WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:07.200 to hear and to understand and to respond in faith and trust to your word today. 00:00:07.299 --> 00:00:08.900 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:13.759 Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 11. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:23.260 We are going through the middle part of the Gospel of Luke this winter. 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:34.240 Today we are looking at the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12, starting at chapter 11, verse 37. 00:00:34.380 --> 00:00:38.500 If you are looking in the Pew Bible, the page number is listed in the bulletin. 00:00:42.299 --> 00:00:43.480 817, thanks. 00:00:44.040 --> 00:00:48.299 So Luke chapter 11, starting at verse 37. 00:00:49.299 --> 00:00:51.740 Let me read this passage to us this morning. 00:00:53.259 --> 00:01:00.699 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 00:01:01.539 --> 00:01:07.379 The Pharisee was astonished to see that Jesus did not first wash before dinner. 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:10.079 And the Lord said to him, 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:18.840 Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:20.500 You fools! 00:01:20.500 --> 00:01:24.319 Did not he who make the outside make the inside also? 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:27.060 But give his alms those things that are within. 00:01:28.060 --> 00:01:30.180 And behold, everything is clean for you. 00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:33.239 But woe to you, Pharisees! 00:01:33.819 --> 00:01:39.039 For you tithe, mint, and rue, and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. 00:01:39.620 --> 00:01:42.099 These you ought to have done without neglecting the others. 00:01:42.219 --> 00:01:43.659 Woe to you, Pharisees! 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:48.039 For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:49.019 Woe to you! 00:01:49.739 --> 00:01:51.959 For you are like unmarked graves. 00:01:52.399 --> 00:01:54.759 And people walk over them without knowing it. 00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:57.120 One of the lawyers answered him, 00:01:57.179 --> 00:02:01.019 Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also. 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:02.719 And he said, 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:04.219 Woe to you lawyers also! 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:08.240 For you load people with burdens hard to bear, 00:02:08.340 --> 00:02:11.180 and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:12.120 Woe to you! 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:16.359 For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:20.099 So you are witnesses, and you consent to the deeds of your fathers. 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:22.120 For they killed them, and you build their tombs. 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:24.379 Therefore also the wisdom of God said, 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:26.120 I will send them prophets and apostles, 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:28.840 some of whom they will kill and persecute, 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:32.960 so that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:34.920 may be charged against this generation, 00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:37.580 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, 00:02:37.640 --> 00:02:39.500 who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.939 Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:45.400 Woe to you lawyers! 00:02:46.259 --> 00:02:49.099 For you have taken away the key of knowledge. 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:52.900 You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering. 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:57.960 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:00.760 and to provoke him to speak about many things, 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:04.340 lying in wait for him to catch him in something he might say. 00:03:05.580 --> 00:03:08.960 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:10.460 that they were trampling one another, 00:03:11.060 --> 00:03:13.000 he began to say to his disciples first, 00:03:13.140 --> 00:03:16.259 Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:19.780 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:21.379 or hidden that will not be known. 00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:24.879 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, 00:03:24.939 --> 00:03:28.759 and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:33.219 I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.259 and after that have nothing more that they can do. 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.039 But I will warn you whom to fear. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:43.560 Fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:46.039 Yes, I tell you, fear him. 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.439 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? 00:03:51.579 --> 00:03:54.340 And not one of them is forgotten before God. 00:03:55.419 --> 00:03:58.659 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 00:03:59.620 --> 00:04:00.379 Fear not. 00:04:01.399 --> 00:04:03.379 You are of more value than many sparrows. 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.919 And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, 00:04:06.979 --> 00:04:10.000 the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:14.159 But the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.339 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.459 but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 00:04:22.699 --> 00:04:25.819 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, 00:04:25.980 --> 00:04:30.500 do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:35.300 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:40.680 One of the most common reasons why people leave the church 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:43.340 or never darken the door of a church 00:04:43.340 --> 00:04:48.660 is because they have seen too much hypocrisy inside it. 00:04:50.379 --> 00:04:53.540 I was talking to a small business owner recently. 00:04:54.460 --> 00:04:55.080 He said, 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:58.720 the worst customer I had to deal with last year was a pastor of a Baptist church. 00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:05.199 I lost over $10,000 because he lied and never paid what he owed. 00:05:05.300 --> 00:05:09.439 Sadly, that's far from the worst example. 00:05:11.060 --> 00:05:15.540 In the past few years, I can think of several prominent evangelical Christian leaders 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:20.220 who have stepped down or been removed from their positions because of moral failures, 00:05:20.980 --> 00:05:23.879 often relating to money, sex, or power. 00:05:25.340 --> 00:05:29.840 Many of these things had been going on for years before they got called out. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:36.859 Earlier this month, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford released the list of priests 00:05:36.859 --> 00:05:43.519 who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors in the diocese since its founding in 1953. 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:45.699 48 priests. 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:51.319 Some of you have experienced these things personally or in your families. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:58.319 You know the damage that can be done to human beings made in the image of God 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:00.800 and to the reputation of God himself 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:06.120 when those who claim to represent God act in deeply ungodly ways. 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:10.639 Jesus knows that too. 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:17.340 In the passage we're looking at this morning, Jesus addresses the issue of hypocrisy, 00:06:17.740 --> 00:06:20.160 specifically religious hypocrisy. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:26.520 And we see how deeply Jesus cares for those harmed by it 00:06:26.520 --> 00:06:30.720 because of how strongly he rebuked those who perpetuated it. 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:37.360 These are some of Jesus' strongest words of rebuke recorded in any of the Gospels. 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.180 This morning, I want us to look at three things. 00:06:42.760 --> 00:06:47.220 First, I want us to look at Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees and their hypocrisy. 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:57.060 Second, I want to look at Jesus' warning to his followers to beware of the danger of hypocrisy. 00:06:58.340 --> 00:07:04.360 And third, I want to look at the remedy Jesus gives to counter hypocrisy. 00:07:06.020 --> 00:07:09.320 So first, Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees' hypocrisy. 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:12.020 We see this in the end of chapter 11. 00:07:12.020 --> 00:07:16.640 Now, the context for this scene is Jesus is teaching the crowds, 00:07:17.220 --> 00:07:20.440 and a Pharisee who was listening invited him over for a meal. 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:27.060 Now, the Pharisees were a highly respected and widely influential group in Jesus' time. 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:29.720 They were a relatively small group. 