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And then all right Matthew chapter 15 so Matthew chapter 15 kind of a fun chapter here Jesus is doing some some hard, you know some hard teaching and preaching in Matthew chapter 15 Especially towards the Pharisees and you know, we'll see some things about Jesus here that you know, probably are a little bit Against what you hear most people saying about Jesus today But most people don't know the Jesus of the Bible and that's the problem So let's go ahead and look at Matthew chapter 15 and I'm study through the chapter and then see What we can apply out of this at the end. So look at Matthew chapter 15 right away Jesus gets into it right away with the Pharisees in the beginning where he says the Bible says in verse 1 then came Jesus to Scribes then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem saying why do thy disciples? Transgress the tradition of the elders for they wash not their hands when they eat bread So here these Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus to basically accuse him of something So they basically accused him and his followers of not washing their hands Before this sounds like something you could get accused of today, by the way Can you imagine that wasn't 20 seconds, but anyway not the point The sermon anyway, but so you get these scribes and Pharisees that are basically accusing Jesus and his disciples of not washing their hands before they eat, you know I mean how disgusting not washing your hands before you eat. Did you even imagine such a thing? I mean gross, right? But anyway, let's just look here for a minute at what the Bible says about washing your hands Okay, because Jesus like doesn't accept this at all. All right, he doesn't accept their criticism of him at all But what what is the what does the Bible say about washing your hands before you eat turn to Leviticus chapter 15, I Mean the Bible does talk about washing quite a bit. Actually, it talks about washing Look at Leviticus chapter 15 in verse number 13 Let's just kind of do a little bouncing around and see what the Bible says the Old Testament because when these Pharisees and scribes You know, they were always kind of pretending to be experts on the Bible which would have been the Old Testament At that time Leviticus chapter 15 look at verse 13 So the Bible says that when he have had an issue he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue This is talking about a sickness, right? Then he shall number himself seven days for his cleansing and wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in running water and shall Be clean. So the Bible says that you should wash after you've been sick turn to Leviticus 17 So you should wash after you've been sick Look at Leviticus 17 just a couple chapters over in verse number six or 15 where the Bible says and every soul That eateth that which died of itself or that which was torn with beasts whether it be one of your own country or a stranger He shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the even then shall he be clean So here it's saying if you've like eaten a dead animal Like if you like hit a deer you like took it home and like cooked it up like I know this guy I know people that have done that actually so I'm embarrassed to report that but anyway the Bible says that he'd eaten a dead animal or something that's been killed because like Levitical rules on what you should eat and what was clean and what was unclean a lot of it was ritual But a lot of it was actually for people's health too. A lot of it was to keep people, you know alive So it was pretty common knowledge that if we were on the farm and you had some kind of animal die You know, you would just never you don't eat that animal I mean you just throw it, you know on the rock pile and let the coyotes eat it I mean you don't eat that animal anything that is killed by a predator. You just you don't eat that animal It's just it's just common knowledge when I grew up, but it's funny that the Bible actually lines up to this common knowledge So if you were to do something like that the Bible saying here in Leviticus 17 You've eaten something unclean that you know that describes that you touched it and you handled it You know, it says wash yourself. You're you're unclean yourself wash yourself All right. Now go back to the Leviticus chapter 11 in verse number 24 We'll see more directions on when you should wash and when you should clean The Bible says in Leviticus 11 in verse number 24 the Bible says this it talks about even touching something unclean and dead and For these ye shall be unclean whosoever touches the carcass toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean Until even and whosoever beareth out of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until even whoever handles it And the carcass of every beast with divided the hoof and is not clove and footed nor cheweth The cud are unclean unto you and everyone that touches them shall be unclean So it's talking about all these animals, you know that divide the hoof and that you know Don't chew the cud talking about you know, the brother Trevor is telling us about all the stomachs that the cows have the other day I mean, that's really interesting stuff, right? So the Bible already talked about all those things the Bible told you what kind of animals to eat What kind of animals not to eat in the Old Testament and it gets down to the the details of you know The type of hoof that they have how they eat how they digest things But it says if you've touched any of those animals, then you're unclean too It says whatsoever goeth upon his paws among all manner of beasts that go on all four. These are unclean to you So pause that would be cats and dogs things like that those are you're not supposed to eat those in the Old Testament whoso touches their carcass shall be unclean even Until even and