"Needed: Authentic Christians"

Hi there this is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor that God is given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that. Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God, chapter 11, when Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat only when enemy reclined at the table but the Pharisee noticing that Jesus did not first wash his hands before the meal was surprised as everyone in Jesus washes and that seems like a reasonable thing to ask when are you gotta understand what's going on here when the Pharisees would sit down for a meal.

The rabbis would sit down. They went through an elaborate handwashing ritual. They would first of all pull water from their fingertips down to their elbows and then they would take soap and they would work it around in their hands they would turn it the other way and pour water. This time the other direction from the elbows down to their fingers and they would go through this ritual.

The closest thing I can compare to today is, like a doctor scrubbing optical in the operating rooms, like with these guys would go through. As a matter of good hygiene, but this is not why the rabbis wash their hands was not a matter of hygiene.

It was a matter of religious rituals and the point they were trying to make was this. We are so clean on the inside. We are so righteous on the inside that we dare not let anything dirty come in us from the outside so we gotta go through this incredible ritual now Jesus looked at them they were mad at Jesus because he didn't do it. Jesus looked at them and decided that these guys needed a reality check and so he gives it to look at this verse 39 then the Lord said to him, this Rabbi you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the outside of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness, you foolish people did not the same one. The same God who made the outside of the cup also make the inside of the cup. I think about fellows you know what he saying here. You had the experience of reaching up in your kitchen cupboard and you pulled out a little porcelain mug and looks gorgeous from outside nice and clean and shiny and then you go to pour coffee or submit it.

You look down at it and is always Stroman residue that's on down on the bottom are some I didn't really get down in there and work it just that experience a lot because I do a lot of the dishes around our house and I just gotta stick it in for the ramp and over the drying rack and then later you know when I look in it. I realize I can get everything that was in there and start with disgusted good drink out of that cup. I don't care how good that couples on the outside, you don't care how it looks on outside.

It is dirty on the inside and that's what Jesus is saying these people he say look, if you guys were as careful about cleaning the inside as you are about cleaning the outside.

If you were as obsessed about purifying your heart and your attitude and your motives as you are obsessed about washing your hand you'd be better people. Everybody around you will get a bigger blessing, and you make a much bigger impression upon God and your presently making that he's on a roll so he keeps going. Here, look first 42. Because woe to you Pharisees, because you give 1/10 of all your men and your room and all your other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. Once again we got a problem with outside appearance versus inside reality on the outside. Jesus said you guys love to give people the impression that God is number one in your life and the way you do this is to give God lots of money and elsewhere in the Bible.

He says you know you blow your trumpet and you marched down the street and you give your money and you want everybody to see you give your money so that they know you love God but Jesus said he on the inside. The real truth is God's not number one in your life you are and the reason I know that is that you guys will compromise justice.

Jesus said, you will compromise what you know is right and what you know is right just just to get what you want and people who have God number one in their life. Don't do that and he's going verse 43 he says woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and you love the greetings in the marketplace is here again we got another problem with an outside inside situation that you know if you go to synagogue worship that they'll never have an offering to never take offering.

Sounds like a great place not only minute they never take an offering is how to get the money to run the thing.

Well, the way they do it is they sell seats so they want what they sell seats. See if you planning to go to heaven to the Jewish religion. You better be there on Yom Kippur, you better be there on special holidays and the way they do it if they sell. You see for the year. Now, on the average Saturday you get a seat anywhere you want, but on the big days you better have your seat they sell seats seats on all equally priced. The most expensive seats are in the front and then they get less expensive as you move towards the back is what Jesus is talking about here.

The most important seats in the synagogue were upfront and when I was growing up. Every year my parents had to buy seats in the synagogue are music towards the back, but nonetheless we had a seat and that's the way they do it now I gotta take the first time I ever went to church us 21 years old. I'd only been a Christian short time and never been in church my whole life and the first church I went to was little Baptist Church and I walking this little Baptist Church and this guy comes up to become a big name badge on says usher. So then he says, follow me on taking his seat so he walks me in his church and he walks me all the way down the aisle and put me right in the front.

Well man. I said wow I love this church I love these people look at this. I know me at first, never hear anything I give me the best seat in the whole house. I should've been a Christian long time ago. I'm not hello McFly, I mean it took me a while to figure out how come I got the seat in the front.

