Two-Faced

In Chinese performing arts

there is an ancient art or practice called Bian Lian. Performers of this ancient art form wear brightly colored costumes and move to quick to dramatic music.

Show video clip of Bian Lian art performance

At specific intervals of the performances, the artist changes faces rapidly.

They can do this up to 6o or so times during a several minutes performance

What I find funny about this ancient Chinese cultural art form, is that the secrets of this art form are extremely well guarded, and have been for over two hundred years or so.

In China where these artistic shows are prominent there are only about 200 or less true Bian Lian artist.

But, people have been in the practice wearing multiple faces since the days of Cain and Abel.

Genesis 4:5 (NKJV)

but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Meaning, his face changed from normal to sulking, or angry.

I do that, anyone here do that?

Be happy and smiling one moment, then steaming mad at another?

I can see why the Bible describes the face as “Fallen”, because thats exactly what it does when it is in obvious turmoil. An honest persons face would betray their moods.

for instance, I have a very hard time, hiding the fact that I am angry, scared or uncomfortable because it shows on my face.

The longer you are with someone, you can tell when even the most subtlest of changes occur.

Yadi knows me so well, I can’t hide from her when I am upset, anxious, angry or what have you. She immediately starts asking me, Who said something, or who did something, etc…

Because my face will fall, or my countenance will fall.

I like to consider myself an honest person. One who wears his emotions on his sleeve. If I am wounded, I am hurt. If I am offended, I am angry, etc....

I would be a terrible international Poker player, because I don’t have the gift or talent of using a poker face.

I like to be as honest and transparent as possible.

What you see is what you get, unfortunately

Im reminded of a great movie line, in a romantic comedy about a young lady who after suffering a traumatic brain injury, can only remember up to the day of the accident, is presented with the truth by her family and the young man trying desperately to woo her everyday. she asks the father, “Who is he? The father replies, “Well he’s kinda your boyfriend.” The young man quickly apologizes realizing of course that she has to recollection of him whatsoever, he immediately says, “I’m sorry I’m not better looking.” lol

― Abraham Lincoln said this once during a debate with Douglas, after he accused him of being two-faced.

If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?”

This coming from the same man who said this about taking bad pictures of your face.

― Abraham Lincoln

There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes.”

― Ravi Zacharias

To quote Ravi Zacharias who said this after traveling days and hours through several countries, “you begin to look like your passport pictures,,, lol

So, basically, we should look like who we really are

What you see, should be what you get.

If you go to a supermarket, and pick up a carton of eggs, what is the first thing we are trained by history to do?

We open it up to see if there are any cracked or bad ones inside don’t we?

Boy, I wish we could do that in our churches. Don’t you?

That would sure prevent all of these unfortunate instances of church leaders running off with the choir director, or god forbid, behaving wickedly with the children etc.

That is why we in church leadership must insist of background checks for all church workers.

I wonder what churches would look like if we were able to open the cartons of the lives of our congregations to see how many cracked or spoiled ones are hidden in there.

This reminds me of a story I once heard about a guy walking down the street in a shady neighborhood as he was approached by a couple of guys with boxes of DVD players. There was one out of the box as a display on top.

They proceeded to convince him to but one from them still new in the box for a big discounted price.

Thinking it to be to good a deal to pass up, he bought one. When he got home and opened up the box, to his amazement he found a few bricks strapped together inside.

The outside didn’t match what was on the inside.

Does that sound familiar?

We do have a lot of that in our churches today don’t we?

How unfortunate & How sad?

What do we call people who pretend to be or one thing and do another?

a Hypocrite - or Hypokritēs in the original Greek

hypocrite (actor) — a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives

Boy these are strong words for a pastor to be using in church.

Really?

Jesus uses the term several times in scripture. Mt 6:2, Mt 6:5, Mt 23:13, Lk 6:42, Lk 13:15

What he is saying, people who act one way, but are really another are hypocrites.

Actors, pretenders, liars even. And in one instance, he calls people like this a brood of vipers!

Those “are” hard words!

But he is only saying this to people who profess to be one way when actually they really aren’t.

