Walk Your Talk - Father’s Day

Slide What makes you angry, sad or sorrowful?

Maybe it’s when your children are treated unfairly and that momma bear in you rises to defend them.

Maybe it’s when your children disrespect their mother, and the dad dog in you draws the line reminding the kids this is your wife and they had better show some respect to their mother.

Maybe it’s when you see people deceived, mislead and even abused by others when they are unaware, vulnerable and even defenseless.

If you want to know what makes Jesus angry … it is anyone or anything that gets in the way of people coming to the Father to experience life in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus called these unrighteous leaders… these Scribes, Pharisees and the Sadducees - hypocrites, children of Hell, blind guides, fools, whitewashed tombs, murderers, and serpents.

And He said Woe to you! But what does woe mean and why would Jesus given us these woes?

Slide The word woe(οὐαί, הוֹי) is sometimes translated “alas” in English, giving it the idea of despair, or a sense of hopelessness. The word carries the connotation of mourning. Woe is an onomatopoeia, a word that comes from a sound. Like click, or meow, or honk.

Even today, people mourn in the Middle East with a whooping sound. Women at a funeral, for example, wail dramatically.

Slide The woes are part reproof and part lament!

They represent Jesus’ righteous anger and broken heart over their stubborn blindness. William Barclay writes …

Slide Woe includes not only wrath but also sorrow. There is righteous anger here, but it is the anger of the heart of love,broken by stubborn human blindness. William Barclay

At the start of His ministry, Jesus pronounced blessings on the righteous in Matthew 5:3-10: He talked about what it means to flourish in the kingdom of heaven.

While the beatitudes express the true way to human flourishing in the kingdom of God, the woes express the wrong way to live in relationship to God leading to human heartache and failure.

The religious leaders had a choice! They could flourish in the kingdom or fight and ultimately fail. They could choose the prince of peace, or they could power up over Jesus, sending him to his death.

So, over the next few weeks we will look at the woes, and what we can learn and apply to our own lives. Beginning with this first section, where you might say that Jesus is calling the religious leaders out for not walking what they were talking. They often had the right words, but their lives were not aligned with the word! Before we say, yah! That’s right! Those terrible Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Let’s be honest, we are all guilty or have been guilty of at some point of letting our words get ahead of actions.

Slide Where is your walk different than your talk?

On this Father’s Day, we remember the wisdom of our fathers, the wit of terrible dad jokes, but we probably also know the inconsistencies and even contradictions between our walk and talk.

Every dad probably has said some version of “Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” In our effort to teach the importance of being genuine, real, honest and more. We want our kids to follow through, do what they say they are going to do or at least be able to live a life that is consistent with their words.

The lesson, my words (what I say) and my actions (what I do) need to match. In fact, the reality is that people will judge me more by my actions than by my words.

We tell our kids not to lie, then they hear us say something that is not true.

We want others to forgive us, then don’t forgive those who have hurt us.

We teach our children to share and then we hoard, covet or just let others go without when we have plenty to share.

Actions do speak louder than words. But the truth is … words matter. Especially the word of God. Let’s look at this passage and see five relationship between words and actions and how you and I can learn to walk the walk, talk the talk and of course Walk our Talk.

First …

Slide Actions either elevate or undermine our words!

Have you ever said you would do something and then not do it? You told God, you told someone else, you told yourself.

Slide Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. Matthew 23:1-3

The reference to Moses’ seat is the seat of judgement according to the Torah. When scripture is read, or gave judgements made accordingly, they are to do whatever they tell them to do …

The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. Exodus 18:13

Jesus says, … but don’t do what they do!

Slide Walking your talk leads to a life of integrity.

Jesus is saying that as they read the law of Moses the words are true and as Paul to young Timothy …

Slide All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17

God’s word is true whether you obey it or not!

Jesus accused them of not bothering to practice what they preach, of knowing the Scriptures but not living by them. They were saying do what I say, not what I do.

Second …

Slide Indifference leads to standing back and watching others suffer.

Jesus accused them of putting their fingers of the scales and making the burden heavier than ever on the shoulders of those who want to do right, be right with God and when they struggled under the load they were judged, condemned … but never helped, assisted, served in any way! Listen to the words of Jesus …

Slide They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. Matthew 23:4

Look how hard your life is … too bad, so sad

Slide Walking your talk leads to a life of compassion and service.

When we are genuinely

Third …

Slide Talk without a walk seeks to be impressive at the expense of being spiritual!

Slide They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. Matthew 23:5-7

Look how great my life is!

To Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were men who were acting a part. What he meant was this. Their whole idea of religion consisted in outward observances, the wearing of elaborate phylacteries and tassels, the meticulous observance of the rules and regulations of the law. But in their hearts there was bitterness and envy and pride and arrogance. To Jesus, these scribes and Pharisees were men who, under a mask of elaborate godliness, concealed hearts in which the most godless feelings and emotions held sway. And that accusation holds good in greater or lesser degree of anyone who lives life on the assumption that religion consists in external observances and external acts.

Slide Walking your talk leads to a willingness to accept obscurity.

The message of the world in our generation is to build a platform. Build our brand. Become an influencer.

Slide Obscurity is the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unimportant.

Jesus was worried about the spiritual welfare of the people as well, afraid that the leaders’ spiritual pride and unfruitfulness might spread to the people of Israel. Can anyone dare claim that these accusations are irrelevant to us today?

Slide If we are honest with ourselves, we all have at least a little of the pharisee in us. That part of us that doesn’t walk our talk!

Then Jesus says to his disciples …

Fourth …

Slide The heart can want to grab attention, build the ego and divert true praise!

Slide But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. Matthew 23:8-10

Jesus accused them of seeking honor and privilege, of welcoming impressive titles like father, master, and rabbi, titles that are intended to be used for God and not them.

Slide Walking your talk leads to a life that elevates Jesus!

Fifth and last …

Slide Talk without walk leads to a life of self-promotion at the expense humility!

It’s hard to be humble when you are practically perfect in every way!

He accused them of living in a “religious fashion show” (Peterson), of seeking the attention of the people and looking good religiously. But he says to his disciples …

Slide The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12

Our enemy certainly knows that there is quite possibly no greater power in the world than the ability to influence people; and he wants all men to desire this power! Maybe we should consider the words of Plato: “He who does not desire power is fit to hold it.” I would venture to say this is how God works as well; He exalts those that do not desire to be exalted.

Slide Walking your talk leads to a life focused on humility!

I suspect that much of what passes for Christianity today is little more than human religion with the name of Jesus tacked onto it, because like most of the religion of Jesus’ contemporaries, it has failed to transform its followers into Christ’s servants passionately devoted to his mission in the world. When rightly understood, Jesus’ woes may strike too close to home for comfort. When religion becomes a veneer of holiness to conceal unholy character, it makes its bearers less receptive to God’s transforming grace. IVP New Testament Commentaries - Matthew

Slide So how do we Walk our Talk?

1. Slide Invite God to guide your words and actions by the scriptures.

Slide Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

2. Slide Put your faith into action!

Slide For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26

Slide But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

3. Slide Practice what you want to become and what God created you to be!

As Paul told young timothy …

Slide Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. 1 Timothy 4:15–16a

Prayer – stand and sing of Jesus, he is worthy of our trust, love, praise and devotion. The song says …

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

Communion during song – Build my Life