Infection of Hypocrisy, Luke 12:1-3, Matthew 23, 2 Timothy 3:5

Luke chapter 12 from verses 1 to 3 hear the word of the Lord in The meantime when so many thousands of the people had gathered together

That they were trampling one another he began to say to the disciples first Beware of the leaven of the

Pharisees, which is hypocrisy Nothing is covered up. There will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known

Therefore Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light and what you have whispered in private rooms

Shall be proclaimed of the housetops May the Lord add his blessings the reading of his

Holy Word But over the last month or so, we've been hearing learning a lot about infections how to catch them.

Hopefully how not to What's contagious how to protect yourself from getting an infection?

At least I've been learning a lot Maybe you all knew it already because that's not a subject. I've paid a lot of attention to before all this pandemic talk

I've learned a lot of new terms like social distancing our PPE in 95 mask and so on so us

Non -medical people have been getting a crash course over the past month or so in infectious diseases and how to prevent them

Especially of course of the coronavirus and now we've seen something I find very interesting how willing some people are to go to extraordinary measures

You know just extreme measures to extreme degree To avoid getting the virus that closing many businesses schools

Gatherings even prohibiting groups over ten meeting. We're exactly ten here staying at it at least six feet away from each other sacrificing graduations

Sorry angel track seasons plays theaters Some are apparently even willing to Let the entire economy collapse and so lose the food and the material support that comes with it

Rather than risk catching an infectious disease. Although I think most of those people haven't really thought through What they're what they're asking for but it's very it's impressive in a in a certain way and even admirable kind of how absolutely committed some people are to avoiding a

Germ a layman's term technically a virus Being radically committed to avoiding an infection can be a good thing in the physical world

Now that has to be balanced with other risk You could be so obsessed with avoiding infections that it becomes a phobia and just debilitates you you end up practically losing your life

Just to the in this quest and never get an infection But when rightly understood being committed to avoiding getting an infection is a good thing

You know, I want my doctors and nurses to be radically committed To washing their hands or foaming their hands before and after every patient Especially me.

Well, actually especially before me what they do after me. That's kind of that's less important to me I wonder though if we are as committed that it is as militant as Radical to avoid other harmful things

That are also caught from other people Are we so invested in the physical the material world that we're willing to give up almost everything

To avoid this to avoid this virus that would harm this physical world. Are we that committed?

To protecting the physical the material but we're almost completely careless about spiritual things

So careless that we're not willing to go part give up hardly anything to keep ourselves

From what would harm our spiritual lives? Are we? Well here in Luke chapter 12 the

Lord Jesus gives us a warning about an infectious disease He's telling us to beware lest we catch it and he describes the disease in another passage in Matthew chapter 23 will go to and the

Apostle Paul gives us guidelines on how to avoid it So we see here in three passages and in three parts first the disease in Luke chapter 12 verse 1

Then the symptoms in Matthew 23 and we're told in 2nd

Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 It's treatment and here in Luke chapter 12 The Lord Jesus warns us against the leaven or the yeast of the

Pharisees and he was speaking, of course in the first century And so he's communicating on the level that people at that time

Understood leaven or yeast was the one thing that people in that time

Knew could be caught or could be transferred For like from one lump to another now, they may not have understood that there were microorganisms at work as we learned

Wednesday Shannon reminded us it's a fungus that can spread like just like a

Bacteria or virus can spread and they might understood all that But they could see that if someone just took just a pinch

Small pinch from one lump of dough that was leavening that was rising and Put it in another lump of dough that the same effect began to happen in the second lump

They could see that the leavening could be transferred Indeed for the feast of unleavened bread which ended just this past week they had to be keenly aware of what was leavened and Remove that from their homes.

