Luke 12:1-12 - Hammering Hypocrisy

Luke  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  36:24
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Introduction:
I’m sure most of us have used a hammer at one point or another. Some of us may have fond memories of accomplishment. Others may have terrible memories of pain in your thumb. Either way we know that a hammer is used with force.
We have adopted an expression in modern times that we call “dropping the hammer.” This statement refers to someone exerting authority. According to usdictionary.com, it is a way of delivering a judgment with finality.
We are going to see Jesus drop the proverbial hammer on hypocrisy today. Jesus has gone toe to toe with the Pharisees multiple times already in the book of Luke, but we are going to see this continue to ramp us as Jesus continues His earthly ministry.
May we all heed the Word of God today and examine our lives and be sure that we have allowed Him to rid us of any hypocrisy that remains in us. May we live lives of uncompromising integrity in a world that so desperately needs to hear the Gospel and see it lived out.
Let’s read our Scripture for today:
Read Full Scripture:
Luke 12:1–12 ESV
In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Prayer
Today we will see three ways that believers must stand firm in Christ. The first is…

I. Believers Must Beware of Corruption (1-3)

Luke 12:1 ESV
In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
It has been quite some time since we were in Luke. However, if you can recall from our last sermon in Luke from the end of chapter 11, Jesus had just blasted the Pharisees and given some very strong words of warning.
Jesus was quite the polarizing figure as He ministered on earth. People either loved Him or hated Him. The religious leaders sought to destroy Him. However, He had garnered quite the following. We are told that there were many thousands of people gathered together. The Greek word here really speaks of tens of thousands so there was quite a multitude. There were so many people that they were actually trampling one another.
I find it interesting here that He did not cater to the crowds. His first responsibility was to the disciples. And we see Him start to teach them some important lessons.
His first charge was to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. This is not the only place in the Scriptures that we see leaven mentioned. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:9 the following:
Galatians 5:9 ESV
A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
And in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 he reiterates this same idea:
1 Corinthians 5:6–7 ESV
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Interestingly, leaven is almost always used in a negative way in the New Testament other than in a parable by Jesus about the kingdom of God found in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21.
If anyone has made bread, that does not include me, but I have watched my wife do it! But if you have made bread or watched someone else make bread, you have seen that there is only a small amount of leaven, also known as yeast, that is added to cause the bread to rise. Only a little leaven is needed to cause a reaction within the whole substance.
In the same way, a little bit of leaven in the church can cause a big issue. Leaven in this way can refer to many sins in the church. However, Jesus specifically mentions this leaven as the leaven of hypocrisy. This is not a good kind of leaven that makes bread fluffy and airy.
The leaven Jesus mentions here is a poisonous leaven. Sin is contagious.
Hypocrisy is one of the most contagious sins. Hypocrisy causes people to cover up their sins. Authenticity is what Christ desires. He wants His followers to be humble and truthful so that they can grow in holiness. We must repent of and confess our sins.
Those who are hypocritical refuse to acknowledge their sin. They pretend that they are more holy than they really are. They speak one thing and yet do another. This was a common charge from Jesus regarding the Pharisees.
But what about the church today? Is the modern church filled with hypocrites like the Jewish synagogues were in Jesus’ day?
I think there are two sides to this that we need to take seriously and understand more deeply.
Hypocrisy is somewhat of a buzzword in modern times. Everyone likes to throw it around about everyone else. And we should hate hypocrisy. Jesus certainly did.
It should anger us when someone speaks of being a green energy person and drives an SUV getting 6 miles per gallon and flies in their own private jet. There is something in us that sees the injustice and inconsistency with someone who speaks one thing and does something else.
