Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is pretending to be something that you have no intention of being but pretend you are, although you are not.  The Pharisees and some of the scribes fit in this category.  They claimed to follow God’s laws although they had about three hundred manmade laws that they made up themselves for others to follow which they didn’t and couldn’t keep and they failed to keep God’s laws also.  They thought they were better than other people and much more religious and far more holy than them.  When they were invited to some banquets or other outings, they expected the best seats so that they could be seen as very important people.

Like so many today, they were full of religion but lacked what they needed the most which was a relationship with the Almighty God.  There are so many religions today but they will never get anyone in a right relationship with God.  Keeping rules and regulations, trying to do good works and look holy and righteous is not the answer, but there are so many that think these are the things that will get them in heaven someday and that is so far from the truth.  

I have heard many good messages before that help believers grow in their faith, and they are needed, but what about the seekers or the unbelievers that are in the congregation who are not believers and are also seeking the truth? They need to know their condition before the Lord.  I have heard that a person will never receive help until they acknowledge the fact that they need help and are ready to seek out that help; in many cases it takes these people hitting rock bottom before they think about their desperate need.

John the Baptist preached on repentance and also baptized for the repentance of sins before Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and when Jesus started His ministry He also preached about repentance.  This is what repentance means: 1. noun; deep sorrow, compunction or contrition for a past sin, wrongdoing, or the like.  2. Regret for any past action.  I know that God’s Word says this in Romans 3:10, “…as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one…”

Read also Romans 3:23, “…since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

I think repentance is very important to the non-believer and I think it is very important to stress it in a sermon to non-believers.  If a person is not sorry for his or her sins, what will keep them from sinning over and over again?  Every time we sin, we are affected by it in some form or other.  Read 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 where Paul was talking to the church, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.”

Repentance means to turn in another direction and do what is right.  It also means to be truly sorry for your sins.  In God’s Word this had to happen in the church and out of the church.  Read Revelations 3:19, this is also talking to the church, “Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.”

So, like I said, repentance is very important and if you feel you need to repent, don’t hesitate, godly sorrow is very important.  Read what it says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  

I can’t stress this enough, it is appointed that every man shall die and then the judgement and if your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life you will be separated from God forever and you will be in a horrible, horrible place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  

Maybe this will help you with the weeping gnashing of teeth; in Jerusalem there was a wall around the city to keep the enemy out.  That wall was also a place where the people dumped their garbage over and late at night animals would come there and eat the leftovers that the people threw over the wall and some of these animals were lions.  The people also used it for this purpose; when a criminal was tried for a crime that they may or may not have committed, and the Magistrates couldn’t figure out if they were guilty or not, they would tie a rope around the man and hang him down where the garbage was and leave him there all night.  When the animals, including the lions, came out to feed on the food the man would be there also.  As a result, the man would be so scared he would weep and gnash his teeth and by morning his teeth were pretty much worn down and if he was still alive when they pulled him up they would figure that he was not guilty.  But, the problem was, even if the lions didn’t mall him he was usually insane because of the terror that he went through that night.  Hell is not going to be a nice place especially when you realize that you didn’t have to be there, but that is what you chose.

So, if you are just pretending to be a believer, or just full of religion, or if you are not a believer; repent and confess your sins and ask the Lord to be your Lord and Savior.  Please don’t take this lightly, this is so important and it is something you need to consider and think hard about.  My prayer is that you will make the right choice.  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!

PS I known this kind of message is not real popular, many people want to hear the inspirational speakers, but it is not always what you want to hear that is most important but what you need to hear.  And this is what we all need to hear!!