Fault Finders – Religious Nitpickers (Part A)

Attitude is heightened popularity was this word that was getting around there were those up in Galilee that try to make him came that would make him them. Could you imagine how that went over in Jerusalem. Well, he was to have any success. They would have to hold the keys they would have to retain influence. Again, this is never stop.

What are your credentials this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 7, as he begins his message fault finders religious nitpicker's Gospel of Mark chapter 7 verses one through 23 little long but can't really split it all belongs together. Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands.

They found fault with the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders when they come from the marketplace.

They do not eat unless they wash and there are many other things which they have received and holds like washing of cups pictures copper vessels and couches, then the Pharisees and scribes asked him why do your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands and he answered and said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written. These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men washing the pictures and cups and many other such things you do and he said to them all to well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition for Moses said. Honor your father and your mother, and he who curses father or mother, let him be put to death, but you say, if a man says to his father or mother whatever profit you might have received from me is Corvette that is a gift to God. Then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down and many such things you do recall all the multitude to himself. He said to them, hear me everyone and understand there is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him, but the things which come out of him. Those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. When he had entered a house away from the crowd. The disciples asked him concerning the parable, so he said to them, are you thus without understanding also do not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods and he said what comes out of a man that defiles a man grow within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication's murder steps, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.

Well, I'm a little tired now fault finders religious nitpicker's that's what's given to us, among other things, in this section that I just read to you these Pharisees and the Sadducees were in cahoots with them and their other Jews also.

They felt that they could renovate God's word amongst God's people and got away with it and did a lot of damage.

Deuteronomy their own law explicitly said, you shall not add to the word which I command you nor take from it.

You may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you. This is what was behind the authority of Christ. When you saying you follow romance traditions, not God's word and you should know better.

It was going to take this mess from them. We applaud this was the dumb modification of God's people is never stop in some form in some way. Some some use emotion.

Some use intellectual or pseudo-intellectual or something to just take the word of God and make it more complex or difficult or what it is not meant to be this group that comes down from Jerusalem to him self and pressed my new ship, smallest, tiniest things that really got is no interest they had elevated and deified their created traditions in these these folks were not harmless.

Never such are never harmless and again they're here and some foreman in this life. To this day. It is a masterstroke of Satan to make one's faith Dom and it is no honor to be biblically illiterate and claim Christ as Lord. For these, there were the leaders of their faith are supposed to be and who were illiterate at one point you said you you don't know the word of God. They were the custodians of the Scripture. There are many theologians I don't know the word of God. They just know how to criticize well let's look at verse one of Mark's gospel chapter 7. Again, our title is fault finders religious nitpicker's and parentheses, then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to him, having come from Jerusalem. They wanted to find out if he support supported their rabbinical Judaism. They wanted to find out if he loved and cherished their style of worship. You can call it that was the enthusiastic about what they made up about God about what Moses really meant because what Moses said wasn't clear enough they they had to come along and add to it the kind of a chip on your shoulder, reading about these chaps's popularity at this time was at its highest and he was so well received by just the common people.

This disturbed the religious intelligentsia and like that one bit.

His fame outpaced their popularity and that was not to be tolerated only if they are with. They were the ones that made you who you were supposed to be, would you get a pass, but if you didn't come through through them. You could not be left alone no matter what you get the walk on water, and you still would be beneath their approval. If you did not agree with them.

Added to this attitude is heightened popularity was this word that was getting around that there were those up in Galilee that try to make him came that would make him leaner over them.

Could you imagine how that went over in Jerusalem well if he was to have any success. They would have to hold the keys they would have to retain influence. Again, this is never stopped. What are your credentials.

There are places there that is very appropriate. I mean, I don't want my dentist to have an online degree who wanted to benefit from what universities can offer and and and be able to not cause me to be waiting for him in the parking lot after the procedure.

A group you later anyway.

Verse two now when they saw some of his disciples he bread with defiled hands. That is, unwashed hands, they found fault you catch Aramark say let's make sure we are just clear about this.

They say the hands of defile this unwashed. There is no defilement here. So they come to find fault they found what they wanted.

Jesus said this about this bunch. Blind guides to strain out a gnat and swallow a camel alike as well as an and his blood inside the neck and you can have that. But then Jesus of course point of the bill.

