Woe to you who don’t practice what you preach Matthew 23

How many of your parents had go-to sayings? Maybe you heard things like, “Were you born in a barn?” or “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.” My dad had a saying for everything—whether I left the door open, stood in front of the TV, or caused trouble, he always had a response. But there was one that stood out the most. When I caught dad doing something he had told me not to do, he would say, “Do what I say, not what I do.”

We all know that if someone lives this way, we call them a hypocrite—someone who doesn’t practice what they preach.

In our text today, Jesus repeatedly calls a group of people hypocrites. Last week, we saw the religious leaders—who were normally enemies—team up to try to trap Jesus. But Jesus answered every question flawlessly, turning the tables on them. We learned that the most important thing we can do is love God with everything we are and love others as ourselves.

After this defeat, the religious leaders leave, plotting how to take Jesus out. But Jesus shifts His focus to His disciples and the crowds that had gathered in the temple courts, warning them about the hypocrisy of these leaders.

Not only does Jesus call us to be on guard against false teachers, but He also challenges us to examine our own hearts. Are we truly living what we say we believe?

If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Matthew 23. If you don’t have one, we have some on the back table—take one as our gift to you. If you are looking for the book of Matthew its on the right side of your bibles, the 1st book of the New Testament.

Matthew 23:1-5a

Matthew 23:1

In Jesus' time, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sat in what was called “Moses’ seat.” This was a position of authority where religious leaders taught God’s law. They were supposed to teach God’s law, but instead, they layered on their own traditions, making it impossible for anyone—including themselves—to follow.

A good example, the Law of Moses commanded, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” God intended this as a day of rest. But the religious leaders defined exactly what work was: walking too far was work, cooking was work, even eating an egg laid on the Sabbath was work! They missed the heart of God’s law, turning rest into a burden. Turing a day off to a day of work.

Instead of drawing people closer to God, they created obstacles of legalism. They cared only about outward appearances, loving their titles, positions, and public recognition. They even wore exaggerated symbols of piety—like oversized scripture boxes and long prayer tassels—so everyone would know how holy they were.

But Jesus saw through it. He exposed the truth: on the outside, they looked righteous, but on the inside, they were corrupt. Like a beautifully maintained tomb that’s filled with death, their hearts were far from God. This is what happens When Religion Replaces Relationship.

Maybe you’ve encountered people like this—people who claim to follow Jesus but seem more like modern-day Pharisees. Maybe you've even been hurt by them. If that’s happened, I’m sorry.

There are still people who heap burdens on others, piling on rules and expectations without offering any real help. But that’s not what Jesus calls His church to be.

As Journey Church, we build strong relationships, walking side by side through the messiness of life with prayer, accountability, and encouragement. Our goal isn’t to weigh people down—it’s to walk with them, lifting each other up.

Maybe, though, if we're honest, we’ve acted like Pharisees ourselves. It's easy to fall into this trap ourselves—Have you ever judged someone because of how they look, how they vote, or how they worship? Have you ever thought you were better than someone else? Have you put expectations on others that aren’t from God but from tradition or preference? If so, Jesus calls us to repent.

Here is the Danger of Wearing the Mask of religion

In Greek theater, a hypocrite was an actor—someone who wore a mask and pretended to be someone else.

The Pharisees were master actors, just like the best actors today. They perfected their roles so well that people only saw their performance, not their real hearts.

Some actors always play the same role—you recognize their voice and mannerisms immediately. Morgan Freeman will always sound like Morgan Freeman. Christopher Walken will always have the same voice and mannerisms.

But then there are actors like Gary Oldman. Oldman is so good at becoming his characters that you forget it’s him. Whether he’s playing Commissioner Gordon, Sirius Black, Winston Churchill, or a villain, he disappears into the role. You don’t see Gary Oldman—you see the character.

That’s what the Pharisees did. They carefully crafted an image, playing the part of righteous leaders while their hearts were far from God. They weren’t just missing the mark themselves—they were keeping others from finding God, too. They were Majoring in the Minors. They were hypocrites and Jesus calls them out.

Matthew 23:23-24

Matthew 23:23–24

Jesus calls out the Pharisees for their obsession with religious details while ignoring the heart of God’s commands:

They were tithing down to the last herb in their gardens but completely missing justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They strained out tiny impurities—like gnats—while swallowing camels whole. They focused on what looked righteous but neglected what was righteous. The Pharisees knew the Scriptures but missed God’s heart.

It’s easy to do the same thing today. We can get so focused on how people dress, how they worship, or how they follow religious traditions that we miss the heart of what matters: loving God and loving others. As Journey Church we don’t just want head knowledge—we want transformed lives that reflect the Word of God in our everyday life.

We may look at the outside, but God Looks at the Heart

In 1 Samuel 16:7, God tells the prophet Samuel:

1 Samuel 16:7

"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

A few years ago, my brother and I stopped at a restaurant for lunch. I grabbed a red Coke cup, filled it with tea, and took a sip—only to gag. It looked clean outside, but inside, a grimy film coated the surface. I nearly spit it out. That’s exactly what Jesus said about the Pharisees—they looked holy, but inside, they were filthy.

We become like the Pharisees when we focus only on external appearances and ignore the condition of our hearts. It’s like drinking from a cup that’s spotless on the outside but filthy inside.

If you wouldn’t drink from that cup, why would God be pleased with a heart that’s dirty beneath a polished religious exterior?

Here’s the good news: We don’t have to clean ourselves up first. We don’t fix ourselves before coming to Jesus. Jesus is the cleansing. He doesn’t just wash our outward actions—He transforms our hearts from the inside out. True Transformation Comes only from Jesus.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men r 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

And that is what some of us were. Sinners. But you were washed, sanctified, justified.

If our hearts have been cleansed through faith, our actions will follow. We don’t obey to earn salvation—we obey because we’ve been saved.

Here’s a Heart Check for you: Are We Practicing What We Preach?

Here is how we can check our hearts:

• Have you been washed in the blood of Jesus? If you've never experienced that kind of transformation, today is the day. Jesus offers not just behavior modification, but true heart change. If you need to take that next step—repenting, being baptized, and following Him—don’t wait. As Ananias told Paul, And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ Have you been washed in the blood of Jesus?

• Are your motives pure? Do you care more about how you look to others than how look you before God? Are you more concerned with the outside or your heart? A great question to ask yourself is, Are you living the same way Monday-Saturday as you do on Sunday?

Have you been washing in the blood of Jesus? And are you motives pure? David gives us a great prayer to check our hearts in

Psalm 139:23-24:

Psalms 139:23

"Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting."

Make this your daily prayer. Lord, Search me, know my heart, test me and lead me in your way. Have you been washing in the blood of Jesus? And are you motives pure? Use this prayer to check your heart.

When we feel the Pharisee rising up in our hearts, we need to humble ourselves and serve. It’s hard to look down on someone when you’re kneeling to help them up. Jesus reminds us of this Kingdom logic.

Matthew 23:11-12

Matthew 23:11–12

As Journey Church, we don’t just talk about faith—we live it out together. That means connecting, growing in scripture, sacrificing self, going out, and giving God our best. If we take off the mask of religion and walk in real faith, we will see lives transformed and communities restored through Jesus. That’s the journey we’re on—so let’s walk it together and actually practice what we preach.