Our world is very quick to point a finger at those who attend church and claim Christianity and call them hypocrites. Some of these charges are valid. We have seen a great deal of church leaders bring reproach upon Christ and His church as they have claimed one thing and lived a different way. There are certainly examples of church leaders who have written books on marriage and spoken at marriage conferences only to divorce their wife and marry another woman.
There are also many in our churches who do live double lives. They put on the stained-glass masquerade on Sunday morning and then live their lives in unrighteous ways throughout the week. Jesus has harsh words for those who do such things.
If that is you, heed His warning in verses 2-3 to follow.
However, for those who are authentic believers, we do not claim to be perfect. We are not hypocrites, but we are authentic believers. We are sinners in need of a Savior. We are works in progress. A true believer does not claim to be perfect or to have it all figured out. A true believer just knows the One who does have it all together. We know Jesus Christ. We know the One who died to save us from our sins. Yes, we should grow in holiness throughout our walk with Christ. True believers will grow and be sanctified more and more through the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them. Yet we will not be perfected on this side of eternity.
Listen to Jesus continue in verses 2-3…
Luke 12:2–3 ESV
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
Jesus gives a very strong statement in verses 2 and 3. Frankly, this is a terrifying statement. It is a statement that speaks to the pointlessness and ridiculousness of hypocrisy. You may be able to fool people on earth, but you will not fool God. He sees everything. It is all being recorded. The light will shine on everything you have said or done. This should be even more terrifying for the unbeliever as everything they have said and done will be laid bare before the King of kings and Lord of Lord. This is a common warning in Scripture. Listen to some of the other parallel verses that explain this:
Luke 8:17 ESV
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
1 Corinthians 4:5 ESV
Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
Hebrews 4:13 ESV
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
My friends, we must beware of corruption. We must beware of corruption in ourselves and all around us. We can be wrongly influenced by those around us who are corrupt. A little leaven works through the whole lump. This speaks of the importance of maintaining the purity of Christ’s church. But we must also maintain our own purity. We must be real with one another and confess our sins and struggles with one another. We must fight against hypocrisy.
The Scriptures are clear that we will give an account.
Matthew 12:36 ESV
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Romans 14:12 ESV
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
We also see this concept in some of Jesus’ parables such as the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). We will all have to give an account of our lives before Christ. This is a difficult concept. I know that I have plenty of sin to give an account for. It would take ages for all of my sins to be counted!
This understanding of our sinfulness is so important for us as believers. We need to appreciate the mercy and grace of God. We need to continue to strive toward holiness knowing that God does keep an account of everything we say and do and think. Yet, we need to hold this in balance with the truth of the Gospel.
This tension is intentional.
We need to live lives free of compromise. By the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us, we need to fight against temptation and seek to live holy lives. But as we do this, we live in the freedom that Christ has provided through the cross. Although it is clear that we must give an account, it is also clear that for those in Christ - there is now no condemnation!
Romans 8:1 ESV
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And our sins have been cast off as far as the east is from the west!
Psalm 103:12 ESV
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
But before we move forward, although this is still a terrifying idea - that everything we have ever thought, said, or done will be revealed in the end - and although we certainly should heed this warning and do our best to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy - we need not fear if we are in Christ. Christ has paid the penalty for our sins. All of our sins have been blotted out. Justice for our sins has been served by Christ. The account that we will give at the judgment will be found paid in full. Our debt erased! Praise God for His glorious grace and mercy!
Moving forward, we see that…
Scripture References: Galatians 5:9, 1 Corinthians 5:6-7, Luke 8:17, Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21, Luke 8:17, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Hebrews 4:13, Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 8:1, Psalm 103:12

