Religion

TENSION.

Pumpkin Bash 2025, y’all look incredible! I can’t tell who is new and who is a regular around here because of the masks, so on the off chance that there are some of you who are brand new around here, my name is [Student Pastor Name Slate Slide], I’m the Student Pastor around here. And by the way, we are here every single Wednesday night. WEDNESDAYS is not just a Halloween thing, it’s an every week thing. And I want to make sure that you know you’re welcome here every single week.

But because this week is Halloween, is it safe to say that we like Halloween?

Yeah, I thought so. Interestingly enough, the data actually backs that up. Did you know that in the US alone, we spent $12.2 BILLION dollars in 2023? That’s BILLION with a capital B y’all.

And some people say that Halloween is just a kids thing – you know any of those people? People that are “too grown up” for Halloween? Honestly, that was me as a high schooler But it isn’t kids spending $12.2 billion, it’s their parents!

So, not only do we like Halloween, but so does everybody else. And it makes me wonder: why do we love Halloween so much?

It seems like there is something about our human nature that loves dressing up and pretending to be someone or something that we’re not. And it’s that part of our human nature that Jesus is talking about in His famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6.

TRUTH.

This whole semester we’ve been studying the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus’ teaching in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. Even if you’ve never read the Bible before, you’ve probably heard some of what’s in here: “love your enemies,” “the Lord’s Prayer,” “do to others what you’d want them to do to you.”

The sermon covers a lot – but it’s important to know that it has one main point that Jesus taught in Matthew 4:17,

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The word “repent” means to re-aim. Picture a bow and arrow aimed a target. Everyone’s life is aimed at something – what we would call the good life. Jesus’ point is that the “good life” that most of us have aimed our lives at isn’t actually good. Even though it promises to be good, it often leaves us disappointed and broken.

The good life that is actually good, Jesus says, is something He describes as “the kingdom of heaven.” It’s a life that is in a right relationship with God that leads to a right relationship with everything and everyone else. Honestly, it’s what life in heaven is like. And the good news that Jesus was teaching is that, that life – life like it’s lived in heaven – can actually be experienced NOW.

That’s Jesus’ point in Matthew 4:17. So in Matthew 5–7, Jesus is showing us what that life looks like in real, everyday situations. He keeps saying, “Here’s what people usually do, and here’s where that leads… but here’s a better way.”

And when we get to Matthew 6, Jesus talks about what we were just talking about – the masks that we wear every day. Here’s what He says in Matthew 6:1:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

We love to wear masks and pretend to be someone or something that we’re not. And Jesus points out something that I think many of us are aware of which is: church is not off limits. Even in church, we wear masks and pretend that we are someone or something that we’re not. Jesus acknowledges the temptation that exists for us to do this, and He gives it a name – look at verse 2.

2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward…

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward…

Let’s skip down to verse 16…

16 “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward…

Did you catch what Jesus called it when we wear a mask and pretend to be someone or something that we’re not?

Hypocrite.

In each example, He says, “don’t do this like the hypocrites do…”

But in order to properly understand Jesus’ teaching, we need to understand what Jesus means when He says “hypocrite,” because what Jesus means when He says hypocrite is not what many of us mean when we say hypocrite.

When we say “hypocrite” most of us use it to describe someone who said one thing but did another. If your parent tells you not to eat candy before dinner because it’ll ruin your appetite, but you catch them housing a bag of Watermelon Sour Patch Kids 20 minutes before dinner, you would call them a….

A hypocrite.

The problem is, that’s not what Jesus means when He says “hypocrite.”

In Greek, the word “hypocrite” meant “actor.” It referred to a stage actor in a play who would wear different masks as they put on a show.

So when Jesus calls people hypocrites, He’s not just talking about saying one thing and doing another. He’s talking about people who put on a show—pretending to be something on the outside that they’re not on the inside.

And this is where it gets close to home. Because when Jesus talks about hypocrites, He’s not just talking about Pharisees in the first century. He’s talking about us and the masks we put on every day.

