Modern Day Pharisees
Text: Rom. 2:1-11
Introduction
1. Illustration: In one of my conversations that I had with my friend Dane Hall last week we discussed the effects that church people have had on our children. As the children of Pastor's they have seen both the good and bad of the people in the church. He told me about a conversation he had with his daughter Abby. He told her that all Christian's are good people, but not all church people are Christians. Like the old saying says, "You can sleep in a garage, but that doesn't make you a car!"
2. There is a vast difference between Christians and people that are religious!
3. Paul dealt with this same issue. He dealt with a number of Jewish people who were extremely religious, but it was all in their heads and not in their hearts.
4. The problem with religious people is they...
A. Say One Thing And Do Another
B. Think They're Okay
5. Let's stand together this morning as we read Romans 2:1-11.
Proposition: It's vitally important to get the Lord from our heads to our heart.
Transition: The first problem with religious people is that they...
I. Say One Thing And Do Another (1-4).
A. You Have No Excuse
1. The first problem with religious people is that they say one thing and do another. They claim to be followers of Christ, but in reality they are only following themselves.
2. Paul says in v. 1, "You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemningyourself, for you who judge others do these very same things."
A. At the beginning of this chapter Paul creates an imaginary character who feels it is his duty to condemn and others.
B. He begins with the fact that they have no excuse. This is a legal concept meaning "they have no reasoned defense."
C. The first basis of their guilt is that they judge others without first considering how they stand before God.
D. This is exactly what Jesus was saying in Matthew chapter 7:1-5
E. 1 Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.
2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?
4 How can you think of saying to your friend, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye?
5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.
F. Scripture clearly tells us to correct one another when we go astray, but it also tells us to do so in love and not in a spirit of judgementalism, and to also consider our own spiritual state.
G. Paul here is referring to the Jewish mindset that they were above everyone else when it came to spiritual matters. They were religious but not spiritual.
H. As a result, he tells them that they are condemning themselves because they are doing the exact same things as the ones they are judging.
I. This doesn't mean that they are committing all of the sins that the Gentiles were, but they were committing many of them and stood before God without excuse (Osborne, 60).
3. Then Paul makes it clear that they will be held accountable for such actions. In v. 2 he says, "And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things."
A. Here Paul says that God's judgement is always based on justice. When God judges he always does so justly and fairly.
B. God is able to do this because he sees everything and know everything.
C. I can look at someone and say that I know that person, but there is no way that I can know everything about that person.
D. Only God can honestly say he knows all about us. God's judgement is based on the fact and nothing but the facts.
E. In other words, God's judgement is always impartial and correct (Osborne, 60).
4. Then Paul goes even further in correcting them when he says, "Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?"
A. Here Paul reiterates something he said in v. 1, basically that they who were passing judgement were doing the very same things.
B. In fact, Paul asks them a rhetorical question: "why do you think you can avoid God's judgement when you do the same things?"
C. The message for us today is unavoidable. Like the Jewish people that Paul is talking about, we can never look down upon or judge people when we ourselves are not right with God, and when we do, we are condemning ourselves (Osborne, 61).
5. Then in v. 4 Paul reminds them just how good God has been to them. He says, "Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?"
A. In this verse Paul intensifies his argument. When we ignore the justice of God in our judgement of others, we actually show contempt for the goodness and mercy of God.
B. The verb that uses here mean to "despise or heap scorn upon something," or to "regard it as having no value."
C. Paul tells them three things for which they are showing contempt. First, they are showing contempt for God's abundant kindness.
D. How? God's kindness, Paul says, was intended to lead "you toward repentance."
E. Instead, apparently, the Jews were regarding it as a blank check to sin with as much as they wanted.
(Moo, NIV Application Commentary, The: NIV Application Commentary: Romans, 73).
F. The second thing they were showing contempt for was God's tolerance, which refers to God's postponing judgement in order to give people a chance to repent.
G. This is an idea that is thrown about quite bit these days. People want to look at Christians and say we are intolerant, and in some ways, we are, but God himself is incredibly tolerant.
H. And to that we ought to all say, "Thank you Jesus!"
I. The third area that we show contempt for when we judge others is God's patience. He puts up with all of us sinners and gives us a chance to repent.
J. 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT2)
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
K. What Paul is trying to do here is to show how incredibly compassionate that God is with sinners as compared to how religious people condemn others.
L. They don't understand that God's purpose is that his kindness leads us to turn away from our sin.
M. Notice that repentance is not just for sinners, it is for all of us because we are all in the same boat. We all stand guilty before God and are in need of salvation.
N. Another thing is that repentance means more than turning away from our sin, but it also means turning towards God.
O. It's the key concept in experiencing God's salvation. Unless we are sorry for our sins plus committed to God, salvation is not possible! (Osborne, 61-62).
6. In v. 5 Paul gets to the heart of the problem with religious people...there stubborn hearts. He says, "But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed."
A. One of the worst things that we can do is to become stubborn and hard-hearted towards God.
B. This is a theme that runs throughout Scripture.
C. The Greek word that is used here is the same word that is the basis behind our English word arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arteries - and so Paul is basically calling this "spiritual sclerosis," the hardening of the spiritual arteries.