II. Believers Must Be Ready for Confrontation (4-7)

Jesus is about to warn His followers that there will be confrontation to come. Following Christ is offensive to others. Even today many believers lose their lives daily for the sake of the Gospel. In fact, we are having a prayer for the persecuted service on June 2nd at 6 PM here at CrossPointe. I pray that each of you plan on coming!
But how should we respond to confrontation and persecution? Should we fear man? Listen to Jesus…
Luke 12:4 ESV
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
Verse four is an interesting statement by Jesus. He tells us not to fear those who can kill the body. That seems to be an interesting statement. Most people do fear those who can kill them. This was most recently seen in the drive by shooting at an apartment complex near Shawnee Sports Complex a week ago. A friend of mine who was there talked about grabbing his kids and running to his van. He said that 2000-3000 people were running to their cars to get away from what they thought was an active shooting situation.
I'm sure that was a terrifying situation. Praise be to God that no one was hurt and that the suspects were apprehended. However, Jesus says there is something much more fearful than those who can kill the body.
Luke 12:5 ESV
But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
He says that man should fear God. God cannot only call your number and take your life, but He also can cast you into hell. The word for hell here is the most terrifying word translated as hell. The word gehenna that is used here refers to the Valley of Hinnom which was located just outside of Jerusalem. This valley was where the Jews had sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech as mentioned in Jeremiah 7:31. King Josiah, during his godly reign, broke down the shrine and fittingly turned it into a garbage dump. Because it was a place where fire was always burning, this became the word used for eternal hell.
Thus Gehenna stands for the place of eternal torment without end.
For those who say that Jesus did not teach on hell - here would be one of many verses that disprove this false teaching.
These verses, although uncomfortable and terrifying, remind us of an important fact. God is sovereign and over all. Unfortunately, our Christian culture has softened the view of God. Having a fear of God is something that most do not comprehend. Many Christians today do not have reverential respect for God or His Word.
We must remember that it is not Satan who casts souls into hell - it is God. Satan is not exercising dominion in hell. The book of Revelation clearly shows that Satan will be bound up and cast into the Lake of Fire where he will be tormented for all eternity along with all of the demons and lost souls.
Listen to Revelation 20:10
Revelation 20:10 ESV
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Satan does not and will never rule hell. Satan did not create hell - God did. Satan is on earth along with demons to do as much damage as they can until the end. But we need not fear man, Satan, or demons. We should reverentially fear God.
Theologian R. Kent Hughes said the following:
“A proper fear of God will free us from improper fears of men.”
R. Kent Hughes
Proverbs 29:25 states:
Proverbs 29:25 ESV
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
By trusting in the Lord, we can rest in His eternal protection. He holds our lives in His hands. We need not fear what can happen to us on earth. God never loses those who are truly His. We know that we have eternal life ahead if we are His!
After speaking such terrifying words, Jesus changes gears and shows the love of God…
Luke 12:6–7 ESV
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Jesus has a wonderful way of speaking strong truth and then bringing in grace. Right after a couple of the most terrifying verses in the Bible, He says that God cares about you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. This count is certainly more difficult for some heads than for others! But nothing is actually hard for God. He is omniscient - meaning He is all-knowing. He knows everything!
This is illustrated by Jesus when He says that God knows every single sparrow. A sparrow was sold for almost nothing during Jesus's day. Matthew tells us that 2 sparrows were sold for a penny. And with Luke’s added parallel we see that if you bought four you got one free for two pennies!
If God does not forget about even one of these birds... if God knows every sparrow that has ever hatched… then how much more does God know every single person that has ever been conceived. No one is without value in God's economy. He cares about everyone. He has created everyone and knows them intimately. Psalm 139 speaks of how He has fashioned each of us in our mother’s womb and knows us intimately.
My friends, may we reverently fear God. But may we also revel in His love for us. He is so good and kind to those who are His. Although He is just and will punish those who refuse to repent and acknowledge Christ as Lord, He is also kind and desires all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4).
If you are not already, repent and be saved my friends. May today be the day of salvation for you.
Finally, Jesus warns us that…
Scripture References: Jeremiah 7:31, Revelation 20:10, Proverbs 29:25, Psalm 139, 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4

