Title: Christ s Message to Pharisee s Text: Luke 16: 13-18 Date: December 15, 2016 Place: SGBC, New Jersey When you declare to religious men that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets so that he is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes some of you may seem surprised or amazed when religious men object. When you show from scriptures that all who Christ justifies, quickens and gives faith are no longer under the law but under grace some of you may seem surprised or amazed when religious folks side with Moses over Christ. When you tell religious folks that scripture says the just shall live by faith in Christ and the law is not of faith some of you may seem surprised or amazed that religious men and women reject the Truth by insisting that believers are yet required to keep the law in order to be sanctified, in order to become progressively more and more pure and less and less sinful. But we ought never be surprised. All religious men used the law of Moses to reject God himself when he walked this earth in human flesh, except for those born of his Spirit. Just before our text, in Luke 16, the Lord Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, gave the parable of the steward who was unjust because he had wasted his master s goods. When God our Savior finished his parable he gave the lessons he would have his people learn from the parable, the chief point, being verse 13: Luke 16: 13: No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14: And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15: And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16: The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18: Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. Proposition: The one reason religious folks reject the gospel that Christ Jesus is All in every aspect of our salvation apart from our works is because Christ is not All to them. Their hearts of all natural men, not matter how religious they may be, are set on earthly, fleshly things. According to the word of our Redeemer, the majority of religious men and women have their hearts set on themselves, their will, their works and getting glory for themselves before men! That is clearly the problem the Lord Jesus revealed about the Pharisee s in his day. That is the problem of Pharisee s in our day.
May God give us hearing ears to hear our Lord Jesus declare this very thing in our text tonight. GOD S REQUIREMENT Luke 16:13: No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. God requires that all who worship him must worship and serve him alone with the whole heart. The Lord Jesus declared that it is impossible to serve two masters. It is impossible to serve God and mammon. Mammon means earthly treasure, earthly riches. It includes religious earthly treasure such as seeking glory for ourselves by our works. Christ says it is absolutely impossible for anyone to serve God when the heart is divided between God and earthly gain. The only one who worshipped and served God under the law in perfection is Christ the GodMan. He came and served God perfectly in behalf of his people. By the work of God s grace in regeneration, the Spirit gives us a pure heart to believe on God our Savior alone and to serve him alone. Hebrews 10:22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. When God makes the heart pure in his people, he makes Christ all our salvation the earthly distinctions which once were our treasures, whereby we thought we made ourselves accepted of God, are no longer our treasures but Christ is All our Salvation. Colossians 3: 10: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, Our hearts are no longer divided. We now believe God s word that God our Father made us his chosen race by choosing us in Christ and blessing us with all spiritual blessings in him. Our heart is no longer divided. We no longer imagine we are made to differ from other sinners by our race, by who our earthly father was as do Pharisees who thought their election was by being the natural sons of Abraham. Colossians 3: 11: [In the new man, there is neither] circumcision nor uncircumcision In the new heart God s saints are no longer divided over how we are made righteous. We believe God that Christ alone is our Righteousness. It is because Christ has circumcised our hearts in sanctification and made us holy. He has separated us from the lie of imagining that we make ourselves righteous and holy by our obedience to the law. We are the circumcision we
are true Jews we are God s true spiritual Israel who worship God in Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. (Php 3: 3) Colossians 3: 11: [In the new man there is neither] Barbarian, Scythian, Our heart is set knowing that Christ is our Wisdom. It is by Christ s knowledge that we are saved. It is Christ who teaches us in the heart in spirit and in truth by his grace. Our hearts are no longer divided by thinking that we are made to differ from others because we have educated ourselves into the kingdom of God. Colossians 3: 11: [In the new man there is neither] bond nor free: Our heart is not divided between Christ our Redemption and our own works to make ourselves free. Christ alone is our Redeemer and our Redemption and we trust him to be so with our whole heart. Colossians 3: 11: [In the new man] but Christ is all, and in all. So the one thing God requires of all who come to him in faith is a sincere, single, undivided heart in which our triune God in Christ Jesus receives all the glory and all the praise from us for everything in our salvation beginning to end. Only then will a man be faithful in the earthly treasures God gives. God requires entire consecration to him alone. That is the doctrine of Christ in our text! Christ said, Luke 14:33: So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. THE PHARISEES Luke 16: 14: And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15: And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Pharisee s always rejected Christ as he walked this earth. They do so in our day. Have you ever taken notice of the things the Pharisee s hated about Christ and his teaching? Number one, the first thing that offended them, for which they sought to crucifiy him is because Christ declared their law obedience vain by declaring he is the Lord of the Sabaath. (Matthew 12: 8; Mark 2: 28; Luke 6: 5) By that he declared he is God who ordained the sabbath day. The Sabbath day was supposed to be a day of rest. By declaring that the Son of man is the Lord of the Sabbath, Christ declared that the sabbath day was given to teach that Christ is the Rest of those he saves.
