|
With this particular lesson, I would like to
continue — actually, in the series of lessons that we have been taking a look
at, as to the reasons that some give as to why they have not obeyed the gospel.
As with the other situations that we have already addressed, as with this one,
this particular reason that we will be focusing on is one that I have heard on
several occasions.
I think it is important for us to realize that in Greek and Roman
societies, that entertainment was a big part. Theaters were built a place where
people could go and enjoy plays and productions and other types of activities.
One of the archeological finds at the city of Corinth was a Greek theater. In
the town of Ephesus, as archeologists did their diggings, they found, built into
a hillside, a theater with the seating capacity of at least 24,000. Now here we
are in the year 2001; if we have a location with a seating capacity of 24,000,
that still would be significant today. But those years and years ago, they had
an important part in their society, these theaters as a place and source of
entertainment.
But in these theaters, without the benefit of the
microphones and sound systems that we enjoy today, masks were used to help
magnify the actors’ voices. It seems that these masks were built in such a
fashion to work similar to that of a megaphone, that it would amplify the
actor’s voice and help those who were in attendance to hear. Since the
actors’ faces then were hidden or covered by these masks, one actor could
actually play more than one role. That actor could come out, hold up a
mask in front of his face and play a particular part and then could exit the
stage, lay down that mask, pick up another mask and go out on stage and play
another character.
Now, with that process in mind, it is interesting to note the Greek
word that is used for ‘actor.’ Let me spell it for you. It is spelled
H-U-P-O-K-R-I-T-E-S, okay? H-U-P-O-K-R-I-T-E-S. That particular Greek word,
according to Vine’s Dictionary, was used to mean a ‘stage actor.’ It
says, “It was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to speak in large masks with
mechanical devices for augmenting the force of the voice,” as we just said.
“Hence, the word became used metaphorically as a ‘dissembler....’” Now, if
you’ll keep that definition in mind, that particular word, we’re going to see
that toward the end of this particular lesson. But Vine’s says, “Hence,
the word became used metaphorically of a ‘dissembler,’ a ‘hypocrite.’” And so,
hence, we get our English word from this Greek word, our English word
‘hypocrite.’ And so the word ‘hypocrite’ stems from the word, is derived from
the word, that originally meant ‘an actor.’ And unfortunately, today there are
hypocrites who continue their acting. They claim to be a certain type of a
person, but in reality, they are just putting on a show, they are just acting
out a part.
Now, we, as Christians, are to be Christians.
Christianity is not to be a mask. It is not something that we are to put
on and then to take off later. But unfortunately, there are those who put
on the mask of a Christian when they get to the church building steps.
They play the role of a Christian, they act the part of a Christian, but as they
leave the church building, then they take that mask off and they lay it back
down on the steps, because in their daily lives throughout the week, they don’t
live and don’t play the part of a Christian... only upon the first day of the
week when they gather together. And as a result of that, much damage has
been done to the church, because they have an influence on those around us.
And it is important for each and every one of us to realize that we have an
influence on folks around us whether we realize it or not. Whether we like
it or not, we have an influence. And so when someone is living a
hypocritical life, they have an influence on those around them, and that
influence, as I already said, has done much to damage the church.
In I Timothy Chapter 4, in verse 12, Paul told Timothy that he was
to be an example of the believers. Notice that, an example of the
believers. Not necessarily an example to the believers. Paul said, “Let
no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” So we are to be an
example of the believers... in the words that we use, in the way we live our
lives, in the care that we have for one another, in our attitude one toward
another. In our matters of faith and in purity, we are to live in accordance
with God’s instruction; in so doing, set the proper example.
In II Corinthians Chapter 5, in verse 20, we are
told that we are to be ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is one that
represents another. So we need to take very seriously, the responsibility
of being an ambassador for Christ. The question then is, how well do we
represent Christ?
As you see, we can, through our words and our
deeds, attract other closer to Christ or... we can turn them away. We can
lead others closer to God, obedient to His word, or through our actions and
through our example, our influence, we can actually cause others to stray
further from Him. And certainly, hypocritical actions seen by others can drive
them away.