he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash with clothes and unclean until even they are unclean to you So the Bible is telling you about all these different rules about touching animals dead animals clean animals unclean animals You know all these different situations in Exodus chapter 30 in verse 17. We see even more rules Maybe these more apply to what the Pharisees were talking about Let's take a look at Exodus chapter 30 in verse number 17. This is talking about washing rules for the priests So maybe we'll find the eating rule here. Okay, look at verse number 17 of Exodus 30 The Bible says in the Lord spake unto Moses saying thou shall also make a laver of brass and his foot also of brass to Wash with all now shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar now shall put water there in For Aaron and all his sons shall wash their hands and their feet there at when they go into the tabernacle of the congregation They shall wash with water that they die Not that when they come near to the altar to minister to to eat right to eat a sandwich No To burn offering made by fire unto the Lord. So before they they shall wash their hands and feet so they die not right So look before they sacrifice they were supposed to wash their hands and their feet. They're supposed to clean themselves They were even supposed to make this this basin for that purpose. Okay, but there's nothing There is nothing in the Bible about washing your hands before you eat as a law and that's interesting I mean, I kind of knew that but it's interesting that you know We actually I mean look the Bible talks about all different kinds of other places You should wash after you touch a dead body and numbers 19 I mean all sorts of different things and when you read those things and you compare them to actual medical Advice that you would get today, you know you agree I mean like after you touch a dead body. Yeah, you should probably wash your hands after that right, especially, you know With whatever could have killed that person right who look back at Matthew chapter 15 verse number three, but there was no law Saying that before you eat you have to wash your hands Kids you hear that There's no law in the Bible. All right, unless your parents tell you Romans 13 the higher powers. There you go All right. Okay. All right, Matthew chapter 15 of verse number three. I'm kidding. Of course kids be clean All right. Now look at verse number three Jesus answers them, but he answered and said unto them. Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? He answers the question right there in verse number four He said for God commanded saying honor thy father and mother and he that curseth father and mother let him die the death Now Jesus kind of like takes a turn here, right? He takes a turn and he says basically look first of all He says that what they're doing with by saying, you know, this wash your hands before you eat stuff What they're criticizing him with is their own tradition. I mean think about how stupid this is They're literally criticizing God with a rule that he didn't make Right. I mean with a rule that they made and then Jesus because he's God he's Jesus He actually picks out something that you know Look, we couldn't do what he did here because he actually picks out something that they were actually not Following themselves, but he's Jesus So he knows you know a commandment an actual commandment a big commandment honor thy father and mother that they weren't Following. All right, so he picks this out and he's like look you're supposed to honor your you've made up this stupid rule You're attacking me with this dumb rule and you all aren't even honoring your father and mother and then he goes into even more detail On specifically how they weren't doing that. All right, look at verse number five, but you say so for God's of God He says God commanded this he says God come he's gonna say it this way God said this rule and you're doing this Okay, that's how he's gonna put this All right So he says for God commanded saying honor thy father and mother and he that curseth father and mother let him die the death That's God's rule But ye say but you all are saying Whosoever shall say to his father or mother it is a gift by whatsoever Thou mightest be profit by me and honor not his father or mother. He shall be free So here they're saying they made some they made some out Where you didn't have to take care of your parents or honor your parents where if you just said well all this stuff I have over here like you get a bunch of wealth and you don't have to take care of your parents It's a gift from God or gift from whatever, right? They basically made some caveat where they changed God's law where they didn't have to honor their father and mother anymore Is what they did and Jesus calls them on it right here So he's like hey you made some you made you're making some stupid rule up against me That isn't even a commandment in the Bible and you're not following this huge commandment over here I mean these guys must have just been like How did he know this right or whatever? Because I mean Jesus just he's God he knows this right I mean he can he can win any debate because he knows the the heart of every man. I mean think about how advantageous that must be right so look at verse number six and He says and honor not his father mother. He shall be free That's their commandment and then Jesus says he stops it there and he says thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by what? by your tradition, so he's saying you're making up some rule against me and Then you're taking a huge commandment of God and you're making it of none effect by your stupid tradition again So he's like you're making all these traditions. You're making stuff up. You're changing commandments. He's like he's just he's upset He's just ripping up here big time So look look at Exodus chapter 20 No Don't go to Exodus 20 Don't go