You know what I'm saying you talk about a cross-cultural experience friends but you see in the Jewish synagogue. There's a real pecking order that works like this. It's front to back. And what Jesus was saying is, guys, we have a problem here. The problem is that is Rabbi you keep presenting yourself to the world on the inside is really caring about people on the inside is really wanting to serve people on the inside is really wanting to put people first. But the truth of the matter is you don't really want to put people first. You want to be first you want to be in the front of the synagogue you want to be greeted.

You want the prerogatives you want the privileges that come with being Rabbi you want to give those up given to somebody else so parade yourself around like you do.

Finally he says to them. Verse 44 woe to you, because you like unmarked graves that men walk by living realize the walking by great, I like the way he says it in Matthew 23 he said you are like whitewashed tombs, you know, that means the tomb is painted white on the outside, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside you're full of dead men's bones in the same way on the outside. You appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness that you want to read the rest of the chapter versus 4552 you'll find the Jesus then turned his attention to the professional religious teachers. The seminary professors. Any reading them out over the very same issue when I can go through it but at the very same issue but a setback for just a minute from the intensity of Jesus's words. This is pretty intense is pretty strong language and let's ask a basic question, what is it that Jesus was so upset about what is it that was broken in these guys live. The Jesus was trying to make them understand needed to be fixed. That's the question the answer is that these guys had a monumental inside outside problem on the outside. They carry themselves like righteous men like men of God. But when you took a hard look at the inside it didn't match up in the really tragic thing is that they didn't even care about the inside. They were even worried about the inside the inside and the difference to them. As far as they were concerned, as long as they could keep the outside show up in the outside façade up and keep the game going on outside.

Everything was fine now. God has a word for these, people like to use is it right down in chapter 12 verse one he says to the crowd.

Be on your guard against the yeast against the evil of the rabbis which is what hypocrisy hypocrisy comes from a Greek word in the Greek word means to wear a mask to pretend to be something that you're not. That's what was going on with these people and Jesus was trying to help them see that and understand that about themselves, but you know when somebody tries to make you realize that you're inconsistent that your hypocrite you want to do one of two things really go to humble yourself and say you know you're right and you deal with it or hate them for telling you to do everything you can to get rid of one of these guys do look at verse 53 when Jesus left there the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions waiting to catch him in something he might say why so they could accusing why so they could killing why so they can get rid of it. Why so he stopped telling them they were hypocrite, that's what. And of course eventually they were able temporarily to get rid of. Now let's stop the passage at the end of the passage, but let's ask the question, so what what it was and across while like to suggest to you that we talk about what's the missing element here. Okay if the problem was hypocrisy, then what's the opposite of hypocrisy. Let's take an SAT exam okay antonym hypocrisy what's antonym authenticity right genuineness. In fact, the Greek word authenticity are authentic actually comes from a word, authentic cost, which means to act like yourself to be real to be genuine where the inside and outside matchup where what you see is what you get. That's what it means to be authentic, and this is something that as a society. Today we have got a major crisis in the whole issue of authenticity not just in the church but across all of our society. I don't know if you keep up much with demographics to rely on the demographics you know the generations the busters and the boomers and the builders I got my own name for the people under 10. I called the blasters. I'm not sure if that'll stick but that, describes one… But anyway the other ones are used commonly and if you read some of this what you will find is there's an incredible cynicism and skepticism that is settling in to the twentysomething generation, the Buster generation that's really frightening. I was reading an article by Ian Williams. It's called trash that baby boom and here's what he said he got even calling so Buster they don't like that word Generation X. I like that either lost generation like that either he calls himself a twentysomething or Thai. Well, whatever. Okay this what he said.

Another element of the boomers groupthink that drives us twentysomething years, knots, is that groups hypocrisy, which by now is legendary because of their hypocrisy. We as twentysomething years have become philosophical nomads believing very little of what we hear and none of what we see, we've been backed into this corner by years of being shown what happens when you put your faith in anything that scary guy saying he singularly anything we see none of what we hear in the way we got here is by years of putting our faith in people putting our faith in things and being let down letdown letdown letdown and now were cynical about everything and you know it's true.

If you have baby boomers come into our church. They don't trust institutions people my age and they'll come in and they'll say you no longer. I don't think I trust the church but busters come in and they say lawn.