They are nothing but a box of bricks, or a carton of eggs that are filled with broken, spoiled, and cracked eggs on the inside.

Included in the several “Woes,”

in the book of Matthew, we find one says this

Matthew 23:27–28 (CSB)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

The religion of Islam teaches that Jesus wasn’t really on the cross.

Muhammad Sarwar English translation: and their statement that they murdered Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God, when, in fact, they could not have murdered him or crucified him. They, in fact, murdered someone else by mistake. Even those who disputed (the question of whether or not Jesus was murdered) did not have a shred of evidence. All that they knew about it was mere conjecture. They certainly could not have murdered Jesus.

Although we aren’t happy that Jesus had to die on the cross, aren’t we glad that Jesus really did die on the cross? Aren’t we relieved that it wasn’t some elaborate hoax, as Islam teaches it was?

Because it is only by the His blood that we are truly saved at all. Without His saving grace, we are all still dead in our sins, and it wouldn’t matter what kind of face you had on, because we’d all be wearing it to hell.

This should cause us to us all to reflect

upon our own lives and ask ourselves what we are doing here.

Are we just going through the motions of what is expected in a Christian life? Are we just performing what we think our friends, neighbors or others expect form us? Or are we diligently, sincerely, truthfully committed to this faith we profess?

I mean, don’t we owe it to the Messiah, who took our place on that cross?

There is a way to answer that question. Ask yourself what you have done in the name of that faith up until now? How have you expressed that faith?

If others were to look upon you, who would you say they see?

The REAL you, or are you pretending? Are you acting?

Are you wearing one face, then quickly changing it when it suits you?

One of the biggest turn-offs or disappointments the church faces today is the apparent hypocrisy on display for the whole world to see.

Think about it. There have been more church splits over the color of the carpet than dividing on doctrinal issues. This has to stop.

Jesus said

a house divided cannot stand, and He’e never been wrong.

There is a Spanish proverb that goes like this: If you’re not helping, don't hinder

Ask yourself, “am I doing all I can to help further the gospel?” If you can’t answer that question, maybe, you are part of the problem and hindering the progress.

Maybe you want everyone around you to believe you are committed to the faith on the outside, but have no faith on the inside.

Let me tell you brothers and sisters, and all those watching online, we may not catch it every time, but every once in a while when God do deems, we catch a glimpse of the rapid changing of the face, like Bian Lian, that ancient art of face changing.

Where you put on a helping or encouraging face to everyone else, but as soon as we turn our attention else where, poof, the face changes. Off comes the pretend, or fake face, bang, just like that the real one appears.

Showing your true colors.

And the root cause of that face changing, or pretending spirit is rooted in another ancient practice and that’s called SIN

And when people see you for what you really act like behind closed doors, or how you really talk, or what you are really like, then people see the hypocrisy and get turned off on the gospel.

How many people all over the world say they don’t go to church because of an offense they suffered or seen etc? Those brothers or sisters of the faith in what ever they did to cause the offense, did not help, but hindered the gospel.

People saw them one way, but somewhere along the lines an opportunity was provided either by God or the devil, for them to lose their mask and their true colors were displayed for all to see them for who they really are.

For somewhere along the way the seed that was scattered among you sprouted, but wither because it has no root.

Matthew 13:18–23 (CSB)

“So listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

My challenge to you today is to ask yourself, Am I practicing what I preach?

If and when people deal with me, are they dealing with the real me, or the pretend version of me?

If something were to happen, and my true colors were to come out in this world, would they match the face I am wearing?

Am I living the life I profess or am I a hypocrite?

If you are living as a hypocrite, a face changer, then as Jesus said,

Woe to you! you are in danger of hell.

Stop pretending and start living according to the faith you profess.

Be the example of the faith you profess.

If you truly love Jesus, then

-you will be compassionate to your neighbor, especially when they are in need.

-You will support your neighbor as long as it does not violate God’s will

-you will love your neighbor whether they are right or wrong, white, black, yellow, brown, purple or orange. Even when they aren’t looking.

Ephesians 4:25–31 (CSB)

Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.