Not What You Seem

Introduction

Generally speaking, when it comes to the subject of attention, there are two types of people in the world. In one camp, there are those people who never like to be noticed. They would love to go through life without anybody ever noticing. They hardly ever exist. And for those people, a nightmare scenario is for everybody in the room to be looking at them. Then there’s another type of person who craves that attention. Who likes to go through life loud and large and loves to be seen, and the best day is when everybody’s eyes are on them. Now, maybe a subcategory of that is those who don’t mind. They don’t necessarily crave it, but they don’t mind when all eyes are on them. I’ll let you decide in which camp I fall.

But I’ll tell you a story of a true time, true event, a time in which an entire stadium was looking right at me. When we lived in Joplin, Missouri, our son played baseball for the high school team, and early in the season, that usually consisted in us going down to Oklahoma and playing in some early season baseball tournaments, and this was one of those days. And I went down there by myself, Deedra was working, and so I drove down to Oklahoma to watch this baseball tournament. And it was, I know it would be hard for you to relate to this in Orlando, especially this time of year, but early baseball season in Missouri and Oklahoma, it’s cold. The wind is blowing and it’s chilly, and so I wore my jacket.

My jacket just so happened, maybe it’s not a surprise to many of you, to be my Alabama jacket. Alabama and had crimson tide written on the back. And since it was cold, and since I don’t have as much insulation up top as I used to have, I wore my cap as well. And it was my Alabama cap. Several teams were in this baseball tournament, and in these different teams were some very good athletes and good baseball players who were hoping to get noticed by major universities. And so I come in with my Alabama cap and my Alabama jacket and instantly draw everybody’s attention. Not because of my dashing good looks, because an assumption had been made almost universally that I was a scout for the University of Alabama.

And that I was wearing my official uniform. And so every player was looking at me, saying, Notice me, I want a division one offer. Every player’s parent was looking at me and saying, That’s my son. He’s the best one on the team. Why don’t you recruit him? And so for that series of games, everybody in that stadium was looking at yours truly. Because I look like something else. I wasn’t what I seemed. I wasn’t a baseball scout. I was just a fan. And to be honest with you, if I’m really honest about my allegiance to the University of Alabama, my allegiance is almost limited to football. I’m not really an Alabama baseball fan. And so I was not at all what these people thought I was.

I had no strings to pull. I had no connections, no way to get them into the University of Alabama to play for that baseball team. I wasn’t what I appeared to be. Now I can honestly say I didn’t do anything intentionally to draw that attention and to give that impression as a scout. The fact that I had Deedra’s hairdryer and was holding it up like a radar gun was just immaterial to the point. No, I didn’t. But there was an occasion where I looked like something other than what I was. And that was innocent. Because again, I didn’t try to deceive these people. And it really, in the grand scheme of things, didn’t matter if they thought I was connected with the University of Alabama officially or otherwise.

But you’ll know that the scriptures talk about a similar scenario that does matter, really matters, is that when we claim or pretend to be something that we are not, scripture calls it hypocrisy. And I want us to talk about hypocrisy this morning. Hypocrisy in three different forms, all three forms are dangerous and dangerous to our spiritual existence. I know you know what hypocrisy is, but indulge me as we revisit an understanding or a definition of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, generally speaking, is claiming or pretending to be something that you are not. The word, I know you’ve heard this before, the word hypocrisy, our English word hypocrisy, comes from the Greek word hypocrisy. And the word originally in the Greek was really a neutral word. We use it exclusively as a negative.

If somebody says you’re a hypocrite, they never never mean it as a compliment. But in the Greek language, it was a neutral word. It simply referred to somebody, anybody pretending to be something that they weren’t. An actor was called a hypocrite. It literally was meant the idea of wearing a mask. And we understand an actor on a stage pretending to be something that they’re not, isn’t necessarily a bad thing because we’re all in on it. We know you’re pretending to be something for our entertainment and our enjoyment. And so the New Testament, Jesus himself, would use this word that was used of an actor, of somebody who’s on a stage pretending to be something that they’re not really, somebody who’s wearing a mask, and would apply it to people’s spiritual lives.

1. Claiming to Others That You’re Righteous

And in so doing, took a neutral word and made it exclusively negative in that spiritual arena of somebody pretending to be something that they are not. Let’s talk about this dangers in three realms, the dangers of this spiritual hypocrisy. The most obvious and what we might call the classical sense of hypocrisy is you claiming or telling others that you’re righteous, that you’re pretending that I’m trying to fool somebody else. That’s the way Jesus would use it in Matthew chapter 23. Will you get your New Testaments and go to the first book of that New Testament, Matthew chapter 23? Some of the most scathing languages, language of rebuke in all of the Bible, and certainly all of the New Testament comes from the mouth of Jesus, and it’s addressed at the hypocrites.

He doesn’t reserve this strong language of condemnation for the prostitutes and the tax collectors. He would not condone their sin. But at least those people generally knew they were doing wrong. He used the strongest language of condemnation for those who were pretending to be right. Notice what he says, Matthew chapter 23, verse 1, Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to the disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works, for they say and do not do. These people are experts in the law, Jesus said. And generally speaking, you can take their word for it. If they say that the Old Testament teaches this, then they’re most likely right.

