Bibles might be slightly different in some of them. Some of them are a bit newer.
We're going to be starting from verse 37 and we'll read down to the start of chapter 12 verse 3.
Luke chapter 11 verse 37.
When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him.
So he went in and reclined at the table.
But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.
Then the Lord said to him,
Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
But give what is inside the dish to the poor and everything will be clean for you.
Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs,
but you neglect justice and the love of God.
You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.
One of the experts in the law answered him,
Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.
Jesus replied,
Woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry,
and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them.
So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did.
They kill the prophets, and you build their tombs.
Because of this, God in his wisdom said,
I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill, and others they will persecute.
Therefore, this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
Woe to you, experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge.
You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.
When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely,
and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say.
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered so that they were trampling on one another,
Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying,
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight,
and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
Thanks, Connor.
Well, let's keep our Bibles open, and let's pray and ask for God's help.
Father, would you give to us an undivided heart,
a broken and contrite heart,
so that we might not only hear your word,
but see it applied to our lives,
so that it will change us, and we will become sincere followers of you.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
You've just got your cup of coffee from the hatch,
and you see a visitor come through the doors.
So you make your way over to say hello.
And just as you're about to welcome them,
someone else comes up to the visitor and says,
Watch out!
And then pointing their finger at you,
says,
They're a hypocrite.
And then walks off,
leaving you standing a little red-faced.
Offended?
I think I would be.
Well, it seems Jesus is in an offending mood.
Look at chapter 12, verse 1.
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered,
so that they were trampling on one another.
Everyone is there.
They've been following.
And they want to see what Jesus is going to do next.
Well, they're in for a shock.
Jesus began to speak first to his disciples,
saying,
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy.
See that lot over there?
Hypocrites.
Don't be fooled by their big Bibles
and their well-crafted prayers.
They're a fake.
Hypocrite comes from the word actor.
So in the open-air theatres of long ago,
people would just simply put on the mask.
They didn't have all the technology,
so it's just a simple mask they would put on.
And play the role of someone else.
It's an act.
They are impersonating someone who they are not.
So when Jesus is warning his disciples about the Pharisees,
he's saying,
Watch out for those impersonators.
They're fake.
It's all show.
It's an act.
They're hypocrites.
Watch out for that bunch of people
who meet down in Carragoline Community Centre,
singing their songs.
It's very offensive to call someone a hypocrite.
Unless, of course, it's true.
Look, Jesus is saying here,
If you're going to be my disciple,
if you're going to follow me,
there is no room for play acting.
There's no point in turning up on a Sunday morning
and putting on a good show.
Turning up with our masks,
creating an image,
and looking like a Christian.
Well, in case we think following Jesus
is all about outward performance,
Jesus has some very strong words for us.
First he says,
Clean up your act.
This hypocrisy talk
all started when Jesus was invited
by a Pharisee to have dinner.
Look at verse 38.
But the Pharisee,
noticing that Jesus did not first wash
before the meal,
was surprised.
Now, it's not like Jesus
has just been to the loo
and he's forgot to wash his hands
and it's all got a little bit embarrassing.
Now, we're talking here about ritual
or ceremonial washing.
It wasn't to get rid of dirt and bugs.
It was this outward show
to say that you were clean,
that you were acceptable to God.
And the Pharisees were experts
in keeping clean.
Even their name was a giveaway.
Pharisee simply means separate one
or holy one.
And they were so meticulous
that they made up lots of extra rules
and traditions about washing.
Everything had to be washed
in a certain way
and so many times.
You even had special places
where you had to do the washing,
separate from everything else.
But most importantly,
you had to wash
when you came into contact
with unclean people.
You can get the picture,
can't you,
about the Pharisees.
It was all about
keeping up appearances.
Making sure that everyone knew
you were separate
and you were holy.
Outward performance
was everything.
Because as long as we are
outwardly clean,
God will accept you
and welcome you.
