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June 30, 2024

What Defiles a Person?

Sermon Series:

It Had To Be Said

Mark 7:1-23

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Main Idea

It's not about what goes in, but what comes out

Outline

1 The Source of Contamination
I. The Pharisees Answer: from outside (vv1-5)
II. Jesus' Answer: from inside (vv14-23)
2. The Solution to Contamination
I. The Pharisees Answer: rules upon rules (vv9-13)
II. Jesus' Answer: a new heart (vv6-8)

Pre-Questions

1. What about this message challenged you? What about this message encouraged you?

Discussion Questions

1. Jesus teaches that what defiles a person comes from within, not external factors (Mark 7:14-23). How does this teaching challenge the common perceptions of holiness and purity in today's society?
2. Read Mark 7:1-13 and compare it with Isaiah 29:13 and Colossians 2:8. How do these passages collectively address the issue of placing human traditions above God's commandments? Discuss specific examples where modern Christian practices might fall into this same trap and how we can return to a more biblical focus.
3. In Mark 7:14-23, Jesus emphasizes the importance of inner purity over external rituals. Reflect on Proverbs 4:23 and Jeremiah 17:9-10 with Jesus' teaching. How do these passages help us understand the condition of the human heart and God's desire for our inner transformation? Share practical ways these insights can guide our spiritual growth and community life.
4. In Mark 7:1-13, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for valuing human traditions over God's commandments. How can we identify and correct areas in our own lives where human traditions might overshadow God's Word? How can we ensure our practices align with biblical teachings?

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