The Old Testament teaches this. But don’t ever follow in their footsteps. Because they know the law, but they’re not doing it. Skip down to verse 13, still in Matthew chapter 23. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. For you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. There we see the danger of that hypocrisy. You’re not getting to heaven. Pretending to be a follower of God is not the same, and will not have the same results of a true follower of God. Skip down, it’s still in Matthew chapter 23. Pick up in verse 25. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, spiritual actors, those who are wearing a mask or pretending to be something that they’re not, for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they’re full of extortion and self-indulgence.

Blind Pharisees clean first the inside of the cup and dish, and the outside of them shall be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you’re like the whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but instead are full of dead man’s bones and all uncleanness. There’s that classical form of hypocrisy of somebody pretending to be religious, somebody pretending to be godly, and in our day, somebody pretending to be a Christian when they are not. And Jesus says, no. No. And so we understand that God demands sincerity. Go with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. God demands sincerity. God has never, old or new testament, just accepted the claim to follow him. God has never accepted the pretense, pretending to follow him. God has always demanded sincerity.

Paul would say that of himself in defending himself, really, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 12, he would say, For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience that we connect conducted ourselves in the world in, my translation says, in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God and more abundantly to you. He uses two terms to describe his behavior before them and before God. Simplicity and sincerity. Let’s talk about those in reverse order. Sincerity, we know what that means if you’re sincere. That means you really mean it. You’re not just singing those songs, you’re not just going through those motions, you mean that. It is genuine. But simplicity in this context doesn’t mean the way we usually use the word simplicity.

We use the word simplicity to mean something that is easier than something else. I want a simple math homework. Kids are going back to school, ask your teachers for this. We want simple homework, not the difficult homework. He doesn’t mean it in that way. He’s not saying we’re simple, we’re not difficult, we’re not hard to understand. Simple there means the idea of really the idea of genuineness. Simplicity is best defined in that context by looking at its antonym. The opposite of simplicity, as used here, is the word duplicity. Someone who is duplicitous means that they’re up to something. They’re not what they seem. They say they’re doing this, but they’re really doing something else. But simplicity in this meaning simply means what you see is what you get.

We’re simple. There’s no complexity, there’s nothing to be hidden here, there’s no hidden agenda. We are who we claim to be.

2. Deceiving Yourselves

More valuable than our brothers and sisters in Christ. And in a sense, I would argue more valuable than the scriptures themselves.

And here’s what I mean by that. My brothers and sisters in Christ, as important as you are to me, and as encouraging as you are to me, you can’t make me do anything. As powerful as God is, as powerful as his word is, that living and active sword of the Spirit, God’s not going to make me do anything that I don’t want to do. You know, the only entity that can really make me do something, or will make me do something, maybe is the best way to say that. And that’s me. God’s given me a free will. He could make me do what’s right, but he won’t. I’m the only one. And so my conscience becomes so valuable because my conscience, my self-awareness and my self-knowledge is really the only thing that’s going to make me.

You should be helping me. You should be stirring me up into love and good works. And God has done his part and imparted unto me his will and told me what he wants me to do. But it’s left up to me alone whether I’ll do that or not. And so that value of my self awareness and of my conscience cannot be underestimated. And so it’s important that we examine ourselves. I’m turning to James chapter 1, where James will talk about that concept. Look with me in James chapter one. And let’s pick up in verse, uh, let’s look at verse 21. James 1, verse 21 says, Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls, but be doers of the word and not hearers only.

Deceiving yourselves. There’s that danger that I’m not just trying to fool you, I’m trying to fool myself. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he’s like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. Self-examination, self-realization is what he’s talking about here. Deceiving, it’s possible for you to fool yourself into thinking that you’re the way you ought to be.

3. Trying to Convince You That I’m Okay

One’s a scale, and the other one’s a mirror. They tell the truth. And so James says, look into that. If you’re deceiving yourself, look into the mirror, and you’ll see who you really are. But here he’s not saying into that mirror that’s on your bathroom wall, this is the mirror. The word of God that will show us for who and what we really are. And so don’t fool yourself. Be honest about your standing before God. But then there’s a third form of hypocrisy that Scripture would warn us against that is equally dangerous to our spiritual existence. There is that classical hypocrisy where I’m either trying to convince you or to convince myself that I’m righteous. But an equally dangerous form of hypocrisy is me trying to convince you that I’m okay.

This is not me hiding my sin from you. This is me hiding my vulnerability, my weakness, my needs.

Look with me in the book of Acts, chapter 2. Right from the get-go, the very first Christians join themselves together in this community of believers. I want you to notice what it says in Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 42. You’ll know these texts. You could probably almost quote them by heart. Acts 2, verse 42, and they, that’s these new Christians, they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they sold their possessions and their goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. Part of the purpose of God putting them together was so that they could help each other.

And in this instance, there was a physical, financial need. And they were to meet that need.

