Straining at Gnats
About this sermon
In “Straining at Gnats,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about bitterness and forgiveness, the condition of the church, grace and mercy. Drawing especially from Matthew 23, Timothy 3, Matthew 18, the teaching emphasizes that unresolved offense can become bitterness, while forgiveness releases judgment to God and protects the heart. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise.
Chronological teaching outline
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Odle focuses on spiritual leadership while working through Matthew 23. The message argues that leaders are accountable to teach faithfully, serve the flock, and model the character they proclaim. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on bitterness and forgiveness. The message argues that unresolved offense can become bitterness, while forgiveness releases judgment to God and protects the heart. It connects this with the conviction that God’s grace forgives and also trains believers to leave sin and live in obedience. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on biblical love while working through Timothy 3. The message argues that biblical love is demonstrated through truth, patience, sacrifice, and conduct toward others. It connects this with the conviction that the believer must answer fear with trust in God, sober judgment, and faithful action. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on salvation. The message argues that salvation is presented as God’s work in Christ that produces a changed life and continuing faith. It connects this with the conviction that God’s commands reveal His standard and direct the obedient life. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on freedom from fear. The message argues that the believer must answer fear with trust in God, sober judgment, and faithful action. It connects this with the conviction that material stewardship reveals priorities and should be governed by generosity, integrity, and obedience to God. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on stewardship and giving while working through Matthew 23. The message argues that material stewardship reveals priorities and should be governed by generosity, integrity, and obedience to God. It connects this with the conviction that the church is called to recover biblical faithfulness instead of accommodating compromise. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on bitterness and forgiveness. The message argues that unresolved offense can become bitterness, while forgiveness releases judgment to God and protects the heart. It connects this with the conviction that God’s grace forgives and also trains believers to leave sin and live in obedience. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on bitterness and forgiveness while working through Matthew 18. The message argues that unresolved offense can become bitterness, while forgiveness releases judgment to God and protects the heart. It connects this with the conviction that God’s grace forgives and also trains believers to leave sin and live in obedience. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
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- 0:00:01
well praise the Lord I want everybody to get your Bibles out I need to get mine out this morning we're going to start in Matthew chapter 23. Lord has given me a word this morning entitled straining at Nats straining at nets and there's actually several areas but let's go to Matthew 23 it's actually verse 24. but we'll probably read the verses surrounding this passage living in a crazy world right now crazy world um so many things going on so many things that we need to deal with Matthew 23 is Jesus addressing the religious leaders the the rabbis the Pharisees the Sadducees and again I've said this many times in preaching the gospel over the years that I don't know we in the church world and even in the world system itself we tend to think that the Pharisees and the Sadducees were these bad evil guys that um were in a false religion but that's not the case the Pharisees and the Sadducees were the religious leaders the spiritual leaders the teachers the doctors of theology the doctors of divinity of their day and they were walking in the religion of Jehovah Yahweh the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of the Bible the god of Creation The God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ they were not in a false religion they were not Islam they were not Buddhism Hinduism Shintoism this is what you have to understand these are people the Pharisees that Jesus addressed here these are people who studied the Bible these are people who spoke Hebrew and Greek the great Dr gameo of the Pharisees who taught at a school and taught the Apostle Paul when he was Saul of Tarsus so when you realize that Jesus had to rebuke these people so soundly and so firmly the equivalent of that today would be the pastors and the prophets and the Ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who are willing to stand up and speak against the pastors and teachers and Prophets of our day that are not Discerning the times and the seasons and that are teaching false Doctrine or that have bad motives see listen they didn't want to crucify Jesus because he healed the sick they didn't want to crucify Jesus because he cast out demons or raised people from the dead the Pharisees and the Sadducees the
- 0:03:01
