Complete Sermon Notes

Beware of the Leaven of Sin

Matthew 16:6…Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” … 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

PART 1: LEAVEN AS FALSE DOCTRINE – teaches & influences

INTRO: PART 2 – LEAVEN AS SIN: A little sin [like a little bad doctrine] grows and can destroy the whole body, individually and corporately.

• JAMES 1:15 paraphrase – Like cancer, when a SINFUL desire IS BORN [acted on] its like leaven that grows, and grows, and grows until it consumes and overcomes.

You can’t control it – it controls you – once you submit you become a slave: “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:16; NLT commentary).

Defying Gravity – how to survive the storms of pastoral ministry

Many who crash are in a pattern of self-deception, flying entirely without that objective sense of how close to the ground they really are.

+ Our GPS: The Word, Others, and Conviction [a moral compass]

• FEELINGS: “Our feelings, indulged without examination, will kill us” (Eric Nolte; Commercial Pilot). Our “feelings” feel like sinning.

• EXCUSES: Allow us to walk further into the enemy’s camp

• PRIDE: Prevents us from seeing the danger

+ Russell’s Example: sex, porn., alcohol, rebellion, drugs, theft…

1. Wrong thoughts: starts here – media, ungodly views, lies, excuses…

2. Wrong attitude: bitterness, fear/anxiety, anger, pride, judgmentalism, envy…

3. Wrong actions: laziness, theft, compromise, mood altering drugs, food…

Lying & Manipulating are contributors because sin grows in darkness

Like cancer, LEAVEN can’t be ignored or negotiated with.

LEAVEN in 3 areas: CHURCH, HOME, INDIVIDUALLY

1 church EXAMPLE: a man is living with his father’s wife, and the church is fine with this. Paul uses the Greek word used in (Gal 5:9) – “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,” therefore, “remove this man from your midst” (1 Cor 5:2) and “remove this wicked man from amongst yourselves” (1 Cor 5:13).

• More on this when we get to Matthew 18

AVOIDANCE: Saying nothing is saying something – we can’t simply look the other way

EXTREMES: Too many rules and very little grace – too much grace and very little rules.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 sheds additional light, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.” Paul continues, “Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” John Wesley (1703-1791), commenting on this passage, said, “Have no company with him; no intimacy, no familiarity, and no needless correspondence…tell him lovingly of the reason why you shun him.”

This doesn’t mean that we put our nose in the air and arrogantly walk past them, but it does mean that we should not conduct ourselves in a way that supports their decision to remain in sin.

• God often uses this type of pain to remove the LEAVEN and eventually bring the prodigal home. We can’t rush the process, nor should we try to avoid it.

2 home EXAMPLE: And Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

• To incite someone to do or feel something, especially by arousing anger in them.

Neither PASSIVITY or AGGRESSION works . . .

This is why grace, love, and forgiveness are so important when you “drop the hammer.”

WORDS: Do they calm the storm or increase it

ACTIONS: Are they guided by love or anger

• A time of prayer, study, meditation, and reflection calm the storm

3 individual EXAMPLE [where a Believer helps]: James 5:20, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

• How do you “turn a sinner” if you don’t say anything?

CLOSING – Removing the Leaven:

• Lamentations 3:40 – “Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD.”

Very Healthy to do this Weekly –

• To inspect something in detail to determine its nature or condition; to go deeper and investigate thoroughly.

TURN↶ – we see this isn’t the right way – we see the err in choosing the wrong path, it’s not leading us in a good direction, and we TURN.

• Hence the Word RETURN

Repentance Kills the Leaven – reconnects, renews, and restores

1. you have to reconnect the relationship thru confession

2. you have to renew it with spiritual disciplines

3. then God restores – joy, peace, and a renewed sense of love follow

​