WEBVTT 00:00:00.220 --> 00:00:06.580 Thanks, James. Good morning, everyone. Nice to see you. My name is James. I've been away 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:14.140 for a couple of weeks, so it's wonderful to be back with you. I find hypocrisy really 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:21.320 hard to take. My community group this week had a visitor from overseas, and I was attempting 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:28.900 to explain the Australian tall poppy syndrome. And I was wondering if it's because we have 00:00:28.899 --> 00:00:39.359 a history where Australia was founded by criminals and then people doing it tough. And so when 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:45.039 we see someone at the very top, we like to cut them down. We like to make them more normal. 00:00:45.619 --> 00:00:51.259 And I think this is one of the consequences of what happens in an election cycle like we 00:00:51.259 --> 00:00:57.980 are in. Our politicians try to pretend like they're normal people. And so they do things 00:00:57.979 --> 00:01:04.299 like go and cut hair and cook meals and try and make themselves look like everybody else. 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:13.739 But sometimes it can come off as lacking authenticity. It looks like hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when a 00:01:13.739 --> 00:01:21.379 person's public life and personal life don't match up. When the public and private life don't match up. 00:01:21.379 --> 00:01:30.659 What they present to the world doesn't match up with who they really are. Hypocrisy has caused 00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:37.899 incredible damage in the church. There's been a whole series of well-known pastors who have had 00:01:37.899 --> 00:01:45.759 dark secrets revealed. Who they presented themselves to be hasn't matched who they really are behind 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:54.620 closed doors. Hypocrisy is a wrecking ball that comes in, smashing souls in its path. In the church, 00:01:54.680 --> 00:02:02.620 it sees counterfeit shepherds create calloused sheep. Some leave the church, some stop following God, 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:10.200 and those who stick around can often be filled with anger and bitterness and distrust. And yet it's not 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:19.819 just church leaders or politicians that can cause problems with hypocrisy. Do our private lives and 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:27.719 our public lives match up? Does who we really are ever accidentally creep out when we're talking with 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:35.039 people and act surprised? Oh, I thought you were the Christian. Why are you speaking like this? I thought 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:39.579 Christians were supposed to forgive people. You don't seem very forgiving right now. 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:49.439 We are all tempted to hypocrisy, but we're called to humility. We're all tempted to hide our faults and 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:56.719 our problems, but we are called to know who we truly are in Jesus. We are in the book of Romans. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:04.780 It's a wonderful book filled with deep theological truths. Deep truths that are not always easy to hear. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:14.340 Truths about who we are, about our nature against our God, and the only way to be right with him. 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:20.219 For him to work through the death and resurrection of Jesus to make us right with him. And over the last 00:03:20.219 --> 00:03:25.739 two weeks, Steve has taken us through that first chapter of Romans. And today we're coming to the 00:03:25.739 --> 00:03:32.979 second chapter. But these first two chapters of Romans present two ways of responding to God. 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:39.379 It's like the two brothers in the story of the prodigal son. If you remember the story of the 00:03:39.379 --> 00:03:47.539 prodigal son, the youngest son took half his dad's money. He ran off and he wasted all his dad's money 00:03:47.539 --> 00:03:56.019 pursuing the pursuits of personal satisfaction, wild living. And the older son was at home, 00:03:56.020 --> 00:04:05.180 self-righteous, appearing to be the good son judging his younger brother. And so chapter one of Romans 00:04:05.180 --> 00:04:12.939 speaks to us who are like the younger brother. Those who have run far away from God. Those who've pursued 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:22.240 idols of money and sexual satisfaction outside of God's order. Those who have made idols. They are far 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:29.139 from God. And now Paul turns to people who are much more like the older brother. Those who appear to be 00:04:29.139 --> 00:04:36.660 good on the outside, but their own goodness, their own self-righteousness has become their idol. 