{"id":29807,"date":"2025-10-26T17:46:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T17:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/?post_type=cpl_item&#038;p=29807"},"modified":"2025-10-27T23:49:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T23:49:02","slug":"the-danger-of-hypocrisy","status":"publish","type":"cpl_item","link":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/sermons\/the-danger-of-hypocrisy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Danger of Hypocrisy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m going to speak about <strong>two men<\/strong>\u2014not because this is only a man\u2019s problem, but because it so happens that I know both of these men.<br \/>\nI will change their names to preserve their privacy.<\/p>\n<p>So, these two men are <strong>James<\/strong> and <strong>Anthony<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Two Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>James<\/strong> grew up in a Pentecostal congregation.<br \/>\nHe was very active and deeply involved in church life. There was a moment when he felt discouraged and stepped away for a time, but by and large, most of his life was spent serving his local church.<br \/>\nHe came from a family of ministers and therefore devoted much of his energy to doing the work of the gospel both in his church and in his community.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is <strong>Anthony.<\/strong><br \/>\nHe was raised in a Reformed context\u2014also heavily involved in church life\u2014and was even put forth to serve as an office bearer within his local congregation.<br \/>\nLike James, Anthony came from a family of ministers, all within the Christian Reformed Church.<br \/>\nBy all appearances, he was devoted to God, to his family, and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>These two men have never met.<br \/>\nThey have never exchanged a conversation.<br \/>\nThey don\u2019t know each other.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, their stories <strong>converge<\/strong> in this:<br \/>\nBoth were found to be engaging in <strong>criminal activity<\/strong> that has resulted in them being imprisoned.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Tragic Convergence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The specifics of their crimes are unnecessary for our purposes.<br \/>\nWhat matters is that <strong>two men raised in Christian contexts<\/strong>\u2014men who once professed faith in Christ\u2014<strong>now find themselves in prison.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The life they professed before the world was <strong>not the life they truly had before God.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You might be wondering: <em>Why am I bringing up the story of these two men?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The reason is this\u2014<br \/>\nThey are a <strong>living example<\/strong> of what Jesus warns against in our passage today.<br \/>\nBoth men had <strong>dressed up their lives so well<\/strong> that they appeared to be exemplary Christians.<br \/>\nYet behind the fa\u00e7ade of good works were <strong>hearts untethered from the gospel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Heart of the Matter: Gospel Integrity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why were their hearts untethered from the gospel?<br \/>\nBecause although they professed <em>justification by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone<\/em>,<br \/>\nthey only allowed that truth to take root in their <strong>minds<\/strong>, not in their <strong>hearts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The reason they made a shipwreck of their faith is because they <strong>believed something intellectually<\/strong>,<br \/>\nbut they did not <strong>embrace it affectionately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, they lacked what we might call <strong>gospel integrity<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThat is, faith that is not only confessed with the mouth but <strong>cherished in the heart<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\na faith that produces love, humility, and obedience.<\/p>\n<p>Gospel integrity means that the gospel is not merely a <strong>proposition about God<\/strong>,<br \/>\nbut a <strong>fervent desire to love Him<\/strong> because of who He is to us in Christ.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael Reeves on the Church\u2019s Greatest Need<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Author <strong>Michael Reeves<\/strong>, in his book <em>Evangelical Pharisees<\/em>, opens with a probing question:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is the most urgent need of the church today?<br \/>\nBetter leadership? Better training? Healthier giving? Orthodoxy? Moral integrity?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He goes on to say that each of these is undoubtedly needed\u2014<br \/>\n<strong>but underneath them all lies something even more vital: gospel integrity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What Is Gospel Integrity?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gospel integrity<\/strong> is understanding that<br \/>\nwe need the gospel <strong>every day of our lives<\/strong>\u2014and <strong>forever.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the recognition that the same gospel that saves us is the gospel that sustains us.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s not merely the starting point of faith; it is the <strong>center<\/strong> of all Christian life and practice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Main Point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Flee from hypocrisy and run to the gospel again and again.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In this passage, Jesus shifts from a clear exposition of the <strong>love of God<\/strong> and its true meaning<br \/>\nto a practical guide for how His disciples are to live as those who belong to the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n<p>He begins to focus on <strong>piety<\/strong>\u2014on acts such as <strong>almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.