Lord's Day Sermon
October 10, 2021
The Spiritual Peril of Bad Leaders
Sermon Details
Read passage (ESV) — Matthew 23:16-24
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
Read full chapterCross references
Matthew 23:16 : See ch. 15:14 Matthew 23:16 : ver. 17, 19, 26; John 9:39-41; Rom. 2:19; 2 Pet. 1:9; Rev. 3:17 Matthew 23:16 : [ch. 5:33-35] Matthew 23:17 : Ex. 30:29 Matthew 23:18 : ch. 5:23 Matthew 23:19 : Ex. 29:37 Matthew 23:21 : 1 Kgs. 8:13; 2 Chr. 6:2; Ps. 26:8; 132:14 Matthew 23:22 : [ch. 21:25] Matthew 23:22 : See ch. 5:34 Matthew 23:22 : See Rev. 4:2 Matthew 23:23 : Luke 11:42 Matthew 23:23 : Deut. 14:22; [Luke 18:12] Matthew 23:23 : Isa. 28:25, 27 Matthew 23:23 : Ps. 33:5; Jer. 5:1; Mic. 6:8; Zech. 7:9 Matthew 23:23 : [1 Sam. 15:22] Matthew 23:24 : ch. 19:24Outline
- Judgment Because They Hindered People from Entering the Kingdom of God (13-15) A. Barred Access to Salvation (13) B. Made Misguided and Fanatic Converts (15)
- Judgment Because They Were Concerned About Superficial __________________ Before Basic Truths of __________________ and ____________________ (16-24) A. Promoted __________________________ Religious _________________ (16-22) B. Practiced an _______________________ Piety and Emphasized Wrong _____________________ (23-24) 10/17/2021 Pastor Michael Mang Title: “The Spiritual Peril of Bad Leaders” (Part2) Text: Matthew 23:16-24 Theme: Israel’s leaders placed such importance and emphasis on the minutiae that they forgot what the details really meant. As a result, love for God and true concern for others suffered. Jesus does not denigrate the concern for the finer points of spiritual living but warns us against losing the bigger picture of God’s good news to mankind by devotion to superficial rules considered essential for holy living. 9 C o n f e s s i o n o f S i n Personal Confession This time of silence is provided for private, personal confession. A s s u r a n c e o f P a r d o n “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right." — Isaiah 43:25-26 (ESV) Lord of mercy and grace, we confess that our love for You waxes cold and our hearts grow indifferent to Your holy Word. We are quick to blame others and to excuse our own faults and shortcomings. We frequently doubt Your love for us, and our trust in Your promises becomes overshadowed by our fears. We confess and repent of our sins, O LORD. Hear us as we approach Your Table and anticipate the grace that comes to us by faith therein. Cause our faith to grow stronger as we again survey the wondrous cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Produce in us the fruits of righteousness and holiness to the glory of Your Name: Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Whose righteousness is our glorious clothing. Amen. 8 more about your eternal future. You can find their