Summary
In this powerful episode, Alex unpacks Jesus' warning against religious pride and self-promotion, drawing parallels to Moses' mistake at the waters of Meribah. Through biblical insight and practical application, this message challenges listeners to examine their hearts and embrace true servant leadership in the pattern of Christ.
Whether you're a church leader or simply seeking to grow in your faith journey, this episode offers timely wisdom on the dangers of self-exaltation and the freedom found in humility.
Episode Outline:
Introduction (00:00-01:01)
* Welcome to Amen Podcast
* Topic introduction: Making disciples of Jesus, not ourselves
* Scripture reading: Matthew 23:1-7
The Consequence of Self-Exaltation (01:25-05:29)
* The story of Moses striking the rock (Numbers 20:10-13)
* God's response: "You did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness"
* Moses' desire for honor instead of pointing people to God
* The cost of Moses' pride: not entering the Promised Land
Jesus Confronts Religious Leaders (05:30-10:11)
* Setting: Holy Week before Jesus' arrest and crucifixion
* Jesus addresses crowds and disciples about scribes and Pharisees
* The "chair of Moses" and its authority
* "Do what they say, not what they do"
The Burden of Religious Performance (10:12-14:55)
* How religious leaders burden people but won't help them
* Seeking to be seen by others, not by God
* Explanation of phylacteries and tassels
* Enlarging religious symbols to appear more spiritual
* Seeking honor, best seats, and special titles
The Path of Humility (14:56-20:00)
* Jesus' warning: "Don't be called rabbi, father, or instructor"
* "The greatest among you will be your servant"
* "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled"
* God's grace to Moses despite his failure
* Joshua (Jesus) as the true leader into the Promised Land
Application for Today (20:01-33:13)
* The danger of seeking honor in Christian spaces
* The authenticity of house church vs. performance-based Christianity
* How religious rules can become burdens
* Being careful of spiritual pride and works-based religion
* Finding joy in service rather than recognition
Closing (33:13-end)
* Prayer
* Q&A invitation: "What is your amen?"
* Final thoughts on burdens vs. freedom in Christ
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Okay. |
| 0:05.9 | Sorry, just put in my mouth. |
| 0:08.2 | Aloha and welcome to Amen podcast where we believe the gospel changes everything. |
| 0:13.4 | My name is Lockelaani, your host, and I'm joined by my husband, Alex, who is preaching from Matthew chapter 23 verses 1 through 7. |
| 0:22.2 | He will be talking about how we need to be making disciples of Jesus and not ourselves. |
| 0:30.4 | So it's going to be a good one. |
| 0:32.7 | Thank you for being here. |
| 0:34.1 | I'll read the verses. |
| 0:35.5 | He'll share his message and then we'll come back around for a question and answer time. Let's read. |
| 0:43.5 | Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, the scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses's seat. So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, |
| 0:57.1 | but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, |
| 1:03.2 | but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen |
| 1:09.4 | by others, for they make their philactories broad |
| 1:12.4 | and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the |
| 1:18.4 | synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. Amen. There's a story |
| 1:27.1 | in numbers about Moses hitting a rock and he gets into a lot of trouble with God. |
| 1:32.0 | Basically what happens is that people need water and they're complaining, they're grumbling like they always do. |
| 1:38.8 | And God tells Moses, hey, you and Aaron, you know, go, you know, do this thing, speak to the rock and the water's |
| 1:45.3 | going to come out. Moses, who is kind of like just fed up with these people, gets upset, |
| 1:51.6 | lets out some aggression, and he ends up hitting the rock instead of speaking to the rock like |
| 1:57.6 | he was told to do. And this is in Numbers chapter 20 versus 10 through 13. |
| 2:04.0 | And I just want to read real quick what happens afterwards. Verse 10 of Numbers 20 says, |
... |
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