Latest / End-Time Revival Ministries, USA / Episode 227 - The Great Ones

Transcript

Episode 227 - The Great Ones · End-Time Revival Ministries, USA

• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Great is the Lord. He is greatly to be praised.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: We love the Lord. He heard our cry. He pitied
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: every groan. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: him and delivered him from all of his fears. The
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Lord is our refuge and strength of every present help
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: in the time of trouble. Therefore will we not fear,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: though the mountains be removed. though there is a great
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: shaking and a swelling, though the hearts of men fail
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: them from fear, looking after those things which are coming
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: to pass, the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Yet in our God, we have confidence and assurance because
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: God has spoken. He has promised. His word is settled
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: and we remain steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the word
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: and in the work of the Lord. For our labor
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: is not in vain in the Lord. Amen. God bless
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: you once again. We welcome you to this, another edition
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: of End Time Revival Ministries USA podcast. I am your host,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Pastor Al Zachary. And again, As always, we are extremely,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: extremely excited and looking forward to what God has in
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: store for us. Great is the Lord. He does wonders.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: His wonders to perform. Amen. And we look forward to, amen,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: even more eye-opening, astounding, miraculous, amen, supernatural, amen, interventions. from
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: God as only he can do. He has promised to save.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: He's promised to deliver. He's promised to keep us and
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: he will, he will, he will. And so we, amen,
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: live and operate in this great hope through Jesus Christ,
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: our Lord and Savior. Amen. We are in the word
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: of the Lord, in the words of Jesus, in the
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: gospel of Matthew, Amen. We're in chapter five, the Sermon
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: on the Mount. So if you have your Bibles, you
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: can turn there with us and we'll begin reading a
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: few verses from that text in just a few moments.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: But again, as always, we are thankful to the Lord
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: for each and every one of you who pray for
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: and or support the work of this ministry, this amen
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: outreach where we have for over 20 years. been preaching
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: and teaching the word of the Lord by way of
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: radio and also now by way of podcasts. And amen,
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: God has opened doors. He has provided. He has always
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: made a way. And we, amen, by the help of
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: the Lord, will continue to proclaim the liberty that is
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: to be found in Christ Jesus. Amen. And so, Amen.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Thank God for each and every one of you who
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: have become subscribers and those of you also who share this,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: share this, amen, podcast with others. Amen. Again, we are
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: here to preach and teach the word of the living God.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: And we, each week, each week, we, amen, by the
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: help of the Lord, disseminate the word of the Lord.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: so that, again, God's kingdom, amen, will be exalted, will
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: be preached, his word will be preached, amen. The name
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: of the Lord will be, amen, lifted up as it
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: is above all, amen. But we will do what God
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: has called us to do, amen, in proclaiming the name
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: of the Lord and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: All right, Matthew's Gospel, chapter 5, and we're going to
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: begin reading at verse 17. But first and foremost, let
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: us take just a moment as we bow before the
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: presence of the Lord. Father, again, we thank you for
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: your word. We thank you for your grace, your mercy,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: your faithfulness, your goodness, your loving kindness toward us, even
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: while we were yet sinners. Lord, you died for the ungodly.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: You came to save sinners. You didn't come to call
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: the righteous, but you came to call sinners. to repentance.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: And thank you for saving us. And we pray now
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: and intercede, Lord, for those who are yet outside of
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: the ark of safety, that you will open eyes, open ears,
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: open hearts, as only you can do by the power
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: of your spirit, through the power of your word, the
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: anointing that destroys the yoke and sets the captive free.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: We pray and ask your blessings upon every listening ear
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: and every obedient heart. In the name of Jesus. For
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: your kingdom, glory, majesty, honor, dominion, and power, both now
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: and forever, we pray. Amen and amen. The Great Ones.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: That is the title, if you will, of our podcast
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: on today. The Great Ones. The Great Ones. Think not,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: verse 17 of Matthew's Gospel, chapter 5. Think not that
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: I am come to destroy the law Or the prophets.
