The Yeast of Legalism

INTRODUCTION / PASSAGE Good morning. My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here. I want you to think about this scenario this morning. Let’s say you are walking down a road at night, by yourself… …you see someone you really respect standing up ahead on the side of the road. And as you get nearer to them, you can see concern on their face. And let me ask you a question: If once you got close to them, they stopped you, and they said, “Be careful of what’s coming. Watch out!” Would you take them seriously?? I would! I mean, I’d also be super duper freaked out, but I’d definitely take them seriously. Well, today, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is going to say in our passage, “Be careful! Watch out!” So let’s take a look Mark 8:14 21 Page 688 We are in week 2 of our 7 week series on Mark chapter 8, where we are studying through a number of things that “God is concerned with” that we often miss. Last week we were studying Jesus’ miraculous provision of feeding the 4,000, and we left off just as He was getting in the boat afterwards with His disciples (Mark 8:14 21) – NIV 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” THE PHARISEES & LEGALISM (TITLE SLIDE) In House Groups this week, we have a fascinating video for you about the different number of baskets of bread that were picked up at each miracle (and what that means), but this morning, we’re going to primarily focus on verse 15. Where Jesus says: “Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod” In fact, I think this one verse is so important, I’m going to spend 2 weeks just on this verse. We’re going to spend the second message talking about the dangers of the Yeast of Herod, and this morning on the dangers of the yeast of the Pharisees. But who were the Pharisees? They were a group of religious leaders in Jesus’ day who practiced strict obedience to Biblical rules. But, unfortunately, they went beyond just devotion to God’s Word and the laws He provided… …and they had a list of 613 additional laws people were supposed to follow if they wanted to be Godly. And the purpose of a lot of these rules was to build an extra fence around the Biblical rule so people wouldn’t get anywhere near breaking the Biblical law. So for example, one of the 10 commandments in the Bible is to honor the sabbath and not work, but the Pharisees said, “Well, how are we supposed to know what “work” is? And so they created a list of 39 different types of work And that list even included things like cooking, or writing, or even tying knots One time when Jesus healed someone on the sabbath, the Pharisees got really upset because Jesus was “working,” and that must have surely disgusted God! And this is what Jesus wants us to guard against. And in modern times, when we see that someone is acting like a Pharisee, we say that they have fallen into legalism Legalism = The idea that we need to create a bunch of extra rules, obey those rules, and then, and only then, will we earn God’s love. Legalism is like religion on steroids. And in many ways, it’s the antithesis of the Gospel. The Gospel = We can’t earn our way to God, but we can receive salvation and forgiveness by believing Jesus died for us. So when we say Gospel, that’s what we mean. And Legalism and the Gospel are antithetical. (GOSPEL ARROW) In the Gospel, God comes down to us. He dies for us. We can’t earn our way… We just need to receive Him and His love in. (LEGALISM ARROW) But see, legalism inverts the Gospel. And legalism says you must work your way UP to God…and then you will earn his love. And Christians have struggled mightily with legalism in the past. The peak of legalism in America was in the early and middle parts of the 20th century …back when Christians couldn’t play cards, watch movies, touch alcohol, dance, or you name it. And like the Pharisees, the church had added extra rules (precautionary fences )so that believers wouldn’t ever come close to breaking a Biblical rule And they would say, “The Bible says, “Don’t get drunk,” but let’s just be safe and add a fence to say, “Just don’t even drink” And over time in legalism, the fence also becomes the new Holy Rule. And I think we’d like to say that legalism was a thing of the past… And in many ways the American church has swung the other direction (maybe too far?!) And YET…you’d be surprised how much legalism still lurks around (TITLE SLIDE) Legalism…is dangerous. You should fear it. You should “Be careful” and “watch out” as Jesus says. WHY? Because Jesus calls it “the yeast of the Pharisees” Now, I don’t know how many of you bake bread from scratch and use yeast…maybe you’re always posting on Instagram about your latest “sourdough recipe” but I’m going to assume, the majority of us haven’t used yeast before. If you’re making bread, the little packet of yeast you start with has cells that have to be activated if they’re going to get to work and spread and make the bread rise. And to be activated, the yeast needs to be thrown into warm water …it needs to interact with sugar, starches. And as the yeast eats up sugar and starch, it sort of burps up Carbon