Laying Aside Hypocrisy

 

 

1 PETER 2:1-5

SUBJECT: GROWTH THROUGH ENDURANCE

RELEVANCE: because God is always in control and our hope is in Christ, we are admonished to never despair or backslide due to difficult and unfair circumstances. We should rather strive to grow spiritually and persevere in practical righteousness. We must lay aside wrong attitudes because they encumber God’s glory and our spiritual progress.

THEME: We must lay aside hypocritical attitudes because they hinder God’s glory and our spiritual appetite and growth.

INTRODUCTION: how should I conduct myself when life seems to fall apart? What does God expect of me when the situation is harsh, one-sided, and bursting with uninvited burdens? God invites us to view our season of troubles as trials of our faith—opportunities to bring greater glory to God when Christ appears (see 1 Peter 1:6-7).

1) We are inclined to abandon godly expressions resorting rather to handling hurts, troubles, and unfair treatments as before we trusted Christ. In such times we need to refocus ourselves and adjust our perspective to live more according to God’s expectations emotionally.

2)  Instead of becoming cold towards God, we must maintain a correct spirit toward him and others.  Sometimes it is very easy to put on a smile and go through the motions, but to be real in our spirit, attitude, and heart is a different matter. Trials can be real opportunities to grow spiritually, but we will have to be especially attentive to the purpose of living for God during these challenging conditions.

MESSAGE: 

STRIVE TO GROW SPIRITUALLY BY LAYING ASIDE ATTITUDES OF HYPOCRICY (1PET. 2:1)

There is a great temptation to take on non-Christian attitudes and to assume a hostile spirit when difficulties come. Sometimes extreme adjustments, out of the ordinary pressures, and unfamiliar challenges can generate negative energies that will eventuate into hostility, irritability, and shortness of patience towards God and with others. In such times the Child of God must resist the temptation to revert to the old sinful tendencies and persist in uprightness.

1.  We must reject all forms of hypocrisy “and hypocrisies”  

Again, the idea of Laying Aside is like striping a banana peeling away from the fruit inside and casting it away as useless.  Likewise, we must reject hypocrisies because they will hindering God’s glory and our spiritual growth in the Lord.

         A. Hypocrisy Highlights a Person Who Is Insincere and Pretentious. 

The hypocrite is a play-actor, pretending to be someone he is not. They are feigning to be what they are not; assuming a false appearance of religion; cloaking a wicked purpose under the appearance of holiness.

ILLUSTRATION: He pretends to be happy in his marriage when his home is a battlefield of conflict with his wife and children. He or she pretends to be committed to Christ on Sunday, but is carnal, sensual, and worldly during the weekdays. He or she pretends to be interested in others’ welfare, but their motives are actually abusive, selfish, and advantageous. They commonly exploit, manipulate, milk, leverage, play on, and pimp people with little or no regard for their well-being.

         B. If a Believer Feels Like He Can Fake His Way Through His Christian Life He Will Never Experience Real Growth nor bring glory to God. Jesus repeatedly discouraged and warned of the downfall of hypocrites (Matt. 6:16-18; 7:3-5; 23:1-39)! We will be most tempted to fake the Christian life when the trials are heavy upon us. This is when we must concentrate the most on allowing the indwelling Christ to live genuinely and authentically through us.

ILLUSTRATION: READ SOME HYMNS WE REALLY SING

(1) When morning glides the skies/ My heart awaking cries/ Oh  no, another day

(2) Amazing grace, how sweet the sound/ that saved a wretch like you.

(3) The strife is o’er, the battle done/ Our church has splite and our side won.

(4) The church’s one foundation/ Is Tax-deductible.

(5) My Hope is built on nothing.

Let us take off hypocrisies and be real and genuine inside and outside.

2. There Are Several Forms of Hypocrisy. (1Pet. 2:1)

The word being plural comprehends all sorts of hypocrisies, and we have already suggested a few of these.

1. Religious 

Hypocrisy in Matters of Religion Is Counterfeit Spirituality.