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:33.720 Josephus, the historian, says that they numbered about 6,000, 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.880 just about 1% of the Jewish population. 00:07:37.020 --> 00:07:40.760 But he says they were very influential among the common people. 00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:44.759 And after Jerusalem was destroyed in the year 70 A.D., 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:48.899 the Pharisee movement developed into what we now know as rabbinic Judaism. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.800 Broadly speaking, the Pharisees and Jesus would have agreed about many things. 00:07:55.539 --> 00:07:59.379 They were committed to the divine inspiration and authority of the Bible. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.659 They diligently studied it and sought to put it into practice. 00:08:03.219 --> 00:08:05.199 They affirmed core biblical doctrines, 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:07.159 God's sovereignty and human responsibility, 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:09.180 the reality of angels and demons, 00:08:09.320 --> 00:08:10.720 the hope of the bodily resurrection. 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:12.960 They were not a political party either. 00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:15.420 They were willing to work with whoever was in power. 00:08:15.660 --> 00:08:18.760 They only wanted freedom to follow God's laws as they understood them. 00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:23.680 Now, the Pharisees were not the only Jewish group at that time. 00:08:24.260 --> 00:08:25.840 There were also several others, 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:29.340 including the Herodians who were allies of the ruling dynasty, 00:08:29.500 --> 00:08:32.639 the Sadducees, worldly aristocrats who controlled the temple, 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.879 the Essenes who went out into the desert and lived separately in communes, 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:39.939 and the Zealots who wanted to promote, 00:08:40.179 --> 00:08:43.120 advocated violent revolution against the Roman government. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:46.340 And so of all the Jewish groups, 00:08:46.379 --> 00:08:50.159 you would think that Jesus and the Pharisees shared most in common. 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.740 But what we see in the Gospels is that Jesus and the Pharisees 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:58.759 were often deeply at odds with each other. 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:03.679 Jesus interacted with the Pharisees more than any of these other groups, 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:05.679 25 times just in Luke's Gospel. 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:09.419 But he also criticized the Pharisees more than any other group. 00:09:10.819 --> 00:09:14.879 And here Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. 00:09:16.939 --> 00:09:17.840 Verse 38, 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:22.139 the Pharisee was astonished that Jesus did not first wash before eating. 00:09:22.259 --> 00:09:25.139 Now, the Pharisees were not concerned about the spread of germs. 00:09:25.139 --> 00:09:30.080 That was not the concern back in the first century. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:33.699 And they even used such a small amount of water 00:09:33.699 --> 00:09:35.960 that it wouldn't have made a difference. 00:09:36.620 --> 00:09:39.559 They were concerned, though, about ritual purity. 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:45.460 You see, the Pharisees were careful to obey not only the biblical laws, 00:09:46.059 --> 00:09:50.039 but also the oral traditions that had developed over time 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:52.480 that were seen as sort of safeguards or fences 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:56.879 to keep someone from breaking the law by mistake. 00:09:57.699 --> 00:09:59.039 In the case of handwashing, 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.179 the Old Testament law only required handwashing in two instances. 00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:05.419 After a person touched a bodily discharge 00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:09.839 or before priests ate the holy offerings. 00:10:10.819 --> 00:10:13.099 But the Pharisees required it before all meals, 00:10:13.219 --> 00:10:15.079 especially after interacting with crowds 00:10:15.079 --> 00:10:17.279 who were seen as sort of suspect and unclean, 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:19.019 and in many other contexts. 00:10:19.319 --> 00:10:20.919 25% of the Mishnah, 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:24.000 which is a later compilation of Jewish oral traditions, 00:10:24.339 --> 00:10:27.039 is concerned with ritual washing and bathing. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:31.779 So it was a major concern of the Pharisees. 00:10:32.220 --> 00:10:34.319 And they were scrupulous about it. 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:38.839 Jesus did not share the Pharisees' concern 00:10:38.839 --> 00:10:40.799 for ritual cleanliness. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:43.720 See, one of the most important differences 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:44.980 between Jesus and the Pharisees 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:48.340 is that Jesus was committed to upholding the authority of the Bible, 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:52.139 but he was not committed to upholding all of the traditions 00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:56.200 that had accumulated over the years around the Bible. 00:10:57.639 --> 00:11:00.360 And Jesus' concern was that the Pharisees' emphasis 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:04.100 on ritual purity had undermined their commitment 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:08.159 and the Bible's emphasis on moral integrity. 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:14.279 And so Jesus publicly and provocatively confronted the Pharisees. 00:11:15.719 --> 00:11:20.559 It's hard to overstate how provocative Jesus was 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:23.539 in this context. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:25.779 I mean, think about it. 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:27.579 He's invited to somebody's house, 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:31.980 and he knows that it's customary to do the ritual washing, 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:32.959 but he doesn't do it. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:39.720 And then when he sees his host's evident surprise and dismay, 00:11:39.920 --> 00:11:43.100 he starts blasting the Pharisees for their lack of integrity. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.900 He completely disregards the social conventions of politeness. 00:11:48.300 --> 00:11:50.680 You look all put together on the outside, 00:11:50.780 --> 00:11:52.920 and you're a mess on the inside, you fools. 00:11:53.800 --> 00:11:57.120 You need a clean heart, not just clean hands. 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:00.519 Woe to you. 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.159 Imagine if you invited someone over for dinner, 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:07.500 and they started talking like that. 00:12:10.679 --> 00:12:13.500 And then after hearing Jesus' three woes on the Pharisees, 00:12:13.560 --> 00:12:14.480 a lawyer speaks up. 00:12:14.539 --> 00:12:17.120 Now, he's not a lawyer like we think of, 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:19.259 a prosecutor or a defense attorney. 00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:21.759 This was a scribe, a law scholar, 00:12:21.899 --> 00:12:23.820 a scholar of the Old Testament law. 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:26.440 And you might say that the scribes or the lawyers, 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:28.280 the two words are sort of interchangeable. 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:32.040 They were sort of the academic prowess behind the Pharisee movement, 00:12:32.040 --> 00:12:36.280 and the Pharisees were the ones who sort of relied on their exegesis 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:38.880 and study and interpretation and taught the people. 00:12:40.640 --> 00:12:42.540 But Jesus didn't let them off the hook either. 00:12:43.920 --> 00:12:47.900 He pronounced three woes on the scribes in verses 46 to 52. 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:50.680 You heap on burdens, and you don't help a bit. 00:12:51.880 --> 00:12:54.700 You honor the prophets, but only if they're already dead, 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:57.280 not if they're living and speaking to you. 00:12:58.460 --> 00:13:00.540 And instead of opening the door to God, 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:01.640 you are blocking it. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.540 In each series, if you notice, 00:13:05.620 --> 00:13:08.860 the third and final woe, verses 44 and 52, 00:13:09.259 --> 00:13:12.379 focuses on how the hypocrisy of religious leaders 00:13:12.379 --> 00:13:15.300 negatively impacts those who follow them 00:13:15.300 --> 00:13:18.080 and hinders them. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.259 Now, you might say, why did Jesus say all this? 00:13:23.860 --> 00:13:26.860 It wasn't because Jesus delighted in creating a ruckus 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:28.700 and telling people off. 00:13:28.740 --> 00:13:30.980 It wasn't because he was hungry and frustrated 00:13:30.980 --> 00:13:32.240 and needed to vent. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.540 No, it's because Jesus saw that something much more important 00:13:37.540 --> 00:13:39.480 than politeness was at stake. 00:13:39.480 --> 00:13:44.460 It's because Jesus was not only the Pharisees' guest, 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:46.740 he was also the Pharisees' Lord. 00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:52.779 You see, all along, if you read the Gospel of Luke up to this point, 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.360 all along, the Pharisees and the scribes have heard Jesus' teaching. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:58.820 They've seen Jesus' healing. 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:03.500 And all along, they've been accusing him in their hearts 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:06.360 and grumbling about him behind his back. 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:09.679 Chapter 5, verse 21 and 22, 00:14:09.820 --> 00:14:11.399 they questioned in their hearts 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:14.100 when Jesus had healed a paralyzed man. 00:14:15.139 --> 00:14:16.299 Chapter 5, verse 30, 00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:18.019 they grumbled at his disciples 00:14:18.019 --> 00:14:21.019 when Jesus went to Levi, the tax collector's house. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:22.700 Chapter 6, verse 7, 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:25.679 they watched Jesus to find a reason to accuse him. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.000 Chapter 10, verse 25 and 29, 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.399 one of them tested Jesus wanting to justify himself. 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:36.019 So, after forbearing with them for quite some time, 00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:39.779 Jesus here calls them out in no uncertain terms. 00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:44.039 You see, it's important to realize 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:47.879 Jesus was not just spouting angry rhetoric 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:51.000 against a group of people that he was ignorant of 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:52.699 and hadn't bothered to interact with. 00:14:53.819 --> 00:14:56.460 There's plenty of that out in the world today, 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:59.919 and it doesn't please the Lord. 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:03.939 Neither was Jesus simply complaining 00:15:03.939 --> 00:15:05.740 about the Pharisees behind their back. 00:15:07.439 --> 00:15:10.459 There's also plenty of complaining behind people's backs 00:15:10.459 --> 00:15:12.980 in our world today as well. 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:18.559 It is cowardly and counterproductive 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:21.459 to complain about someone behind their back 00:15:21.459 --> 00:15:24.500 and refuse to address your concerns to their face. 00:15:24.500 --> 00:15:29.919 The Pharisees questioned in their hearts 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:31.679 and grumbled behind Jesus' back. 00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:34.940 Jesus challenged the Pharisees to their face, 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.700 straightforwardly, directly. 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:40.120 He didn't say what they wanted to hear. 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:41.899 He said what they needed to hear, 00:15:42.059 --> 00:15:44.659 and in doing so, he honored their humanity 00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:47.240 and gave them an opportunity to change. 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:54.700 You see, Jesus was speaking not as a cynical outsider, 00:15:55.080 --> 00:15:57.139 but as a committed insider. 00:15:58.299 --> 00:16:00.820 He was calling out the tragic flaws 00:16:00.820 --> 00:16:02.440 of his very own people, 00:16:02.820 --> 00:16:05.539 calling them to change before it would be too late. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:08.700 And in this way, Jesus was like many 00:16:08.700 --> 00:16:09.980 of the Old Testament prophets. 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:11.860 We read earlier from Isaiah. 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:17.919 But the 8th century prophets, Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.919 these prophets all warned the people of Israel 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:23.419 that for generations God had been patient, 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:27.680 and God had not brought the punishment upon them 00:16:27.680 --> 00:16:28.940 that they had deserved. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:32.639 But these prophets warned that if they continued 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.700 to persist in their wicked ways, 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:37.279 that God would bring a terrible catastrophe, 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.460 exile, and death upon the nation as a whole. 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:44.700 And Jesus gives a very similar warning 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:46.840 in verses 47 to 51. 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:52.080 Sadly, what we see at the end of the chapter 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.600 is that the Pharisees and scribes 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.860 do not take Jesus' warning and rebuke to heart. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.980 They only become more hostile, 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:03.860 more intent on hunting him down. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:09.460 So that's Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees and the scribes. 00:17:09.460 --> 00:17:12.740 But the second point I want us to consider 00:17:12.740 --> 00:17:16.759 is Jesus' warning to beware of hypocrisy. 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:21.380 You know, it's tempting to think that hypocrisy 00:17:21.380 --> 00:17:23.079 is only somewhere out there. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:26.160 Some other people, 00:17:27.259 --> 00:17:28.860 some other kind of church, 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:31.759 some other religion, 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:37.759 some group with a different political affiliation. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:41.099 If you're a secular person, 00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:43.500 you might be tempted to think that hypocrisy 00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:44.599 is only a religious thing. 00:17:47.539 --> 00:17:49.519 I think hypocrisy is a human problem. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.339 It affects us all. 00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:55.819 In chapter 12, verse 1, 00:17:55.899 --> 00:17:56.899 Jesus said to his disciples, 00:17:57.059 --> 00:17:59.339 beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, 00:17:59.399 --> 00:18:00.339 which is hypocrisy. 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:04.579 You see, Jesus did not only confront the Pharisees, 00:18:04.699 --> 00:18:06.599 he also warned his own disciples 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:08.099 that they too were vulnerable 00:18:08.099 --> 00:18:11.639 to the danger of falling into hypocrisy. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:13.959 He said it's like leaven, 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:14.819 like yeast, 00:18:15.059 --> 00:18:17.759 that can creep into a batch of dough. 00:18:17.879 --> 00:18:19.339 And at first, it's so small 00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:22.000 that you can hardly notice it 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:23.639 when it's mixed in with the flour. 00:18:25.379 --> 00:18:27.639 And only gradually over time 00:18:27.639 --> 00:18:29.659 does it become more and more pervasive, 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:32.480 puffing up the whole loaf of bread. 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:33.139 It adds, 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:36.039 it doesn't add any substance. 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:39.259 It only changes the appearance. 00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:43.579 Jesus says hypocrisy is like that. 00:18:45.019 --> 00:18:47.720 It can creep in unnoticed at first, 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:48.579 under the radar, 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:49.559 under the surface, 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:51.240 and only over time 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:52.860 it corrupts everything. 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:55.200 Today we might say hypocrisy 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.140 is like a virus. 00:18:58.380 --> 00:19:00.759 So small that you can't even see it, 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:01.900 but capable of making 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.920 an entire body sick. 00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:07.720 And then spreading it 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:09.319 to an entire family. 00:19:10.600 --> 00:19:10.860 Right? 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.240 Most of us have had sickness 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:13.059 running through our families 00:19:13.059 --> 00:19:14.100 in the last month or two. 