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: from the law till all be fulfilled. Let me pause
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: there for just a moment to say a few words
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: about the law of God. The Bible clearly teaches this,
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: and you, by way of further study, can take this up,
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: particularly in the book of Romans, that masterpiece written by
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: the Apostle Paul concerning the law of God. But the
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: Bible clearly teaches that the law of God is holy,
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: it is just, and it is good. And furthermore, the
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: law of God is perfect. The law of God is
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: instruction in righteousness. The law of God has not been
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: destroyed and it has not been abolished. The law of
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: God is his word and it is forever, forever settled. Amen.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: In heaven, Jesus in these words, his own words, he
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: came to fulfill his all of what the law requires. Now,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: breaking the law of God in even one aspect, one
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: is guilty in every aspect of the whole law of God.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: This is from the Apostle James in his epistle to
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: the church. Amen. If you break the law in one aspect,
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: you are guilty in of the whole law. And Jesus
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: came to establish and to elevate the law of God.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: And in so doing, of course, he exposes the sinfulness
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: that is in the heart of man. The problem is
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: not the law. The problem is not with the law. Again,
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: the law of the Lord is perfect. The problem is sin,
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: the depravity of the heart of man. So again, I
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: just wanted to emphasize before we move on here that, amen,
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: the law of God is holy, just, good, and perfect.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Verse 19, whosoever therefore shall break one of the least
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: of commandments, Jesus teaches. Verse 19 again, whosoever therefore shall
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: break one of these least commandments. and shall teach men so,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: case enter into the kingdom of heaven, the great ones.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: Of course, in our world, greatness from the perspective of
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: the world, those who are great in the world, it
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: does not necessarily translate, and far more often than not,
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: it does not. Translate or transfer to greatness in the
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: kingdom of heaven where it ultimately matters. Many a great
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: people from a world perspective of greatness are among the
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: least in the kingdom of heaven according to the teachings
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: of Jesus. It is rare. It is extremely rare, I
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: would say, that great people in this world are also
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: great people in the kingdom of heaven. Paul writes about
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: this somewhat in the first letter to the Corinthian church
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: for you see your calling brother in verse 26 of
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: chapter one, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: not many mighty or great men, if you will, not
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: many noble are called. And he would go on to
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: say how God chooses ordinary, plain, lowly, people of no notoriety,
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: if you will, popularity, plain old order. You can see this,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: by the way. Again, I don't want to belabor this,
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: but all of the apostles, all of them with the
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: exception of Judas, came from Galilee. They were people who
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: were not necessarily of any respect and honor, and nobility,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: if you will, in and among the people of, amen,
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: the Jews, they were fishermen and tax collectors. And just again,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: ordinary people were not exalted. They were not lifted up.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Those who are exalted, the Bible teaches, must humble themselves.
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: Those who are self-sufficient must become dependent. Those who are rulers, leaders, Amen.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: They must become servants. Those who are strong must become weak.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: How hard is it? Jesus asked this question. How hard
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: is it for a rich man to enter into the kingdom?
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Of course, it's not impossible with God. All things are
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: possible with God. Jesus would go on to teach. And
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: the disciples, by the way, and of course, this was
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: a common kind of misconception that even perhaps is even
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: I would think even so in our day that those
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: who were rich were considered favored by God, prosperous because
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: God's blessings were upon them. Those who were poor and
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: downcast and downtrodden obviously had sinned, were not trusting God,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: were not They, in other words, were further from the kingdom.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: And this is why when Jesus said, how hard is
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: it for a rich man to enter? The disciples themselves
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: were stunned at what Jesus had said. How hard is
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: it for those who are rich, are great, are mighty,
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: are noble, are exalted, are lifted up in this world
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: to enter into the kingdom? How hard is it for
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: a rich self reliant, exalted ruler who is strong and
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: great in this world to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: How hard is it? You know why and how hard
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: it is? Because, again, those who are exalted must humble themselves.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: All must prostrate themselves willingly before the Jesus Christ, the
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: one who was crucified on the cross. Every knee must bow.