there. We don't have to go there. Okay, turn to Isaiah 29 while I read verse number 7 Jesus says ye hypocrites Well, did it sighs prophesy of you saying this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and on earth me with their lips But their heart is far from me. So he's saying now he quotes Isaiah Okay, he quotes Isaiah 29 13 here when he basically says he just he just calls him he ends his whole lecture here By saying you guys are a bunch of hypocrites He's like you speak highly of God and you claim God with your mouth, but your heart is nowhere near God That's what he said and he quoted Isaiah 3913 where it says this it says wherefore the Lord said for as much as the people draw near me with their mouth and with Their lips do honor me But you have removed their heart far from me and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men Imagine how upset the Pharisees must have been at this guy because he can just like quote like Bible just like crazy, right? I mean, he just knows the whole Bible cuz like he wrote it Cuz he is the Bible he is the word like you can just quote anything So he's just like constantly making all these references to the Old Testament. They've got to be like, ah Right, I mean they just can't win go back to Matthew 15 in verse number 9 So he's saying you you honor me with your lips and you say you're for God and you say you're for but God is standing Right in front of you. Your hearts are nowhere near God. You're unbelievers He's just like your hypocrites and he's just just tearing them up here in verse number 9 He answers the wraps the whole thing up and he says but in vain they do worship me Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men he wraps it up right there beautifully Look there wasn't an Old Testament rule for this, you know And it's and it's interesting because you know when I was like thinking about this I mean, I knew that there wasn't like but I never really thought about it And I was I was thinking about growing up and like, you know We I was thinking about like working on the farm with my uncle And we just be like working and we have to like eat lunch in the truck We just sit in the truck and we just be filthy. We just be like eating a grease sandwich You know what? I mean, you just quick eat a grease sandwich and then you go back to work And it wasn't really considered unclean You know, you just go out you clean out a grain bin and you're just all covered in garbage You just eat a sandwich or you're harvesting and you just cover from dirt from head to toe You just eat a dirt sandwich or whatever. I mean it kind of tastes better, but it was never considered unclean I'm sitting there with my grandpa and my dad eating a dirt sandwich And it was never considered unclean, but you know what we never would have done We never would have went out and shot a deer and gutted a deer and then went and had a sandwich. We always We always knew you we better go wash our hands, you know when you're covered in blood up to your your shoulders It's like we're unclean right now But that and I didn't look I didn't know the Bible back then but it's isn't that funny? It's just kind of it's just kind of in us. I was thinking about it It's like we never I just never would have done that. We just never would have done that It's just kind of how we're programmed kind of like it's in our heart You know what I'm saying? Even these even these small, you know commandments in the Bible They're kind of they're kind of in our heart, you know when I was when I was writing this sermon I just kind of remembered all those things so it was it was just kind of a neat thing to reminisce But anyway, they they declare all the people Unclean because of their stupid tradition that they made up think about it. All right, and they weren't even following God's Commandments, all right, look at Matthew 15 in verse number 10. We got to get moving here All right And he called the multitude and said to them hear and understand Not that which goeth out of them into the mouth to file with the man But that which cometh out of the mouth this to file with the man. So this is gets even better, right? So you like rip some personally remember how I talked to you about like cursing and dealing with people that curse at work I'm like, hey, it's probably best to just pull somebody aside cuz like, you know, they're probably gonna be offended You know, if you you talk about him and you know with other people I mean Jesus like rips them personally to their face then he like starts whipping them to the whole crowd So he's like now he's now is the public flogging right here All right in verse number 10 and he called the multitude, right? He's like everybody get over here Let me tell you how bad these people are and he said to them here and understand It's not which goeth into the mouth that defile with a man but which cometh out of the mouth this defile with a man Translation what these people are telling you is the problem not our dirty hands is what he said Alright in Matthew 12. Look at verse number 12 then came his disciples and said on him No, it's thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying I mean these these these disciples act like they just met Jesus, right? They're like don't you understand that you're offending them that you're upsetting them, you know I mean they were offended but he answered and said and then he's like then he goes Oh, I didn't know I offended them No, look what he says he says but he answered and said every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted should be rooted up He compares them to the tears that he just talked about in Matthew 13, which are gonna be burned So he just makes it just keeps like piling it on piling it on look Look, this was this is Jesus right here. He's like ripping face right here You know and he doesn't care who he offends He doesn't care who he offends. He's just telling it how it