Tag Archives: hypocrisy

Be Real, March 2, 2020

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.

This week I helped train a bunch of people in my occupation. My occupation helps put food on the table. I get paid to do that stuff most of the time. God sets my vocation, “Go make disciples.”

Let’s get back to my occupation.

In every group, it seems there is one or two that know everything.

Well, at least they think they do. And that person wants to show everyone else just how much they know. You know the type. Hand in the air with every question, or more often, blurting out an answer before the end of the question arrives. They think they have all the answers and think they have all the experience and could teach the classes better than the instructor.

Most of the time, though, it doesn’t take long for the “hand-waver” to show they don’t know as much as they think they do. It’s not long before the rest of the students start to roll their eyes when words start pouring out of the hot-shot’s mouth. The rest know the answer is wrong, or at least isn’t the answer that the instructor will project from the platform. The class starts to drag because no one wants to hear any more from the self-proclaimed expert.

Teaching in that environment drains you and requires intervention quickly to keep control of the situation. Otherwise, the rest of the students suffer, and the points you need to get across don’t. You almost dread coming into the empty room the next day, knowing the same students will be there for round two, and you may go through the same battle again. Such is the life of instructors and teachers. Unfortunately, that’s part of the job, like it or not.

The situation often reminds me of the warning Jesus gives his followers as he shares the dangers of pride. In his discourse, we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares these words:

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

“When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—play actors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.(Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 TM)

Jesus pointed out what many would think were exceptional practices. Gold and silver coins make a beautiful sound when they spin around the trumpet, the conical opening of the temple treasure box at the door of the outer court. Long melodious prayers sound lovely with the ancient words from theological treatises lifted to the Lord. Giving up things you enjoy as an example to others seems a great way to mentor young followers to show them the sacrifice that discipline requires. All these are exemplary, right?

We would make these guys deacons and elders and put them on our boards and committees in a heartbeat – marvelous examples of Christian living. But not according to Jesus. Their praise from those they impress around them accounts for the sum total of their reward. That’s it. God is not impressed.

What does Jesus tell us? Be yourself, do things for others, but do it in a way that no one knows about it. Secret gifts might not make it to your tax return as charitable giving, but it makes it to God’s accounting records. Those random acts of kindness performed anonymously might not get headlines in the city’s newspaper, but they will find their way into God’s daily journal. Prayers in a secret place never tickle the ears of the congregation, but God hears and answers the prayer warrior’s faithful intercession. Which do you prefer, man’s recognition or God’s? As for me, I’d much rather know God is paying attention to my life than my neighbors. I’d much rather know I’m following the path of righteousness God recognizes than the way of religious piety that man approves. It makes a huge difference at the end of time, standing at the judgment seat accounting for our actions. Whose reward were we seeking? The praise of men or the voice of God saying, “Well done good and faithful servant.” I hope that is a rhetorical question for you.

Jesus laid out a simple way of life for us to follow – love God and love others. He qualified those two commands and said we are unable to love God whom we cannot see if we don’t love others we can see. That sets the rules for us. Easy to remember, not so easy to follow. In fact, impossible to follow without his spirit living in us. But when we let him inside, when we let him control every part of us, he enables us to love as he loves. He lives through us to touch a world that needs his grace.

Will you be that secret partner to share his grace in the world? That’s the command. Go do it.

You can find me at richardagee.com. I also invite you to join us at San Antonio First Church of the Nazarene on West Avenue in San Antonio to hear more Bible-based teaching. You can find out more about my church at SAF.church. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed it, tell a friend. If you didn’t, send me an email and let me know how better to reach out to those around you. Until next week, may God richly bless you as you venture into His story each day.

Scriptures marked TM are taken from THE MESSAGE: THE BIBLE IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH (TM): Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE: THE BIBLE IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH, copyright©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group

Who visits your church? (John 9:35-37), March 2, 2017

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Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Here’s an odd question that you probably shouldn’t know, but should make you think about the welcome your church provides. How many alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, and adulterers visit your congregation regularly?
Scripture
1. John 9:35-37
2. The religious leaders banished him [the blind man Jesus healed] from their presence. Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.

Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?

Formerly Blind Man: I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?

Jesus: You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.

