Eight Woes (Mt.23:13-38) Woe (ct. 5:3-12)

Mt.24:19, a regretful lament; alas Mt.23:13-38, a judgment akin to a

curse. Cf. 18:7. Is.5 Hypocrites (6x); hypocrisy (1x), actor,

pretender

I. Closed Doors, 13

Shut up kingdom of heaven

Mt.15:14 Not a guide, but a barrier

They won’t enter, v.37; 5:20 They keep others out, 7:21

False teaching is deadly and dangerous.Don’t believe everything you hear.

I. Closed Doors

II. Spiritual Termites, 14

Mk.12:40 Mk.11:27-12:40, rich men… (11:17) Mk.22:41-44, poor woman, victim Lk.16:14, money laundering / prayer

Long prayers cloaked their sinsGreater judgment

I. Closed Doors

III. Passion For Proselytes, 15

II. Spiritual Termites

On the road again…

Travel about sea & land Seek one proselyte Make him two times worse than they

Each generation adds to sins The most converted arethe most perverted (13)

I. Closed Doors

IV. The Fine Print, 16-22

II. Spiritual Termites

III. Passion For Proselytes

There is none so blind…

Every promise is binding Don’t make a promise quickly;

don’t keep one slowly

Blindguides

(16)

Blindfools(17)

Blindmen(19)

I. Closed Doors

V. Blest Be The Tithe, 23-24

II. Spiritual Termites

III. Passion For Proselytes

IV. The Fine Print

The facts (23-24) OT required tithes of land’s fruit

(Lv.27:30), field (Dt.14:22) Jesus does not condemn tithes of

herbs, but it is not most important part of law (Mic.6:8)

Pharisees: no justice, mercy, or faithHe does not say they did too much

GnatSmall tithes

CamelMt.27:25

I. Closed Doors

VI. Coming clean, 25-26

II. Spiritual Termites

III. Passion For Proselytes

IV. The Fine Print

V. Blest Be The Tithe

Extortion: robbery (way they got rich) Excess: lack of control (use of riches)

Ate and drank luxuriously w. things they stole from others…

Made sure outside of cup was clean

Only inner purity can produce outer cleanliness. 1 Sm.16:7

I. Closed Doors

VII. The Great Pretenders, 27-28

II. Spiritual Termites

III. Passion For Proselytes

IV. The Fine Print

V. Blest Be The Tithe

VI. Coming Clean

Inside the Pharisees What you see is notnot what you get:

Whitewashed tombs

You can dress a sewer rat in a suit, but he’s still just a sewer rat

HypocrisyMt.6; Ac.7

LawlessnessMt.15:3-9

I. Closed Doors

VIII. Action & Reaction, 29-36

II. Spiritual Termites

III. Passion For Proselytes

IV. The Fine Print

V. Blest Be The Tithe

VI. Coming Clean

VII. The Great Pretenders

29-31, honored OT prophets, but imitated murderers

Persecuted those who were –

32, fill it up

In thepresentMt.23

In practice(not theory)

Mt.19

Preachingto themRo.1-2

Gn.15:16 Lk.16:5-7 1 Th.2

1. 33, His last public address echoes John’s beginning

2. 34: killed by religious people

Who warned you to flee…? Mt.3:7How can you escape…? Mt.23:33

Conclusion

3. 37: Jesus loves every sinnera. He would save the most hardened

b. He came to save; now He does not come to save (delays) 2 Pt.3:9

c. Condemnation is a choice

d. Judgment didn’t come quickly, but it did come. The worst is yet to come

4. 38: mercy is limited time offer