Replacing Legalism With Real Holiness

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Replacing Legalism With Real Holiness</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gods Ability for our Inability"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats So Amazing About Jesus?"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> previous/next sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Replacing Legalism with Real Holiness, </B><B>Mark 7.1-23</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, </B><B>August 6, 2000am</B></div> <bR> <div> Several weeks ago, we studied Mark 2-3, in a sermon entitled. “Letting Go of Legalism:” There we saw 3 complaints about Jesus: he hangs out with sinners, he and his followers don’t fast     they don’t keep the Sabbath. The point there was: <U>pleasing God is about doing the will of God, not keeping a man-made list of rules</U>.</div> <div> In Mark 7.1-23, Jesus encountered these spying legalists once again, as he did in Mark 2-3.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Jesus’ point: Pleasing God starts in the heart, but it does not end there.</B></div> <div> A. The Text: Mark 7.1-23</div> <div> – The Pharisee’s accusation, vss. 1-5 – Jesus’ disciples are not ceremonially “clean.”</div> <div> – Jesus’ response directly to the Pharisees, vss. 6-13 – They are more worried about keeping their own rules and looking good than on pleasing God with their hearts.</div> <div> – Jesus’ explanation to the crowd and his disciples, vss. 14-23 – Pleasing God demands a change from the inside out.</div> <div> B. The Point: Pleasing God starts in your heart, but it does not end there.</div> <div> – Keeping the rules doesn’t change your heart; your heart has to change, which should result in your keeping the rules.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Pursue consistent holiness. Be consistent; inside and out (vs. 6).</B></div> <div> A. What is in your heart? Jesus is more concerned that you please him from the inside out.</div> <div> To be “holy” is to be set apart from sin, and set apart to God. It is pleasing him, doing his will.</div> <div> It is not enough to look good for the public and have a heart that harbors sin, evil, wrongdoing.</div> <div> Here are several examples:</div> <div> – what you watch (TV, movies) when no one is around</div> <div> – harboring bitterness against someone but being nice to that person’s face</div> <div> – talking about how forgiving Jesus is, but fail to forgive others</div> <div> – being comfortable with lust and desire, even without actually committing adultery</div> <div> – being filled with personal pride after God uses you to bless others</div> <div> – talking about how God has blessed you, but you show ingratitude and rob God by not giving some back to him</div> <div> – saying you trust in God to work things out, but manipulating people behind the scenes</div> <div> -- confronting others about their wrongdoing, but not listening when others confront you</div> <div> -- talking about Christian love, but being unkind to others</div> <div> – teach your kids not to lie, but you lie to get out of a tough situation</div> <div> Deal with the sin, wrongdoing, evil in the heart, and let it show in your lifestyle choices, actions.</div> <div> B. Vs. 20-23: You need Jesus to cleanse your heart in order for you to please him. Trust him. Jesus on the inside is the solution.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2000, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>