The Self-Serving Servant

August 8, 2010 Preacher: Randy Smith Series: Matthew

Scripture: Matthew 23:1–12

Transcript

The Self-Serving Servant

Matthew 23:1-12
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith


 

So there I am walking down the boardwalk in mid-March. It was still chilly, but it seemed like the first day the harsh winter weather broke. Many were out that day all wearing light coats, heavy sweatshirts and long pants.

You couldn't miss him - as he was walking toward me about a hundred yards in the distance. He was a muscular guy wearing a tank-top. Now I'm not saying he didn't have the body to pull it off nor am I trying to be judgmental, but I must admit that I pictured him inside all winter waiting for the thermometer to break 40 degrees. Everything screamed of a man desperate to show the Jersey Shore the body he crafted over the past few months, even if he returned home with hypothermia.

Possibly it is to different degrees, but we all fight the tendency to show-off. Maybe we want to impress people with our intelligence or the landscaping of our home or our expensive automobile or our college degrees or the athletic and academic success of our children. Most of these things are fine. The problem comes when we attempt to use these things in an effort to draw attention to ourselves. The problem comes when we take gifts given to us by God and steal for ourselves the glory that belongs to Him. You don't need a sermon to expose the ugliness of show-offs. There is something internal in all of us that is turned off by such actions.

Unfortunately what we see so easily in others showing off, we fail to detect in ourselves. And just because we are in Christ does not mean that this temptation disappears. As a matter of fact, I submit to you this morning that some of the worst show-offs are found right in the churches. And they use the evilest form of all showing-off - drawing attention to oneself under the appearance of serving God.

It is now Wednesday in the life of Jesus Christ. By Friday He will be hanging on a cross. The conflict with the religious leaders of Judaism is reaching its climax. They wanted Him dead, and we witnessed as we studied chapter 22 that they sought to undermine His authority, discredit Him in the eyes of the people and pit Him as an enemy toward the Roman machine. They asked Him three questions guaranteed to achieve their diabolical goal. Yet in each answer Jesus embarrassed and infuriated them all the more. By chapter 23 Jesus goes totally offensive. He publicly exposes the Pharisees for the religious frauds they were with His harshest and most condemning words recorded in all of the Scriptures.

This morning I would like to study verses 1-12 and see how they apply to us. Though originally directed toward leaders, these words have application for anyone with any spiritual influence. Moreover, they have application for anyone seeking to honor the Lord. God hates spiritual show-offs. He will expose such a heart, and then reveal the heart that brings Him the most honor.

Which camp will you find yourself in this morning?

1. LACKING AUTHORITY (verse 2)

The first point: a spiritual show-off lacks authority.

While still in the temple precincts, Jesus spoke to the crowds and His disciples (Mt. 23:1) about the religious leaders. In verse 2 we read, "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses."

The "chair of Moses" was the seat in the local synagogues where the instructor would position himself as a teacher of God's Word. The problem here is that these men, according to verse 2, placed themselves there instead of being placed there by God.

At all levels, God calls forward the people He wishes to teach the Bible. Too often in the church just like it was in the synagogue, people unqualified and often filled with the wrong motives take that position for themselves, bringing judgment to themselves and damage to God's people.

A great example is seen in Jeremiah with some self-appointed teachers attempting to give spiritual direction to the nation of Israel. God said, "I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds" (Jer. 23:21-22). "They are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds" (Jer. 14:14). "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so!" (Jer. 5:31).

Spiritual show-offs in the church are no different. They place themselves in the highest position of authority so they can gain a following and gain their satisfaction by imposing their will on oftentimes innocent people.

So how do you know if a man has placed himself in authority or is truly called by God to be a pastor?

  • Has he put in his time?
  • Has he humbly sat under the training of older and wiser Christians?
  • Has he had his giftedness examined?
  • Has the entire church affirmed his character because they have seen him in a variety of situations?
  • Has he demonstrated the ability to live out what he teaches?
  • Is God blessing his ministry (we call that the effectual call)?
  • Does he want to be a pastor for the right reasons?
  • Has he proved an ability to suffer for the flock, endure hardship and persevere in teaching the Word?
  • Has his doctrine been closely examined?
  • Have a plurality of his church leaders affirmed his calling?
  • Has he been ordained and commissioned with their blessing?
  • And once sent out by a church, is he under accountability both from his sending church and those to whom he has been sent?

Another way to spot people God has called is to examine their teaching with the Word of God. Often self-appointed leaders' teaching falls into two spectrums. Either they are liberal in that they exclude teaching in the Bible that may offend their audience because it confronts the philosophy of this world. Or they are legalists and add to the teaching of the Bible to put extra emphasis on their particular "hobby horses." I have seen this with women's dress, schooling preferences and hyper-Calvinistic tendencies.

