Living Waters Christian Fellowship - Lake Nacimiento - California

37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.
38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.
40 “Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?
41 “But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 “In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.
49 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
50 “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,


51 “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

Introduction People sometimes have wrong priorities, make mountains out of molehills (and vice-versa), choose the superficial over the profound. The acid test is love - for God and people

I. Right Priorities Are Identified - the difference between superficial and profound is pointed out

A. Superficial - things which have little or nothing to do with LOVE

1. Ceremonial hand washing v38
38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

2. Outside of the cup or dish v39
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

3. Tithing insignificant things v42
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

4. Getting the best seats v43
43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

5. Greetings in the marketplaces v43
43 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

6. The top of the grave v44
44 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

7. Loading on the religious requirements v46
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

8. The tombs of the prophets
47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

B. Profound - things which have to do with LOVE

1. Inside of the cup or dish v39
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

2. Greed and wickedness v39
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

3. Justice and the love of God v42
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

4. Inside the grave v44
44 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

5. Refusing to help people become more Godly v46
46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

6. Building the tombs of those who killed the prophets v47-48
47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 “In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

So, right priorities are identified by Jesus. The acid test is LOVE

II. Right Priorities are Resisted

Correction comes with a price. When we try to address that which is profound, we often get a demonic reaction.

49 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
50 “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,
51 “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.


III. The Battle Continues Today

A. Religion vs Love

Religion is superficial, true love for God and other people is profound

1. Islam - many Muslims honor that which is superficial, and violate that which is profound. Girls burned to death because of veils.

2. Christianity - many Christians stand up for their religious principles, but then through pride and arrogance, short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness violate the profound principles of love by putting down others who see things differently and separating themselves from them.

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

B. Some have had to pay the ultimate price for love

1. Prophets and apostles had to give their lives when they stood up for love instead of religion.

47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 “In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.
49 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
50 “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

51 “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

2. Military people - On memorial day, we remember those in our own nation who have paid the ultimate sacrifice when they stood against the forces of violence and human abuse. They paid the ultimate price in love, and to ensure love in the world.

3. The Lord Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for our superficial wrong priorities, lack of love, our sins against God and other people

53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,
54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

Conclusion

Application to My Life