Sermon – “Beware of Hypocrisy”

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

⁴ “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

⁶ “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸ “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹ But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰ “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

We’re going to continue with Luke right to Luke Chapter 12 and as I know I’ve been covering a chapter on a don’t cover the whole chapter but just a segment of the chapter pretty much each week but as I look through Luke Chapter 12 it’s a very long one and there may be more than one message from Luke Chapter 12 this morning will begin with the 1st 12 versus Luke 121 through 12 titled The message this morning be ware of hypocrisy and there’s a warning and there’s a number of warnings in Luke Chapter 12 but today it’s be where of hypocrisy hear the word of the Lord in the mean time when an in numerable multitude of people had gathered together so that they trampled one another he began to say to his disciples 1st of all be aware of the leaven of the fairer see which is hypocrisy so work to be aware of the leaven of the fair sees because it is hypocrisy for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed nor hidden that will not be made known

therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops and I say to you my friends do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do but I will show you whom you should fear fear Him who master he has killed has power to cast into hell yes I say to you fear him or not 5 sparrows sold for 2 copper coins and not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered What are the amazing description of how well God knows each and every one of us he knows the numbers of the hairs on your head I don’t even know that how many Arabs are my head a lot but it’s how well God knows each of us he knows us the depths of our thoughts the depths of our minds at depths of our being the very hairs of your head do not fear therefore you are of more value than many sparrows Also I say to you whoever confessed confesses me amen whoever confesses me before men him the Son of Man will also confessed before the angels of God but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God and and anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man It will be forgiven him but to him who blast things against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities do not worry about what you are about how or what you should answer or what you should say for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say the Holy Spirit will be with you a and that is wonderful Don’t worry about it don’t stress about it because in that time in that time where you may be under persecution or before those that God want you to witness to he will give you the words to speak through the power of the Holy Spirit we just need to learn to rely on the Holy Spirit Amen let us go to the Lord in prayer. Gracious Lord we do praise you and magnify you and father we we thank you for your spirits presence today Norden each of our lives we know that when we believe when your son Jesus Christ will repent of our sins that your spirit comes and takes up residence in these vessels that you have given us in this temple father we know that your word says that these bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we thank you for that and father may we just allow that spirit to be present and just work and move in our lives today in every day Father father that that others would see your righteousness and us as we liberalize that we are only able to do that through the power of your spirit working in us and Father we thank you we just pray your blessing your annoying to in upon the word to days it goes forth and father again did that it would produce a great harvest father for your kingdom for your glory in Jesus’ name amen

and amen

I want to 1st note that it says here that Jesus was speaking to the multitude it didn’t describes it as an innumerable multitude you know we have all read the stories when Jesus fed the thousands we know that the word describes that ephedra 4000 effed the 5000 it gives a particular number there and it’s amazing the miracle that he was able to do there and feed so many people but here it says on the numerable multitude of people so it could have been tens of thousands and tens of thousands because we know the when the feeding of the thousands that didn’t count the women and children just the men so there could have been a 100000 people here so many that it says they were trampoline one another. But I like how he sed it 1st he says to his disciples he’s speaking directly to his disciples it says he began to say to them now no doubt his 12 disciples were there but it could very well be that even the 70 were there and I always kind of like to imagine things in my mind was he up on a hill side and where there were many that could see him or or maybe he was down a valley and they were up on the sides of the hills looking to him but you have the disciples are very near him it’s almost like they’re there to protect him from being crushed by this crowd because there are so many but he says to his disciples

he’s teaching them so as I study this and think about this he’s teaching those that are going to be the leaders of the church he’s teaching those whom he is going to in trust the further answer the gospel message this is important information that they need to hear he said Be ware of the leaven be wary of the leaven of course leaven is often used as a reference to sin throughout the scripture all way back to the Old Testament you think how God instructed through through Moses instructed to Hebrews to clear clear the leaven out of their homes clean the leaven out there rid of it is a is a symbol of sin is this is a symbol of how sin can grow in one’s life because what is leaven not today most people go to the store and they they buy their bread it’s already package in that nice little loaf you take the twisty off and you you take your bread out there one slice at a time