ILLUSTRATION.

[Have a table set up on the stage with different “masks” that we often wear. Examples I’ll be using: tough mask, it’s fine mask, achiever mask, slay mask, church kid mask, class clown mask, anonymous mask]. I would recommend picking 4-5 and not doing all 7.]

Some of us wear the tough mask. We put on a tough exterior and make it well known that we are not to be crossed or messed with…or else! We act tough because deep down we’re afraid we’re going to get hurt again.

Some of us wear the “it’s fine” mask. We always have a smile on and we never let anyone see us sad or angry or disappointed. We smile like everything is fine while we fall apart on the inside.

Some of us wear the achiever mask. This is the mask of the grinder. We’re always busy, chasing a grade or a sport or a resumé or a leadership spot or a certain number of followers because without those things, we don’t feel like we’re good enough.

Some of us wear the slay mask. This is the mask that’s all about image. We dress to impress, we post to get attention, we flirt to get validation because we think being desired is the same as being loved. We think if we aren’t desirable, then we’re not lovable.

Some of us wear the church kid mask. This the mask that Jesus was warning about in Matthew 6. This is the mask that shows up at church every time the doors are open. We know all the right answers, we post our prayers on TikTok every day, we’ve started 13 different Bible studies this year, and we find a way to make ourselves the main character of our faith instead of Jesus.

Some of us wear the class clown mask. We use humor as a way to mask our pain or insecurity. We joke in serious moments, we dodge any opportunity for vulnerability with humor. We think that as long as people are laughing at us they won’t see what’s really going on with us.

Some of us wear the anonymous mask. We think it’s safer to hide behind a screen than be fully known in real life. We’re loud and bold on Discord, in group chats, in DMs, or on our burner accounts, but that’s only because in real life we’re too shy or scared to say anything out of fear of being rejected or looking dumb.

And here’s the tricky part: masks work. They really do. You get noticed. You get attention. You get approval. That’s why Jesus said,

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

But it’s a cheap reward…

Have you ever seen one of those medicine commercials? The ones where they show a person smiling and throwing the football with their grandson in the backyard because they feel so good about taking this medicine?

How do all of those commercials end?

They all end with 30 seconds of the side effects of taking that medicine.

Wearing masks is a lot like that. From the outside, it looks awesome. But every time we wear a mask, it comes with side effects.

Side effect 1: Once we start performing, we have to KEEP performing. Wearing a mask leads to wearing more masks.

Side effect 2: Constantly having to perform leads to insecurity and even anxiety. When you spend your life performing, eventually performances stop being REWARDING and they start being RELIEVING – because the more we perform the more we wonder if we will be able to pull it off again.

Side effect 3: Living behind a mask keeps us isolated from people and prevents us from being fully loved. When we wear masks, people don’t actually get to know US. They get to know the version of us that we have painted for them – the mask.

Side effect 4: Living behind a mask keeps us from receiving a better reward than the one that comes from wearing the mask. Which means, every time we wear a mask, we are leaving something on the table that Jesus implies we could have if we took the mask off…

So, what is it we miss out on when we wear the mask?

The good life that is ACTUALLY good – every time we wear the mask, we miss the kingdom of heaven. Look at the alternative that Jesus offers to wearing masks:

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…

17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you…

What’s interesting is that Jesus never taught that we shouldn’t want a reward. Some people think that following Jesus is only an obligation and a duty, but that’s not what Jesus teaches at all. He doesn’t say “don’t be like the hypocrites who need to be rewarded for what they do…” He teaches not to be like the hypocrites so that we can receive a better reward than the one they get from wearing their masks.

The most rewarding life doesn’t come from PRETENDING on the outside, it comes from BEING the same on the inside as you are on the outside.