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:45.040 And so the challenge for us today will be to consider our own hypocrisy. Does our private life 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:53.819 match up with our public life? How does the gospel help us to identify our hypocrisy and to grow in 00:04:53.819 --> 00:05:00.080 humility? So as we jump into Romans 2, let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word 00:05:00.080 --> 00:05:10.960 today. Lord, help us to understand who we are as we stand before you. And help us to know the difference 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:17.779 between our public life and our private life so that we would not be hypocrites, Lord. Help us to know 00:05:17.779 --> 00:05:25.180 who we are before you and how much you have loved us, Lord. Amen. Two points for us this morning, 00:05:25.500 --> 00:05:33.719 hypocrisy and humility. First of all, we'll start with hypocrisy. Paul starts Romans 2 by turning to 00:05:33.719 --> 00:05:39.979 those who in his audience thought that they were right before God. Those who would have heard Romans 1 and 00:05:39.980 --> 00:05:45.600 thought, yes, Paul, yeah, you tell them. You tell all these terrible sinners about how bad they are and about 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:51.680 God's coming wrath and judgment. But now Paul gets the bucket of cold water and he throws it on them 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:58.439 and turns to those who thought too much of themselves. And he says, let me just go to see if I can get my 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:06.720 clicker to work. Is my clicker working, Wendy? It doesn't look like it's working. There we go. Let me see. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:11.580 Okay, that will work. He says, Romans chapter 2. Have your Bibles open with me, brothers and sisters. 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:19.640 Romans chapter 2 verse 1. You, you therefore have no excuse. You who pass judgment on someone else. 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:25.200 For at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself. Because you who pass judgment 00:06:25.200 --> 00:06:30.520 do the same thing. You there who are passing judgment on others, you are condemning yourself. 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:36.039 It's that old saying when you point a finger at someone, you've got, you know, three fingers 00:06:36.039 --> 00:06:42.579 pointing back at you. It's not just saying that sin over there is wrong, but there's the attitude 00:06:42.579 --> 00:06:50.279 behind it, which is you are lost. You are a sinner. You deserve judgment. And now I feel better about 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:57.599 myself because you are far worse than me. To pass judgment is to think others should be judged by God, 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:05.140 but not ourselves. Verse 2. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is 00:07:05.140 --> 00:07:12.900 based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, 00:07:12.980 --> 00:07:19.140 do you think you will escape God's judgment? Paul's saying that you're putting yourself in God's 00:07:19.140 --> 00:07:24.280 shoes when you do this. When you're thinking that it is right for you to judge someone else. 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:28.099 Because at the same time, you are excusing your own sin. 00:07:29.939 --> 00:07:36.479 Pastor John Stott said of hypocrisy, Wendy, if you can go to the next slide for me. 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:38.899 Thank you, mate. He said, 00:07:38.899 --> 00:08:06.959 Christian hypocrisy looks like condemning others while we indulge in the same sins. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:13.699 I'm going to indulge in that same sin because it makes me feel good. But Paul says we're condemning 00:08:13.699 --> 00:08:21.779 ourselves. God will judge, verse 2, based on truth. Imagine with me that we get to heaven. 00:08:22.539 --> 00:08:31.139 It's a wonderful, exciting day. And we get to God and his judgment. And he takes your phone from you 00:08:31.139 --> 00:08:39.500 and says, I am going to judge you completely fairly. I will judge you based on how you have judged 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:46.100 other people. On the basis of your words and your standards. And he says to your phone, 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:52.600 hey Siri, play all hypocrisy. Now I wonder what would happen. 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:58.680 I wonder what would come out of our phones who are with us and those microphones are listening to us 00:08:58.680 --> 00:09:08.560 at every stage. What is going to come out? How fairly have we judged others compared to ourselves? 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:16.159 How easy it is to condemn others and yet excuse our own sin to make ourselves feel better. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:24.699 The problem with our hypocrisy is that we forget what God has done for us. Paul says in verse 4, 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:31.299 Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, his forbearance, his patience, 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:36.399 not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:43.259 Do you forget all of God's forgiveness of you? When you're judging someone else, 00:09:43.259 --> 00:09:50.120 do you forget how God has forgiven you of the exact same sin? How easy it is for us to look down 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:57.799 from our place of lofty judgment, but forget that we're in the exact same place as the person we're 00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:04.860 judging. Under judgment from God. We can do this comparing ourselves to others to make ourselves feel 00:10:04.860 --> 00:10:10.259 better. I might have my issues, but at least I'm not as bad as that person over there. 00:10:10.259 --> 00:10:17.220 This is the kind of person who comes to church, who believes in God. They do the right things. 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:22.399 They appear good on the outside, but ultimately don't act like they need God. 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:29.659 They're functioning as their own savior and they welcome God's wrath on other people, 00:10:30.120 --> 00:10:37.120 but see no need to repent themselves. So that's why in verse 4, he calls you to repentance. 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:43.700 He calls us to repentance. But there is no need to repent. They see no need to repent. 