LOST WHILE SITTING IN A CHURCH PEW

Matthew 5:20 KJV 1900

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

LOST WHILE SITTING IN A CHURCH PEW

Scribe - a writter or secretary

Pharisee - a separatist (a person who supports the separation of a particular group of people from a larger body on the basis of ethnicity (the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition), religion, or gender.) and extremely religious.

What Jesus was making clear was that it takes more than just going to church and being religious to go to heaven.

INTRODUCTION:

Today our church pews are filled with modern day Scribes and Pharisees.

If your salvation is based solely and completely on the foundations of this religious group, you may want to evaluate your relationship with God.

I. YOU SAY: "I AM A CHURCH MEMBER"

The Pharisees were the Church-going bunch of their day.

They followed precepts with practice.

Acts 22:3 KJV 1900

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Philippians 3:8 KJV 1900

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

The Pharisees belonged to the a-rist-o-cratic church (upper-class · blue-blooded · high-born · well born · distinguished · respectable · born with a silver spoon in one's mouth · silver) of their day.

But Church membership alone is a greased plank into hell.

II. YOU SAY: "I AM WORKING FOR MY CHURCH"

So did the Pharisee. Christ said,

Matthew 23:15 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Colossians 3:5–11 KJV 1900

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

III. YOU SAY: "WELL, I PRAY"

Let's see if you are ahead of the Pharisee here.

Matthew 23:14 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

IV. YOU SAY: "I TITHE

Well, let us see what the Pharisee did in his support of the gospel.

Luke 18:12 KJV 1900

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Malachi cried, "Will a man rob God?" They cried, "Wherein have we robbed thee." He said, "In tithes and offerings."

You can’t buy your way to heaven.

Acts 5:3–4 KJV 1900

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

V. YOU SAY: "I LIVE A CLEAN LIFE"

All right, let us see if the outward correctness of the Pharisees life was up to standard.

Matt. 23:25 "Woe unto you... ye make clean the outside of the cup and platter but within they are full of extortion and excess."

1 Samuel 16:7 KJV 1900

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

VI. YOU SAY: "I HAVE COME OUT OF THE WORLD"

The Pharisees were a separated people.

Their garb was distinctive of their religion.

They were the religious snobs of their day.

Matthew 23:5 KJV 1900

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

They were separated only to make a big show.

VII. THE BIBLE SAYS: "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN"

Jesus spoke these words to a famous Pharisee of His day.

John 3:3 KJV 1900

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.