The Devastating Results of Hypocrisy (pt. 4)

God Expects (DEMANDS) Our Obedience

Romans 2:17–24 ESV

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Romans 2:

(Review) Over the last month, we’ve seen the following from this text:

When we live as hypocrites we sin against God

When we live as hypocrites we create confusion within others about God—this greatly hinders our witness!

When we live as hypocrites we create confusion within others about God—this greatly hinders our witness

When we live as hypocrites others reject God because of our duplicity—this kills our witness!

However, acknowledging our hypocrisy and striving to turn from it helps others see God—this strengthens our witness!

We also briefly examined a three-tiered awareness of sin:

Sins that are easily visible to me

Sins that the Scripture helps me discover

Sins that the Church helps me discover

CONSEQUENTLY, our struggle against hypocrisy is immense and difficult because we are unable to fix ourselves!!!

What we need help in:

We need the work of the Holy Spirit within us to soften our hearts and will!

We need the work of the Word of God in our minds to instruct us in holiness!

We need the work of the Word of God on our minds to instruct us

We need the work of the church to help us become aware of the sin that we are blind toward!

We need the work of the church to help us become aware of the sin that we are blind to!

Let me prove this from Scripture… Paul writes to the Romans church, thereby:

Paul writes to the Romans church, thereby:

Helping them see their sin, confusion, and hypocrisy

Providing proper teaching, instruction, and direction in the Lord

As a church, NHBC is ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to the example and type of worship, discipleship, and lifestyle presented within Scripture:

Our Goals:

Devotion to the Word of God

Praise/Thanksgiving toward God

Prayer and fellowship in God

Proclamation of the Word, Work, and Call of God

United Fellowship in the pursuit of God and His Glory

Our Method:

Large Group (one corporate group) = As ONE person we...

PRAISE God through song and testimony

Worship God through extended meditation upon His Word that calls us to seek Him more completely (often through revealing sin)

We look for God’s greatness = Where God is right = who we turn to

We look for our sin = Where we are wrong = where we turn from

Medium Group (smaller corporate groups) =

Systematically engage, teach, and respond to the Word of God

Pray together, live together, care for each other, and enjoy each other

Small Group (gender segregated groups) = These are temporary groups designed to...

Develop our prayer life

Help us hide the word of God in our hearts (memorize Scripture)

Provide accountability in specified areas and help us discover sin!

Encouragement in reading the word of God in such a way that we interact with the Lord

Bearing all of this in mind, it is absolutely hypocritical for us to:

See the Lord, know what He calls us to, know how and why He saved us, and to be aware of our need of Him.... and… then…

Make our church, our families, and our life about anything other than the pursuit of God!!! (just a reminder of what we primarly tend to pursue in the church)

Emotional Comfort

Acceptance (by the way… God doesn’t accept you the way you are—He saves you first!)

Community

Pleasure

Success

Clout

Personal Gain

Now… not all of these are bad things—some are things God promises to us—but NONE of these is the purpose of the church.

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH (and individuals) IS TO GLORIFY GOD, ENJOY GOD, AND CALL OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH (and individuals) IS TO GLORIFY GOD, ENJOY GOD, AND CALL OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!

In fact… we must realize that the Scripture calls us to God—and we are commanded to respond!!!

Therefore…

When we live as hypocrites—who say we believe in God, but fail to seek God— God holds us accountable for our actions!

Three questions we need to ask and answer:

Why Should I Obey God

What Does God Command

How Do I Obey God

Why Should I Obey God?

From the Positive:

God is Good and Truly Enjoyable:

Abundant Life, a Deep Purpose, and Soul-satisfying Meaning is Found in the Lord:

In difficult times Strength, Hope, Comfort, and Peace are found in God

From the Negative:

Rejection of God results in eternal condemnation ()

Rejection of God results in temporal consequences with eternal implications ()

A impurity of the soul

A desire for that which demeans

A depraved mind that thinks incorrectly

A desire for that which demeans

A

What Does God Command?

While this may seem like an oversimplification, it is one the Lord made in both the OT & NT: (, )

We are commanded to LOVE God with ALL our heart, soul, mind, & strength.

Then… we are commanded to love others as ourself.

A few observations we MUST see:

God calls us to LOVE Him: Our love for God ABSOLUTELY must supersede our love for others.

The love we have for God should be paramount and unmatched (husband and wife)

God calls us to Love others (including ourselves) in a manner that is subservient to our love for Him.

The love we have for others should be horizontal and equal (brotherly or family)

God calls us into a love-relationship, not a works-based or uninvolved approach:

The one who works does so for wages—not love

The one who is uninvolved is lazy—not loving

Hypocrites do not understand the nature of what God calls us to obey, thus they live in contradiction to the commands of God.

