm telling it was surreal the girls were shouting that made it about one out of ten made it I made it I made it but for everyone that was shouting they made it nine or so were saying I didn't make it Katie and Lindsay walked up there together Lindsay her name was there she started shouting I made it I made it and right beside her was her best friend Katie she didn't make it and she cried and I'll never forget I looked at her and I said sweetheart and the vast sphere of things it'll be alright she looked at me she said no brother Steve it won't be alright and she broke down I know it's just making a cheerleading squad but listen to the words of jesus from matthew 7:21 through 23 not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven will enter many will say to me on that day many will say to me on that day many will say to me on that day Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name hey guys look at me they're going to be preachers in hell did we not prophesy did we not preach in your name in your name cast out demons they're going to be people who performed exorcisms who go to hell and in your name cast out demons in your name perform many miracles they're going to be people that saw miracles happen they're going to go to hell and then I will declare to them I never knew you he did not say you never knew me he said I never knew you depart from me you who practice lawlessness a lot of people are not going to make it that think they're going to make it you see Christians bear fruit that are indicative of a real route and if there is no consistent fruit it's because there's no route in the Lord Jesus Christ in ancient times when they would have plays in the Roman Empire and in the Greek Empire there were no obviously there are no screams so they had these large theatres how were people to know what emotions the play actors were giving forth well one of the things they did they had masks huge maps if you were sad there was this big sad face on a pole and you would while you're talking great acoustics now you want to talk about acoustics they could build arenas and you could talk without a mic and they can hear but you couldn't see and so they would hold up the appropriate mask it could be a sad face a mad face a happy face or a frightened face they just hold up the mask and everybody knew what emotion the person was supposed to be filling and having experiencing that is the exact word for hypocrites in the New Testament any mask wearer it's not real looks real you understand what they're trying to say but it's fake it's a play actor that's what the word hypocrite means a play actor and Jesus it these play actors these people who get around religious things and they act like they're religious but they're just wearing a mask when they get to the judgment God's going to say I didn't know you you talked a good talk but you did not walk a good walk let's just look at three characteristics very quickly of a hypocrite number one they criticize people and quote rules ever met that guy dr. Rogers used to say it takes no signs to criticize look at verses 1 and 2 then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders now look they don't want an answer they just want to put down the disciples they don't wash their hands when they eat bread what they what if that gets you in trouble with God there's not a young boy in the first grade that's in right with God amen they don't watch things what are they talking about if you go to Jerusalem you go to the Wailing Wall the Western Wall they've got a big fountain out there and you see the Jewish people come in and they they just talk about what everyone will talk about and they go over by this specific Basin there that is in bronze and they just do their hands a little bit they're not cleaning their hands if she's going through some religious ceremony and they go down there and pray I'm not saying none of them mean it but I can tell you most of them it looks to me don't when they wash their hands you know this ceremonial thing and that's what their religion was it was all ceremony it was all a mask it was all something that you do to try to impress people it was their religion was this way not this way they wanted to impress man and if you didn't follow their rules they would criticize you and they would quote you their rule how does that apply to us what about the times when we criticize people because they don't obey our rules and we use this logic which is illogical that's not the way we do it around here that's not the Baptist way that's not the Assembly of God way that's not the Church of Christ way that's not the Catholic way that's not the Presbyterian way that's not the cool Church way that's not the liberal Church way that's not the fundamental Church way and they're quoting rule after rule and they not only quote their rules they criticize people they slander people may I just say this to you it is dangerous to slander another person the Bible says in proverbs 10 18 he who conceals hatred has lying lips and he who spreads slander is a fool their churches all across America that are like the Pharisees and the scribes they have their rules if you try to change them way they just look you straight in the eye they don't say the Bible says your own they say we've never done it that way before and they might even say we were here before you came we're going to be here when you leave and they've got these rules that didn't come from God they were man-made God doesn't care about them but that's the mark of a hypocrite they criticize people and they quote not scripture but rules second thing is hypocrites downplay scripture and emphasize tradition there is similar a little bit different wording they downplay scripture well that's a dangerous thing to do and they lift up tradition look at verse 3 jesus answered and said to them i love it when he answers with the question because it gives me another sermon to preach amen why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition well he went to the jugular did he not he didn't fool around with them he just got to the point question of all questions let's just make