that’s the way most people do it today but some people do bake bread on no there’s a few bakers among us. But those today when you bake bread you’re going to use a little packet of what they call he stright But back in that day that’s not how they did it they didn’t go down to the market and buy a little packet of yeast they would have a portion of does show that would be for men thing that it would be actually going bad spoiling it’s rotten and is what it’s doing so they’ll take just a little they would take just a little tiny piece of that leaven that for men to do and put it they would say they’re going to bake bread they got a fresh new batch of death row but they’d have to get a little spice portion of that for men to do and put it in the new batch the fresh though so that it would rise to cause it to rise cause it to puff up that’s a good term for the day would cause it to puff up in Rosin that we don’t want to read that flat bread now sometimes we do like that flat bread but it causes the bread to rise and puff it up it says in Galatians $59.00 a little leaven leavens the whole long so one little spot of portion is going to cause out a whole batch of dough to rise up

how important it winder stand I know that the people Jesus was speaking to that day understood perfectly what he was saying because that’s the way they had to bake their bread they knew exactly what he was talking about he gives them that word of caution be cautious warning because of that leaven that sin of the fair seeds and he names a particular sin Apoc Recy hope ocracy because if we allow just a little bit of that in our lives it’s going to spread throughout our whole being. If we allow just a little bit of sin into it well it’s not that bad it was just a little white lie but it was not that bad of a thing compared to my neighbor all it’s not that bad I’m pretty good but if we let just a little bit of sin in what’s going to happen that’s going to lead to more sin and more sin greater sin bigger sin it will be file the whole body if we allow the sin in

you know we see warning signs all around us everywhere don’t we pretty much every day will see warning signs caution signs you know if you say caution sign it says Caution Wetpaint are you going to panic and say all my gosh we better not touch that well as someone who was a has been a painter not a painter currently but was a painter for well over 30 years I can tell you what many people will do when they see a sign that says Caution what pain they’re going to go right over there and they might only take a finger but they’re going to touch it they’re going to touch and see if it’s really wet Well it’s probably been there while the Sun’s probably an old sign I’m going to go test it and see if it’s wet

that’s what they’re going to do but on the other hand if you were traveling down the highway at a pretty high rate of speed and you saw a sign it was even one of those signs that flashed the words up on air this said caution the road is washed out ahead are you just going to say to yourself well that’s probably an old sign I don’t believe that I’m just going to keep on traveling down the road at 80 miles an hour are you going to do that I mean listen you know all right now you’re going to be slamming on them brakes you’re going to be Whoa in that car down why because dangerous Up ahead what’s the difference why are you going to heed the one caution sign and not the other because one is life threatening isn’t it. One is life threatening if you ignore that one your days maybe come into a short quickly coming to an end the other one you’re just going to go wash your hands right but if you ignore that one it’s life threatening

Why do we have a strong word of caution against 11 of hypocrisy because it is life threatening

it is life threatening

not just when you look at this life but let’s look at that eternal life if we allow hypocrisy the sin to dwell in our lives to be part of our being it is life threatening it will compromise our chance to have eternal life hypocrisy means

now I want to put this meaning in layman’s terms because that’s generally way I put everything in layman’s terms

it’s pretending to be what one really is not

for tending to be what one really is not on the inside so a lot of times they would use a description of an actor because what’s an actor did their protesting to be someone that they really aren’t