is. Look now This whole thing that that's going on right now the new thing that's going on with all the stuff and the the writing and all that I don't even want to begin to get into all the different facets of that There's so many different cogs in that machine It could be a sermon series for weeks and weeks and weeks But I will tell you this I will tell you one thing that not gonna be good that comes out of this this idea that you can just like Just be offended and people should be criminally held responsible because you're offended This is good at this whole situation in our country right now is gonna do nothing for free speech. I'll tell you that I'll tell you that right now because guess what? Guess what folks? There's a lot of offensive things that you hear people are saying against other people right now But guess what? Most people are gonna be offended by the Bible Most people are gonna be offended by the Bible. Look at Jesus right here. He's offending people He's offending people here. So look it's What you can and can't say is is becoming you know This political correctness is not good for the Christian who needs to preach the whole Bible I'll tell you that right now because the Bible offends The Bible offends look at verse number 14 And then Jesus just says let them alone They'd be blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch Then answered Peter and said unto him declare unto us this parable and Jesus says are you also yet without understanding? He's like, you don't understand what I'm telling you. This isn't rocket surgery I mean he's like, how do you not get this? He says do you not yet understand that whatsoever enter it into the mouth goeth into the belly and cast out into the drought I'm not going to explain that you can look it up But those things would proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile the man So he's basically saying look everything that you eat It just it just goes through your digestive system But he's saying look what defiles you is what's in your heart because what's in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth And even more than that, you know define your actions in your life We talked about that in the last sermon series for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness Blasphemies these are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashing hands defile with not a man So look he's saying the Pharisees they had they had these hard Rotten Hearts is what they had and they were teaching false doctrine. They were teaching their own doctrine look at verse number 21 Then Jesus now we switch gears a little bit here Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon and behold a woman of Canaan This is someone outside of the nation of Israel came out of the same coast and cried unto him saying have mercy on me Oh Lord thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil But he answered her not a word and his disciples came and besought him saying send her away For she crieth after us. First of all, like what did this lady call Jesus? She called him Lord, right and she said son of David So like this woman knew who Jesus was and she believed who Jesus was All right in verse number 24 Jesus says something that's kind of like, you know Kind of mean to this lady and he said he answered finally because he was quiet He didn't say anything at first and he said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel Now, what does he mean there turn to Matthew chapter 10? I mean, here's this lady calling him. Oh Lord She has faith in him. She obviously believes that he's the Messiah son of David She knows you know She's of the religion of the Jews, even though she's a woman of Canaan and she believes in the Messiah She believes of Jesus in Matthew 10 look at verse 5 and and let's start reading there But Jesus says, you know, I haven't come to you. I've come to the to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Look at verse number 5 of Matthew 10 these 12 Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as he preached as you go preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand you see so he told the disciples the same thing He said don't go to the Gentiles. He's like just go to the children of Israel turn to Hebrews 13 you see Jesus was fulfilling prophecy here He Was fulfilling prophecy and I'm going to show you what he was actually telling this lady and why he said this Alright, look at Hebrews 13 in verse 20 first of all and the Bible says in Hebrews 13 20 now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that Great Shepherd of the sheep. Here's this gathering of the sheep Right through the blood of the what the blood of the everlasting covenant Jesus was to fulfill this Everlasting covenant. He was to fulfill this promise of the Messiah right but just to Israel That's what he told this lady right that he's just for the lost sheep of Israel But look it was just part of the plan. It was just the every every Ministry has to have a plan right every I you know Every idea has to have a beginning if we're gonna sit down and we're gonna build something We need to start with you know attaching the first two boards, right? This is what Jesus was talking about turn to Romans chapter 1 Turn to Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 1 look at verse number 16 Romans chapter 1 if you of most of you just drop your Bible you will automatically open a Romans chapter 1 Because you guys are like reading Romans chapter 1 all the time. No, that's good Romans chapter 1 verse number 16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believeth now he explains it right here to the Jew first and also to the Greek So first of all, Jesus was fulfilling this messianic promise Which this woman believed and he was you know, which was the promise to David as well that you would keep continue his kingdom forever But look he was to gather the lost sheep of