P-R-I-D-E: Live For God- The Final Exam- Matt. 23:1-12

Hi, I just want to remind you all that these are my preaching notes. Sorry if it doesn't flow sometimes when you are reading it. If you ever want an audio tape- just let me know.
Peace, Corey


PRAY Live for God- The Final Exam
How do we actually live God? Authentically? Relevantly?
My contention is this- in order to live for God- we must deal with our most serious problem as Humans.
The problem is Pride- "It is pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began." - C. S. Lewis
Matt 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'
8 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Diagnosis: Spiritual Arrogance a.k.a. P-R-I-D-E
Our final exam- is a simple spelling test- Can you spell Pride? That is can we look at ways to locate pride in our individual, family and church lives- so that we can be authentic, humble servants of Jesus Christ
We must diagnose our problems and attack them all with God’s grace and Love. What are the Symptoms of Spiritual arrogance?
Prejudice- "6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;" - They loved- to feel more important in their own minds- and therefore able to pronounce judgments about others/
STORY: When her boy was 4, A mother remembers. That he was in a Bible class for children, while we studied in our groups. One day, as my son and I were walking to our car, my son said to me, "Mom, I'm not going to sin anymore."
You can imagine my pride at hearing this. Then I got to wondering why he said this, so I asked him.
This was his answer: "Jesus said if you don't sin, you can throw the first stone and I want to throw the first stone."
We develop the attitude of "I don’t need to change- it’s everybody else that needs to change"-
God is not against us using judgment- God is against us making unjust judgments-
If we are to live for God- we must get ride of the conscious and unconscious ways we rank ourselves better than others- we must not live a life in competition with the Jones-s or anyone else
We must examine the silent and unthinking judgments we are making- decisions we make without prayer
Living for God means surrendering your judgment to God- our Pre-Judging and our unjust Judging
Religious- False humility is a problem: "Humility is my strong point"- story
Story: The minister's car wouldn't start and he called the garage to come and tow it in for repair. When the truck driver appeared at his house to get the car, the minister said, "I hope you'll go easy on me. You know, I'm only a poor preacher."
"I know," said the tow truck driver, "I've heard you preach!"
v5 "They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long"
The Pharisees got to a point where they took pride in the CULTURE of their Religion and forgot the Relationship with the Lord
Religious PRIDE- can lead a person to forget the purpose of the church- The church is not here simply to serve you or me- it is here to be an instrument of God
Believers who gather in the local Church Support it with time and Money- because they are being obedient to God- not simply because they are a member of a club= "Ask not what can the church do for you, but rather what can you do for God through the church"
The phylacteries, the tassels and the scriptures themselves- were to lead them into right relationship with God
American Christianity has a problem- often ignored- it is the heresy of Bible idolatry- Worshiping the Bible, rather than the God the Bible proclaims- a subtle but dangerous form of religious pride
There is another form of religious pride out there- rampant in our culture
- The pride of No-Church- "I don’t need church to be spiritual"- I can be spiritual without the local church- this is as dangerous as a Christian who worships the Bible and not the Lord- both are false worship
Christ is the Son of the Living God- Christ lives in the midst of believers- the Holy Spirit of God- the very foundation of true spirituality- is found in believing individuals and the Spirit is confirmed when groups come together to worship Christ- the Living God
What can we do about this religious heresy? This is a time to support and work through the Local Church- We must display Christ through the work of the local church- We must actually live out our beliefs- that the Holy Spirit of God lives in us and that we have a loving relationship with God- People must see this true life- so that they will not be able to so easily disregard the life God is calling them to.
Living for God- means never allowing our relationship with God to become more important than our religion
Independence- "4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them"
Myth -that people can do it on their own- Not sharing prayer concerns with friends- Making life decisions without regard of the church and family
Truth- is we need each other. We need to be ministered and cared for by fellow believers. We need caring pastors, but even more so we need caring congregations.
An independent mindset says, "I can have my own rules."
Well the truth is- God made no independent people and God made no independent churches.
We need each other to keep our heads on straight to keep in touch with reality.
The Story goes: A young woman asked for an appointment with her pastor to talk with him about a besetting sin about which she was worried. When she saw him, she said, "Pastor, I have become aware of a sin in my life which I cannot control. Every time I am at church I begin to look around at the other women, and I realize that I am the prettiest one in the whole congregation. None of the others can compare with my beauty. What can I do about this sin?"
