Inspired Sunday Christian sermons based upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and the Holy Bible. These uplifting sermons are presented here for your edification.
Inspired Christian Sermons
Sunday Sermon #6
Gates, Boulders, and Felled Trees
By
Pastor Jeremy Muniz
Jeremy Muniz is the Pastor of First Baptist Church in DeSoto, Missouri, USA. Click the Affiliated Church Directory link below to visit their web site or to contact Pastor Muniz.
Text: Matthew 15:1-9, et al.
Counter-Cultural Jesus
It may seem rather odd to modern ears, but the truth is that Jesus of Nazareth is the most
counter-cultural figure in history. Jesus managed to challenge almost every accepted tradition of
first century Judaism. His preaching urged first century Jews to step away from long held
traditions.
So what was so radical and counter-cultural about Jesus' approach? The New Testament
gospels reveal that He asked the Pharisees and scribes to reinterpret their entire religious and
social paradigm using the rubric of grace. He asked His contemporaries to seek the essence of
truth found in their sacred scriptures and challenged them to forsake the layers of tradition that
had formed around these commandments over a thousand years.
A casual reading of the four gospels reveals that Jesus spent a large portion of His time
debating with the very ones that we would expect (at least from our modern perspective) to be in
His back pocket! Jesus seems to have compassion toward all manner of sinners (Matthew 9:11-
13). Yet, He seems to have little patience with the upright, religious figureheads of Israel. There
are many passages that reveal this dynamic.
A prime example can be found in Matthew 15:1-9:
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do your
disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when
they eat." He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for
the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your
mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If
anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given
to God," he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have
made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when
he said: " 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in
vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "
Many people in our culture are accusing the Christian church of hypocrisy and double-standards.
On a theoretical level, such an argument is unfair. To have hypocrisy and employ
double standards is just another way of saying that you are human. No human being can ever be
perfectly free from hypocrisy. But on a practical level, the critics of Christianity have a
legitimate gripe. I say this because I sense that the modern church, along with the historic
church, has often strayed from its core teachings and adopted traditions that are culturally biased
instead of Christ-based and grace-centered. There is one simple truth that Christians today must
come to terms with if they desire to meet the spiritual needs of humanity. Without grace-centered,
biblically consistent faith, the church is destined to wander into hypocrisy, and
thereby render themselves irrelevant.
Preserving the Path
I grew up in Southern Illinois surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest. This beautiful
forest sets on 270,000 acres and is filled with interesting rock formations, 2,700 acres of lakes,
and 135 miles of hiking trails. Not far from my parent's home is a delightful hiking trail that
meanders beside a sunken roadbed dating from the early 19th century. Abandoned wells with
intricate stone work, a babbling brook, and several caves are only steps away from the trail.
Not long ago, a childhood friend and I went for a walk down this old familiar trail.
Nothing much had changed in the decade or so since we had last traversed its winding route. But
there were several new features to the trail that I found disconcerting. In recent years, ATV's and
dirt bikes had scarred the earth with deep gashes. The Forest Service had gone to great lengths to
stop the recreational vehicles by installing gates on the trail. Undaunted, the miscreants had
formed new paths on either side of the gates. Further down the trail, the Forest Service had
strategically placed boulders and felled trees on the path that could be hiked over but not driven
over. Yet, as one would expect, the ATV's and motor bikes had found ways around these
barriers and kept on destroying the trail. As I looked at the results of this curious game of "cat
and mouse," it became clear to me that the Forest Service had done as much harm to the trail as
the ATV's and motorbikes. Together, they had made a mess of a beautiful hiking trail.
Historically, well-meaning Christians have built many gates, placed many boulders, and
felled many trees for the stated purpose of keeping poor souls from destroying their path in life.
In their zeal to protect the godliness and beauty of the path, the church has often been guilty of
erecting futile barriers that people easily side-step. Christians may initially mean well, but
without grace, more harm than good is inflicted on hurting souls. If a Christian does not fully
lean on the gracious arms of God, that Christian will resort to legalistic, pharisaical practices.
This results in the Christian throwing down random blockades with the intention of stopping a
person from destroying the path of their lives. Instead, they do little more than turn people away
from Christ.
The challenge for Christianity in these post modern times is to help people in the world
see the beauty of life's trail and convince them that destructive and rebellious behavior only
makes the path less glorious. Instead of building barriers based on tradition, the church must
build bridges of grace that help people find their way toward a life of fullness and completion in
Christ. The Bible is a book that acknowledges the difficulties of life's journey. It never provides
an "easy" solution for the hardest questions. It does provide us with the promise of God's grace.
Without grace, the church can become a great stumbling block to those who seek truth.
"For the sake of tradition," the church cannot "make void the word of God" (Matthew 15:6).