Matt 23:27-28, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  (28)  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Many times, it happens with saying the right things around the right folks. Speaking the Christian language, having the correct ‘look,’ and being present for the services of the church. They appear righteous and God fearing and this can readily be observed by on lookers. But when away from church and Christian influences that same person seems to be someone else altogether. They suffer greatly with a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde lifestyle. 

                   i) We Must Beware of Spiritual Hypocrisy.

Matthew 16:6, Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Luke 12:1, In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

The Pharisees professed to adhere to the minutest details of the Law, yet their obedience was external and shallow. Inwardly they were evil and corrupt. Since this form of hypocrisy is likened unto leaven it has the potential to permeate the entire life with pretensions, manipulation, make-believe, abusing, play acting, walking on, exploiting, and counterfeiting. Leaving the individual totally corrupt–a living lie!

Matthew 23:24-28, Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. [25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. [27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. [28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

What we actually are is far more important than what we want others to think we are.  We tend to emphasize reputation—what we want others to think we are.  God emphasizes the Person—what we really are!  He desires truth in the inward parts–the heart!

Psalm 51:6, Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

                  ii) Our Holiness Must Be Genuine and Free of Any Counterfeiting.

Matthew 5:20, For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

                       aa) “Your righteousness”, your holiness; your views of the nature of righteousness, and your conduct and lives. Unless you have God’s own holiness, one cannot be saved.

                       bb) “Shall exceed”, will excel, or abound more. The personal righteousness of true Christians are seated in the heart, and is therefore genuine. Jesus means that unless they had more real holiness of character than the scribes and Pharisees, they are not behaving like saved people.

                       cc) “The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees”. Their righteousness consisted in outward observances of the ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were extremely proper about hygiene and cleanliness, and tithes, and the ceremonies of religion, but neglected fairness in treatment, truth and honesty, purity in motivations, and holiness of heart. See Matt 23:13-33. The righteousness that Jesus requires is purity, chastity, honesty, self-control, the fear of God, and the love of man. It is pure, eternal, reaching the motives, and makes our lives holy within and outside.

1 Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  

2. Social.  

Hypocrisy In Social Relationships Is Counterfeit Friendship.

This is much practiced by those who give high compliments, which they do not mean, make promises which they never intend to perform, or pretend friendship when mischief lies in their hearts. They tend to smile in your face for now but will later stab you in the back!

James 1:26, If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. (James 3:17)

3. Moral.

Hypocrisy Is Self-Righteous or Counterfeit Moral Purity.

Luke 18:10-14, Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Far too many people rest in their own goodness or proper activities for moral excellence and cleanliness. But God accepts the person who owns their sinfulness and asks for God’s righteousness instead. True morality begins with being honest with ourselves before God and in our interactions with other people. The key to morality is not perfection, but authenticity.

3. God Expects us to be Real.

We Must Resist Pretenses and Strive to Be Authentic and Real.

1 Tim 1:5, Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: (Exercising Real Faith from a clean and pure heart)

1 Peter 1:22, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (Exercising Real Love out of a pure heart because we have believed the gospel)

1 John 3:18-19, My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (19) And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. (A Real Walk before and with the Lord reflected in our authentic activities)

 

I'd Rather See A Sermon

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day,

I'd rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.

The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear;

Fine counsel is confusing, but example always clear;

And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,

For to see the good in action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn how to do it if you'll let me see it done,

I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver may be wise and true:

But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,

But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

-Edgar A. Guest

 

CONCLUSION: How does God expect me to conduct myself in troubled times? We Must Lay Aside any Wrong Attitudes of the Heart Because They Hinder Go’s glory and Our Spiritual Appetite and Growth. Let Us Lay Aside the Wrong Attitude of Hypocrisy!

1) God expects us to take off attitudes that hide/conceal His glory and distort our spiritual growth (see 1 Peter 2:1-2).  

2) Instead of giving up resorting to hypocrisy, pretense, and faking, refocus our perspective to God’s expectations for us emotionally.         

