Focus on What is important

Introduction

As I start my last moth as your pastor I wanted to step away from Jonah and give you some parting thoughts, to both challenge and encourge you. Parting thoughts not parting Shots!

Matthew 12:1–8 CSB

1 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? 5 Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

This is the Word of God

inerrant, infallible, inspired;

written by God, written for us,

that we might know what to believe

that we might know how to live

and that on its pages we might meet

The Living Christ.

Introduction

By This point in Jesus’ ministry opposition was growing among Jewish leaders The Pharisees were upset with his interpretation of Mosaic law whenever they contradicted their own views and traditions

By This point in Jesues’ ministery opposition was growing among Jewish leaders The Pharisees were upset with his interpertation of Mosaic law whenever they contridicted their own views and triditions

There is evil present in these verses is the perversion of good, which can be more tricky than outright evil

this evil is that of legalism the jewish leaders were legalists

This was a constant enemy of Christ throughout his ministry! As legalism stands in the way of

-There is evil present in theese verses is the perversion of good, which can be more tricky than outright evil this evil is that of leagalisim

the Gospel as the gospel it one of Grace!

-This was a constent enemy of Christ throughout his ministery! As leaglisim stands in the way of the Gospel as the gospel it one of Grace!

I. The Accusation (V 1-2)

Matthew 12:1–2 CSB

1 At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

The Phrase “at that time connects the previous events in Chapter 11 with the events told in Chapter 12, meaning no time had passed between.

The sabbath was held from Sunset on Friday to Sunset on Saturday.

the Pharisees had burdened the sabbath with a multitude of detailed observances that were not laid down in the Mosaic law

In this incident they had objected to the matter in which Jesus’ disciples had plucked grain on the sabbath violating the command against reaping on the sabbath found in

The sabbeth was held from Sunset on Friday to Sunset on saterday. the pharisees had burdened the sabbath with a multitude of detailed observances that were not laid down in the Mosaic law in this incident they had objected to the matter in which Jesus’ disciples had plucked grain on the sabbath violating the comand against reaping on the sabeth found in

Exodus 20:8–11 ESV

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Specifically verse 10 forbids reaping.

Exodus 20:10 CSB

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.

There were two purposes of the Sabbath law

1. to secure absolute rest from all labor

1. to secure absolute rest from all labor

2. to make the sabbath a delight.

In order to guarantee this the Pharisees had invented these burdensome rules:

In order to guarantee this the Pharisees had invented theese burdensome rules:

2. to make the sabbeth a delight.

In order to guarentee this the pharesees had invented burdensome rules.

The deciples plucked the grain then rubbed it in their hands in order to remove the husks the plucking constituted the sin or reaping and the rubbing was considered threshing. abserd right if they havd done this any other time there would have been no issue but according to the pherisees not on the sabbeth.

The disciples plucked the grain then rubbed it in their hands in order to remove the husks.

the plucking constituted the sin of reaping, and the rubbing was considered threshing according to the pharesees

absurd right if they have done this any other time there would have been no issue but according to the Pharisees not on the sabbath.

II. Illustration #1 David eating the showbread (V. 3-4)

II. Illist

Matthew 12:3–4 CSB

3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?

The bread of presence was put in hot every sabbath and the old bread was taken out.

Christ is using an illustration of when David came to Nob and asked for bread. The priest, Ahimelech said they had no common bread but there was hallowed bread if the men have kept themselves at least from Women.

David assured him that thy were ceremonially clean, so the priest gave them the old bread and the hot bread was put in on the sabbath

This illistration that Christ used made two basic points

This illustration that Christ used made two basic points

This illustration that Christ used made two basic points

David and His men had a need that involved hunger

1. David and His men had a need that involved hunger

they asked for an exception to the law so they could eat the bread of presence Chrisd does not mention that David called the bread common in a way even if it had been freshly baked and hallowed in the tablr that verry day neither does he mention the conversation of the clenlyness of David’s young men. The main point here that christ is making is that if David could take the bread of presence and not be condmbed certenly he who is the Lord of the sabbeth could permit his followers to pluck grain and eat it on the sabeth.

2. they asked for an exception to the law, so they could eat the bread of presence

Christ does not mention that David called the bread common in a way even if it had been freshly baked and hallowed in the table that very day neither does he mention the conversation of the cleanliness of David’s young men.

The main point here that Christ is making is that if David could take the bread of presence and not be condemned certainly he who is the Lord of the sabbath could permit his followers to pluck grain and eat it on the sabbath.

In this case the ceremonial law is superseded by a higher law, in this case service for the Lord !

In this case the ceremonial law is superseded by a higher law, in this case service for the Lord !

III. Illustration # 2 He is greater than the temple ( V. 5-6)

Matthew 12:5–6 CSB

5 Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

In His response to their legalistic traditions, Jesus always referred to scripture “have you not read” The passage referred to

1 Samuel 21:1–6 ESV

1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

What Jesus is saying is that according to them the law breaks itself by establishing work for priests on the sabbath and how could the Pharisees put blame on the one who is greater than the temple.