Now we might not have had
a little bowl at the door there
for you to do
a little ritual washing
as you came in.
But don't we all have
our little clean rules
that we like to participate in
so that we look good
on the outside?
We don't drink or smoke
and avoid the places that do.
We want to be clean.
We hang out with
the good living people
and stay clear of those
who are morally dubious
and those who identify as gay.
We shake our head
in disgust at those sinful people
and boast about
how I'm not like that
and I wouldn't do that.
You get the picture,
don't you?
It can be all about
keeping up appearances.
Making sure that everyone
knows that we're separate
and holy
and, well,
outward performance
is everything.
As long as I am
outwardly clean,
God will accept me
and welcome me.
Well, in case we think
it is all about
outward performance,
Jesus has some strong words.
He is saying to us
we need to clean up
our act.
It is not about
being outwardly clean
but inwardly clean.
You see,
for the Pharisees,
outward was everything.
And now,
Jesus arrives for dinner
at the Pharisees' house.
And where has Jesus been
all this time?
Well, he has been hanging out
with those tax collectors
and those sinners.
He has been hanging around
with unclean people
in unclean places.
And he sits down
for the meal
and he doesn't even wash.
Verse 39,
Then the Lord said to him,
Now then,
you Pharisees,
clean the outside
of the cup and dish,
but inside
you are full of greed
and wickedness.
Outwardly,
you look the real deal.
You look like a Christian.
Outwardly,
you're setting the standard
for every single person.
But inside,
you're rotten to the core.
You need to get
your hearts cleaned.
And we can be so busy
trying to give the impression
we're clean.
We come through the doors
on a Sunday morning
and we want people
to think well of us.
We want God
to think well of us.
We sing the song so well
and nods
at the right times
and we can even
take the Lord's Supper.
But inside,
inside we're unclean.
Private sin festers away,
eating us up.
And it's all covered over
by our public performance.
Our Christian masks
creating a good impression.
But outward performance
will never make
the inside clean.
Look at verse 40.
You foolish people!
Did not the one
who made the outside
make the inside only?
In other words,
there's only one
who is going to
clean the inside
and that's the one
who made you.
But give what is inside
the dish to the poor
and everything
will be clean for you.
That last verse there,
it's a little bit
difficult to grasp
but essentially
Jesus is saying,
look,
you need to clean
the inside.
You need to start
dealing with the heart
and once you deal
with the heart,
then the outside,
then you will be clean.
Stop focusing
on the externals
and deal with the internals.
Instead of putting
on this drama
and act
and covering up
with our masks,
he's essentially
saying to us,
you need to run,
you need to come to me.
You see,
here's these Pharisees
sitting down
for their dinner
and they're wanting
Jesus to wash.
But what they can't see
and what they can't grasp
is that Jesus
has come to wash us.
Jesus has come
to take our uncleanness
and in its place
cover us
with his cleanness.
Maybe you can remember
some of the interactions
Jesus had
with different people.
Go back to Luke
chapter 5.
Luke chapter 5
and verse 12.
Here Jesus is meeting
with somebody
who's considered
unclean,
unacceptable
because he has
a skin disease.
Luke chapter 5
verse 12.
When Jesus was
in one of the towns,
a man came along
who was covered
with leprosy.
He's unclean.
When he saw Jesus,
he fell with his face
to the ground
and begged him,
Lord,
if you are willing,
you can make me
clean.
And Jesus reached
out his hand,
touched the man.
I am willing,
he said.
Be clean.
And immediately
the leprosy
left him.
You see,
what Jesus
was doing
physically
for people,
cleaning them
on the outside,
Jesus is saying,
look,
this is a picture.
This is what I am
coming to do
for you on the inside.
Like that man
with leprosy,
we are to run
to Jesus,
to fall down
before him,
to reach out
in faith,
as it were,
and ask him,
will you touch
my life?
Will you
clean me?
And that's
what Jesus does.
As he goes
to the cross,
he takes
our sin,
my sin,
he takes
that upon himself
and in its place
he gives us
his righteousness.