a point here why are you more concerned about your man-made tradition than your the commandment that God gives and then he emphasized something he gives an example look at verse 4 for God said honor your father and mother I want to ask you did Jesus honor his father and mother while he was on earth yes or no he sure did he even took care of his mother while he was on the cross while he was dying did he not Bible says he who speaks evil of father and mother is to be put to death but you say all but whoever says to his father and mother whatever I have that would help you has been given to God his Corbyn it's given to God he's not to honor his father his mother and by this you invalidate the Word of God for the sake of your tradition they had these Pharisees that loves money so much I said oh I'm not going to take care of my aging parents I'm not going to take care of my mom and dad even though they took care of me I'm not going to you know get down to that level and and have to take care of them all everything I have is dedicated to God so mom and dad I can't help you look at me Jesus looked them square in the eye and said you know what you're doing you're just a bunch of hypocrites you're in validating the Word of God for the sake of your tradition and I believe underneath he would say because you love money because you love money you do a lot of things like that jesus said you're more concerned about your man-made tradition then obeying the Word of God now I can hear you out there since I'm with Jesus SiC of Jesus hey what about us your brother Steve go to the next point real quick no I love you too much when I was being ordained I can honestly say I've never heard this phrase before in my life it was obvious because when I gave my answer I was trying to be humorous and the guys ordaining me didn't think of humours they asked me what do you believe about alien immersion I'm telling you I had no clue what they were talking about how many of you have no clue what I'm talking about raise your hand okay alien immersion okay how many of you know what I'm talking about three people great great okay great alien immersion is this Baptist tradition that we don't practice here that if you have been baptized by immersion in the name of the triune God as a symbol of your salvation it's biblical baptism and if it's biblical baptism it's good enough for God and if it's good enough for God it's good enough for our church now alien immersion though makes it sound like you're doing something wrong I mean you don't do anything alien do you and I looked at those guys and I didn't know what they were calling I said look if I can win some people to Jesus from Mars I'll do it y'all are a lot more pleasant than they were about that answer I'll tell you that they looked at me and they said what are you going to do when someone comes from they named it denomination I said is it scriptural baptism well that's not the point well wait a minute that is the point why am I here and they got bent out of shape now there are some baptisms we don't accept we don't accept sprinkling we're not mad at anybody but we don't think that's baptism because baptism means to immerse to plunge you ready to dock I knew one baptist preacher said I hold them down till they say tithe Amen all right but going to waters what the word means bathtubs oh it's just a transliteration of the word baptize is just a English transliteration of a word that kids up so we make sure you immerse we do in the name of the triune God I know that there were some people baptized in the name of Jesus and I had one friend he said I I don't I'm not going to split hairs over that I just say i baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit yea in the name of Jesus I bet they Jesus did it all together amen that's cool with me and then some people baptize for salvation we don't accept those baptisms because it's not water doesn't save you it shows that you're saved and so we don't accept some baptisms but if if they come from another church that's not Baptist we don't believe God you ready for it we don't believe God is a Baptist so if it's by immersion in the name of the triune God Father Son Holy Spirit and symbolic of your salvation we accept it whether it's Baptist or not can I get a witness on that that's what we ought to do why it's good enough for God and hey if it's good enough for God it ought to be good enough for us but churches that are against that in my opinion fall right where these guys are they downplay Scripture and they emphasize tradition one more thing about hypocrites they offer lip service without hearts sincerity this is the most dangerous part of all pradipika their heart is not connected to their lip what's coming out of their lips is not what's really in their heart look at verse 7 you hypocrites you play-actors rightly did isaiah prophesy of you this people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me let me just say we need to let this warning come to us as well sometimes we might be singing Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me and we may be actually thinking you know I'm pretty good guy I'm really not a rich I once was lost but now I'm found I was blind but now I can see Lord you're pretty lucky to have me on your team sometimes what we sing doesn't match what's in our heart Lord I am desperate for you I wonder how many times I sing something like that and I'm not really desperate for God oh I need you oh I need you well I know I need him but sometimes I don't feel it though I should got to be careful that what comes out of your mouth is really what's in your heart our jesus said in vain do you worship me look at me God doesn't accept just any old worship we throw up to him talk needs to match wall when I play football I can remember a team we play them every year we beat them every year but every year they won the warmups they came out taunting us we're going to get you this year we're going to beat you Dyersburg you're going down and boy I mean they would trash us look at that number 83 all we're going to take him out look at that one they're gonna take that corner always