Today it seems a guy can emerge from nowhere, get a podium, create a website and call himself a leader of a church. And with the right marketing, he gathers a group of followers in no time. Is that legitimate? Is that the procedure we see outlined in the Bible? Where is the testing? Where is the accountability?

Yet this "taking authority for oneself" is not just a problem for pastors. I have come across some in the church who will never be content with a "behind the scenes" role of service. They are ready to be an elder, but they have yet to demonstrate any desire or ability to shepherd the flock. They want to sing a solo, but have no time for any other involvement in the music ministry. I am so weary of people who want to come in and be the star. Oftentimes these people when given an ounce of power cause great harm to the church. There is a process to determine those to whom God is giving greater authority. Circumventing the process is disastrous. We see it with the Pharisees.

2. LACKING AUTHENTICITY (verses 3, 5)

In addition to lacking authority, spiritual show-offs lack authenticity. They want to tell the world how to live, but under close inspection they fail to practice what they teach.

Look at verse 3: "Therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them."

There is a word for this: "hypocrisy!" Hypocrisy means that we say one thing and do another. This is one of the biggest knocks from outsiders on the church. Our holiness is only skin deep. We are phonies. We put on a façade to get the approval of others, but fail to practice the things we claim to believe.

The Pharisees will always carry this reputation. Jesus gives us an example as to how they failed to be authentic, how they sought to seek the applause from others. Their concern was not the heart and approval from God, but rather, verse 5, "[to] do all their deeds to be noticed by men."

Jesus goes on to say "they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments." A phylactery was a small box that carried a verse from God's law usually worn on the forehead. Tassels were worn on the corners of the outer garment. Though the Pharisees application of the principle was skewed, both practices are mentioned in the Old Testament law (Ex. 13:9; Dt. 6:8 and Num. 15:38-39; Dt. 22:12). The main problem here was their desire to make these spiritual signs bigger. Hence the bigger they are, the more attention was drawn to them. The goal was to have people say, "Wow, you are such a godly person!"

We learned in chapter 6 that Jesus condemned this attitude. Do not sound the trumpet when you give to the poor (Mt. 6:2). Do not pray to be seen by men (Mt. 6:5). And do not neglect your appearance when you fast (Mt. 6:16). Our Lord hates hypocrisy, especially when we use spiritual acts to draw attention to ourselves. Remember Jesus' comments: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me" (Mt. 15:8).

Many that call themselves Christians are not much different today than the Pharisees. As a pastor for thirteen years, I have seen countless displays of how people use their spirituality "to be noticed by men" (Mt. 23:5). Let me provide some examples:

  • They offer long public prayers or pray in "King James Version" or add big theological words or quote the reference of a Bible verse (I suppose just in case God may need to look it up) or suddenly develop an English accent.
  • They develop a theology that spiritual maturity is rewarded by God with wealth. Then of course to show they are godlier than the rest of the church, they will drive the most expensive car or wear the most expensive suits.
  • They have outward displays of public worship that draws attention to themselves. While the music leader has the congregation seated, they need to stand. If they raise their hands, they need to be up front and center (the higher the better and a little side-to-side waving doesn't hurt either). And while others are worshipping by their seats, they need to dance in the aisles.
  • They go out of their way to dress unattractively and drive the biggest piece of junk in the parking lot. They want the church to assume that every penny they have is going toward God's kingdom.
  • They forsake contributing money to the general fund that others can't see and use that money to buy others Christian books and send them to Christian conferences. In some churches - a plaque on a pew or name on a brick.
  • They strut around the church asking the congregation deep theological questions. It's not that they are humbly seeking an answer; rather they want to stump people and then provide the answer themselves.

Again, much of this might not be bad in and of itself. The problem comes when we use spiritual activities to be noticed by others, to call attention to ourselves, to get others to believe we are super-spiritual. In reality we are taking the worship that belongs to God and desiring that people extend it to us. This was the problem with the Pharisees. Is this a problem with you?

Another example of potential hypocrisy: Last week we all stood up and in unison recited our Church Covenant. It looks wonderful to say those things as a spiritual body, but are we all practicing the very things we recited?

  • Striving earnestly for the advancement of Christ's church? Sustaining the expenses of the church? Helping the poor?
  • Maintaining family and private devotions?
  • Biblically educating our children?
  • Avoiding gossip and anger?
  • Watching over each other in brotherly love?
  • Remembering each other in prayer?
  • Being slow to take offense and always eager to seek reconciliation?