He takes
our sinful
hearts
and he gives
us a new
heart.
He fills
us with
his Holy
Spirit,
so not only
are we accepted
and welcomed,
but now our
hearts have been
changed so we
can go the
way that Jesus
calls us to.
You see,
Jesus has
not come for
those who think
they are outwardly
clean.
Jesus has
come for those
who know
they are
inwardly
unclean.
So first,
Jesus says,
clean up
your act.
Second,
he says,
check out
your heart.
Check out
your heart.
You see,
it's easy,
isn't it,
to sit back
and read
this story
and wag
the finger
at these
Pharisees
and wag
the finger
at all those
we think
are hypocrites.
But we're
to start
examining
our own
hearts.
As Jesus
confronts and
condemns the
Pharisees,
starting at
verse 42
with these,
woe,
woe to
you.
It's a
pronouncement
of judgment
and condemnation
for the
way they're
living.
And as we
follow through,
it's,
well,
we're to
examine our
own hearts
because we're
to get rid
of all
outward
pretense.
Six things
we are to
look out
for in
our own
hearts.
First,
false giving.
Look at
verse 42.
Woe to you,
Pharisees,
because you
give God
a tenth
of your
mint,
rue,
and all
other kinds
of garden
herbs,
but you
neglect justice
and the
love of
God.
These guys
were so
meticulous
that they
gave a
tenth of
everything
that they
owned or
had.
A tenth of
everything.
Outwardly,
so generous.
Even their
little herb
gardens that
they had.
A tenth
went to
God.
So you
can imagine
them,
there they
are,
going out
to the
garden,
to their
little
mint tree,
counting off
the leaves.
There's ten
on it.
Pull one
of those
leaves off
and gives
it to
their neighbour.
You know,
this is
giving a
tenth,
but not
one leaf
more.
Nine
for me.
We too
can be so
careful in
our giving,
calculating
how much
we're going
to give a
tenth,
but not a
euro more.
Neglecting
justice and
love for
God.
Oh,
outwardly,
it all looks
good as the
bags pass
by and we
drop in
what we
drop in.
outwardly
generous,
but inwardly
tight.
Second,
approval
seeking,
verse 43.
Woe to
you,
Pharisees,
because you
love the
most important
seats in
the synagogues
and greetings
in the
marketplaces.
They loved
it.
They loved
going down
into the
town.
The praise
of others,
oh,
good morning,
holy one.
Oh,
aren't they
great.
And don't
you like a
little bit of
recognition?
I certainly
do.
Oh,
you're so
good the
way you
care for
people.
Isn't
he a
wonderful
pastor?
Oh,
what a
great
teacher he
is.
I love
those
recognitions.
But
sometimes
what people
think of
us matters
more than
what God
thinks of
us.
Craving
human
approval,
desperate
for
status.
We do
our
service,
but actually
seeking out
the praise
of others.
Look at
verse 44.
Fake
spirituality.
Woe to
you,
because you
are like
unmarked
graves,
which men
walk over
without
knowing
it.
Now,
we could
walk over
an unmarked
grave and
it's,
well,
nothing happens,
does it
really?
But for
these guys,
if you
came into
contact with
the dead,
even by
walking on
a grave,
you became
unclean,
unacceptable.
So Pharisees
avoided the
dead.
It was a
mark of
their,
well,
their
spirituality.
But Jesus
is saying
to them,
actually,
you're like
the living
dead.
People who
come into
contact with
you die.
They become
unclean.
That's what
you're really
like.
And so we
can impress
people with
our spirituality.
We stay
away from
those
unclean
people and
those unclean
places.
Instead,
we go to
church with
those good
people and
nice people.
But we
all leave
unchanged.
Nothing
different
happens.
Spiritually
dead.
Remember
here,
we're to be
examining our
hearts.
Verse
45,
one of the
experts of
the law
answered him,
Teacher,
when you
say these
things,
you insult
us also.
