When Christians are Hypocrites
Lessons from Luke 10
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When Christians Are HypocritesMon, May 14, 2023 10AM • 52:26SUMMARY KEYWORDSJesus, people, church, family, talking, give, pretense, bubbles, pharisees, kid, hypocrite, woman, happening, zookeeper, problem, exhibit, healed, called, picture, gorilla
Good morning. Welcome. If you're new here among us, my name is Gene I serve here at C3 church as your lead pastor. Last week, we talked about ministry, we talked about work, making work the thing instead of what you're really working for, and I told you about ministry, how this happens in ministry, and I usually try to throw myself under the bus. So I told you what I did in the worship ministry. That's where I started out here, because I had been a musician in my past. But if you know me, you know that I wasn't always a musician. I left that industry to do martial arts. I had done that my whole life. But it wasn't like your board breaking kind of martial arts. It was cage fighting. That's what people called it in the beginning. In fact, it was illegal where I lived in New York, you couldn't have this type of competition, they had to kind of fight for that the right to do that. So basically, two people got in a cage, and then one person got knocked out or gave up. That's really what happened. So kind of dangerous. But here's the thing. When I describe my profession to people, like if I had to put it down on something or put it up on LinkedIn or whatever, I wouldn't put like martial arts instructor. I would put Zookeeper. That's what I would put down. This kind of like that you have these animals fighting in a cage all the time. You guys are crazy. Who wants to do that? So zookeeper would be on there. And now it's been said that the Lord prepares you uses your past to prepare you for your present. And, indeed, sometimes I really feel like a zookeeper here. So you got that ahead of time. That was good. You've had your coffee, good stuff. So I heard a story about a real zookeeper who had zookeeper problems. There are zookeeper problems. And you can imagine a lot of problems, a lot of animals there. So one day, he's going to open up the zoo, but one of the guys comes in and he says, we got a problem. What's that? The last of the gorillas has died. We don't have any gorillas today, the exhibit now, this is really important. Because kids love their animals. All kids have their favorite animal, right. So when you were a kid, you had your favorite animal. And if it's not at the zoo, your kid's going to lose their mind. Right. So what there are no, so, get a new guy to zookeeper says get a new guy. New guy comes in. Zookeeper says Here, put this on and he presents him with a gorilla costume. And the guy's like, what am I going to do? Am I going to greet the kids when they come in this costume? No, you're going to get in the gorilla exhibit. And the guy starts laughing. Zookeepers not laughing No joke, you're either going to do it, or go home and lose your job. Okay, so he puts the gorilla costume on, he gets in the exhibit. The first he's kind of like, okay, it's hot. I can't see anything. What is the gorilla do should watch the Discovery Channel A little more. So he's kind of like walking around trying to do I'm not going to do grill moves. So he's walking around. Be pretty funny. But you know, and so he's trying it out. And he started like getting into it. And after all, he's really getting into it. Now. See, in the exhibit, they have all these like rocks like cliff faces and things and a cave and go cool off and right. Because when you go to the zoo, and you're a kid, like where are the lions like they're in the cave, it always seems like they were in the cave. They never came out. But anyway, he's not in there. He's just dancing around, danced around, and you get so into it. So excited that he falls off one of these cliff faces. Now, it's not tall enough, where he's going to get hurt real bad. But it is tall enough to keep other animals from coming into the gorilla exhibit. Like the lions. Now he's found himself in the lion exhibit. He does himself off he's not hurt. Can't see well, but can see well enough to notice that there's a lion there. About 30 feet or so away. So he starts thinking okay, in a fight between a gorilla and a lion who wins? Is it going to be scared of me? So he stands there, the lion starts moving toward him. And he starts trying to be like, subtle, right? Like he's about to die, but you got to still keep my job. So, you know, help, you know a little help. Help. Help me. See girl in line not supposed to be together and the exhibits not working. And it seems that the louder he asked for help, the faster the lions coming toward him. So now he just panic. He just starts screaming the lion charges right toward him. Then stops and says, Hey, buddy, keep it down. You're going to get us both fired. Your Way too. You got that one normally, like there's like a lag, you know? So you got to think a little bit like you got that that makes me so happy. Thank you for laughing
All right, so last week, we're going to talk about taking off the mask. Like, where's he going with this? That's what happened. Alright, so we talked about not making the ministry the idol not worshiping the work. And this came out of we had Martha, Martha, right, the busy work. And then Mary, Jesus says she has all she needs right here, cut it out, right? Not everyone has to do the busy work, the disciples, they go out, does great stuff. And he's like, now rejoice that your names are registered in heaven, not in the works. That's where we were. We have been doing the Bible. If you're new here, chronologically ish, it's really hard to do. In this case, where we are in the Bible, you have four Gospel accounts. And sometimes they give us different perspectives or details. And so when you layer them together, you have to look at those different details. And I've been making you guys charts so that we could see where we are. And if you want to put them together, this is how I did it. Last week will be the same this week will be the same as last week, where we're in Luke 10. We arrived, Luke 11, through 13. And it's some unique stuff, some of the stuff we've already seen in the Sermon on the Mount. So what they're doing when they write these ancient Greco Roman biographies, is they're not looking necessarily put to put together like just a straightforward account. So just think of it like a show that kind of zooms in and out of time once in a while. So it looks like Okay, I think this belongs here. And Jesus said that, or you could have Jesus repeating himself, which good teachers do. He's the best teacher ever. So he's going to repeat himself when he needs to repeat things or things are important. So as we go through, if you're following along in your Bible, you're going to notice he's skipping stuff. That's because it's somewhere else. We've already covered it. So I'm going to focus on things that point to our theme really well. And I'll just kind of mention some of the other stuff as I go along. So here we have Jesus, again, criticizing the religious leaders, Luke 1137, as Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees inviting him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table, his host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, you Pharisees are so Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy, full of greed and wickedness, fools. Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you'll be clean all over. So now you start leveling these criticisms. What sorrow awaits you Pharisees, you're careful to tie the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the bigger things right? You should ties, but you should be doing good as well. What sorrow awaits you Pharisees, for your love to sit in the places of honor. Right? Get respectful greetings, everywhere you go, what sorrow awaits you, for you are like hidden graves in a field people walk over them without even knowing the corruption they're stepping on. Then one of the experts in religious law chimes in even assaulted us by what you've said, yes. What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law, you crush people with these unbearable demands. So he just keeps criticizing them. He goes in a discourse that can be kind of confusing. We're not going to do it. Right now. If you want to discuss it a Bible study. I'll explain it to you. But he basically tells him, Look, you built the monuments for these prophets, but you're responsible for their deaths, right from everyone from April all the way to Zechariah. Like all the prophets, right? So he keeps criticizing them what sorrow awaits you, you remove the key knowledge from people, but you don't enter the kingdom yourselves. You prevent other ones from entering it. As he's leaving, they start coming up with all these ways that they can trap in with these questions. And so you see this a lot, right? So they want to get Jesus killed. They're done with him. But here's the point. You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup in the dish. But inside you are filthy. This is our theme. You are like hidden grieves, right? So imagine that you don't know you're in a graveyard and it looks all beautiful like a golf course. But underneath they don't you don't understand what kind of corruption what kind of death there is just beneath the surface. This is the point so now, warnings on hypocrisy. Luke 12 One meanwhile, the crowds grew until 1000s were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first his disciples and warn them. Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees in their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed. And all that is secret will be made known to all What have you said in the dark will be heard in the light and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the house tops for all to hear. So here you're on into a whole bunch of very similar teachings, some of the sermon on the mount and other places but they're all under this light, like he's making these massive criticisms, you have to just kind of imagine that we don't, we could have a context like that, like, so imagine there are a whole bunch of pastors in this room, and I'm saying that kind of stuff. You hypocrites. You're like hidden graves, it's so he's not making any apologies for this, he's just going to town on them. So he goes into a sideline, right? Don't be afraid of those, because you might say, Oh, my gosh, and so my response would be, don't be afraid of those who can kill your body. And then he can't do any more than that to you. Like after that. Be afraid of God, he's the one to fear he can kill you, and then throw you into hell. So that's why he's teaching that some people kind of pull it out of context. He's saying this, because ah, I'm not afraid of these people. And you shouldn't be either fear God preach it. This is the truth. Okay, so then he goes into what is the price of 205? sparrows, two copper coins that God doesn't forget a single one of them, and the very hairs on your head are numbered. So don't be afraid you're more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows, right? So he's going to take care of you. He goes into the teaching we saw recently, right? If you acknowledge me here, I'll acknowledge you before the angel before God in heaven. So don't be ashamed of me again, under what context he's going really hard. And he's saying, You shouldn't be ashamed either. Preach it, when you're brought to trial. And this guy was a strange placement. This was in the Sermon on the Mount, when you brought to trial in the synagogues before the rulers and the authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said sorry, I said it was in the sermon amounts not. But anyway, so don't worry about what you are to say. It's the right thing is going to come out if you're filled with the Holy Spirit, all under this discourse. Here. We've gone over this story before. So he's going to go to wealth. And that makes a lot of sense. In a second Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me, friend, who made me a judge, or arbitrator over, you know, he tells a story, man had barns and he filled them all up, he did really well, he filled up these barns, Oh, what am I going to do? I have too much stuff. I know what I'll do. He has a conversation with himself, I'll tear down these barns and build bigger ones. And then I can eat and relax, look how well you've done. But then God says, You fool your soul, you're going to die this very night, then who will get all your stuff. And then Jesus says, friend. So I guess a person is a fool to store earthly wealth, but not to have a rich relationship with God goes right into the theme that we looked at last week, teaching on money and possessions, that's the one that's in the Sermon on the Mount. Be ready for the Lord's coming. So now he's going to go into a discourse and all these are about being prepared. When Jesus his favorite teachings is like the servant or the slave, right? So be ready like your servant in the Masters household, he's going to go away, don't like party or slack off, right? Because he can come back at any time, right, you can be punished. So just be a good steward of what you have.