Graceless Christianity honors God with lip service only, it is heartless in its approach to a hurting
world, its worship is completely in vain (Matthew 15:8-9). With grace, the church has a chance
to share with the world a way of viewing reality that is true, bringing fulfillment to every human
heart and honoring the genuine teachings of Jesus. Before that can transpire in the church today,
each of us must come to terms with the masks we wear.
The Masks We Wear
Tradition is not always the enemy. There are several Christian traditions that are grace-centered
and useful. Yet, Christians have developed traditions that mask the genuine teachings
of Christ. People use these masks in order to conform Christianity to their own liking. Often,
the mask becomes so elaborate that one cannot tell the difference between truth and tradition.
The word "hypocrite" is a word that comes from the theater of ancient Greece. It
represents the disguise worn by an actor. Positively, a hypocrite is someone who can play many
parts. However, in the Bible, a hypocrite is always someone who is operating under false
pretense. A hypocrite is someone who is concealing the truth. Christ demanded transparency in
human beings. Jesus "knew what was in a man" (John 2:25) and He understood that a person's
core beliefs, their heart, was the key component of their personhood (Matthew 15:10-20). Jesus
was never fooled by the outward actions of men. He was always able to see through the mask.
In Luke's gospel we read of a young and affluent Jewish man who approached Jesus and
asked "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This young man seemed to be the
perfect candidate for a disciple of Jesus. He had intelligence, wealth, and was a man chock-full
of moral fiber. Jesus saw through these masks and put His finger on the one great sin, the one
insurmountable idol of his heart, his greed. Jesus challenged the man to "sell all" that he had and
distribute his wealth to the poor. Only then would the rich young ruler have "treasure in heaven."
This challenge was too much for the rich young man to bear. He walked away "very sad," he
walked away realizing that his heart was not as righteous as he thought (Luke 18:18-30).
I often wonder how many "rich young rulers" we have in the church today. People who
have masked their darkness with the facade of righteousness. There have been those who feigned
righteousness in every age of the church. These are the ones who have raped, pillaged, and killed
in the name of Christ. With crosses on their shields and hatred in their hearts, these people have
broken the heart of God. So much of the pain and sorrow that this world has experienced has
been done "in the name of Christ." Jesus has been used and abused by power hungry tyrants for
two thousand years. It is easy to pick these tyrants out of history's criminal lineup. Look at the
masks worn by the Popes of the Crusades, the priests of the Inquisition, the pastors who proudly
wear placards that exclaim "God hates fags." These are men who have worn, and continue to
wear, masks of hypocrisy that empower them to pursue their own agenda, gloss over their own
emotional shortcomings, and usurp as much power as possible.
I sense that the world is yearning for Christians to become more like Christ. The vast
majority of criticisms leveled against the church are valid in as much as they point out how far
removed Christians are from the teachings of Jesus. The Lord Himself told the people of His day
to examine the life-styles of their religious leaders. He urged them to be obedient and respectful
toward them, but He also begged the populace not to follow in their footsteps. Matthew 23:1-3a.6
says: "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit on
Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you - but not what they do.' " Jesus was
sickened by people who would "preach" but not "practice" (Matthew 23:3b).
A grace-filled Christian life will exhibit a harmony between that which is preached and
that which is practiced. However, a grace-filled Christian life is about more than just what is
"practiced." Apart from grace, human beings have a tendency to devote their energies to
trivialities while neglecting the deeper and more urgent truths of their faith. Jesus laments,
"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. You
blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel (Matthew 23:23-24)!
Graceless Christianity automatically resorts to the ways of the scribes and Pharisees. It causes a
person to focus on theological minutia at the expense of "weightier matters of the law." For
example, the pastor who openly spouts hatred toward homosexuals is failing to heed the greater
law of love that demands a person "love their neighbor" as they love their own self (Matthew
22:39). While it is true that the Bible does not condone homosexuality, it is equally true that it
does not condone any sexual relations outside of marriage. Note how in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Paul condemns a number of different sins along with homosexuality:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceive: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men
who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Is it not the epitome of hypocrisy to deliberately single out one item on this list and ignore the
rest? For example, how many times do you see people carrying around signs at prisons reading
"God hates thieves" or outside of the New York Stock Exchange chanting "God hates greed?"
We cannot pick and choose what aspects of God's moral law we want to condemn. We need to
have our hearts broken by the things that break the heart of God.
God does not invent taboos because He is a cosmic killjoy, but He has created a law that
serves the purpose of helping people find emotional and spiritual well-being. The short list of
sins that Paul includes in 1 Corinthians 6 are sins that are roundly condemned throughout the
whole of scripture. The people who fall into these sins are not to be hated, they are to be loved
and nourished with the grace and truth of God. In fact, does not Paul admit that the church is
filled with people who had once participated in these sins (1 Corinthians 6:11)? How can we
hate those whom God loves and wants to reach? Why is it that we view the short-comings of
others as greater than the short-comings of our own hearts? Christians who are overtly spouting
hate have no moral authority because they have violated God's perfect law of love. Like the
Pharisees and scribes of old, they "clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are
full of greed and self-indulgence" (Matthew 23:25). Jesus warns such hypocrites saying,
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will
be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see
the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own
eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,'
when there is the log in your own eye" (Matthew 7:1-4)?
For those who have been saved by grace, there should be a passion for holiness and a
heart that yearns to see people find the "beautiful path" that God has for their life. Paul warns his
young friend Timothy about -
The insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and
require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by
those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and
nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the
word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:2-5).
Grace-filled Christians must make sure that in their zeal for righteousness they do not
become callous toward the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of their fellow human beings.
Sin takes life's most beautiful blessings and scars them. When we insincerely throw up gates of
tradition that are void of love, we have become "insincere," we have become "liars." If our
actions and attitudes are in keeping with God's word, then we can be assured that we are
participating in what is "good." We must reject all traditions that uphold a standard that is in
opposition to, or added to, the clear teachings of scripture.
The Pharisees and Sadducees were so wrapped up in, and warped by, their traditions that
they were willing to let a person suffer so that their strict interpretations of the law could be
upheld. Notice how violently Jesus responds to this heartless hypocrisy!
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a
woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and
could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to
her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." And he laid his hands on her, and
immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the
synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people,
"There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be
healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites!
Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and
lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom
Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As
he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced
at all the glorious things that were done by him (Luke 13:10-17).
There is never justification for killing souls in the name of tradition. And yet, in every
century since Christ came, there have been those who were willing to compromise the gracious
gospel in order to uphold a dogmatic belief or moral position. The church today needs to open its
eyes and see the "signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3). We must come to terms with the fact that
the world is watching and expecting us to exhibit hypocritical behavior. If we will live out the
law of love that Jesus preached, there will be no hypocrisy. There is no hypocrisy in the gracious
love of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin must be graciously confronted. Nonetheless, we cannot be guilty of littering the
beautiful path of life with gates, boulders, and felled trees. We must stand on God's word, and
begin to question every aspect of our "religion" that tempts us to add to or subtract from the
perfect teachings of Christ and scripture. The world is looking for genuine grace. Post modern
culture is poised for spiritual awakening. But before this renewal will come, we must: "Put
away malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long
for pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that
the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:1-3).
The world is hungry for a deep relationship with God that only
grace can provide. It is up to those who truly love Jesus, those who are genuinely passionate
about grace, to share the message of God's word that brings peace and fulfillment to every
human heart. The grace we share as Christians is what can make the path beautiful.
The Grace We Share
Some may contend that "Christianity is the enemy." And maybe they are right. For many
years, and in many contexts, Christianity has been anything but "Christ-like." There have been
many dark centuries since the time of Christ where the gospel of grace was not preached.
Countless millions suffered and died because of man's propensity to exchange priceless truth for
imperfect and fickle power. There is more than enough "darkness" in our day as well. Across
denominational lines, there are pockets of legalism and dogmatic traditionalism that bear little
resemblance to New Testament Christianity.
The cause for all of this religious chaos is simple. Legalistic religion is "easier" and more
comfortable to a carnal mind than grace-filled faith. A faith that is grace-centered is a faith that
must constantly live in humility before a perfect God. There is no room for power-plays in a
grace-filled environ. Without grace, a person is prone to think that the only way to please God is
with the actions of their life. These actions are preformed out of fear rather than a genuine love
for God. Good deeds are attempted, but for the wrong reasons. Ironically, the graceless person
who is working hard to be more holy becomes spiritually lazy! Void of grace, a person ceases to
seek God through prayer, embraces the idol of religious fervor, and forsakes the grace that can
bring healing to their soul.
In the opening chapter of John's gospel, we read:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory
as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about
him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks
before me, because he was before me.' ") And from his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ (John 1:14-17).
Moses gave the world God's moral law. Only God Himself, working through Christ, could bring
us "grace and truth." Man has made laws since the dawn of history, but only God can give us
grace. Grace is the one aspect of Christian faith that finds no parallel in other world religions.
All other religions (especially corrupted Christian ones) are based on what man can do for God.
Grace-centered Christianity is truly about what God can do for man! God yearns to provide us
with "grace upon grace" - a grace that is free from hypocrisy - a grace that allows us to live life
as God has always intended.