3. LACKING COMPASSION (verse 4)

A third mark of spiritual show-offs is they lack compassion. Regarding the Pharisees, Jesus said in verse 4, "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger."

You will remember that the Pharisees added rule after rule to the Word of God. They imposed upon the people all sorts of silly regulations that made it a burden to serve God. It would be like me saying you need to drive no more than 10 miles a day, wash your hands before you enter and exit the sanctuary, eat certain foods on certain days plus about 600 more stipulations on top of that! The problem was that not only did the Pharisees enforce these unnecessary rules creating an unnecessary burden, but verse 4 says they did not even follow the rules themselves! That is why Jesus, in contrasting Himself with the Pharisees in chapter 11 said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mt. 11:28-30; cf. Ac. 15:10. 28).

True leaders never place demands on God's people that exceed the ones God has placed upon them. And true leaders have as their primary objective not to skirt these responsibilities themselves, but to live as an example of them and help others by carrying their burdens.

Some Christians may be more gifted in this area than others, but each of us in general should be compassionate, looking for ways we can help our brothers and sisters in Christ. Opposite of the Pharisees, we should be looking for ways to add encouragement, not guilt; ease, not weight; and inspiration, not condemnation. Why is it so easy for us to find each other's problems and so difficult to help, as Jesus said, "to [lift] so much as a finger?" (Mt. 23:4).

4. LACKING HUMILITY (verses 6-12)

Finally, Jesus clearly chastises the Pharisees for lacking humility. He backs His criticism with three examples:

First, verse 6, "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues." Two, verse 7, "[They love] respectful greetings in the market places." Three, still in verse 7, "[They love] being called Rabbi by men."

Do you see the thread that binds all of these together? One word: pride! It is all about seeking attention for oneself, using a spiritual responsibility for personal accolades. I do not know how many ways I can state it in the sermon, all glory and greatness and worship must be directed toward God! It becomes the worst of sins when we take what belongs to Him and want it projected upon ourselves.

That is why Jesus said in verses 8-10, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ." It is not that all these names are wrong. You can still call your dad, "father" and leaders in the church are in an office designated by God. Paul used these titles of himself (1 Cor. 4:15; Gal. 4:19; 1 Tim. 1:2). The problem comes when we seek honor for ourselves by the titles we attach to our names. That is why I permit people to call me whatever they feel comfortable. Many of you call me "pastor" which simply describes my role. And that is why I also avoid the title "Reverend" because I believe it violates this principle.

Everything is summed up in verse 11. The Pharisees were prideful. Here is the mark of humility: "But the greatest among you shall be your servant."

Jesus attacked the Pharisees because they were all about themselves. They wanted the authority. They wanted the praise. They wanted the admiration. They wanted the ease. They wanted to be served. They did all these things because they wanted to be great. But as Jesus said, the greatest in His kingdom, the greatest in the church, is the one who serves others (cf. Mt. 20:26-27).

I know I preach a lot about service, but my claims are nowhere justified better than right here. Make no mistake about it, the goal of a disciple is service, and the ones who will receive the greatest rewards are the ones who make it their ambition to humbly serve others. Simply put: God loves and expects His children to be servants.

Why were the Pharisees so severely rebuked? Because they served themselves and not others. Why is this trait highlighted as being so essential? Because it follows the example of Jesus Christ. One day later He will be washing the disciples' feet (Jn. 13:5). Moreover, Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

If Jesus Christ only served Himself, which He would have every right to do, none of us would be enjoying the forgiveness from our sins. And if Jesus Christ could humble Himself to serve us while we were yet sinners through His painful death on the cross, what does it say about us if we accept His benefits and then refuse to imitate Him by serving others?

We saw it at VBS last week. We will see it at the Soccer Clinic this week. Praise God for your service at the picnic last Sunday and the committed adults working with Discipletown. Our ushers and greeters and musicians and clean-up crews. The guys who attended and set-up and brought food (although most of it was prepared by your wives!) to our Men's Night. All of you who cook meals or invite someone over or offer a simple word of encouragement. I can keep going but there is a place at the Grace Tabernacle for each of you to use your gifts!

So are we serious about following the words of Christ? What did Jesus condemn? Self-appointed leaders, hypocrites, individuals lacking compassion and folks who only want to be served. What did Jesus commend? Service and humility. Verse 12, "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." There are only two camps. Are you in the Pharisee camp or the Christian camp? Do you want to be great in the kingdom and great in God's eyes? Then humble yourself, serve others and give God all the glory, for in doing so Jesus says you will be exalted.

 

More in Matthew

May 1, 2011

The Great Conclusion

April 24, 2011

Resurrecting Hope (2)

April 17, 2011

The First Prerequisite To Resurrection