When we view Christianity as a set of rules we follow, we follow the letter of the law without grasping the heart of the Law (Pharisaicalism)!

When we view Christianity as a get-out-of-jail-free card we obtain through proper confessional statements, we give lip-service to God while rejecting a relationship with God (Carnal-Christians)!

Both of these are the same sin from different angles—it is a failure to love God!

Consequently…

God COMMANDS us to love Him!

Consequently… God COMMANDS us to love Him! God

God EXPECTS us to love Him!

God REVEALS Himself to us so we love Him!

God SACRIFICED Himself for us so we could love Him!

God ENABLES us to love Him!

God PUNISHES us for failing to love Him!

Before I continue, there is something we need to address (or it would be wise for us to)…

Question: HOW CAN GOD COMMAND US TO LOVE HIM WITHOUT BEING INSECURE, ARROGANT, OR SELF-SERVING?

The Challenge: If God commands us to love/worship/praise Him, doesn’t this show God to be needy, self-centered, and perverted?

The Response: NO!

It would be immoral for God to command us or allow us to love something He created more than we love Him—this would be idolatry and prizing the creation more than the creator.

It would be unloving for God to command us to love something He created more than Him since He ALONE has the ability and desire to bestow unmatched kindness on us.

Jesus tells us about God through the son who asks his father for bread—will he get a snake?

It would be dishonest for God to direct us to love something other than Him on the basis that it is better than Him.

Think along these lines:

God commands us to to worship Him because none is higher

God commands us to worship Him because nothing is better

Only the perfect is pure

God commands us to worship Him because nothing satisfies like He does

Only t

God commands us to worship Him because nothing else can give us true meaning

God commands us to worship Him because He alone is marvelously eternal, divine, self-sustaining, and harmonious.

God commands us to worship Him because He alone sustains us

God commands us to worship Him because He alone is powerful, knowledgable, and discerning

IN SHORT…

TO WORSHIP ANYONE OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN GOD IS TO PURSUE THAT WHICH IS LESS THAN GOD; AND IF A PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS GOD SPEAKS TO US, HE MUST SPEAK THAT WHICH IS TRUTH!

How Do I Obey God?

We obey God by believing in God to the extent that we sincerely and demonstratively love God.

The various relationships that we are a part of will help us to more fully understand Christian obedience:

Types of Relationships:

Intimate

Demonstratively

Covenant

Parental

Family

Pleasurable

Functional/Serviceable

Contractual (Work/Service)

Necessary/Acquaintance (Consumer)

Forced/Authoritative (Govt.)

Types of Relational Knowledge:

Contextual/Positional = We know what the person does (Athlete, Congressman, Banker, Tradesman)

Factual = We know easily discernable information (think FACEBOOK profile)

Character = We know (through observation) how they approach life (we see them work, interact with family, and pursue various things)

Intimate = We know WHY the person does what they do through conversations, repeat engagement, and deep commitment. (This comes from spending large quantities of time/conversations with the person)

1-3 can be gained through quickly through a brief glimpse/interaction/conversation with an individual- or by just scrolling their profile/posts

4 comes through a commitment of time, through personal and intentional interactions.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US:

God calls us into a relationship that is Covenantal, Parental, Family, and Pleasurable = HE EXPECTS US TO RESPOND AND ENGAGE

God calls us to glorify Him by loving Him = HE EXPECTS US TO RESPOND AND ENGAGE

God calls us to love Him with others = HE EXPECTS US TO RESPOND AND ENGAGE

God does not call us into a forced relationship = HE DOES NOT FORCE US TO COMPLY

God does not call us into a contractual relationship = HE DOES NOT PAY US FOR WORKING FOR HIM

God does not call us into a situationally necessary relationship = HE DOES NOT ACCEPT MERE AWARENESS OF HIM and DISTANT COMPLIANCE

How Should I Respond?

What type of relationship do you have with the Lord?

We correct our improper relationship by entering into the proper relationship:

We strive to know about God

We strive to know God’s character

We strive to commune with God

We strive to enjoy God

We strive to exalt God with others

We strive to enjoy the people of God

OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD IS CONSTANT RELATIONAL ENGAGEMENT OF GOD!!!

In order to seek God, we will naturally cease from seeking sin.

In order to spend time with God, we will naturally limit the time we spend sinning

In order to enjoy God, we will naturally cease from enjoying sin

In order to spend time with the people of God, we will naturally limit the time we spend sinning

In order to enjoy the people of God, we will naturally cease from enjoying sin

WHEN WE STRIVE TO SPEND TIME WITH GOD, WE ARE EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO DEPART FROM SIN!

Will you seek God?