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: Every tongue must confess that he is Lord. Rich or poor,
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: small or great, all must come to the cross, to
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: the foot of the cross and acknowledge that Jesus Christ
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: is their hope, is their savior, is their redeemer, is
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: their salvation, is the The one who would, amen, save
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: them from their sins, deliver them from the wrath that
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: is to come. And again, although all these things are
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: possible with God, especially again, as it pertains to those
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: who are great, those who are mighty, those who are noble,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: those who are rich and wealthy in this world. Amen.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: It may seem impossible. Jesus, by the way, would go
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: on to say it is easier for a camel to
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: go through the eye of the needle. Some have taken
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: that literally as it pertains to a small needle. And those,
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: of course, there are some explanations as it pertained to
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: the smaller entry gate into the city that was called
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: the needle, the eye of the little smaller door. And
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: I'm getting way off here a little bit. But those
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: doors would be shut. after a certain time, the gate,
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: the main gate for which a camel would travel through
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: with all of its cargo loaded upon it. And in
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: order for that camel to come in, after the gate
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: was shut, the camel would have to be unloaded, would
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: have to get down literally to the ground, not standing
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: up on his legs, but get down and literally crawl
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: through that smaller opening in order to enter into the city.
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: And so it is with those who are loaded, wealthy, great, self-sufficient,
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: of nobility, of fame, of renown in this world, the
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: great ones in this world, They must humble themselves. They,
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: being self-sufficient, must become dependent upon Jesus, not on their
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: own righteousness, not on their own goodness, not on their
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: riches that, as it were, they would be able to
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: buy themselves into the kingdom. You see, there's something about
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: money and power comes along with it and access and
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: The ability to maneuver and to get what you want
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: because you have the means by which to do it.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: And somehow some people think that this transfers, translates into
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: the kingdom of God. And that you can buy your way.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: You can pay your way. into the kingdom. No, no, no, no, no.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: You must put those things away. Jesus said to that
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: rich young ruler, go sell all that you have. Give
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: it to the poor. Come and follow me and you
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: will have treasure in heaven. That young man went away sorrowful.
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: The Bible says because he had great riches. All things
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: are possible with God. But again, It is extremely rare
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: that great men of this world become one of the
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: great ones in the kingdom of heaven. The great ones,
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: according to Jesus, are those who obey his commands and
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: furthermore teach them to others to keep. For great leaders
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: and rulers are In our fallen world. This is incompatible.
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: And unacceptable. It's incompatible. It is unacceptable in our fallen world.
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: For great leaders. For great men. To teach righteousness. And
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: to stand firm. In. Holy. Pious. Living. According. To the law.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: Of God. You will not. And it is. It is virtually. Impossible.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: To not compromise. Yourself. Unless again. Again with God. All
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: things are possible. But. Let me tell you. I'm in
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: the word of God. If you live godly in this world,
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus taught this and the apostles understood it and they
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: learned it and they experienced it. If you live godly
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: in this world, the Bible says you will suffer persecution.
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: If you are great in this world. And again, I'm
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: not saying that there are not great people in this
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: world who are holy. They're not. I'm not saying that
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: there are wealthy, powerful people in this world. who are righteous. No,
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: I'm not saying that that's not the case. I am
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: saying that it is very difficult and it is rare
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: to be great in this world, to be highly esteemed
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: and exalted in this world when you are living the
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: word and teaching the word. Jesus was persecuted. And he's
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: the greatest of them all. Of course, he was hated.
