“ The Walking Dead ” Matthew 23:25-28

1. “The Walking Dead”Matthew 23:25-28 Bellaire church of Christ October 23, 2011

2. Matthew 23:25-28, 25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

3. Matthew 23:25-28, 27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

4. God told Aaron, 8Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9“You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 10You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, 11 and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses.”(Leviticus 10:8-11)

5. Today Jesus might have said these men were like, • A great looking car that contained a blown engine • A beautiful cake that was infected by salmonella • A beautiful home that has a cracked foundation and is infested with termites

6. First, Jesus says they are “filled with greed” (which literally means “seizures”- taking things from others-foreclosure). Jesus said they were also self-indulgent.  Jesus said they were filled with wickedness.

7. Paul describes this kind of wickedness in 2 Timothy 3, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

8. Paul describes this kind of wickedness in 2 Timothy 3, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

9. WHAT SHOULD WE LEARN? To help you to evaluate your own life here are three simple suggestions: First, we must be clear about the problem of sin. Sin is not a behavior problem; it is a heart problem. 

10. WHAT SHOULD WE LEARN? To help you to evaluate your own life here are three simple suggestions: First, we must be clear about the problem of sin. Second, we must be clear on the issue of salvation.

11. In the Church • We want crowds –God wants disciples • We want to feel good -God wants to transform us even if it hurts • We want to have a good time –God wants us to respect Him • We want to feel better –God wants us to BE better

12. In our Relationships • We want power –He wants us to love • We want to even the score –He wants us to forgive • We want to be superior –He wants us to serve each other • We want what’s easy –He wants us to experience what is deep and satisfying

13. In our Spiritual Lives • We want God to make things easier –He wants us to be Holy • We want to call the shots –He wants us to trust and obey Him • We’re in a hurry –He wants us to rest in Him • We tell Him what we want –He wants us to listen to what He wants

14. In our finances • We want to indulge ourselves – He wants us to transform others • We want to gather – He wants us to give away • We view riches as the goal – He sees riches as a means to a greaterend

15. In our priorities • We want immediate satisfaction – He wants us to pursue the eternalreward • We do what feels good – He wants us to do what is right • We seek to please the crowd – He wants us to live for Him We want to make life more comfortable He wants our lives to matter