Sermon Tone Analysis

Announcements

Our next event is October 30 with Salem

We will join them for morning worship at 11:00 and come back that evening for a trunk-or-treat/chili cook off hay ride

We will also take communion with them that day.

This will be a great time of fellowship with our host church who has been such a blessing to us

INTRODUCTION

The message today is titled “Blind Guides”.

This is what Jesus called the Pharisees of His day.

Pharisee were the religious teachers of the day, whom Israel respected and held in high esteem, yet Jesus said they were literally the blind leading the blind.

Blind Guides are those who desire to teach and lead others who do not know where they are going themselves.

Could you imagine a blind man driving a tour bus around the city, showing everyone all the highlights of the city?

Could you imagine a dog given to a blind man to lead him who was blind itself?

These were the Pharisees, giving spiritual leadership and direction to a people, and they were lost themselves.

And there are many today whom fit into this category.

Never have we had the ability to listen to so many teachers who about the ChristIan life.

With the internet, TV, and our vehicles we can find just about any flavor of Christianity or false religion you could imagine.

And small churches everywhere who are placing the need of a leader over the biblical qualifications of one to lead or teach

TRUTH: NOT EVERYONE WHO CLAIMS TO TEACH THE BIBLE HAS BEEN SENT BY GOD!

So we must be wise as serpents and learn to discern who we will let pour into our lives

And that is what this message is about.

There is a difference between man’s traditions and God’s Word

Explanation

TRADITION

The tradition that the Pharisees had was to wash their hands before they ate.

This was not simply a matter of hygiene, but one that they believed carried great religious value.

They thought part of being a godly person was washing their hands before they ate a meal.

Here is the problem: they made an incorrect judgement on the disciple according to their tradition of washing hands because no where in the Bible does it ever say that we must wash our hands before we eat to be right with God.

What are some traditions we have in the church today?

These are rules that we as evangelicals have developed over the years and are kind of the standard in our churches today?

Here are some that we can consider:

the use of a piano during worship service

times of worship service

role of the pastor

role of deacons

having business meetings

playing cards

listening to secular music

women wearing dresses and men must wearing suits

Using only a KJV of the Bible

Singing only hymns in service

The structure of a church service (2 songs, a offering, a message, and an invitation)

Who came up with these rules?

Because you will not find in Scripture that playing cards is wrong

you will not find in Scripture that churches must have business meetings

You will not find in Scripture that the KJV of the Bible is the only inspired translation of the Greek and Hebrew text

Principle

Traditions must never rise above the Word of God.

They are things that man has created, not what God has set in order for us.

And we must understand there is a great difference between the two!

And when the two collide, God’s Word always wins!

It is God’s Word that has authority over man’s ideas ALL THE TIME!

APPLICATION

What does this have to do with blind guides?

I want you to notice what the Pharisees were doing here.

They were judging Jesus’ disciples according to their man made traditions.

They believed that if the disciples did not wash their hands, they were not right with God, when in reality washing one’s hands had nothing to do with a relationship with God.

This is what blind guides do, THEY TEACH THEIR OWN IDEAS AS GOD’S AUTHORITY!

They make judgements upon others based upon their own ideas!

They do not understand God, nor His ways, nor His Word!

There is no authority in the church apart from what God has said! it does not matter how long a church has done something, if it goes against Scripture it is wrong!

Deacon Example

Many churches today have a board of deacons.

These men often lead the church.

And most people think that is the way it is supposed to be.

But Scripture says a deacon is a servant.

Nothing more.

They hold the office of serving, not of leading.

The office of leading is reserved for an elder or pastor.

And the.

Amir difference is an elder must be able to teach, whereas a deacon does not have this requirement.

Those who place their own ideas over what God has said practice a false worship

Explanation

Isaiah prophesied about them

Jesus uses the prophet Isaiah to describe the heart of the Pharisees.

He is not saying that Isaiah spoke directly about them, but that the Pharisees weee just like the people that God spoke about.

Who was Isaiah’s audience?

They were Israelites who practiced all the religious observances but it was all artificial.

They kept the the festivals, they made sacrifices, and they brought offerings but their heart was not truly for God!

In Isaiah ch 1 God tells them He is sick of their sacrifices and festivals and their religious rituals have become a burden to Him.

These were like people today who you see that pretend to be your friend, they smile at you when they see you, but its All a show.

Deep down they really don’t like you and only put on a show because it would make them look bad if they didn’t.

They honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him

There are people just like that today with God.

They say all the right things and put on their ChristIan costume when they are around other believers or in the church.

But deep down in their hearts they really do not care anything about God.

These people do what they do just to make things look good on the outside, but on the inside it’s emptiness.

Their worship is in vain

In other words they are not true worshipers of God

What is a true worshiper of God?

Do you remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman?

The only way to truly worship God is in truth.

And the truth Jesus is referring to is the Word of God.

What is Jesus saying?

They’re lost!

They do not truly worship Jesus Christ!

They are as as lost as the Mormons’ who worship a false Jesus!

They are lost as the Jehovah’s false witnesses who do not worship Jesus!

If the Pharisees practiced religion from their own ideas, how could they be true worshipers?

They’re lost because worship that is not grounded in truth is not real worship!

And if they do not practice the truth, then they do not value truth!