BEWARE OF HYPOCRISY: Text: Matthew 15:7-20 Intro: Last week we have been commanded to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. This refers to their doctrines-Matt 16:12 Hypocrisy is God discerned as He looks at the heart not the outward appearance. It would be so easy to be impressed with pleasant words, with good deeds, but God goes behind everything which is our heart. Aim: For us to check from time to time the status of our heart lest we be hypocrites ourselves.

I. WHEN DO WE BECOME HYPOCRITES? 1. WHEN WE HONOUR GOD WITH OUR LIPS BUT OUR ARE HEARTS ARE FAR AWAY-V 8 This happens when we say or sing beautiful phrases and pleasant words but we don’t really mean them. We usually adapt those words esp. from song lyrics and sing it as our own but not coming from the heart and do not even understand them. Ex. “Lord I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake, Lord, have your way in me.”

2. WHEN WE ADHERE TO THE DOCTRINES OF MEN AS IF THEY ARE GOD’S COMMANDMENTS- V 9 Christ confronted them of their practice in honouring parents-v 4-5 Whatever they give to their parents are gifts to God This freed them from the duty of honouring them. To honour is a duty whilst to offer gifts is optional. God wants mercy and justice and not sacrifice. 1Ti 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. When our parents are in need, to honour them is to supply their needs.

2Cr 12:14 Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. If God is our Father, it is our duty to honour Him above everything else. Mal 1:6 "A son honours his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honour? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' 3. WHEN WE ARE SO CONCERNED WITH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY AND NOT ON WHAT GOD SAYS.

4. WHEN WE HIDE THE TRUE FIGURE OF OUR HEARTS BY WHAT WE SAY OR DO. Mat 12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Mat 12:34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Mat 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 5. WHEN WE ABOUND IN LEAVES AND NOT FRUITS. HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER- II TIM 3:5

6. WHEN WE ARE CONCERNED OF WHAT WE EAT AND NOT WITH WHAT WE SAY-V 11 Yes, God prohibited us lots of food in the O.T. but you cannot please God by not eating something and disregard the weightier matters 1Cr 8:7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 1Cr 8:8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 1Cr 8:9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.

1Cr 8:10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 1Cr 8:11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 1Cr 8:12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 1Cr 8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Not what goes through the mouth that defiles a man but what comes out 7. WHEN WE ARE INCONSISTENT WITH OUR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LIFE.

II. HEAR AND UNDERSTAND-V 10 We have to listen or pay attention Comprehend (to take in the meaning, nature, importance of; grasp) Most of us doesn’t pay much attention to understand what does He really means Truth will offend you, will hurt you but it will make you free III. EVERY PLANT WHICH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS NOT PLANTED WILL BE UPROOTED- V 13 Any teaching, tradition or practice which are contrary to the Word of God must be stop That is hypocrisy They make you blind and suffer loss

IV. TO BE HYPOCRITE IS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING-V 16 It would be better to ask explanations or ask questions than to pretend to have it understood V. GOD’S MAIN CONCERN-OUR HEARTS-V He is concerned with what we say as it comes out from the heart Mat 12:36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. Mat 12:37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies comes from the heart.

It is for this reason that God wants us to undergo the furnace of affliction so as to purge the dross-Isaiah 48:10; Pro 25:4 Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewellery. Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jer 17:10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. CHALLENGE: Are you not hypocrite? Are you concerned with your heart and not on what other people say? :

CONCLUSION: 1Sa 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."