The Tragedy of Hypocrisy

What is hypocrisy?

 The Greek word Hupokrites means: an actor, stage player, or pretender.

A hypocrite is simply one that acts or pretends to be someone or something that he is not.

Is hypocrisy a sin?
 -why?
How many of you have been guilty or are presently guilty of living a life of hypocrisy?

What does Jesus say about those who live a life of hypocrisy?

Matthew 23:13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

It may seem as though Jesus would have no mercy, but there is mercy for all who repent…..even the worst of hypocrites!

Would you expect people to want to follow Jesus if those who name the name of Christ demonstrate a life of hypocrisy?

Many people turn from God because they observe hypocrisy in the lives of “believers”.
 -Could this be why Jesus was so harsh with hypocrites during His earthly ministry?
 -Hypocrisy is:
  1. Disgusting in God’s eyes.
  2. A disgrace to the name of Christ! 

God is a God of Righteousness, Holiness, and Truth.

God is who he says he is!
 He is unchanging!
 …therefore it goes against His very nature when people try to act like they are something that they are not.

 James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God has given us a free will so that we can choose to follow Him and following Him is for those who are sincere and are following after Truth.

God simply wants the real you!

How would it be if when we die and meet God that He would be completely different then what He said He was?

How long will God put up with hypocrisy until he brings judgment upon mankind?

What is at the root of hypocrisy?

2Timothy 3:1 ¶ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The hypocrite’s root problem is that his whole heart is not devoted and surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
 -He wants God to be available on his terms.
 -He only wants God when in need or whenever it is a benefits to him.
 -He disgraces God when it is not popular to identify with Him
 -He gives God lip service but his heart is far from God.

Matthew 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

The hypocrite constantly focuses on the wrong thing.
 He focuses on things of lesser importance.
 His focus is more on what man thinks of him then what God thinks.
 He wants to leave a good impression even if it is false in reality.

 Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

What does God expect from those who are followers of Him?

Do we understand what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God?

If we have truly repented of our sin and have become a part of the Kingdom of God, it will radically change the way we live!

God will one day return for a holy, spotless bride and we will give an account of our sojourning here.

We are called to a life of Holiness and Righteousness that comes through the Power of God.

We are living in a day:
 Where there is a lot of encouragement but little exhortation.
 A lot of inspiration but little direction given.
 When feeling and fear of offences are taking precedent over truth and holiness.
 Where true seekers are looking for clear direction from God and from those who have been called as builders of the Kingdom but many are disillusioned because of inconsistency and hypocrisy.
 Fear and rejection of the truth has tied the hands of the message barer to share the truth in love and to give a clear call to holy living.
 Where people specifically want general direction but need specific direction in general.
 
Are we willing to cast off the works of darkness and allow Jesus Christ to fill us with His Holiness and Righteousness?

Can we for Jesus’ sake boldly serve God through a life of Obedience, unwavering Faith, and Holiness?

If obedience does not take precedence above convenience
 -conviction above emotion
 -surrendered wills above broken relationships
 -calloused knees above calloused hearts
 -life above form
 -walking in the light above fellowship
 -eternal values above temporal values
  …we will die spiritually!!!!

If we are going to be of any use in the Kingdom of God, we will need to daily take up our cross and follow God with a pure heart!

Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
 38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

God is not looking for brilliant men, is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of talented men in sending His Gospel out in the world. God is looking for broken men, for men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to the end of hemselves, and whose trust and confidence is not in themselves, but in God.                     – H. A. Ironside