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Main Point: The world expects us to comply to our confessions—so we better!
Today I want to look at how we embrace the fact that we are all struggling hypocrites in such a way that shows our need for God, the work of God, and entices others to God.
Additionally, I want to demonstrate the extreme danger for living within ignorant or unashamed hypocrisy.
Review/Summary:
The Jews proclaimed they were the true worshipers of God
The Jews lifestyle and practices proved they were not truly worshiping God
The duplicitous lifestyle of the Jews resulted in others rejecting and cursing God
Two questions we need to ask and answer:
What caused the Gentiles to reject God?
Why would someone reject God because of me?
What caused the Gentiles to reject God when they observed the Jews?
Three Aspects that Prompted the Gentiles Rejection of God:
#1 The Gentiles heard and were aware of Jewish confessions
As I mentioned throughout the last few weeks, the Jews claimed:
A Special identity as the people/nation of God
A Special position under the covenant blessings of God
Special revelation from God
A Special knowledge of God and His ways
A Special lifestyle that glorified God
The Gentiles heard these confessions and were familiar with them:
They knew the Jews would have to wash and purify themselves after visiting the market because they considered the unclean.
They knew the Jews hated the Samaritans because the Jews rightly understood that the Samaritans had perverted worship of God.
They knew the Jews hated Roman rule because they believed God had granted them a special position as a nation.
They knew the Jews refused to eat any meat that they did not kill themselves because they believed that meat sacrificed to idols was an abomination to God.
They knew the Jews refused to go into a Gentile home because it would defile them.
They knew the Jews dressed differently, lived differently, and worshiped differently because of their beliefs.
The Gentiles could see and hear what the Jews believed, and this would have been a very good thing IF the Jews lived properly within their confessions and demonstrated integrity.
However, it became a negative thing when the Jews failed to live according to their confession.
However,
How/Why?
#2 The Gentiles saw and evaluated the Jews in light of their confessions
Others see and evaluate our actions in light of our Christian confessions
As the Jews lived a separate and distinct lifestyle, this required explanation.
Certain questions would arise...
Why does God demand holiness?
Why does God care about interpersonal relationships?
How do we worship God?
As the explanation was given, this became a well-known and public standard for evaluating the lifestyle and actions of the Jews.
The Jews were supposed to live an exemplary moral life
The Jews were supposed to be exclusively devoted to God
The Jews were supposed to be the epitome of an abundant and joyful life
It was at this point that it became apparent that the Jews were hypocrites.
Divorce was rampant
The prevalence of corruption was normative among the leaders
The people were largely ignorant of God—but extremely devoted to tradition
The Jewish people were under Roman rule, and God seemed to not be powerful or alive
Naturally, this led to the third aspect of for the Gentiles rejecting God...
#3 The Gentiles evaluated the legitimacy of God based upon the integrity of the Jews!
Others determine if they will honor or dishonor God based upon our alignment to our Christian confessions
Immorality and perversion
Greed and thievery demonstrated God was not enough
Arrogance and pride demonstrated God was not fair or just
Immorality and depravity demonstrated God was not uniquely holy
Intolerance and separatism demonstrated God was not loving
Foreign control and domination demonstrated God was not powerful
Ignorance and tradition demonstrated God was not active or living
ALL OF THIS—AND MORE—LED TO THE GENTILES CURSING GOD INSTEAD OF WORSHIPING GOD!
Interestingly, the example of Christianity that we have in the Bible and Jesus’ teaching absolutely refutes the hypocritical witness of the Jews.
Let’s briefly survey how the Christians (in the Bible) lived:
They sacrificially cared for one another and sold their belongings to do so.
They humbly confessed sin, repented from sin, and diligently fled from sin UNDER the power and free, unmerited, gift of the gospel!
They were repulsed by and avoided all forms of sexual immorality—even lustful thoughts!
They carried the gospel to all people—even praying for their enemies while being persecuted to the point of death!
They submitted to the government, except when the government commanded disobedience to God—then they respectively embraced death.
They engaged the living God who engaged them first!!!
What a shocking difference between hypocritical traditionalism and vibrant Christianity!
This brings us to our second major question for the day, and one that is absolutely personal...
That is, several factors led to not just an ineffective witness, but also to a blasphemous one.
The Jews (and we ourselves) proclaim the uniqueness of the life we have such as:
Why would someone reject God because of me?
Special identity
Special position
Special revelation
Special knowledge
Special lifestyle
So
Before we go on, I must address a concept that is often odious to us:
REJECTION IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR AUTHENTIC CHRIST FOLLOWERS!
Take a look at what Jesus said to his disciples in His farewell discourse:
John
John 17:
Or.. here are a few more scriptures discussing persecution (rejection)
Persecution and Rejection are a guarantee within the Christian faith—if you do not experience opposition to what you say, then you are not saying anything of value.
However.... there is a massive difference between rejection that results from a godly witness and rejection that results from a hypocritical witness.
Look at what Peter says:
1 Peter
Here is what we should see and understand:
We are commanded to reject somethings for the glory of Christ
We are instructed that we will experience rejection because of Christ
However, we are also commanded to actively avoid rejection that results from personal sin (hypocrisy)!
Thus, following God means we embrace positive rejection while working to quell negative rejection
Positive: When rejection brings us closer to Christ Jesus
Negative: When rejection pushes others away from Christ Jesus
Examples of Positive Rejection:
Christ calls us to reject our sin
Christ calls us to reject our way of thinking
Christ calls us to reject our way of life
Christ calls us to reject the sins of the world
Christ calls us to reject worldly philosophies
Christ calls us to reject the world’s approach to life
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