Welcome to Refinery Life Australia.
This week we are starting a new series titled Great Words from the Bible.
Today we are talking about Hypocrisy.
Prayer
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Text
Matthew 23:25-26 (AMP)
25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).
26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 23:13-33 (AMP)
Eight Woes
13 “But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.
14 [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows’ houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]
15 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?
18 And [you scribes and Pharisees say], ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
19 You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
20 Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.
21 And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.
22 And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
24 You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!
25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).
26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
28 So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.
33 You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?
Introduction
The word hypocrisy is repulsive to honest, sincere Christians.
Nothing about hypocrites appeals to us.
The word hypocrite means playing the part of an actor on stage.
Hypocrites are those who act out a part, who pretend to be what they are not.
Some hypocrites play act when it comes to living a Christian life.
They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, 2 Timothy 3:5 (AMP)
5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.
They wear masks to hide their true identity, and they appear better than they actually are.
They assume an appearance of piety and virtue they do not possess.
Jesus called hypocrites white washed tombs in Matthew 23:27 (AMP)
27 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
According to Jesus, hypocrites appear righteous to others but are merely acting and are full of deceit.
Hypocrites, according to Jesus, are pretenders, wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.
Jesus gravely condemned hypocrisy, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”
How do we become hypocrites?
- Giving to be seen by others makes someone a hypocrite.
Matthew 6:1-4 (AMP)
Giving to the Poor and Prayer
1 “Be [very] careful not to do your good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So whenever you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not blow a trumpet before you [to advertise it], as the hypocrites do [like actors acting out a role] in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored and recognized and praised by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
3 But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing [give in complete secrecy],
4 so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
In His sermon on the mount, Jesus condemned pious hypocrites.
Giving to be seen by others is rigorously denounced.
In spite of this warning of condemnation, some people today would blow a horn and sound a trumpet, calling attention to their generous giving.
Jesus warned His disciples against doing this.
This kind of giving has no reward from the Father in heaven.
What about modern day churches that publish their giving records?
Are they bordering on hypocrisy?
Giving has become competitive among churches.
Are you giving to be seen by others?
Or do you give because you love the Lord and want to be a good steward of what He has given you?
2. Praying to be seen by others makes someone a hypocrite.
Matthew 6:5-15 (AMP)
5 “Also, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray [publicly] standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.
Certain individuals in the days of Jesus made it a practice to pray in the synagogue and on the streets to be seen and heard by others.
All their piety was for show.
They wanted others to refer to them as religious and spiritual.
Since public applause wa their motive, that was the only reward they received.
The Father was not moved by petitions like these.
Jesus told us to go apart and pray to the Father in private, and He will reward us openly.
3. Fasting to be seen by others makes someone a hypocrite.
Matthew 6:16-18 (AMP)
Fasting, The True Treasure, Wealth (Mammon)
16 “And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they put on a sad and dismal face [like actors, discoloring their faces with ashes or dirt] so that their fasting may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head [as you normally would to groom your hair] and wash your face
18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
Jesus condemned fasting as practiced by some.
He referred to those who disfigured their faces, put on some strange clothes of mourning, and paraded before the public, striving to make an impression.
Jesus said they were wearing masks, playing a part, flaunting a false piety.
Their inward character was concealed behind a camouflage of artificial holiness.
Such fasting is insincere, and the Father does not approve of it.
4. Hunting for a sin makes someone a hypocrite.
Matthew 7:1-4 (AMP)
Judging Others
7 “Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly].
2 For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you.
3 Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye?
Jesus identified and condemned those who hunt for specks as hypocrites.
Who were the speck hunters in His day, and who are the speck hunters in our day?
How can we identify these speck hunters, the self appointed fault finders in our midst?
Jesus identified them as spiritual surgeons, asking to operate on those who had a little speck in their eyes.
These spiritual surgeons desperately needed to have their planks removed before they sought to remove the specks from other’s eyes.
Such critics, spiritual surgeons with planks in their eyes, are those who are so imperfect that they find a twisted comfort in criticising others.
Their vision is so blurred, their outlook so distorted, their minds so perverted, their motives so insincere, that when they look at others, they see themselves.
They practice without license.
Are you a speck hunter?
Are you a criticiser?
If so, go to the great physician for a major operation on your heart.
Go to the school of Christian graces.
Take courses in empathy, sympathy, and brotherly love.
When you have done this, you might be able to help your weaker brother or sister stand up for the Lord!
Conclusion.
Are you playing church?
Are you playing a part?
Are you wearing a mask?
If so, you are a hypocrite.
Only Jesus can help you.
Hypocrisy is a terrible thing.
Let us not become hypocrites, play actors, mask wearers.
Let us be like Jesus who as it says in Hebrews 13:8 (AMP)
8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.
Until next time
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