They couldn't explain Scientifically what was going on in in leavening with yeast, but they did observe it and they did use it for making bread

They didn't understand why it was happening, but they could practically master what was happening

This was the closest thing in their culture at their time. This was the closest thing that they understood to what we would call an infection yeast infecting one lump

Being contagious and passed to another So when the Lord Jesus here tells them to beware of the of the leaven of the

Pharisees He was warning them against allowing the the yeast of hypocrisy from being passed from the

Pharisees To them to the disciples to the church He was saying in our terms beware of the infection of hypocrisy

Watch out because hypocrisy is Contagious it spreads like yeast like the coronavirus from one infected person

To anyone who comes close to him or her so if you know someone who is infected with hypocrisy

Beware Hypocrisy is highly infectious. Be careful

When you're close to it Hypocrisy is a disease. Let's call it Hippocratitis and the

Bible gives us the first definition first the definition of it the taxonomy the taxonomy of it and then the symptoms the

Symptomology for it. I learned that word from dr. Burt last week symptomology of hypocrisy first the taxonomy

Hypocrisy is the focus on external things the the forms of religion the look the presentation

Not the relationship with the Lord That is actually being right with him You know Jesus said seek first the kingdom that's being ruled by God and their end and the righteousness as being right with God But the hypocrite is not so much concerned with that only looking righteous

The Lord Jesus described some of the symptoms in Matthew chapter 6 and right in the middle of the Sermon on the

Mount Where he contrasts people who are infected with hypocrisy with healthy people

These are the infected ones and these are the healthy ones the person infected with hypocrisy practices his righteousness before other people

For the purpose of being seen by them a test for hypocrisy, for example would be with giving

If we did our giving now like they did then maybe put the basket right here in the middle

Let me put the table down here put the basket have everyone proceed forward and announce how much they're giving show off their check

I'm giving We did it like that because that's the way they did them if we did that would you give more

But you feel like you have to give more just to keep your reputation up. You want to keep the look well if so You might be at least partially infected

Prayer is a test those infected with hypocrisy like to pray publicly But they don't care so much about praying in private when no one sees

They'll make long displays of their prayers so that people can see them the healthy disciple is content to pray in private

Because he's actually talking to God and that's what matters most in prayer if hypocrites fast They want everyone to know because that's really the only value for them.

I have two believers fast It's just between them and their father in heaven Hypocrites will often be very religious.

They they like the church because it's the place where they can show off the healthy disciple wants to hear the

Word of God and Have it exposed and so cleanse his or her sin the hypocrite is a functional

Atheist he says he believes in God sure But then he doesn't really care about what

God sees what God thinks of him. He only cares about what people say He doesn't really believe

That God will reveal what he does or thinks in secret

He doesn't even think about it for that matter He only thinks about how other people will see him or her the true child of God loves

God And wants to live for him to seek first the kingdom the rule of God And so again be in a right relationship with him the condition of hypocrisy that is being different in your heart

Then then what you say? Projecting an image of something that's not really you on the outside.

The symptoms are more fully described in Matthew chapter 23 So if you turn to Matthew 23

There there the Lord Jesus says in verse 5 Matthew chapter 23 verse 5 Everything they do.

This is the hypocrites is Done for men to see that's the dominant trait of hypocrisy and that then expresses itself in several symptoms first a love of rules

You know rules are easy to obey Some today by the way think think the rule is stay at home

When actually the executive order which I read for myself for North Carolina Specifically allows you to go out for exercise for work for church

It really does and for going to the grocery store, but we see no interesting I learned a lot about people in the past month to different kinds of people.

There's a kind of person Have you noticed who likes to overextend the rules?

You know, as I said the rule the rules allow you to go to church and someone say no you can't do that It says you can

Well, you you can't gotta just stay home. Don't even go out into your own backyard You countered some of these people

Lisa online The hypocrite loves rules because he can keep them and then show off his rule keeping they then they can

Challenge others to keep the rules and then everyone will know how dutiful they are how much of a rule keeper they are

They will make up rules. Sometimes they're not enough rules in the Bible. They'll make up some of their own

Probably ones they they're easy for them to obey So so they can obey them and then try to make others obey them, you know, like no alcohol.

I Went saw a man passionately advocate for how parents should keep their small children in the worship service

Have no children's church so they can use as an opportunity to show their child how important worship is

He said it was such passion and conviction, but it sounded great That's what he said the rule

No Children's church then when it came to actually practice it he spent the whole service.

