2007 Book of Hebrews Series –
“Hypocrites Wanted”
Hebrews 7:11-22
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – May 13, 2007
Prayer Introduction: It is good to see so many hypocrites here this morning; otherwise I would feel so lonely. We need to laugh at ourselves don’t we. Church-folk are hypocrites to the extent that our talk is usually better than our walk. However, people who claim to be Christians, but skip church, are just as hypocritical – so we’re all welcome.
Southern Californians and North Carolinians are always saying that they can ski on snow in the mountains in the morning and ski on water on the ocean in the afternoon. But have you ever heard of, or met, anyone who has actually done that? Sometimes we Christians do the same thing. We talk about Christ controlling our lives, but in fact we do as we please. Which is also like those saying, “I can worship on the golf course” but I’ve been on the golf course – and I have yet to see anyone worship there.
I have a friend who has also noticed that the hypocrite doesn’t want the church to bother them, but then wonders why no one in the church contacts them.
Hypocrites are welcome to this church – because none of us is perfect; but here’s the question: Does admitting this mean we are not hypocrites? And here is the bigger question: Why don’t we live a more consistently “Christian” life – why doesn’t our Christian walk match up with our Christian talk?
This morning’s
passage –
READ
I. What Will You Follow?
Verse 11 answers a ton of questions for hypocrites like me: “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (skip the parenthesis), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?”
Let’s clarify a couple of things in this verse, so that we can understand what God is saying to us here. The word “Perfection” at the beginning of verse 11 (as in other places in Hebrews) is the Greek word “telos” which means achieving the end purpose. Teleology is the philosophical study of the purpose of objects. So we are not talking about becoming perfect – as in without any sin or flaw – but accomplishing the end goal of living in a right relationship with God – “To get right with God” as some people put it.
When God created mankind, Adam and Eve lived in a right relationship with God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they fell from that right relationship into a condition of sin and misery. Because of the Fall into sin, we are born at enmity with God. So how can this wrong be righted? How can we go from being sinful and miserable to being holy and happy?
There are two pathways that people try and take: (1) Following the Law – as through the Levitical priesthood; or (2) Following God’s grace – as through a new priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Can following the Law do it? If I go to church enough, if I pray enough, if I do enough good deeds, if I try to be a good person and do the best I can, will that be enough? No.
For if following the law was enough, then why did another priest need to come? Not another Levitical priest who operated on the basis of obedience to the Law, but an eternal priest – like Melchizedek – who would operate on the basis of something other than the Law.
Sir Thomas Beecham, the British conductor, once saw a distinguished-looking woman in a hotel foyer. Believing he knew her, but unable to remember her name, he paused to talk with her. As the two chatted, he vaguely recollected that she had a brother. Hoping for a clue, he asked how her brother was and whether he was still working at the same job. “Oh, he's very well,” she said, “And still king.”
Jesus is still king and still high priest – not a priest of the former regulation of the law, but the guarantee of a better covenant.
II. Moralism, Legalism, Christ
The original audience of this letter had to be convinced that Jesus was superior to the Levitical priests. This is not an issue for you. Or is it? People often say they want sermons filled with practical help for living. Many people say, “Just tell me what I’m supposed to do?”
D.M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, “I don't like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and example.” Stearns replied, “If I presented Christ in that way, would you be willing to follow Him?” “I certainly would,” said the stranger without hesitation. “All right then,” said the preacher, “let's take the first step. He did no sin. Can you claim that for yourself?” The man looked confused and somewhat surprised. “Why, no,” he said. “I acknowledge that I do sin.” Stearns replied, “Then your greatest need is to have a Savior, not an example!”
Much hypocrisy is rooted in what might be called moralism or legalism. It is when we try to earn God’s love by “trying to be good and doing the right thing.”
The Christian has been set free, knowing that we can never be good enough to earn God’s love; but that’s okay because Jesus was good enough. And, by faith, Jesus gives us the credit for his goodness. I am loved by God, not because of what I do, but because of what Jesus has done for me.