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:15.120 We can go with that's like. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.679 So here's the question 00:19:18.679 --> 00:19:19.459 we need to ask. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.119 In what specific ways 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:23.000 have we allowed 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.519 or are we prone to allow 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:27.519 the virus of hypocrisy 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.159 to attach itself to our system? 00:19:30.679 --> 00:19:31.239 Individually 00:19:31.239 --> 00:19:33.079 and as a church. 00:19:34.699 --> 00:19:36.239 Let me point out some ways 00:19:36.239 --> 00:19:37.279 that it can begin 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:40.399 to take root inside us, 00:19:40.479 --> 00:19:41.259 to puff us up, 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:42.099 to infect us 00:19:42.099 --> 00:19:44.719 without us even realizing it. 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.039 One, 00:19:49.239 --> 00:19:50.639 when we value appearances 00:19:50.639 --> 00:19:51.779 more than reality. 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:53.699 Verse 39 and 40. 00:19:56.439 --> 00:19:57.479 Some of you have told me 00:19:57.479 --> 00:19:58.159 about churches 00:19:58.159 --> 00:19:59.139 that you have, 00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:00.679 where you have walked in 00:20:00.679 --> 00:20:02.459 and people have judged you 00:20:02.459 --> 00:20:03.039 by the clothes 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:03.719 that you are wearing. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:06.319 And you immediately felt 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:07.219 like you didn't belong. 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:11.759 I don't think that's our main problem 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:12.400 here at Trinity. 00:20:14.140 --> 00:20:16.339 But I will tell you this. 00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:18.519 Over the years, 00:20:18.620 --> 00:20:19.819 many people have come to me 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:21.160 and said something like this. 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:24.079 I look around the church 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.740 and everyone else in the church 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:27.720 seems so perfect 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:28.940 and I'm a mess. 00:20:31.420 --> 00:20:32.539 If I had a dollar 00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:33.640 for every time somebody 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:34.640 had said that to me, 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.039 I could take my wife out 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:37.019 to a really nice dinner. 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:42.539 So if you feel that way, 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:43.200 you're not alone. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:47.819 Are we afraid to be honest 00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:49.960 about our brokenness, 00:20:50.339 --> 00:20:53.480 our disordered desires, 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:55.119 our besetting sins 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.460 because we're so concerned 00:20:56.460 --> 00:20:58.240 with trying to hold together 00:20:58.240 --> 00:20:59.299 a good appearance 00:20:59.299 --> 00:21:01.139 because we're afraid 00:21:01.139 --> 00:21:01.839 of the shame? 00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:06.379 Two. 00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:09.539 When we make God's law 00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:10.799 into a checklist. 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:12.839 Verse 42. 00:21:14.619 --> 00:21:15.559 According to Jesus, 00:21:15.659 --> 00:21:17.419 the basics of godly living 00:21:17.419 --> 00:21:18.859 are justice. 00:21:19.919 --> 00:21:21.099 Now, that's not just 00:21:21.099 --> 00:21:22.500 the narrow sense of justice 00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:24.480 as punishing, wrongdoing, 00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:26.339 but the broad sense of justice 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:27.659 that we see throughout the Bible 00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:29.120 of seeking to make things 00:21:29.120 --> 00:21:30.420 in this world right 00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:32.279 and whole and good 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:35.279 and in line with God's design. 00:21:36.580 --> 00:21:38.680 Justice and the love of God. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:41.080 Or as Jesus says in another place, 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:43.120 loving your neighbor as yourself 00:21:43.120 --> 00:21:45.700 and loving God above all else. 00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:49.319 These are the most important 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:50.360 commands of God 00:21:50.360 --> 00:21:52.559 and they are all encompassing principles 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.900 that apply to every aspect of life. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:56.480 There is no aspect of life 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:57.319 that those principles 00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:58.720 are not relevant to. 00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:02.860 And there are also commands 00:22:02.860 --> 00:22:05.680 that are intended to humble us 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:07.240 when we take them seriously. 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:11.220 If you earnestly examine 00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:13.640 every thought that you dwell on, 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:16.140 every word that you say, 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:19.580 every action that you carry out 00:22:19.580 --> 00:22:21.300 from the time you wake up 00:22:21.300 --> 00:22:21.860 in the morning 00:22:21.860 --> 00:22:23.560 until the time you fall asleep 00:22:23.560 --> 00:22:24.000 at night 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:26.400 and ask yourself these questions, 00:22:26.520 --> 00:22:27.660 is the love of God 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:29.300 the driving force 00:22:29.300 --> 00:22:31.980 behind all that I think, 00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:33.080 say, and do? 00:22:35.120 --> 00:22:36.520 And do my interactions 00:22:36.520 --> 00:22:37.380 and relationships 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:38.080 and attitudes 00:22:38.080 --> 00:22:39.380 toward other human beings 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:41.360 reflect a sincere desire for 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:42.519 and an earnest pursuit 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:43.519 of justice, 00:22:43.859 --> 00:22:44.240 truth, 00:22:44.599 --> 00:22:45.079 wholeness, 00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:45.759 and peace. 00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:49.119 You know, 00:22:49.179 --> 00:22:50.779 if you take these standards seriously 00:22:50.779 --> 00:22:54.099 and if you look at your life honestly, 00:22:55.399 --> 00:22:58.839 I guarantee that you will be humbled 00:22:58.839 --> 00:23:01.799 because you will begin to see 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:03.099 how far short you fall 00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:04.099 every single day. 00:23:06.199 --> 00:23:06.779 For me, 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:07.559 this truth hit home 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.279 when I got married. 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:13.920 Before I got married, 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:17.220 I thought I was mostly unselfish 00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:18.079 and servant-hearted. 00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:22.899 And then I promised 00:23:22.899 --> 00:23:24.000 to love and cherish 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.539 just one person 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:27.259 in the world 00:23:27.259 --> 00:23:29.220 without any qualifications 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:31.440 until death do us part 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:33.519 and my illusions about myself 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:35.379 began to be severely challenged. 00:23:35.380 --> 00:23:39.860 It's part of what marriage 00:23:39.860 --> 00:23:40.580 is meant to do. 00:23:41.340 --> 00:23:42.520 It's meant to humble us 00:23:42.520 --> 00:23:45.320 to be a mirror 00:23:45.320 --> 00:23:45.920 that reveals 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:46.780 the darkest depths 00:23:46.780 --> 00:23:47.880 of our own soul 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:51.040 even as it's also meant 00:23:51.040 --> 00:23:51.740 to be a window 00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:55.320 into the steadfast love 00:23:55.320 --> 00:23:57.080 and kindness 00:23:57.080 --> 00:23:58.320 of God. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:02.179 You see, 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:03.579 the problem with the Pharisees 00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:06.179 is that instead of focusing 00:24:06.179 --> 00:24:07.039 on the big picture 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:07.759 of God's law 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:08.939 and being humbled by it, 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.439 they fixated on minor details 00:24:12.439 --> 00:24:14.559 that weren't even commanded 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:15.359 in God's law 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:17.000 like tithing their herbs 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:18.399 and washing their hands. 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:20.740 And they took pride 00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:23.019 in precisely fulfilling them. 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:25.980 They made the law of God 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:27.400 into a checklist 00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:30.779 and prided themselves 00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:32.259 on being able 00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:33.099 to tick off 00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:33.980 all the boxes. 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:38.539 Are we prone to that 00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:40.740 in one way or another? 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:44.120 Three. 00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:46.559 When we think we're generous 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:47.839 but actually we're not. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:50.259 Verse 39 and 42. 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:53.400 In a 2016 survey, 00:24:53.620 --> 00:24:55.200 70% of millennials 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.440 said they were very 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:58.480 or somewhat generous. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:01.480 In the same survey, 00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:03.039 84% of millennials 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:04.200 reported giving away 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:05.380 $50 or less 00:25:05.380 --> 00:25:07.080 in the past year. 00:25:11.120 --> 00:25:12.180 On average, 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:13.660 Americans today 00:25:13.660 --> 00:25:14.940 give away 3% 00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:15.860 of their income. 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:17.860 The percentage was higher 00:25:17.860 --> 00:25:19.380 during the Great Depression. 00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:22.640 And even today, 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.580 the percentage people give 00:25:24.580 --> 00:25:26.300 generally decreases 00:25:26.300 --> 00:25:28.680 as income increases. 00:25:31.600 --> 00:25:33.800 We are very prone 00:25:33.800 --> 00:25:35.860 to self-deception 00:25:35.860 --> 00:25:36.860 in this area. 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:40.500 So much that we hardly notice it. 00:25:43.180 --> 00:25:45.560 The Pharisees tithed. 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:47.220 That is, 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.700 they gave 10% 00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:50.019 as the Old Testament 00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:50.720 required. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:53.740 Some of it was used 00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:54.720 to support the priests 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:55.259 in the temple 00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:56.819 who taught the people. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:58.139 Some of it was used 00:25:58.139 --> 00:25:59.059 to care for the poor 00:25:59.059 --> 00:25:59.579 in the land, 00:25:59.639 --> 00:26:00.179 the orphans, 00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:00.839 and the widows, 00:26:00.839 --> 00:26:02.019 and the foreigners. 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:07.139 The Pharisees even made sure 00:26:07.139 --> 00:26:08.500 to tithe from their herbs. 00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:11.859 Sort of like if you calculate 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:13.200 how much your employer 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.000 contributes toward 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:15.420 your life insurance premiums 00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:16.339 and make sure to tithe 00:26:16.339 --> 00:26:17.180 on that too. 00:26:20.539 --> 00:26:22.279 But Jesus said in verse 39 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:24.019 that even though 00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:26.379 they tithed scrupulously, 00:26:26.619 --> 00:26:27.920 they were full of greed 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:28.839 and wickedness. 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:31.939 For some of you, 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:33.439 tithing 10% of your paycheck 00:26:33.439 --> 00:26:34.740 is a great sacrifice. 00:26:37.139 --> 00:26:38.000 It's a weekly 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:39.079 or monthly act 00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:40.059 of trusting God 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:42.339 by resolving to give Him 00:26:42.339 --> 00:26:43.539 your first and best 00:26:43.539 --> 00:26:45.240 and finding a way 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:46.599 to get by on the rest 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:48.579 without irresponsibly 00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:49.419 going into debt. 00:26:52.639 --> 00:26:53.740 But for some people, 00:26:53.859 --> 00:26:54.500 you can give away 00:26:54.500 --> 00:26:55.699 10% of your income 00:26:55.699 --> 00:26:56.599 pre-tax 00:26:56.599 --> 00:26:59.399 without really being generous, 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:02.459 let alone sacrificial. 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:06.099 God has entrusted you 00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:06.679 with more, 00:27:07.399 --> 00:27:07.679 yes, 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:08.579 so that you can enjoy 00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:09.039 some of it 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:09.959 and give thanks to Him 00:27:09.959 --> 00:27:10.539 for it 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:12.859 and not always feel guilty 00:27:12.859 --> 00:27:13.519 about that. 00:27:14.159 --> 00:27:15.039 There is a wrong 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:15.899 kind of guilt there. 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:18.299 But also so that 00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:20.199 you can joyfully share it 00:27:20.199 --> 00:27:24.319 and invest it 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:25.259 in something 00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.219 other than yourself. 00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:28.319 invest it 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:29.179 in the kingdom of God. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:32.480 Four, 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:34.879 when we love praise 00:27:34.879 --> 00:27:36.919 and shut down criticism. 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:38.259 Verse 43 00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:40.519 and verses 53 and 54. 00:27:43.199 --> 00:27:44.439 One of the biggest challenges 00:27:44.439 --> 00:27:45.159 I have found 00:27:45.159 --> 00:27:45.959 in being a pastor 00:27:45.959 --> 00:27:47.859 is guarding my heart 00:27:47.859 --> 00:27:50.000 through both praise 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.339 and criticism. 00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:54.759 I think we can fall 00:27:54.759 --> 00:27:55.980 into at least three dangers 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:58.259 when people criticize us. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:00.459 One, 00:28:00.619 --> 00:28:01.919 being crushed by criticism 00:28:01.919 --> 00:28:03.099 and falling into despair. 00:28:04.679 --> 00:28:05.139 Two, 00:28:05.259 --> 00:28:05.819 being fearful 00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:07.019 and anxious of it 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:08.579 and falling into cowardice. 00:28:10.179 --> 00:28:10.899 And three, 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:12.339 what the Pharisees do here 00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:14.000 is becoming hardened 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:14.779 against it 00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:17.399 and falling into pride. 00:28:17.400 --> 00:28:19.680 criticism, 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:22.180 whether it's well-intentioned 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:22.580 or not 00:28:22.580 --> 00:28:23.220 and whether it's 00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:24.340 on target or not, 00:28:25.040 --> 00:28:25.980 can expose 00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:27.040 some of the idols 00:28:27.040 --> 00:28:27.880 in our hearts 00:28:27.880 --> 00:28:28.840 pretty quickly. 