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: He was despised. He was rejected. Why? He was persecuted
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: for righteousness, for speaking the truth, for being the truth,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: for testifying to the truth. Amen. And so the teaching
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: of Jesus here about being great, the ones who will
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: be great from the kingdom of heaven perspective are those
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: who do the commands and teach them to others. And again,
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: it is virtually, and again, nothing is impossible with God,
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: but it is Incompatible with this world, this fallen world system,
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: and it is unacceptable to the world that those who
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: are in power, those who are in authority in this world. Oh,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: be godly. Be instructors in righteousness, in holiness, in the
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: fear of God, in biblical holiness, standards of holiness. Preaching Jesus? No, no, no, no.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: Especially here in America. Oh, the very first thing that
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: comes out in opposition is separation of church and state.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: Separation of church and state. Oh, oh, but the teachings
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, accordingly to what we've read in the scriptures here.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: The teaching of Jesus concerning obedience to the law of God,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: it is transparently comprehensible in what Jesus has plainly put forward.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: There is a direct, clear contrast between the breakers of
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: the law and the keepers of the law. Either you
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: are a breaker of the law or a keeper of
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: the law. Now the breakers of the law not only
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: transgress the law themselves, but by extension, they also are
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: teachers who influence and instruct others to be breakers of
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: the law of God. The breakers, according to Jesus, are
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: the least in the kingdom of heaven. No matter what
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: their standing is, In this present world, they are least
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: in the kingdom of heaven. Now, the keepers of the law,
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: on the other hand, they not only keep the law
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: of God, but by extension and by example, of course,
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: of living it in their daily lives. Doesn't mean that
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: they are perfect. Doesn't mean that they don't sin and
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: fall short of the glory of God. But they, by
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: extension and by example, in their daily lives, they become
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: teachers and instructors, influencing others to obey the word, to
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: obey the law, to keep the law of God. Jesus
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: said that these are the great ones. They are great
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: in the kingdom of heaven. You see, the great ones,
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: they humble themselves. The great ones, they become servants. Jesus
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: taught that to his disciples, by the way. He said,
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: if you will be great, because they were concerned about
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: who's going to sit on the right hand, who's going
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: to sit on the left hand. You know, they wanted
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: to all be next to Jesus, which is an admirable
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: thing in a sense. Hey, I want to be right neck.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: I want to be close to Jesus. But they weren't now.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: It was about their pride, being exalted. And the way
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: up is the way down. The way down is the
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: way up from the biblical perspective. He who humbles himself
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: will be exalted. He who exalts himself will be abased
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: or humbled in the words of Jesus, in the teaching
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: of Scripture. So the great ones humble themselves, the great ones,
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: they become servants. And again, as Jesus taught, he who
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: will be great among you, he who will be chief
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: among you. Let him become servant. And Jesus, by the way,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: by example himself, and I'm almost finished by example himself.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: Before he would go to the cross. Just before he
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: would go to the cross. The last supper. He rose up.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Girded himself with a towel. Took a basin of water.
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: And he began to wash the feet of the disciples. Showing. Demonstrating. Amen.
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: By example. Servanthood. The great ones become servants. Servants, the
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: great ones, are dependent upon God. They look to him. Daniel,
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: one of the greatest leaders who ever walked upon the
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: face of the earth, he prayed in dependence upon God
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: three times a day, set aside with all the responsibilities
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: and duties that he had as a great leader, the
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: greatest leader in two kingdoms, three kingdoms. Twice in Babylon.
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: Medo-Persian Empire as well. Daniel prayed independence upon God. He
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: depended not on his own wisdom. He prayed. He interceded.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: He asked for divine leadership and instruction and direction. Amen.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: The great ones are dependent. The great ones become poor.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: Though they may be rich, they become poor The great
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: ones are weak in and of themselves because they know
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: that their strength and their help comes from the Lord.
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: The righteousness of the Pharisees, on the other hand, as
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Jesus would go on to teach, it consisted in the
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: outward appearance and strict observances of ceremonial and traditional law.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: And of course, they boasted themselves in their adherence to
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: the law of Moses and And even in confrontation, if
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: you will, with Jesus, they self-proclaimed and self-professed themselves to
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: be disciples of Moses. We are Moses' disciples. They offered
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: the sacrifices. They often fasted. Jesus, I mean, this is
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: all in the gospel. Amen. The gospel account. They paid tithes.
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: They prayed regularly. And they were very persnickety, if you will,
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: in their traditions and ceremonies of religion. But Jesus, of course,
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: who observes and knows the heart of man, who knows
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: the motives that are within, he knew that they neglected
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: the weightier matters of the law. You see, in the
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: eyes of the common people, the Pharisees were venerated. The
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: Pharisees were esteemed to be great men. They had all
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: the outward appearances of being righteous in their rituals and
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: in their religious ceremonies. But that form of self-righteousness, ladies
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: and gentlemen, is unacceptable today. and is abominable as filthy
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: rags in the sight of God. Now, what did Jesus
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: say about what would be acceptable when it comes to
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: our righteousness? In verse 20 from Matthew's gospel, what we
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: read earlier, Jesus said unto those who were listening, I
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall in
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now, what
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: did Jesus mean by that? Well, of course, he was
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: excoriating and he further would do so even more in
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Matthew's gospel, chapter 23, for example. I read one verse
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: there just a little bit, but he was also teaching
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: the disciples that And showing them that the Pharisees, the scribes,
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: were hypocrites. They looked the part. They dressed the part.
