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Prelude To Two Questions Luke 20.19-21 Introduction: Lyle Alzado played football for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. He made anti-drug commercials. Later on he died from the use of steroids. A player for the Atlanta Falcons was honored by a "Christian" organization for his purity and good role model. Only to be arrested the night before the Super Bowl for soliciting a prostitute. Other examples could be given but I think you understand the point. What we profess and what we do must be consistent, otherwise, we are hypocrites and everyone condemns hypocrisy. I) The Prelude To Two Questions A) The two questions 1. It is lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? v. 22 a. There were obviously some that believed it was wrong to pay such taxes. They refused to acknowledge Rome ruling over them. b. The Pharisees and Sadducees acknowledged the political reality. 2. In the resurrection of the woman that had married seven brothers due to the death of each brother; whose wife would she be in the resurrection? v. 33 B) There are a lot of "hard" questions for us today. 1. Divorce/remarriage, social drinking, immodesty, dancing, gambling, church discipline, etc. 2. Hard questions are generally hard because we make them hard. Not being content with what the Bible says we start giving situations that would seem to encourage us to change what we believe the Bible says. 3. Some are hard because of our attitude, v. 20 II) Verse 21 A) We know 1. To know means to either have learned from personal experience or to have learn from observation. 2. How did they know? a. They had sent out spies, men to keep watch for every wrong move Jesus would make. v 20 b. By examining His teachings and actions. 3. Jesus' answers were consistent with the Law of Moses otherwise they would have pointed out His error. a. People will listen to us if they see we are consistent. b. People will watch us to see if our practice follows our profession. B) You do not show personal favoritism 1. Favoritism is the same as partiality and prejudice. 2. The Pharisees were angered by those who Jesus taught. (Sinners, harlots, tax collectors, etc.) 3. Jesus applied the law to everyone alike. 4. Favoritism creates enmity and strife. Example of Jacob as he favored Joseph over the rest of his sons. 5. Jesus did not favor one commandments of Moses over another, Matthew 5.17-18; Hebrews 4.15 a. The Pharisees had their passages; the Sadducees had "their passages." b. Do we have our passages and then neglect the other parts of the Bible, Matthew 23.23-24 6. They wanted to use Jesus' impartiality against Him. Reminds me of Daniel's enemies wanting to use his faithfulness to God against him in Daniel 6. 7. God shows no favoritism, Acts 10.24-25; Romans 2.11-13 8. We have two warnings about favoritism in James 2.1ff; 4.11. C) Teach the way of God truly, v. 21 1. Jesus was faithful in executing the will of the Father. 2. Literally He was full of faith. a. He was faithful in all things. b. He knew and obeyed the will of God. 3. Faithfulness requires total commitment a. Hebrews 3.2,5 Moses was faithful in building God's house. b. Ephesians 1.2; Colossians 1.2 the saints were to be faithful in Christ c. 1 Timothy 3.11 wives were to be faithful in all things. 4. Jesus emphasized the importance of faithfulness in executing one's duties, Luke 16.10 a. David, Acts 13.22 b. Church at Philippi, Phil. 2.14 c. Church at Corinth was being tested to see if they were faithful in all things, 2 Corinthians 2.9. Conclusion: The answer to those two questions were fairly simply. The same can be said for ours today if we are willing to read and do what the Bible teaches. Going back to verse 21, why then did they not listen to Him? If He taught the law of God perfectly then they should have followed Him. The same goes for us today.
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