00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:34.500 And so can praise 00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:36.019 in a different way. 00:28:36.019 --> 00:28:39.519 I've been reading 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:40.660 a book by Eugene Peterson 00:28:40.660 --> 00:28:42.259 recently 00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:43.259 and he wrote this 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.759 in a letter 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.720 to a fellow pastor. 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:47.799 Classically, 00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:48.460 he wrote, 00:28:48.579 --> 00:28:49.559 there are three ways 00:28:49.559 --> 00:28:50.220 in which humans 00:28:50.220 --> 00:28:52.059 try to find transcendence 00:28:52.059 --> 00:28:53.799 apart from God 00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:54.559 as revealed 00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:55.680 in the cross of Jesus. 00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:57.779 Through the ecstasy 00:28:57.779 --> 00:28:59.619 of alcohol and drugs, 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:01.240 through the ecstasy 00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:02.539 of recreational sex, 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.279 through the ecstasy 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:05.139 of crowds. 00:29:06.859 --> 00:29:07.660 Church leaders 00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:08.519 frequently warn 00:29:08.519 --> 00:29:09.259 against the drugs 00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:09.819 and the sex, 00:29:09.940 --> 00:29:10.859 but at least in America 00:29:10.859 --> 00:29:11.539 almost never 00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:12.559 against the crowds. 00:29:14.339 --> 00:29:15.220 Probably because 00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:16.039 they get so much 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:16.759 ego benefit 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:17.839 from the crowds. 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:22.559 Jesus is surrounded 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:23.400 by crowds here. 00:29:25.960 --> 00:29:27.079 So many thousands 00:29:27.079 --> 00:29:27.599 of the people 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:28.460 had gathered together 00:29:28.460 --> 00:29:28.920 that they were 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:29.819 trampling one another. 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:31.379 And Jesus taught 00:29:31.379 --> 00:29:31.920 the crowds. 00:29:32.779 --> 00:29:33.720 He didn't reject them. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:35.079 He didn't despise them. 00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:36.740 But he didn't chase them either. 00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:39.619 He didn't live 00:29:39.619 --> 00:29:40.339 for the praise 00:29:40.339 --> 00:29:42.039 of human beings, 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:42.740 but for the praise 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:43.159 of God. 00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:47.299 There are other 00:29:47.299 --> 00:29:48.539 manifestations of hypocrisy 00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:49.799 we could point out 00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:51.939 from this list. 00:29:52.139 --> 00:29:52.740 When we become 00:29:52.740 --> 00:29:53.879 quick to criticize 00:29:53.879 --> 00:29:54.899 others and slow 00:29:54.899 --> 00:29:55.539 to help them, 00:29:55.619 --> 00:29:56.419 verse 46. 00:29:57.819 --> 00:29:58.779 When we admire 00:29:58.779 --> 00:29:59.679 courageous prophets 00:29:59.679 --> 00:30:00.079 of old, 00:30:00.139 --> 00:30:00.879 but reject those 00:30:00.879 --> 00:30:01.539 who courageously 00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:02.139 challenge us 00:30:02.140 --> 00:30:02.960 with biblical truths 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:03.820 in the present day, 00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:04.660 verses 47 00:30:04.660 --> 00:30:07.200 to 51. 00:30:08.520 --> 00:30:09.320 Or finally, 00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:10.040 when we lack 00:30:10.040 --> 00:30:11.080 self-awareness 00:30:11.080 --> 00:30:12.080 and harm others 00:30:12.080 --> 00:30:12.780 as a result, 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:13.740 verse 52. 00:30:13.740 --> 00:30:19.339 I don't think 00:30:19.339 --> 00:30:19.940 the Pharisees 00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:20.519 and scribes 00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:21.019 set out 00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:21.859 to be hypocrites. 00:30:24.180 --> 00:30:25.299 We have no evidence 00:30:25.299 --> 00:30:25.980 that they thought 00:30:25.980 --> 00:30:26.480 of themselves 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:27.140 in that way 00:30:27.140 --> 00:30:27.880 or that they were 00:30:27.880 --> 00:30:28.500 malicious. 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:32.720 That they conspired 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:33.180 together 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:34.180 and were maliciously 00:30:34.180 --> 00:30:35.120 intent on misleading 00:30:35.120 --> 00:30:35.660 the people. 00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:36.180 No, 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:36.819 they diligently 00:30:36.819 --> 00:30:37.720 studied the Scriptures. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:38.539 They carefully 00:30:38.539 --> 00:30:39.299 debated matters 00:30:39.299 --> 00:30:39.859 of theology. 00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:40.740 They zealously 00:30:40.740 --> 00:30:41.519 instructed others 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:42.019 in the law, 00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:43.160 but their hypocrisy 00:30:43.160 --> 00:30:43.819 distorted 00:30:43.819 --> 00:30:45.339 their self-perception. 00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:48.319 And in verse 44, 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:49.480 Jesus calls the Pharisees 00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:51.059 like unmarked graves. 00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:53.379 That is, 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.119 people would walk 00:30:54.119 --> 00:30:54.559 over them 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:55.559 without realizing it 00:30:55.559 --> 00:30:56.639 and become unclean 00:30:56.639 --> 00:30:57.259 as a result. 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:00.559 Jesus was saying, 00:31:00.639 --> 00:31:01.299 you're like a doctor 00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:01.859 who's spreading 00:31:01.859 --> 00:31:02.379 the plague 00:31:02.379 --> 00:31:03.480 to all of his patients 00:31:03.480 --> 00:31:04.900 without even realizing it. 00:31:07.139 --> 00:31:07.779 You see, 00:31:07.859 --> 00:31:08.639 our fallenness 00:31:08.639 --> 00:31:09.259 in general 00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:10.119 and hypocrisy 00:31:10.119 --> 00:31:10.799 in particular 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:12.099 makes us unable 00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:12.839 to perceive 00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:14.359 ourselves rightly. 00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:16.500 It makes us blind 00:31:16.500 --> 00:31:17.559 to our own flaws 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:18.259 and offenses 00:31:18.259 --> 00:31:19.159 and oblivious 00:31:19.159 --> 00:31:19.680 to the ways 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:20.379 that we hurt 00:31:20.379 --> 00:31:21.980 and offend others. 00:31:22.680 --> 00:31:24.279 That's why hypocrisy 00:31:24.279 --> 00:31:25.700 is so dangerous. 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:28.419 It's not just 00:31:28.419 --> 00:31:29.419 somewhere out there. 00:31:29.480 --> 00:31:30.440 It's right here. 00:31:32.839 --> 00:31:34.339 It's within us 00:31:34.339 --> 00:31:36.259 and among us. 00:31:36.819 --> 00:31:37.460 And Jesus says, 00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:38.720 we must beware 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:39.960 of it. 00:31:42.279 --> 00:31:43.500 That's his second point. 00:31:45.339 --> 00:31:46.559 But third and finally, 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:48.100 in chapter 12, 00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:49.380 Jesus points us 00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:51.019 to a remedy 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:52.980 to counteract 00:31:52.980 --> 00:31:54.339 hypocrisy. 00:31:56.759 --> 00:31:57.680 Chapter 12, 00:31:57.700 --> 00:31:58.500 verses 2 to 12, 00:31:58.579 --> 00:31:59.420 Jesus teaches us 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:01.019 to do two things 00:32:01.019 --> 00:32:02.740 in order to counteract 00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:04.860 the infectious nature 00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:06.079 of hypocrisy. 00:32:08.519 --> 00:32:09.079 First, 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:10.119 Jesus teaches us 00:32:10.119 --> 00:32:10.799 to fear 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:11.899 the God 00:32:11.899 --> 00:32:13.119 from whom 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:13.799 no secrets 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:14.240 are hid. 00:32:15.579 --> 00:32:16.799 Verses 2 to 5 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:17.879 and verses 9 to 10. 00:32:19.379 --> 00:32:20.099 Jesus says, 00:32:20.339 --> 00:32:20.659 one day, 00:32:21.659 --> 00:32:22.019 everything 00:32:22.019 --> 00:32:23.099 that is currently 00:32:23.099 --> 00:32:23.559 hidden 00:32:23.559 --> 00:32:25.159 will be made known. 