3) Being Godly, Pure and Clean in our innermost being in this polluted unfair world means submission to the Control of the Holy Spirit (Temperance) (Galatians 5:22-25). Secondly, we need to be authentic…real…free of any pretense.

4) Don’t spend your energy trying to avoid trials but thank God for them. Adversity helps us develop endurance, and endurance is a powerful weapon to have in our character arsenal. Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (Perseverance/Endurance); [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

If you are at a quitting point, count the cost very carefully before throwing in the towel. Quitting is not glamorous. It does not develop your character. God does not call it blessed. In most cases, you will regret it for the rest of your life. But when you come to the quitting point and then, drawing on God’s strength, you build endurance in your life and glorify God.                              

God's Final Decision

 

Psalms 50:16-23

Theme: The revival of our churches begins with a renewal in our worship of God. God’s priority is to restore His people and then return them to heartfelt (spirit) and genuine (truth) worship.

Relevance: the God of astonishing glory demands worship that work. The Christian lives in this tension between rituals and reality! Too often our churches are accused of hypocrisy: “They don’t practice what they preach.” I am afraid we gather at times to merely go through the motions of real “worship.”  

Introduction:

In Psalms 50 formalism in worship and hypocrisy in living are addressed. In prophetic fashion God exposes Israel’s sins: theft, adultery, and lying (see verses 18–20). God sternly warns of judgment; however, His promise of salvation is preferrable (see verses 22–23). There is something here we desperately must learn immediately….

Message:

    I.          The Great Judge’s Accusations (Ps. 50:16-21).

God demonstrates his rule and rejects worship that is intensely insincere and flagrantly hypocritical.

These “wicked” individuals only paid lip service to God’s commandments while they habitually violated them.

A.   A Rebuke for Hypocritical Living (Rejecting God’s Word) (Ps. 50:16-17).

                  1.     God decried the nation’s hypocritical living. He addresses “the wicked” (singular) in judgment, rebuking him for reciting His laws and speaking of His covenant as their profession of faith, while they actually hated God’s instruction (“discipline”).  

                  2.     Only the person with a heart for God has any right to approach Him (v. 15).  

                  3.     Though these wicked people assembled with those who loved the Lord, God knew their hearts.^[1] Jesus also knew the hearts of the hypocritical Pharisees in Matt. 23. God knows the heart still today.

                  4.     “A hypocrite is someone who not only does not practice what one preaches, but a person who does the opposite of what one preaches. A parent holding a beer and smoking a cigarette who admonishes a child not to drink or smoke, for instance, may be viewed as being a hypocrite by the child.

Similarly, critics of Christianity who raise the hypocrisy objection usually point to some moral failure in the lives of Christians they know as examples of Christianity being false or at least highly suspect. “See!” they exclaim. “There goes another hypocrite in the church! How can I believe Christianity if the church is full of hypocrites?”” -Focus on the Family, What about Hypocrites in the Church?

B.   A Rebuke for Participating in Theft (Ps. 50:18).

                  1.     The proof of this charge is given in verses 18. The wicked person “consentedst” with a “thief.”

                  2.     The verb for “consent,” meaning “to be pleased, to accept favorably,” of course, violates at least the spirit of the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal” (Ex. 20:15).

                  3.     Those who were dishonest swindlers were just as much "thieves" as those who swiped fruit from open baskets. The former thief was to no longer lie or manipulate others, but personally work to provide for his own needs.

                  4.      Ephesians 4:28, Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

C.   A Rebuke for Participating in Adultery (Ps. 50:18).

1.     The wicked person has been “a partaker with adulterers.” To be a “partaker” here is to “have a portion” with those who break the marriage vow, violating the seventh commandment. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14).

2.     The seventh Commandment deals with all immorality. If a married person commits adultery, they have sex with someone they are not married to: Many people in public life have committed adultery. Such involvement is a sin against God.

3.     Cultural values: American culture often places a high value on individualism and personal freedom, which can sometimes conflict with traditional notions of monogamous (one spouse) relationships. This may make it easier for people to justify or explain infidelity.

