We live in a society that has begun to accept hypocrisy as the social norm. Whether it’s in the secular world, the government or the church, hypocrisy is just a fact of life and few, if any, are held to a an accountability. If anyone understands the damage of hypocrisy, it was the Apostle Peter. In Matthew 26:31-35 we have a conversation between Christ and His disciples at which time Peter proclaims his loyalty to the Savior and the fact that he will never deny Him. He’s feeling very confident in his role as disciple of Christ, as do the rest of the disciples!
Matthew 26:31-35 KJVS
[31] Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. [32] But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. [33] Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Who hasn’t had days of confidence? I certainly have. I’ve also had days of utter failure as Peter was foretold to have by Christ in the scripture that follows:
[34] Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. [35] Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
It’s irony for me that Jesus used a chicken as a reminder of Peter’s failure. It was however a boy chicken (aka rooster) and I’m the Jesus Chick. So there’s that. But none the less, there’s no excuse for hypocrisy. Is it forgiven? Of course! All sins are under the blood of Christ for a child of God. But we still have to stand on the side of Christ and His Holiness as being the standard for what’s expected, even though human nature causes us all to fall short.
So in light of that, I’m looking at our current world and the hypocrisy explosion and wondering where the church is?
1 Peter 2:1-4 KJV
[1] Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, [2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: [3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. [4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
Just this morning I heard a conservative news agency reporting on the closely followed Senate race in Georgia. The were reporting on the hypocrisy of one of the Senate candidates, Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, who is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. A pastor, great right? No. Not at all. In addition to being a pastor he’s pro abortion, Marxist and has made politics the topic of conversation in his church for the purpose of turning our nation against itself, not the salvation of souls. I’m glad there are news agencies that are willing to call hypocrisy out. But what about the local churches?
I don’t want any church body focusing on politics. But when the Bible speaks of the church, it doesn’t speak of a building full of people. It speaks of the body of Christ which includes all who accept Jesus as Lord and the only way to Heaven. If you’re one, this message from Peter, with commentary by me, is for you!
Lay it Aside!
Malice – Intention to do evil.
Guile – Underhandedness, deception, scheming.
Hypocrisy – proclaiming moral standards but failing to have behavior conforming to it.
Envy – resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions.
Evil Speaking – profoundly immoral talk
Welcome to the vocabulary list of 2020.
We have a self proclaimed President Elect (Biden) and his son who have been involved with possible treason, and yet we’re not even looking at his malice. We have an election with known fraud, and yet the winning party is angry that there are people upset with their conspiracy and guile. Elected officials are mandating us to mask up (even though 70% of the people who contracted Covid-19 were mask wearers), they’re dictating how many people we can have in our home, controlling where and when we can go (especially church) and then going against those very orders themselves with the justification that their title and position allows it in great hypocrisy. The list of envying and evil speaking people is too great to list.
Peter said to lay it aside. It is the churches responsibility to step around this tribe of ne’er do wells and move forward in the name of the Lord. And when His name is attached to us, so is the expectation of His moral compass, not ours. Our compass is too apt to go off course. There is no justification of any of the aforementioned things. Regardless of what box you checked on your ballot, or what church you go to. We will all stand before God giving account to what we’ve done in His name.
Moving forward isn’t just going on with our lives and pretending it doesn’t affect us. It has affected us! We’re not going to church! Well… not all of us.
Eat it Up!
Peter tells us to desire the word of God like babies desire milk that we may grow. If a baby is not being fed, they’re screaming their head off. The church has just sat back and shut their mouths, saying nothing. Never mind that the statistics prove the risk is low. I’m not saying don’t use common sense and avoid sharing the virus, but all of that can be done without closing our schools and churches.
Why will we not accept the word of God as fact, but will accept anything the state says as rule of law? When it’s not law. Laws take a congressional decision. To my knowledge, none of these “mandates” have been made by congress, but rather by governors and other leaders that have suddenly turned into envying and evil speaking dictators who envy a President who’s not.
I know, I’m showing my red colors in the political realm. I make no apologies. Because the blue people don’t believe in apologies. According to them they do no wrong.
Know Your Value
The world did it then, and they’re doing it today… rejecting Christ as Lord. Both the political and the religious denied who He was. But that changed nothing! And as children of God we need to understand our value. I was so tickled last night in the teen class at Victory Baptist Church as the kids told me that they were excited that they would be featured in the history books of the future. What a great attitude! It’s the same type attitude that Peter ended up having after he had a “come to Jesus” moment in his life. He was no longer living in fear as he was the night that Christ was arrested. He himself was arrested many times, and yet in his ministry he healed people, he encouraged people and he led thousands to Christ! He was also martyred, hung upside down on a Cross. But he’s now with God forever and he assuredly is in the history books!
I’m glad the teens know how precious they are in God’s sight and how important they are to the story. Do you?
I love pickin’ and grinnin’ with my bluegrass friends. It makes my heart happy to play “Old Joe Clark” and “Angelina Baker” on the fiddle and to strum my way through “Child of the King” on the guitar. There’s something about music that makes life fun! I feel the same way about serving Christ only multiplied. Whether it’s sharing the gospel in word or song you’ll find me grinnin’ ear to ear with unexplainable joy in my soul. That is why I don’t get sad sack Christians who are spoiling the fun for the rest of us and not giving anyone who’s lost a desire to know the One who put a giggle in my soul.