and our coach would always says they let them win the warmups let them talk we'll win the game and then we'll talk some of you need to get and I need to let's make sure that our talk and our walk are synonymous I don't want to worship God in vain to you I don't want to stand before God and God safe hey gamez too often your lips were saying the right thing but your heart was far from me I don't hear that from Jesus but in vain do they worship Me teaching as doctrines the precepts of men can I just read you the strongest thing Jesus ever said to hypocrites play-actors and I'll be through it's in Matthew turn over to Matthew 23 very quickly I'll just read this and we'll be through then Jesus spoke to the crowds verse 1 and to his disciples saying the scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses therefore all that they tell you do and observe but do not do according to their deeds for they say things and they don't mean them they tie up very heavy burdens they lay them on men's shoulders but they themselves are not are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger verse 5 but they do not do all the their deeds to be noticed by men for they broaden their phylacteries that was the little bag that held their scripture memory cards and they linked them the tassels of their garments because their prayer tassels they love the place of honor at banquets and the cheap seats in the synagogue's the respectful greetings in the marketplaces being called rabbi but men but do not be called five for one is your teacher and you are all brothers do not call anyone on earth your father for one is your father he who is in heaven do not be called leaders for one is your leader that is Christ one of the reasons I don't let anybody call me doctor I'm brother I got one of the things but I got over it real quick and they didn't give me an honorary when I got a real one but I'm telling you without the anointing about all that if you don't have the anointing of God titles mean nothing they mean nothing but the greatest among you shall be your servant whoever exalts himself shall be humbled whoever humbles himself shall be exalted but woe to you scribes and Pharisees here it is hypocrites play-actors because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people for you do not enter in yourselves you don't allow those who are entering to go in woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites play-actors because you devour widows houses for a pretense you make long prayers therefore you'll receive greater condemnation woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites play-actors because you travel around on sea and land and you make one proselyte and when he becomes one you making twice as much a son of hell as yourselves woe to you blind guys will who say whoever swears by the temple that is nothing but whoever swears by the goal of the temple is obligated you fools you blind men which is more important the gold or the temple that sanctified the goal and whoever swears by the altar that is nothing but whoever swears by the offering on it he is obligated you blind men which is more importantly offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering therefore whoever swears by the altar swears also both by the altar and everything on it and whoever swears by the temple swears both by the temple and by him who dwells within it and whoever swells swears by heaven swears both by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it woe to you and Pharisees hypocrites play-actors you tithe mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law justice and mercy and faithfulness but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others you blind guys you strain out a net you swallow a camel woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites play-actors you clean the outside of the cup of the dish but inside they're full of robbery and self-indulgence you blind Pharisee first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish so that the outside of it may become clean also woe to you scribes and Pharisees you hypocrites you play actors you mask whereas for you are like whitewashed tombs which are on the outside appear beautiful but inside they're full of dead men's bones all uncleanness so you too outwardly oh you appear righteous to men but inwardly you're full of hypocrisy and lawlessness what do you scribes and Pharisees you hypocrites you mask wares you fakes for you build the tombs of the prophets and you adorn the monuments of the righteous and say oh if we had been partners with them and if we had been living in the days of our fathers we would not have been partners with him and shedding the blood of the prophets so you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets fill up then the measure of the guilt of your father's he said go ahead kill me that's what he say you serpents you brood of vipers how will you escape the sentence of hell it used to be a song I was so afraid of it even when I was not living for Christ I wouldn't listen to it I'm on the highway to hell I mean have you ever heard of that song don't act like you never heard about it it's okay I never would listen to it because I knew it was not right even when I was not living for the Lord I don't know who all is going to go to hell what I do know everybody that doesn't know Jesus but I'll tell you this I don't know my name but I'll tell you this you can think you're on your way to heaven and be on the way to hell and I can tell you there's a lot of play-actors there's a lot of religious mask wearers that are on their way to hell they're hypocrites and hypocrisy is the highway to hell many will say tell me that day Lord Lord don't be one of those people let's pray together while I pray that the words of our mouth and meditations of our hearts will be acceptable in your sight bless us now as we respond to your word in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Bellevue Baptist Church

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Id: 5FLjZY8NKmo

Length: 29min 11sec (1751 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 16 2017