Faith(fulness) Over Fear

Luke 12:1-12.

Luke 12:1–3 ESV

1 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. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 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.

Lack of integrity cannot be covered by religious activity.

Lack of integrity will not survive the Judgment.

We must be pure in heart, pure in motive, and pure in action.

We cannot afford to entertain false motives or misleading actions.

We cannot afford to listen to, entertain, or follow those who do.

Judgment is coming and the Judge knows our hearts!

Hebrews 4:11–13 ESV

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 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.

We must safeguard ourselves and others from those who put on a show.

We must safeguard ourselves and others from falling in love with “the show” ourselves.

The Pharisees were the religious elite because historically they were the holiness people who strove for pure integrity. They fought against idolatry and watered down religion. They not only followed the Law (Torah), but they taught and added many interpretations of the law that were added as traditions which became as weighty as the law.

With time, it became cool (important and honorable) to be recognized among men as one of the separatists. As generations followed, people learned the right words and actions to achieve levels of recognition but, for many, the true desire to live holy for God had fallen by the way side. (This happens in every movement of God!)

The leaven of pharisees was teaching that was based on outwards acts vs inward change.

Jesus taught an inward transformation that brought about an outward change. (John 3 - being born anew by the Holy Spirit)

This is our core value of INTEGRITY.

This bears on the portion of our vision to BE who God created us to be.

We don’t need to be anything else!

We do need to be different than what we were born as and different than anything with desire or espouse.

We must come into alignment with God has prepared for us and yield to His Spirit and His desires.

As we do, we’ll find that this is what we were created for. As we BE who He created us to BE, we will LOVE how He created us to LOVE. That LOVE will drive us to passionately DO what we were created to DO.

However, if we chase doing good things for God and others, but do not have the right character or compassion, our being and loving and doing are not in alignment. We are just actors, faking it until we don’t make it!

Integrity means all parts work together and make sense together. The parts all belong there and there are no missing parts parts. The parts are in order, good working order, working one with another as designed.

Titus 2:7–8 ESV

7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

There nothing to condemn you for.

You can be falsely accused on this earth but will be rightly judged by God.

Luke 12:4–7 ESV

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 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! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Don’t fear the Pharisees, Sadducees, or Sanhedrin. Don’t fear the Romans,. Don’t fear the enemy. Know that you will stand before God and Jesus is your advocate!

Luke 12:8–10 ESV

8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 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.

We can’t fake it. We need to put our whole faith and trust in Jesus!

Luke 12:11–12 ESV

11 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, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

When we BE wholly His - Holy His - then He is truly ours as He promised.

The Holy Spirit isn’t just in the book of Acts! He was at the beginning.

He is expressed and expressing throughout the Old Testament.

Jesus instructed His disciples that He would not leave them as orphans, but indwell them with His Holy Spirit.

Not only are we seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10),

but He is present within us, empowering us and teaching us what to do and say!

The waters did not part in the Jordan until they stepped foot in it!!! (Joshua 3:15-16)

The Holy Spirit sometimes speaks through us and we don’t even realize it!

It’s not that we must be pious and good cause we’re gonna live for God now.

We CAN’T BE PIOUS AND GOOD apart from the work of Christ Jesus and His presence within us, birthing within us a new man by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit empowering us to recognize right from wrong and empowering us to choose right!

Let’s look at a few examples of the Holy Spirit teaching believers what to say before kings and leaders:

Acts 4:8 Peter answered the high priests, rulers, and scribes filled with the Holy Ghost!

Acts 6:8 ESV

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

(6:9) But people of the synagogue arose against Stephen

Acts 6:10 ESV

10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Paul stood before King Agrippa, Governor Festus, and even Caesar filled with the Holy Spirit and his mouth filled with God’s wisdom.

In conclusion for this portion of Luke 12 (because Jesus continues on),

1. Don’t worry about how foolish you look on the outside, be a fool for Christ. Take care of your heart, mind, and spirit to keep them tuned to God’s heart, mind, and spirit.

2. Treat your private and public interactions the same. Have nothing to hide, because you can’t.

What it boils down to here is:

3. Do not crave the approval of man. Let the approval of Christ guide your steps and your words.

Don’t fear man.

Yes, Faith Over Fear!

Yes your faith is greater than fear of man.

I say also,

Faithfulness over fear!

Your faithfulness will lead the way.

Faithfulness is integrity over time.

You are who you are because of whose you are.

Be His! Be full of faith and you will be found faithful!

You can stand before anyone, including God, when you stand on the foundation of Christ, in the direction and unction of Christ, and under the covering of Christ!