Message by Josh Mutter – March 30, 2025
BIG IDEA: What’s inside matters more than how we look on the outside.
Matthew 23:25-28 (NIV) 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. 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.
1. Our focus on externals can distract us from what is going on inside of us.
1 Samuel 16:7b (NLT) …The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
REFLECTION:
- We focus on externals because externals are easy to see.
- We focus on externals because it takes effort to look below the surface.
- We focus on externals because the alternative is scary.
2. We can’t keep the true state of our hearts hidden forever.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
1. For Long-Term Christians, repetance means stripping away the pretense and asking, “God, am I following you, or just following habits?”
2. For Christian Leaders, repentance means being willing to admit, “I don’t have it all figured out, and I need God just as much as anyone else.”
3. For those Exploring Faith, repentance is about turning toward God and trusting him to shape our lives.
You can listen to the sermon on YouTube here.
You can download discussion resources here: Lent #5
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