Jesus will cause division, he gives this warning as well, before we saw, I have come to bring a sword, not peace, but a sword. It wasn't about dishonoring your family, it wasn't about violence. Here. Similar thing, I have come to set the world on fire. So he talks about the same type of thing. Father will be divided against son, son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother and mother in law against daughter in law. So he's going to start moving towards now the end times talking about being prepared goes with the sensible servant. Again, here again, in the Sermon on the Mount, when you go to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, you might be found guilty, right? And you'll be thrown into prison, and then a call to repentance. Kind of a strange parable about a fig tree. But the point here is that someone owns this garden, plants a fig tree, it doesn't produce any fruit for three years. He wants to cut it down. But the gardener says, Wait, give it another year. If it doesn't produce fruit, and a year we'll cut it down. What's that about? You should repent you're going to be given a little more time maybe. But repent. Now, it's better off so it goes for ties perfectly with the servants being ready for the Masters return. Then, Luke 1310, one Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for 18 years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her. He called her over and said, Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness than he touched her and instantly she could stand straight, how she prays God, but the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. There are six days of The week for working. He said to the crowd come on those days to be healed, not the Sabbath. But the Lord replied, You hypocrites. Each of you works on the Sabbath day. Don't you untie your ox or your donkey from install on the Sabbath, and lead it off for water. This Dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for 18 years, isn't it right should be released, even on the Sabbath. This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoice that the wonderful things he did you hypocrites. Interview works on the Sabbath day, again, imposing religious demands to try to look better than they really are. You are so careful to clean the outside of the dish, but inside filthy hypocrisy, doing all these outward things, and it kind of ties into last week's theme, right doing all this work. But here's kind of the other part of it here. Why are you doing it? All right. Well, to cover up what's on the inside, sometimes hidden graves. There's this idea that what you're doing like on the back end over here doesn't match what you're presenting to everyone what you're showing everyone? hypocrisy, the definition, the practice of claiming to have moral standards of beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform pretense. Now, when we think of these hypocrites, in a biblical context, like what might come to mind, something like this might come to mind here, this picture of a hypocrite if we can put it up there. There we go. So that's a hypocrite. All right, you can see right there. So he's like those Pharisees like, Luke, what's that? There's the giving jar, whatever it is, look what I'm giving clean, right? So in biblical times, they would have these giving jars imagine like a trumpet. And the idea was like, the more you put in there, the louder sound it would make. So you're making sure to throw it in there. Everyone looked at me. And he's clearly all set. leftovers. I'm going to throw those in there. He's clearly doing all right. But the poor is case right there. He's not concerned with helping the poor, he wants you to think that he's concerned with himself and how he looks. That's the picture, right? So we look at a biblical Pharisee or hypocrite like that. That's it. Now, here's the thing. This is going to get really dicey. But it's going to be okay. Well, I'll make it. So to a pastor, from what I see, see, people tell pastors stuff, right. So that's a big part of the job. When I think of a hypocrite, something totally different. comes to mind. This is what comes to mind. Now, some of you're like, Oh, he's finally lost his mind. It's happened. We're here to witness it. I knew it was going to happen. But, but let me play. So this this is this very chancy thing to do? So first of all, I don't think I was thinking about it. I'm like, what if I put this picture up that I stole off the internet, but I left a little stock photo stock thing over there, it's got the watermark, so they're fine, relax. But what if this actual family came in? So if that's you, I can't see the balcony to me. Like, that's you? Alright, sorry, not sorry. Right. So it's God, like, so maybe I'm going to start talking about some of the things that are wrong with you. So remember this. This is not every family. So when I go through this thing, I want you to just hear this first disclaimer. Listen, I'm not saying this is every family who does a photo like this? Okay. Did you hear that? Not every family, but as a pastor, I'm going to give you some hyperbole here, like big word, right? Like overthrow them. Big overthrow, but, but if I had to, like, think about like, like all the couples that come into my office, all the families that come into my office, right, and think about it for a minute, I'm going to give you like, worst case