I'm not kidding I just remember him in the back view playing with and talking to his son through the whole

Sermon as I watched him. I was trying not to be distracted while preaching a total hypocrite second symptom

Displays hypocrites love displays and their day the hypocrites Jesus has made their factories broad

These little leather boxes are bands with scripture verses in them that they would put on their forehead So that they could literally obey the command to put the

Word of God on their forehead So that's what God was interested in they would even make theirs bigger

Broader so they could be more easily seen you see it from a long way out. Wow. Look at that broad one It's almost covering his eyes today.

We have masks and they had bands on their forehead Today met though it maybe it's the person who has put a has to put a

Bible verse on everything every plaque on their wall Every bumper sticker in their car. Every status update on Facebook is either a verse or some some pious saying

Showing everyone how much they love their Bible pictures of how they went to volunteer to go feed the poor

Maybe how they had a Bible study for the homeless in their living room They got to put that up there for everyone to see how apparently spiritual they are they love to be seen and then

Once they've made their impression Then they stop having the Bible study. They stop volunteering to feed the poor.

They quit driving the van They don't have the homeless anymore in their living room. You you can't get them to sustain a ministry like Jim jr.

Or Jim year after year because Pretty soon after a little while that's work that is mostly unseen

They're all about being seen they especially love being honored which would mean that hypocrites want positions where they could be recognized for being spiritual positions like mine

Paul says that the man desiring to be an overseer. It's another word for pastor or elder desires a noble thing

But only if he desires it for the right reason that's to serve God and God's people to build up the church

Some want it for the wrong reason Just to be seen The esteem that they think that goes with being, you know, the big man in church

So they'll want to speak to the nicely dressed people that they want to impress on Sunday morning You want to speak to people like you but may may not want to May not want to clean the gym or give a lesson

To a bunch of little kids or drive a vehicle for a bunch of rambunctious kids who aren't really noticing them

They're not interested in impressing those kind of people The hypocrite is all about rank

Recognition in Matthew chapter 23 verse 6. They want the best seats They have reserved in their meeting places.

And today we have the same thing Did you know that some churches will spend hundreds of dollars for an ornate pulpit chair

Right, you google that look up pulpit chair. See how much see what good price you can get for one It's a kind of a throne like chair put on a platform

Which behind the pulpit which you can get I'll sell one on sale for six hundred and thirty nine dollars Okay, you can

Dare sit up on that on the platform where you can be seen by others Prior to preaching or whatever, you know honor you're being given the look at me chair,

I guess the third symptom titles hypocrites love

Titles in Matthew chapter 23 verse 7. They love being called rabbi. It's a literally meant my great one

Or maybe the title father You know given by in verse 9 big given by people who aren't really their children

It's an honorary father. Nothing wrong with calling your real father father, but use that as a title

That's says no, that's what hypocrites like or teacher You're you're the learned one or master today.

It could be reverend someone to be revered or Bishop, especially if they're in a denomination that doesn't have bishops

I saw a Baptist pastor that took on to himself the title Bishop Which I found very strange if you know

Baptist history is kind of hysterical. This is kind of funny Baptist Bishop is a contradiction in terms and it's just ridiculous or doctor

Especially if it's unearned honorary or from a diploma mill hypocrites love those kind of titles.

It's one of the strange symptoms of Modern fundamentalist culture that they don't put much stock in fundamentalist don't put much stock in education

But they love the titles of being educated So we have men who get a title of doctor from some diploma mill with no prior theological education

Otherwise, they didn't go to Bible College seminary. Don't have a Master's of Divinity or anything like that But they get a doctorate degree from some place.

Also, they can be called Doctor so -and -so the government doesn't allow that for medicine

Doesn't allow people to call them be called doctor without really being one or the law to claim a doctorate of jurisprudence

Which is a law degree without a real one. We shouldn't be allowed. We shouldn't be allowing in the church I don't want the government to get involved in that but we got to do it

We have to regulate that so we should not allow that in the church And so we need to know what is legitimate and what is it if someone says he's a doctor of theology

But with no underlying master's degree That's bogus

Okay, that's fraudulent a doctorate is a specialty degree and it needs to be built on the foundation of a of a legitimate master's degree if It's from some unaccredited college.