<\/strong><br \/>\nBecause these activities are spiritual in nature and promote devotion,<br \/>\nJesus warns His disciples that even in their practice of piety, they must beware of the temptation toward <strong>self-worship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, He calls them to be on guard against <strong>hypocrisy<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\nto ensure that their outward devotion flows from inward love.<\/p>\n<p>And how are we to guard against hypocrisy?<br \/>\nBy continually <strong>running to the gospel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two Points for This Morning<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Flee from Hypocrisy<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Run to the Gospel<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before the Two Points: Two Qualifications<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now, before I get to the two points, I just want to mention briefly <strong>two qualifications<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First Qualification: We Are Called to Practice (Do) Righteousness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The gospel never <strong>alters the requirement of piety<\/strong>\u2014it only <strong>alters the source<\/strong> of our piety.<\/p>\n<p>We are indeed called to <strong>practice righteousness<\/strong>, to live in obedience to God, and to express our faith through acts of love and mercy. The presence of grace does not cancel the call to holiness; rather, it transforms where that holiness comes from.<\/p>\n<p>Our righteousness is not <strong>self-generated<\/strong>, but <strong>Spirit-produced<\/strong>. It is not a ladder to reach God but a <strong>response<\/strong> to having been reached by God through Christ.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second Qualification: People Will See Our Good Works<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jesus is not negating the requirement to do good works.<br \/>\nIf that were the case, <strong>Matthew 5:13\u201316<\/strong> would make no sense\u2014<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, what <em>is<\/em> Jesus saying here in Matthew 6:1?<\/p>\n<p>To quote one commentator:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is being warned against has two linked elements:<br \/>\nit is not action before others as such which is the problem,<br \/>\nbut action before others <em>with a view to being seen<\/em> (to be doing good).<br \/>\nThe desire to create an impression of piety and virtue is what is being criticized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, Jesus is not condemning visible obedience\u2014He is exposing <strong>performative obedience<\/strong>.<br \/>\nThe problem is not that others see your good works, but that <em>you want<\/em> them to see your good works.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Point 1: Flee from Hypocrisy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>First: Understand the Danger \u2014 \u201cBeware\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jesus begins the verse by saying, <strong>\u201cBeware.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nThat word carries the sense of being <strong>on guard<\/strong>, of <strong>taking care<\/strong>, or <strong>being watchful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The verb can be rendered \u201cturn your mind to,\u201d meaning \u201cgive careful attention to,\u201d or \u201cconcentrate on.\u201d<br \/>\nIn other words, Jesus is inviting His hearers to <strong>focus intently<\/strong> on what truly matters when performing any act of righteousness.<\/p>\n<p>This caution\u2014this \u201cbeware\u201d\u2014is not a <strong>one-time warning<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIt is a call to be <strong>constantly vigilant<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus is not saying, \u201cBe careful today and forget about it tomorrow.\u201d<br \/>\nHe is saying, \u201cBe continually aware that hypocrisy lurks close at hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because the <strong>primary threat<\/strong> to the church is not external opposition,<br \/>\nbut internal corruption\u2014<strong>the danger of hypocrisy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>As Michael Reeves noted, the greatest danger facing the church is not poor leadership or lack of orthodoxy,<br \/>\nbut the <strong>absence of gospel integrity<\/strong>\u2014which is, at its core, <strong>a disbelief in the gospel<\/strong> itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Nature of Hypocrisy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jesus exposes His disciples to the danger of hypocrisy because <strong>hypocrisy is fundamentally unbelief<\/strong> in the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>We all know that the word <em>hypocrite<\/em> literally means \u201cto act the part.\u201d<br \/>\nIt refers to <strong>pretending<\/strong> to be something you are not.<\/p>\n<p>It is to <strong>take upon yourself a persona that doesn\u2019t belong to you<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\nto perform righteousness externally without possessing it internally.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, <strong>hypocrisy is acting.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve all seen actors on television or in movies play historical roles\u2014portraying someone they are not.<br \/>\nThat\u2019s the picture Jesus is drawing here.<\/p>\n<p>He is warning His disciples not to become <strong>spiritual actors<\/strong>,<br \/>\npeople who perform their piety <strong>for an audience<\/strong>,<br \/>\nbut whose hearts are far from the One to whom their piety should be directed.<\/p>\n<p>And so, Jesus begins His teaching on righteousness by saying,<br \/>\n<strong>\u201cBeware.