Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Let's turn to Matthew Chapter 23. Over the years, we have often read the Bible, but the meanings we derived were fragmented and disjointed. Whatever we couldn't connect, we didn't fully understand. Recently, we've been studying Matthew from Chapter 1 to Chapter 22, which mainly discusses two logical systems: one is the worldly system, and the other is the divine system. The worldly system is a perfect one, self-justifying and accommodating to human desires. The divine system, however, is completely incompatible with the worldly system.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. (Matthew 13:47-48).

This verse has profoundly impacted me. We used to think the more people who believed in the Lord, the better, even hoping that the entire nation and race would believe. Later, we discovered that even when 60%-70% of a country became Christians, not all of them became treasures. Were they really all selected into the baskets? It didn't seem so. I often heard pastors saying they hoped all of Singapore would believe in the Lord. But in our private interactions, many phenomena, not just among Christians, but even among pastors, filled me with confusion.

For example, we often see pastors getting cancer. Just this morning, a pastor died of breast cancer. Many pastors lamented, How could God allow this to happen? Cancer is a wasting disease, very painful. Can you see God's good intentions in cancer? I certainly cannot. Recently, another very famous pastor also died of cancer. I am very puzzled: why do so many pastors get cancer and die? It turns out that being a pastor is a high-risk profession. When I pondered these things, I fell into deep confusion: there shouldn't be so many treasures of God in this world.

If the goal is to transform the entire country, will everyone be a treasure desired by God after the transformation? It's really hard to say. The Bible says: Collect the good fish in baskets, but throw the bad away. To this day, we find that only one out of ten lepers returned to follow Jesus. If there were a hundred lepers, about ten would return to follow Jesus, a very rare probability.

What is the end result of serving God? Some become like the Apostle Paul, while others become hypocritical Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees and scribes were basically full-time servants of God. They read the Bible every day, sat in Moses' seat, and taught the people how to read God's Word. But at the end of this chapter, it says: You snakes! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

I am very touched. How can those who serve God end up being punished in hell? I think Matthew wrote this chapter to tell us the words of Jesus. Jesus spoke these words to the crowds and his disciples, talking about the woes of these hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, who ultimately cannot escape the punishment of hell. Jesus actually wanted to warn us how we should serve God.

Hypocrites: Doing Superficial Work, All Talk, No Action

In this world, whether you are an ordinary person or a Christian, you basically cannot escape two systems: the divine logical system and the worldly logical system. You live for something, you die for something. If you live for worldly things, you die for worldly things; if you live for God, you die for God.

In my logical system, I want to live according to the logical system of the Kingdom of God. Some people say: If you put it that way, can we still live our lives? Actually, as soon as I say this, whether or not we live our lives is not that important. Many people start criticizing me: If people don't live their lives, what do they do? Actually, living our lives is not what the Bible tells us; the Bible tells us to offer ourselves wholly to God.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

So the Apostle Paul said this is a matter of course! Some people seem to need to be praised after serving, but it is not necessary; serving God is a matter of course.

I have discovered a very interesting phenomenon. There is a type of person who, once they become a pastor, you cannot say anything about them; you have to give them full respect. If you say something about them, it will be a problem. I once knew a pastor who had severe depression. His colleague told me that this pastor had severe depression. I said that I am very effective in ministering to depression; many people with depression get better after coming to me. If he needs my ministry, he can tell me. I really want to bring him out of his depression.

But the colleague's reaction shocked me. He said: That won't work, it's too sensitive. I don't want to be scolded. The implication is that he can't say that there's a pastor who can minister to you and help you get out of your depression. How could that be a problem? Isn't that a good thing? According to his understanding, suffering from depression and cancer is also God's glory, and even suffering the punishment of hell is God's glory.

Why can't it be said? Because face is too important. How important is face? Is face more important than suffering? If people haven't suffered enough and want to continue suffering, let them continue suffering.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12)

This passage speaks of a group of people sitting in Moses' seat, with salaries that are not low and power that is not small, but our attitude determines the direction and trend of things.