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: They talked it, but they didn't do it. Again, they
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: did all of the sacrifice. and the fasting, all of
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: the things that were outward. They would walk around in public,
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: dressed the part. And when they fasted, they put on
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: their long faces and look, you know, pious and sincere.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, you need to go into your secret closet.
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: Don't let your right hand know what your left hand
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: is doing. Amen. And so in the eyes of the
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: common people, the Pharisees, they were venerated and they were
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: esteemed to be great men, having all, again, the outward
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: appearance of being righteous in all of their rituals and
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: religious ceremonies. But Jesus pronounced woes on these Pharisees who
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: were great in the eyes of the world. They were
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: great in the eyes of the people. They were held
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: in high esteem. But Jesus, again, knowing the heart, knowing
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: the deeds, knowing our works. Amen. He knew that they
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: did not keep the law of God themselves. And would also,
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: they would go furthermore to great lengths to make disciples
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: of themselves to follow their traditions. They even accused Jesus
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: of not keeping the tradition of the elders, your disciples,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: you and your disciples. Y'all don't keep the traditions. But
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: Jesus pronounced woes. On these Pharisees. Who again were great.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: In the eyes of men. He says in verse 15
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: of Matthew's gospel. Chapter 23. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees.
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: And by the way. The whole chapter is filled with it.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: But I'm just going to read this one verse. He
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: says woe to you scribes and Pharisees. Hypocritical. That's what
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: they were. They were hypocritical. For you travel land and sea.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: To win one proselyte. And when he is one, you
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: Accept your righteousness, exceed the righteousness of those who say
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: they are saved, who call Jesus Lord, but don't do
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: what he says. Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: those who look the part and dress the part. Who
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: are outward in their appearance, but their heart is, as
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, they honor me with their lips, but their
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: heart is what? Far from me. Except your righteousness exceed,
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus says, this hypocrisy. you will not enter into the kingdom.
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: The great ones, the great ones, Jesus said, now this is,
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: I mean, this is what Jesus said. The great ones
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: in the kingdom of heaven are those who hear these
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: sayings of Jesus. The one who obey these sayings of Jesus.
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: Not the hearers, James would also say, not the hearers
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: of the law are just, but the doers are just.
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: Blessed are just. Jesus, by the way, opened the Sermon
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: on the Mount, we call it, with all of the
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: blessings on those who are indeed the children of God.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: The great ones in the kingdom of heaven are those
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: who teach others in word and in their works. Amen.
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: They let their lights shine before men. Amen. The Pharisees, again,
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: they were great at hypocrisy, but not lifting a finger,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, to perform that which they should have been doing.
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: They will put all of these traditions and restrictions and
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: prohibitions upon the shoulders of other men, but Jesus said
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: they would not lift one finger. But the great ones
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: in the kingdom of heaven are those who teach others
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: And do it. The great ones in the kingdom of heaven.
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: Again let their. Lights shine before men. For men to see.
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: And for God. To be glorified. And. Not. Them. It's
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: not about us. As John the Baptist said. I must decrease.
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: He must increase. The great ones in the kingdom of heaven.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: Are all about. Jesus being exalted and self being abased.
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: May we all be great in the kingdom of heaven.
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: Not in our outward appearance. Not just in words. But
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: in deeds and in doing the word. Father, help us
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: today to walk worthy of this vocation, speaking the truth
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: in our hearts, living holy and righteous and godly lives
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: right here in this present world. Living epistles known and
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: read of men. You said in your word, those who
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: will be great in the kingdom of heaven are those
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: who do good And teach men to do. So help
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: us to be doers of the word. That we may
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: be blessed thereby. And your kingdom. And your name. Will
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: be glorified. And magnified in the earth. It's in the
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: name of Jesus we pray and give thanks. Amen and amen.