Devotional
1. In the Sunday School class I’ve been attending the last couple of weeks, we talked about the way the church has done exactly what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did.
  1. Alcoholics
  2. Drug addicts
  3. Homosexuals
  4. We don’t want anything to do with “those” people
  5. We don’t want to tarnish our congregation with the wrong kind of people
2. We even take our dislike for anyone that doesn’t agree with us to the streets
  1. Protests
  2. Facebook
  3. Twitter
  4. But is God happy with our approach?
3. Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, the people the Pharisees and religious leaders wouldn’t come near
  1. Why?
  2. Until you build a relationship with someone they won’t listen to what you have to say
  3. He never condoned their sinful action
  4. But He still loved them as one of God’s creations
  5. Jesus saw the potential of what God could make them instead of what sin had made them
4. Remember the woman caught in adultery?
  1. Who can say they have never sinned?
  2. No matter how large or how small, disobedience separates us from God
  3. Look at that first act that banished Adam from God’s presence, he ate fruit from a forbidden tree, how horrible is that compared to the sins we think are so much more egregious than something we might do
  4. Paul’s list
    1. Gluttony
    2. Gossip
    3. Dissension
    4. These separate us from God as surely as murder, kidnapping, rape, homosexuality, or any other law you might bring to mind
5. With that in mind, how should we change our approach personally and as churches to all those Jesus would have befriended? Don’t you think it’s time we welcome them instead of tossing them out?
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The way of the cross (Luke 20:46-47) December 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Song of Songs 5-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 20:46-47
Jesus: Beware of the religious scholars. They like to parade around in long robes. They love being greeted in the marketplaces. They love taking the best seats in the synagogues. They adore being seated around the head table at banquets. But in their greed they rob widows of their houses and cover up their greed with long pretentious prayers. Their condemnation will be all the worse because of their hypocrisy.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you know any of those? Are you one of those? You know, people that dig into God’s word just to trip other people up? They nitpick words and phrases to get their point across and condemn everyone around them for failing to see the message those words send us from God’s word. They stand firm on their conviction that what they say is absolutely true because they pulled it from the Book. And if God said it, it must be true.

Those people are right in one respect. What God says is true. But we have to be careful not to take His words out of context. The Bible says there is no God – that is if we stop in the middle of the psalmist’s thoughts. The rest of the words around that phrase says there is no God in a fools heart.

But those people are deadly wrong in the misuse of God’s word. They play with fire when they misrepresent God using His words to guide people in ways contradictory to the plan He has for us. Remember Satan used scripture often to entice people to do wrong. He even used scripture against Jesus to tempt Him to take shortcuts to His rightful place as Lord of all nations and all people. Jesus didn’t fall for it because He knew scripture and knew the missing parts. Because He knew scripture, Jesus recognized the fallacies in Satan’s arguments and recognized him for who he was. The tempter. The adversary. A lion roaming the earth seeking whom he might devour.

Those folks Jesus talks about look good on the outside. They are members of churches. They sit on boards and councils. They determine the direction denominations will go over the next years. They collect and spend the offerings that pour into the churches in the form of tithes and offerings. They teach and preach from God’s word, but it is often a perverted message that doesn’t share what God intends His word to share.

I’m certainly not talking about every Bible scholar and every preacher who fills a pulpit. There are some great men and women sharing God’s word and doing their very best for the kingdom. But there are some that use their religious platforms for their own greed and power. They care more about the size of their wallet than they do the size of their heart. If you’re listening to God through His word, you can figure out who they are pretty quickly. His word does not steer you wrong.

Is there hypocrisy in my church? Unfortunately, I would have to say yes, there is. I can see it in the lives of some of the members. Is there hypocrisy in your church? If I were a gambler, I would bet a paycheck there are. And I would bet another paycheck that I’m not wrong in that assessment. Our churches are full of hypocrites. But that’s okay. Look who Jesus was talking to. He was addressing the scribes and Pharisees. The scholars who knew scripture better than anyone else. The leaders of the faith. They attended services faithfully. They participated in all the rituals faithfully. They gave their tithe and more faithfully. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites.

Did that stop Jesus from going to the temple to worship? Certainly not. Did it stop Him from participating in those same rituals? Absolutely not. He did them faithfully, understanding fully the reason behind those rituals. Did it stop Jesus from continuing to study God’s word and using it to support His messages to the crowds that followed Him? We see that most of His preaching took text from the ancient writings of the law given to Moses and the prophets and the writings that existed worship places of the Jews.