So as we continue in this series of lessons,
looking again at the reasons people give as to why they have not obeyed the
gospel, let’s consider a statement that many have made, one I’ve heard myself on
several occasions. The statement goes similar to this. “Some of
those Christians are nothing but hypocrites, and I’m better than they are, so
why should I want to be a Christian.” And again, I am, in no way, trying
to justify hypocritical actions; not offering excuses, neither should I offer
excuses, for hypocritical actions, because there is no excuse for hypocritical
words or deeds or lifestyles. And yes, it does do much, much damage to the
church and has a bad influence on those around us.
But first of all, I think it is important to realize what it is that
makes a hypocrite wrong. It is not what the hypocrite claims to be that is
wrong. There’s nothing wrong with being a Christian, and if someone claims to
be a Christian, that, in itself, is not wrong. But there is something
wrong with claiming to be a Christian while living otherwise; trying to
put on an act is wrong. So we see that the heart of the issue, the problem with
a hypocrite, is the hypocrite’s failure to obey. That is what it is that makes
a person wrong, makes a hypocrite wrong.
As a matter of fact, back in Matthew Chapter 23,
the chapter that we’re going to look at again in just a few moments — but first
of all, in Matthew Chapter 23, let’s notice something that is very important to
our topic here. Jesus, in verse 1, we find that he is speaking to the
multitude and to his disciples, and he says in verse 2, “...The scribes and the
Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
“(3) All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”
You see, they were hypocritical in their lifestyle, and we’ll see
that here in a moment. But it wasn’t a problem with what they were teaching and
what they were telling folks to do. Jesus said do those things... but don’t
follow their example, because their example is not a good one, because they
teach things but they don’t do them themselves and they are living a
hypocritical lifestyle.
In the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, under the
topic of hypocrisy, it says this. It says, in general, the meaning is, “Acting
a part, false, deceptive and deceived; formally and outwardly, religious and
good, but inwardly insincere and unrighteous. The hypocrite may come to deceive
himself as well as others, but the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.” Now, this
last phrase is a quote from Job Chapter 8 in verse 13, “the hypocrite’s hope
shall perish.” And we see that there is quite a bit in the book of Job in
condemnation of the hypocritical lifestyle. Some of that stems from the fact
that Job’s so-called friends came to comfort him. Remember, Job had suffered
terribly. And they came to Job and were trying to console and comfort him, but
they had the understanding that when someone did something wrong, that is when
they suffered.
They failed to understand that good people can suffer hard times,
and so they kept asking Job, Job, what have you done? Job, you must have
done something, and that something must have been terrible, because look at how
you’re suffering. So Job, go ahead, admit it, own up to what you’ve done.
But Job would say, I haven’t done anything wrong, and they thought Job
was being hypocritical, claiming to be someone, acting in a certain way that he
actually hadn’t. Job, certainly, you must have sinned, you must have done
something wrong. And so they make it clear to Job that hypocritical
lifestyles are condemned.
But you know, we’ve talked about the importance
of hope and the fact that hope and faith are linked together. In Hebrews
Chapter 11 — Hebrews Chapter 11 in verse 1, “Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” so again, we see the link
between faith and hope. If we do not have faith, we do not have hope; if
we don’t have hope, we don't have faith. The two go hand in hand; they
must go together. But where does that faith come from?
Well, Romans Chapter 10 verse 17: “So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So notice what type of faith
it is that we are to have. In the book of Romans, Paul addresses this, the
fact that we are to have an obedient faith. As a matter of fact, he begins
the letter to the Romans with that statement, and he ends it in the same way in
Romans Chapter 1 verse 5, as part of his introduction. As in verse 1,
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the
gospel of God,
“(2) (Which he had promised afore by his prophets
in the holy scriptures,)
“(3) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
“(4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according
to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
“(5) By whom we have received grace and
apostleship, for” — notice, ‘for’ — “obedience to the faith among all nations,
for his name.”
So Paul opens up, explaining that our faith is to
be an obedient faith. And as I already said, he closes his letter to the
Romans in the same fashion. In Romans Chapter 16, if you look at verse
26 — well, let’s back up to verse 25, “Now to him that is of power to stablish
you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
“(26) But now is made manifest, and by the
scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God,
made known to all nations for” — well, for what? He says, “for the
obedience of faith.”