The pastor replied, "Mary, that’s not a sin, why that’s just a mistake!"
Now that’s humorous, but you know what I mean. A church should be a place of caring honesty, where we tell others the truth, because we love them enough to want the best for them.
Living for God- means leaning on God and leaning on each other.
Dependency- v5 "Everything they do is done for men to see"- The pharisees have an unhealthy dependency on other people- They had an addiction to approval
It is fine to be loved by people- it is not okay though to seek our identity in this love- we must seek our identity in the fact that we are accepted and loved by God- the unchanging and faithful God
Though we unite with others for service and worship- which is good- we do not find our identity in the club- truly being a member of a church is secondary to being a child of God- we give our money and time out of obedience to God- not out of loyalty to the members- you can have this loyalty- it should not, however, be your prime motivation for service and giving.
Dependency can be many things- Unhealthy relationships with people, objects, careers, drugs- whatever.
Its root is Depending on something/someone else for your identity- finding pride in a false identity- rather than in being a loved child of God
Illustration- Job is the ultimate illustration of depending on God. All his wealth, his family, and his health is striped away. At each turn for the worse we see that Job’s identity is rooted in being a child of God- he will not curse God- he had his dependency in the right place- in the hands of God.
Living for God means depending on God for your true identity.
Entitlement- "7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'" The pharisees loved to be called teacher- many were in competition to be the best. The felt entitled to this attention. Jesus came to Jerusalem in chapter 21, just two chapters earlier, to rousing cheers from the crowds. The cheers and crowds the pharisees felt entitled to have follow them, had been taken from them by a mere carpenter’s child from Nazareth.
From this point on we see the Pharisees vigorously trying to corner Jesus- trying to eliminate him so that they may get their spotlight back.
How does this relate to you and me? They thought life was about getting their own. Getting attention, respect, honor and glory for themself.
I struggle with this and relate to a story that Charles Spurgeon tells, he was warmly thanked for a sermon and told "You delivered an excellent word" he replied, "Yes, so the devil told me as I stepped from the pulpit." You and I are stewards- not owner’s of God’s church. We want to take credit for the work God does in our lives- we are not entitled to this credit- it is God’s to receive.
Luther and Lutheran churches, didn’t like that name. It is hard to say whether American Christians believe more strongly in the timeless Gospel of Christ or in the saying "I am entitled to my own opinion." The cause of Christ has been split thousands of times because, we the believers, have been unwilling to live and worship with those who have different opinions than ourselves.
I am entitled to my money. Is something we believe. We often, wrongly, give God what’s left over in the budget at the end of the month- rather than giving God’s church it’s due share of ten percent of our income- right off the top- the first-fruits- If we are servants of God we are not entitled to the first fruits of our income. If you keep God’s share of your income- beware- you are essentially stealing from God. God gives you an income so that you can dedicate a consistent share of it with His mission in this world, the local church.
"I don’t need to give"- This money I have is ALL mine. This Church is ours- "We don’t need to change to grow." If we give up our entitlements to our money, possessions and church and say to God- All this is yours, what do you want us to do with all that you have given us?
Living for Christ- means giving up everything for His cause. It means being willing to use all that we have been given to make this world a better place in Christ’s name.
The antidote to Pride is living in God’s Grace. I believe we are doing that here at Palouse Federated. I believe God has been in a process here at PFC, of reducing Pride in our midst. We are seeing the fruit of these changes. God is at work. We are seeking to be Christ’s church.
I believe we are entering a time where we will seek fully to live for God as a church.
Will you join me in praying for God’s vision for this church?
When we live for God, we as a church must seek God’s vision, God’s direction, God’s calling for our ministry. Our community, living for God, will be authentic and relevant to the world when we are seeking to follow God’s vision. I am excited for this time- to be with you, as your pastor- depending on God for our vision.
Let us pray.

Deuteronomy 34- Live for God- What are you doing with your dash?

Pray
One day A man walked into the middle of a dentist's surgery and said, "Excuse me, can you help me. I think I am a Moth."
Dentist: "You don't need a dentist. You need a psychiatrist."
Man: "Yes, I know."
Dentist: "So why did you come in here?"
Man: "The light was on..."
If we don’t know- who we are- if we don’t know what we are called to do= we risk living a life that is as meaning less as a moth bumping into a light- simply bumping into whatever grabs our attention- rather than living for our true calling
To Live for God is to find your real identity-
Living for God-103- "What are you doing with your Dash?"