D. This hardening of the heart and refusal to repent of their sins cause God's wrath to come down on them.
E. The idea here is the same one as storing up treasure for yourself, except here it is storing up God punishment.
F. It is the accumulation of sins over a lifetime that leads to standing before the judgment seat of God (Osborne, 62).
B. The Devil's Trap
1. Illustration: Hypocritically, professing belief, performing rote rituals, calling oneself a member of a religion without attempting to follow holy prescriptions, participating in church - with a "social" country-club fervor - these can all be an evasion of holy duty, yet another form of idolatry, as practicing the "religion" becomes its own end point. (Laura Schlessinger, The Ten Commandments: The Significance of God's Laws in Everyday Life, 60).
2. Being religious is a trap of the devil!
a. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NLT2)
25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.
26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
b. I have people all the time tell me, "That's okay for you, but I'm just not a religious person." My response is, "Awesome, neither am I!"
c. There is a vast difference in being religious and being a follower of Jesus.
d. Religion is about following rituals, rules and regulations. But there is no transformation or change of heart.
e. Being a Christian is about having a relationship with the Creator of the universe.
f. It's about surrendering to His Lordship and making Him the center of your life.
g. It's about allowing Him to transform you into a new person.
h. Religion says, "I am superior to others," but Christianity says, "I'm a sinner in need of grace and forgiveness."
i. Christianity is a gift from God, but religion is a lie from the pit of hell.
Transition: The other problem with religious people is they...
II. Think They're Okay (5-11).
A. God Does Not Show Favoritism
1. What religious people don't understand is that they are in the same situation as everybody else. We are all sinners and none of us is righteous, no not one!
2. Paul says in v, 6, "He will judge everyone according to what they have done."
A. Paul begins with the idea that God will judge people according to what they have done.
B. The verb that he uses here means to "return or render," and he is basically saying equal pay for equal work. In other words, you will get what you give.
C. He is not talking about salvation by works here. Later in this letter and in other letters he is clear that salvation is a free gift of God that we cannot earn or deserve.
D. What he is saying is that good works are the natural result of God's grace.
E. All of us will stand before God and give an account for the lives we've lived.
F. We will be rewarded for the good we have done and judged for the evil we have done.
G. All too often in the church today we focus so much on grace that we forget our responsibility! (Osborne, 64).
3. Then Paul shows the results of what we have done in our lives. In vv. 7-8 he says, "He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness."
A. In these two verses Paul contrasts good with evil. He begins by talking about those who consistently do good.
B. Notice the phrase "keep on doing good." What he is saying is that good works are the defining characteristic of a person's life.
C. In addition to doing good, these people seek after the glory, honor, and immortality that God offers.
D. Again, Paul is not talking about working for salvation, but rather about the obligation we have as followers of Jesus to live a life that honors God. Jesus said in...
4. Paul continues talking the rewards or punishment we will receive for what we've done. In vv. 9-10 he says, "There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile."
A. Those practicing evil are promised trouble and calamity.
B. In Greek it literally reads "every soul of a person" in order to again focus on the fairness of God and that everyone will receive what they deserve.
C. While this could mean trouble in this life, in this context it means trouble in the next life at the judgement.
D. On the other hand, those doing good will have glory, honor and peace (Osborne, 66).
5. Paul then concludes with a statement that ought to make us all stand up and take notice. He says. "For God does not show favoritism."
A. Paul insists that God "does not show favoritism."
B. The word for "favoritism" (prosopolempsia, lit., "receiving the face") was apparently coined by Christians to translate a Hebrew expression that vividly conveys the sense of partiality: treating someone on the basis of outward appearance.
C. God, Paul claims, does not do this.
D. He will not let a person go free in the judgment simply because of some external circumstance (Moo, 74).
E. God does not play favorites! He is fair and just to everyone!
B. No Favorites
1. Illustration: During the Civil War there was a young Confederate private who was brought before General Lee for an infraction of the rules. Now can you imagine being brought before General Lee for breaking the rules? He was visibly trembling with fear. Then General Lee said to him, "You need not be afraid, you'll get justice here!" To which the young private replied, "I know, General, that's what I'm afraid of!"
2. Another part of the trap that the devil sets for religious people is they think that they are right with God, but the reality is they are hopelessly lost!
A. Colossians 3:25 (NLT2)
25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
B. You can go to church all your life, but if your heart has not changed, and your behavior has not changed, you will stand guilty before a just and holy God.
C. It doesn't matter how many church services you've attended.
D. It doesn't matter how many business meetings you've voted in.
E. It doesn't matter how many times you have worked at the church.
F. It doesn't matter how much you give in the offering.
G. If you have not been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit you will be convicted by a righteous God for the sins you have committed.
H. If you have treated someone contrary to what the Bible tells us we should treat others you will be held accountable.
I. Because God doesn't play favorites!
Conclusion
1. There is a vast difference between Christians and people that are religious!
2. The problem with religious people is they...
A. Say One Thing And Do Another
B. Think They're Okay
3. TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. IN ORDER TO BE A TRUE FOLLOWER OF JESUS YOU HAVE WALK THE WALK AND NOT JUST TALK THE TALK!
B. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO HEAVEN BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN THE CROSS OF JESUS YOU ARE SADLY MISTAKEN!