That’s what IP ocracy is pretending to be more than you really are

it’s based on the Greek word hypocrisy. Originally meaning to give an answer in a New Testament in a teaches the teachings of Jesus is this not the gospel gospels Jesus criticizes Apoc Recy for being pious in public there’s an example in Matthew 6 verse 2 it says Therefore when you do your charitable deed do not sound the trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and industry that they may have a glory for men assuredly I say to you they have their reward

these men were more interested in receiving praise from humans for a man. Then they were about pleasing God

the hypocrites were also very guilty of judging others for their faults all the while ignoring the same thing in their lives

they ignore in their own faults

Jesus often called the fares and separates because of the conflict big beef leave. The conflict between them that can’t talk either between their external actions and their internal attitudes

they were pertained to be something that they really warms

and remember how that unleavened bread goes through the whole vessel the whole being the fair seeds had grown bad leaven is bad bread it’s fermenting bread rotten bread the fare Ses had grown rotten on the inside they look good on the outside all dressed up in the robes and they looked all holy and like great men but on the inside they were basically like dead men

want to bring this back to the importance of caution

again if you see that sign that warns you get your life could be in danger you’re going to give heed to that warning Aren’t you going to slow down or whatever may be of a says Danger how Boteach you’re not going to reach an air grab them wires

spiritually when someone is a disciple when someone is a leader within the Body of Christ

they must not pretend to be something that they really aren’t don’t pretend to be something that you aren’t don’t pretend to be more than you are.

Because it is life threatening there are souls at risk not only your own soul but those that see you that those that see the life that you live if they know that you aren’t living the life that you proclaim ing it’s going to maybe cause them from not seeking the Lord Well if that person thinks he’s holy man I don’t want any part of it I don’t want to be part of that kind of church we must be as clean and pure on the inside as we appear to be on the outside as a matter of fact what’s inside is more important than what’s on the outside

hypocrisy can be very easy to fall into

it’s kind of a natural thing to fall into it you know from the time we was little babies we liked attention didn’t we I mean a child loves to get attention

though throw a fit to get attention if they have to but a challenge of the tension

it’s a natural thing to desire that attention so but when a person becomes a preacher or a leader or a teacher or whatever in the body of Christ someone that people often look up to

they must guard against the popularity seriously you look at these large churches with pastors it’s been very successful it would be very easy to fall in to see think in their heads roll up a little bit you care and just give me a sign back here their heads or they can only get to the door it be very easy to fall into the key for the leader is to truly be someone that is worthy of the respect

that means appear on the inside

there was a rather puffed up or pompous deacon who was endeavoring to impress upon a class of very young boys the importance of living a Christian life. So he asked them one day says Why do people call me a Christian

when after a long pause one of the youngsters family spoke up and said maybe it’s because they don’t know you very well

that should not be the way a young person would think of us or speak of us is it

they should say because you are living a godly life

there’s a very good reason to be

to be aware of not being hypocritical or being apocryphal hypocrite or having hypocrisy in our lives verse 2 and 3 gives us a very good reason for there is nothing there’s not one thing not one single thing covered that will not be revealed nor hidden that will not be known therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light and whatever you have spoken in the ear knee in a room will be proclaimed on the housetops there is not one single thing that we can hide from God No I have never been backstage only theater matter fact I’ve only been in a couple little theaters I’ve never been in a big Broadway theaters or anything like that but so I’m just using what I maybe have seen on t.v. So you go to the theater and backstage there is what they call dressing rooms right and you go into those gesturing rooms where you’re going to find they’re going to find chairs that the actors or the you know whatever will or the models whatever will sit in but in front of those chairs is mirrors and those mirrors are surrounded by what lights there are surrounded by lights now less and those lights are not there just for decoration. Those lights have a purpose and those lights the purpose of those lights is they’re going to they’re going to make your face shine they’re going to they’re going to reveal any imperfections in your face not go sit down more from one of them is a man look at all those wrinkles but it always is those imperfections but that’s what the lights are for there to reveal the imperfections in that models or that actors face so the makeup person can cover them up make them look really good right that’s what the life for to reveal the in for imperfections friends light reveals light reveals we might think were hiding in the darkness more hide from God but sooner or later God’s light is going to reveal God is light he is the revealer of secrets there is nothing hidden we might think we’re putting on a good show but God sees it God knows it 1st Chronicles 289 says as for you my son Solomon know the God of your father and serve him with a loyal heart and that worth pause and serve God friends with a loyal heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intense of the thoughts if you seek Him He will be he will be found by you but if you for sake him he will cast you off forever he will cast you off forever

