Eight Woes (Mt.23:13-38) Woe (ct. 5:3-12)  Mt.24:19, a regretful lament; alas  Mt.23:13-38, a judgment akin to a curse. Cf. 18:7. Is.5 Hypocrites (6x); hypocrisy (1x), actor, pretender

I. Closed Doors, 13

Shut up kingdom of heaven Mt.15:14 Not a guide, but a barrier  They won’t enter, v.37; 5:20  They keep others out, 7:21 False teaching is deadly and dangerous. Don’t believe everything you hear.

I. Closed Doors II. Spiritual Termites, 14

Mk.12:40 Mk.11:27-12:40, rich men… (11:17) Mk.22:41-44, poor woman, victim Lk.16:14, money laundering / prayer Long prayers cloaked their sins Greater judgment

I. Closed Doors III. Passion For Proselytes, 15 II. Spiritual Termites

On the road again… Travel about sea & land Seek one proselyte Make him two times worse than they Each generation adds to sins The most converted are the most perverted (13)

I. Closed Doors IV. The Fine Print, II. Spiritual Termites III. Passion For Proselytes

There is none so blind… Every promise is binding Don’t make a promise quickly; don’t keep one slowly Blind guides (16) Blind fools (17) Blind men (19)

I. Closed Doors V. Blest Be The Tithe, II. Spiritual Termites III. Passion For Proselytes IV. The Fine Print

The facts (23-24) OT required tithes of land’s fruit (Lv.27:30), field (Dt.14:22) Jesus does not condemn tithes of herbs, but it is not most important part of law (Mic.6:8) Pharisees: no justice, mercy, or faith He does not say they did too much Gnat Small tithes Camel Mt.27:25

I. Closed Doors VI. Coming clean, II. Spiritual Termites III. Passion For Proselytes IV. The Fine Print V. Blest Be The Tithe

Extortion: robbery (way they got rich) Excess: lack of control (use of riches)  Ate and drank luxuriously w. things they stole from others…  Made sure outside of cup was clean Only inner purity can produce outer cleanliness. 1 Sm.16:7

I. Closed Doors VII. The Great Pretenders, II. Spiritual Termites III. Passion For Proselytes IV. The Fine Print V. Blest Be The Tithe VI. Coming Clean

Inside the Pharisees not What you see is not what you get: Whitewashed tombs You can dress a sewer rat in a suit, but he’s still just a sewer rat Hypocrisy Mt.6; Ac.7 Lawlessness Mt.15:3-9

I. Closed Doors VIII. Action & Reaction, II. Spiritual Termites III. Passion For Proselytes IV. The Fine Print V. Blest Be The Tithe VI. Coming Clean VII. The Great Pretenders

29-31, honored OT prophets, but imitated murderers Persecuted those who were – 32, fill it up In the present Mt.23 In practice (not theory) Mt.19 Preaching to them Ro.1-2 Gn.15:16Lk.16:5-71 Th.2

1. 33, His last public address echoes John’s beginning 2. 34: killed by religious people Who warned you to flee…? Mt.3:7 How can you escape…? Mt.23:33 Conclusion

3. 37: Jesus loves every sinner a. He would save the most hardened b. He came to save; now He does not come to save (delays) 2 Pt.3:9 c. Condemnation is a choice d. Judgment didn’t come quickly, but it did come. The worst is yet to come 4. 38: mercy is limited time offer