Swallow camel blood in all majoring in the minor things now there are those that come to get exposed to Christianity. They won't major in the minor things they just pretend they really don't love Christ, the just playing this game. It's a kabuki theater and this is what's happening with this please, folks, he's gonna call them hypocrites is busy wearing a mask is showing people this thing on the outside behind that mask is a fool. No excuse, no excuse for this behavior. You won't be able to stand in front of God and said High Plains you got will have none of it and he's giving mankind a glimpse and in such a chapter is this he is saying to everyone I see it what you going to do with knowing I see it. Some something that is not enough to keep right on just continue to be as devilish as they can be relied your face and expect you to be content with that.

And if you catch them lien and call them a liar. All brother, you got a real problem.

Don't you dare tell the truth about me figure mystery of lawlessness. You just can't make sense out of it well with the these boys. If you if they could not find fault they would supply one layer and that's what they were doing here Jesus by this time what he had done in Galilee had certainly circulated.

Raise the dead. He'd given lepers back their lives.

He given lame people back their legs in the blind arise in the lid on and on it goes. And you got a problem with me washing hands before dinner. Are you sick yet sick and and dangerous and applauded by some, their traditions meant more to them than God meant to them all. They'd never worded that way, but that's what they were doing so, he could not be of God is and wash his hands when he walked on water, you raise the dead people is what he's preaching about Moses doesn't matter did not check the boxes that we put out there how much work we put into these boxes.

Mark tells the whole world about them. Mark is saying let me just tell you about the sky. He's is audience is, and is intended audience is Gentile, so he's telling them about what was happening in Israel any sink. This these of the traditions is actually dead, mitten nitpicker is like this.

They routinely fine frivolous faults without shame. And again, largely they get away with it. You know it's a lot easier to criticize someone than it is to pray for them.

Why is that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. No man cannot accept the Lord, but he does leave it at that. He gives us a new heart and we wanted, but if you play games with God you again will lose and so verse three for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders who are the elders who cares who I cares that they're not aligned with God that rendered themselves irrelevant to those who are looking for God, and again he explains this customs because the Pharisees made them binding on the people there were penalties for violating what they said you couldn't get away with this stuff. It was troublesome to the people and again they would use the Scripture when it was convenient but overall they had renovated what God had said verse four. When they come from the marketplace.

Did they do not eat unless they wash and there are many other such things which they have received and hold them in verse four. Like the washing of cups pictures copper vessels encounters he just marks the end of this to you Gentiles understand these folks with it with the doing here you can hear you can hear a bit of marks, irritation, decades later, writing this down. He says in verse four and there are many other things which they have received and hold theirs all bunch of stuff with these boys is not just washing the hands after they finish with that one. They just minor. No one on you. The only way to get them to leave you alone is to think like them who are something like this. This will lead to Christ's death.

That's how serious they were about this. They took it personal. This would become an extension of who they were. If you dare disagree with them will die smug about their external cleanliness, but completely oblivious willfully so disinterested in inner cleanliness that they wanted what they wanted and that was this whole ritual lighting candles and incense and statue. Whatever you just name it. I have a piece of the cross of rise up in a relic form is some junk in there are the legalists which were mixed in with them. This, they habitually legalists substitute outward forms for the inward, just long as everybody can perceive that they are that you know the ones to listen to. Then they go home and terrorize their own families many times well verse five.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands.

Really, do you have even asked me why should I even care what the elders say they were about to give Jesus a pass again raising the dead was small to them. This is the net that they strain out in the camel that they swallow.

I don't want to be this kind of a believer to anybody anybody here want to be a hypocrite. Put a little mass when you leave church and fake it all, all of it, I don't. I hope not.

They pick a fight with him over this as legalism does, it will pick its fights to make himself look better and stronger and and just dominate its environment and in so doing snuff out all the light.

All the love all the kindness you know pulses, you can even boast about being a martyr.

If you don't have love good is not dying for the Lord something else. If I have not love his junk how I get to that love with. This ain't the way following the tradition of the elders.

We never read about love coming from these Pharisees not to receive Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus converted at the death of Christ that this is the crisis I we can't figure this out with a show love to his remains. I believe strongly you will see both of those men in heaven, but for this petty defiance and offense.

