Title: " The King's Itinerant Ministry Chronicled "
Text: Matthew Chapter 23
INTRO:
I. The King's Instructions to the Multitude Regarding the
Scribes & Pharisees
Matthew 23:1-12
A. An Authority to Acknowledge
Verses 1-2
B. A Message to Obey
Verse 3
C. An Example to be Ignored
Verse 3
D. A Behavior to Abhor
Verse 4
E. A Motive to be Shunned
Verses 5-7 - They Wanted to Look Good In the Sight of Men -
Rather than God.
1. ALL their WORKS were Motivated by that Desire.
Verse 5a
2. The WAY they DRESSED was Motivated by that Desire.
Verse 5b
3. The LOVE they Had for OCCUPYING a PLACE or POSITION
of HONOR was Motivated by that Desire.
Verse 6
4. Their LOVE for TITLES of HONOR was Motivated by that De-
sire.
Verse 7
F. A Better Way Shown
Verses 8-11
1. Avoid the Pursuit of Honor that Comes through Human Titles,
( Primarily Religious Titles of Honor ) lest we Somehow Take
Away From the Honor that God Alone Deserves.
Verses 8-10 c/f Psalm 111:9
2. Seek the Honor that Comes from Being a Servant to All.
Verse 11
G. A Warning Given
Verse 12
II. The King's Pronouncement of Woe & Judgement Upon
the Hypocritical Religious Leaders of His Day.
23:13-36 -- Woe & Judgement For :
A. Being Roadblocks Instead of Street Signs to Point Men to the
Kingdom of Heaven
Verse 13
B. Being Devourers of Widows' Houses
Verse 14a
C. Their Pretentiously Longwinded Prayers
Verse 14b
D. Being Ruinous Proselytizers of Men
Verse 15
E. Being Blind Guides with Regard to their Teaching on Swearing
& their Improper Values
Verses 16-22
F. Being Fastidiously Concerned with the Most Minute Details
of the Law but Completely Ignoring the Larger & " Weightier
Matters of the Law."
Verses 23-24
G. Being Concerned About the Outward Appearance of Right-
eousness but Completely Ignoring the Inner Issues of the Heart
Verses 25-28
H. Pretending to Be More Righteous than their Predecessors
who had Murdered the Messengers of God that Preached
the Truth while at the Same Time Harboring the Same Mur-
derous Heart
Verses 29-36
III. The King's Lamentation Over Jerusalem
23:37-39
A. He Laments Over their Response to His Messengers
Verse 37a
B. He Laments Over their Rejection of His Willingness to Be a
Covering to Protect them
Verse 37b
C. He Laments Over their Desolation for Rejecting Him
Verse 38
D. He Laments Over their Blindness that Will Continue Until His
Second Coming
Verse 39