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Let's not be two faced believers

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[ Matthew 23:28 ]

In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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When Jesus was on earth, there were some who cried loudly. They were teachers of the law and Pharisees who at the time thought most to serve God best.

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People thought that they were good worshipers of God only by looking at their appearance, but Jesus said that they are not living right before God because He knows everything in their hearts. What did Jesus see them and say?

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The Law Teachers and Pharisees taught the law of Moses to others. They taught people to live a life that is pleasing to God, but they didn't live up to what they taught.

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They were zealous for hypocrisy to show people. They made the word box(phylactery) large and put it on their forehead and left arm. This was done according to the Old Testament Deuteronomy 6:8; “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

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This box of words is written by writing the law of Moses on a long piece of parchment and putting it in a small box. This is called a phylactery. They did not obey the word of God, but made a big word box to deceive people as if they loved the word of God.

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They drove the tassel of clothing very long and seemed to be the ones who kept the word of God well. The lengthening of the tassel of clothing is God's command through Numbers 15:38.

[Nm 15:38] “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.”

[Nm 15:39] “You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.”

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God saw Israel's blue tassel on the edge of their clothes and allowed them to remember and keep the word and command of God. The Law Teachers and Pharisees acted as if they were holy men, making the tassels of clothing very long to appear as if they loved the Word of God.

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They always liked to sit high in the feast, and they enjoyed being greeted by the crowds. And they loved to hear people call it rabbi(teacher).

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Jesus told them that there would be God's great judgment, and he scolded them very much for their hypocrisy and wrongdoing.

Jesus said that they are not the only ones who are not allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven, but that they do not let those who believe and follow them go to heaven.

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Jesus told them that they did not do anything that those who knew the word of God should keep.

They did not act justice to their neighbors, nor were they merciful to the poor and suffering. Nor did they have right faith before God.

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Jesus said that the Law Teachers and Pharisees seemed to serve God well, but inside they were full of hypocrisy and evil.

He said that their appearance is colorful and beautiful on the outside, but inside it is like a messy cup and saucer. No matter how beautiful the cups and dishes, even if they look dirty inside, no one will drink tea or eat from them.

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Jesus also said that they are like tombs with limestone on the outside. Jews who denied the tomb had the custom of covering the tomb with lime each year to prevent pilgrims from accidentally stepping on it.

After lime painting, the tomb appears to be clean on the surface, but inside it is full of dead bodies, bones and decaying smells. He told the tomb parable that the Law Teachers and Pharisees pretended to be clean on the outside, but inside they were filled with all kinds of evil things.

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The Law Teachers and the Pharisees looked like holy people. but they were like glasses, plates, and tombs that were pure in appearance.

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Jesus declared that these were children of Satan who had nothing to do with God, and that they would be punished by terrible hell.

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We who believe in Jesus and become children of God must live as children of light, not as children of Satan.

You should not deceive people just as they can serve God well.

We must live justly without harming our neighbors.

We must be able to look back on the poor and suffering people around us.

  We must live as people with right faith before God.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians how we should live.

[Eph 5:8] For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

[Eph 5:9] (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

[Eph 5:10] and find out what pleases the Lord.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)