UNMASK

Luke 12:1b - 3 (message)

"Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness.

You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.

You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.

One of the great evils that religious leaders practiced was hypocrisy, they say one think but they practice another, because what they say actually is not from their heart. It goes further to those who twist scriptures to fit their own selfish purpose, they are only interested in being relevant and having personal gains.

Matthew 23:4-7

They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.

And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.

They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

When we look at the things Christ accused the religious leaders at that time of doing, then compare them with what we have today, we wonder if these people who err read the scriptures?

Nothing stays hidden forever. When the bible was restricted by those in power, who manipulated and taught people what was not, it did not last forever, liberty still came:

Mark 7:6-9

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.

The err did not last forever, liberty came, for truth cannot be hidden forever.

All evil ones will be exposed, for some who gather in the name of Lord are not His:

Luke 6:46

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

So it is not about how much they shout, the staged shows of miracles or entertainment, the flamboyant show of wealth and not even the articulated speeches. What really is in that heart:

Matthew 7:20

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Does heaven recognize them/you?

The hailing of the earth doesn't matter, it is who the Architect, the assignment giver recognizes that matters:

John 12:43

For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

So, are you wearing a mask? Or are you showing your true self? This is the question every believer must answer.

1 Peter 1:23

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Dear Lord by your mercy bring your people out of the bondage of hypocrisy, let there be sincere hearts from those who lead to all who worship, that we may worship You in Spirit and in truth.

Unmask!

He calls us blessed.

Love

@the watcher