Northside Church
April 25, 2021
“KINGDOM CULTURE: A CULTURE OF AUTHENTICITY”
(Matthew 23)
Luke 16:16 . . . “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached, and EVERYONE IS PRESSING INTO IT.
Matthew 23:13 . . . “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
Luke 12:1–2 . . . In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, which is HYPOCRISY. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
AUTHENTIC – to be genuine, to be real, to be in alignment with reality.
1. Positional Privilege - The “Do what I say, Not what I do, ” mentality
Matthew 23:1–4 . . . Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
• Rather do this: Always be ready to go the 2 nd mile, this is a kingdom citizen
2. Fame seeking
Matthew 23:5–7 . . . But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
• Rather do this: Don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. God will reward openly for humble deeds.
3. Blocking Progress
Matthew 23:13 . . . “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
• Rather do this: Determine never to be a stumbling block to another person.
4. Being Opportunistic
Matthew 23:14 . . . Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
• Rather do this: It is better to give than to receive—Be charitable.
5. Proselyting
Matthew 23:15 . . . “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
• Rather do this: Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.
6. Swearing for credibility
Matthew 23:16–17 . . . “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
• Rather do this: Let your yes be yes and your no be no!
7. Minimizing the weighty
Matthew 23:23–24 . . . “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
• Rather do this: Do all things to the Glory of God!
8. Masquerading
Matthew 23:25 . . . “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
• Rather do this: Remove the plank for your own eye, judge yourself so that you yourself will not be judged.