Hypocrisy Gets an Audit - Part A

He addresses the self-confident hypocrite. I know that's a harsh word. Nobody likes to have that word attached to themselves, but it is the word Jesus used, not infrequently, when he said to his own disciples when you pray, give spiritual things.

Don't be like a hypocrite. Many people in the world receive hypocrites in the church today on connect with skip-Skip shows you how to live out of real authentic faith in Christ before we begin want to let you know about a race that will help you better understand the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis contains some of the most iconic Bible stories. There is deep spiritual significance in each of those familiar stories in the creations to discover how much God loves his creation and how he considers humankind's crowning achievement in the story the fall of man.

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What you can understand just get a fresh look at a deeper understanding of the stories the very foundation you can understand the book of Genesis are what seem generous gift of $35 or more today to help expand the vital teaching outreach of skintight so-called out to get your copy of this site will be 1609 288. You can also get online securely connectwithskip.com/okay will be in Romans chapter 2 for today's much joint Skip type I out of every four Americans have a fear of being audited 25% of the American public is afraid that at some point someone will come in to examine their personal life like an auditor. Also in that little article that I read the number increases. If your mail and the older you get, so elderly males are more paranoid of auditors than young females. Don't know why that is but I do know that nobody really likes auditors. If you want.

I'm sorry you probably knew that getting into the field. An auditor or someone who arise after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.

That's what it feels like, so there was a local bar that boasted that it's bartender was the strongest guy around and had a $1000 standing back if anyone could squeeze one more drop out of a lemon already squeezed dry by the bartender. It was, he would drive he would just drive that thing up and nobody could squeeze a single drop.

If you could, you would get $1000, while nobody could do it. People tried weightlifters came in tried didn't do it.

Longshoreman came in tried couldn't do it so nobody won the bet to one day scrawny little guy comes in and the polyester suit thick wire rim glasses in a high squeaky licenses can try. Well after the laughter and the Bard went down bartender said sure. Squeeze the lime and completely dry gave the shriveled fruit to this little guy in the suit, and he squeezed it and all that laughter in the bar gave way to respect when he squeezed not one, not two drops but six drops of lemon into a glass. Everybody was amazed. The owner of the establishment paid the $1000 but said for the leave. You gotta tell me what you do for a living.

He smiled and he said I'm an auditor with the IRS. Amazing isn't it however you that IRS is squeeze a little bit more out of us while in chapter 2 of Romans, Paul is acting as the auditor by the commission of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his readers want to draw your attention to a word that sort of kick this metaphor and gear for me this week. In verse 25 is the word profitable for circumcision is indeed profitable means valuable or to gain something the financial term.

So what I want to do is show you the assets. The deficits and the net appraisal of the hypocrite. We can come to give you up background where we are in chapter 1 of Romans, Paul addresses. Let's call it the raunchy crowd horrible group of people that he mentioned by name in several different ways is called the raunchy crowd. Chapter 2, he addresses the religious crowd and the rest of chapter 2 beginning in verse 17 he drills a little bit deeper and he addresses the self-confident hypocrite.

I know that's a harsh word. Nobody likes to have that word attached to themselves, but it is a word Jesus used, not infrequently, when he said to his own disciples when you pray, or when you give for when you do these spiritual things. Don't be like the hypocrite and one occasion he even came right out to the self-confident religious hypocrites of his day, scribes and Pharisees and just unloaded on that Matthew 23. Walling the scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites eight separate times even call them white washed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are filled with dead men's bones when I'm using the term today hypocrite. I am primarily referring to an unbeliever wearing a mask that is an unsaved person who is disguise like a saved person primarily Paul describe such a person is those who have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof and affect their learning spiritual tinsel varnish.

It is all show and no go. This style without substance is like the cereal I bought two weeks ago about cereal that said, was a bigger box of new bigger box for the great up right now. When I opened it up, I discovered what that meant just the box was bigger. That's what it meant. The contents looked identical to a smaller box that so it was all outward.

When you think of a hypocrite. You.

You have to at least consider a classic and that is the notorious criminal by the name of Jesse James.

