SERMON: HOW TO BE A BAD CHRISTIAN, PART 2

HOW TO BE A BAD CHRISTIAN: SERVE TO BE SEEN
6 May 2007

I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Matthew 23

1. Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2. "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5. "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6. they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7. they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them `Rabbi.'
8. "But you are not to be called `Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
9. And do not call anyone on earth `father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10. Nor are you to be called `teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
11. The greatest among you will be your servant.
12. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

-- I'd like to share with you a true story that was written by Wesley Willis
-- several years ago, there were these two brothers who grew up with a father that taught them the meaning of hard work. -- He owned his own business, and as far back as they could remember, Johnny and Jim worked with him. -- They knew what it felt like to be too tired to sleep at the end of the day -- but they also learned to value the perks that come to the ones in charge
-- Both of the brothers had short fuses and violent tempers -- They were known as the “terrors of the neighborhood.” -- But they were very good workers -- and their father came to rely upon his sons to maintain and develop the family business
-- Then one day, just as Johnny and Jim were finishing up a major project with their father, they abandoned him -- they walked away from their father's business without a word and without looking back
-- you see, a new young leader who was building a new organization had just arrived in town -- He had heard of Johnny and Jim and he came to where they were and he handpicked them to join his elite group -- Johnny and Jim saw their chance to hit it big -- Abruptly they turned their back on their commitment, their plans, and their father’s dreams to jump at what they thought was the chance of a lifetime.
-- Almost immediately, Johnny and Jim ran into problems -- They viewed life differently from their boss -- He was patient and methodical -- they were anxious and impetuous -- He believed in serving people -- they wanted to use people.
-- Worse, the two brothers had failed to recognize the implications of being little fish in a big pond -- you see, in the family business, they were the only ones next to the man in charge -- they were the leaders -- and they had all the rights and privileges that goes with being in charge
-- but here, they were simply two members of a large executive team that had no pecking order -- all were equal in the sight of their young leader -- and Johnny and Jim were worried because others on the team were smarter and more aggressive than they were -- they were afraid that others would be promoted ahead of them
-- so, Johnny and Jim conspired to get an edge on the others -- when they were alone with the boss, the brothers suggested that when he was ready to go public with his formal organization -- that they should be His top men -- in charge of all the others -- and, just in case their suggestions weren’t enough, they arranged for a close relative to plead their case.
-- But their plot could not be concealed for long, and when the news leaked out to the rest of the team, the brothers were ostracized -- Their peers and team-members -- their friends -- plotted countermoves to protect their own rights -- everyone wanted to be in charge of the others
-- Naturally the boss caught rumors of unrest and insurrection and called an executive committee meeting -- Sorrowfully he informed his team that they had totally missed the purpose of his training sessions -- He explained that his organization was built on giving, not getting—on service rather than privilege -- It was a hard lesson for Johnny and Jim and the others to learn because it ran so counter to the prevailing culture -- it went against everything they had been taught in life and in business1

II. How to be a bad Christian: Part 2
-- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on "How To Be a Bad Christian" -- this series is built around the passage of Matthew 23, where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their actions and warns His disciples not to follow their ways
-- in verse 3, Jesus tells His disciples that they are to follow the teachings of the Pharisees from the Holy Scriptures -- but they are not to follow the additional teachings or to imitate the actions of the Pharisees
-- Last time, we looked at the first example of how to be a bad Christian -- which was to make Christianity a burden on others -- and we talked about how the Pharisees had added to God's original law by imposing a burden of over 1,500 additional rules and rituals and regulations on the people -- burdens that they could never follow and that were keeping them from fully entering into a relationship with God
-- and then we talked about how we do the same thing in our churches today -- by having unwritten rules for people to follow that makes Christianity a burden on them -- rules such as requiring people to come to all church events and making them feel bad if they don't show up -- rules such as making people read their Bible or pray or participate in worship as a duty and not because of a desire to grow closer to Jesus

