Weekly Sermons

How Not to be a Hypocrite - Part 1 - Matthew 23:13-24

The word ‘woe’ itself is used to pronounce coming judgment on a person or group of people living in sin that they won’t repent of!

Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. - Isaiah 3:10-11

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness. - Isa. 5:20a

The word ‘woe’ occurs more in Matthew 23 than any other chapter. But there is another word in Matthew 23 that occurs more than any other place in the Bible – the word hypocrite – 6 of its 18 occurrences are here.

Even though these woes applied specifically to the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day because of their rejection of Him, I want to make sure they don’t apply to me and us in our day, or more specifically, on judgment day!

Matthew 23:13-24

Be humble receivers of Jesus, not proud rejectors of Jesus - V. 13

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for there is the Kingdom of Heaven. - Matthew 5:3

The word hypocrite was used of Greek actors. It literally means “under-a-mask.” Actors would change masks as they played different characters. It came to be used of people pretending to be what they were not.

Does the way I live, and the way I speak, draw people to Jesus or turn them away from Him?

Minister to people, don’t manipulate them - V. 14 (Mk. 12:40)

The point is that instead of ministering to their flock as a shepherd, these guys were wolves among them, only thinking of what the sheep could do for them.

Lead people to Jesus, not your religious system    - V. 15

Are you growing in Jesus, abiding in Jesus, and loving Jesus? Make sure you are before you reach out to others!

Do what you say and vow, don’t justify breaking your vow - V. 16-22

These hypocrites were looking for ways to justify getting out of doing what they had vowed to do, and help their followers do the same. Worse than that, they created code language to aid in breaking vows.

“Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’     - Matthew 5:37 

What is an area you need to keep your promise in?

Have integrity in all you do, don’t reduce faith to a checklist    V. 23-24

They took the Law on tithing so seriously they even tithed from their spice rack – mint, dill, cumin! The problem was that they brought God their tithe but not their hearts!

Does Jesus have 100% of you, or just your leftovers?

Verse 23 does mean that God doesn’t want 10% of your money if He doesn’t have 100% of your devotion. But verse 23 also says when you get that right, don’t leave tithing undone.

Christians who live in this age of grace know we are stewards of 100% of what God has entrusted to us. That usually means we wind up going beyond the tithe in our giving. Matthew 23:23 and 2 Corinthians chapters 8-9 guide us: we give joyfully, proportionately, generously, & sacrificially.