You've all heard the name did you know that Jesse James, the notorious murderer gang member bank robber loved the church. He loved his love Sundays are one occasion records that he killed a person robbed the bank then went to church to get baptized. And if that was a response to guilt or what, but on another occasion, robbed a bank shot the cashier had to make it to church because he was scheduled to teach him singing the people worship songs he said he love Sundays at church but it was a conflict of interest with his schedule because it was often. You know, robbing banks and killing people on Sunday type autocracy 1 Humorous Rd. never go to a doctor whose house plants have died. Good wisdom right no one goes to a hypocrite for life, values, or instruction. They been found out what Paul is speaking to such in the chapter 2 verse 17 to 29 let some let's let's read the text. Indeed, verse 17, you are called to and you rest on the law and you make your boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind alike to those who are in darkness and instructor of the foolish teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.

You therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself, you who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal, you who say, do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery you who abhor idols, do you rob temples you make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you as it is written for circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law, but if your breaker of the logger circumcision is become on circumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law will not his on circumcision be counted as circumcision and will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision are a transgressor of the law, for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not from men but from God.

Pretty obvious that Paul is speaking to those who have a Jewish background and and I think he's writing what he writes because he is anticipating an objection having written to the raunchy crowd. In chapter 1, who did disgraceful things and then writing about the religious crowd at the beginning of chapter 2 he is anticipating the reader saying how dear you, Paul lump us all together. Don't you know that we are chosen. We are special people. So in the audit that Paul gives.

He begins by listing their assets. This what you're doing good. This is good stuff.

Then he gives what's wrong. The deficits then finally the ultimate appraisal. Let's begin and end with the assets. Beginning in verse 17 Paul gives eight statements of what they did right and not to drill down on all eight I summoned all eight statements up in three asset categories. They have the right background. They had the right book and they had the right business I want to explain those they have the right background. Look at verse 17.

Indeed you are called a Jew, God's chosen people of the Jewish nation took pride in that name, Jew Jew is a shortened form of Jew.1 of the tribes of Israel. The tribe of Judah.

One of the sons of Jacob eventually became the southern kingdom of Judah were Judah means praise Yahweh.

They they relished in the fact that of all the people in the world. God shows them to give him praise to be a spiritual heritage. In fact, many Jews who lived in Gentile cities use the term to is like a second surname so like Skip Leipzig to say the name and then add the title Jew because because they relished that title Paul does something similar when he addressed the crowd and asked 22 there's a riot that breaks out in the temple and the Romans kind of guard him the policy limit is give a speech to these Jewish brethren. He begins by saying I am a Jew practices.

Indeed, I am a Jew born in Tarsus of solicitor. Not only that only gives his personal testimony in the book of Philippians. He says I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews. I'm not just a Jew. I'm not much Jew of Jews you know I'm up. I'm a Jew through and through on the True Blue Jew. He wrote on a Hebrew of the Hebrew the Hebrew stock, born of Hebrew parents.

So in saying that in verse 17 he is acknowledging their background saying you guys have a great spiritual heritage of a wonderful pedigree and background but as I've often said a good thing can become a bad thing.

If it keeps you from the best thing in this case it did. They stood behind the name Judas that's all we need this back to John the Baptist who was Duncan people of the Jordan River and the, the Jewish leaders. The other scribes and Pharisees came down to kind of evaluate him and John sees them coming and you know you member directors right here that really sweet grace.

The styles we saw them because you brood of vipers. It's a good opening statement. That'll get them rather than to win friends immediately. You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come.

And then he said and do not begin to think within yourselves, we have Abraham as our father, for God is able to raise up from these stones sons of Abraham Edwards don't you dare hide behind the idea that we are God's chosen people. We are Jewish people, which they did. They thought they were safe because they were Jews just like people today think they are safe because they were born in a Christian family. Hey, are you a Christian.

I was born a Christian Europe you will find that several people groups in Europe.

By default, identify with themselves as Christians. Many of them. Most of them do not go to church. Their faith is not real or active in any way but they will point to their national heritage from the past and just simply say we are a Christian nation. Of course I'm a Christian has no meaning whatsoever other than the title. If you go to the Middle East to find groups of people who identify with being a Christian, which simply means to them. I'm not a Muslim.

There's an Orthodox Christianity in my background I'm identifying without some degree, culturally, but I'm not a Muslim. So asset number one you got the right background. You call yourself a Jew, you rest on the law, you make your boast in God.

Second, asset not only did they have the right background. They had the right book verse 18 and you know his will, and approve the things that are excellent. Now, how was it that they knew his will. How was it that they could approve what is excellent next phrase tells you, being instructed out of the law they had right book for the law be there the first five books of Moses, the Torah, but the word law here refers to more than just the first five books.

It's a reference to the whole Old Testament all 39 of them what they call the time off. You have the right book in chapter 3 verse two he will say to them, the Jewish people were committed the very oracles of God.