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nTake care. Be vigilant.<br \/>\nGuard your heart against hypocrisy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second: Know Hypocrisy\u2019s Context \u2014 \u201cPracticing Your Righteousness\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A natural question that arises is this:<br \/>\n<strong>When are we in danger of hypocrisy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What we must see is that the <strong>most common way hypocrisy manifests itself<\/strong> is precisely in the <strong>spiritual activities<\/strong> Jesus goes on to describe\u2014namely, the <strong>giving of alms<\/strong> (giving to the needy), <strong>prayer<\/strong>, and <strong>fasting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it is not only in these particular acts that hypocrisy appears,<br \/>\nbut it <strong>fundamentally manifests<\/strong> in our <strong>expressions of piety<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\nthat is, in whatever we do to engage with God spiritually.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where Hypocrisy Appears Most Often<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Whenever we practice spiritual devotion, we are <strong>exposed<\/strong> to the danger of hypocrisy.<br \/>\nThat might include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Giving to those in need,<\/li>\n<li>Praying in private or public,<\/li>\n<li>Fasting,<\/li>\n<li>Attending church,<\/li>\n<li>Participating in Bible study, or<\/li>\n<li>Engaging in any of the opportunities offered within the life of the church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Any spiritual activity\u2014no matter how good or sincere it appears\u2014<strong>exposes our hearts<\/strong> to the temptation of hypocrisy.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the danger:<br \/>\nour devotion itself can become a <strong>stage<\/strong> upon which our hearts seek recognition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Understanding Our Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We must understand that we live in a context where, as Christians, we are <strong>often exposed<\/strong> to hypocrisy.<\/p>\n<p>Why?<br \/>\nBecause we are <strong>often engaged<\/strong> in spiritual activities.<\/p>\n<p>So not only must we be <strong>aware of the danger<\/strong> of hypocrisy\u2014which, as we have seen, is fundamentally a <strong>disbelief in the gospel<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\nbut we must also understand the <strong>context<\/strong> in which hypocrisy tends to arise:<br \/>\nit happens precisely when we are <strong>doing spiritual things.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This means that spiritual life itself requires <strong>constant vigilance<\/strong>\u2014<br \/>\nfor the very acts meant to draw us closer to God can, if we are not watchful, become acts of <strong>self-worship<\/strong> instead.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Third: Understand Hypocrisy\u2019s Goal \u2014 The Worship of Self<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lastly, I want to look at how we should flee from hypocrisy\u2014and it\u2019s by <strong>understanding the end goal of hypocrisy<\/strong>, or what hypocrisy ultimately seeks to achieve.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where Hypocrisy Leads<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Up to this point, you may be wondering, <em>\u201cWhy is it that the word \u2018hypocrisy\u2019 doesn\u2019t even appear in our text, and yet the pastor keeps talking about hypocrisy?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a fair question.<\/p>\n<p>I believe that understanding what Jesus is communicating here helps us see that hypocrisy is not merely mentioned\u2014it is <strong>exposed<\/strong>. To make that connection clearer, I want to briefly turn to another passage in the Gospel of John, and then return to what Jesus says here in the Gospel of Matthew.<\/p>\n<p><strong>John 5:39\u201344 \u2014 The Root of Hypocrisy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In <strong>John 5<\/strong>, Jesus is confronting the Pharisees, helping them understand that He is the <strong>Son of God<\/strong>.<br \/>\nBeginning in verse 39, He gets to the heart of their unbelief:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life;<br \/>\nand it is they that bear witness about Me,<br \/>\nyet you refuse to come to Me that you may have life.\u201d<br \/>\n\u2014 <em>John 5:39\u201340 (ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Then, starting in verse 41, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between Himself and the Pharisees:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not receive glory from people.<br \/>\nBut I know that you do not have the love of God within you.<br \/>\nI have come in My Father\u2019s name, and you do not receive Me.<br \/>\nIf another comes in his own name, you will receive him.\u201d<br \/>\n\u2014 <em>John 5:41\u201343 (ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>And finally, in verse 44, Jesus exposes the true root of hypocrisy:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow can you believe, when you receive glory from one another<br \/>\nand do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?\u201d<br \/>\n\u2014 <em>John 5:44 (ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In other words, Jesus is saying:<br \/>\nThe reason you cannot believe is because you are more concerned with <strong>receiving glory from others<\/strong> than with <strong>seeking glory from God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You crave the validation of men more than the righteousness that comes from God.<br \/>\nYou would rather <strong>pretend to be pious<\/strong> than actually <strong>be pious<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Back to Matthew 6:1 \u2014 The Warning<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And this takes us back to <strong>Matthew 6:1<\/strong>, where Jesus says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve already established that Jesus is <strong>not<\/strong> forbidding us from doing good works in the presence of others.