00:10:44.139 --> 00:10:49.639 And so because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you're storing up wrath 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:54.600 against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 00:10:55.100 --> 00:11:01.100 Paul says that those people who think they are righteous are just as sinful, just as idolatrous, 00:11:01.100 --> 00:11:10.200 just as far from God as those he described in Romans 1. Instead of making idols out of sexual 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:18.240 gratification, making idols out of money, they've made themselves God. Instead of repenting, 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:26.100 they worship their own goodness. Both of these types of people need God. The religious and the 00:11:26.100 --> 00:11:35.300 unreligious, the one in church and the one outside of church. I heard of two church pastors in the US 00:11:35.300 --> 00:11:42.399 who were comparing how hard their jobs were. The first pastor argued that his job was the hardest 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:49.100 because he was in the most unreached city in the US. My job is so hard. There are so few Christians here. 00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:57.340 The other pastor said, oh, you think your job is hard? I am in the most churched city in the US. 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:03.120 And so my job is harder because I'm trying to convert the people who are in church, 00:12:03.220 --> 00:12:07.680 who don't think they need to be saved, who think that they are already good enough. 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:17.080 Hypocrisy is the gap between our personal life and our public life. The people that Paul is 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:23.120 describing here are hypocrites. Those who say that they're Christians, those who are appearing on 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:30.120 the outside to be doing the right thing and yet not trusting in Jesus. The person who appears in 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:35.840 public as if they've got everything together, but they're just minimizing their sin and hiding it in 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:47.060 private. The Christian who sins, let me try this again. The Christian hypocrite is not the person 00:12:47.059 --> 00:12:51.899 who is struggling with their sin. If you're struggling with your sin, you're not necessarily 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:58.859 a hypocrite. The person who is struggling with their sin, who confesses their sin, who is calling 00:12:58.859 --> 00:13:04.459 to God for help, who is asking their community group to be praying for them, that person's not a hypocrite. 00:13:04.539 --> 00:13:11.339 That person is who we want to be, who I want to be. The person who sees their sin and confesses it. 00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:17.879 The hypocritical Christian is the one who minimizes sin. My sin's actually not that bad. 00:13:18.660 --> 00:13:23.080 I can explain it away. It's actually not an issue for me. I could stop my sin at any point. 00:13:25.280 --> 00:13:30.879 This is an issue I have. I'm a hypocritical Christian. I'll confess that to you, brothers and 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:37.240 sisters. I will minimize my sin. I will explain it away. I will explain my sin for these reasons. 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:44.000 Oh, look, I'm tired. It's been a really long day. Do you know what? It's been a really long two years 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:50.860 for me, for me personally. COVID's been hard. And so I find it really easy to excuse my sin. 00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:55.820 But then I see someone doing the exact same thing, and I think, do you know what? They should know 00:13:55.820 --> 00:14:00.340 better. I'm not pointing at anybody in particular. I'll point down here. That person, they should know 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:08.519 better. Don't they know that Christian should be following God? And do you know what I do? I don't 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:14.340 extend the same grace to them. I don't extend the same excuses. I don't extend the same context of the 00:14:14.340 --> 00:14:20.960 last two years where I will take all of those as excuses for my own sin. Hypocrites don't deny sin. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:31.280 They minimize it. It's not that bad. We all are sinful before a holy God. We need to be quick to confess. 00:14:31.980 --> 00:14:39.639 Like verse 4 said, to have repentant hearts. Are you quick to confess or to cover up? 00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:44.560 When you're put on the spot about your sin, do you leap to your own defense? 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:52.459 Proud hearts seek to justify. Repentant hearts acknowledge and confess. 00:14:53.979 --> 00:14:58.659 So where are you at? Can you feel the heart of a hypocrite beating within you? 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:08.119 Let me ask a couple of questions. Do you feel deep down that you are a hopeless sinner? 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:16.399 That God has the perfect right to cast you off at any second? Do you judge others? 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:22.980 When you look at others, do you shake your head and judge in your heart? Or do you think, 00:15:23.700 --> 00:15:29.700 I'm just like them. My sin is just a different type of sin, but I'm exactly the same as that person. 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:33.980 Or do you think you can stand on your own at the coming judgment? 00:15:33.980 --> 00:15:39.220 When good God pulls out your phone of life and goes through all your hypocrisy? 