I will think I trust the church and the Megan was idling. I trust you will either. I mean, it is a deep-seated cynicism and why they feel like this is because they've seen and heard and had too many non-authentic experiences with professing Christians. That's how they got there does not talk about the Jimmy Swaggart and the Jim and Tammy Baker's and all the child molesting priest and prime time with his exposés of Robert Tilton and Larry Lee. I'm also talking about the experiences that these people have had with every day professing Christians like mom like dad, like the church youth group like the Catholic school like things the church doesn't things Christians do that. They seem anything brought about hypocrites. Do we deserve that reputation well is be honest folks, we done a pretty good job observing that, credibility loss, you know, when I go out and try to speak to people about giving your life to Jesus Christ.

Whether it's a deliveryman at the door somebody in the open air or people at a meeting doesn't matter. You know what's interesting you know what I find to be the number one objection that people have why the really they say they're not interested in believing in Jesus Christ, you say well they tell you they don't believe that Jonah was swallowed by the fish. No that's not it.

I don't believe Adam and Eve really existed, no that's not it. I don't believe Jesus rose from the dead know hardly ever get that one know what I get all the time why a preacher wants and he and I know a Christian wants and she is what I get all the time. What that means is in authentic Christian living is doing far more to hurt evangelism in our society than any other single issue. I don't know if you get that same responsible. I suspect you do, let me just say that I bet there's some of you here this morning who been soured on Christianity just because of this kind of thing.

Maybe you grew up in a Christian home, or you grew up going to a church and you saw a lot in authentic Christian behavior and you soured you so bad that still today you're struggling to get over that is, there are long.

You're right. I feel that way when he got to say to me what I have to say to you is this number one remember that the validity of Christianity depends on Jesus Christ, not Christians in the Jesus Christ is impeccably authentic. He's never done one thing in authentic to you or anybody else.

He is the foundation of Christianity. The second thing I'd say to you is remember the matter how hard we as his followers might even try to be authentic whenever going to make it 100% whenever going to be able to be 100% genuine and real and non-hypocritical if we were able to do that perfectly we wouldn't be sinners and we would need a Savior start with.

Now if your little older little wiser now than you were years ago when you got soured on Christianity, I invite you to come back and take another look.

But to come back and take another look. Realizing that all of this doesn't rise and fall on Christians behavior rises and falls on the validity of Jesus Christ.

I hope you think about several long, Christian, good. So this is great you're telling me that we can all be perfect. We can all be non-hypocritical. Don't worry about it and wait a minute by minute that you want to set that is what I said at all.

What I'm saying is if you're Christian, I think we need a revival of passion for authentic Christian behavior. If we have any chance to make a mark on this world and friends.

Bill Hibel's left that conference going back to Willow Creek and here's what he said is a result of the conference, I decided the best thing I can do for my church as its senior pastor is to lead an authentic Christian life is more important in preaching great sermons. It's more important than writing great books. It's more important than running a smooth organization. The best thing I can do to serve my church is as its leader live in authentic Christian life myself and I like to say to you that if you're Christian my dear friend, the most important thing you can do for the cause of world evangelism.

The most important thing you can do to help McLean Bible church touch people's lives out there with the love of God, the most important thing that you can do to help us restore and reestablish the credibility of Jesus Christ and the church and Christianity in this society. The most important thing you can do is to go out there in that marketplace and live in authentic Christian life in front of everybody watch that's the most important thing more important given him a tape more important to bring in the church you live in authentic Christian life.got some suggestions. Real quick is a close how you doing I got for needs ready if they are writing down consistency is my first E humility is my second E honesty is my 30 and priority on people.

My 14 write them down and I want to expand on for just a second consistency. Humility, honesty, and a priority on people when he talked about it for second.

What I mean by consistency.

What I mean is that we go out there and we hold up the Bible to people in the world and we say this is the standard by which we ought to be living. This is the standard which we ought to be conforming to in our lifestyle and were right in doing that, that's correct, but consistency means that you and I have to be willing to live by the very same standard were telling the rest of the world they have to live by. And when we don't we lose all authenticity and their site number two humility admitting that you blew it. Admitting that you were wrong when you're wrong. Going to somebody and asking for forgiveness. You know what I found. Often humility will communicate more authenticity to people than if you got it right the first place. It's not lack of perfection that causes the world non-Christians to lose their respect for us. They will expect us to be perfect, but they do expect us to be honest were not to be humble and honest and authentic when we blow it. That's all they want, and you know what's interesting everybody that you've ever done wrong to know you're wrong if you go tell them how I was wrong. They won't stand there and go really. I never thought that the worry that won't happen. They know you're wrong you kids know you're wrong when you blow it. Your friends know you're wrong when you blow it. The purpose of going to them is to show them that you're honest and authentic enough as a human being that they can trust you want to win authenticity with people. It doesn't mean you have to be perfect. It just means you have to be humble when you blow it.

