Live With Integrity

Romans 12:9-18

9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.

1. We must be sincere and not hypocrites.
1. Hypocrisy can be defined as: Repenting on Sunday for the sins that you committed on Saturday and that you will commit again on Monday.
2. Webster defines hypocrite as: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
3. Jesus despised hypocrites.

                                                              i.      Matthew 23 - Religious Hypocrites Denounced

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2"The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. 3Therefore do whatever they tell you and observe [it]. But don't do what they do,  because they don't practice what they teach.  4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger to move them. 5aThey do everything to be observed by others:

1. We shouldn’t be “showy” Christians

                                                              i.      Read other passages from Matthew 23: Examples of the Pharisees doing things for show.

5bThey enlarge their phylacteries (fa-'lak-trEs ) and lengthen their tassels. 6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ' Rabbi' by people.

                                                            ii.      Christ said: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Then he called them "Snakes! and Brood of vipers!

                                                          iii.      Mathew 6:

1.      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. I assure you: They've got their reward!

#. We must Practice what we preach. Otherwise we need to practice authenticity not artificiality.

1. A.W. Tolzer Once said that:                                                               i.      Artificiality is one curse that will drop away the moment we kneel at Jesus' feet and surrender ourselves to His meekness. Then we will not care what people think of us so long as God is pleased.
2. Some of us have a problem with this, we have a longing for acceptance from our peers and it becomes easier to pretend to satisfy those around us.
3. Even Peter failed at practicing what he preached

                                                              i.      (John 13:37-38)   37 "Lord," Peter asked, "why can't I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!"
38 Jesus replied, "Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.

1. Story of the cashier                                                               i.      Pastor needed to pick up his daughter

                                                            ii.      Big sale at music store 2 CD’s for $9.99

                                                          iii.      Got in quick

                                                          iv.      Spent 20 minutes in a long line

                                                            v.      Talked to many people in line

                                                          vi.      Quickly gave CD’s and debit card to cashier

                                                        vii.      Got to car an noticed error in the receipt

                                                      viii.      Debated going back in

                                                          ix.      Went back in and waited in the same long line

                                                            x.      Constantly checking watch

                                                          xi.      Told cashier of error

                                                        xii.      Reminded her he was in a hurry

                                                      xiii.      She explained her feelings

                                                      xiv.      She had visited his church

                                                        xv.      He spoke about integrity

                                                      xvi.      She set out to prove it

                                                    xvii.      Manager overheard everything

                                                  xviii.      Pastor left Manager led young woman to Christ

Conclusion:

1. Be honest with yourself and with others.
1. Is it better to live our lives pretending, or admitting to ourselves and others around us that we are not perfect and that we each one live a sinful life. #. Confession of my attitude, anger, the way I treat those closest to me
2. To Truly Worship we must Confess our sin.

                                                              i.      Psalm 66:18 - 18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.