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

The Warning Against the Leaven of the Pharisees

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 masks 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 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 can 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 gets can spread like just like a Bacteria or virus can spread and they might have understood all that.

But they could see that if someone just took just a pinch. There's a 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 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 corona virus 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 symptom ology for it. I learned that word from dr. Burt last week symptom ology 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. That is 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 we 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 affected 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 true 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 see. 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've seen though 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 at least 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'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. So they can use that as an opportunity to show their child how important worship is he said it was such passion and conviction. When 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. What 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 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?

All right, you google that look up pulpit chair. See you much. See what good price you can get for one is that kind of a throne like chair put on the platform? Which behind the pulpit which you can get.

I saw 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 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. Fundamentalists 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 Masters 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's 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 big 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 at 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 can 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 him up 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 Hippocratitis. 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 and I was 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 the Sermon on the Mount he repeats that and then James says above all.

Do that above all the commands. James says 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.

The Treatment: Avoiding the Appearance of Godliness Without Power

Well turn for that turn to a second Timothy chapter 3 verse 5. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 5. Focusing particularly on this phrase 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 all of the Apostle Paul doesn't use the word hypocrite there. Notice what he is describing that 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 park 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 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, too.

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 you hear 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.

Doesn't 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. Oh 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 them. We want a man of God it 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 they 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 get 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. Particularly 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 the 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. That being a Christian. Saying you're a Christian, you know, I'm follow Jesus who said love your neighbor as yourself but that didn't include black neighbors does it or Christian isn't pray hardly at all in private doesn't give.

Not really I guess 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 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 he is 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 it's not 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 speaks? 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.

Hmm. 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?

So 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 that needs to be exposed for what it is? Second how do we treat it? Well, 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 it 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 I think 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 this 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.

What God's done. Not on our forms of religion. And so we beat back the infection of hypocrisy. Let's believe that God sees who we really are. Let's believe. That being right with God Matters most.