Israel First That's all that's what he was getting at with this lady. But look go back to Matthew chapter 15 in verse number 25 Here's what he was really doing with this lady. He was kind of saying yeah, you know, I'm here We're here to gather the lost sheep of Israel first Paul tells us that again in Romans 1 16 But look, here's what he was really at getting at with this lady Look at verse number 15 verse number 25 of Matthew 15 Let's continue and see how this ended then came she and worshiped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs Wow And she said truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table Then Jesus answered and said unto her o woman Great is thy faith. There's Jesus, right? Be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole from that very hour Jesus was testing her faith here. He was he was testing her faith. He was testing her humility He was seeing if she really believed it or if she was just some you know Gentile that was just trying to get a favor or something He was just seeing what she was all about and he found out what she was all about He's like you think I'm gonna take this great gift that is, you know to God's chosen people and you know cast it to the dogs Look it was to go everywhere and Jesus knew this, right? It was just to go to the children of Israel first, but it was to go everywhere and Jesus knew this But this woman he wanted to see what she said and this woman just said hey, whatever I if I'm a dog I'm a dog any crumbs off that table. I can get I'll take him And he's like her daughter was healed just like that. So he was testing her faith. It's a great it's a great little story in the Bible look at verse number 29 and Jesus departed from thence and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee and went up into a mountain and sat there and great multitudes came unto him having with them those that were lame blind dumb maim and many others and cast them down at Jesus's feet and he healed them and so much that the multitude wonder when they saw the dumb to speak the maim to behold the lame to walk the blind to See and they glorified the God of Israel then Jesus called his disciples and said I have compassion on the multitude Here's that compassion again Because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away Fasting unless they faint in the way. I mean just think about it. These people didn't even care what they had to eat They just couldn't get enough of Jesus right and his disciples saying to him when should we have so much bread in the wilderness has to fill such a great multitude Jesus said to them how many loaves have you and they said seven and a few little fishes and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground and he took the seven loaves and fishes and gave thanks and break them and gave them to his Disciples and the disciples to the multitude and they did eat and were filled and they took up the broken meat that were left seven Baskets full and they did eat were there were four thousand men besides women and children So this is the feeding of the four thousand versus the feeding of the five thousand that we saw a couple chapters ago and he sent away the multitude and took ship and came into the coast of Magdala, so just the only note to make here is just that these people came out and they just couldn't get enough of You know being around the Lord and so much that they they're they're their main physical desire in their life what they're gonna eat You know, they forgot all about it. You know, I said they were there for three days I mean those people must have been hungry. So of course Jesus performs another great miracle So let me make some application tonight out of Matthew chapter 15 at the beginning of Matthew chapters 15 We're gonna focus on what the Pharisees did here and just kind of apply that to things that we see today Well, you know basically the Pharisees were making up their own traditions And while they were doing that they were violating and perverting the law of God. All right, and that angered Jesus I mean you saw he just he raked him over the coals That angered him. They made the commandment of God of none effect by their tradition So what have they done? What have they done here? Let's think about it and think about if we see this happening today All right, they basically they took a theme in the Bible, right? They didn't just make something up out of the blue They took a theme which was washing right in the Bible and they took it to extremes That you know suited them Basically that made they made a tradition out of a certain theme in the Bible and then they turned it into what a commandment Right and look at verse number nine. Why did they do it? Why did they do it? Well Jesus sums it up in verse number nine He says look he says but in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Look they did it for vanity They did it for Selfish pride, right? They did it to be seen of men They did it so people would look at them and think that they were like super holy or that they were up here Right, they took they always took the higher seats, you know, they were they were doing that for selfish pride Basically, they were inventing Tradition making up rules that aren't in the Bible look both. I hate to break it to you, but both unsaved and Saved people do this today Okay, look Turn to James chapter 1 and verse 26 James chapter 1 and verse 26 Both saved and unsaved people do this today And in James chapter 126 the Bible tells you, you know, just one way you can tell if somebody's doing this All right Look in James 126 is if I said if the Bible says if a man among you seemed to be religious I bet you the Pharisees seemed to be religious to most people Right the Bible says if a man seemed to be religious and bridle with not his tongue But deceiveth his own heart this man's religion is in vain So the Bible here is telling you look if you have