Well, that's a big red flag right there You look the institution up where he says it got the doctorate from and it's just some

Place that no no accreditation. No recognition. Why would any wise person get a degree from an unaccredited institution?

Why would you why would you do that? Some say it well accreditation is worldly Mmm, actually it's being so in love with the title that you pay money to get an empty title.

That's worldly Accreditation is meant to show which institutions are giving a real education and which ones are diploma mills providing titles for people hypocrites who just love titles a fourth symptom is empty words broken commitments

Starting in verse 16 and Jesus really dwells on this a Lot, we don't recognize it

But he really he kind of camps down on this one the hypocrites of Jesus today thought they were being sophisticated spiritual leaders by Seriously discussing when exactly you could make a commitment and then break it and it really not be wrong

When is it? Okay, in other words to dispel meaningless words to say you're committed or you say you're making a vow

But it doesn't you don't not bound by it. They say if you swear by the temple Well, that's not binding.

You can just walk walk away from that. You can break that without any guilt. They said ah But if you swear by the goals of the temple, then you've got to keep your word

They said and if you swear by the altar, I swear on the altar that I will clean my room

Oh, that's kind of like crossing your fingers, you know behind your back It doesn't count you can get out of that but if you swore by the gift on the altar

Then you better get the broom and mop get to work. You got to keep that one and people who reason like that That only some commitments are binding

Jesus twice calls in this passage blind blind fools blind men

They're blind because they don't see they don't see what commitments what our words are about They think they're about appearances

Not actually performance doing it, of course of course We would never do such a thing.

We're not in our day. Would we know not us? I've heard Christians seriously say that church covenants in which we say we most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another

Really doesn't mean much of anything It's like that it's like the temple or the altar

I guess you can say it and just shrug your shoulders walk away We can walk away from for that with little for little or no reason just because we feel like it

Because we want to do something else and that and that's fine. They say almost two years ago right in this room

Someone seriously said that making a covenant to a church is not a binding commitment. It's not like a wedding vow

Now that's a real commitment that's when our words mean what we say It's like swearing by the gold of the temple.

You got to keep that one commitments to a church though They're like swearing on the temple. They're just empty words. In other words, sometimes our words mean what we say sometimes they don't in acute case of apocrytis

When the Lord Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5 verse 37 Let what you say be simply yes or no anything more than this comes from evil

He meant be such a person of your word like in Psalm 15 where the person that God approves of keeps his or her commitment or oath

Even if it hurts in other words, even if the situation changes so that keeping keeping that commitment is now hard be such a person

Of your word that you don't have to make any special oath or sworn statement, you know under penalty of perjury

To keep your word because you always keep your word You don't use empty words because you're not a hypocrite who likes to just spout them for how good they sound

You're a person of integrity who always means What you say? That's what

James says in James chapter 5 verse 12 James repeats that same verse from Matthew chapter 5 where the

Lord Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount He repeats that and then James says above all do that Above all the commands

James says Oh most importantly Be a person of integrity a promise keeper your yes is yes

Not someone who just argues that there's some commitments can be broken If you know if they're inconvenient now a lot of people today make promises when it seems useful

What is convenient when it feels good and it makes a good impression? Maybe the commitment sounds spiritual.

They want to look spiritual but Then later don't think it's weird

That they're expected to keep their commitment. Maybe when something else is pulling them away something else looks more attractive now

They said what they said before Made that commitment for how it looked at the moment for how it made them feel and appear

Now if they feel different now, why should they why should they be bound to what they said before?

They think well James says above all You should we make commitments when we feel like making them so that we'll keep them

When we don't feel like keeping them If we're just making them when we feel like it and walking away when we feel like it

Our words are only a show we're infected with hypocrisy

Well, those are some of the symptoms it's not a comprehensive description But some of this symptom ology of hypocrisy, what's what's the treatment?

Well turn for that turn to a 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 5 focusing particularly on this phrase that the context is this list of things that will come in the last days and then he says of those having the appearance or the word there could be translated form of godliness but denying its power avoid such people

Now although the Apostle Paul doesn't use the word hypocrite there notice what he is describing There are people who are an active part of the church and yet all their activity is a front

They're guilty of all these other problems. He talks about they're slanderous without self -control Not loving good and all that.

