How does hypocrisy start? Lets go back to the Book of Genesis:
- What were we crowned with?
Genesis 2:25 Adam and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame….(Hebrews 2:7) You made us lower than the angels for a while. Yet you have crowned us with glory (worth), (weight, brightness, glow) and honor.
The first humans were covered with glory (worth)
They were naked (transparent) with God, with one another and even themselves.
The name of your church “shekinah”reminds me = dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God (His glory, worth-ship)
Tabernacle kept the presence of God as they moved. (Exodus 40:38)
Jesus tabernacled with us (John 1:4)
We are the new tabernacle (1 Cor 3:16)
Way back, the presence of God was with the Israelites in the form of the tabernacle. Jesus was with us (Jesus is the Word and dwelt with us.) Now we are the new tabernacle. See ourselves as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
What did the we lose? Genesis 3:7-10
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
- We lost our glory (worth) when they didn’t think, feel and choose God’s way.
- We want to have glory, to be worthy but we never feel good enough for God, others and ourselves.
- Fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
- Fig leaves covering (first hypocrisy)
- We are made in the image of God and cannot make our own image.
- We try and regain the glory by image management.
Image Management:
- Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves to hide their insecurities
- We also project an image-body image, social image, moral image, self-image to hide our insecurities.
- We still feel we fall short of standards – God’s, others, and ours.
- We need to hide what’s bad and project what’s good so that others will like our image.
In God all of us are valuable. Market value vs God’s value for us. In Ezekiel 20:7 “Get rid of the image you have set your eyes on.” We prefer face-based living than grace-based living.
Projecting an image: Face based living-hypocrites=actors
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.
“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”-Luke 20:46-47
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.-Matthew 6:5-6
What do we seek? We seek glory (worth)
John 5:44 How can you believe since you accept glory (worth) from one another but do not seek the glory (worth) that comes from the only God?
What makes you think that you are worthy in the eyes of the church members, parents or others?
What is the heart behind the mask like?
- The heart is seeking for glory (worth)
- The heart has been condemned by words that devalue its worth (v37)
- The heart finds its worth in devaluing another person’s worth (v41-42)
- The heart wears a mask that magnifies its voice to drown the voices of condemnation that stick and stink.
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. -Luke 6:37
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.- Luke 6:41-42
How can we regain what was lost?
Come to me all of you who are tired. You are like people who have worked a long time. You are like people who have carried heavy things. Come to me. If you do that, you will find rest.”-Matthew 11:28
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:45-46
Now there were Greeks came to Philip….with a request. “Sir” they said “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus (John 12:20-22)
Jesus said, “I have given them the glory (worth) you gave me, -John 17:22
How can we receive the glory that Jesus has given to us?
It starts with brokenness. Glory of a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
How much are you worth?
Jesus paid our ransom. For even the Son of God came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
Jesus turns you into a person of worth.
God loved you so much that He gave His only Son, so that you who have faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send His Son to condemn you. He sent Jesus to save you (John 3:16-17)
Don’t let someone’s words/feelings/actions condemn you.
Self reflection:
What are the masks you wear to hide yourself?
Why are you hiding behind the masks?
How can Jesus help you with the masks you wear?
0 Comments