Matthew 15:3-6..Ready

Matthew 15:3-6..Ready

15:3 Jesus replied, (Instead of answering the question directly, Jesus followed the flow of a typical Jewish debate by answering their question with a question-(New) “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition  4 For God said, ‘Honour your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,  6 he is not to ‘honour (Respect, value-(New) his father’ with it. Thus, you nullify (sidestep, skirt-around, override) the word of God for the sake of your tradition. (For Complete Expository Notes See Book)

Extended Sermon 

“Warns if not careful manmade rules & traditions can be elevated above the Word and Commands of God.” → As believers were always going to be tempted to have something in our life that’s going to compete with the authority of God’s Word. In this age it may not be the tradition of the Elders. It may not be church tradition that is competing with the authority of scripture. But in todays world our authorities are the authority of self. It can come from a culture that might respect the bible for it’s good moral teachings, or they’ve had some fond nostalgic memories of the bible. But when it comes down to it, my own intuitions, my experience, and what works for me can take on an authority that rivals scripture.  And over time were going to have to take the authority of the bible and bring it down as you lift up the authority of self. Before you know it will start to say things like “It just didn’t work for me.” “It just doesn’t’ fit with my experience.” “It didn’t fit with my children’s experience.” “It doesn’t fit with my intuition in what’s right for me and what seems best for me.”  Or “it doesn’t fit with the way the real world operates.” And at the end of the day when you’re saying what I feel is best for me. You’re placing yourself in the position of the Divine. You’re putting yourself in the seat of God and saying my feelings are more important than what God’s Word says and I’m going to live my life by my own experience.  Another thing when it comes to authority, what seems right and makes the most sense in a culture often changes over time. In the last fifty years there have been major cultural changes. Views of evolution has changed. Views of marriage has changed. Views of homosexuality has changed, just to name a few. Which goes to show that the authority you have if its not God’s Word it’s not going to be objectively true and it’s not going to stay the same. It’s going to shift and change, and before you know you’ll be going along with popular opinion as to what’s true and which way the winds of culture is blowing. That’s why it’s important to stand on the authority of God’s Word. Culture and values may change whereas God’s Word has not changed. What is true in God’s Word 2000 years ago is true today,

“Teaches how it’s easier to follow rules than have to do the harder thing in loving God and loving others.” ⇒ A law based religion is easier, it’s black and white, everyone knows what needs to be done.  Just check off the boxes and your good to go. And as a result it becomes a self derived sense of peace, and a self derived sense of satisfaction, separate from God. It avoids any need for a personal relationship with God. They want the peace and blessings while bypassing God.

“Even today, we use loopholes to get around God’s Word. We  get around divorce saying “I know God doesn’t want me to be unhappy.” We get around phonography by saying it will keep us from committing a greater sin in having an affair. “⇒ We get around getting drunk by pointing out how Jesus turned water into wine. We get around homosexuality by saying “I was born this way, and God doesn’t make mistakes.” We get around living together before marriage because it will give us a chance to see if were compatible and a good fit.” We get around evil and violent movies by saying “It’s not much different than what we find in the Old Testament.” We get around gossiping about others by saying were “Safeguarding the church or seeking advice.” We get around being generous by claiming were to be “Good stewards of God’s money” or out of “Tough love in not being enablers.” We get around forgiving people in order to help God work repentance in they’re hearts? We even use church’s flaws as a loophole for excusing our own sin. We use loopholes when we run into something we don’t like by saying; ” I don’t believe that’s in the bible.” Or I don’t believe Jesus actually said that “. Or will say that doesn’t apply today, God only meant that under the Old Covenant whereas were under a New Covenant. Or that was a cultural thing we don’t live that way anymore.”

More Notes & Applications

Teaches instead of looking for loopholes and workarounds to get away with what we want, have a heart that is staying true to God.

Teaches how it’s easier to embrace external rules and rituals than to do the harder things in having to love the unlovely, help the needy, and care for the poor at the cost of their own time, money, and pleasures.

Warns against using our service to God to supersede our responsibility of helping those around us. (Two wrongs do not make a right!)

Warns against disposing our moral obligations by pretending to meet a greater religious obligations

Warns against allowing worthy causes to void the word of God, or used as an excuse to evade the clear teachings of scripture.

Warns if not careful religious devotions and traditions can start to undermine scripture and biblical principles!