Beware Of Pride And Hypocrisy

INTRODUCTION (SECURE ATTENTION) & BACKGROUND OF THE PASSAGE:

PRAY before starting the sermon.

ILLUSTRATION: {Few of you might recognize this man on the screen.

This is Jim Jones, a self-proclaimed prophet who led a cultic church known as the Peoples Temple.

He faced several allegations, including the allegation that he illegally diverted the money of his followers for his own use.

In the midst of these allegations, Jim Jones and hundreds of his followers emigrated to Guyana in South America and lived in a closed community known as Jonestown.

Eventually, Jones confiscated his followers’ passports and money.

He even manipulated his followers in various ways.

To cut the long story short, on November 14, 1978, few government officials went to Guyana to investigate the alleged abuses by Jim Jones.

When Jim Jones came to know this, he ordered his followers to kill them and eventually 4 of them were killed and the rest of them escaped.

Fearing that the authorities will arrest him, on November 18, Jim Jones ordered his followers to drink cyanide-laced punch or drink.

Children were the first to die.

Even those who refused to drink were forced to drink by the armed guards.

Jim Jones himself died of a gunshot wound in the head.

Probably he shot himself dead.

Altogether, 913 people died in this mass suicide, including 276 children.}

It’s heartbreaking to hear and see how some religious charlatans manipulate people and destroy their lives.

In today’s passage, Jesus condemns such religious leaders who commit terrible atrocities against people who are under their care.

Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to MARK 12:38-40 (READ)?

I have entitled today’s sermon as: “BEWARE OF PRIDE AND HYPOCRISY.”

In the passage that we read today, we see that:

CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE TEXT: Jesus tells people to be wary of the scribes because of their love for recognition and respect, and because of their religious hypocrisy.

FALLEN CONDITION FOCUS: {Today, false teachers exploit people like the scribes did.

We keep hearing about false teachers and watch reports about them on television.

As I studied today’s passage, I understood that the scribes were guilty of the sins of pride and hypocrisy.

Just like these scribes, even we struggle with the sins of pride and hypocrisy.

There is a scribe within us.

So, don’t think that this message is only for the false prophets.

All of must heed to Jesus’ warning.}

THE PURPOSE BRIDGE: To exhort the students of CGLD to avoid love for recognition and respect, and to avoid religious hypocrisy.

CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON: I have used inductive proposition for this sermon.

Why did Jesus tell the people to be wary of the scribes?

Three reasons:

I. BECAUSE THE SCRIBES LOVED RECOGNITION.

Read verse 38.

After asking a pointed question to the scribes in verse 37 (refer), Jesus began teaching to the crowd in the temple.

And while teaching, he tells the people to be wary of the scribes.

Now, these scribes were given the solemn responsibility of teaching God’s Word to the people.

They were spiritual leaders.

They were responsible to feed the people with God’s Word and lead them in the right path.

In light of this, it’s sad that Jesus had to tell the people to be wary of the scribes.

The scribes were to shepherd God’s people.

Instead, these scribes led them astray.

Their desire for recognition is seen in two things:

A. The scribes liked to walk around in long robes.

During Jesus’ days, people of prominence wore long white robes.

While the common people wore colored robes, the scribes wore white robes.

Also, according to Numbers 15:38 (refer), the Lord commands the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of their garments in order to identify themselves as Jews and to remind themselves the commandments of the Lord.

Now there’s nothing wrong in wearing long robes and wearing tassels on the robes.

Probably even Jesus had tassels on his robe (refer Mt. 9:20-21).

But these scribes made their fringes or tassels long in order to gain attention (refer Mt. 23:5).

They desperately sought attention!

It’s good to dress up well.

But listen, never dress up in a way that will draw the undue attention of people.

B. The scribes liked greetings in the marketplace.

These scribes didn’t like to be greeted privately.

They liked to be greeted in the marketplace where plenty of people could see them and they can receive plenty of greetings!

Luke says that they ‘love (not just like) greetings in the marketplaces’ (refer Luke 20:46).

They expected to be addressed with titles of respect and dignity.

Just as it is not wrong to wear tassels on a robe, it’s not wrong to respect authorities.

In fact, the Bible commands us to respect and submit to authorities.