scenario, what I see. And then there's like some smaller stuff. It's like about 80% 90% of families that like are presenting Well, right. So. So here's just like, how I know that this is a fake picture. watermark. It's got the watermark so obviously, right. Nobody watermarks it. But if you did that, I'd be like, Okay, we really need to talk on your Facebook page or Instagram, right. But here's how I know it's fake, because it's because first of all the bubbles This is the first thing. The bubbles are the first thing that I want to talk about. All right. Look, I don't know, maybe you do. But I don't go on any picnics. But if I went on a picnic, like bubbles wouldn't be the first thing on the packing list. And now for you you're like oh, wouldn't be for me. Well, you're five, like so what? But bubbles like, you know, bubbles. What do we need bubbles for? Right? You know meets right that's mean, a blanket like think about your packing list really guys, bubbles. And so that's like kind of the important thing about this photograph. Here's a few other problems. So that's not what happens with bubbles. I had a kid, I still have a kid, but she doesn't do the bubbles anymore. But when kids get bubbles, they do not sit down. That's not happening. kid gets the bubble wand, right? And what do they do? When they run around with the bubbles and they're doing all this stuff, right? And what happens? They fall off a cliff like the guy in the gorilla costume. They hit a tree, right? So if this was really the stage where the kid would be sitting down, they would already have a band aid, they went to the blue box, because that's what you pack and you put the band aid on so the kid would be crying eyes would be all red. That's what's happening. You got to get a kid to sit down. Okay. Oh, the problem with the bubbles, they get all over the food, who unpacks all the food like that leaves a watermelon open, no saran wrap that is visible to my eye at all. And you're going to start blowing bubbles all over it? Are you kidding me? Right? So the food's gone. First, I take out the food. I don't see too much good meat. So that's the other problem there. You know, but the bubbles are going to then you have bugs. There's issue of bugs, watermelon on the ground like that. Are you kidding? The answer going to be all in there. And then there's the kind of like, you ever get bit by a fire? And that's a problem. So this whole thing, and then they're in a field? Where are they? That's a big space, you could get lost out there. So anyway, the other reason I know this is not real. This is this is it? If that was really you could put that back up. We I'm not done with that family yet. My wife's on the slide. So I have to be super careful today. Like, really? could go bad for me. Like that's the least of my worries. That's the most. Right. So anyway, here's the thing. Here's the number one indicator that that is not a real photograph. Nobody is on their phone. That's not real, right? Ever, even a kid their kid would have headphones on beyond that. They don't they don't care about bubbles anymore. They got everything right here. They're like popping the bubbles on it. They'd be on the phone, right? So that's not real. People don't laugh and talk to one another and have fun together. We do it together on our phones. This is what they want you to see. Again, this is not all families, but I'm just kind of making a big thing here. So you get the point. Not all films, but from the pastor's desk. That ain't what's happening when they go on a picnic. If they do, that's a photoshoot. Okay? It's not a picnic. No way. All right. So now here's what's going on. I want you to like absorb the photograph. And think about it. Now I'm going to give you worst case scenario, okay, so this is not this family. Okay, it is an example. But I've seen people
that present like this, I'm going to give you a wild example. So just pretend to pretend family again, I'm going to say that again. So pretend to but I have families that present like this. And this what they do is all they're going to put on the social media. That's it. That's it. This is all they're going to let you in on the bubbles. The nice times. I pastored families like this. But on the back end, this is what's happening. This is not you, not everybody. But I fasted families like this on the back end. It doesn't look like that. On the back end, the woman is several scenarios. She's depressed. She's depressed. cries in the closet. hates the way she looks. Husband Doesn't pay attention to her anymore. All upset, doesn't feel like she can get any thing. Right? Get some middle aged or whatever. I don't like the way I look anymore. My husband doesn't love me. Some of these women develop a drinking problem. We've seen that. experienced that. So that's a mess. She's a mess. The husband - He's on his phone used to be the Bible. But now it's not that honeymoon is over. Now, he's looking at all kinds of things. He shouldn't be looking at his phone. What are you doing honey? I'm just reading my Bible again. Not talking to God. You're talking to another woman. That's who he's talking to. flirting with the idea. Maybe there's something a little better than this old lady out there who drinks too much. But that's what they're showing you. The kid. Headphones on totally tuned up. But the kid hears everything. Everything. Everything. But you know what they say just in