July 27, 2008

• Luke 12 – Hypocrisy and the fear of the Lord

  Luke 12:1 KJV  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

  Beware – When Jesus says beware we should pay attention.

  Leaven – like yeast. A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

  The leaven is hypocrisy. Starts small but if we don’t guard our hearts it will grow. It can corrupt everything.

  Hypocrisy literally means one who wears a mask.

  One of the most damaging hypocrisy is when you are one way at church but another at home. That is training your children that Christianity is nothing but a sham or a show.

  Let your light shine ALL the time. It needs to be the brightest at home. The first people you evangelize are at home.

  The root of hypocrisy is unbelief. God hates hypocrisy.

  Acts 5:1-5 KJV  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, {2} And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles’ feet. {3} But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. {5} And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

  Ananias’ sin wasn’t in keeping some of his money from the sale of his property.  His sin was in pretending that he was giving everything he owned to the church when he wasn’t.  His sin was hypocrisy.

  Luke 12:2-3 KJV  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.  (3)  Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

  You can’t hide anything from God.
  
  Luke 12:4-9 KJV  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  (5)  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.  (6)  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?  (7)  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.  (8)  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  (9)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

  Don’t be scared of man. All they can do is kill you. Only God (Jesus) has power to cast into hell.

  God is in control. Fear God. A healthy fear of God will purify your walk.

  Luke 12:6 KJV  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

  Buy 4 get one free

  Luke 12:7 KJV  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

  God knows how many hairs are on your head. When we talk about learning to fear God, there is a balance to keep in mind.  We fear Him because of who He is, but we love Him because He loves us.

  Luke 12:8-9 KJV  Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  (9)  But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

  You make the choice.

  Auxensius was a great commander under the Emperor Lycinius.  Lycinius came one day into the court of his palace, where there was a great bath, and some vines growing about it, with the image of Bacchus set up among the vines.  The emperor commanded Auxensius to draw his sword and cut off a bunch of grapes, which, as soon as he had done, he ordered him to offer it at the feet of Bacchus, which was as much as to acknowledge him to be a god.  Auxenisius answered, “I am a Christian; I will not do it.”  “What!  Not do it at my command?”  saith the emperor; “then you must quit your place.”  “With all my heart, sir,” said the Christian soldier, and, in token of it, put off his belt, which was the same as giving up his commission, and departed rejoicing that he was enabled to withstand the temptation.
  
  Luke 12:10 KJV  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

  Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost not forgiven. What is this?
  
  Revelation 20:11-15 KJV  (11)  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

  What keeps us out of heaven? Not being found in the book of life.
  How do you get in the book? Faith in Jesus Christ.

  The Holy Spirit’s main job is to point to Jesus.  He tells people that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  When people blaspheme the Holy Spirit, they are rejecting the things that the Holy Spirit it impressing on their heart.  They are rejecting Jesus as their Messiah.
  When a person refuses to accept Jesus as the Messiah, they are rejecting God’s chosen means of salvation.  They are rejecting salvation.  If a person continues to reject Jesus, they will not be forgiven because they have rejected (blasphemed) the only way to be saved.

  Luke 12:11-12 KJV  And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:  (12)  For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

  Don’t be worried what to say. The Holy Spirit will speak through you.

  Acts 4:7-13 KJV And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? {8} Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, {9} If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; {10} Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. {11} This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. {12} Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. {13} Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

  Luke 12:13-15 KJV  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.  (14)  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?  (15)  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

  Beware of covetousness. The value of your life is not determined by how much you have.

  Luke 12:16 KJV  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

  God causes the ground to bring forth.
  
  Luke 12:17-20 KJV  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  He could have given it to the poor. God blesses you with much, maybe He wants you to give more away.

  I….I….I! It was all about him. It is not wrong to be wealthy. It is wrong for wealth to rule you.

  Luke 12:20 KJV  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  You are only guaranteed the present. The past is under the blood of Christ (if you are a Christian). Present is fellowship of God. Future is in the hands of God.

  What are you doing with what you have now? Is it honoring God?

  Dennis Barnhart was president of an aggressive, rapidly growing company, Eagle Computer Incorporated.  His life is a study in tragedy. From a small beginning, his firm grew incredibly fast.  He finally decided they should go public.  The forty-four-year-old man, as a result of this first public stock offering, became a multimillionaire virtually overnight.  Then, for some strange reason, while he was in his red Ferrari only blocks from the company headquarters, he drove his car through twenty feet of guard rail into a ravine and died.
  A Los Angeles Times account read:
  Until the accident at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, it had been the best days for Barnhart and the thriving young company, which makes small business and personal computers.  Eagle netted $37 million from the initial offering of 2.75 million shares.  The stock which hit the market at $13 a share quickly rose as high as $27 before closing at a bid price of $15.50.
  After describing the stock, the article added: “That made Barnharts ownership of 592,000 shares worth more than $9 million.”  And that same afternoon he died in an auto accident.

  Luke 19:12-26 KJV  He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. {13} And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. {14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. {15} And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. {16} Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. {17} And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. {18} And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. {19} And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. {20} And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: {21} For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. {22} And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: {23} Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? {24} And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. {25} (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) {26} For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

  There will be a day when God expects you to show him what you’ve done with the life that you’ve been given.
  It starts by following Jesus.  It continues with serving Jesus.
  
  Luke 12:21 KJV  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

  You don’t have to be wealthy on earth to be rich towards God.  It’s all about doing good things for others, it’s all about doing things for the kingdom of God instead of the kingdom of “me”.

  A fool lays up treasure on earth. None of it goes with you when you die.

  God bless you and draw you closer to Him.

  • 3:02 pm
  • 1 Comment