4.     How adultery affects society? Children may experience feelings of guilt, blame themselves for the affair, or struggle with trust issues in their own future relationships. The stability and cohesiveness of their family unit are disrupted, affecting their overall well-being, academic performance, and future relationships. (From MyWellBeing,com)

5.     The command to refrain from adulterous relationships is foundational to the well ordering of the marriage bond and the promotion of intimacy between husband and wife.

         D.   A Rebuke for Participating in Lying (False Accusations) (Ps. 50:19-20).

                  1.     The wicked person has a deceitful and slanderous “tongue.” This includes “evil” coming from his “mouth,” his “tongue” framing “deceit,” and speaking “against thy brother” (Israelite) in “slander.”

                  2.     This violates the ninth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Ex. 20:16).

E.   A Rebuke for Practicing Wrong Ideas and Injustices (Ps. 50:21).

                  1.     Previously, God was silent over this, and the wicked took His silence as approval: “thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.” However, they were wrong; God has come in judgment to Israel and this is the time for Him to take action. The verb for “reprove” (v. 21) means to “judge, convict, correct.” The judgment here then is redemptive in its intention.

                  2.     The case has been made, and God has “set” the evidence “in order before thine eyes,” as in a legal case. Similarly, in Romans 2:17–24 Paul accuses the Jews of knowing the law and yet disobeying it. While preaching against stealing, they steal. While claiming to abhor adultery, they commit adultery. While hating idols, they rob temples. Thus they “boast in the law” and break it at the same time. The judgment of Psalm 50:15–17 retorts, “What business do you have declaring My statutes, seeing you do not live up to My expectations? In fact, you hate My instructions! The nerve of you…what right do you have?”

                  3.     Please do not confuse God’s patience with His approval. God’s silence did not mean that He agreed with their actions. No, the Lord would rebuke them directly for their sins.^[2]

 

II.          The Great Judge’s Decision (Ps.50:22-23).

Offer God, our royal Ruler and Great Judge, worship free of formalism and hypocrisy; offer Him heartfelt and sincere worship (in spirit and in truth). 

          A.   Notice His Passion—The Urgency of Worship (Ps. 50:22).

1.     God’s rebuke must be heard. If not, He will come against those who “forget” Him. He will rip the wicked apart like a wild animal and “tear [them] in pieces.” No one will be able to “deliver” them. 

2.     God’s judgment will be swift, violent, and final. He is not only against this form of hypocrisy, but he will confront and deal with people on this. He is serious about this…are we?   

          B.   Adopt His Priority—The Glory of Worship (Ps. 50:23).

1.     However, those who worship God correctly, offering (“sacrificing”) “praise” will glorify Him and those who order [their] “conversation” (“way”) according to His law will see “the salvation of God.” 

2.     How then can hypocrisy be banished from our church? How can we have a “whole” gospel? The answer, according to Psalm 50, is in worship and work, faith and obedience. Offer real worship from a heart that is free of formalism and hypocrisy. 

3.     The revival of our churches begins with a renewal in worship. Worship begins with the individual being right with God. This is God’s priority. When God restores His people, He restores them to worship: “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” 

4.     Asaph instructed the hypocrites to consider their ways before it was too late. Again, he called on them to sacrifice thank offerings (cf. comments on v. 14) from hearts that are right with God.^[3]

C.   Believe His Promise—The Salvation of Worship (Ps. 50:23).

1.     Those who come to Him with sacrifices of thanksgiving glorify Him; all who walk in this pathway of obedience will experience God’s marvelous deliverances in times of peril.^[4]

2.     When our faith grows, obedience will come and God will fulfill His word: “will I shew the salvation of God.”^[5]

Conclusion:

So, the Psalm indicts God’s people for formalism in worship and hypocrisy in living. “Jesus’ advice to “worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) provides the proper correctives for these faults.”^[6]

Why do we play the hypocrite at times? Are there instances when we fail to live up to other’s expectations or our own standards? Perhaps we all are morally smaller than we would like others to believe…so we pretend or fake it until we make it? Perhaps we pretend when we are not Christlike inside…when we are not filled with the Spirit of God. There is only one way to truly live Christian and that is by Jesus Christ living through us. Listen carefully to God’s Word:

John 15:5, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Galatians 2:20, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Let’s start with being honest with God about our need for Christ in all facets of life.

