Honest Relationships Mathew 23 10-30-05

Sermon Matthew 23: honest relationships Eric Kelsey Painting

I went to a costume party….they said lose the hair.
Not a good costume….its just bad….not working for you

· Jesus is saying that to Pharisees…nice costume…nice mask….not foolin me
· They were pretenders, the epitome of the direct opposite of Jesus teaching
Pride, worldliness, and tyranny under a pretense of religion….
· In laying them open, Jesus teaches us some things about real Christian is
· Fact is I don’t think his primary purpose is to lay them open, but to free the normal people from their guilt laden religious junk

Who are you really? What you tell people you are, show people you are, or what you are on the inside

Jesus is pretty clear that they weren’t real.
I love these guys. They make even me feel good

Sins of the pharisees
· They condemned others for sins they embraced for themselves
Male pattern baldness-
Sometimes people lash out at others who have their same weakness
So and so is so brash

· Attracted attention to themselves
Everything is done to be seen by others
So insecure, needed others praise

Made a big show…broad phylacteries….paris airport
Ministry robes, david van giesen
Don’t blow your own horn….it is not a very pleasing tone
Ray says of himself….I am a great guy

· Took the best seats
Not only too the chief seats for themselves, but in so doing robbed others of what may have been rightfully theirs
I’ve got shotgun

· Titles….call me Jeff, my wife does….she calls me other things too, but I wish you wouldn call me those things….

· Strain a gnat, swallow a camel…..did not focus on the important parts
Love , truth, justice
More interested in religion or knowledge than in souls

· Worried about rules, never get to the heart
Worried about he heart, the character will follow
I want to build a church culture based on the work of the holy spirit, not rules
Holy spirit doesn’t need me to broker his work in your life

Jesus calls them hypocrites
What is a hypocrite…the church is full of hypocrites
· Not someone who goes to church but isn’t perfect…..oho, Jeff yelled at his wife, hes a hypocrite…
· Not a fallen person, not a broken person,
· Someone who says one thing and does another…no big hair in church
· Someone who holds themself up as an example and then isn’t
· Important call for Christians to be humble
· A stage player
· Clean on the outside, dirty on the inside

What are the implications for church
We have to be very careful about the kind of culture we create
They drew people to themselves
They were better than others
Build a church that is focused on Jesus Christ
Build a church where our hearts are welcoming and filled with Grace

What are the Implications for your daily living
11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Servanthood in daily relationships

Marriage the playing field of crummy relationships……
2 ships passing in the night
my parents…..I gave up 25 years ago and it is too late to start over
go home and lose an argument

Implications of relationships with God
He knew who you were anyway

Marriage line….before whom the secrets of all hearts are known
The Require & Charge ___________ & ___________ I require and charge you both, as you stand in the presence of God, before whom the secrets of all hearts are known, that, having already considered in your own hearts and minds the holy covenant you are about to make, I want to remind you that you are now about to declare before this company your pledge of faith, each to the other. Be well assured that if your solemn vows are kept unviolated, as God’s Word demands, and if steadfastly you endeavor to do the will of your heavenly Father, God will bless your marriage, will grant you fulfillment in it, and will establish your home in peace.
Rita Bass Coors paid $7,000 for a porcelain mask hand-painted by JohnDenver. It had been purchased at the 1997 Charity Celebrity Ball for Hospiceof Metropolitan Denver. As the auctioneer handed it to her, it slippedthrough her fingers and shattered on the floor.The new owner of an expensive pile of broken pieces decided to keep themanyway. Rather than attempting to fix the mask, she placed the pieces in amontage of John Denver photographs.
God is on a mission to find and pick up the shattered, jagged lives ofbroken people and transform them into something beautiful.

How to be real:
1. let people see your warts…….it ok
2. sit down with them and talk. Tell your stories, good and bad
3. stay the course…..work on relationships
4. receive love and healing, offer love and healing