case. Don't tell anyone We do at home. That happens. So I'll be seeing that kid in a few years, doesn't even know they want to have a family ever. It's a mess. But here's what's going on. It's not just it's not just the family picture that they're putting out there. It's not just these things that the problem is that they will come to church. And the guy will lead like life groups and Bible studies and things like that and start telling everybody else how to live their life, when his is a total mess. Hypocrite. That's why now I'm done with the family now. I'll go to my No, yours, like so serious. All right. I'll go to mine. So this is it as funny. My wife's like, Do we really have to show this picture of me? Yes, we do. There we go. This is what happens when you're all but let me explain all that's going to go away really quick. So first thing, yes, this looks terrible. Because I don't know, it got stuck to the frame. Like it was inside a glass frame. So this is like I took a picture of it. Right. So but I felt like as I was, it's just funny. It says nothing to do with anyone but me. So I I'm taking the, this is my life, taking the picture out. And I think it's going to rip because it's stuck, right? Where I am just stuck on me. Right? And I started thinking like, if I get ripped out of the picture, well, I disappear. Well, movies that from? Sounds like, Oh, I'm going to leave it in the glass. Right? So just be careful. That's what really went through my mind. That's what happens. Yeah. So okay, let me explain something. So how do you know this isn't real? Right? A, we're sitting down. Who says, Let's get dressed up in our nice clothes and sit on the floor? Nobody, that's the first thing your parents tell you get dressed up for church, whatever. They're like, the floor, right? So that we broke rule number one, right? Second thing, if you have a dog, you know what's wrong with this. Now, dogs can be very difficult when you're trying to take a picture of them. They never look at the camera, you need a treat. And we could have done that. But there's another reason why the dog would be looking away from the camera man in particular, because he's done something wrong. That's what dogs do. If you don't have a dog, they do this. They won't look at you. But they'll like kind of check without turning their head. That's what a dog does. And that's what she's doing. So they'll like, look away, like, what did you do? And, but they'll like, check with their eyeball. They don't move their head. This dog is doing that. Because Oh, she's so cute. Right? That's exactly what the photographer thought when the dog came in. The dog's reaction to that was to poop all over the photography studio. So this perfect family that is exactly what happened immediately, when they walk in, we bring our dog to the photoshoot or look why it's part of the family. So we got to bring the dog so that's a mess right there. I'm done picking on my daughter. So I won't do that to her any at all. So anymore. Well, not ever, but just today. So let's just talk about the people in that picture. So this guy, yes, that is a leather elbow thing. That's fancy, right. So and if you go home, you can see the shoes, but I'm literally wearing the same shoes. This is all if you know my family. That's actually an old photograph. My daughter is like that tall now. So we have her on the highly caffeinated diet to try to slow that down a little bit. But anyway, so that's her. This is old is a really old picture. I'm wearing the same shoes, so you can have nice things. Yes. And you know, if you buy cheap, you buy twice. But anyway, I didn't have to buy another pair of black dress shoes. Isn't that amazing? It's been like 8 million years. So that's like the only good thing about the photograph. Anyway, but this guy, it looks like he's got it together, right? Nope. No, not on the inside those you know my story. Right? So I didn't have a good relationship with my dad. I didn't do good in school. Not at all. The Holy Spirit allowed me to read but before the Holy Spirit, I was really bad. had kind of like dyslexia just to make a long story short, so never going to the school. My dad could not accept that. That was not the right answer. You're stupid. You're stupid. You're stupid, right? You're lazy. You're skinny. You're weak. So what did this guy do? This guy decided to quit what he was good at music. I am going to do martial arts. I'm going to do all kinds of crazy. I'm going to beat people up. If my dad or anybody like him ever calls me that again. I'm going to kill him. Alright, so that was what was going on all of the time. I'm going to lift as much weight as humanly possible and do steroids. And I'm going to get as big as I possibly can. And my dad ever says that to me again. I'm going to kill him right so that's what's going on. So we got all the dirt. That's it all the time. Fighting lifting weights, eating just craziness, then I'm stupid. Oh really? Oh really? I'm going to make more money than anybody in my graduating class check. And even after that check mark was there. It was not enough. Because nothing is ever enough for that guy. Nothing. Not that beautiful family, nothing. Nothing. I'm going to be bigger, richer, better, beautiful Italian sports car in the driveway. Does not matter. Drive it out of a lot already looking at the next one I'm going to buy. Oh, I don't have a Harvard ring. I have a $20,000 watch. Keep up with that. That's what that guy's thinking about right? They're not thinking about anything that's actually going on around me because nothing is ever enough. You've heard Heather's story. That woman is white knuckling it probably at this time and on her way to a very serious drinking problem. We're this these are two people living to prove everyone wrong. That's it. No real like joy. No enjoying that moment there. No. It's not happening. You're looking at a couple. Always exhausted, exhausted, just tired, and depressed. Exhausted. They look happy. But inside. These people are really sad. Really sad. But they're doing everything possible. To make you believe otherwise. Everything. Let's go back to that definition again, hypocrisy. The practice of claiming to have moral standards of beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. pretense and one word, pretense. Let's look at that definition, pretense and attempt to make something that is not the case appear true. Let's go back to that picture. I know this is going to cause like an argument later, but maybe we can do it. Come on. There we go. Now we don't often think of this as hypocrisy. Right? But I'm going to tell you I don't know about the other family but it's just trying to make a point. I know this family. There is an amazing amount of free tennis going on there. And amazing amount of pretense. We normally think of it right? Hypocrite. So I'm trying to be better than or this and that. But you don't think of it
in our everyday lives and how we might be doing it. This is us. Pretending to be better than we really are.
We feel we look everything looks better than it really is. But it's not. Yet we're keeping it up. We're trying to prove that we're better than others. And there was no end to it. We already beat the clobbered the Joneses. Not even close. I drove around in my car for where we lived. You knew where we lived in New York to drive this car around. And I'm going to say the brand but you drive a car on and people would say me Are you lost? Are you like you don't see them. People take pictures and stuff. Sit on it. It was a real pain in the neck. Anyway
Are you lost, but it was still wasn't enough. I want the better one. That's all I thought about. I had like vision boards, you know? Right. So I get this watch. Why are their watches more expensive? Yep. They'd be up. I'd have pictures of them up. They're obsessed but why? You're wrong. What you said was wrong about me. Wrong. This is all we were putting out there about ourselves. That's it. It's all anybody knew. Even if it wasn't true. But you see this is Social Media them. This is Sunday them is not real them. And it's not how they got here on Sunday. How we got here on Sunday. How we get here on Sunday what started Saturday night. We were drinking heavily, heavily. Getting us stupid. I don't even know what we would argue about it's just stupid. And somebody say something, and then you're going to remind them that person, right that you say you love about something they did like years ago. Get over it. No, that's going to come up and we're having an argument or stay up too late arguing we're not going to stop, just go sleep. We're going to argue or get up in the morning. Now we're hung over and we're tired for church. That's why we pay I told you this. That's how they told you this. We picked the one with an 11am service. And that was The stated reason. That's why That's why are hung over so I got a nurse this come in right get the kid ready, or she was pretty good. But she's been exposed. Don't tell anyone. She's been exposed all that. Fight again, don't talk to each other. It's a mess. Maybe we're saying things in the car. Definitely a lot of bad words. I'm going all the way there. And I slip. Okay. But we're not slipping or sliding. We are just going at it. Right? It's a mess. A mess. Walk in the church door. Hey, we're fine. Everything's great. That's it. It's like a switch. Look at us. We're perfect. Or perfect. Look at social media. That's Christmas card then. That's it. Now there is nothing wrong. Here this nothing wrong with getting dressed up for church. There's nothing wrong with being presentable or that's fine. Having self respect. That's not what I'm talking about. There is something wrong when the pretense is all you practice in front of others. That's when there's something wrong. It's all a cover up and it's exhausting. And people get incredibly elaborate, incredibly elaborate with these things. You can switch incredibly elaborate. Like I see people out there. Like print they come up with another version. So that's the perfect but they're like, oh, wait a minute, someone might not believe this. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to come up with a less than perfect version of me and put that out there is he's so manipulative, right? Like, like, oh, maybe they went out and no makeup on or something. I'm not just picking on the ladies. But anyway, no makeup on. I think I think get some good sunlight. Yeah, don't look too bad today. This is a great time to take like fake no filter pick like the fake real pick the fake no makeup pick. Right? And then it's like disgusting when like the supermodel women do it right? Like this mirror with no makeup. It's like, better than like anyone will ever look ever right. So but it's just this manipulators, false modesty manipulation.