They're an active part of the church, but it's all a front they appear from outside They have the form

To look very much the sincere Christian they have the forms they have the proper Bible proper dress proper attendance record

They know how to look the part and talk the talk But they lack that crucial difference that actually makes them godly

They try to mask who they are with words and show and deep down They're like what

Paul describes here ungrateful unholy heartless Unappeasable that's what they're they're really like but they look good on the outside they use their churchy entity to cloak a heart

Where self is on the throne? They deny the power of the gospel with their lives that it is a power which transforms it especially transforms

What you love that is all a description again of that infectious disease of hypocrisy

Well now what's the treatment Social distancing avoid such people

Keep six feet apart Be careful with hypocrites because their condition is contagious

I've seen people who seem to have begun as a Christian Well, all right, they seem to be growing and zealous.

They've said the right things They made the right commitments But they had people in their lives who were infected with hypocrisy

Maybe a relative or in -law or a close friend who who proved himself to be a commitment -breaking empty word spouting appearance loving fraud

They weren't careful about the influence of those hypocrites in their lives. They didn't keep a social distance

They didn't use their spiritual PPE They didn't disinfect their lives after contact contact with them and the result was that they become infected to that Empty sham religion is infectious.

That's why you need to avoid such people practice social distancing

Be careful about relationships with hypocrites So you don't catch their infection

Like the corona virus hypocrisy is spread by being near it Once one person here

Another person there just starts acting That's what hypocrisy is you're acting like someone you're not once one person has the disease and starts covering up He's covering up that he doesn't he doesn't really follow the

Bible. Oh, he'll talk about it How much he wants to follow the Word of God But you look at his life.

He's not abiding by it. He doesn't really not really interested in God's Word. You can tell He says he is but you know, look where his where his loves are his attention is

Does it really want to give to the work of the Lord or the poor Doesn't really care about evangelism.

So doesn't care to support Jim jr Or Jim, but but he says he does and he covers that up Like he really does once one person here another there starts acting like that gets away with it

It spreads once one person carries a big Bible that he doesn't read Spouts about how important it is have a preacher who preaches the word.

Oh, we respect him We want a man of God and preaches the word But when then when the word exposes him, oh

Then he'll try to undermine that pastor Someone who declares about how much they want the church to grow and to prosper how much they love the church

But then their checkbook shows well, they get big, you know to their own vacation They give big to new their new cars to every gadget they want to have but then they give peanuts to the church

Once one does that It's away with it. It becomes normal. It spreads until it contaminates the whole lump the church

Understand to go in this culture right here, right? Is this they say New York City is a hot spot for the corona virus

Right here is a hot spot for hypocrisy We live in that area

Where hypocrisy has been? pandemic You know the way that racism lives side by side with the church in the

South Even during the age when churches grew large in the South The Golden Age from like 100 years after the

Civil War while they were churches themselves were segregated and the society itself was practicing Segregation while the church said nothing about it hardly at all that that proves the church was infected with hypocrisy

So the disease is everywhere in This culture this is a hot spot.

So beware beware being exposed to hypocrisy and the way that That that it teaches you by example

They're being a Christian Saying you're a Christian. You know, I'm follow Jesus who said love your neighbors yourself but that didn't include

Black neighbors does it or your Christian isn't pray hardly at all in private doesn't give not really

Against only when there's a law making them You can get some hypocrites to give if you tell them God requires, you know, they're 10 % then

They'll give exactly 10 % by example saying that that's acceptable who breaks his word as though his commitments as though that's a minor thing beware of how

Hippocratitis makes covering up the real you Just seem normal Do you really speak 17th century

English or is it only when you pray? Why are you acting like you you're a Puritan Living 400 years ago pretending like something you're really not

Or helping others do that Beware the way that is made to seem normal acceptable

That's how you catch it, you know, you're exposed to it and you accept it for example

It's in a shock to you if you encounter someone a brother and sister in the Lord who honestly admits his or her weaknesses

You know who admits that he has a problem with looking at he's had a problem. Hopefully in the past looking with pornography

Or his problem keeping up a discipline of reading the Bible and praying regularly It's not kind of honest if someone

Christian says that it's not kind of that kind of startling to you Maybe even embarrassing.