Maybe
Jesus now
is going
to tone
it down
a little
and not
be so
offensive
anymore.
Not at
all.
Verse
46,
Jesus
replied,
and you
experts in
the law,
woe to
you,
because you
load people
down with
burdens they
can hardly
carry,
and you
yourselves
will not
lift one
little finger
to help
them.
Look,
you've
just got to
stop sinning.
you've
got to
be a
better
person.
You should
obey more
and start
reading your
Bible more
and stop
behaving like
that,
and why
don't you
pray a
little and
do this
and don't
do that,
and why
don't you
just become
like me?
so easy
to say,
isn't it?
Rather than
actually getting
alongside people
and spending
time with
them and
showing them
God's grace
and showing
them how
change is
actually possible.
It's easy
to point the
finger and
condemn and
judge,
burdening
people with
all these
rules,
offering no
grace and
no help.
what about
in sincere
worship?
Look at
verse 47.
Woe to
you because
you build
tombs for
the prophets
and it
was your
forefathers
who killed
them.
So you
testify that
you approve
of what your
forefathers
did.
They killed
the prophets
and you
build their
tombs.
Again,
they love
to talk
the talk.
Oh,
those prophets.
Great people.
And build
these great
kind of
memorials to
these prophets
of the past
who were so
great and
mighty.
Remember
Jeremiah?
What a
great teacher
he was.
And Hosea?
Boy,
he knew how
to preach
a sermon.
men.
But they
never ever
listened to
the prophets
message.
In fact,
they hated
the message
so much
their
forefathers
killed
them.
But let's
not miss
out on what
Jesus is
actually saying
because,
well,
they want
to get rid
of Jesus
too because
he is the
ultimate
prophet.
And they
don't like
what he's
saying.
So,
verse 53,
when Jesus
left there,
the Pharisees
and the
teachers of
the law
began to
oppose him
fiercely
and to
besiege him
with many
questions,
waiting to
catch him
in something
he might
say.
Now,
we can
bring our
Bibles to
church.
Good at
listening to
sermons,
taking down
our notes,
talking about
our favorite
preacher,
John Piper,
always great,
isn't he?
Tim Keller,
fantastic.
We can even
attend Munster
Bible College
and earn
ourselves a
certificate.
We worship
the Bible
and all
those who
teach it.
But yet it
is actually
possible never
to apply
God's Word
to our
hearts.
And never
to submit
to what
God's Word
is actually
saying to
us.
It's hard
to look
into our
hearts,
isn't it?
What about
this in
verse 52?
Woe to
you experts
in the
law,
because you
have taken
away the
key to
knowledge.
You
yourselves
have not
entered,
and you
have hindered
those who
are entering.
people
are
or they
claim to
be experts.
They say
they are the
real deal.
They even
look the
real deal,
spouting off
their knowledge,
telling everybody
how they should
live and what
they should
do.
But in
reality,
Jesus says,
you are
ignorant
obstacles.
You
hinder people
coming to
God.
You
see,
it is so
possible to
think that
our outward
performance,
that all
our show
and how
we behave
is that
it kind
of can
attract
people to
God and
bring people
closer to
him.
Well,
the reality
is with
all the
show,
it's just
obstacles.
Rather than
giving people
the key to
salvation,
it's as if
we locked
the door
and threw
the key
away.
It's easy
to point
fingers,
isn't it?
Because that's
what hypocrites
do.
Point their
fingers at
other people
and go,
I'm not
like them.
Setting our
own standards
that everybody
else must
meet.
Our own
little rules
rules that
everyone
must follow.
But Jesus
is saying,
look, if you
are going to
be my
disciple,
if you
are going
to follow
me,
then we
must first
learn to
examine our
own hearts.
What are
our hearts
like this
morning?
So first,
Jesus says,
clean up your
act.
check out
your heart.
And then
third,
guard against
the yeast.
Look again
at the middle
of chapter
12,
verse 1.