<br \/>\nRather, He is warning about the <strong>intent<\/strong> behind those works.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus is saying, \u201cWhen you engage in acts of righteousness, be careful\u2014be on guard\u2014that you are doing them for the right reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What Does It Mean \u201cTo Be Seen\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s interesting that Jesus specifically says,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeware of practicing your righteousness before other people <strong>in order to be seen<\/strong> by them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what does it mean to be \u201cseen\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>The word used here carries the sense of <strong>being beheld as part of a spectacle<\/strong>\u2014to become the focus of attention, the object on display.<\/p>\n<p>It is to practice piety in such a way that <strong>the attention shifts from God to the one being pious.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>An Illustration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Think of it this way:<br \/>\nWhen you watch a football game, it would be strange to spend the entire time watching the sidelines instead of the field.<br \/>\nWhy? Because that\u2019s not where the spectacle is!<\/p>\n<p>The action, the focus, the purpose\u2014it\u2019s all <strong>between the white lines<\/strong>. That\u2019s where your eyes are supposed to be.<\/p>\n<p>In the same way, when our piety becomes a spectacle\u2014when we perform our spirituality so that others behold <em>us<\/em>\u2014then <strong>we have replaced God as the center of worship.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At that point, the main person, the main object of devotion, is no longer <strong>God<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s <strong>you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>And that is why hypocrisy is so dangerous:<br \/>\nit turns <strong>us<\/strong> into the object of worship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Soli Deo Gloria<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is exactly why the Reformers insisted upon the great Reformation cry:<br \/>\n<strong><em>Soli Deo Gloria<\/em> \u2014 \u201cTo God alone be the glory.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because the heart of true piety is not self-exaltation, but <strong>God-exaltation.<\/strong><br \/>\nThe gospel frees us from the exhausting performance of self-glory and redirects all glory to Him.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Main Point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Flee from hypocrisy and run to the gospel again and again.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How Do We Avoid Hypocrisy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Gospel!<\/strong><br \/>\nRun to the gospel again and again.<\/p>\n<p>Only the gospel can tear down the idol of self.<br \/>\nOnly the gospel can reorient the heart so that, in everything, we seek not our own praise but the glory of God alone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First \u2013 Understand Your Heart: It Is Desperately Sick (Jeremiah 17:9)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jeremiah gives us the classic description of the human heart:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?\u201d (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)<\/p>\n<p>We often grow weary of hearing that truth. We might wonder, <em>Why can\u2019t we just get to the good news? Why must we always talk about sin? What about the good things we do?<\/em> And there is a proper balance\u2014Scripture does not call us to dwell morbidly on our sin\u2014but to see it rightly.<\/p>\n<p>This is precisely why, in our liturgy, we have a <strong>Prayer of Confession<\/strong> following the <strong>Reading of the Law<\/strong>: it reminds us that we are often covenant breakers. The gospel comes not to those who have it all together, but to sinners who know their need.<\/p>\n<p>If we fail to examine our hearts\u2014to see their depravity, their waywardness, their proneness to wander as we sing in the hymn, <em>\u201cProne to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love\u201d<\/em>\u2014then the gospel will not be sweet to us. It will be easy to slip into hypocrisy, to hide our sin, and to treat our transgressions as no real offense.<\/p>\n<p>So, the <strong>first step in running to the gospel<\/strong> is this:<br \/>\n<strong>Understand your heart.<\/strong> It is desperately sick. And only when we see that truth clearly can we cling fully to the One who heals it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second \u2013 Understand Your Need of the Gospel: Always!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The way we avoid hypocrisy\u2014<em>acting the part without living the reality<\/em>\u2014is by acknowledging, again and again, that we are sinners in need of grace. We don\u2019t have it all together. Yes, we may dress well, speak well, and appear put together, but in truth, our hearts are still under transformation. <strong>Sanctification is still taking place.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The more we hide this truth, the more hypocrisy will rear its ugly head. But the more we confess, the more we find freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Reeves captures the danger well:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe horrible result is an evangelical culture that is simultaneously smug and superficial. The gospel can be treated as the ABCs for outsiders and initiates only. The rest of us can bathe in the comfort of a knowledge that never drives us to our knees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why hypocrisy is so dangerous\u2014and why we must <strong>flee to the gospel<\/strong> to escape it. The gospel declares that <strong>God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ<\/strong> and is renewing us by the power of His Spirit. This good news must be the central message we rehearse in our hearts <strong>every single day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>There can never be a day we don\u2019t remind ourselves of the gospel. It is the truth that sustains us\u2014it tells us that God\u2019s righteous wrath has been satisfied in His Son, and that we now have free acceptance in Him.