He's showing you the real you Does it stand out seem unusual on the other hand?

Do you even notice the guy who says oh it declares how much oh He wants a biblical church a church run by the

Word of God, but then takes advantage of every opportunity to skip church Or do you even enable that?

Accepting the excuses. How about the one who professes, you know be a to be a simple man who only follows that the plain teachings of the

Bible and Then submits to his wife's leadership Is that okay? Are you shocked when you hear about a former pastor who stops going to church when he's no longer paid to?

That's shocking Does having racist as church members even deacons is that acceptable?

Is that just well, that's just the way things are Yeah, and here that's what you got to do. Yeah, because this is a hotspot

When I was preparing for my debate with the Church of Christ guys last year about starting preparing about this time

I saw a debate that they had done with another Baptist pastor on the same subject and this pastor had had previously called into their

TV program and declared that he would never call back and Encouraged all

Christians to boycott their program. Okay fair enough a few weeks later

He called back Trying to disguise his voice so he wouldn't be recognized, but he was recognized then later.

He came on their program to debate them Do you think that's acceptable? I don't mean that acceptable that he was on their program.

I appeared on their program Is it acceptable that he declared that he had never called again and did that very thing?

That he declared that we should boycott their program and then he appeared on it Is that acceptable or is that Hippocrates itis that needs to be exposed for what it is

Second how do we treat it? What we disinfect they say sunshine is the best disinfectant

That may not be technically true when it comes to some germs, you know They surgeons don't usually say go take a go bathe in the

Sun for a half hour before surgery and that's good enough But you may not be technically true when it comes to some germs But when it comes to the pathogen of hypocrisy

Sunshine that is exposure to the light of truth is the best disinfectant call it what it is

Don't enable it with excuses that the hypocrites that they give to cover their sins. Tell the truth about it

Your displays are shams. Your titles are empty. Your broken commitments are fraudulent

Your words your words are meaningless your unfaithfulness is serious It's inexcusable that your secret giving is a pittance shows where your heart is

Your forms of religion are power denying because they say in practice That you're seeking first money

You're seeking first a big bank account expensive vacations and new cars Not the kingdom of God and being in a right relationship with him.

Let the sunshine of truth kill the pathogen of hypocrisy

Confession is a disinfectant confession is Saying the same thing as saying the same thing as God says about it.

What's he say about it expose it to truth? You know We had a man among us who told me emotionally the worst thing that could happen even gestured like that the worst thing that could happen would be

X Doesn't matter the details. He said the worst thing that could happen would be X and a few weeks later.

He supported X. He even did X And I told him later we saw him, you know, you need to confess

Your sin to the church if he wants to be disinfected from hypocrisy

He needs to tell the truth about it of course Hypocrites are repelled by that idea

Let's fight the hypocrisy that infection By being honest about who we really are

Confessing our sins and our weaknesses to each other and to God expose it to the light

Believe what he says here both in Luke chapter 12 here in 2nd

Timothy that he sees who you are in your heart deep down he knows the secrets and he will expose them believe that and So don't be shy about exposing

That now in Luke chapter 12 The Lord Jesus says that nothing will be hidden that the reality that hypocrites try to cover up that it will be exposed here in 2nd

Timothy chapter 3 down in verse 9 Paul says the folly of those You know with his sham religion that he's described these forms of godliness, but no life -transforming power that folly will be plain to all

Hypocrites may not believe it but God will lay the reality of who they are out in the open for all to see

So let's not try to fool God But admit our need Admit what we lack our sin

Expose our dark hearts to the bright light of God Stop trying to cover up The cure is in the light

So let the word shine in us and expose us Like like a mirror shows us the reality of who we are

Revealing to us our failures our sins and so we'll be humbled will depend on on grace

And what God's done? Not on our forms of religion. And so we beat back the infection of hypocrisy