-- this morning, we are going to be looking at the second way to be a bad Christian -- which is to "serve in order to be seen"
-- as the story of Johnny and Jim shows -- perhaps you know them better as the Apostles James and John -- we are all born with this innate desire for affirmation -- it was placed there by God, and in a perfect world, we are to seek our affirmation -- our self-worth -- from Him
-- but, because of our fallen human natures, we tend to find our self-worth, not in the eyes of God -- but in the eyes of man -- and, as a result, we either tend to think of ourselves more highly or more lowly than we ought -- and we want to be recognized for what we are doing and to be praised by others because of our actions
-- time and time again, we see Jesus rebuking His disciples for this tendency in their lives -- for their pride and for their desire to be placed higher in the kingdom -- as my opening illustration reminded us, James and John had their mother go to Jesus and ask that they be given the positions on His right and left hand -- and Peter was always getting in trouble for trying to place himself higher than the other disciples -- and Jesus had to rebuke them for their actions
-- but this was what they knew -- this was what the world taught them -- and this was what they saw lived out in the lives of the Pharisees -- so in this passage, Jesus specifically draws their attention to the ways of the Pharisees and tells them that they should not do as the Pharisees do -- but that they should live differently

III. Serving to Be Seen
-- if you would, look back now at verse 5, and let's see what Jesus had to say about this subject --

5. "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6. they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7. they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them `Rabbi.'

-- "everything they do is done done for men to see" -- lest we forget, the Pharisees were men of God -- the teachers of the law and the leaders of the synagogue -- but Jesus tells us that their service was not for God, but for themselves
-- everything they did was to win the praise of men and not of God -- Jesus tells us that the Pharisees would make their phylacteries wide so that everyone could see them -- phylacteries were small boxes that held scriptures -- they would be fixed to a ribbon and tied around the hands or foreheads of the men as reminders of God's law
-- in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, God told the Israelites that His commandments were to be on their hearts -- that they were to teach them to their children -- to write them on the doorframes of their houses and gates -- and to tie them as symbols on their hands and their foreheads
-- so the Pharisees took these symbols of God's law and made them very large and very wide so that everyone they passed would see them and recognize what good works these men were doing
-- likewise, Jesus said that they made the tassels on their garments long -- all Jewish men wore prayer shawls that had tassels that hung from them -- Jesus wore one Himself -- that is what the woman who had an issue of blood reached for in the crowd for healing
-- but the Pharisees made special prayer shawls -- they would make their tassels long and obvious so they would call attention to themselves and let the whole world know just how holy they were
-- we do the same today -- why do you people carry those big Bibles with them when they go out in public? -- so that people will see them and recognize how holy they must be -- why do some people make a production about praying in a restaurant? -- so people will see them and see how holy they are
-- just last week in Albany, a teenager stood up in a local restaurant and called for the attention of everyone in the place -- and then he asked all of them to join him in prayer -- why did he do that? -- because he felt led to pray? -- no, because he wanted them to see how holy he was
-- Jesus says these Pharisees always looked for honor and glory for themselves -- they took the best seats in the synagogue -- those up near the front where the symbolic ark was at and the scrolls of scriptures stored -- they loved to be greeted in the marketplace and hailed as "Rabbi" and for the attention to be on them
-- so Jesus says to His disciples and to us, "Don't be like them" -- this was not the first time His disciples had heard these instructions -- hold your place here and flip over to Matthew 6:1

1. "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
3. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4. so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

-- it all comes down to this question -- where do you find your worth and identity? -- do you find it in the praise and recognition of men, as the Pharisees did? -- Jesus says that that is the wrong place
-- as Christians our trust and our identity is in Christ -- as we place our trust in Him, God identifies us through Christ -- His righteousness becomes our righteousness -- and He is the source of our true identity and our true self-worth
-- the Pharisees were seeking their self-worth through their works and service -- in essence, they were seeking affirmation of who they were -- but instead of seeking it from God, they were seeking it from the recognition of others

-- look back at Matthew 23:8

8. "But you are not to be called `Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
9. And do not call anyone on earth `father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10. Nor are you to be called `teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.

