A faith not worth having
- All talk and no walk (v3)
- Shoulds, oughts, and never enough…Put heavy religious burdens on people but don’t lift a finger to help remove burdens (v4)
- It’s all for show…to highlight their importance for others to see (prayer boxes, tassels, titles, seats, public prayers, v5-12)
- Us, not you. They shut the door of the Kingdom of heaven in people’s faces – and don’t go in themselves (v13).
- Worse people. They travel the globe for missions but at the end of the “discipleship” process the person is a far worse human being than even they themselves, which is scary (v15)
- Worldly godliness. They measure value by wealth and stuff [outwardly impressive trappings] instead of by the Presence of God (v16-22)
- Strain gnats & swallow camels. They major in religious minors for God and neglect the main things that impact people! (v23-24)
- Clean the outside of the cup and dish...They act like they’re moral in public, but in truth they are greedy and self-indulgent (v25-26) Jesus’ prescription: clean the inside and the outside will automatically be clean.
- Whitewashed tombs! Beautiful exterior, death and filth within. Outwardly appear righteous, inwardly fake, sinful. (v27-28)
- Don’t look at me! I’m a good person! Stone living prophets while honoring dead ones. (29-34)
A Faith Worth Having
- Become the word. Become the word, don’t just ‘amen’ the word. Spiritual formation, not just information.
- Lift a finger. Lift burdens of shame and guilt from people. “Shame off you!”
- Develop a Secret Life. Do everything for God’s secret pleasure, not for reputation.
- Open Wide. Open the door of the kingdom wide! And enter ourselves!
- Send Others Further. People end up even more free than we are, and we start in our own home first.
- Make a right judgment. Treasure the wealth of Christ, not measurable religious successes.
- Keep the Main Thing…The Main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Love God, love people.
- Clean the Inside. Clean the inside of the cup and dish! (deal with the roots)
- Choose Transparency. A non-airbrushed exterior, but a heart that is truly being purified. Transparency and sincerity.
- Own Your Junk. Honor the living voice of truth. Own your stuff! Repent well! Stay humble! Evil is not done by villains but by ordinary people who justify our choices.
Don’t check out because you can see hypocrisy around you. “What’s that to you? You follow me.” Talk is cheap. Become the thing you wish others would be. Lead the way by following Jesus better. Don’t just criticize. Model a better way. There is a faith worth having. Let’s live it.