Appearances Are Deceiving

Introduction

P. 71 list.

John 7:24

John 7:14-24

With this statement in the context of what is going on Jesus is calling them out on their own inconsistency. They want to appear righteous, but they can’t even keep their own law. In a situation we might say “Between a rock and a hard place” keep the sabath or keep the 8th day circumcision, one has to be kept? Is it lawful? Of course if you aren’t a nitwit. (That’s my langauge).

They are straining at a gnat and refusing to see things for the truth that they know them to be but rather judging by the “appearance” of the thing instead of by faith. They are judgeing by the outward look of a thing instead of by the facts behind it. Which is what? That GOD healed a man.

And so, what should we gather from this in the context of our lesson? That you have to look deeper.

Appearances

P. 72 first two paragraphs

Why are appearances deceiving?

If we know this why do people judge a book by its cover?

Let’s take this to the reverse. How do we lie to others by trying to change our appearances?

Wealth

Looks (Make-up, girdles, plastic surgery, etc)

Smarts (people lie about the degrees they have or where they went to school)

Anything else?

In what ways is our society built on these deciets?

Social networking.

People use these to sell products to you, consider pretty much any advertisement on TV.

And the lies have been there from the beginning, when we wanted to be something we weren’t. Genesis 3.

Not As You Heard

“People rarely repeat gossip—as you heard it.”

Now let’s take this in a very honest area: is that out of maliciousness or out of natural mistake? Both, but more than likely mistake.

Game of Telephone.

“A pink pig and a pesky donkey flew a kite at night.”

Good Reason then for the Bible to say that things have to be established by more than one witness, right?

Deuteronomy 19:15

Numbers 35:30

1 Timothy 5:19

Matthew 18:16

Whether ignorance or maliciousness it is dangerous.

p. 72 “I hear you made a million dollars in oil...”

p. 72 “The rumor was spread that a preacher...”

But does this happen in real life? Yep.

Richard Jewel, they made a movie about him recently. I never saw it.

FBI should have been credible.

Jon Benet Ramsey. I kinda remember this one, I wasn’t old enough to care about all the small details but I remember the news.

No witnesses or evidence, yet most of the public beleived it.

Today lies are thrown about so much in what we call “Cancel Culture”.

How many people have been called racist by what SHOULD be credible people?

Are they? No. But they will lose their jobs, their friends, their livelihood over these false accusations by seemingly credible people.

Making Smoke Where there Is No Fire

Is it any surprise that the religious leaders during Jesus time were told by Jesus to not judge according to appearance? (Jhn 7:14)

No, not really.

These were people that only cared about appearances for their own sake.

But much of this means looking at others and creating smoke where there is no fire.

Let’s look at some biblical stories where this could have happened.

Luke 20:45-21:4

Luke 18:9-14

If we hadn’t heard the prayers, what might you think about these individuals as they leave the building?

Luke 19:1-10

They hadn’t heart about what Zacchaues has done. They just know his profession and judge him by it.

Always we should do as Jesus does, to the best of our ability. What does he do? The same that God does and commands his servant to do in the story of David in 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Look at the heart of the person, the heart of the matter.

Facts. And if you don’t SEE them be careful what you repeat. It’s one thing to speculate, to say “I Think” vs. repeating the opinions of others as facts.