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:44.200 Or have you accepted that you are totally dependent on God's grace? 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:47.820 And you're given a standing before him that we can't earn. 00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:55.220 So what do we do then? If we feel this beating heart of hypocrisy within us? 00:15:56.560 --> 00:15:59.360 Well, Paul helps. Paul helps us in Romans chapter 2. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:03.980 But first, he's going to sharpen his words towards his audience from verse 17. 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:09.580 And I wonder if I add in a slight translation to modernize it for us today, 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:12.740 as if Paul was writing this to us, I wonder if this would help. 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:18.300 So have a look with me at the next slide at verse 17. Thank you, Wendy. 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:23.240 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew or a Christian, 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.279 if you rely on the law and boast in God, 00:16:26.620 --> 00:16:28.719 you know, you've signed a commitment card, 00:16:28.859 --> 00:16:30.719 you've walked down the front of church, 00:16:30.939 --> 00:16:33.000 you prayed a prayer, you became a Christian. 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:36.839 If you know his will and approve of what is superior 00:16:36.839 --> 00:16:38.679 because you are instructed by the law, 00:16:39.079 --> 00:16:40.339 you've been to Sunday school, 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:41.879 you've been in church for years, 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:42.839 you're in a community group, 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:45.259 you've memorized verses of the Bible, 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:46.779 you know some theology, 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:48.860 you love to read books on the Bible. 00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:52.179 If you're convinced that you are a guide for the blind, 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:54.120 a light for those who are in the dark, 00:16:54.379 --> 00:16:55.559 an instructor of the foolish, 00:16:55.700 --> 00:16:56.759 a teacher of little children, 00:16:57.019 --> 00:16:59.460 maybe you actually lead as part of our Next Gen ministry, 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:00.879 or you lead a community group, 00:17:00.899 --> 00:17:02.179 or you're serving here today 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:06.700 because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. 00:17:07.700 --> 00:17:08.720 Oh, over the next slide. 00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:09.480 Thank you, Wendy. 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:10.680 The end of the next slide. 00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:14.920 You know all there is to know. 00:17:15.380 --> 00:17:17.120 This is a pretty comprehensive list. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.060 I think this includes most of us here today. 00:17:19.560 --> 00:17:20.560 Paul gets to the point, 00:17:21.180 --> 00:17:22.920 you then who teach others, 00:17:23.620 --> 00:17:25.840 do you not teach yourself? 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:28.279 Do you consider yourself? 00:17:29.560 --> 00:17:31.720 What is the Bible saying to me? 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:34.460 Are you hearing God speaking 00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:36.120 and not thinking, 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:38.120 oh, this part of the Bible is for somebody else? 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:40.739 Have you been reading the Bible, 00:17:41.399 --> 00:17:43.979 working toward a regular time with God, 00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:46.939 but nothing in your life has actually changed? 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.299 Do you sit with God, 00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:51.079 reading His Word and say, 00:17:51.419 --> 00:17:52.500 this is me. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.199 I see me in this. 00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:57.359 God's actually talking about me. 00:17:57.439 --> 00:17:58.679 Oh God, I need you. 00:18:00.259 --> 00:18:02.639 Are we actually practicing what we preach? 00:18:03.639 --> 00:18:04.439 Verse 21. 00:18:04.439 --> 00:18:04.539 Verse 21. 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:09.399 That's not verse 21. 00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:10.299 Let me read verse 21. 00:18:10.439 --> 00:18:11.599 You who preach against stealing, 00:18:11.719 --> 00:18:12.319 do you steal? 00:18:12.659 --> 00:18:14.859 You who say that people should not commit adultery, 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:15.959 do you commit adultery? 00:18:16.399 --> 00:18:17.979 You who abhor idols, 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:18.959 do you rob temples? 00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:20.179 You who boast in the law, 00:18:20.239 --> 00:18:21.839 do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 00:18:23.639 --> 00:18:26.539 Are you allowing what you judge others 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:27.979 to judge yourself? 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:31.679 Preach to yourself before others. 00:18:32.879 --> 00:18:36.079 True gospel living looks into our hearts 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:37.679 and not down on others. 