Dioxide (gas), which causes the bread to rise. But the thing is, it actually only takes a very small amount of yeast, for it to work itself all through the dough. And Jesus is warning us that it only takes a very small amount of legalism, for it to work itself all the through your life And so I think (because of Jesus’ stern warning here) that it’s really important that we take our time today to talk through the warning signs of legalism spreading in your life. Because, look at me, legalism, like yeast, is so sneaky, so invisible that most people don’t see it when it’s spreading. So many of us have already flipped the Gospel upside down in our hearts, but we haven’t noticed it yet. And so I want to give you 7 warning signs that Legalism might be spreading in your life. #1: YOU ONLY ASSESS YOUR FAITH BY OUTWARD ACTIVITIES THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities This is what many of our Christian grandparents and great grandparents struggled with so mightily. The only barometer they had for how their faith was doing was a checklist of do’s and don’ts: Don’t go to the theater, don’t gamble, don’t wear earrings, don’t wear shorts, and on and on. And if you were avoiding those things, and making it to church 3 times a week, you were good. And some of you grew up in a simplified version of that: You were supposed to get first communion, go through confirmation, and if you did these traditional things….you were good. And others of you that grew up in an evangelical church, and your situation might be like that of Author John Ortberg. Check out what he has to say: As I was growing up, having a ‘quiet time’ became a boundary marker, a measure of spiritual growth. If someone had asked me about my spiritual life, I would immediately think, ‘Have I been having regular and lengthy quiet time? My initial thought was not, ‘Am I growing more loving toward God and toward people?’ If people do not experience authentic transformation, then their faith will deteriorate into a search for the boundary markers that masquerade as evidence of a changed life. – John Ortberg That last line is particularly important. If you’re not seeking out God, for God… If it’s not ultimately about a relationship with Him… You won’t experience real transformation. And all you’ll have left is to pick some spiritual activities, and say, “I’m good. I’m Godly…because…I do these activities” THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities Now, this is nuanced right? Many of our spiritual activities are quite important. I think you should read your Bible every day… And coming to church each week should help you grow. But those things can’t ultimately be the only way you assess your faith It’s gotta be deeper than that. I challenge you to read Matthew chapter 7 this week where Jesus says many will have done activities in my name, but at the judgment I will say to them, “I never knew you. Away from me.” What makes you good in God’s eyes, is not what you have done, but what Jesus has done for you. Are you letting that truth drive your spiritual growth? #2: YOU’RE BECOMING MORE JUDGMENTAL THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental When legalism spreads in your heart, you begin to think things like: “I go to house groups every week, why don’t they? What’s their excuse?” “I can’t believe she started eating without praying before her meal? Is she backsliding?” “As a Christian, I would never stream that show, so why are they watching that?” Again, this is all nuanced. Some of you shouldn’t be streaming that show! 😊 But assessing “how judgmental you’ve become” is a heart check…a diagnostic on whether the yeast of legalism is spreading in your heart… if you find that more and more of your conversations with your friends, or your spouse, are revolving around other people’s sins… …there is a decent chance that the yeast of the Pharisees is spreading. Because remember, what happens in legalism, is that people need to feel that God loves them because of what they DO and DO NOT do… And thus, they’re always point out how others are below them, because, subconsciously, they want to reassure themselves that God is pleased with them and loves them! Here’s a different way to look at this 2nd warning sign: People who do not understand grace cannot give grace to others. Church, I saw this so much when we went through our Gender & Sexuality series in January. If you weren’t here, we very clearly (with truth & love) talked about what the Bible teaches about that topic.. And yet, I’ve never before talked on another issue, where so many people asked questions like, “Could God forgive someone like that? Could they be a Christian? Could God still redeem you if you…” And yet I never, ever, hear someone say, “Could God forgive someone who skips church almost every week because they’ve prioritized watching their child kick a ball on a field?” When you catch yourself making a hierarchy of sins, and judging those you deem below you, it’s probably because that invisible yeast of legalism is spreading in your heart. You’ve inverted the gospel. (Legalism Arrow) And your HEART is saying, “God loves me more