you know a person that for Trey’s themselves to be a good in godly person but inside their relief hypocrite you know they might fool people for a while they might pull some of the people maybe form for a long time but they will never forgot. Friends we will never full God

we must have a loyal heart loyal to him in loyal to his body be ware of hypocrisy versus 4 and 5 said and I say to you my friends do not be afraid of those who kill the body

and after that have no more that they can do but I say to you who I say to you do mused fear fear Him who after he has killed has power to cast into hell yes I say to you fear him fear him you know courting to Christian Research

a firm that is affiliated with Gordon Kohn Well it is estimated that in the last 10 years alone there have been over 900000 Christians martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ so I want to dwell as a research to show even all way back to Christ well late researcher David Bear says that he feels that a there were approximately 70000000 Christians a martyred for their faith since the time of Christ

who knows how accurate that is but 70000000 people have not been afraid to give their lives for Jesus Christ have not been afraid there is no way that that many people would have died for a lie

you wonder if this is all true there is no way 70000000 people would have died for a lie if you remember just a few weeks back preaching at Easter how gamma Leal Actually this might happen after Easter because Gamma Leal stood up for the apostles because they wanted to put him in prison or have them put to death but damn little says now listen he speaks to the religious leaders. He says if this is this is from a God that this man’s teaching is from God we will find ourselves fighting against God

So let’s just let them go if it’s not of God it will fade away it will fade away and come to nothing well my friends over 2000 years well over 2000 years and it has not faded away and over 70000000 people have given their lives for the faith in Jesus Christ it is not going away has not gone away and will never go away because it is real he is life he is true

how could that many people suffer and die for Christ how could they how could they give their lives why I think they understood as Paul taught in Philippians 1924 for I know that this may begin again for a know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the sup and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing shall be ashamed but with all boldness as always so now also will be so also Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death for me Paula say and for me to live is Christ and to die is gain but if I live on in the flesh this will mean fruit for my labor yet what shall I choose I cannot tell for I am hard pressed between the 2 having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better

friends there is while we don’t have to fear because to depart and be with Christ is far better than what we have here nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

Paul says to die is gain he did not fear death for one moment not one moment was he afraid he was not afraid of those who could kill the physical body because he knew of his eternal reward that awaited him

my friends the devil does not want you to know this he wants you to be afraid he wants you to be fraid of sickness he won’t you be afraid of death we don’t want sickness but we do not need to peer death we don’t not we don’t need to worry and fret about anything and everything we don’t have to fear evil people that may bring harm to us Mavin put us to death we don’t have the fear that Jesus said Do not fear those who could who will kill the body but after that there is nothing more they can do it’s done they can’t do anymore they have absolutely no power over our souls evil people and Satan has no power over our souls they have no power over our eternal life but that is what’s most important our internal life

Jesus often said to his followers do not be afraid

here he says do not even be afraid to die Don’t be afraid of those we’ll put that body to death this is a very very temporary Welling place but we know what awaits us that crown of righteousness because of Jesus Christ sacrifice

fear him fear Him who after he has killed has power to cast in the house our friends so that it’s who we are to fear fear God Now there might be some people out there say well I don’t want to serve a God that I have to be afraid of

oh God this is scary i don’t be afraid of a god that will you know can cast into hell

we’re always to have a respectful fear of God. Because he is an awesome and powerful God He is a Creator of All these things that we are the entire earth in all that we see