And so somebody had to say, help, I’m hungry. Help, I need money, I need food. The second thing that’s required of that is the willingness to hear that and when possible come to their aid. And that’s exactly what they did. But as we turn over to Ephesians chapter 4, we recognize that this community meets other needs as well. It’s not just always financial or material. Look in Ephesians chapter 4 and in verse 29. Where he says, let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. Now let’s pause there. We’ve made this comment before about this text. I don’t believe Ephesians 4, verse 29 is addressing the idea of vulgarity, or as we would say in North Alabama, cussing. Now, Scripture does condemn that. But this corrupt word out of our mouth is not about me using foul language.

That’s condemned other places. This is me using language that’s going to hurt you. That’s going to be corruptive to this spiritual unity. Because he goes on to say, let no corrupt words proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

That’s the corrupt speech. Say something that’s going to help and build somebody up. And so we see from that verse and others that it’s not just financial and material needs that can be met through us being together, that it’s spiritual, emotional. And as we have the ability and capacity, mental needs that can be met. That I’m in to impart grace to you. I’m to help you. Not just when you’re hungry, but to help you in other ways.

And how are those needs going to be met? The same way, or at least the same formula, that financial needs are met. It’s going to require that you be willing to help me with my needs. But it also requires me vulnerably raising my hand and saying, I need help. Whether that help takes the form of Acts chapter 2, verses 42 and following, I need food. Or whether it takes the Ephesians 4, verse 29, I need other help. And so the New Testament says we’ve been put together to help meet one another’s needs. John and James would tell us that we need to confess our sins, not just to our Father, first and primarily to our Father, but to one another. Why? Why do I confess my sins to you?

You have absolutely no ability to absolve me from sin. You have no blood to offer that would wash away my sins. God does. So why do I confess anything to you? Well, first and foremost, James and John would say, so that we can pray for one another, to the one who can wash away my sins.

But surely there’s another reason that we confess not just our sins, but our weaknesses and our struggles, and so that is that those needs can be met. And that’s going to require a vulnerability. That’s going to require me taking off the mask. Not the mask of self-righteousness that the scribes and Pharisees wore, but an equally dangerous mask of, I’m okay, I don’t need you. And to expose ourselves in our weaknesses.

And looking our best. And assembling together to worship God. It needs to also consist of me not wearing a suit and tie and looking my best, but maybe letting you see the worst of me. Of me being vulnerable and saying, I’m struggling. I’m struggling with this sin. And I need some help. I’m weak.

And as Romans 15, 14, and other passages would say, can you who are strong help me when I’m weak. The Apostle Paul would do this. Let’s look in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. In the book of 2 Corinthians, you’ll remember Paul uses the term self-boasting. He uses that tongue in cheek. He’s not really bragging and boasting. He’s having defend himself. Accusations have been hurled against him. He’s having to defend himself, and so he calls that boasting. But in the midst of that, of him saying, Here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I’ve done, he pulls back the mask and says, Here’s who I am. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, you’ll know this section, verse 7, beginning, and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me.

A messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded. I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my affirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. We study that passage and we argue what was the thorn in the flesh? Was it this? Was it that? And maybe we’re missing the biggest point, and the point that Paul is trying to make. This is an humbling experience for me. He uses these terms to refer to himself and the condition that he was in.

Your translation might bear that in more modern day vernacular. I begged. I’ve begged God three times to please take this away from me. In verse 9, he uses the word weakness. This is my weakness. And then again in verse 9, he uses the term infirmities.

Paul’s taking off the mask. Not that Paul has ever had a mask of hypocrisy, but Paul was this apostle, the strong person who could withstand beatings and stonings. Nothing would deter him. He was inspired of God. He could write eloquently and in great volume, these letters to these churches, and he would build them up, or he would tear them down depending on what they needed. And man, Paul was this superhero of the faith. And Paul says, No.

Conclusion

Lest I should glory in these revelations. I’ve been given this thorn in the flesh. And he says, I want to tell you, Corinthians, I’ve begged God. I’ve begged him. And this is my weakness. And this is my infirmity. The dangerous form of hypocrisy is for us pretending that we’re something that we’re not. And sometimes that pretense is I’m okay. I don’t need any help. And God consistently is calling upon us to take off the mask. Quit pretending to be righteous when you’re not. Quit pretending to be something when the face in the mirror is telling you otherwise. Quit deceiving yourselves in regard to your spirituality. But God is also saying, take off the mask of claiming that you don’t need any help. Be vulnerable. And it’s okay to tell your brethren, I’ve been begging God to help me with this.

And this is my weakness. And this is my infirmity. Can you help me? The difficulty with all three of these is they’re not easy. We would prefer the pretense than the reality of who we really are and how we really struggle. Whether it be with self-righteousness, or whether it be with, I just need help. And may God help us to be real to one another, to be vulnerable, to raise that hand and say, I’m weak, and I need help.

Recognizing, not claiming or pretending to be anything else but what you are. A sinner in need of God’s help and God’s forgiveness. If we can help you in that or in any of your weaknesses this morning, would you let that be known as together we stand and as we sing?