What Jesues is saying is that according to them the law breaks itself by establishing work for priests on the sabbeth and how could the pharisees put blame on the one who is greater than the temple

one can see what Christ is referring to in the following verses

one can see what Christ is refering to in the following verses

Numbers 28:10 CSB

10 It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

John 7:22 CSB

22 “This is why Moses has given you circumcision—not that it comes from Moses but from the fathers—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

​Numbers 28:10 ESV10 this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

​John 7:22 ESV22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.

IV. Illustration # 3 The Spiritual is greater than the ceremonial (V. 7-8)

Matthew 12:7–8 CSB

7 If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

In verse 7 Jesus quotes

Hosea 6:6 CSB

6 For I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

His rebuke to the Pharisees was that they were condemning the disciples without recognizing who the lord of the sabbath was

they would never have criticized his disciples for plucking, rubbing and eating grain on the sabbath in order to fulfill service for the Lord of the sabbath, with all their might

Christ used the title son of man directly of himself as the Lord of the sabbath Thus he was claiming to be God manifest in the flesh

the account in mark adds this:

Christ used the title son of mam directly of himself as the Lord of the sabbath Thus he was claiming to be God manifest in the flesh the account in mark adds this

Mark 2:27 ESV

27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

it is significant that the phersees show no repentence here.

Application

Christ is giving this rebuke to the pharesees as He does so many times in the gospels. they were emphisizing thigs that just were not importent. Sadly we do that today.

Christians emphisize and talk about things that just simply are not as importent as we make it seem

there are so many things that are importent but they must not be put on the same footing as the gospel!

Is it importent

if we add anything to the gospel we become a moddern day pharesee

Christ attacked the pharesees thoughout the gospel because of they were self richious hypocritts everything for them was external but inwordly they were fake

Are you a fake christian? do you come to church and act one way but are known for something completly different in your home and in your comunity out in the comunity?

don’t mis understand me by fake Christian I do not mean that one who acts like this is not saved, just that they are not living the part.

We are all saved by grace and nothing elce!

if we add any rules to being a christian we become a leaglist.

Way too often do christians point out others sins while ignoring the giant plank that is in their eye

Avoid the temptation today to make Christianity about rules but make it about grace

don’t say you can’t to this or that but focus on what it is about, it is about the grace!

Three ways to spot a moddern day pharesee

They are quick to judge others while ignoring there own sin

They are a hypocrite

they focus on external rightiousness instead of internal

eight signs you might be a leaglist

Don’t be a leaglist and stand in the way of the Gospel

Is it importent to dress decently? Absolutly

Do we want young men to act like yong men and young ladies to act like young ladies? Absolutly

But it is not about theese things it is about Jesus Christ and His gospel. If we add anything to it we are a modern day pharesee and defraud the gospel

Are you a fake christian? do you come to church and act one way but are known for something completly different out in the comunity?

1. You might be in a legalist….if legitimate questions are framed as a faith issue

We are all saved by grace and that must be our focus!

Too often do Christians point at others sin, while ignoring the giant plank in their own eye.

today ovoid the temptation to make christianity about the rules

you cant do this you cant do that

2. You might be in a legalist….if there’s no room for respectful disagreement

but focus on what it is about! It is about the grace

Three ways to spot a pharesee

When we are quick to Judge others

3. You might be in a legalist….if you define things as “sin” that are simply differences of opinion

Living a hypocritical life

Focus on external rigtiousness instead of internal rightiousness

4. You might be in a legalist…if you insist on a certain political stance

5. You might be in a legalist …if you emphasizes who is “in” and who is “out”

6. You might be in a legalist ….if constructive criticism is seen as a pride issue

7. You might be in a legalist if…obedience to established authority is seen as the same as obedience to God

8. You might be in a legalist if…you focus on the sins of others and consider them big sins while considering your own sin minor

Political rant

Berean is a gospel Church!

we are conservitive but we are not a concervitive church we councel but we are not a counseling church we are contemporary but we are not a contemporary church we are not a liberal church we are not an issues oriented church

1. we are conservitive but we are not a concervitive church

2. we councel but we are not a counseling church

3. we are contemporary but we are not a contemporary church

4. we are not a liberal church

5. we are not an issues oriented church

But yet this time of year polititions send churches and people mailing after mailing that compare canidates.

This church nor any other church I pastor will ever be a political church the focus is and will be the gospel and this is what I will always preach the wonderful message of the gospel!

1. The Bible does not say you must be republican

2. It does not say you must be democratt

3. it says you must be saved!

That is what the gospel does when we believe on Christ he takes our sins away

That is what the gospel does when we believe on Christ he takes our sins away

He makes us part of the body

He makes us one with one another and the joy that brings

So I encouge you yes, Go out to vote on Tuesday, but don’t have this idea that you have to vote for one party or another to be a christian!

So I encouge you yes, Go out to vote on Tuesday, but don’t have this idea that you have to vote for one party or another to be a christian!