Acting right on the outside always overpromises and underdelivers. The very best you can get by acting is the applause of the people you’re acting for. The best you can do is fool them into thinking you are what you pretend to be, and even if you do, you’ll have to keep fooling them over and over again. That’s not the life Jesus came to offer. It’s the life that He tells us repent (re-aim) from. The most rewarding life doesn’t come from pretending on the outside, it comes from being the same on the inside as you are on the outside. And that’s what Jesus offers - not just the appearance of being good, but the reality of being forgiven, loved, and made whole.

APPLICATION.

So, what about you?

What mask(s) are you wearing?

The invitation of Jesus is simple: repent, because a better life than that one is available.

Whatever mask you wear, you have a Heavenly Father who sees in secret and is waiting to reward you with Himself – just take off your mask. Acknowledge that you’ve been wearing it, ask God to forgive you, and walk out of here and live differently with the help of the Holy Spirit.

SALVATION RESPONSE.

But maybe the biggest mask that some of us wear is the mask of self-sufficiency. We pretend that we’re good enough on our own and don’t need a Savior. Tonight, before you leave, you could receive THE greatest reward – far greater than any reward you could receive from continuing to wear that mask – the reward of God Himself.

Romans 3:10 tells us,

There is no one righteous, not even one.

And Romans 3:23 goes on to say,

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Which means that there is a God in heaven who made us in His image. But we have sinned by doing so have separated ourselves from God and shattered the image of God in us – destined for an eternity separated from God in a very real place called hell with no hope of saving ourselves.

But God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus to the Earth. He lived for 33 years without sin – and therefore did not have to suffer the consequences of sin by being separated from God and having the image of God in Him broken.

But Jesus was not satisfied with being the only person who was right with God. So, He was willingly crucified on a Roman cross, died, and was buried as a payment for the cost of our sin – which Scripture tells us was death.

But, the good news is that although He was dead for 3 days, Jesus rose from the dead, so not only did He pay the cost of our sin, but He defeated it altogether. And now He is in heaven, seated next to God the Father advocating on our behalf so that now, anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved.

And the way to do that is very simple to understand, but difficult to do.

Scripture tells us that we must confess that we are sinners who are in need of a Savior. We have to take off our mask and be vulnerable – admitting that we need saving. And then we have to believe that Jesus is that Savior – God come down from heaven who lived a perfect life, was killed and resurrected from the dead to pay for our sin.

So simple to understand…but so difficult to do. But tonight, if you are ready to take off your mask, confess that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, to believe that Jesus is that Savior, and to commit to obeying Him for the rest of your life, then in a moment I’m going to invite you to stand.

It’s a bold moment and it will require courage. But it is a rewarding moment because it is the moment where you can be reunited with Him as you were always meant to be.

So, on the count of 3, I want you to stand up. 1…2…3.

[Pause for response]

WEDNESDAYS, what does all of heaven do when a single person says yes to Jesus?

[Pause to celebrate]

Hey if you’re standing, we are so excited for you. There’s not a more important decision that you’ll make in your life than this one. But this is a starting line, not a finish line. We don’t want to give you one great night with Jesus, we want to help you live a great life with Jesus, and the best way we know how to do that is together. So, I want the rest of us to stand up with our friends who are already standing, and together, we’re going to have a moment to pray a prayer up on the screen out loud.

Let’s pray:

Father, I’m tired of wearing the mask. I’m finally ready to admit that I am a sinner and that I need a Savior. Jesus, I believe that you are who you said you are – the Son of God. And I believe that you did what you said you would do – die and resurrect from the dead. I receive your offer to save me from my sins and I commit to follow you from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Can we celebrate one more time?!

[Pause and celebrate]

If tonight was the day you decided to follow Jesus, can I encourage you to do one more thing?

Would you pull out your phone and text “Follow” to 377-48?

You’ll get a text right back with a link to a short form. It’s simple—we just want to celebrate with you and help you take your next step. A pastor on our team will personally reach out, because no one follows Jesus alone.

It’s been an incredible night. Thank you for being here at the Pumpkin Bash. We love you, we hope we get to see you back here next week! For God is good…..