They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long. (Matthew 23:4-5)

If you sit in Moses' seat, but are all talk and no action, you are doing superficial work. Once a person displays a very spiritual appearance, if someone says he hasn't done it right, he will definitely show his teeth. For example, if a person has been a pastor for thirty or fifty years, and the sermons he has preached in the past were all wrong, and suddenly the Chinese Mingding Destiny theory comes out, and he finds that what he has explained does not match what he has done, what should he do? He has to save face.

Actually, it's easy to save face. For example, shave your head, put nine dots on it, then put on a gray robe, and take a begging bowl. When you walk on the street, everyone knows you are a monk, but whether you are really a monk inside is hard to judge. You can know a person's face but not his heart. If you wear a big robe, hold a staff in your hand, and wear a magnificent hat, walking slowly, you look like a religious leader. Actually, these things can all be acted out. An actor's performance is trained. The outward appearance can be made by a tailor, but whether there is the image of Jesus Christ inside is hard to say.

For example, they love the place of honor at banquets and are very careful about who sits in which position. They also love titles like teacher, rabbi, instructor. If the title doesn't have a suffix like teacher, it is a great disrespect to them. There are also people who like to be called father on earth... If a person likes fame, it's a problem. If you really like this, do you really have a divine logical system inside? The greatest among you will be your servant.

Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long. (Matthew 23:5)

Today we must know that Chinese Mingding Destiny is a theology that requires much sacrifice and a theological system that enables people to become blessings to others. My team and I have a characteristic: we serve sacrificicially, definitely not just by preaching and studying the Bible. Preaching and studying the Bible are easy. Sitting in Moses' seat is like Moses, wearing a big robe is like a monk, and then getting a scripture to wear and wearing a doctoral hat – these are all external things.

Do you have a heart to serve inside? I got into trouble some time ago because as soon as I opened my mouth, it seemed like I was making people self-reflect. For example, I said that we should love the Lord your God with all our heart, soul, and mind. When it comes to loving the Lord your God, it comes down to shepherding God's flock. Shepherding God's flock means weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. As a result, a pastor came to me because he took it personally.

If they come to me directly, I may not have time to minister to them one by one. My purpose is to train many pastors like me. When the church first started, the brothers and sisters were really blessed. I ministered to them one by one. How I wish I had a pastor like me who would sacrificially minister to me when I was young, so I could have avoided a lot of sins. Brothers and sisters, the system of the Kingdom of God is not just putting on a show, but making sacrifices. The greatest among you will be your servant.

** The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12)**

Brothers and sisters, you must know that our church does not proclaim the names of people. We are nameless and faceless because there is no use in proclaiming these things. Looking at my appearance, I am just an ordinary-looking person, but in my heart, I like to be a useful person. To be honest, Jesus only took twelve disciples, and I only took some disciples.

We must understand what is in our hearts. If a Christian or someone who serves God has an inner liking for an outward title, an outward appearance, a spiritual exterior, or respectful words from others, and if others don't respect them, they will feel uncomfortable, then there is trouble. Such people quickly fall into the ranks of the scribes and Pharisees, and eventually become a brood of vipers. How can they escape the punishment of hell?

I am not saying these words to others, but to myself. I tell myself never to engage in hypocrisy and the things of the Pharisees. Pretending is not my character. Brothers and sisters, if we serve with pretense, how can we bear the sins we will suffer in the future? Once a person is good at playing games and using hypocrisy to serve God, who can he deceive? I have summarized a rule: the devil will not find the wrong person, and God will not find the wrong person either.

There was a preacher's son who was caught and imprisoned for prostitution. After this person was arrested, his parents desperately fasted and prayed for him. They had never served others like this. I thought to myself, how good it would be if they used this energy to serve others! Although they are preachers, many problems eventually occurred in their family, and they even advised their daughter-in-law to accept her husband's infidelity. These people are all people who serve God, but there is woe to them. After hearing these things, I also felt a sense of sorrow.

Hypocrites: Proselytizing but Making People Children of Hell

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. (Matthew 23:13)

Today, how many preachers live in rigidity? They believe that the miracles that Jesus performed are no longer present in this generation. Once someone performs these miracles and shakes the kingdom of the devil and the powers of darkness, they consider it heresy. I think to myself, if this gospel has no power and cannot solve people's problems, is it still the gospel? Certainly not! If a person serves with hypocrisy, he shuts the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces, neither entering himself nor allowing others to enter who are trying to.