because I’ve worked my way up more” But that’s not the Gospel. It’s not Biblical. #3: YOU HAVE A RIGHT WAY TO DO EVERYTHING THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything You know, as a pastor, lots of times I get asked complex situational questions by people in our church. And they’ll explain some complicated family or work situation, and they’ll say, “What, as a Christian, should I do in this situation?” And I can try and direct them as best as I can from Biblical teachings and principles…but lots of times, the answer isn’t completely obvious in the Bible. Because the Bible wasn’t written by contract lawyers…it doesn’t have 9,000 situational clauses. And when the Bible doesn’t speak specifically about what exactly we are to do in our unique situation…we’re supposed to consult our Guide, the Holy Spirit. And let Him guide us to His unique answer for us. But the growing legalist in us, hates that answer. So many of us want a rule…a rule for how we should act…actually, for how EVERYBODY should act. (Legalism Arrow) Because if we could just have more rules for how everybody should live, then each rule feels like another step up the ladder to God… …and then surely God must be a little bit more pleased with those of us higher up on the ladder! And that is WHY so many of us so strongly believe there is ALWAYS a right way for someone to do something! THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything And so we say: “Godly parents homeschool their children, they don’t let the government raise their kids” “Godly parents send their kids to Christian school” “Godly parents read the Great Commission, they actually send their kids out into public schools to reach people for Christ” See, it’s always easier to just make another rule about how ALL Christians should act. It’s easier to force everyone into a paint by numbers Christianity where we all look the same, rather than letting people seek the Holy Spirit and letting Him paint the picture He wants with our lives. And so when you find your heart has so many definitive opinions on how people should live in areas that God’s Word doesn’t clearly spell out… (and that’s the key) If God’s word spells it out, you should have a strong opinion! But if it doesn’t, and you have a strong opinion anyway… …know that that is a warning sign that the yeast of legalism is rising in your heart. #4: YOUR PRIVATE LIFE DOESN’T MATCH YOUR PUBLIC LIFE THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything #4: Your private life doesn’t match your public life And I would add, and it doesn’t grieve you that they’re different. Because this statement (as is) is probably generally true for all of us. I’m generally nicer when people are looking, and I bet you are too The problem arises when it no longer bothers us. And that was the Pharisees. Jesus famously tells them, you don’t practice what you preach! In Luke 12, Jesus also says: (Luke 12:1b) – NIV “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. That’s what legalism creates over time: hypocrisy. We get really outwardly concerned with God’s truth and his rules, but inside we’re not letting Him change us. And that’s a big problem for our witness to a watching world. The world hates hypocrites! And so look at then the very hard word that Jesus gives the Pharisees in Matthew 23 Matthew 23:25 28 Page 675 I challenge you to read this whole chapter later. If you think Jesus only cuddles puppies and forgives the brokenhearted, this chapter will shatter that image for you. Jesus is absolutely concerned about how lethal legalism is for your heart, so watch how he challenges the Pharisees: (Matthew 23:25 25) NIV 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 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. (Title Slide) And so if you can sense that your outside life isn’t matching your inside, and especially if you’re not grieved about it… …let that be a warning sign that the yeast of legalism is spreading. Over and over again in here, Jesus teaches us that change must come from the inside out. Let God back into your heart again, so you can start to be one person, not two different people. #5: YOU FEEL LIKE GOD OWES YOU SOMETHING THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything #4: Your private life doesn’t match your public life #5: You feel like God owes you something This is a sneaky one, and a lot of people miss the connection to the invisible, yeast like spread of legalism here. But when life gets hard, and we start to inevitably accuse God… And we say, “God, how could you let this happen?” Or, “God, I’ve been so faithful to you, how come I’m still single?” Or, “God, I’ve gone to church all my life, and now I have this disease? That’s not fair!” What is underneath those statements? Legalism. A legalism that looks more like Karma than Christianity. Like the Karmic idea that you have done something good for God, and now God owes you because of your good works. But trust me, we don’t want from God what we deserve. If we got what we deserved, we’d be in hell. I think of a Bible teacher I knew in college, when you asked him, “How are you doing?” He’d