Therefore, remember the link between hope and
faith and how we get our faith and the fact that that faith is to be an obedient
faith. Therefore, if we do not live in obedience of faith, we don’t have
hope. And since the problem with the issue of the hypocrite is his failure
to obey, he is not acting obediently, he is not living obediently to his faith.
And then what is the result of that? He, therefore, does not have hope.
So please understand, the problem with the hypocrite is the failure to obey.
So with that in mind, what about the person who
does not obey due to the hypocrite. You see, that person then faces the
exact same problem... of failure to obey. And so when you think
about it, the person says, "Because of the hypocrite, because of the hypocrite's
failure to obey, I'm going to do the same thing. I'm not going to obey."
Now, when we think about it in that way, we may
ask, "What sense does that make?" Because we find, in the scriptures —
let's go back to Matthew Chapter 23 — we find, in the scriptures, that there is
no secret about hypocrisy, that it is condemned and it is condemned very harshly
in the scriptures. We need go no further than Matthew Chapter 23, in the
teachings of Jesus, the stories of Jesus. Again, talking to the scribes
and the Pharisees.
"(13) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees" — and
notice how He refers to them —"hypocrites!...." And yes, they were
hypocrites. It says — "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."
Notice verse 14.
"(14) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!..."
"(15) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!..."
Notice in verse 23.
"(23) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!..."
"(25) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!..."
"(27) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are
like unto whited sepulchers, 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."
Then in verse 29 again.
"(29) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the
sepulchers 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."
Notice, He says here, Outwardly, you appear one way, you give the
appearance of being a certain way, but inwardly, that is not at all how you are
or who you are. And they were hypocrites.
If you turn to Luke 12:1 — again, Jesus'
teachings concerning these scribes and these Pharisees.
"(1) In the mean time, when there were gathered
together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon
another, he began" — Jesus began — "to say unto his disciples first of all,
Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees" — And he defines what that leaven is —
"which is hypocrisy."
Now, if you go back to Matthew Chapter 23 — I had
stopped reading in verse 31. Let's notice verses 32 and 33. It says,
"(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?"
Notice that, the very strong condemnation. And He says, How,
living hypocritical lifestyles, do you expect to escape the damnation of hell.
In other words, they would be judged for their hypocrisy. They'd already been
condemned in the scriptures, and they would be held accountable for that
lifestyle. And so today the same stands true, that those who life hypocritical
lifestyles will have to give answer for that, and they will be judged
accordingly. And I tremble for those folks who will stand in that condition
upon the day of judgment.
Again, the problem is not what the hypocrite
claims to be or what the hypocrite acts to be, but what the problem is, is that
he or she is acting it or claiming it, rather than living it. And we know
that if a person fails to live his or her life as a Christian, that it leaves
that person in a terrible condition. And there are warnings upon warnings
throughout the scriptures of not living in obedience to God.
In II Thessalonians Chapter 1 verse 7, we're told
of the events that will take place when Jesus returns.
"(7) And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
"(8) In flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Notice that. Some will receive vengeance. Who will receive
vengeance? Those "...that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
"(9) Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power."
Yes, there will be those who will be punished.
Why are they punished? Because they have not obeyed. And again, the
problem with the hypocritical lifestyle — again — is the failure to obey.
But it is important to realize that, yes, we will all be held
accountable to God and we will all stand in judgement. There will be no
exceptions. Romans 2:6, in speaking of the judgment of God, says, "[He] will
render to every man according to his deeds." And so I will stand in judgment
someday, as well as all of you. We will each give answers for our own lives.
You will not be asked to give answers for another person, and another person
will not be asked to give answers for you. We will not be judged according to
others; we will be judged according to ourselves, our own lives; and therefore,
we will not be judged according to the hypocrites. You will not be asked to
give answer for the hypocrite; that hypocrite will be asked to do that. And the
hypocrite also will not be asked to give answer for you.
We all have to make our own decisions. We
all have to live our own lives. And so please, don't allow the hypocrite
and his problem of failing to obey, influence you to fail to obey. Don't
allow that hypocrite to influence your decisions, don't fall to the hypocrite.