I have many examples to cite. I once ministered to a patient with depression. I paid the price and prayed for three months, and he was completely delivered. He came from a traditional church background. When his pastor called him, he didn't care about his depression, only about whether he had gone to a heretical church. Being able to deliver someone from depression became heresy, while not being able to deliver someone from depression became orthodox.

There was also a sister from a traditional church who contacted me while studying abroad with depression. When she returned to her hometown, her grandfather, who was also a Christian, was paralyzed in bed. The preacher from the village came to visit the family. This sister called me, and I led her grandfather in prayer. During the prayer, I could hear her grandfather crying out in pain. After the prayer, her grandfather was able to get out of bed and walk. But these preachers had great opinions about me. They believed that someone who could allow her grandfather to get out of bed and walk was a heretic.

I was very surprised. Those who are not like Jesus become orthodox, while those who are like Jesus become heretics. This is what the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees are like. What kind of pastor brings what kind of disciples? They shut the door of the kingdom of heaven, neither entering themselves nor allowing others to enter who are trying to.

All of those who serve God among us, remove the hypocrisy from within you, because hypocrisy brings heavy punishment. Some people are used to playing games, but when their own family members are controlled by demons, they want to maintain face and avoid conflict. Is Jesus like this? Jesus created so many conflicts. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves in the temple and drove them out because they had turned the house of prayer into a den of robbers. Since we have received God's grace, are we still playing games with God?

Brothers and sisters, I must warn you, I will not save you face. I will tell you that it is hypocrisy, which will eventually lead to the punishment of hell and heavier punishment. How much of the time do you serve according to the Word of God? How much of the time do you serve in a hypocritical way? It is terrifying when people become hypocrites, always believing that they are doing the right thing, because after being hypocritical for a long time, they think it is the truth.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. (Matthew 23:15)

I recently heard a story. Someone studied a little theology and later became a full-time preacher. When he became a full-time preacher, his father was a relatively well-known entrepreneur in the local area. His mother and father were both in the local church and liked to donate. One day, an accident occurred to a worker in his father's factory. Someone was hit by a car, and a large steel bar pierced through his head; others fell from the factory and died, which was very tragic. These things had to be compensated for, and the business plummeted. It was really tragic!

Actually, his mother was also interesting. His mother also served in the church and donated a lot of money. When she read the Bible and said she had to be like a child, her mother spoke and acted like a childish child, and as a result, his mother became mentally ill. Actually, the Bible was read wrong. It is our flesh that should be like a child, and our spirit that should be like an adult. Discerning between good and evil should be more and more like a child, and not like an adult, because adults, of course, discern between good and evil more seriously than children, but the spirit must grow and mature.

Why is this happening? If people are hypocritical for a long time, they will always pay the price. What goes around comes around! Isn't hypocrisy on the road to serving God going to be punished more severely? Bringing people into the church but making them children of hell. Some people bring people into the ranks of full-time coworkers, but end up making them children of hell. This is an extremely strange phenomenon.

I am wondering if these pastors, or these Christians, preachers, and church leaders, know they have not done it right? Or do they not know they have done it wrong? When we go back to the previous chapter in the Bible, those Pharisees and Sadducees came to ask Jesus questions, but Jesus refuted them so that they had nothing to say. Even after being refuted by Jesus, they still do not understand. Why? Because they are filled with a worldly logical system. They take money, taxes, and marriage very seriously, but loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, they say it with their mouths but do not do it.

If you really love God, you will definitely pay the price to shepherd God's flock. Some time ago, I heard a sister's story. She said, Actually, I love God very much. I want to say, what do you love? Today, if you love God, shepherd His flock. This is what the Bible tells us. Brothers and sisters, you must know that it is not that you cannot bring people into the church, but that you must let these Christians live in prosperity. Church pastors and leaders are not serving according to the sincerity of their hearts and the Word of God, but only like to sit in high places and enjoy respectful titles. But have they truly become people who serve others? Our leaders must be vigilant and become people who serve. If you love God, you will shepherd His flock.