As Jesus
is speaking
to his
disciples,
he says,
be on
your guard
against the
yeast of
the Pharisees,
which is
hypocrisy.
Be on your
guard.
We need
to be on
our guard.
We need
to be
paying
attention
for two
reasons.
First,
because
hypocrisy
spreads.
Do you
see the
connections
that he's
making in
verse 1?
He says,
be on your
guard against
the yeast
of the
Pharisees,
which is
hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy
is just like
yeast.
You only
need to put
a small
amount of
yeast into
a big
lump of
dough,
and it
begins to
spread.
Not one
part of
the dough
is left
unaffected.
It all
rises.
Now,
he says,
that's the
danger of
hypocrites.
Their
attitude
can spread.
It can
infiltrate
like a
deadly
poison.
And here's
how it can
spread.
And I
just have
to get
the book
because I
forgot to
get it
out.
Hang on.
Here's
how it
can
spread.
This
comes from
Mike
McKinley
in his
little
book.
He
says,
hypocrisy
remains a
spiritual
threat.
Whenever
Christians are
tempted to
pretend to
be more
holy than
they are,
whenever we
are unwilling
to confess
sin and
ask for
help,
whenever we
establish our
own man-made
rules as the
standard for
everyone's
holiness,
whenever we
are comfortable
with private
sins, so
long as they
do not come
to light,
in those
situations,
the yeast
of the
Pharisees is
present.
you see,
we are all
performers at
heart,
and the
danger is we
can all begin
to follow
each other,
to try and
follow one
another's
standards.
Watch out
for the
yeast of
hypocrisy.
Second,
we need to
be on our
guard because
our hearts
will be
exposed.
You see,
the thing about
hypocrisy is
we think we
can get away
with it,
because it's
all an act,
it's all a
show,
and because it's
an act,
well,
we fool
people,
and people
know,
nobody really
knows what's
actually going
on inside our
hearts.
We can hide
it and cover
it all up,
but look at
verse 2.
There is
nothing
concealed
that will
not be
disclosed
or hidden
that will
not be
made known.
Or we can
point the
fingers and
complain about
what everybody
else does,
but what's
done in the
secret,
that's
going to
be made
known to.
Verse 3,
what we have
said in the
dark will
be heard in
the daylight,
and what we
have whispered
in the ear
in the inner
room will
be proclaimed
from the
roofs.
We may
play a good
game,
but God
sees my
heart,
and he
sees your
heart.
Nothing is
hidden from
him.
And one
day the
masks are
going to
be lifted,
the drama
will all
stop,
and we
will be
shown for
who we
really are.
You see,
the Pharisees
thought that
Jesus needed
a wash,
and we
probably think
at times that
it's everybody
else who
needs to be
cleaned up,
clean.
But Jesus
has come to
wash me,
and he's
come to
clean you.
He's not
come for
those who
think they
are outwardly
clean.
He comes
for those
who know
they are
inwardly
unclean.
He says,
come to
me.
You can
take off
your masks.
you don't
need to
hide from
me,
because I
have dealt
with your
sin at
the cross.
I have
taken it
all away,
and have
covered you
with my
purity,
with my
beauty,
with my
goodness.
you don't
need to
hide.
You can
run to
me.
We're
going to
sing in
a minute
an old
song.
Let me
just quote
to you
one verse
from it.
As we
reflect on
what we
have heard,
it says,
nothing in
my hand
I bring,
simply to
the cross
I cling.
Naked
come to
thee for
dress,
helpless
look to
thee for
grace.
Foul I
to the
fountain
fly,
wash me
saviour,
or I
die.
That is
the invitation
for us
all to
run to
our
saviour
with an
undivided
heart,
to come
with a
broken
spirit,
to come
with a
broken
and
contrite
heart,
and let
him deal
with us.
Let's
stand
together
as we
sing this
song,
and may
it be a
prayer in
response
that God
would change
us and
clean us.
from the
through