somebody that seems to be religious But he's out and he's just saying all these just horrible things that aren't in the Bible He's like, you know, that man's religion is in vain. All right, that's one way you could tell. All right So look look at look at some What are some unsaved? examples of this I Hate to even bring it up again, but you have to say that the biggest unsaved example of this is Catholic tradition, you know the Catholics and the traditions. I mean, these are the Pharisees of today Definitely. I mean you think about you know, the the meats, you know The the meat rules that they have and what you can eat and when you you know You can't eat at what times of the year and all these types of things you think about all the different rituals You know the the mass that's a ritual if I've ever seen one, right? I mean confession to the priest, you know all the signs that they're always making The thing, you know the signs of the cross and you're kneeling it one time and you have to do the thing you got to dip the Thing in the water and slap it on your face and all this kind of stuff and I mean I mean you have to learn how to do all this stuff and It's it's just it's just it's vanity is all it is. There's it's it's nowhere nowhere in the Bible None of it None of it, but they don't even believe the Bible yet The Catholics have made up all these rules that they much must follow. I mean think about it Look, especially with the priests right the dress the wardrobe the amulets You know and the the the spear or whatever the the woody at the scepter, you know all these things I mean nowhere in the Bible. It's just to lift themselves up. It's to broaden the borders of their garments It's it's to be seen of man. It's all Vanity, but look the irony is this the irony is that this Catholic will look at the Baptist Following the Bible in their life and call him like a legalist You know what? I mean saying oh because I mean they'll look at the Baptist who's leading a separated life and you know trying to Do what the Bible actually says and they'll call them, you know, a legalist is like, oh man You're just living in this legalism and all these types of things But what even though that Baptist they completely misunderstand it because that Baptist who's trying to live that life It believes that he's living that life just to please God he has nothing to do with getting himself to heaven Nothing nothing to do with this salvation Yet you see these weird rituals that aren't even in the Bible the doctrines of it so it's the exact same thing Right, they're making up all this garbage that's not in the Bible and they're doing nothing that's in the Bible It makes no sense, but it's exactly what Jesus was talking about It's exactly what he was talking about. Now you say all right, that's that's a good example They're unsaved, you know, just like the Pharisees all these types of things But what saved people have their own version of this Saved people have their own look Here's the thing The Bible has hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of I've heard people, you know say that they've counted all the commandments I don't even think you can the Bible has hundreds of Commandments and rules Areas, you know But yet people make up more people make up more Commandments and rules in the Bible and then you know Turn them into Commandments of men basically because look if you're making up a rule that's not in the Bible. That's your commandment. It's not God's Okay, like you say give me some examples. Here's it. Here's an example Dress standards turn to Deuteronomy chapter 22 Deuteronomy chapter 22. I mean dress standards in the Bible is pretty simple. Okay, it's pretty simple And look the dress standards in the Bible are pretty much the same for men and women It's just they they tend to apply, you know Women tend to you know, wear less clothing today and all these types of things where men kind of look the same You know just we just kind of look the same right? We just kind of wear pants and a shirt, right? But anyway, look look at Deuteronomy chapter 22 and we won't you know thoroughly go through this But I just want to point out a couple things on dress standards. The Bible is pretty clear I mean the woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto the man either show a man put on a woman's garment For all that do so or abomination to the ward look women are to wear women's clothing men are to wear men's clothing It's pretty simple Right. It's pretty simple turn to 1st Timothy chapter 2 That's where the Baptist and we were not going to cut it up and get into it But that's where the Baptist belief that women should wear dresses and men should wear pants. That's where it comes from Because if you look at tradition throughout history read the Bible about it. It's it's pretty clear. That's what it's talking about All right. Look at 1st Timothy chapter 2 there's another rule for dress standards Look at verse number 9 in like manner also that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shame facedness and sobriety Not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array So look women aren't just supposed to like wear all these diamonds and pearls and gold everywhere they're supposed to dress modestly and modestly can mean, you know, like not being flashy or You know also, you know the Bible defines nakedness that should be covered by men and women I mean that's also being modest. Okay. So look men's clothes Men women's clothes women modest apparel cover your nakedness. It's pretty complicated Right, but look that's the Bible rules, right? Yet you will you will find people who will find save people who put all sorts of other just rules on this some of the first Baptist we ever met were like this and We met a husband who would not allow he wouldn't allow his wife to wear anything other than like These just raggedy old clothes and like all she just got to the no