Hypocrites, Blind Guides, Focusing on the Trivial, and Finding Fault

Woe to you, blind guides! Hypocrites are those who are blind themselves and lead others along the road. They have a superficial understanding of God's Word. They do not know, but they think they know. They do not have the truth, but they think they have the truth. They are blind, yet they claim they can see. For example, Jesus healed a man who was blind from birth, but the Pharisees could not see and wanted to kill Jesus. This is strange.

If such people are in the church, how can they be colleagues in the church? We have encountered so many tragic things because we haven't gotten things right, but many people are unwilling to reflect on themselves. I think I have a virtue: I absolutely say I don't know what I don't know, and I won't pretend to understand. For example, when studying Matthew 23, if I don’t quite grasp it, I will tell everyone that I don’t understand it. But thank God, God is truly a God who bestows revelation among those who seek Him.

Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. (Matthew 23:16-22)

Are there such strange situations in the church today? I once heard someone preach about a person singing four Holy, Holy, Holy's, and someone said it was wrong! The Bible only has three Holy's. What good is it to say these things? What problems can it solve? Why dwell on these things! If in heaven, we are not singing three Holy, Holy, Holy's, but repeating it, only the breakpoints are different, from which point should we start calculating?

In fact, some things are not important, and there is really no need to dwell on them! But why do the Pharisees do this? Because when they encounter problems, they cannot explain them clearly, so they speak nonsense, making people understand vaguely, and then they think this pastor is amazing.

If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. (Matthew 23:16)

Some time ago, a trend arose in Singapore and around the world, where gold powder appeared in people's hands while praying. I have seen it, but what can those do? Some people pray and find a few diamonds. What does this prove? Can it solve any problems? Can these things make the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers be cleansed, and the dead be resurrected?

There was a child with ulcers all over his body, including his hands and feet. After we prayed for him, his skin returned to normal. A few days ago, demons were wandering around on this child. Wherever the demon went, a lump would swell up. We fought through the night for three hours, six hours, eight hours, ten hours, and many people paid a heavy price, constantly casting out demons, and finally the child was delivered. Now the child's skin with ulcers all over his body is completely healed.

When have you ever seen Jesus open his hands and a lot of gold powder appear? Where do these things come from? What can these things prove? I don’t know what they want to do. Swearing by the gifts on the altar, isn’t this blind? Let's do what Jesus does seriously, and let's not do what Jesus doesn't do!

Can we become those who trample on the power of the underworld today? We must become mighty warriors in the kingdom of God, able to plunder the enemy, trample on the power of the underworld, and save those taken captive by the devil! Release those who have been corrupted by the devil! This is what Jesus did. Today, many people concoct strange theories that sound plausible, but the key is that they don't do real work.

They put burdens on people, but they are unwilling to lift a finger. This is a very common phenomenon. So, from the beginning of sitting in Moses' seat, they started playing fake, and the more they played, the more outrageous they became. At first, they were just playing with empty things, liking people to call them Rabbi, Master, Teacher, to call them Father, but they did not serve wholeheartedly.

As they did, they became like this, closing the door to the kingdom of heaven and opening the door to hell, introducing people into the church, but making others children of hell, becoming blind, considering unimportant things as very important, and not understanding the true truth of God.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24)

Many of the problems we talk about today are very serious in the church. For example, they like to find fault with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. I have never read in the Old Testament or the New Testament of the Bible who dares to find fault with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, but this has become a popular theological system in the church today. Isn't that blind? They cannot see justice, mercy, and faithfulness, they cannot see God's promises, and they cannot see God's Mingding Destiny for us. They just like to find fault and say that Jacob lied to his father. Why can't they see Jacob's Mingding Destiny?

Today, let us open our spiritual eyes and no longer be the kind of people who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel, and no longer be blind. If we want to do it, let's be a spiritual person, have spiritual vision, and be a person who can serve this generation and has Mingding Destiny, and manifest God's justice, mercy, and faithfulness!