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:41.019 Often after church, 00:18:41.199 --> 00:18:43.239 I'll have lots of different conversations 00:18:43.239 --> 00:18:44.019 about the sermon 00:18:44.019 --> 00:18:45.379 and about the part of the Bible 00:18:45.379 --> 00:18:46.279 we've been looking at. 00:18:46.819 --> 00:18:49.299 Often it's details about the sermon, 00:18:50.139 --> 00:18:51.739 details about the passage. 00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:52.159 You know, 00:18:52.299 --> 00:18:53.939 this part of the Bible is really interesting. 00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:54.659 What does this mean? 00:18:55.419 --> 00:18:57.479 I've only touched on a couple of different parts 00:18:57.479 --> 00:18:58.399 of Romans 2 00:18:58.399 --> 00:19:00.519 and so there's often some good questions 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:01.339 about the other parts 00:19:01.339 --> 00:19:02.179 that I haven't touched on. 00:19:03.179 --> 00:19:04.500 And these are good conversations. 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:04.680 conversations. 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:07.099 But my favorite conversations, 00:19:07.619 --> 00:19:10.720 the very best feedback for a preacher 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.220 is when someone says, 00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:13.480 when you said this, 00:19:13.539 --> 00:19:14.259 that's me. 00:19:15.420 --> 00:19:16.980 What you were talking about in the Bible, 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.160 that's what I struggle with. 00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:22.359 They've looked at God's word 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:24.779 and they're not judging others. 00:19:25.679 --> 00:19:27.099 They're not just interested, 00:19:28.099 --> 00:19:30.039 but they see themselves in the Bible 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.059 and God convicts them. 00:19:34.659 --> 00:19:35.959 Paul closes his chapter 00:19:35.959 --> 00:19:38.799 with a discussion about circumcision. 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:43.419 Circumcision was the symbol of faith for the Jew, 00:19:44.019 --> 00:19:45.259 those who were God's people. 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:49.379 But they began to depend on the symbol of faith 00:19:49.379 --> 00:19:53.139 and not the God who was the place 00:19:53.139 --> 00:19:54.180 where their faith was to be in. 00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:56.799 Paul says the symbol itself is worthless. 00:19:57.419 --> 00:19:58.419 Verse 28. 00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:00.399 The next slide. 00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:00.819 Thanks, Wendy. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.480 A person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, 00:20:03.899 --> 00:20:06.279 nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:08.899 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:11.559 And circumcision is circumcision of the heart, 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:12.839 by the spirit, 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:14.420 not by the written code. 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:17.259 Such a person's praise is not from other people, 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:18.359 but from God. 00:20:19.339 --> 00:20:19.859 Circumcision, 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:21.839 not to dwell on it for too long, 00:20:22.139 --> 00:20:25.440 is a cutting off of a very intimate part. 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:28.220 And so what God is saying to Abraham, 00:20:28.399 --> 00:20:30.119 who he initially gave this sign to, 00:20:30.539 --> 00:20:33.440 was if you want a relationship with me, 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:36.079 you need to be circumcised 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:38.240 as a sign to you and everyone else, 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:40.419 that if you break this covenant, 00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:42.619 you will be completely cut off. 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:45.859 If you break this covenant, 00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.000 you will be completely cut off. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:51.159 But no one keeps the covenant. 00:20:51.619 --> 00:20:52.859 No Jew has kept the covenant. 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:55.759 So they all have to be cut off. 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:59.200 And this is why Jesus comes. 00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:02.039 The one on the cross, 00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:05.859 the one who is cut off from God on the cross, 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.519 the one who takes the penalty of our hypocrisy 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:09.720 and our sin, 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.140 so that we could have the symbol, 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:13.680 not in the flesh, 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:15.299 but in the spirit, 00:21:16.019 --> 00:21:16.799 in our hearts. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:21.759 And so Paul closes with some radical words. 00:21:23.180 --> 00:21:27.159 The person who trusts in the Jesus who was cut off, 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:31.399 that person's praise is not from other people, 00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:32.819 but from God. 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:35.240 When we trust in Jesus, 00:21:36.159 --> 00:21:38.539 we don't need to seek praise for ourself. 