but how can we fear him in Love him at the same time how can we

what we can because godly fear is not the same the same kind of fear that we would have of an evil person or a tyrant or a dictator

we don’t need to fear God’s anger and God’s wrath unless we haven’t repent of our sins

and made him Lord of our lives now for that person out there 1st one listening that maybe haven’t repented of their sins then yes you need to peer God’s wrath

but those who believe in Jesus Christ need not fear his wrath wrath the fear of God His absolute reverence and all for Almighty God the Creator of All Things you know we get some glimpses of Heaven what it will be like we know that around his throne there are the creatures around his throne to cry out continually Holy holy holy covering their faces because he is a mighty God All Powerful

we need to serve Him

we know that he saved us saved us from for Hell when we believe in Jesus Christ we should express our gratitude and our love and have reverence for him in our hearts always

you know to commit sin is to to consciously do something that you know is against God’s will

it can be in word or deed or even in thought James one verses 12 to 15 says bless it is the man who endures temptation for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. He will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him that no one say to you when he is tempted I am tempted by God for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he in self tempt anyone but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed them with desire has conceived to give birth to sin and sin when it is full grown brings forth death there we go we can look back to that leaven again just that little piece of leaven you put in there but what’s it to do it affects the whole long so that little bit of sand if we allow it in when it becomes full grown what’s to say it will bring forth death we cannot allow it we must get rid of it we can’t allow it to be an error we must stop it immediately and once we’ve been watching some old into Griffith we need to do like Barney of sin enters it with sin is tempting us a good man what’s Barney say nip it in the bud nip it in the bud and you think of that as it is I thought about this it was always kind of funny when he don’t know how.

Amazing that little phrase is nip it in the bud because the bud is what the real small Just beginning of something is going to burst forth and become something bigger right you find the butt on the tree it’s just tiny but it’s going to grow and become of a large leap or that little bud that strawberry but it’s down there in the ground is coming forth that’s going to burst forth and produce a big strawberry hopefully but so you nip it in the bud was still small it’s the same thing we need to do with sin we need to nip it in the bud get rid of it immediately before it grows in affects the whole body.

Want to close with Romans 2 verses one through 11 so have a reading at the end just as long as at the beginning.

Therefore you are inexcusable a man whoever you are who judge friend whatever you judge whatever you judge another you condemn yourself for you who judge practice the same thing my friends that isopod prosy were judging others for the sin in their lives and were doing the same thing we are a hypocrite

but you know that the judgement of God is according to truth against those who practice such things and do you think this man you to judge those practicing such things and doing the same that you will escape the judgement of God or do you despise the riches of His goodness forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance but in accordance with your hardness and your impotent heart you are tracing up for yourselves wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the rights of judgment of God who will render to each one according to his deeds

we need to pause for a moment that sinking God will render to each one according to his deeds

but when we have Christ His sacrifice covers our sins

so we will be judged according to Christ God will see us through Christ eternal life to those who by patients can patient continuance in doing good seek to glory honor and immortality but to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath that will be their reward in the nation and wrath to those who are self-seeking to those who are hypocritical those who do not obey the truth but obey on righteousness they will see the wrath of God tribulation in anguish on every soul of man who does evil of the Jew 1st and also of the Greek. But friends I could say this is but friends listen but glory honor and peace to everyone who works what is good to the Jew 1st and also to the Greek for there is no partiality with God

My friends it’s wonderful that he gives us His Word He gives us a warning what to be cautious of what to watch out for

so that we can make sure that we are good on the inside that we are pure on the inside that we have a good heart

we should all say Lord search my heart if there’s anything in there

anything any impurity father cleanse me show me what I need to get rid of show me where I need to do better if we cry out to him with a true heart a pure heart he will hear he will show us what we need to do for anything in our lives that we need to clean up he will do it he will help us by the power of His Spirit He wants us to walk with Him He wants us to be a good and godly example for him that others would come to him through the life that we live for His glory Amen.