00:32:26.439 --> 00:32:27.000 Everything 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:27.979 whispered in secret 00:32:27.979 --> 00:32:28.819 will be shouted 00:32:28.819 --> 00:32:29.839 from the rooftops. 00:32:31.459 --> 00:32:32.819 Hebrews 4, 13 00:32:32.819 --> 00:32:33.139 says, 00:32:33.140 --> 00:32:34.440 nothing in all creation 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:34.940 is hidden 00:32:34.940 --> 00:32:36.320 from God's sight. 00:32:37.100 --> 00:32:37.540 Everything 00:32:37.540 --> 00:32:38.780 is uncovered 00:32:38.780 --> 00:32:39.960 and laid bare 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:41.040 before the eyes 00:32:41.040 --> 00:32:41.620 of Him 00:32:41.620 --> 00:32:42.320 to whom 00:32:42.320 --> 00:32:42.980 we must 00:32:42.980 --> 00:32:44.480 give an account. 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:47.060 Sooner or later, 00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:48.200 all the facades 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:49.240 will come 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:50.160 crashing down. 00:32:50.940 --> 00:32:52.080 All the masks 00:32:52.080 --> 00:32:53.220 will fall off. 00:32:53.360 --> 00:32:54.340 All the pretenses 00:32:54.340 --> 00:32:55.560 will be taken away. 00:32:55.900 --> 00:32:56.880 We will all stand 00:32:56.880 --> 00:32:57.640 before God. 00:32:59.040 --> 00:32:59.860 There will be 00:32:59.860 --> 00:33:00.380 no running, 00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:01.520 no hiding, 00:33:01.519 --> 00:33:02.700 no minimizing 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:03.599 or blaming, 00:33:03.920 --> 00:33:05.299 no clever rationales 00:33:05.299 --> 00:33:06.680 and no flimsy excuses. 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.299 You can fool 00:33:09.299 --> 00:33:10.099 other people, 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:11.799 you can even 00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:12.599 fool yourself, 00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:14.000 but you can't 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.180 fool God. 00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:20.240 Jesus says in 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:22.240 verse 5, 00:33:22.379 --> 00:33:23.700 fear God 00:33:23.700 --> 00:33:25.799 who has authority 00:33:25.799 --> 00:33:27.559 to cast into hell. 00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:32.960 You see, 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:33.460 hypocrisy 00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.059 is not just 00:33:34.059 --> 00:33:34.899 an annoyance. 00:33:36.079 --> 00:33:36.799 It's not just 00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:37.639 a human foible 00:33:37.639 --> 00:33:38.519 that we can sort of 00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:39.679 mock and laugh at. 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:41.519 It is not only 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.159 something that is 00:33:42.159 --> 00:33:42.679 at times 00:33:42.679 --> 00:33:43.500 deeply damaging 00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:44.519 to other human beings. 00:33:44.679 --> 00:33:45.559 More than anything else, 00:33:45.679 --> 00:33:46.220 hypocrisy 00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:47.740 is at its root 00:33:47.740 --> 00:33:48.379 and offense 00:33:48.379 --> 00:33:49.759 against the God 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:50.619 of truth 00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:52.059 and light 00:33:52.059 --> 00:33:53.359 who made us. 00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:59.779 some of you 00:33:59.779 --> 00:34:00.299 are parents. 00:34:02.379 --> 00:34:03.000 Think about 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:03.719 how you would feel 00:34:03.719 --> 00:34:04.299 if you came 00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:05.159 to the realization 00:34:05.159 --> 00:34:08.000 that for years 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.599 your child 00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:09.699 was living 00:34:09.699 --> 00:34:10.460 a double life, 00:34:11.859 --> 00:34:12.460 engaging 00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:13.599 in some dishonorable 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:14.839 and destructive behavior 00:34:14.839 --> 00:34:15.759 all the while 00:34:15.759 --> 00:34:16.500 pretending 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:17.319 and appearing 00:34:17.319 --> 00:34:18.139 to be loyal 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:18.759 and obedient. 00:34:18.760 --> 00:34:24.800 be furious 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:26.540 and at the same time 00:34:26.540 --> 00:34:27.380 you'd be heartbroken. 00:34:29.660 --> 00:34:30.100 Furious 00:34:30.100 --> 00:34:30.820 that they would 00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:31.640 disrespect you 00:34:31.640 --> 00:34:32.220 and think they could 00:34:32.220 --> 00:34:32.780 pull the wool 00:34:32.780 --> 00:34:33.740 over your eyes 00:34:33.740 --> 00:34:35.580 and at the same time 00:34:35.580 --> 00:34:36.220 heartbroken 00:34:36.220 --> 00:34:37.600 that they wouldn't 00:34:37.600 --> 00:34:38.180 trust you 00:34:38.180 --> 00:34:40.060 and open up to you 00:34:40.060 --> 00:34:40.940 and ask you for help. 00:34:43.460 --> 00:34:44.280 That's only 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:45.300 a tiny picture 00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:46.140 of how God 00:34:46.140 --> 00:34:46.760 feels 00:34:46.760 --> 00:34:48.740 when he sees 00:34:48.740 --> 00:34:49.420 his creatures 00:34:49.420 --> 00:34:52.200 and his very own 00:34:52.200 --> 00:34:52.540 children 00:34:52.540 --> 00:34:53.000 who bear 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:53.360 the name 00:34:53.360 --> 00:34:53.980 of Jesus 00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:56.620 living in hypocrisy. 00:34:59.420 --> 00:35:00.400 Jesus teaches us 00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:00.900 to fear 00:35:00.900 --> 00:35:01.600 the God 00:35:01.600 --> 00:35:01.980 from whom 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:02.520 no secrets 00:35:02.520 --> 00:35:02.980 are hid. 00:35:05.120 --> 00:35:05.880 But second, 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:07.000 in this very same 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:07.560 section, 00:35:07.700 --> 00:35:08.420 Jesus teaches us 00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:09.200 to trust 00:35:09.200 --> 00:35:10.360 the God 00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:11.680 whose grace 00:35:11.680 --> 00:35:12.840 is always 00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:13.800 sufficient. 00:35:14.680 --> 00:35:15.720 Verses 6 to 8 00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:16.539 and 11 00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:17.339 and 12. 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:20.480 Right after 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:21.459 Jesus admonishes 00:35:21.459 --> 00:35:22.179 his disciples 00:35:22.179 --> 00:35:23.319 to fear God, 00:35:23.399 --> 00:35:24.219 the righteous judge 00:35:24.219 --> 00:35:24.899 in verse 5, 00:35:24.959 --> 00:35:25.519 he immediately 00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:26.439 goes on to remind 00:35:26.439 --> 00:35:27.279 them in verse 6 00:35:27.279 --> 00:35:28.299 that this very 00:35:28.299 --> 00:35:29.279 same God 00:35:29.279 --> 00:35:30.379 is also 00:35:30.379 --> 00:35:31.239 a merciful 00:35:31.239 --> 00:35:32.059 Father 00:35:32.059 --> 00:35:33.039 that you 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.980 can trust. 00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:37.079 And he has 00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:37.759 promised to look 00:35:37.759 --> 00:35:38.500 after us, 00:35:38.739 --> 00:35:40.419 never to forget us, 00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:41.739 never to forsake us. 00:35:41.779 --> 00:35:42.559 He values us 00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:43.019 highly, 00:35:43.339 --> 00:35:44.099 so highly 00:35:44.099 --> 00:35:44.559 that he was 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:45.360 willing to send 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:46.139 his one and only 00:35:46.139 --> 00:35:47.339 son to rescue us 00:35:47.339 --> 00:35:48.199 and bring us 00:35:48.199 --> 00:35:48.500 home. 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:50.619 And look at the 00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:51.460 promise in verse 8, 00:35:51.519 --> 00:35:52.619 for all who publicly 00:35:52.619 --> 00:35:53.500 confess, 00:35:53.579 --> 00:35:54.279 who acknowledge 00:35:54.279 --> 00:35:55.219 Jesus on earth, 00:35:55.659 --> 00:35:56.599 the son has 00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.559 promised that he 00:35:57.559 --> 00:35:58.480 will publicly 00:35:58.480 --> 00:35:59.480 acknowledge you 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:00.420 in the court 00:36:00.420 --> 00:36:00.799 of heaven. 