How To Sustain Real Change | Steven Furtick
Don’t just fix surface-level problems this year. Instead, seek God to reveal the root cause of your struggles. Rather than continually dealing with symptoms, ask the Lord to show you the source. Problems are rarely fixed by addressing only what you can see on the surface.
Jesus emphasized this principle in his interactions with the Pharisees, who were offended by his teachings. He turned their offense into a lesson about origins and outcomes. Today’s message has three key points: offense, origin, and outcome.
Offense
The Pharisees were upset because they saw Jesus’ disciples eating without performing the traditional hand-washing ritual. They confronted Jesus about why his disciples disregarded this tradition.
Origin
Jesus used their question to highlight a deeper issue. Instead of simply addressing the disciples’ actions, he challenged the Pharisees about their traditions versus God’s commandments. He flipped their criticism back to them, questioning why they prioritized human traditions over divine truth.
These Pharisees traveled from Jerusalem—this wasn’t a minor delegation. They represented the elite religious authorities and accused the disciples of breaking the traditions of the elders. But Jesus questioned their adherence to these traditions, highlighting a crucial contrast: human traditions versus God’s commands.