But instead, rise above the hypocrite, show the hypocrite that, yes, you are
better, that you can do better and that you do have the willingness and desire
to obey. Because that is the only way to rise above the hypocrite, is to
obey.
Failure to obey only leaves you in the same
condition as the hypocrite. And if you do not want to be around the hypocrite
today, why would you want to be with the hypocrite for all of eternity?
But perhaps your good example can help to correct their bad example.
Instead of allowing them to have a bad influence on you, why don't you try to
have a good influence on them. And the only way to do that is to obey
God's word.
I once heard a person say that the hypocrite is closer to God than
you, because you have allowed the hypocrite to come between you and God. Now,
think about that. The hypocrite is closer to God than you, because you have
allowed the hypocrite to come between you and God. Please, don't allow that
to happen. Don't allow the hypocrite to stand in your way, but instead, respond
in obedience today. Believing in Jesus as the Son of God. Confessing that
belief. Repenting of your sins and being baptized for the remission of sins,
having the sins — we're all guilty of sin; we all need forgiveness. By
responding in obedience to the gospel, you can have those sins washed away by
the blood of Christ, cleansed spiritually, looking forward, then, to a home in
heaven. That is hope. And we have that hope because of faith, an obedient
faith, and that faith comes from God's word. Won't you respond in obedience to
God's word at this moment?
But you know, when you think about it, we have
all done hypocritical things, because we are not perfect. We all have made
mistakes. We all, at times, have failed to do that which was right.
Perhaps we've done that which was wrong. In short, we have not obeyed in
the way that we should have.
But if a single hypocritical act was enough to
drive people away from Christ, then we would have to say that the Apostle Peter
drove people away from Christ. You may say, "Wait a minute. The Apostle
Peter? He was an apostle. He did well. He strove to serve
Christ, and he went about teaching the word. And he died in service to
God, as Jesus told him that he would." And yes, that is the case.
But if you turn to Galatians Chapter 2, let's notice verse 11.
"(11) But when Peter was come to Antioch, I
withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
"(12) For before that certain came from James, he
did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated
himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
"(13) And the other Jews dissembled likewise with
him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
"(14) But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the
truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a
Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest
thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
And so Paul went and withstood him to the face. He addressed
the issue with Peter. He says that Peter was to be blamed, that he was
not upright on that occasion. In other words, Peter made a mistake. He was
eating there with the Gentiles. But when the Jews came — and again, relations
between the Jews and the Gentiles were not good, overall — and so he was afraid
of what the Jews might say or what they might do, and so he separated himself
from the Gentiles. And when he did that, others followed his lead, because of
his influence, because of his example. And they, as it says in verse 13, "And
the other Jews dissembled...."
Now, that is a very interesting word. That
Greek word comes from two other words, one meaning 'with,' and the other meaning
'to act hypocritically in concert with.' Remember earlier, in the
definition of a hypocrite, it said 'a dissembler'? Well, here we see that
word. In verse 13, at the very end of that, it says, "...Barnabas also was
carried away with their dissimulation." That word 'dissimulation' comes
from the word meaning 'hypocrisy.' In other words, Peter was acting in a
hypocritical manner upon this occasion. So somebody could have stood back
and said, "That Peter is nothing but a hypocrite. Why would I want to be a
Christian?" And they would have been speaking about the Apostle Peter, who
went on in diligent and faithful service to the gospel and died as a result.
You see, we all make mistakes, and so let's not
allow the mistakes of others to influence us to make mistakes ourselves.
But instead, let's respond to obedience to the gospel. And if you have not
been obedient to the gospel, then we urge and encourage you to do so this very
morning, and don't allow others who perhaps, unfortunately, have been
hypocritical to keep you from doing such.
But perhaps in our own lives, maybe we're not
living as we should have, and maybe we didn't take time to stop to think the
influence that that have on others. And if we have sin that we have
allowed back into our lives, then let's correct that, by praying to God and
asking His forgiveness, making a confession of our faults and returning to
service to Him, because God wants us there. He wants us to be His, and He
will forgive us of our sins and will consider us, once again, His faithful
child.
If you are subject to the invitation, please,
don't hesitate any longer. But come at this very moment as we stand and
sing.
|