religious leaders they wanted to cast they want they wanted to crucify Jesus and have him cast out because he just didn't fit in their theological little church system and he exposed the sin in their heart he exposed the false teaching in there in their heart and he exposed the false motives the wrong motives in their heart listen I'll tell you this much right now if you're a pastor Prophet evangelist Apostle teacher you're a minister of the fivefold minister of the gospel and you're not rebuking other leaders that are off you're not following Jesus because boy did he right there's a lot of people say you shouldn't but I'm just going to tell you he did now let's think about this let's fight let's fast forward to today right before I read this passage in Matthew let's let's fast forward to so many Christians that are on there high and mighty religious piety horse over trumps uh tapes from 2005 11 years ago or he was caught on a hot mic making some lewd comments about women and sexual references and we got these Christians now all of a sudden on their high and mighty high horse going um oh he's terrible terrible um you got those stats pull up your uh your post you make let me give you a little stats that the church of Jesus Christ right now who's got their fingers pointing at Donald Trump something he did 11 years ago uh even like Dr Michael Brown whom I am quickly losing respect for some folks better get off this uh this high horse as Christians because we got Christians right now saying oh they're not going to vote for Trump or they're not going to support Trump you've got all this crazy stuff going on because of something he said 11 years ago let me tell you something when I went through my divorce as a pastor and I lost everything my church my job my home my car when I lost everything when everything was taken from me when all my friends forsook me when all the church people and Christians forsook me back in 2001 let me tell you if I had a hot mic on me several times you would have liked what you heard either
- 0:06:02
amen you understand people go through different seasons of their lives and I don't believe there's any Christians out there who don't go through some dark Seasons or some discouragement or some depression or some disappointment or some hurt or even some intense periods where they're attacked by temptation to for of lust that they don't give in to it listen you you guys aren't going to fool me I know that the most you know Godly Pious one of you every now and then the cuss word sits out I know it does so don't act like you're holier than that problem is is that you're not famous you're not running for president and you don't have microphones hadn't had microphones on you for years or you would have been caught there's a lot of pastors out there would have been caught now let me just read some statistics here because America has a sexual sin problem and the Church of Jesus Christ those who call themselves Christians who even call themselves true Born Again Spirit-filled Christians who have repented and loved Jesus and loved the word of God let me just tell you that there is a rampant problem with sexual lust perversion pornography lust of the eyes lust of the flesh it's it's rampant in the church folks and and listen I'm not hearing this is this message today is not to condemn Christians because I'm going to admit all of us in our Christian Life are going to wrestle with lust or anger or hurt or offense or unforgiveness we're gonna we're these things are gonna rise up in us at times sometimes stronger than other times and we're not always going to resist them and be Mr and Miss holy right but these are some statistics all right and I'm just going to read what my wife posted because I think it was beautiful about this whole subject and believe me it'll make sense when you understand what I'm talking about straining at gnats and swallowing the camels we're going to read a minute but this is yesterday at 6 30 p.m my wife posted if Donald Trump was recently truly born again as Dr James Dobson says he was right then his sins from 2005 are forgiven praise God for the blood of Jesus and his wonderful forgiveness some Christians who are snubbing their noses at Donald Trump's past failures had better hope and pray their past or present sins are not paraded for all to see got a feeling that some people running their mouths right now are about to get exposed right just take a look at what Christian men are doing according to this 2014 Charisma article the statistics for Christian men between 18 and 30 years old are particularly
- 0:09:04
striking Christian men not unsaved men men who claim to follow Jesus Christ as their lord and savior 77 percent look at pornography at least monthly 36 percent view pornography on a daily basis that's more than one-third and that is a habitual sin 32 percent admit being addicted to pornography and another 12 percent think they may be so that gives you what 44 percent of Christian men saying they may have a problem an addiction and I will say this listen there's been studies done to show that frequent looking at pornography and especially from a young age does cause chemical changes in the brain that will affect you all of your life okay call it erototoxin you know your mama and daddy used to say pornography would rotch your brain literally does literally does proved it okay the statistics for middle-aged Christian men ages 31 to 49 are no less disturbing 77 so that it's the exact same 77 look at look at pornography while at work in the past three months 64 view pornography at least monthly 18 percent it meant to being addicted to pornography and another eight percent think they may be even married Christian men are are falling prey to pornography and extramarital sexual Affairs at an alarming rate 55 percent look at pornography at least monthly this married men 35 percent had an extramarital affair while married so the the church world better be careful about pointing fingers at people's lust issues or sexual problems because we we full of it okay and this is my point now I'm not this morning I'm not justifying sexual immorality pornography lust this is not justifying it it is sin and habitual practice of it will get you into demonic trouble it'll get you in trouble with God it'll begin to separate you from God to begin to hinder not only your relationship with God but begin to hinder your relationships with people around you and like I said it'll begin to cook your brain but then let's talk about women for a second let's just talk about women I saw one
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