1. Firm Foundations Lesson 40: The Way of the Scribes & Pharisees
is not God’s Way
Memory verse: John 6:63
Memory verse:
63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

2. Introduction Have you ever had a bad attitude that you kept inside?
Everyone has
God sees everything!

3. The rules of the Pharisees
Mark 7:1-5
Pharisees took God’s law more literally than spiritually
Tephillin: Deut. 6:4-8
Disapproved of Jesus’ disciples
Didn’t keep their special rules
Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees' Traditions (1) 1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2Now when[1] they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
Matthew 6:2 - So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:5 - 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?"
Tephillin (phylactery)
The "tephillin" were worn on the left arm, towards the heart, and on the forehead. They consisted--to describe them roughly--of capsules, containing, on parchment (that for the forehead on four distinct parchments), these four passages of Scripture: Exodus 13:1-10, 13:11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11: The capsules were fastened on by black leather straps, which were wound round the arm and hand (seven times round the former, and three times round the latter), or else fitted to the forehead in a prescribed and mystically significant manner. The wearer of them could not be mistaken. But as for their value and importance in the eyes of the Rabbis, it were impossible to exaggerate it. They were reverenced as highly as the Scriptures, and, like them, might be rescued from the flames on a Sabbath, although not worn, as constituting "a burden!" It was said that Moses had received the law of their observance from God on Mount Sinai; that the "tephillin" were more sacred than the golden plate on the forehead of the high-priest, since its inscription embodied only once the sacred name of Jehovah, while the writing inside the "tephillin" contained it not less than twenty-three times; that the command of wearing them equalled all other commands put together, with many other similar extravagances. How far the profanity of the Rabbis in this respect would go, appears from the circumstance, that they supposed God Himself as wearing phylacteries (Ber. 6 a). The fact is deduced from Isaiah 62:8, where the "right hand" by which Jehovah swears is supposed to refer to the law, according to the last clause of Deuteronomy 33:2; while the expression "strength of His arm" was applied to the "tephillin," since the term "strength" appeared in Psalm 29:11 in connection with God's people, and was in turn explained by a reference to Deuteronomy 28:10. For "the strength" of God's People (Psa 29:11) is that which would cause all to "be afraid" of Israel (Deu 28:10); and this latter would be due to their seeing that Israel was "called by the name of Jehovah," this ocular demonstration being afforded through the "tephillin." Such was the evidence which traditionalism offered for such a monstrous proposition
Examples
Can only tie knots that can be untied with one hand
Cannot write more than one letter with either hand, or on more than one wall
Women cannot look in mirrors (might see a grey hair and pull it out)
Cannot wear nailed shoes (carrying a burden)

4. Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees
Mark 7:6
Honor God outwardly
Don’t love God in their hearts
Mark 7:7-9
God rejected them
They were not trusting in God as deliverer
6He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:    " 'These people honor me with their lips,        but their hearts are far from me.
7They worship me in vain;        their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[1] 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." 9And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[2] your own traditions!

5. God and man
man
Good works
God
Following the rules

6. Not what we eat but what we are
Mark 7:14-19
Scribes/Pharisees worried about what was OK to eat
Thought this made them accepted by God
Mark 7:20-23
Not what we eat, what we say, think, and do
James 2:10
God judges our hearts!
14When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15There 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. 16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"[1] 17When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?“
20And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

7. The proud pharisee Jesus told parable Romans 3:23 Luke 18:9-12
Pharisee went to temple to talk to God
God rejected Pharisee, just like Cain
Accepted by his good works?
Accepted by not doing bad works?
Romans 3:23
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

8. God and man man God Good life Baptism Church Charity
Don’t drink or smoke

9. The repentant publican
Luke 18:13
Publicans
tax collectors
stole from people!
Did not try to hide his sinfulness
Trusted the Lord as his Savior
And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

10. Jesus’ verdict Luke 18:14 Pharisee wouldn’t admit he was guilty
God rejected him (just like He did Cain)
Tax collector was different
He believed God’s Word
Admitted he was helpless
God accepted the humble tax collector
14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

11. Conclusion Romans 5:8 Romans 3:19-28
God will accept anyone based on his faith in Jesus Christ
The only way
Any other way is rejected
We can do nothing to save ourselves
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. God's Righteousness Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all[1] who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Boasting Excluded 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.