always say, “Better than I deserve” We deserved the righteous wrath of God, but Jesus came and died for us anyway to offer us forgiveness and eternal life in paradise! That’s amazing, and that’s the Gospel. But too many of us don’t spiritually feed ourselves that Gospel enough, and so instead legalism spreads unchecked into our hearts. And so when you spot that your heart is believing that God owes you something, let that be a warning sign that legalism has tricked your heart to flip the Gospel upside down… #6: YOU BELIEVE GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU VARIES BASED ON OBEDIENCE THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything #4: Your private life doesn’t match your public life #5: You feel like God owes you something #6: You believe God’s love for you varies based on your obedience This is a huge one for a lot of us. Remember, the Christian Gospel is this: If you are a believer in Christ, as your level of faithfulness and obedience goes up and down throughout your life (move right hand up and down), that God’s love for you is constant (keep left hand constant) never changes. If this next year you fall into sexual sin, develop an addiction to pain killers, and get divorced, (God doesn’t want you to do that), but His love for you is still here ( don’t move hand) If the following year, you break free of your substance addition, come back to church, and get remarried to your spouse, God’s love for you didn’t move (don’t move hand) It’s FULL, and it’s UNCHANGED. It’s one thing to understand that intellectually, it’s quite another to understand that in your heart. And so when you feel like God loves you less (or more!), realize that invisible yeast of legalism is spreading again. YOU’RE NOT AMAZED BY THE GOSPEL THE WARNING SIGNS THAT LEGALISM IS SPREADING IN YOUR LIFE #1: You only assess your faith by outward activities #2: You’re becoming more judgmental #3: You have a right way to do everything #4: Your private life doesn’t match your public life #5: You feel like God owes you something #6: You believe God’s love for you varies based on your obedience #7: You’re not amazed by the Gospel This is an important one. When you hear the Gospel truth that we share every week, or the Gospel truth that jumps off the pages of THIS BOOK… If it doesn’t amaze you, astonish you, perplex you, and astound you…legalism is growing in your heart. The fact that I have sinned against Almighty God…over and over. And not just before I was a Christian…but as a Christian. And yet Jesus Christ came for me (for ME!) and died for me…that ought to always amaze. As John Newton said, “Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me” But the problem is…we start believing the lie that we’re not that much of wretch, or a mess. If you grew up in the church, you need to be especially on the lookout for this type of yeast spreading in your heart. Whenever I’ve trained people to share their testimonies for a missions trip, or for evangelism, it often feels like half the group says, “But I don’t have much of a testimony…I grew up in the church…and have always been a pretty good person.” But what is that?!? That is someone who is NOT amazed by the Gospel. They’re basically saying, “Yeah, Jesus really had to die for that drug addict 2 rows back…but for me, I’ve pretty much been a good person” But whenever I hear that I think, “Oh no! I wish you knew how dangerous this kind of thinking is to your faith.” It is perhaps more dangerous than even rebellion. The prodigal son, who went out and got drunk and slept around…eventually he came back to the Father… But the prideful, legalist older brother never did. This is so dangerous because like the Pharisees, your pride is blinding you from seeing the Gospel! You’re saying, “I’m pretty good. I’ve obeyed this rule, and this rule, and this rule” How you think about your relationship with God is like the inverted arrow of legalism! God loves you because your “good!” And legalism doesn’t give life…it sucks the life right of you! I think so many American Christians are lukewarm precisely because of this point. They simply do not think they’ve sinned very much, and thus they aren’t in awe of God’s grace. It’s like what Jesus said about the prostitute he forgave. Those who have been forgiven much, love much. And the truth is, we’ve all been forgiven much. But you won’t love him much, until you realize YOU’VE been forgiven much. Until you start to understand how utterly sinful you are and how utterly helpless you are to save yourself without Him… …and yet He came down for you. You didn’t earn…ANYTHING. And THAT is what pushes back legalism and makes it retreat out of your heart: The Gospel Hear it in your heart afresh this morning. . Even in the midst of our arrogance and our pride…God STILL looks at us, and says: “I love you anyway. I’ll take the punishment for you on the cross.” “Because I want you to be saved. “And I want you to know me” “Now walk away from all that…your pride, your self sufficiency… “stop trying to earn my love!” “you don’t need to” …and just receive me in, and walk with me” …in grace. …in the Gospel. Let me pray.