 

---

^[1] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

^[2] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

^[3] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 629.

^[5] Donald Williams and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Psalms 1–72, vol. 13, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1986), 378–384.

^[6] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

The Royal Judge's Arrival

 

The Royal Judge’s Arrival

Psalms 50:1-7

Theme: The revival of our churches begins with a renewal in our worship of God. God’s priority is to restore His people and then return them to heartfelt (spirit) and genuine (truth) worship.

Relevance: the God of astonishing glory demands worship that work. The Christian resides in this tension between rituals and reality! Too often our churches are accused of hypocrisy: “They don’t practice what they preach.” We gather to merely go through the motions of “worship.”  

Introduction:

In Psalms 50 formalism in worship and hypocrisy in living are addressed. God, the Creator and the Covenant-God of Israel, calls creation to witness His judgment of His people (v. 4).  

God is never happy with worship that merely “goes through the motions”—worship that is formally correct but empty of a heart that is eager to love and praise Him. This is the focus of Psalm 50.

Message:

    I.          The Royal Judge’s Manifestation (Ps. 50:1-7).

God’s Majesty provides the basis for our worship of Him as the great and royal Judge.

A.   God’s August Arrival (Ps. 50:1-3). This awe-inspiring scene prepares us for what follows….

1.     The Person (v.1). This is “the Mighty God, even the LORD” (El, Elōhı̂m, Yahweh).

a.     Compound Names.  Compounding God’s names gives an awesome sense of His majesty, holiness, magnificence, grandeur, sovereignty, and authority. This stunning God will Judge!

b.     Creator. He speaks and calls the entire “earth” they must appear before Him “from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.” Every human being must respond as one of his creatures. He alone has the power, authority, and wisdom to call all peoples including the heavens and the earth to his judgment.

c.      Covenant-Keeper God (vs. 5) “those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” He has been faithful to His covenant, but the nation has not.

d.     God is to be worshipped according to His greatness…as this Psalm demands! This dazzlingly brilliant display demands worship and inform our senses of the incredible scene taking place right before our shocked and unbelieving eyes. Read Psalms 48:1-3, 8, 14. Great is the Yahweh, and greatly to be praised!

2.     The Place (v. 2). God speaks “Out of Zion”….

a.      His holy mountain, where His temple is located. The “perfection of beauty” reminds us of Psalms 48 and the glory of God shinning forth from Jerusalem.   

b.     “Zion” is perfect because God is at her heart. In His holiness and majesty He radiates light—“God hath shined.” This is the reason Moses came from the Lord’s presence on Sinai with his face shining, reflecting God’s glory (Ex. 34:29).

c.      Our “Zion” may be the front seat of your truck, the backseat of your car, a place beside your bed, the altar of your church, or any place you can get alone with God and tell Him all about it. You are not limited to a time or place!

d.     Also, with regards to place…God can speak through our lives, testimonies, and influences. He has a platform through which he can work through you and me. We can glorify and magnify God’s message by telling others about how He changed us. Share your testimony in truth about what you know and the difference the Lord has made in your life.

e.      We are instructed to always be ready to share our testimony when asked, and to do this with gentleness and respect towards others. Be careful to emphasizes the importance of respectfully sharing your testimony as a witness of Christ and the hope we have in Him.

f.      1 Pet. 3:15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

3.     The Proceeding (v. 3) “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence….”

a.      God was patient, tolerant, flexible, and permissive. He remained at a distance for a while/season, and He refused to address the situation perhaps waiting for Israel to repent…make some adjustments/corrections or allowing for some discretion. This statement guarantees He will deal with this matter.

b.     The time to remain somewhat patient and tolerant is over; it is time to confront this sin. Historically God has been patient, but please do not think of him as passive or weak. It would be an error to view God as passive, non-assertive, merely letting things happen, and resigning. 