In other words, all the people in the world God deposited with you Jewish people. His written revelation, you can know his well you have his command to transport you back in the time a few thousand years. If you are raising kids back then in the Jewish family that was your background let me tell you about how your kids were raised back then your little toddler would be running around the house already having learned the Shema out of Deuteronomy that great Shema East and Adonai locate new Adonai, that's what your toddler would be sitting and what that means is hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one that was a toddler by the time your child reaches five. He is studying or she is studying the Scriptures memorizing at age 5. The Halal songs.

Imagine your little five-year-old memorizing Psalm 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118 those Pilgrim Psalms that Pilgrim shared on the way to Jerusalem at age 6. Your child assent to the synagogue to learn to read and write in the only textbook was the Bible the right book by age 13, your son or by age 12. Your daughter would become an adult member in the community board will go to a bar mitzvah girl go through a bat mitzvah bar mitzvah means son of God's commandment, you are saying you are now responsible before God to keep the law of God, to commemorate that the boy would begin to wear what is called test fee lien little boxes. The New Testament calls and phylacteries little leather boxes and stopped in the boxes were Scriptures to focus on the law law law, God said, is to be before your eyes are to focus on is to be in your hand at your strength so they have the right book, but some of the rabbis taught that just learning facts of the law sufficient to please God. I had to do was memorize a few things in some even said if you just merely owned a copy of the law.

You have a girl in school. We were safe. You have your own Bible. That's all you need. You're good to go. So there. The right background they had right book now this principle of having the right book applies more strongly to us than them because we not only have the 39 books of the Old Testament, we have the 27 books of the New Testament we have the full revelation of God we have it all.

We have more light than they did and I would even go so far as to say that the average person sitting in this room right now has more working knowledge of the Scriptures in many pastors that I have met international who don't have access to what you have access to in terms of resources and radio and podcasts and Bible teaching. So we have that the weight of that having the right background the right book ourselves will even add to that and say besides all that we have the Holy Spirit living in us Old Testament they didn't have that we have the Holy Spirit resident within us, to enable us to live a life pleasing to God.

So we we have a lot there's 1/3 thing in their asset category. They had the right business meet me read you what I mean. Verse 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness and instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. That is precisely what God originally intended the nation of Israel to become just what Paul wrote a light to those who are in darkness. God's original design for Israel is that she become an exporter of spiritual truth to the world why God told Abram in you all the nations of the world are to be blessed. So God's chosen people were God's responsible people because they were chosen, there were also responsible they had a business to be an ambassador of truth to the world being instructed. They instruct being taught they teach being enlightened they were to enlighten Isaiah in Isaiah 42 it says I the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness, and you will be a light to guide all nations to me. Okay, now that thought in mind make a quick pivot to the New Testament, Jesus told his followers.

You and me were his followers besides his disciples, he said you are the light of the world. You're the light of the world.

You are the light of the world. You are the light of the world.

The city set upon a hill cannot be hit so let your light shine among men that people will see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven, so we too have the right business even more so that's why Christians who never witness like kids playing with flashlights when you normally shine the light of the flashlight in each other's eyes is my flashlight writer nears. It's like okay I'm glad you're having fun but the purpose of the flashlight is to lead people out of darkness make it useful. So sometimes we love to get together and have our events and have our parties and hooted up in celebrate. That's good, but we got sick. The light where the light really counts, and be an exporter of truth to enlighten those who are unenlightened, so that's your assets right background right book right business. Now let's let's turn consider the next thing the auditor does is get the list of deficits with they did wrong on if you're like me, but I love vinyl records, probably not a lot of you do. I love vinyl records still play records on a record player. Some of you don't even know what I'm talking I'm using a language not familiar with, but but come, let me just tell you little bit about vinyl records just a moment in the day. Bands were put out records and often a record would sell just because of a song or two on the a side but there was always the B side and you listen to it because you're devoted to the group or the or the singer Yosemite. But when you flip it over play to be say I can see ways on the visa and see why they don't start with a song right so you buy at all.

And you gotta flip it over so Paul plays the ace side figure good there should get it that you got this would not be flip beside is the visa and there's a list of deficits they have the wrong practice the wrong prominence. I'll explain that in the wrong perspective that's what's wrong was of the deficits in this audit Skip message from a series you Skip to show you how you can keep this broadcast going strong connecting you and many others to God's truth financial question. Does your life stand out. We want to help you lead a life that goes against the flow of this world and shines right for Christ.

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