Sermon Notes – 02/07 – Commentators & Participators

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34-40

INTRO: It’s Super Bowl Sunday and boy do we have a lineup for you tonight at the big game!  Just in case you’re unfamiliar, I want to share with you who you can expect to be the most thrilled and excited about during the Superbowl CBS Gameplay!

      • Jim Nantz – In high school he was co-captain of the basketball team and golf team, going on to play golf for the University of Houston!  One of his famous commentator quotes is “Sometimes when you think you can’t, you can!” in the 1999 basketball championship game.  What’s better is his last name rhymes with pants!
      • Tracy Wolfson – Close to the action, she’ll be a sideline reporter. Her accolades include the extreme accomplishments of being selected to do sideline reports in the NCAA College hoops 2008 edition on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles!
      • Evan Washburn – His noteworthy accomplishments are, he got married in 2014, and he played college Lacrosse!  At least there’s a goal in that game right?  It’s kindof like football!
      • Tony Romo – 14 seasons with the Dallas cowboys as quarterback where he played six post season games and won two of them! Needless to say, he’s never been in a SuperBowl position, but he sure would have liked to! 
      • Jay Feely – He played the game, was a least a PlaceKicker!  He sets the ball on a tee and gives it the boot!  He’s been traded to the Tampa Bay Storm, Falcons, Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs, Jets, Cardinals, and Da’ Bears.  Did you know he even did so well as to become a Pro Bowl alternate with the Giants in 2005! 
      • Gene Steratore – His occupation is as a rules analyst!  He came on the field as a referee in 2006, and 12 years later entered into retirement.  Now he’s come out of that retirement as a commentator just for you!
      • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_LV

WELCOME: To Central Church of Christ, not a place or a building, but a people called out for God’s purposes of Show His Love, Telling His Story, and Being His Family.  Today, we are in our fourth message about Meat & Tators. It all began when my son Ethan, decided not to his his french fries one day, but asked for a second hamburger instead.  Which got me to thinking, some of us lead a Christian life like the tators on the side, a life of fluffy filler, but no real substance. Too much of the fluffy stuff on the side makes the Christian life and the church bloated, gaining a lot of size, but no strength or health.  Don’t be like the tators on the side.

Love God and love your neighbor! (Matthew 22:37-38)

BACKGROUND on PHARISEES: After giving the greatest commands, Jesus talks to the Scribes and Pharisees, people who were more Commentators on the life of religion rather than participators in a life of faith!

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. – Matthew 23:2-3

There were about 6,000 Pharisees in that day, with many more who were followers but not full members of the group.  (Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews 17:42)

      • THE FIRST WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.’ Matthew 23:13

      • THE SECOND WOE

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.’ Matthew 23:14

      • THE THIRD WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. ‘Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.’ Matthew 23:15-22

5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. – Romans 8:5-8

 

Mark 7:8-9

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

      • THE FOURTH WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.’ Mathew 23:23-24

Micah 6:6-8

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,

    and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

    with calves a year old?

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

    and to walk humbly with your God?

      • THE FIFTH WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.’ Matthew 23:25-26

 

Clarksville TN – A one-of-a-kind sermon – Cleanliness Layer of Comfort

Throughout the week, Willie Lyle kept a small journal of what he was experiencing. These notes become the foundation for the sermon he delivered June 23 at Sango United Methodist Church, a sermon that caught the congregation off guard.

Only four people at the church knew what their new pastor was doing.

Early in the morning June 23, Willie Lyle lay under a tree on the church lawn covered in a big overcoat. He still had not shaved or combed his hair.

He wondered how many people would approach him and offer him food, invite him to sit inside an air-conditioned room, or just see how they could help. Twenty people spoke to him and offered some type of assistance.

The title of his sermon was The Least Used Parts of the Body, based on I Corinthians 12:12-15.

“Often the least used parts of the body are the ones that mean the most, like our heart and mind. We need to understand that there are no small or least used parts in the body of Christ,” Willie Lyle told the congregation that was started about 10 miles outside of downtown more than a century ago. “Too many of us only want to serve God one hour each week. That doesn’t cut it. That is not God’s plan.”

While he preached, his daughter-in-law cut his hair and his daughter helped shave off his scruffy beard. He changed shoes, and beneath the overcoat, he was wearing his Sunday clothes. He put on a tie and his suit coat, all the while continuing to preach his message.

Before the 200 people gathered that morning, he went from looking like a homeless person to the new pastor of the congregation.

“I wanted everybody to know what I had been through, what I had learned and the physical and emotional discomfort I experienced and that I am still dealing with. And I made sure to mention more than once that Christ was not comfortable on the cross.”

From <https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/24/pastor-homeless-experience/2583241/>

      • THE SIXTH WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but, on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.’ Matthew 23:27-28

DAVID’s HEART

1 Samuel 16:5-7 – 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 

      • THE SEVENTH WOE

‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.’ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So, you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!’ Matthew 23:29-32

These guys had been living life as a Tator, a Commentator for so long, they had no hope of ever getting in the game!

‘You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore, I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.’ Matthew 23:33-34

‘Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.’ Matthew 23:36

 

C.S. Lewis – “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

 

Lion Witch & Wardrobe

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” – C.S. Lewis

 

Don’t be a TATOR!

Love God – Believe, Repent, Confess, Be Baptized

Love People – Live a Life of faith that blesses others!

It’s not always comfortable, but it is good!

 

 


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