They will eventually crucify him. John, who tells us in the seventh chapter of his gospel links is this time.

He says they sought to kill him.

After these things God doesn't give us these details, the story but the same time, going on so to add or take away from God is to criticize to come to his word and and add things to pull it out us to edit him to criticize. I don't like that I think is a mistake. This is not going to work God alone sets the dispensations for us. He gets to do that he does it through his words he does that through his apostles and his prophets in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 220 having been built in the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone is subject easy verse to read, listen to the power Jesus Christ himself sees very read if he is who he says he is in the believers believe that what makes us believers. If he is who he says he is and it says Jesus Christ himself. That means his hands are all over this and I bet a lineup with him before I line up with anybody else I can do that without being abrasive. Although the guilty will always accuse the guiltless of the guilty who have no intention of being righteous will always keep accuse the innocent of some form of guilt. Well he shock them.

He shock these these boys with his disregard for their modifications. It wasn't impressed help you not be if you will notice me you will give me recognition not getting the Ghana recognition you're looking for. He shock them with his disregard for the modifications they shock him in this sense with their disregard for God's word is that they call you kidding are you and I will another what other words do you use to express your frustration with human beings who behave this way would be really not much of they didn't hurt people what they heard lives long term and he's going to close with that as we read gets into you know the lewdness and the evil lie in the blasphemy these things are sinful and they heard in a big way they do damage so you saying when he gets to that section you think this is this a religious game. My views versus their views know this stuff hurts, harms and sends to hell is very serious let's we going to be saying we know it to be so serious that he died for us.

Take away the penalty from those who want him because of it.

Cursed flesh can't quite pull it off. So he's died for the ungodly. But not for the impenitent ungodly white died for them but they don't benefit from because they don't come in, receive the grace of Christ. Verse six he answered and said to them, well did Isaiah prophesy to you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Imagine you one of the disciples you see these guys come from Jerusalem and their three-piece robes and hear your impressed by the there. The intelligent ones.

They're the ones that are overlords of the faith in the land and they asked this question. Why don't these guys wash their hands like the elders do and Jesus to call the right of the Scripture play around a dozen menswear. His Isaiah the prophet I'm telling you something from the Bible because you may be too dumb to know it's coming from the Bible A- economies, beauty, lay it out for you what he does these in their face and I walking that back. He says well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites right between the eyes. If you want to be a positive. The home what are you doing they're going to get us now he didn't care. He cared and the sissy would love to have converted them, but they these these fellows were irretrievable because that's what they wanted to be. Take someone who is exposing the word they go yes I love it all. Yes, I'm a believer but really there again and got that mask on their fake and it even God can't reach that they don't want to be reached, and they resent being told us to go find some other religion or some other way to do it in a debate on those who say what we've got the facts. We got the prophecies we get the logic we've got that which is irrefutable, but new. That's why your damnation will be just as you got up in God's face and lost why there's another section of Isaiah that they should've known Isaiah chapter 8 verse 20 Isaiah the prophet says about people like this to the law and the testimony of the did not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Dark beer in darkness. They were the product of de-prioritizing Scripture. This is the outcome and the Holy Spirit says to us you want to de-prioritize your Bible you going to be messed up to. There's a consequence to this. They pointed to the elders. He pointed to the word of God. If you stop reading your Bible because it does not give you the desired results.

Then watch the results you will get from turning from your Bible. I want to say shoot on my head I'm saying I been through this I been there to go verse by verse through the Scripture to hunger and thirst for the Bible and to then to struggle nonetheless and come up with results less than appealing. I have now a choice. I can say I'm done. It didn't work or pull out my sword and swing against those demonic thoughts that tried to move me from God's word. That's what a moderate is one who suffers and or dies for what they believe will going by that definition, I can suffer as a martyr just by struggling through life and adhering to Christ in his words abide with me go with me anywhere. It is too easy to be a fault finder of God and his word and of others I know about you but I love being criticized sarcasm have the event of an applause meter sarcasm. And there are those that just love doing it anywhere makes them feel good about choices all you hypocrites again need us spare their feelings, because these that hurting people move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry.

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