makeup Just just you couldn't wear anything. That was even close to nice She's got to the point where all she wore was like a t-shirt an old dress and snow boots. I Mean it was kind of sad but you see the thing is if she wore nice clothes She's enticing men These these people are out there Okay, so look I mean he believed that she couldn't wear her purse across her her chest because that might entice men to look At that area if her shirt was tighter at that time, I mean Look first of all It's weird Okay, second of all, you know, they looked the real problem is that I mean like guys like that like look They got something else is wrong Okay, and I mean I called this big time when I met these people, but I was like something's wrong with that guy And I turned out to be right but look here's the thing In your own family, whatever quantify God's rules the way you want. The man is the head of his household, but don't be Throwing that out everywhere else because that's not that's not your lane. You see what I'm saying? That's not your lane, right? So however, you want to quantify those rules in the Bible in your house. That's up to you Men, you're you're the leader of your house, but you look you're not to push that out to everybody else All right. Look turn to Leviticus chapter 11 meats and drink This is another one where people can just go way too far and go way out of bounds on this Look at Leviticus chapter 11. Look at verse number 20 and we get some rules on like what to eat and what not to eat in the Bible and The Bible says in verse number 20 of Leviticus 11 all fowls that creep going upon all four shall be an abomination unto you Yet these may eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four Which have legs above their feet to leap with all upon the earth either of these you may eat the locust after his kind the bald locust after this kind the beetle of his kind the Grasshopper of his kind but all other flying creeping things. Hey bats You're not supposed to eat bats In the Bible, right? Alright end of sermon. No, I'm just kidding Alright, so but all other flying creeping things and he goes on in just anything things You should eat and things you shouldn't eat but then guess what in the New Testament it all goes away Right, we just blow it all away turn to Acts chapter 10 Turn to Acts chapter 10 and look at verse number 10 where the Bible says and he became hungry This is Peter when he was given a vision and would have eaten but what they made ready He fell into a trance and he saw heaven open and a certain vessel descending upon him as it had been great sheet knit At the four corners let down to the earth We're in all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things now You can eat bats and the fowls of the air and there came a voice to him rise Peter kill and eat but Peter said not so Lord for I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean and the voice spake unto him again the Second time what God hath cleansed That call thou that call not thou common now turn to Hebrews chapter 9 So is God just like changing the rules here? First of all, look at Hebrews chapter 9 No God, this was the plan the whole time and the reason was this The reason is this because the meats and the drinks and the diverse washings and the carnal ordinances Look at Hebrews 9 in verse number 10 Which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation But Christ being come High Priest of good things So all these different things these carnal washings all these cardinal ordinances what you can eat what you can eat When to wash and all these things all this with the priests it went away with Jesus Because it was just it was a it was a shadow of things to come It was a it was foreshadowing the coming of Jesus and it all went away All right, but not to say that there's not health reasons for those things in the Old Testament All right, like eating bats like probably not that healthy apparently, right? All right now look the bottom line is You can have all sorts of cardinal ordinances in your house on what you can eat and what you can't eat but Don't put that on everybody else. You see what I'm saying? I mean the Bible really doesn't have any carnal ordinances on like things that you can eat or not eat anymore, right? I mean you should I mean you should be healthy the Bible talks about your body body being a temple I mean, that's a good thing the bot the Bible talks about that But look you don't have to create all these different rules and and push them on other people and some people get really Judgmental about stuff like this. I mean like I'm on my own personal, you know in our family We're kind of moving more in this direction all the time. But look that's what we're doing For reasons we're doing it and and that's not what you have to do, right? I mean look you can quantify the Bible in these cases in your own home Look raise kids with a healthy lifestyle We're at the park the other day and everybody's got a Fitbit now and like we're out running in the park and doing stuff in the park and I you know that my wife's like, all right now, let's go to McDonald's or whatever and you know get a Soda or whatever. Look we drink Diet Coke every now and then in our house And that's just the way it is and judge me all you want All right, but look here's the thing some of the kids were like some of the kids were like like Jacob said No, I don't want to like waste those calories Because he just burned a bunch of calorie. I mean look they're getting they're getting energy balance-minded. That's good That's a good thing right that they're going out and they're learning to exercise and they're realizing hey if I go and I exercise and I Burn 300 calories and I go pound a strawberry shake. That's 1200 calories. That's not gonna go well for me I might as well not exercise right there learning those things. That's a good thing, right? That's a good thing But look, you