They're like several other them's out there. pretense. But here's the thing. We all do this at a base level. And I told you this before,
because of insecurity. That's insecurity. That's what it is. Fear of rejection and security. I get it. So if anybody out there, whatever out there is, I get it. But here's the thing. And we see this awful lot. This this is like huge, huge in the fitness industry. Huge, huge. By the time I was like getting ready to retire and I'd been in church for a little while. I would go through the gym and I'd see these guys. I was much bigger than I am now. But it's these guys that like cannon balls for shoulders right now. They're just not going to stop. You know, they're very angry and come up to him and be like, it's okay, you can stop now Jesus loves you. But that's what I began to see the Holy Spirit gave me that I didn't see these big intimidating guys anymore. I'm like I saw babies a bunch of big babies. You're just scared. You're afraid of something. Being rejected. overcompensating? It's like enough already. You have a heart attack and one of my best students actually one of these animals just jacked guys in this was going to scare some people but whatever it's the fitness industry is probably a 250 pounds of muscle. Impressive, but he got a bad rate on his insurance because he was technically morbidly obese. For his height, your heart doesn't know the difference you're going to kill yourself. That's what you're going to do. Kill yourself. You're so in shape, you're out of shape. But that's what these crazy people are doing to themselves. And if you're jacked, yeah called you crazy person. We'll talk about it later. But think about it for a second. Like there's being in shape. I get it. But then there's like taking it a little bit too far. Like this is come on. We get it. It's insecurity is at a base level, it's just insecurities and I get it. But here's the thing. And I'm not saying to you, but to phrase it, it's not all about them. It's not all about you. That's the first part. The second part is, the problem with this is not just for themselves, but for others as well. Now, we'll put it in a church context. We've talked about the country club culture, it creates this thing, like if someone, actually, and there were people who actually believed that about us. He believes that like, that was us. And so what happens when that comes into the church, right? And we're never sharing, we're never revealing anything else about us. What does everyone else think? Well, I got to be like that. You know, if they have a problem, they're going to open. They're like, Whoa, I might get kicked out of this place. If I open up about that problem. That's great. It's so funny. People are telling me like, if you know my story, like, I'll make you laugh, but like, oh, man, no, no, I can't come to church. You have no idea, Pastor. I'm like, first of all, yes, I do. Like you wouldn't understand. I'm like, No, you have, I was in a rock band in the 80s and 90s. I've seen everything right. So it just makes anyway. So but that's what it does, though. When everybody comes in, and they're like, this is not that kind of, I got to applaud you guys for that. Not that kind of church. But you know, it's a lot of churches we've been to right. Everybody's dressed up perfect. It's not again, it's not bad to dress up. But that's it. It's a country club in there. If you can I you know, back in the day, we had a traditional service, and we've changed very much. I got yelled at for wearing dungarees in church. Like, what? Dungarees? What's a dungaree? And that's if you're old, you know what that means? Right? So I'm not mining for gold and these Levi's, right, so they're called jeans, old man. But anyway, I got yelled at her. What happens? And this happens, right? Where's your tie? Whatever it is. And so when we build it up that big, what happens when someone has a problem? They're like, if that was the problem, what is going to happen to me? If I tell them like, my real problem? Forget it. Now you've got a country club. That's it. Everyone is being fake. You only know the person that they've presented. That nobody really like knows anybody. I've been a part of a church like that. It's weird. Really weird. So it brings me to this a bad word. I'm going to say a bad word. And church confession. So you don't like that word? That's right now I'm not talking about so I was raised Catholic. I'm not talking about that kind of confession. Oh, that'd be really cool. If we could make like a confessional booth. And like you knew it was me in there. But I'd sit there in the dark anyway, I knew exactly who it was right. Like, I don't know your voice and they come in, they're like, anyway, just think it would be hilarious. But I'm not talking about. I'm talking about more of a personal type of thing. Where you're being open with others about what you're going through, but it's biblical, James 516, confess your sins to each other than, say the priest. Right? Confess your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results it accomplishes much. You won't be healed until you confess the problem. Okay, so it's like going to the doctor, he gives you a diagnosis and you're like, No, you can't get healed and you're not going to go through the job. I don't have that. I'm not going to take a treatment. Okay, but that's what it is. Is this a denial? No, you will not be healed unless you acknowledge that you have a problem. That's the first thing. Here's the other thing where the