00:21:38.779 --> 00:21:40.119 We get praise from God. 00:21:40.919 --> 00:21:44.579 The challenge of hypocrisy for our human hearts 00:21:44.579 --> 00:21:46.039 is that we want praise. 00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:47.519 We want approval. 00:21:47.639 --> 00:21:48.299 We crave it. 00:21:49.179 --> 00:21:51.899 We're living in a cancel culture world, 00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:54.019 and so there's a fear of being cancelled, 00:21:54.259 --> 00:21:55.860 and there's this desire for praise. 00:21:55.980 --> 00:21:57.280 I must know I'm in the right. 00:21:58.300 --> 00:22:00.060 And so we minimize our issues. 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:03.660 You know, I'm sure every celebrity's gone through 00:22:03.660 --> 00:22:05.120 their Twitter history 00:22:05.120 --> 00:22:08.060 and made sure they delete any radical, 00:22:08.420 --> 00:22:09.320 controversial thing. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:11.320 We minimize our issues, 00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:12.360 we hide our sins, 00:22:12.540 --> 00:22:13.560 and we pretend 00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:17.780 so that we can get praise from people around us. 00:22:18.820 --> 00:22:21.220 They don't really know how bad we are, 00:22:21.220 --> 00:22:24.600 and so we are allowed to continue to fit into society. 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:27.380 We want approval. 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:29.799 We want to know we're living the right way. 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:31.680 We want the pat on the head. 00:22:33.380 --> 00:22:37.240 The hypocritical heart creates a false approval of its own. 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:38.420 My heart says, 00:22:38.539 --> 00:22:40.460 yes, James, you're fine. 00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:41.700 All those other, 00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:42.900 again, I'm not pointing at any of you, 00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:43.920 all those other people, 00:22:44.120 --> 00:22:45.640 they're all far worse than you. 00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:46.880 You're doing a good job. 00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:48.339 You've actually got it all together. 00:22:48.339 --> 00:22:51.220 But the humble heart, 00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:54.159 the one circumcised by God, 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:57.240 who knows that if it wasn't for Jesus, 00:22:57.379 --> 00:22:58.240 they would be cut off, 00:22:58.539 --> 00:23:01.500 that heart knows that their praise comes from God. 00:23:02.639 --> 00:23:04.339 Can you imagine praise from God, 00:23:04.419 --> 00:23:05.139 brothers and sisters, 00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:08.019 standing before God on the day of judgment, 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:08.779 and he says, 00:23:08.959 --> 00:23:11.959 well done, good and faithful servant. 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.140 You trusted in Jesus, 00:23:14.299 --> 00:23:14.900 not yourself. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:22.039 Hypocrisy is the wrecking ball that hangs around our head, 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:25.079 threatening to explode through our lives 00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:26.640 and smash our families, 00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:27.420 our communities, 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:28.140 and our church. 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:30.620 But humility, 00:23:31.340 --> 00:23:33.539 looking at God's word, 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:35.200 seeing who we are, 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:38.180 and yet how much we are loved by God, 00:23:38.180 --> 00:23:43.220 that humility seal is real relationships built on Jesus. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:44.680 Let me pray. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:48.460 Heavenly Father, 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:51.019 we thank you for your word today. 00:23:52.100 --> 00:23:55.600 We thank you for Paul's directness to us. 00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:59.519 Lord, we ask that we would not be people 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:01.220 who minimize our sin 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:04.019 or hide it away 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:07.980 as if we could make it smaller 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:10.759 and therefore somehow stand before you 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:12.120 on the day of judgment. 00:24:13.860 --> 00:24:15.240 Lord, we thank you for Jesus, 00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:19.559 that he is the one who was cut off 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:20.819 so we could be brought in. 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:24.400 Lord, help us to look to him, 00:24:25.860 --> 00:24:28.140 to desire not to hide our sin, 00:24:28.220 --> 00:24:30.759 but to praise you that it has been dealt with. 00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:32.819 So that we can confess, 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:35.880 knowing that you love us. 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:39.299 Lord, help us be quick to confess 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:40.880 and not to hide our sin, 00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:44.019 knowing that our righteousness comes from you, Lord. 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:46.460 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:47.440 Amen.