-- even though we're not supposed to -- even though we all know that in God's eyes a sin is a sin is a sin -- we have this scale of sins that we recognize -- killing someone is obviously a lot worse than telling a white lie to us -- even though God says otherwise
-- in the same way, we have a scale of works and of positions in the church -- we regard and recognize people based on what their position is and what they are doing in the church
-- the Pharisees loved to be recognized in the marketplace and around town and called "Rabbi" and "Teacher" and "Father" -- they loved for people to give them honor and glory and praise because of what they were doing and for the positions they held in the church
-- but Jesus told His disciples and us, "Don't do it -- Don't command recognition and praise in this way" -- He was pointing out that there's nothing wrong with titles in the church when they are used as terms of respect or to indicate certain duties or responsibilities -- but He was condemning the attitude that sought out such recognition because they were seeking their affirmation from men rather than from God
-- as I was working on this I was reminded of Mark Twain -- Twain used to tour the country speaking to various groups -- and he once said that he preferred to introduce himself, so as to make sure he got in all the facts
-- that's exactly what the Pharisees were doing -- they wanted to make sure that everyone got in all the facts and knew that they were the most important people in the temple or the synagogue -- Jesus was warning against this prideful seeking of public praise as shown by the Pharisees' desire for places of prominence, for titles signifying superiority, and for their superior "holier-than-thou" attitudes

-- instead, Jesus said, you should follow my example -- you should seek to be a servant and to serve -- that was the role that Jesus took upon Himself when He came to earth -- He chose to be a servant first and foremost
-- just think about the Last Supper -- when none of His disciples offered to wash the feet of the others because that was the job of a slave or lowly servant -- Jesus got a towel and a basin and He washed their feet -- the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords -- the Creator of the Universe -- took on the role of a slave and served His disciples
-- and He says that is the way we are to approach life -- look at verse 11

11. The greatest among you will be your servant.
12. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

-- "If you want to be great in My kingdom, you must be a servant to others -- If you want to be recognized by the King, you must be humble and seek your approval from Him and not the world"
-- it all comes down to motive -- why are you doing the things that you are doing? -- is it for God or for men? -- whose eye are you trying to catch? -- whose recognition are you seeking?
-- one commentator summed it up this way -- "The Pharisees paraded their piety in public to win public praise"
-- Jesus paraded His piety in private to win the praise of His Father -- and He calls for us to do the same -- Don Simpson says that the best therapy for our self-image is to abandon self by genuinely loving other people, meeting their needs, encouraging them, and praying God's best for them -- to serve them wholeheartedly and to consider others better than yourselves2
-- that is the way of the servant -- that is the way of the cross -- that is the way of Christ

IV. CLOSING
-- last weekend, the NFL held their pro football draft -- the third person selected in this year's draft was Joe Thomas from the University of Wisconsin -- this will probably be the last time you will ever hear his name, because Joe Thomas isn't a quarterback -- he isn't a running back or a wide receiver -- he's not a starting linebacker or a strong safety -- he's an offensive tackle
-- and this year, when the quarterback for the Lions rolls back to his left and sends a perfect strike to the end zone, finding his receiver in the closing moments to win the game, Joe Thomas' name won't be mentioned
-- and when the running back sees a hole in the opponent's defensive line and bursts through to the endzone -- Joe Thomas' name won't be mentioned -- but, that's not why he plays -- men like Joe Thomas don't play to receive the acclaim of the crowd or the recognition of the media -- they play to bring glory to the team -- to do all they can and to serve others so that the team can succeed
-- I doubt that anyone in here has ever heard the names Ryan Diem, Jeff Saturday, Jake Scott, Ryan Lilja, or Tarik Glenn -- but it was their service on the offensive line that led the Indianapolis Colts to the victory in the Superbowl this year
-- and it may be that no one here on earth will ever know your name -- it may be that no one on earth will ever know the name of this church -- it may be that the world will never recognize what we are doing here -- but that's o.k.
-- because there is One who sees -- there is One who knows -- and He tells us that it is more important to serve Him -- to find our self-worth and our affirmation through Him -- than to receive all the glory and admiration of the world
-- let us never forget that we are not called for glory but to glory

-- there is a song by Ray Bolz that I think captures the message of Jesus in this passage -- Troy Lehman sang it at the National Day of Prayer service in Statenville last Thursday -- and I'm going to pray and then we'll close by listening to this song
-- as this song is playing, the altar is open for any who wish to respond to God's word
-- let us pray

References:
1Wesley Willis, "Full Service Christians in a Self-Serve World," Discipleship Journal, Volume 53, Sept/Oct, 1989.
2Don Simpson, "From Self to Servanthood", Discipleship Journal, Volume 1, Jan/Feb 1981