<\/p>\n<p>In a few weeks, when we come to the Lord\u2019s Table, we\u2019ll be reminded of this very reality: God offers us Himself. Christ is both the <strong>host and the meal,<\/strong> the One who welcomes and the One who is given. In this meal, our five senses are engaged to remind us that we belong to God and are at peace with Him.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the heart of it: <strong>the answer to a life without sin is not trying harder to stop sinning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We often think God is displeased because we disobey\u2014and while that\u2019s true, it\u2019s not the whole truth. It\u2019s not just that we don\u2019t obey; it\u2019s that we <strong>don\u2019t desire<\/strong> to obey. Parents understand this\u2014children can obey a command externally while inwardly wishing they didn\u2019t have to. Our problem runs deeper: it\u2019s a <strong>problem of desire<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the answer to sin is not mere obedience\u2014it is the transformation of desire. And that transformation only comes through the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Puritan <strong>Richard Sibbes<\/strong> saw this clearly in his own day, when many preachers, having lost sight of the gospel, laid moral burdens on their people. Sibbes, however, preached <strong>Christ as the gracious Savior of sinners<\/strong>, saying:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe solution to sin is not the attempt to live without sin, but the gospel of God\u2019s free grace. Only when a person enjoys Christ as Savior do they stop sinning from the heart and start loving Him truly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Think back to <strong>Genesis 3<\/strong> and the response of Adam and Eve after they sinned. They tried to cover themselves because they were naked. That\u2019s exactly what hypocrisy does\u2014it covers, but it doesn\u2019t cure. Their problem wasn\u2019t their nakedness; it was their exposure to God\u2019s wrath. And hypocrisy still tries to hide that exposure today. It seeks validation from others rather than reconciliation with God.<\/p>\n<p>Hypocrisy, in the end, <strong>diminishes the gospel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>And if <em>Immanuel<\/em> is going to thrive, we must be <strong>doggedly committed to the gospel<\/strong>\u2014not merely to its propositions, but to its daily power in our lives. It\u2019s easy to say, \u201cYes, I believe Jesus died for my sins.\u201d But it\u2019s far harder\u2014and far richer\u2014to let that truth take root, to preach it to ourselves every day, to let it reverberate in the deepest recesses of our souls.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what it means to be committed to the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Because hypocrisy always says, <em>\u201cMy problem can be solved by my actions.\u201d<\/em><br \/>\n\u201cIf I just pray more, fast more, give more, attend church more\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the gospel says, <em>\u201cYour problem has been solved in Christ.\u201d<\/em><br \/>\nTherefore, rest\u2014not in performance, but in grace.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>One Point of Application: Expose Yourself to the Gospel Regularly<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So I want to express <strong>one point of application<\/strong>, refracted into <strong>three examples.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How do we practically flee from hypocrisy and run to the gospel?<\/p>\n<p>The only point of application is this\u2014and I\u2019ve already said it before\u2014<br \/>\n<strong>you and I must expose ourselves to the gospel on a regular basis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That regular exposure happens in three ways:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Daily \u2013 Through the Word<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>We must daily expose ourselves to the gospel through the <strong>regular reading of Scripture<\/strong>, hearing the voice of Christ remind us that the solution to our sin is found <strong>in Him alone<\/strong>\u2014not in me, not in you, not in the government, not in this world, but <strong>only in Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As we open the Word, we are listening again and again to the truth of the gospel:<br \/>\nthat Jesus is our righteousness, that His grace is sufficient, and that His Spirit is still at work in us.<\/p>\n<p>That is how we flee from hypocrisy\u2014by daily hearing and believing the voice of our Savior in His Word.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Weekly \u2013 In Gathered Worship<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>We must also expose ourselves to the gospel <strong>weekly<\/strong> in the gathered community of believers.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what we are doing here this morning. Through <strong>songs<\/strong>, <strong>confession<\/strong>, <strong>prayers<\/strong>, <strong>the preaching of the Word<\/strong>, and <strong>the sacraments<\/strong>, we are exposing our hearts to the gospel again and again.<\/p>\n<p>When we gather, we are refusing to believe that we \u201chave it all figured out,\u201d that \u201cour sin isn\u2019t that bad,\u201d or that \u201cwe\u2019re doing just fine.