church comes into play. Also, and you know that you're not a problem. Because you hear this, because you have that problem does not mean you are a problem. You are not. Keep reading. James 519 My dear brothers and sisters, when someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. Keep reading Well, go back Galatians six one. Do your brothers and sisters if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. Be careful not to fall into the same temptation here self, share each other's burdens, and in this way, obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone no like fooling yourself, you're not that important. That's the attitude. At a REAL CHURCH, the secret you're carrying can be a heavy burden. It can be exhausting. Imagine being, that's what it's like to be free of sins to be freed from all that. I can tell you, in my own story, I mess up. I mess up all the time. But to be freed from like that hamster wheel. Oh, wow. It's amazing. I think so differently now about everything. You don't have to be that exhausted, we can help with that burden here. Because that's what it is. When you hide your issues, you actually deprive a real Christian of an opportunity. Galatians, six, nine. So let's not get tired of doing what is good at just the right time, we will reap a harvest a blessing if we don't give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially those in the family of faith. To a real church, your burden is an opportunity for me. That's what it is. Well, to kind of wrap things up here, I just, I do want to say this. It's a very sad thing. When someone goes through something, and they've kept it to themselves, they did a good job. We are masters of hiding all this stuff. And really good job keeping. But there's a point at which, like the fig tree will give it another year. But it's too late. There's a point at which it's too late. It's too late. And everybody says the same thing. But she looked like she had it all together. But he looked like he had it all together. He looked like he didn't have any problems at all. And I watch from the pastures as the emotions people process, the responsibility that now you've taken that burden, you get what I'm saying, taking that burden, and you've given it to them, and checked out, cut for you. But you've left luggage, burdens upon burdens. If you do that. It's the worst thing. And so this is what Jesus is telling you. You know, okay, but there's a too late, come back in here. There's going to be a too late. So it's better to just give your family the opportunity to help you. If that's you. And there's bad thinking there too. On the other end of things, someone was, this happens a lot in Naples, people will come in and be like, Oh, he's rich people. And I'm like going are in Naples. Right? So I don't know what where you think you've moved?
Look around you. You can't be angry. You can't You're always going to be angry if you're angry at rich people, right? But people have come up to me and I correct? Well, they're rich, so they can't have any problems. Well, you see that photo? Right? Here in Naples, we were not rich we report. But where we live where we're at, right? We have a lot of problems. It's really bad hateful thinking. And so what I tell people is, you know what, those rich people are the sickest people right now in the room.
I know, sickest people out there. Bless it are the poor. That's what Jesus says. Read James will change the way you think hopefully. So the question is, if there's something weighing you down, what is
it? What is it? What's weighing you down? I'm just pray about bringing it to someone. So how we do things here, if you don't know. So whatever you tell me, I don't even tell my wife we don't do that stays with me. And Jesus. So if you want, that's why we do the food upstairs. And we were told about that will eat together. I'll try to bounce around to as many of the tables as possible. You don't have to do that. You're going to be told how you can connect with us on the app, the connection card, if you want me to give you a call, you want a meeting, we can try to schedule that. Great. And you can tell me, but I'm not the only person the church. So usually what I do is I start thinking through my rolodex, that's an old word of people that might be able to help you to keep confidence as well. We do the buddy system here. We don't do the big groups where you can get lost and hide and stuff like that. No, two by two. So Jesus sounds them right. That's it. Get together with somebody and Share, share, right? They'll let you in you let them and that's how it works. It's very, very simple. There's no program for that. That's called family. It's called friendship. So just to let you know, that's practically what we do here. And so if it's your first time, welcome to Real church, for real people. It's okay. This is a place where we love one another. We share one another's burdens and in this way, fulfill the law of Christ. Amen. Let me pray. Lord, I thank you for this time everyone who can hear my voice right now. Lord, we're conviction needs to happen, let it happen. I hope you're using the Lord during this time to bring healing ultimately to people to let them know the doors open. They can come here for help. One for those of us are just a little further ahead. Just keep filling us with your Holy Spirit. Let us be those vehicles of Your grace, your mercy, Your forgiveness, your peace and your love to everyone we encountered this week. I asked these things in Jesus's name. Amen.