Third, got a hurry.

Honesty what I mean by that is, full disclosure being upfront plaintiff straight with people not manipulating people not deceiving people not tricking people so that after people deal with you. They don't feel like they dealt with used car sales.

That's what I'm talking about. People may not like your opinion. They may not agree with your position. They may not like what you're saying to them, but if you want to be authentic with people the way to do it is that people have to have the assurance that when they deal with you what they see is what they get.

You're gonna tell him the straight truth, you're not going to play ring around the Mulberry Bush with them but you're gonna deal with them honestly. Fourth and finally placing a priority on people, folks, this is the world doesn't do that. This is a world of places a priority on using people to get things done and if we want to establish authenticity as a church we as a church. The church goes around and says we value people wiggle around and say God loves people. We go around and say people are first with God. But then when we come in. We mistreat people and we use people and we see people as tools to get what we want instead of treasuring them and valuing them as people. What are we doing blowing all of our authenticity because the inside and outside of what were saying our matching up does the church ever do that, you know, it does some of you been chewed up and meet grinders by churches who didn't love you, but they love what you could do for.

They didn't really want you, but they wanted everything you could give them and do for many of us here know what is like to be treated that way by the church or Christian organization friends if we want to earn authenticity in our world and we as a church have to treat people as the most valuable thing we value people, not for what they can do for us, not for what we can get out of them, not for how they can advance some purpose of ours, but we value them because there people there not a means to an end. They are the and if we're willing to do that will win in authentic hearing from the world. I'm at a time close by saying this when you want to cut down the forest. Had he cut it down. What one treated time right if you want to win the world of Christ to make a difference in this Washington community how we can do it will and do what one person at a time and what's the foundation on which were to reach one person at a time. Is it to passing out tapes no is it to given out tracks know is it to bring people to church note is about tone watch Christian television whiskers radio no daily wrong with any of those things no but you know what friends if there is not a foundation of authentic Christian living that your building out on you not getting anywhere, anywhere, our personal authenticity as Christians is the key to touching that world out there. My prayer for you, as a result of your being here this morning. My prayer for you is that God will speak to your heart and say you know I want to make you George. I want to make you Susie, I want to make you Bill, I want to make you Tammy an instrument of world evangelism.

Let me tell you how to do. I'm good to do it by helping you live in authentic Christian life you will and let me do that for you're not because that's how we can reach people, and I hope this to some changes need to be made in your lifestyle because of what we talked about this morning that you ask God to help you make heavenly father, thank you for the word of God being so practical and thank you that it speaks to the real issues of life. I want to thank you for Jesus's words to us this morning, reminding us that is not what's on the outside accounts. If the inside doesn't match. Lord we ask you to forgive us both as individuals and as as members of the church at large. Those of us who Christian senior to forgive us for the times where we've been very sloppy about our authenticity where we've kind of dismissed. It is not really been all that important. What we've heard the cause of Christ by living that way and I pray that you would speak to our hearts this morning about the need to to revive our passion for real, genuine, authentic Christian living where Jesus is the only way and you know what they were ever going to reach this world the only way were ever going to restore the credibility of the church and Christianity in Jesus Christ, so send us out of here. I pray this day committed to a new birth of authentic living in our lives as Christians.

Maybe some of us need to go back and see people that we wrong. Maybe some of us need to change the way we operate with people maybe some of us need to change things in our lifestyle.

So were more consistent, whatever it may be dear God give us the courage we need to make those changes give us the help we need, because will need your power and use a sword as a result of all of this, I pray to make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ.

I pray these things in Jesus name amen been listening to satellite with Dr. Lon Solomon said, when is an outrage of Lon Solomon ministry to listen to today's message more. For more information visit our website Lon Solomon ministry started. Thank you for your support. If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call us at 866788777 you will join us next time when line seeks to answer one of life's missed important stands