Sermon Central
-
Let's Compare Our Righteousness
Contributed by Bo Dunford on Dec 19, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Is our righteousness any better than the Pharisees?
MATT.5:17-22 “LET’S COMPARE OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”
A) These words were spoken by the Savior, and they are strong, searching words of Jesus!
* The word except is used only five times by our Savior in this sense and means: unless, if not!
* Matt.18:3 “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into .......”
* Luke 13:3;5 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
* John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
* John 3:5 “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the .......”
B) Now, the Pharisee was the most religious person, externally, the world has ever known!
* There’s not a man or a woman who walks the black dirt of this planet that could hope to live
up to any higher standard of morals than the Pharisees in the day of Christ!
* Now you see how much religion a man can have and not have any!
* The word Pharisee means: Separate ... about the same as consecrated!
C) The Pharisees were the worst bunch that Jesus had to contend with!
* And they are the worst foes to real genuine godliness that walk on God’s green earth!
* 1Pet.3:15 “But sanctify (be holy, purify) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to
give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with .......”
* Now, I want to ask you, “Can you give a better reason for your hope than the Pharisee did?”
(1) “WELL, I’M A GOOD CHURCH MEMBER!” * But that doesn’t save you!
A) It’s one thing to have your name on some old dusty, rusty church record,
* And it’s another thing to have it on the record in the sky! * Got to be a member of The Church!
* Church membership is the greased plank which the devil is using to slide millions into hell!
B) The Pharisee belonged to the high-brow church of their day!
* They were the church going bunch of their day! * They were faithful too!
* When it was time to go to synagogue, they were there! * How about you?
(2) “WELL PREACHER, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN WORKING FOR MY CHURCH!”
A) Let’s look at the Pharisee and see if he believed in working for his church ... Matt.23:15!
* “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
* Working for your church doesn’t any more make you a Christian than working in a livery stable
makes you a horse!
* There’s a lot of church members walking about God’s heritage with unclean hands, handling
holy things, and your heart is as black and filthy as the hinges on the gates of hell!
* The church in her endeavors to serve God and mammon is becoming cross-eyed and losing
the power to know good and evil!
B) The church today has compromised with sin!
* Because some think they have the right to go to prayer meeting, and then take off to a leg
show or card party! * That is the reason we fight!
* Some think they have the right to go to church meetings and then attend dances and other places
of amusement that are questionable! * I say they lie ... That is where we fight!
* You’re no better than that God forsaken gang!
* You can’t get your pleasures where the world gets theirs!
C) Well, what kind of work do you do? * Do you pray? Witness? Personal work?
* I can tell your kind by your absence on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights!
(3) YOU SAY, “WELL, I PRAY!” * Well, let’s see if the Pharisee did! * Matt.23:14
* “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and for
pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”
A) The Pharisees were on the job when it come to making long winded prayers!
* Can you see them now? They could pray for everything in general and nothing in particular!
* They could go to church on the Sabbath and stand and make beautiful prayers, and then rob
and swindle and defraud the poor the next day!
(4) “BUT I BELIEVE IN GIVING OF MY MEANS TO SUPPORT THE GOSPEL!”
* Well, let’s see if the Pharisee did ... Luke 18:12 “I give tithes of all that I possess.”
* Matt.23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise
