\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Audio\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\tText: Matthew 23:5-12<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Jesus condemns the Pharisees many times and in our reading he condemns them for using\nreligion as a way for people to notice them. – Matthew 23:5\n
A. What is a phylactery (or some translations say frontlet)?<\/p>\n
1. It comes from passages like Exodus 13:6-9.<\/p>\n
a. The sign or monument or memorial was taken literally.<\/p>\n b. But notice that it was the Passover meal that was the sign on their\nhand and forehead.\n
2. Deuteronomy 6:4-12<\/p>\n a. Again the statement in verse 8 was taken literally, despite the\npreceding statements that it was to be in their hearts.\n b. God said that the teachings of God and his word was to always to\nbe a topic of conversation so that they would not forget God.\n c. Instead of putting God’s word in their hearts they literally bound\nthem on their arms and foreheads.\n 3. There were phylacteries for both the head and the hand. It was a leather\nbox, cube shaped, closed with an attached flap and bound to the person by\na leather band. One was bound to the inner side of the left arm so when the\narm was bent, the phylactery would rest over the heart. The knot fastening\nit to the arm was done in the form of the letter yodh<\/i> and ending in a string\nthat was wound around the middle finger of the hand. Inside the box were\ncopies of the passages Exodus 13:9, 13:16, Deuteronomy 6:8, and 11:18 –\nthe passages stating to keep God’s word near at hand. A second leather\nbox was bound in the center of the forehead. The knot on this band was\ndone in the form of the letter daleth<\/i> with the letter shin<\/i> at each end of the\nbox. These letters, including the one on the arm, forms the Hebrew word\n“shadday”, which the word for the Almighty.\n 4. Elaborate ceremonies were developed for attaching the phylacteries. The\narm was bound first and then the head while quotations from the\nScriptures were recited. They were worn by every male over 13 years old\nat the time of morning prayer, except on Sabbaths and festival days, since\nsuch days were sufficient reminders of the commands, statutes, and\nordinances of God by themselves.\n
B. What are Tassels?<\/p>\n 1. Twists of threads on the corners of their garments to remind them of the\nlaw of God – Numbers 15:38-40\n 2. It seem to become the custom to line the borders of the outer garment with\nfringe.\n C. What Jesus said was that the Pharisees and Scribes, to show their piousness,\nwould use wide bands and large boxes for their phylacteries and make their\nfringes extra long.\n 1. They did it to be noticed by others, so others would see them as religious\nmen.\n
2. As if the size of the things they wore would reflect their piousness.<\/p>\n
II. This is not the only way they showed off their religion<\/p>\n
A. They expected places of honor because of their position in the Jewish religion.<\/p>\n B. They expected special greetings when people met them. They especially loved the\ntitle “Rabbi”, which means “teacher.”\n
C. Matthew 6:1-4 – They made sure everyone knew when they gave aid to the poor.<\/p>\n
D. Matthew 6:5-8 – They prayed publicly so others would see them<\/p>\n
E. Luke 20:46-47 – They made long prayers so others would notice<\/p>\n
III. God doesn’t need a show, He sees the heart. Only men look for a show<\/p>\n A. The Pharisees justified themselves in men’s eyes, but forgot that God sees the\nheart.\n 1. In other words, they did things outwardly so that other people would see\nbut neglected to understand that God knows everything, even the things\nothers may not see.\n B. John 5:41-44 – Jesus did not seek the honor of men and therefore men did not\naccept him.\n 1. Even those inclined to believe on him would not admit it before others –\nJohn 12:42-43\n
2. This is why confession is required for salvation.<\/p>\n
C. Philippians 2:2-3 – Nothing should be done from selfish motives or empty pride.<\/p>\n
D. Selfish motives breeds evil – James 3:14-16<\/p>\n
IV. How Christians should behave<\/p>\n
A. Christians purposely pick the lowly – Luke 14:7-11<\/p>\n B. Our prayers should reflect our knowledge of our true position before God – Luke\n18:9-14\n
C. Our righteous deeds and prayers are done in private – Matthew 6:1-8<\/p>\n
V. Yet the desire to show off our religion still exists<\/p>\n
A. Have you noticed that few churches meet in plain, simple buildings?<\/p>\n 1. What drives the desire for large, ornate buildings with stain glass\nwindows?\n 2. Is it the desire to please God? Or do the bronze name plates, saying\n“donated by … ,” have something to do with it?\n B. Have you noticed that religious leaders have special robes calling attention to their\noffice?\n
1. Is this found in the word of God? <\/p>\n
2. Is God impressed with such attire or is there another motivation?<\/p>\n
C. We can also mention the use of special titles by religious leaders.<\/p>\n
1. Men are called “reverend”, “pastor”.<\/p>\n 2. It seems people are not satisfied with this. Now a days it is “right-most\nreverend” or “senior pastor”\n 3. When I object to titles, people say “we just want to give respect.” Yet, I as\na man do not deserve such respect, especially by my fellow men.\n
D. Lay people also get into the act<\/p>\n 1. I can’t begin to number the people I have seen wearing crosses or other\nsymbols of Christianity, and yet they speak foully and act unbecomingly of\na follower of Christ.\n 2. How does the wearing the symbols of a faith make a person religious? It\ndoesn’t!\n 3. For whom is the wearing for? God? Or to impress others with your claims\nto a belief?\n
E. There have been gatherings at the flag poles at schools for prayers.<\/p>\n 1. I don’t object to prayers said at school or in behalf of schools, but why at\nthe flag pole – out front where everyone sees?\n
VI. Our religion is seen by others, but it is not for show.<\/p>\n
A. It should never be done to impress others. <\/p>\n
B. It should not be done to declare to others “I am a Christian.”<\/p>\n C. God’s light shines through us because we are<\/i> Christians and not because we wear\nChristian adornments – Matthew 5:14-16\n D. Paul’s prayer is that Christ dwells in your hearts and not on your sleeves –\nEphesians 3:14-19\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Matthew 23:5-12 I. Jesus condemns the Pharisees many times and in our reading he condemns them for using religion as a way for people to notice them. – Matthew 23:5 A. What is a phylactery (or some translations say frontlet)? 1. It comes from passages like Exodus 13:6-9. a. The sign…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[555,126,1514],"class_list":["post-63324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-pharisees","tag-pride","tag-religion"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25633,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/only-an-appearance-of-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":0},"title":"Only an Appearance of Religion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Amos 4:1-5 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When you look at the religious world, there are many odd ideas about what constitutes a religious person. II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Exhibitionism as Religion \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some people judge how religious a man is by the religious things that he does in public \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew 6:1-6 - Some people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67916,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/woe-to-you-scribes-and-pharisees-hypocrites\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":1},"title":"Woe to You, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites!","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Allen Dvorak Biblical Insights, 14(9), September 2014 There is no uncertainty about the compassion of Jesus during His earthly ministry. Various individuals and groups were the objects of His compassion (e.g., Matthew 9:35-38; Luke 7:11-15). But Jesus was also frequently involved in controversy and sometimes handed out sharp rebukes.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57539,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-right-to-criticize-another-persons-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":2},"title":"Is It Right to Criticize Another Person’s Religion?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 2, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Kevin Kay It's not only right to criticize false religion, no matter whose religion it is; it's the faithful Christian's responsibility. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for \"teaching as doctrines the commandments of men\" (Matthew 15:7-9). Paul criticized those who tried to bind the shadows of the Mosaic law on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55338,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-heartfelt-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":3},"title":"A Heartfelt Religion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62163,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/curing-a-headache\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":4},"title":"Curing a Headache","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 1:21-27 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When you see a problem, how do you solve it? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If you have a headache, how do you get rid of it? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I suppose one could get a guillotine. After all no head, no headache \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Instead, we find a reliever to lessen\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66238,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/religion-says-do-jesus-says-done\/","url_meta":{"origin":63324,"position":5},"title":"“Religion says DO, Jesus says DONE”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton People come up with the strangest viewpoints and don't realize how unbiblical those ideas are. I keep passing a sign that says the above but offers no scripture reference. Because the Bible is the final authority, I would suggest that both Jesus and His religion say,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}