Discerning Hypocrisy

Luke 11:35-54

Theme: The Teachings of Jesus

Key Verse: v.1

54 verses; 1,331 words

Grade Level: 4.4

Outline:

I. The Teaching on Prayer. Vs.1-13

II. The Teaching on Devils. Vs.14-26

III. The Teaching on Catholicism. Vs.27-28

IV. The Teaching on Signs. Vs.29-34

V. The Teaching on Hypocrisy. Vs.35-54

“Discern” -

To discover by intellect.

To discover by illumination.

To discover by investigation.

To discern hypocrisy we must make these EXAMINATIONS:

I. Examine Your Self. vs.35-36

Look for stable light. v.35

35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

Most people misuse the term gaslighting.

The term “gaslighting” originates from a 1938 play titled Gas Light. The play was laster adapted into a film of the same name in 1944.

Gaslighting is now used to describe a type of psychological manipulation in which one person seeks to make another person doubt their own reality, memory, or perceptions.

A clear tactic of the enemy who is known for lies and deception.

Ask the Lord daily to walk the corridors of your heart and mind and to shine His light as to discover these dirty spots in your life. v.36 (Psalm 139:23-24; 1 John 1:9)

36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

To discern hypocrisy we must make these EXAMINATIONS:

I. Examine Your Self. vs.35-36

II. Examine Your Society. vs.37-38

When you are around critics expect criticism. v.37

37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

Watch and listen. Every cult comes from not discerning the Bible

38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

Notice the misapplied and misunderstanding of Scripture.

Most evils in society either vilify or vacate the Bible.

III. Examine Your Saviour. vs.39-52

Jesus corrects their error with the literal interpretation. vs.39-41

Their error is cleaning only the outside. v.39

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

The Lord is concerned with both inside and outside. vs.40-41

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

Woes pronounced. vs.42-51

“woe” - indicates misery and trouble are on the way

Woe against tithing without examination. v.42

42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Matthew 5:23–24

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

Woe to those looking for men’s approval. v.43

43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

John 2:24–25

24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

Woe to the false teachers. v.44

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

It is likened to walking over a grave that has no marker and has been grown over.

Unaware of the corruption beneath the surface.

Woe to the lawyers. vs.45-46

45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

The hit dog always barks.

46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

They made laws outside of God’s law concerning :

Days - more rules than the Bible.

Diets - more restrictions than the Bible.

Woe to them for fake memorials. vs.47-51

47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe to those who leave out the only key to the learning about God Himself through His word. v.52

52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

A key opens a door.

Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 16:19 “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

What door does this open?

1 Corinthians 16:9 “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”

When a sinner is lost who teaches them the Bible?

Acts 8:30–31

30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”

When a sinner gets saved, who teaches him or her then?

John 16:13-14

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

1 Corinthians 2:10–14

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To discern hypocrisy we must make these EXAMINATIONS:

I. Examine Your Self. vs.35-36

II. Examine Your Society. vs.37-38

III. Examine Your Saviour. vs.39-52

IV. Examine Your Scribes. vs.53-54

What they were saying. v.53

53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

What they were doing. v.54

54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Conclusion:

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Have ever noticed that these examinations of “whether ye be in the faith” was not to a crowd that was willing to examine themselves or sincerely wanted to be saved, but to a crowd that didn’t care?