III. Believers Must Beware of Capitulation (8-12)

The word capitulation means to surrender or give up. Believers must not give up. We are to persevere. Jesus is going to give His followers a warning of the need to stand firm, and then He is going to let them know how they will be able to do it.
Luke 12:8–10 ESV
“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Continuing on He brings it full circle. Although God cares about everyone and knows every single person and every single aspect of every single person, He will also judge everyone. You will be judged before God.
What is the measure of that judgment?
You will be judged in regard to your response to the Gospel. Those who acknowledge Jesus Christ during their earthly life as Savior and King and repent of their sins will have eternal life. Those who deny him will have eternal torment in a real place called hell.
Verses 9 and 10 have caused a lot of confusion for many believers. Many people question whether they are in Christ or still saved if they have denied Christ by not speaking up in a situation in their life. They also wonder if they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit with words that they have said in the past. Have they lost the ability to be saved? Are they too far from God in order to be saved?
Verses such as Exodus 20:7 are very difficult and justly frighten many people.
Exodus 20:7 ESV
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
This speaks to blasphemy of God. We must not make light of this horrendous sin that is tossed around in our world today. But we also must understand the Gospel as well.
Those who wrestle with such questions about their salvation are common to encounter. You may be one of those people. And our Scripture today about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit only fuels this discomfort. To make matters worse, some pastors have also fueled this by giving radical views of what Jesus was speaking of here.
However, if I might offer some possible comforting words here - if you are suffering with those questions, you are on the right track. You may likely already be saved if you are struggling with those questions. The very fact that you care about being right with God is certainly a good sign! But you need to realize that God can save anyone - no matter how bad they have been - no matter what they have done.
The problem today for most people is that they have way too great a view of their own sin and way too small a view of the greatness of God and the magnificence of His grace. Look at who He has saved in the Bible. Think about Paul who was a murderer before coming to Christ (Acts 7). Consider Peter who, after walking with Christ and seeing all of His miracles as one of the inside disciples, denied Christ three times and yet was restored as a pillar of the early church (Luke 22:54-62).
You see my friends, as long as you have breath in your lungs, you can be saved. The one who has blasphemed the Holy Spirit is the one who refuses to respond to the drawing of God. He is the one who refuses to humble himself before God and repent of his sins. He is the one who refuses to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior as revealed to them by the drawing of the Holy Spirit. He refuses to believe the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Those who refuse to respond to the Holy Spirit’s drawing and die in their sins are forever lost and cast into hell. That is what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
The only way anyone can truly confess Jesus as Lord is through the power and revealing to them by the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
Believers come to Christ by the drawing and revealing of the Holy Spirit and through the preached Word (Romans 10:17) which was written by the Holy Spirit through the pens of men (1 Peter 1:21).
After giving another difficult teaching, Jesus speaks further grace and encouragement to His disciples in the final two verses of this section:
Luke 12:11–12 ESV
And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus wanted His disciples to know that they would be brought before synagogues and rulers and authorities. They were going to be persecuted, and they needed to stand firm through the power of the Holy Spirit. They were not to capitulate, or retreat, at the threat to come. He let them know that the Holy Spirit would inform them and help them say what they needed to say. He reminded them that they need not be anxious - a topic that He will address even more head on in our Scripture for next week.
However, I want us to think about how we answer critics of Christianity. I want us to consider how we evangelize the lost. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us if we are believers. May we fully rely on Him to speak through us in order to preach the Gospel to the lost.
Stand firm as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Scripture References: Exodus 20:7, Acts 7, Luke 22:54-62, 1 Corinthians 3, Romans 10:17, 1 Peter 1:21
Conclusion:
Today’s message has been a difficult one. We have seen Jesus hammer away at hypocrisy by encouraging us to beware of corruption, be ready for confrontation, and beware of capitulation. He has given us some grave warnings by reminding us of the account that we all must give all the while reminding us of the grace of God and His love for us. He has warned us against denying Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit, but in the same section let us know that if we are in Christ we can rely on the Holy Spirit to work in and through us.
I pray that today’s message has been both convicting and comforting. As believers, we are called to live holy lives and be above reproach. But we are also called children of God - heirs with Christ - dearly beloved - friends of God - perfected in Christ.
May we live in this glorious tension - we must, through the power of the Holy Spirit, live uncompromising lives. But may we also understand the freedom in Christ we have from sin and remember that our debt has been fully paid!
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