\u201d No\u2014each week we come together to remember the truth of the gospel:<br \/>\nthat we are sinners in need of grace, and that in Christ we have been freely accepted.<\/p>\n<p>In corporate worship, we:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hear<\/strong> the gospel in the reading and preaching of Scripture,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sing<\/strong> the gospel in our hymns and psalms,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confess<\/strong> our sins and receive assurance of pardon, and<\/li>\n<li><strong>Respond<\/strong> to the gospel through prayer and praise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The weekly gathering of the church is God\u2019s gracious way of reminding us that we are not self-sufficient but gospel-dependent.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> Intentionally \u2013 Through Spiritual Relationships<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Lastly, we must expose ourselves to the gospel <strong>intentionally<\/strong>\u2014through personal, spiritual relationships.<\/p>\n<p>By that, I mean we are called to <strong>invest in one another<\/strong> spiritually, through honest and intimate Christian fellowship.<\/p>\n<p>I once read an illustration that captures this beautifully:<\/p>\n<p>The sermon on Sunday is the <em>main artery<\/em> through which the blood of the gospel flows into the body of believers. But arteries don\u2019t deliver blood directly to the organs\u2014that\u2019s the job of the <em>capillaries.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the same way, preaching is the primary artery that delivers the gospel to our church, but it is in our <strong>personal relationships<\/strong>\u2014our conversations, small groups, and one-on-one discipleship\u2014that the gospel is specifically applied to each \u201corgan\u201d in the body.<\/p>\n<p>This means we should not be so guarded or distant from one another that we shy away from exposing our hearts. We need safe, gospel-centered friendships where confession and grace meet.<\/p>\n<p>So let me ask:<br \/>\nWhen was the last time you confessed a sin to another Christian\u2014one that burdened your conscience?<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what it means to live intentionally exposed to the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll say it again: <strong>the way we avoid hypocrisy in acting the part is by acknowledging again and again that we are sinners.<\/strong><br \/>\nWe don\u2019t have it all together. Yes, we may look the part, but sanctification is still taking place. The more we hide that, the more hypocrisy grows; the more we confess, the more grace abounds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Main Point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Flee from hypocrisy and run to the gospel again and again.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gospel Appeal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Maybe you are here today and have never believed the gospel.<br \/>\nHere is the appeal: <strong>be reconciled to God in Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to run from God\u2014you can run to His grace this morning.<br \/>\nAccept the free offer of forgiveness for all your sins through Jesus Christ our Lord.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to talk more about that, find a Christian beside you after the service and ask them, <em>\u201cWhat must I do to be saved?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion \u2013 Run to the Gospel<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This morning, you are being called to <strong>gospel integrity<\/strong>\u2014that is, to flee from pretense, acting, and hypocrisy, and to <strong>run to the gospel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A person visited Anthony in these days, and Anthony said that his jail time has been a grace. Why? Because he no longer has to pretend and hide.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to hide\u2014God already knows.<br \/>\nAnd more than that, He has already provided the solution.<\/p>\n<p>So, <strong>run to the gospel, Christian.<\/strong><br \/>\nRun to the <strong>means of grace.<\/strong><br \/>\nRun to the <strong>fountain<\/strong> that both washes your sins and quenches your thirst.<br \/>\nRun to the One who offers <strong>rest, peace, comfort, and grace<\/strong> to hearts and souls bruised and battered by sin and circumstance.<\/p>\n<p>Stop running to hypocrisy.<br \/>\nStop trying to play the part.<br \/>\nStop trying to act like a Christian.<\/p>\n<p>And instead, <strong>rejoice in what you already have as a Christian\u2014Christ\u2019s very righteousness.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction I&#8217;m going to speak about two men\u2014not because this is only a man\u2019s problem, but because it so happens that I know both of these men. I will change their names to preserve their privacy. So, these two men are James and Anthony. Two Stories James grew up in a Pentecostal congregation. He was [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","cpl_scripture":[],"cpl_season":[],"cpl_topic":[],"class_list":["post-29807","cpl_item","type-cpl_item","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"cpl_transcript":"","cmb2":{"item_meta":{"audio_url":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Danger-of-Hypocrisy.mp3","audio_url_id":"","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b-rzdWaIxVM","video_url_id":"","message_timestamp":"","podcast_exclude":"","downloads":""}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_item\/29807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cpl_item"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cpl_scripture","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_scripture?post=29807"},{"taxonomy":"cpl_season","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_season?post=29807"},{"taxonomy":"cpl_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_topic?post=29807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}