'speaking lies in hypocrisy' (vs2)
One word which caught my attention
Hypocrisy
One word and yet it is a word for the day that we live in
The word for the actor in Greek
The man behind the mask
A man who pretended to be what he was not
This is a word for today!
Virtual reality
Social media
Status symbols
Photoshop
Facebook
Hypocrisy is a characteristic which ought to be completely absent from the Christian not only because it's not nice but because it is absent from Christ!
Christ was exactly what he seemed to be 1 Peter 2:22 “neither was guile found in his mouth”
Revelation 14:5 the redeemed 144,000; “in there mouth was found no guile”
We may not fully understand what he is but we are assured that he never misled nor pretended to be what he was not.
He is what he said he was, consistent with word of God, he was what the word of God said he was
“Search the scriptures in them ye think ye have eternal life and these are they which testify of me”
He is what the scripture said he was.
He is what the father said he was “the father himself which has sent me hath borne witness of me” John 5:37 and John 8:18
He is what the disciples said he was 1 John 1:2
He was tried by the high priest
He was cross examined by pilot
Tested by Satan
Never anything revealed inconsistent with his claims, the claims of scripture
100% authentic
I find no fault in this man
This is my beloved son
The prince of this world comes and has nothing in me
Surely this was a righteous man
He was under constant scrutiny:
The beginning of his ministry - Satan and the spirit of God
During his ministry men and the Father
End of his ministry priest's Pilate and Satan
His Resurrection the spirit
Antidote to hypocrisy
Consistency
Christlike consistency
To be consistent like Christ
Godliness - the reflection of the Sanctuary
Reflection of the Divine character from relationship with God
Hypocrisy is not just hypocrisy of particular words and particular actions
Hypocrisy emanates from a conscience corrupted
Hypocrisy becomes a way of life 1 Timothy 4:2
Read the way the Lord deals with the Pharisees
Synecdoche
'Hypocrites' - not just the Pharisees guilty occasionally of a bit of hypocrisy but the term became interchangeable with their name
Hypocrisy is exceedingly powerful it takes over the whole person and character
We need to be free from the shackles of hypocrisy
There needs to be the stability and consistency of the Christian Life
Church
At home
In a street
In our community
As a neighbour
At work
One of the great challenges which Timothy has to face at Ephesus is that of hypocrisy.
Cause of Hypocrisy
Character of the Hypocrite
Consequences of Hypocrisy
The Cause of Hypocrisy:
Demonic – something to cover up to hide
Divine – something to cover up to hide from
Inspired by the demonic 1 Timothy 4:1
Hypocrisy finds its origins in the depths of Hell in the nature of Evil
First time we come across hypocrisy, the first encounter with the art of hypocrisy is in Genesis chapter 3.
Recall when Satan appeared to Adam and Eve in the garden:
As a roaring lion to devour them?
As a terrifying dragon, dangerous and deadly?
No!
He appeared as something quite ordinary something expected tree serpent I appreciate that The Serpent has had a lot of bad press since then!!
But he was not out of place on the tree.
Satan was playing a part, as a character actor.
This is the essence of hypocrisy.
Not everything was as it seemed.
He was hiding guile
Adam would hide guilt
Guile or Guilt - Something to hide
The Character of the hypocrite
Self-serving bias maintain own high view of self even when we know that something is wrong
Matthew chapter 23:
Ego 23:11-12
What I think of myself
Reputation 23:5-7
I want everyone else to have as high a view of me as I do.
Status 23:7-11
Seal that elevated opinion with a title, formalise that reputation, enshrine it in 'Rabbi' or 'Master'!
Values 23:14-22
A corrupted sense of values
The material before the spiritual
Temporal before the eternal
Consequences of hypocrisy
Fear - John chapter 11
The fear of being exposed
Outline notes from our series of Bible teaching messages in 1 Timothy, available for free audio download or to listen online,
Yours by God's grace in Christ
Dr J Stewart Gillespie