Hypocrites Are Us
Are you pretty good at tellin’ others what to do, but maybe you don’t listen to what you are sayin’? You know what I’m talkin’ about, “Do as I say, not as I do.” How many of us, as parents, teachers, coaches, leaders, or – yes, even pastors. have ever said something like this?
There are a great number of folks who claim that they won’t attend church because of someone else who attends and the way they act. “I am not going to have anything to do with church because it is full of hypocrites.”
“I’ll tell you what, I see where the Bible teaches one thing and some of them church members do just the opposite.” Yes, that is called sin. The Church is full of sinners, and just as Paul says, “I am the greatest.”
It’s called hypocrisy which originates in the Greek. It’s Greek to me! Seriously, it was a theatrical term describing an actor that played two or more roles often wearing a mask as a disguise. That’s where we get two-faced from. We have some other names for it as well. Hypocrisy is all about living a lie. It involves deception, dishonesty, and trickery. Why does this person do this? Often, he does it to seek praise and approval from others. But we need to know; God is not pleased! Jesus commands us in Matthew 6 not to be hypocritical in our giving, our prayers, or in our fasting.
And, yes, there are hypocrites in the church, and it hurts when we find out they are not who they represent themselves to be. A hypocrite can destroy not only his own reputation, but also the reputation of the local church as well.
Jesus pointed out that the scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites for they did not do at all as they taught. Matthew 23:2-3, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.”Moses; therefore NASU
But is a preacher or teacher to be considered a hypocrite because he teaches God’s word, yet has sin in his life? Paul said in 1 Tim 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Paul wasn’t excused as a result of this and nor should we!
So are preachers hypocrites? It is true that James 3:1 warns that preachers and teachers “will incur a stricter judgment.” As a minister, God requires me to preach Truth from the Word of God. If I only preach on the subjects I have mastered there would be very little left for me to talk about. When I stand on my “preacher’s box,” I stand as part of the group. When I speak, I am first preaching to myself. God convicts me, and then He shows me through His word and then He guides me to prepare a message that I need to hear. And, no doubt, the local body needs to hear it as well! So, in proclaiming God’s Word, as long as we don’t falsely claim that we have mastered it, we are not being hypocrites. Those who make false claims will be judged.
You could look at it like this: It’s a good thing all them hypocrites are in their fancy church buildings on Sunday mornings with the doors closed so that all the folks in the world who are without sin won’t have to put up with us for a couple of hours.
The trouble is that the world is confused! They somehow have the idea that followers of God should never fail.. But folks, the church is plum full of sinners. Now, as to whether not having to surround yourself with sinners is some sort of a valid excuse for staying away from church and surrendering your life to Christ, you’ll have to take that up with God. But, God won’t go against His Word!