​“When Accusers Are Rightly Condemned, Our Words Reveal Our Hearts, & Being Pupils of Proper Plants”

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​Matthew 15:1-20 24
Matthew 15:1-9

We see that Christ-accusers often have the ‘script flipped’ on them, as they’re often rightly condemned in the midst of their accusations.

We see Jesus doing this throughout the Scriptures - As individuals and groups are convinced of their position/premise, their reasoning/logic, often having carefully crafted their points/arguments, only to have them flipped on them or easily refuted, being left perplexed or even astonished, time and again.

There are many in every generation who believe that they’re right and justified in their issues/arguments, and they think that one day they’ll give God ‘a piece of their mind’.  Yet in the Scriptures we see this failing every single time.

Isaiah 55:8+9

This is one of the reasons why Christ(God)-accusers are rightly condemned.

This doesn’t mean that we’re never to ask God, ‘Why?’... There are times in our pain and brokenness that I believe we can ask God why we’ve had to go through a difficult or even tragic circumstance, when it’s done in humility and with respect and honor.

God seems to always be gracious if we’ll humble ourselves and come to Him, on His terms.

Isaiah 1:18-20

Matthew 15:9 - “But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines, the precepts of men.”

Matthew 15:8 - “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.”

Matthew 15:10+11

Matthew 15:15-20

Although we should be careful with external influences, our primary concern must be with our own internal issues, as our words reveal our hearts.

The matter lies in our hearts - not primarily because of worldly influences or the temptations of the enemy (though they have their place), but the central problem is my own heart; and so there’s no blame-shifting.  This is an inside-out issue, not outside-in one.

James 1:14-16

Our words reveal our hearts.

“Here are some examples of red lights that you might put on your dashboard: fear, pride, greed, self-pity, resentment, cowardice, anger, hard thoughts about God, and coldness in worship - or any sense of formality in worship - or any sense of just going through the motions.”

“No one can know the impulses that lurk in your heart better than you. So be honest with yourself and identify the impulses of your heart that you most need to guard against, and write these down; doing so will give you clarity.  The items on your list will change over time as new situations will bring new challenges, so you need to keep the dashboard current.”

“For the Christian to keep his heart, means that he’s to pay close attention to the direction in which his affections are moving; to discover whether the things of the world are gaining a firmer and fuller hold over him, or whether they are increasingly losing their charm for him.”

“The momentum of sin, which always begins in the heart, is like a stone rolling down a hill; it’s easy to stop at the beginning, but once it gains momentum, it’s very difficult to stop.  So, keep your heart with all vigilance... Watch for the first flicker of a red light on your dashboard.”

Matthew 15:12-14

None of us desire to be the blind being led by the blind (and eventually falling into a pit), so may God guide us to be pupils of ‘properly planted plants’.

The following shows where believers have most gone astray in their theology...  “When asked whether individuals must contribute to their own salvation - 74% agree.  Was Jesus the first and greatest being created by God - 71% agree.  Does God accept the worship of all religions?... Including Christianity, Judaism and Islam - 48% agree.  Do our good deeds help to earn our place in heaven - 39% agree.  The Holy Spirit is a force and not a personal being - 56% agree.  Lastly, God will always reward faith with material blessings - 37% agree.”

Such doctrines can impact our own eternal destiny, and also those around us, including our family’s.  This is one of the central reasons as to why doctrine matters.

Our goal isn’t to offend artificial, plastic imposter plants; but we do have a responsibility to recognize and warn or even expose such, as the Lord leads.  This is what Jesus did - not only here, but throughout the Scriptures.

May God help us to be the church that He wants us to be... Equipping the Saints, with a desire to present them to Christ, fully mature, both for His glory and our good.
Pastor Chris Hudson