don't have to push all these different organics and GMO ideas and theories on everybody else and all this You know get super judgmental about it. That's the bottom line your house Your wheelhouse that's the bottom line. All right, look Lifestyle decisions summers coming, you know summers coming. Here's another thing People are gonna are gonna dress inappropriately Pete not everybody is gonna look like, you know, we're gonna look and You know, here's the thing Everyone's gonna draw these lines in a different place You know, look if you ever want to know where I've drawn lines or where we've drawn lines That's one thing but everybody has to decide where to draw lines themselves. All right I'm not gonna keep my family locked up in my house because people dress inappropriately period and guess what because look We are supposed to dress. Here's what the Bible says. We are supposed to dress appropriately and Men are supposed to control their eyes. That's what the Bible says now. Look am I going to a beach? We're like everybody's naked. No, I wouldn't do that for My own reasons for my children's reasons and I wouldn't do that for my wife and my daughter What would you do that for? Why would you do that? But look it doesn't mean that I'm never gonna go to a park Or I'm never gonna go on a walk Or I'm just gonna lock myself in my house. You see what I'm saying? So everyone's gonna draw these lines where they feel they can draw these lines, right? But look The Bible is clear men control your eyes, you know to look upon a woman, you know In lust after her is you've committed adultery with her already in your heart. That's what the Bible says Right, so that doesn't mean that you know We all have to be locked in our house because you can't control what you look at You know, I mean look those are the rules. You don't have to make it harder than That and everyone's gonna draw those lines in different places and you know, they're pretty easy to draw in my opinion But look the Christian Shouldn't have to be in solitary confinement All right. All right now Holy Days. Here's another one right go to Romans 14 verse number 5 The Bible says in Romans 14 verse number 5 That one man esteemeth one day above another another steameth every day alike Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind look celebrating Christmas celebrating Easter etc Keep these. I mean look keep these quantifications these these Quantifications of Bible rules in your own house. Look if you don't want to celebrate Christmas because you believe that it's a violation against your conscience Great But don't go tell somebody else that celebrates Christmas that they're a pagan and they worship Satan or something right or you know Because they have a Christmas tree or whatever, right? I mean look every man needs to be persuaded in his own mind So in your home, don't be so correct that you create your own vain doctrines of men. That's the bottom line here All right, people people are gonna quantify things Differently people are gonna manage their homes differently think about qualifications for Sending someone out to be a pastor you will find look there's certain rules in the Bible not a novice Certain pastors have to quantify that somehow. What does that mean? Not a novice? Does that mean that you have to know the Bible so well how many times you I mean you you have to read the Bible How many different times you have to you know have be married for so long? You have to be saved for so many years every single pastor many pastors are gonna have different numbers there. It's fine It's totally fine. They're quantifying those things Differently, but it's okay. There's following the Bible. You see what I'm saying? Look, there are enough Rules in the Bible. We don't have to make up our own It's because look it just becomes here's the thing and shame on us if we do it There's unsaved people. There's pagans. There's heathens. There's people out there Just taking God's Word and just twisting it up just to make themselves look good and shame on us if we use religion for our own vanity Shame on us if we do that shame on us if we ever Go, you know and and and we're amongst, you know unsaved family or unsaved whoever and we're trying to be You know holier than thou or we're trying to you know Just shove things in their face and all this kind of stuff shame on us if we become those people that just are just teaching things that aren't in the Bible to To lift ourselves up we should never do it. All right, so look don't create Doctrines of men and and basically, you know, look it doesn't mean that you can't define things in your household these things Don't get me wrong here. Right men. Look you got to define things in your house, right? You have to quantify these things in your house Right. I mean look if you do want to quantify like hey, here's what's appropriate dress in my house There is that's what you should do is make those rules and set those set those lines in your house But that is you quantifying it All right, that's your wheelhouse You don't have authority over anybody else's wife or anybody else's children or anything like that Okay, so that's what Jesus was getting at. It was a very important thing that he was really adamant about and Did a good job of rebuking what's power heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father I thank you for Matthew chapter 15. I thank you for this great lesson from Jesus. I thank you for Just your boldness, I mean when you when you confronted things I thank you for your boldness I thank you for the way that you didn't Mince words just the way you just head-on confronted things and took care of problems So when we read your word Lord, we know exactly where you stand We know exactly what you were talking about what you were getting at why you did and said what you you said So it can be examples and we can apply it in our lives. We love you in Jesus name we pray You