And yet we talk about the “moral of the lesson” and giving “good moral teaching” and having “high morals.” Christians lean on the grace of God, the imputed righteousness of Christ, salvation by faith alone and not by works. We know “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. Not a result of works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Have you put your faith in Christ? Is your hope in your own works or in the work of Jesus? In a few minutes we will be singing, “Jesus, my only hope, my only pleas. My righteousness, my Great High Priest, who intercedes for me before the throne. Jesus, I trust in you alone” (Jesus, My Only Hope – Sovereign Grace Music).
III. Three-Fold Law & Two-Fold Christ
Does this mean that we shouldn’t try and be good at all, that we shouldn’t seek to obey the law – the moral law? Let’s remember the three-fold use of the law.
The first use of the law is in revealing to us our sin and Christ’s perfection. When we hear what we’re supposed to do we can think of times that we didn’t do it. You should “go to church” and you know that you’ve skipped. You should not lie, cheat, steal, lust, get drunk, lash out in anger, gossip, put other things before God, use His name in vain, etc. And you think – uh, oh?
And you know you should do unto others as you would have them do unto you, speak kindly, pray continually, love your neighbor, love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, etc. And you think – uh, oh?!
The law shows us our sin, and that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, but never sinned. The law, for the Christian, shows us our need for Christ. This is the primary use of the law.
The second use of the law shows us how to follow Christ. We know that we are saved by grace, through, faith alone – n as a result of works; but we also know “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
The second use of the law shows us the two-fold way we follow Christ: trusting him as our Savior AND surrendering to him as Lord. Jesus cannot just be your Savior, He must also be your Lord. By grace, through faith, we are set free to follow him – not because we must, but because we want to.
The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church. "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your Life?" inquired an old elder. "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I'm a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" "I don't quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I'm a sinner running from sin!" she was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly converted.
Hypocrisy comes from affirming Jesus as Savior, but not following Jesus as Lord. In many cases this is because a person isn’t truly saved.
In a small college town a tavern frequented by students ran the following ad in the campus paper during the days before Parents Weekend: "Bring Your Parents for Lunch Saturday. We'll Pretend We Don't Know You!" The ad was soon challenged by the college chaplain, who posted a revised version on the campus bulletin board. It read: "Bring Your Parents to Chapel Sunday. We'll Pretend We Know You!"
The third use of the Law is the civil use. The moral law is just plain good law. It is good for the world of unbelievers to follow the Ten Commandments. We can all agree that the world would be a better place if people did not murder, engage in sexual immorality, steal, lie, cheat, or covet.
IV. Who Will You Follow?
By grace, through faith in Christ, you enter into a right relationship with God – but what do you do once in that right relationship?
In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church's integrity problem is in the misconception "that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior." He goes on to say, "It is revival without reformation, without repentance."
It has been said, “The inconsistent Christian is one of the devil's best workers.” And many would point to the hypocrisy of churchgoers as the reason they don’t go to church.
But it has also been said “A man who hides behind the hypocrite is smaller than the hypocrite” (William Edward Biederwolf).
Repenting from sin, by faith, and following Christ has been described as being like riding a bike into the wind, then stopping and turning around. You might think that the wind changed because it went from hindering you to helping you. In actuality it didn't change, you did.
Following the law won’t change you, and you’ll feel like you are always riding into the wind. We had a young man in our youth group in Chambersburg who was always getting into trouble. I confronted him on it and he said, “Well what’s the big deal. God will forgive me, right?” He misunderstood what it meant to be a Christian. He didn’t realize that the end goal was to be in a right relationship with the God who sacrificed His Son to forgive him.
More than four out of every five Americans agree that "we all will be called before God at judgment day to answer for our sins." And yet 78 percent of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die. However, many of them hardly ever pray, read the Bible, or attend church. They admit that they live to please themselves instead of God.
Most people expect to answer for their sins, by saying “I’m a good person and I’ve done lots of good things.” But when we stand before the judgment throne of God we will see that we are not as good as we would like to think. At which point, the Christian will be glad to say, “I come into your presence with nothing in my hands. I only bring thanksgiving for Jesus, God and Man. I cast myself on mercy, I cast myself on love. I trust your gracious promise to wash me with your blood.” (Jesus, My Only Hope – Sovereign Grace Music). As we sing together…
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!