Sermons

How to Avoid Becoming a Hypocritical Christian Week 69 – Matthew 23 – 6/15/25

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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about how Jesus handled a difficult question from the religious leaders. 

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “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. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi[b] by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.[c] 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.[d] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell[e] as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[f] whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

In this part of God’s Word, we see Jesus having a teaching moment with His followers, regarding the religious leaders. By taking a look at what Jesus taught them, we can learn how to avoid the same mistakes that they made. 

Giving God your heart, as a result of your personal relationship with Him:

  1. Check your motives

Matt. 23:5a, Heb. 4:12, Prov. 16:2, Jer. 17:9, 1 Sam. 16:7, James 4:3, 1 Thess. 2:4

  1. Don’t miss the spirit of the law

Matt. 23:5b, 16-24, 5:21-28, Deut. 11:`8, Num. 15:15:38-40, Ex. 20:7

  1. Don’t steal God’s worship

Matt. 23:6-10, Ex. 20:3, Lev. 26:1, 1 Cor. 10:14, 1 John 5:21, Col. 3:5

  1. Humble yourself

Matt. 23:11-12, Prov. 11:12, 22:4, James 4:10, Col. 3:12, Micah 6:8, Eph. 4:2

  1. Don’t forget about the mission

Matt. 23:13, 22:37-40, 28:19-20, 5:15-16, Acts 1:8, Rom. 10:10-17

  1. Be a person of integrity

Matt. 23:14a, Ps. 15:2, 84:11, Prov. 28:18, 2 Tim. 3, 1 Tim. 3:7, Eph. 4:1

  1. Never ignore God’s Word

Matt. 23:29-39, James 1:22, John 17:17, 1 John 4:1, Rom. 1:18

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 23 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • What surprised you as we talked about it?
  • As you reflect on Jesus’ Words from this part of Scripture, in what area(s) do you need to work on being less hypocritical? 
  • How would giving God your whole heart, through having a personal relationship with Him help you to be less hypocritical? 

Diving In 

  1. What we are motivated by matters. What do you find yourself being motivated by that is not from the Lord? How can you make sure to only be motivated by God’s truth? 
  1. The religious leaders here in Matthew took seriously the letter of the law, but often completely missed the spirit of the law. Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord if there are any aspects of your life where you fall into this same trap. If there are, jot them down, and ask the Lord to help you in these matters. 
  1. We can often desire to be the center of attention, and by doing so, intentionally or unintentionally, have people’s worship centered on us instead of the Lord. How can you help to always point other’s (and your own) worship to God, instead of your own? 
  1. Read James 4:10. In what aspect(s) of your life do you need to work on being more humble? 
  1. Read Matthew 28:19-20. When we lose focus on the mission that God gave us in life, we can easily get distracted, and start focusing on things that will lead us astray. What things are you tempted to start focusing on, instead of focusing on the mission that God gave us? How can you keep your focus on God, and His will for your life? 
  1. Often, when we become hypocritical, we also lose integrity. Read Ps. 15:2, 84:11, Prov. 28:18, 2 Tim. 3, 1 Tim. 3:7, Eph. 4:1. What can you do to be a person of integrity? 
  1. The religious leaders that Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 23 blatantly ignored the message from the prophets that God had sent. What part(s) of God’s Word do you have a tendency to ignore, and how can you start taking that part of God’s Word more seriously and applying it to your life? 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?



Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?