As human beings, we can only come to God with our weakness. He knows that our souls
will never find peace unless we find peace in Him. The ultimate peace that God has made with
humanity was made through the cross of Jesus Christ. Sin and death were paid for by the loving
sacrifice of Jesus. The Apostle Paul proclaims,
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin,
and so death spread to all men because all sinned - for sin indeed was in the world
before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death
reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the
transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free
gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more
have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ
abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For
the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift
following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's
trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the
abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one
man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one
act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one
man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the
many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but
where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death,
grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord (Romans 5:12-21).
Jesus did more than teach us about grace and truth, He died so that we could all
experience grace and truth! Christ Jesus was a "suffering servant" (Isaiah 53) not a conquering
Lord. Even His own disciples could not understand this until after the resurrection! Grace is
such a foreign concept to the human soul that even those closest to the earthly ministry of Jesus
could not fathom it. No wonder it is so hard for us to embrace this grace today. There is,
however, no other way.
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 5:1-11 -.12
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this
grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than
that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and
endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put
us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though
perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for
us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have
now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the
wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his
life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received reconciliation.
The grace we share is not a license to sin, but it is a license to live life to the fullest! The
Bible teaches that man is free to sin. However, once sin is committed, man becomes a slave to
that sin. When we place personal faith in Christ's life, death and resurrection, we "unite with
Him in a death like his" (Romans 6:5). We die to the sin of our past and then are made free to
live with Christ (Romans 6:6-10)! People in America today cherish freedom. Is it not ironic that
our freedom to disobey God's moral law actually enslaves us? The consequences for immorality
are plain for all to see. The tragedy of aids, abortions, and addictions are a common part of our
society. Tragically, when the gospel of grace is not clearly proclaimed, people suffer and those
who need help are often left helpless. The people who are suffering most are the least inclined to
lend Christianity their ear. They fail to see that the antidote to their pain is grace. They fail to
see grace because there are so few Christians who are preaching and living grace. All they see
are the gates, boulders, and trees of hollow tradition. Thus, many choose to continue living in
their pain. But God's word pleads with every person who is enslaved by their sinful choices
saying:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do
not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present
yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your
members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion
over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:12-14).
God's grace is free to all. It breaks my heart to know that many people choose to embrace
rebellion and forsake the God of grace and love.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what
fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?
For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin
and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end,
eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 3:20-23, cf. Ephesians 2:1-3)
Once we find God's grace, we are able to experience the transformation of our souls that
helps us pursue holiness without experiencing legalism (Romans 12:1-2). Only God's Spirit can
guide us in the process. Without the Spirit's guidance, we are doomed to drift into pharisaical
waters! Grace-filled Christians will lose their witness if they begin to think "more highly" of
themselves than they should think (Romans 12:3). Like Paul, the church must learn that God's
grace is "sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9), especially for life's most difficult moments. Only
when we realize our weaknesses in the flesh can we become strong in the Spirit (2 Corinthians
12:10). If the church does not grow up in grace, it will keep the childish ways of legalism.
Regardless of what the relativists of our day are saying, there are truths and falsehoods in
this world. Sadly, many of those falsehoods come cloaked in religious regalia. Without grace,
we mar life's beautiful path with our sins and install stumbling blocks with our religious
hypocrisy. We must reach out to all people with a love that is from Christ. We must strive to
keep in step with the Holy Spirit, maintaining true righteousness in grace! The only hope this
world has is in Christ Jesus. We cannot afford to be hypocrites any longer. Let us take the words
of Paul found in Ephesians 4:25-32 to heart.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the
sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no
longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that
he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come
out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion,
that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath
and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be
kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave
you.
If you will share the genuine, New Testament message of love and grace, the world will
take notice. If you will embrace the truth of grace in this moment, Christ Jesus will take notice!
There have been many who have corrupted Jesus' message of grace. There have been many
gates, boulders, and felled trees placed on your path by misguided souls. Ignore the hollow
shouts of tradition and embrace the true message of Christ and the New Testament, "By grace
you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
This is a personal ministry. The creators of a work have the right to be recognized for that work and to protect their financial interest in that work. SLICC makes every effort to support copyright laws and desires to be in copyright compliance. We try to assure that all materials found on this website have received copyright permissions or are otherwise available for public use. If any copyrighted material is found on this website that belongs to you, please contact the webmaster, to either negotiate copyright permission or remove the item. SLICC takes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in any material received from outside sources, but does strive to provide sound material on our web site. The inspired Christmas, Easter, and Sunday sermons presented on this website are the sole responsibility of the individual minister and reflects his personal and/or denominational beliefs. No material presented on this website is to be construed as representing the full and complete teachings or beliefs of any affiliated St. Louis area churches. No affiliated St. Louis, DeSoto, Chesterfield, or South County churches are responsible in any way for this website.
|