00:36:02.739 --> 00:36:03.219 And finally, 00:36:03.339 --> 00:36:04.199 verse 11 and 12, 00:36:04.279 --> 00:36:04.940 Jesus promises 00:36:04.940 --> 00:36:05.639 his disciples 00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:06.179 that when they're 00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:06.679 persecuted 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:07.819 and put on trial, 00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:08.400 when they face 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:09.159 opposition and 00:36:09.159 --> 00:36:09.980 intimidation, 00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:10.940 beyond what they 00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:11.299 can bear, 00:36:11.300 --> 00:36:12.200 the Holy Spirit 00:36:12.200 --> 00:36:12.820 will teach you 00:36:12.820 --> 00:36:13.539 in that hour 00:36:13.539 --> 00:36:14.440 what you ought 00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:14.880 to say. 00:36:16.220 --> 00:36:16.940 In other words, 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:18.539 the grace of God, 00:36:18.940 --> 00:36:19.340 Father, 00:36:19.760 --> 00:36:20.120 Son, 00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:21.260 and Holy Spirit 00:36:21.260 --> 00:36:22.600 is always sufficient 00:36:22.600 --> 00:36:24.200 for those who 00:36:24.200 --> 00:36:24.720 trust him. 00:36:27.340 --> 00:36:27.860 You see here 00:36:27.860 --> 00:36:28.620 how fearing 00:36:28.620 --> 00:36:29.920 and trusting God 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:30.780 are not presented 00:36:30.780 --> 00:36:31.840 as opposites. 00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:33.260 They're presented 00:36:33.260 --> 00:36:34.260 as two sides 00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:35.320 of the same coin. 00:36:36.880 --> 00:36:37.840 Verses 4 and 5 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:38.280 talk about 00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:39.340 fearing God the Father, 00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:40.180 verses 6 and 7 00:36:40.180 --> 00:36:40.620 talk about 00:36:40.619 --> 00:36:41.579 trusting God the Father. 00:36:41.699 --> 00:36:42.159 Verse 8 00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:42.799 talks about 00:36:42.799 --> 00:36:43.539 trusting Jesus. 00:36:43.679 --> 00:36:44.199 Verse 9 00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:44.920 talks about 00:36:44.920 --> 00:36:45.480 fearing Jesus. 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:46.099 Verse 11 00:36:46.099 --> 00:36:46.960 warns us to fear 00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:47.559 the Holy Spirit. 00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:48.400 Verses 11 to 12 00:36:48.400 --> 00:36:49.159 tells us to trust 00:36:49.159 --> 00:36:49.819 the Holy Spirit. 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:51.239 You see, 00:36:51.299 --> 00:36:52.119 in order to really 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:53.099 root out hypocrisy 00:36:53.099 --> 00:36:53.839 from our lives, 00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:54.679 we need to both 00:36:54.679 --> 00:36:56.259 fear and trust 00:36:56.259 --> 00:36:57.839 the God who is 00:36:57.839 --> 00:36:58.599 both holy 00:36:58.599 --> 00:36:59.799 and loving. 00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:01.980 God is 00:37:01.980 --> 00:37:03.440 uncompromisingly 00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:03.819 holy, 00:37:04.339 --> 00:37:05.339 committed to truth 00:37:05.339 --> 00:37:06.380 and righteousness, 00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:08.199 and yet he is 00:37:08.199 --> 00:37:09.659 unfailing love. 00:37:10.619 --> 00:37:11.420 And extends 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:12.380 grace and 00:37:12.380 --> 00:37:12.880 forgiveness 00:37:12.880 --> 00:37:13.599 to us. 00:37:15.279 --> 00:37:16.000 The Bible 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:16.359 says we're 00:37:16.359 --> 00:37:16.980 more deeply 00:37:16.980 --> 00:37:17.920 flawed and sinful 00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:18.639 than we ever 00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:19.440 dare to admit. 00:37:21.380 --> 00:37:22.599 We better fear 00:37:22.599 --> 00:37:23.460 the God 00:37:23.460 --> 00:37:24.019 who is holy. 00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:25.880 But the Bible 00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:26.619 also says 00:37:26.619 --> 00:37:27.940 that God 00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:28.619 sent his son, 00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:29.460 Jesus Christ, 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:31.759 and that on the cross 00:37:31.759 --> 00:37:32.239 he took 00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:33.000 our sin 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:33.819 upon himself 00:37:33.819 --> 00:37:36.119 so that our sin 00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:37.000 would be dealt 00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:37.400 with, 00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:39.000 so that we 00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:40.300 could be accepted. 00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:42.039 So the Bible 00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:42.579 says through 00:37:42.579 --> 00:37:43.300 Jesus Christ 00:37:43.300 --> 00:37:43.820 we are more 00:37:43.820 --> 00:37:44.719 loved and accepted 00:37:44.719 --> 00:37:45.320 than we ever 00:37:45.320 --> 00:37:45.940 dared to hope. 00:37:46.239 --> 00:37:46.980 We're not only 00:37:46.980 --> 00:37:48.159 more flawed 00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:48.599 and sinful 00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:49.079 than we ever 00:37:49.079 --> 00:37:49.659 dared to admit, 00:37:49.780 --> 00:37:50.360 but in Christ 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:51.000 we can also 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:52.820 be more 00:37:52.820 --> 00:37:53.300 loved and 00:37:53.300 --> 00:37:54.159 accepted by God 00:37:54.159 --> 00:37:54.760 than we ever 00:37:54.760 --> 00:37:55.760 dared hope 00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:56.300 on our own. 00:37:57.300 --> 00:37:58.219 We can trust 00:37:58.219 --> 00:37:59.079 him. 00:38:00.139 --> 00:38:00.940 Let us pray. 00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:01.039 Amen. 00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:01.099 Amen. 00:38:01.099 --> 00:38:01.159 Amen. 00:38:01.159 --> 00:38:01.260 Amen. 00:38:01.260 --> 00:38:01.440 Amen. 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:01.659 Amen. 00:38:01.659 --> 00:38:02.159 Amen. 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:03.039 Amen. 00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:03.099 Amen. 00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:03.159 Amen. 00:38:03.159 --> 00:38:03.219 Amen. 00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:03.300 Amen. 00:38:03.300 --> 00:38:04.159 Amen. 00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:05.159 Amen. 00:38:05.159 --> 00:38:05.219 Amen. 00:38:05.219 --> 00:38:05.260 Amen. 00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:05.300 Amen. 00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:06.219 Amen. 00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:09.639 Amen. 00:38:13.739 --> 00:38:14.340 Father, 00:38:14.440 --> 00:38:14.960 you are the God 00:38:14.960 --> 00:38:16.059 who sees and knows. 00:38:18.539 --> 00:38:19.480 You are the God 00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:20.619 of truth and righteousness. 00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:26.639 We praise you. 00:38:28.460 --> 00:38:29.960 We want to live in 00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:33.119 a reverential fear 00:38:33.119 --> 00:38:33.699 of you. 00:38:35.739 --> 00:38:37.000 And yet we thank you 00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:37.860 that you sent your son 00:38:37.860 --> 00:38:38.599 into the world 00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:39.940 to save sinners. 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:43.759 Oh God, 00:38:43.819 --> 00:38:44.199 as we 00:38:44.199 --> 00:38:47.819 look at you 00:38:47.819 --> 00:38:48.779 in your holiness 00:38:48.779 --> 00:38:51.219 and as we see 00:38:51.219 --> 00:38:53.779 your mercy 00:38:53.779 --> 00:38:54.420 and grace, 00:38:55.079 --> 00:38:56.299 would you break 00:38:56.299 --> 00:38:57.219 the grip 00:38:57.219 --> 00:38:58.079 of hypocrisy 00:38:58.079 --> 00:38:58.940 on our hearts 00:38:58.940 --> 00:39:00.279 and lives 00:39:00.279 --> 00:39:03.119 that we might live 00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:04.659 genuinely, 00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:06.019 truthfully, 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:07.460 honestly, 00:39:07.460 --> 00:39:10.199 before you 00:39:10.199 --> 00:39:11.340 and before one another. 00:39:13.639 --> 00:39:14.639 We pray that you 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:15.099 would continue 00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:15.940 to shape us 00:39:15.940 --> 00:39:17.039 into a church 00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:18.900 that reflects 00:39:18.900 --> 00:39:19.559 your truth 00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:20.619 and your grace. 00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:24.880 That we would be 00:39:24.880 --> 00:39:25.780 committed not to 00:39:25.780 --> 00:39:27.119 just one of those, 00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:28.740 but to both of those. 00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:30.639 That we would 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:31.940 be shaped 00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:32.679 by the fullness 00:39:32.679 --> 00:39:33.720 of your character, 00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:37.279 your holiness 00:39:37.279 --> 00:39:38.059 and your love. 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:43.579 We pray all these things 00:39:43.579 --> 00:39:44.239 in Jesus' name. 00:39:44.500 --> 00:39:44.759 Amen. 00:39:45.259 --> 00:39:46.079 Amen. 00:39:46.079 --> 00:40:16.059 Thank you.