What is "The DASH?" the dash is that line, on a tombstone between the birth year and the death year. It is representative of our entire life time.
This sermon aims to Answer the questions- What are we here on earth for? What is the vision for your life? What is promised for us- what is the promised Land?-
The life and death of Moses can help us address these questions
Deut 34:1-12 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land--from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."
5 And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses.
10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
What are you doing with your dash?
- In order to look at ourselves- let’s first look at Moses
What did Moses do with his dash?
- Survived a traumatic infancy
- Learned from his mistakes- he killed a man
- Earned his living from shepherding
- He listened to the call of God
- He led his people out of bondage
- He pleaded for God’s mercy- when the Israelites were disobedient
- He brought the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land
- He prepared the next leader for the Hebrews- he left a legacy
Quite a life- there was only one Moses- we won’t likely lead a parallel life to his- but there are lessons we can learn from Moses’ life
Learn- from your mistakes
The end of verse four says, "I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."
Forgiven- but with real consequences- Moses had killed a man by his own hand- this kept him from leading the Hebrews to the promised land
He learned from his mistake- he never again raised his hand against another person- He let the Lord fight his battles
When he was angry with Aaron and the people for creating a golden idol and worshipping it- he did not resort to violence- in fact he pleaded with the Lord to spare their lives-
God used the former angry Moses- and turned him into the Wise moses- He put him in challenging situations- and Moses learned to seek Justice and Mercy
What are you doing with your dash?
Do we learn from our mistakes? Do we pretend like we don’t make mistakes? Or do we admit them, but then quickly forget them- rather than prayerfully considering how we could have done something differently?
Listen- to the call of God in your life. Verse 5 "And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said."
-The Servant of the Lord- died - that’s not really the amazing part of this sentence- the simple- yet amazing words are the last five words- "as the LORD had said." The Lord spoke to Moses- time and time again- and Moses listened to the Lord
We listen through:
Scripture Reading- Prayer Time- Worship- Fellowship- and Service- God speaks through all these ways- maybe not like a burning bush- but a small still voice
Live Out your calling- God calls all His people- a calling is not just for pastors/ministers- God calls us all to acts of service and love
Of course it is not enough to merely Listen- we must do what the Lord tells us
Illustration: 7 frogs on a log- 4 DECIDE to jump off= How many frogs are on the Log? SEVEN- you have to move from a decision to action- or you haven’t really done anything.
We must care enough about God’s people and God’s work in this world- that we actually do something about it- that we actually ask him about it, that we do something
You’ve probably heard the quote: "The problem is apathy, but who cares"
We must care. What are you doing with your dash?
Do you love God enough to listen to Him? To budget some time and listen to him. Do you care enough to then act on the thoughts, ideas and words that God gives to you in your quiet times
Leave- a legacy for the future work of God’s people
Elders work hard trying to mold the minds and souls of youngsters
On the first day of school, my parents gave me a note to hand to my teacher.
The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents." Parenting has its challenges.
Parenting, Grandparenting, Mentoring- even a high school youth looking out for a jr. Higher or a jr higher looking out for an elementary age youth- these relationships are important and impactful
In verse four it says: "I will give it to your descendants."
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses."
We can leave lasting impressions on people. We must work out our own calling- but we must not ignore preparing future servants of God’s Kingdom
We live fully in the present- by admitting that there is a future in which we will not be present- and if there is a way that I can make the future kingdom of God a bit bigger, - if there is something I can do now- I need to not leave earth without giving it my best shot
Verse Six tell us: No one knows where Moses is buried
At risk of being a tad crass- What matters is what you left behind in life- not where your behind is left
Leaving a legacy- not a monument- but a testimony- no one knows where Moses’ grave is- does that really matter?
It matters not if you are buried in a big tomb- if you did not leave behind a legacy of love- if you don’t act on God’s call in your life
Was Moses’s life a failure because he didn’t make it to the promise land?
No. No life is a failure when we seek to become the servant God is calling us to be
What are you doing with your dash? With the time you have been given?
Are you learning from your past? Confronting your sins and mistakes- and seeking to be a better person.
Are you listening to your Lord? Are you spending time praying, studying, serving and worshiping?
Are you living out your calling? Are you making choices in life to serve rather than just sitting around.
Are you leaving a legacy?
Don’t waste the time you have been given. Every second that passes by- you cannot get it back-
Live for God
Amen