Bible Text: Matthew 23:23-28 | Preacher: Marty Albanese | Series: Marty’s Sermons

The Sin of Just Talking a Good Game by Martin Albanese

Matthew 23:23-23:28

The Sin of Just Talking a Good Game
(Sermon notes take from a book called Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned: But I Have Several Excellent by James W. Moore.)

Matthew 23:23-28 NLT – “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law-justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. (24) Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel! (25) “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy-full of greed and self-indulgence! (26) Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too. (27) “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs-beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. (28) You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Most of the time we are pretty good with our words
• We stumble on our actions
• We talk way too much and do no follow through
• Verbalize so well yet actualize so poorly
• Speak eloquently yet perform so inadequately
• Words are not enough, only when our words are translated inaction are they authenticated

Faith
• It’s not just good enough to hear it preached
• It’s not enough to sing it in songs
• It’s not enough to talk about it in Sunday School
• It’s a way of living!
• We don’t just celebrate it in the church
o We live it out
o Demonstrate it
o We share it with others
 At Home
 At the Office
 On the Streets
 While Playing
 Wherever we go!
• YOU HAVE TO LIVE IT!!

Philippians 1:27 NKJV Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
• Your Behavior
• Your Conduct
• Your Actions
• Your Tone of voice
• Your Everyday Life

Christianity
• It is not an intellectual idea
• It is not a collection of theological beliefs
• It is not a series of philosophical arguments
It is though…
• A way of life
• A way of acting and responding
• A way of relating to God and people

It is more then just believing it is a way of behaving

Talking a good game is not enough, unless our beliefs are translated into action; they become dull, dead worthless. Let’s look at a few areas where we can sharpen our walk.

Only when our beliefs become actions do they become compelling
• John Mott
o Set out to seek prayer
 He attended lectures on prayer
 He read books on prayer (72 to be exact)
 He researched the significance of prayer in the bible
 He listened to sermons on prayer
o But he came up short….
 Then he discovered the answer
 He Prayed
• We can recite our creeds
• We can study Scriptures
• We can recite our doctrines
o These are all good and we should be able to do this
o But until it is translated into action they are only words.

Only when our beliefs become actions do they become contagious
• No matter how beautiful our words are
• No matter how true they may be
• No matter how perfectly phrased they are
o It is when they walk before us in the flesh and blood then & only then will they become contagious
o The truths of our Christianity are
 Most inspiring
 Most impressive
 Most influential
• When they are seen in a living person
• God knew this! That is why he sent Jesus
o So we could see the truth

• We are our own worse enemy in Christianity
o Through our actions we turn off many to the cause
o The most effective argument for Christianity is the REAL Christian
 Truth is that people do not care about:
• our religion
• our vestments
• our liturgies
o They want to know does it work.
 What best way to tell them is to show them!

Illustration – taken from Twelve Tests of Character
• Turkish soldier chase down brother and sister to a dead end
• Brother is shot and killed, somehow the sister gets away
• The sister was captured later and since she was a nurse was put to work
• One day the soldier was critically wounded and ended up in the hospital
• She was the nurse who had to work on him
• She also knew that any hesitation on her behalf would result in him dying
• They recognized each other
• She tendered him back to health
• They have a conversation, and he asks why?
• She said ”Because I serve Him who said,’ Love your enemies and do them good’, that is my faith”
• After a moment of silence, the soldier grabs her and says tell me more of your Lord, I would give anything to have faith like yours

Only when our beliefs become actions do they become convincing
The tutor
• Teacher who was a tutor of children in a large city hospitals
• She was asked to tutor a boy who was seriously burned in an accident
• Regular teacher told the tutor they were studying irregular verbs and dangling participles
• The regular teacher was concerned that if the boy would fall way behind
• Tutor was horrified to find out he was in ICU (intensive care unit)
o The boy could barley talk or move
• The tutor left and did not know if anything will stick with him
• Upon returning the next day she was greeted by the nursing staff
o They told her she was a miracle worker
o After the lesson the boy began to fight for his life
 He started to respond to treatment
• Everyone had the attitude that he would make it
• She had no idea what she had done to cause such a change
• After the boy got out he told her
o They told me I would live, but I didn’t believe them. I thought they were just saying that. But when that teacher came, it made all the difference. I realized they wouldn’t send a teacher to work with a dying boy on irregular verbs and dangling participles!

They told him he would live but he wasn’t convinced
The tutor’s action made all the difference
Actions speak louder then words
Actions are more compelling, more contagious, and more convincing

Unknown poet put it like this
We are writing a gospel a chapter each day
By deeds that we do and the words that w say;
People read what we write, whether faithless or true…
So what is the gospel according to you?

What Bible version are you writing today?
What are you saying about Jesus and His Kingdom?
Jesus tells to go and preacher His word to all nations…Sometimes we have to use words!