Jesus recognized the hypocrites wherever He went, but He still preached to them, healed them, ministered to them, invited them to follow Him. He never stopped them from being around Him to hear and witness the kingdom of God in their midsts. Jesus knew the only way to reach a hypocrite was to allow them to join into genuine, intimate worship. Until they see the difference between their fake religion and real righteousness, they will continue to fall prey to Satan’s lies. But when they draw near and listen, they have the opportunity to hear the message, make amends, repent of their hypocrisy and find their way back to God and His kingdom living.

Just stay in God’s word. You can pick them out. And when you do, be very careful that you don’t fall into the same traps they fell into. Stay rooted in the word. The whole thing, not just your favorite chapters and verses. The hypocrites will see your walk and maybe find a new way, a better way, the way of the cross.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t be a fig tree (Mark 11:14) August 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Timothy 1-2

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Mark 11:14
Jesus: No one will ever eat fruit from your branches again.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

This is one of those stories you might remember, but if you’re like me, I always wondered a little why it was there. What is so important about this story that Mark would include it in His gospel and why would it come back to him as he recorded the events of Jesus life some thirty years later?

Jesus got up in the morning and started toward Jerusalem after spending the night in Bethany. Apparently, Mary and Martha were not the great hosts that morning they had been previously or Jesus and His disciples left earlier than they expected, because He didn’t eat anything before He left. He was hungry. So as He saw a fig tree in the distance, His salivary glands started acting up, His stomach started growling, and He started longing for some of those early figs from that tree.

When they got to the tree, though, there were no figs. Mark tells us an interesting fact about that tree, though. He says it was in full bloom and looked like it should have figs, but it wasn’t time for it to bear fruit yet. It bloomed too early. It had the right appearance from a distance, but when you got a close look at it, it just didn’t measure up to your expectations.

Jesus approaches the tree and sees no figs. Everything looks good, but no figs. He’s hungry. The tree was enticing. It made everyone even hungrier when they saw it. But no figs. Jesus does something recorded only one time in all the gospels. He uses His godly power to destroy. Jesus curses the tree and says it will never produce fruit again. We’ll see in just a few verses that in less than twenty-four hours, that tree will wither down to its roots. It will die a quick death that cannot be restored.

There is an important lesson in there for us as we watch Jesus’ actions with that tree. I think Jesus sent a clear message to His disciples and to us that day. I don’t think Jesus took action out of anger or spite. He could have easily touched the tree and figs would have grown as quickly as it withered. Remember Aaron’s rod when the other Israelite tribes questioned Moses and Aaron’s authority? In a single night, Aaron’s rod grew leaves, blossoms, and ripe almonds.

God can do miraculous things when He wants to. He did a miraculous thing with the fig tree. Just try to make a healthy tree in full bloom with its leaves spread out over the pathway wither to nothing in a single day. That is not an easy task. With all the pesticides, plant killers, poisons, acids, and all the concoctions we have today, I’m not so sure we can make a mature tree wither in twelve to sixteen hours. But Jesus did – by just talking to it.

So what’s the lesson?

The tree looked really good, but it didn’t have any fruit. It had all the markings of a healthy fig tree, but it didn’t do the job it was meant to do, produce figs. It had pretty leaves, a stout trunk, all the makings of exactly what you’d look for in a well producing tree. That’s why Jesus went to it in the first place. But when you got close to it, you saw it wasn’t what you thought it was. You saw through the sham of its appearance. You saw into the heart of the tree and the hypocrisy the tree represented in presenting itself as a producing fig tree but without fruit.

I think Jesus is telling us appearance doesn’t count. You can look good and sound good, but that’s not what He’s looking for in a life of faith. You can go to the right places and sing the right songs, but so what? You can pray long flowery prayers and even serve on church boards and teach Sunday School classes, but all those outward appearances don’t amount to anything in His book.

Jesus looks beneath the covers. He looks past the leaves and looks for the fruit. What am I talking about? Paul lists some of the fruit Jesus expects us to grow in Galatians chapter five. Remember those? Unconditional love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He expects to see those attributes blossoming in our lives. He expects to see more than just outward tapestry and habit. He wants to see our character transform as He takes control of our lives.

When He does, when He is Lord of our lives, you can’t help but see the fruit bloom. He guides us into areas that make that fruit evident to others around us. He puts us into situations that stretch us and fertilizes those parts of our lives so that our circumstance let Him transform our thinking into His thinking. He changes our character and let us bear His fruit. And what happens if we don’t? Just a word, and the fig tree withered where it stood. I don’t want to hear those words from Jesus when He comes, do you?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.