Of course, we also do tithes, and we can even do two-tenths or three-tenths, because we are not short of money at all. Our God is our Father, our Lord. Will we be short of money? We will not be short of money! Brothers and sisters, start changing your minds and thoughts. What we want to do is to release people from the dominion of the devil, to let the blind see, to let the captives be released, and to let the oppressed be free!

Hypocrites, Clean on the Outside, but Full of Filth on the Inside

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. (Matthew 23:25-26)

People pay much attention to these external things, but don't want to change the things inside. Are we willing today to completely eliminate the worldly logical system inside us? Why be blind? Why only wash the outside of the cup and plate, but not clean the inside of the cup and plate? The outside and inside of the cup and plate must be cleaned. If we have a worldly system inside us and like to do superficial work, we will become blind guides, become Pharisees, and will be punished in hell.

Today, there are many people in the church who serve God without enjoying it. I once served a pastor who had a brain tumor and hydrocephalus. He was really miserable. He opened his mouth and said: Look, we serve God, and we can only rest one day a week. How can I not get sick? What nonsense is this?

If you rest one day a week, then I haven’t rested a day. Why haven’t I gotten this disease? From the time I believed in the Lord at the age of twenty to today, I have never rested a day. I don’t like to vacation. I only like to work and serve. What is the reason? Because I know that my life comes from God, I know why I live, God is our treasure, and I am also God's treasure, so I run forward until this day.

Among us, there is a sister who had diabetes for more than 20 years. Later, she stopped taking medicine and insulin. In the blink of an eye, three years have passed, and she has no problems at all. She is strong and getting stronger! At first, her son and husband were scared to death. Isn’t this courting death? We humans live by God. Of course, I don’t encourage you not to take medicine. It is her own choice that our sister does not take medicine.

Our sister serves God desperately every day, often sleeping only a few hours a day. Sometimes I see that she is so tired that she sleeps for more than ten hours, and then recovers and continues to serve. I am really grateful that I have such a group of brothers and sisters who love God. We don’t do superficial work. Even if we occasionally do superficial work, God disciplines us and allows us to clean up the inside step by step so that we can put in a godly system.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28)

Not only is corruption rampant in the church system, but in the world, wherever a worldly logical system is used, which place is not corrupt? Just as Heshen said: Honest officials are rare, and corrupt officials are everywhere! Is it easy for me, this Grand Secretary? I have to make them work. Can’t I do all the work by myself? To make these people work, shouldn’t I feed them first? This is all the truth, because the world is like this.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? (Matthew 23:29-33)

Can you understand? They said that if we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have killed those prophets. As a result, they killed Jesus and crucified Jesus. It is really difficult for us to understand why they crucified Jesus. Because they cannot tolerate Jesus saying things like this about them, they cannot stand being told the truth or being criticized, but they clearly know in their hearts that they are the descendants of those who killed the prophets.

But they still continue to run forward along the path of their ancestors. They serve God with hypocrisy, and as a result, they become those who kill the prophets, because the prophets speak the truth. There is no way to reconcile those who speak the truth and those who speak lies, those who serve with heart and truth and those who serve with hypocrisy.

Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ (Matthew 23:34-39)

Until you really serve God, you will see God working in you. When we read these words, we must understand that the meaning of this sentence is very heavy!

Summary: Do Not Be a Hypocrite, Be a Sincere Person

Do we want to be a brood of vipers, scribes, and hypocritical Pharisees? If you and I find that we often like to be hypocritical, whether we are being a person or a preacher, and cannot serve our God with heart and truth, and cannot start to look at ourselves with normal eyes, we must continue to do more practical things and not play with empty things. Only in this way can we serve this generation.

Whether we are being a person or a preacher, let's be a sincere person. Yes means yes, no means no, and not knowing means not knowing. If we don't know, we will continue to explore and seek. I think God will surely give us great grace. But if we clearly don't know, but still want to play on the surface, how uncomfortable that would be! To be sincere, if it will work, it will work, and if it won't work, it won't work. Our face is not that important. The peace and joy we live out are the most important. From now on, reflect on yourself and be a person who is pleasing to God and blessed by God, and we will be able to escape the punishment of hell.

May God bless everyone!