(There are no throw away Sundays)
Scripture Matthew 15:1-20
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
3 Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6 he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'"
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13 He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
15 Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
16 "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
(No excuses for your foul language - your bad attitude - your unkind behavior - your wreckless approach to worship)
The Pharisees worship God in vain. They place tradition over the word of God. They are more concerned with how things are done…than having an encounter with the living God. Their worship always looks the same. They say the same words, do the same things and as long as they do that, they say they have worshipped whether God is present or pleased or not. As long as they look like they have worshipped all is good. As long as they can keep tradition alive and not encounter the living God in worship they will be successful in maintaining their own little Pleasant Valley Sunday! VIDEO: Pleasant Valley Sunday.
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, sung by The Monkees in 1967. The inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey where the writers were living at the time. The lyrics were a social commentary on status symbols, creature comforts, life in suburbia and "keeping up with the Joneses".
In our text, Jesus is saying, keeping every iota of the law, making sure your grass is cut perfectly, having a tv in every room, going to church to keep some sort of status symbol…is not most important. What you say and do reveals how you are living, or not living, for Jesus Christ. If what comes out of you makes you unclean, the transverse is true as well - what comes out of you makes you clean. What comes out of you reveals what is in your heart.
In 2019, who would prefer to have a clean heart? If you do, then it will show by your actions and words. How do we get a clean heart? I know one very practical way…and it all begins with worship. So, you are already off to a great start. But you have the ability to not only effect your heart and actions but those of others as well.
We each have 52 Sundays a year to come together to make what has become commonplace (A pleasant valley Sunday) - extraordinary. The world has no use to worship a Christ they do not believe exists, and that may be in part to having never encountered a Christian who believes they truly encounter God during corporate worship. For many, we have not allowed God to do anything new through worship - worship has become nothing more than being a group of people having a Pleasant Valley Sunday.
God has given me gifts and has given our church others with gifts who can create a decent “show” every Sunday that is as good or better than any other show in the area. Most people invite others to “special Sundays” but not to the average ordinary commonplace Sunday. That is why, when I am going to do a special drama sermon, I prefer not to let you know so that you will be surprised and think, “Oh I should have invited so and so today, they would have loved this or found it meaningful”. On the other hand, sometimes we do want to let you know when we are doing something special as an emphasis to draw a crowd.
That is the case 3 weeks from today when we will have NO EXCUSE SUNDAY. Start praying for people this week you could invite Jan 27th. We should see over 100 people here on the 27th. You now know 3 weeks ahead of time and next week you will hear the fun ways we are going to meet any excuse people can throw at you for not coming to church.
Next week is special, as the 2019 theme will be introduced. Today’s message is a transition from “BEHOLD, I make all things new” to…Well you will have to be here next week to see and hear all about it. Our vision path team is excited about things God has planned for us this year that will coincide with the theme for the year.
The week between next week and the 27th is special. Wait, every week can’t be special!!! OH YES IT CAN! There are no throw away Sundays! Our worship of Christ - what comes out of our mouth as we come together is our worship.
We will not be like the Pharisees who went to Jesus and said, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Jesus basically responds “who cares if they washed their hands?” I would rather have pure heart worshippers then people who made sure to iron their shirt and shine their shoes but have a cold heart toward the things of God. That reminds me of my very first Sunday in my very first pastorate. (Owl Creek - Youth wearing jeans in church)
Isn’t it ironic, when you worship Jesus, as we do through partaking of communion, even our dirty hands are made clean. Psalm 24:1-4a The earth is the Lord 's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.
Watch what happens in worship when you have an encounter with the living God. SO far during our time together it may seem just like another ride on a Pleasant Valley Sunday, but during the next few moments you are going to encounter the living God. He is going to overwhelm you with His great love for you through His word, the elements of His table and through His concluding song for the day.
FIRST: His Word; Reading together: Psalm 51:1-19 (On Screen to read together)
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
SECOND: HIS TABLE
THIRD: HIS SONG
You're rich in love and you're slow to anger
Your name is great and your heart is kind
For all your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul. I'll worship your holy name
Your name is great and your heart is kind
For all your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. Oh my soul, worship his holy name
Sing like never before, Oh my soul. I'll worship your holy name
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