By doing so he declared himself to be the righteousness of the moral law for his people because one of the commands of the moral law is remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Ex 20: 8) Christ is the Sabbath Rest who all his people remember and sanctify above all as Lord of the sabbath day. We keep him ever before us as our holy rest by resting from all our works of trying to make ourselves righteous and holy by believing on him. Hebrews 4: 3: For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4: For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works 9: There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10: For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. The Pharisees sought to crucify Christ when he declared himself the Lord of the Sabbath because it destroyed their entire system of works religion! It takes away the glory the Pharisee covets which is that he contributed to his salvation by his own law-keeping. They hated Christ for it! And they still do! Another reason, they Pharisees hated Christ is because he received sinners and publicans. Luke 15: 1: Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3: And he spake this parable unto them, By his parable, the Lord declared to the Pharisees that he came to save his chosen sheep like the shepherd who goes after his lost sheep. He declared that he finds them and brings them home on his shoulder and the host of heavens rejoices over them. But there is no rejoicing in heaven over Pharisees who think they are not lost, who think they have made themselves righteous and who think they need no repentance. By his parable of the lost coin, the Lord declared that his elect are his treasure. He seeks them and finds them. Imagine a hospital that would have no dealings with sick people. That is the church of the Pharisee. When the Pharisees murmured that Christ received sinners, he told them They that be whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. (Matthew 9: 12) All who think they can contribute to their salvation by their religious sacrifices really think they are whole and have no need of Christ the Physician. Christ greatly offended the Pharisees in his day and still offends Pharisees in our day when he says to them, But go and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9: 13) This is another thing that greatly offends self-righteous Pharisees, Christ declares they are ignorant of how God saves and will not recognize their sacrifices nor give them glory and praise. He exposes the heart of all self-righteous Pharisees when he represented them by the son who stayed home in our Lord s parable of the prodigal. When that son heard the rejoicing over the prodigal who came home to his father, he asked someone what was going on,
Luke 15: 27: And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28: And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. Pharisee s were never happy to hear of God s grace saving a helpless, worthless sinner and they still are angry at it today. All they were concerned about was observing the Sabbath day and their many traditions and laying burdens on men while they claimed to honor God and rejected God in human flesh, Christ Jesus! They still do today! Luke 15: 29: And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee,.. Pharisee s keep count of all their service by which they imagine they indebt God to reward them. Luke 15: 29: neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment:.. Pharisees lie when they claimed to have kept God our Father s commandment. They do so coveting the glory for keeping God s law which belongs only to Christ. Luke 15: 29 and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: Self-righteous Pharisees do not rejoice in Christ, nor consider Christ s brethren to be their friends. Luke 15: 30: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. Pharisees point out the sins of others, thinking themselves holier, because they are envious and hate the gospel of God s grace toward his people in Christ our Substitute. In case anyone thinks I am being too harsh hear what Christ said to them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. He said, You put on a show before men to make yourselves appear just before men. But God knows your heart. All your religion is a disguise, a cloke of covetousness. But that which you highly esteem is an abomination in the sight of God. What did our Lord say those things were? Matthew 6: 2: Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:5: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matthew 6:16: Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matthew 23:1: Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2: Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4: For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6: And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7: And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8: But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. Mat 23:23: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24: Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel 27: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:29: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30: And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31: Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Christ says to the Pharisee, God knows your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. God loves what men despise: Mercy! Grace! Lovingkindness! and Faith! Men love what God despises: A Form of Godliness! A Religious Show! and the Praise of Men! SIN IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST Luke 16: 16: The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17: And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18: Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Christ ended by declaring the sin of Pharisees in the light of Christ and his salvation and grace toward his people. He declared, The law and the prophets were until John, since that time the kingdom of God is preached. This was the sin of the Pharisees and still is today. They still preach old covenant works teaching sinners to come to God by the old covenant law. They claim to love the law and honor the law. But they really despise the law by lowering its standards by picking and choosing to live by some and not others. This offense is why Christ said, And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. The example is that Pharisees made up reasons men could divorce their wives and called it keeping the law of God. To be guilty of this law was to be guilty of all the law. So Christ declared that all men who claim to obey the law are guilty using this one law, Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. And as he declared in his sermon on the mount whoso looketh upon a woman to lust after is guilty. That declares all men guilty. The law requires death for those who disobey. No church has kept the law unless they execute their members who have disobeyed it. But God s law will not fail toward the Pharisee. He will be judged and sentenced to hell as our Lord pointed out by the rich man in hell. (Luke 16: 19, 23) But here is the good news, the time of the law and the prophets has ended, this is the day of grace, the day in which Christ s messengers preach Christ. This is why he said, The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. The law and the prophets ended with John the Baptist. Since that time, we preach the kingdom of God by preaching Christ of whom all the law and the prophets bear witness; by preaching Christ who fulfilled the law and the prophets for his people. Now, every man all God s elect called out from among Jew and Gentile who are in ourselves poor, ungodly sinners, whom Christ came to save presseth into the kingdom of God. As he said in another place they take it by violence. (Matthew 11: 12) Those God calls press into the kingdom because the majority in religion are Pharisees who will not enter and who try to prevent others from entering the kingdom of God by faith alone in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 23: 13) We press into the kingdom because wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in that broad way. But straight is the gate and narrow is the way Christ alone that leads to eternal life and few enter therein. (Matthew 7: 13-14) The good news of the gospel is that Christ did not let one word of the law fail, And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery. Unlike Pharisees, Christ s bride was bethrothed to him in eternity in divine election. He gave his word to God to love God s elect forever. So even when Christ saw his bride commit adultery when all God s elect fell in sin in the garden, Christ did not put her away.
And whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery so nor would Christ merely steal his bride from the legal claims the law had on her. He took our sin in his own body. He was made a curse for us. He answered all the laws demands bearing the wrath of God the place of his bride. Now, all God s elect bride is dead to the law by the body of Christ and that husband is dead to us. We are lawfully, free to be married to another even the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the very thing Christ gave the apostle Paul to write in Romans 7, Romans 7: 1: Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. This is the real reason for which every Pharisee derides us. It is because when we declare Christ is All we declare their sin in the light of Christ even as Christ did to the Pharisee s that day. He would not and we will not share the glory that is due unto him with any man and that is the real reason the Pharisee s rejected him in the day he walked this earth and why they reject us for preaching only Christ in our day. But Christ is he who is highly esteemed by God our Father and highly esteemed by all who Christ has called in spirit and in truth by his sovereign grace! May this hope us to understand why religious men and women reject Christ our Redeemer as they claim a desire to honor the law. Only those who believe on Christ really desire the law to be honored and only by faith in Christ do they truly honor God and his holy character set forth in the law. (Romans 3: 31) Amen!