1.     God will personally deal with this failure—he is quite assertive in this role. Certainly, with appropriate tact, but with fortitude and without any fear he will deal with the issues.

2.     That which is quietly ignored or overlooked by Israel in the Law will be forcefully exposed and detailed before the entire universe to see/witness.

    4. The Portrayal (v. 3).

a.      Light is also a form of revelation…a declaration or disclosure. When God shines, He speaks, and he is ready to Judge Israel for their failed worship, hypocrisy, and disastrous lifestyles. Our God revealed Himself in the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ (See Heb. 1:1-3; 4:12-16).

b.     He comes like a devouring “fire,” that is “very tempestuous [“whirling”] round about Him.”

1.     On Sinai God descended in “fire” with a great earthquake (Ex. 19:18). The visible manifestations of His glory and perfection mirror this. “These phenomena, frequently accompanying theophanies, signify His consuming judgment.”^[1]

2.      God’s appearance shows his seriousness, and it will awaken dread and sobriety among God’s people!

c.      The “fire” and the wind suggest His holiness, the consuming fire of His Spirit in judgment. Contrast this with the comforting supernatural phenomena of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2:1–4. The occasion before us in Psalm 50, is solemn indeed!

B.   God’s Awe-Inspiring Court (Ps. 50:4-7). This judicial court of law is far beyond a normal tribunal setting.  

1.     The Defendants (vs. 4, 5). God is ready to “judge His people,” Israel; these are the guilty defendants in this case.

a.      The command is: “gather My saints” (v. 5). They are “saints,” not because they are “saintly,” but because God has called them, and they have been bound to Him.

b.     They are defined as “those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” They have made a commitment to God and failed to live out the particulars of that promise, now God is taking this occasion to confront the nation on this matter.

c.      The basis for this is the Sinai covenant in Exodus 24:1–8 where Israel promises to obey all things written in the Book of the Covenant. This is then sealed by a blood sacrifice. God’s people are now gathered because they have failed to live this out. Exo. 24:3-8, And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. ⁴ And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. ⁶ And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. ⁷ And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. ⁸ And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

d.     It is extremely uncomfortable when God visits to judge and chasten his people (See Heb. 12).

2.      The Bailiffs (vs. 5). It is probable that the command to “gather” Israel is addressed to the angelic armies of the Lord (see Ps. 103:20–21; Mark 13:27). The angels are servants of God that regularly appear with him to execute His will.

a.     Ps. 103:20-21.  Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. ²¹ Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

b.     Mark 13:27, And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

c.      There is much we can learn from angels about submission, obedience, focus, responsiveness, execution, and exactitude… (Matt. 22:29-30). 

3.     The Witnesses (vs. 4, 6). This is what God wanted in verse 1. “Heaven” and “earth,” the whole of creation, the cosmos, supernatural and natural, are summoned. As they come, the psalmist urges the “heavens” to witness to God’s “righteousness.”

a.      They know His nature; His faithfulness to His law and covenant relationships assures us that His judgments are just: “For God is Judge Himself.”

b.     “The heavens are called to bear witness to the righteousness of God’s judgments. The fact that God Himself is the Judge means that He has perfect knowledge of all the facts, that He is absolutely impartial, and that all His verdicts are wise and equitable.”^[2]

c.      God comes in “righteousness” and the outcome of His judgment will be completely fair, ethical, proper, impartial, and true. There will be no disagreement with the record, no exclusions of evidence, no misjudgments based on ethical factors or stereotypes, zero excuses for underperformance, and no one will justify their own behavior. The stage is set for divine court to be held.

d.     Rev. 19:1-2, And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: [2] For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

4.     The Plaintiff (v. 7). God is issuing a complaint! The accused are His covenant people before the God of heaven and earth. Above all else, Israel’s worship is on God’s heart.

a.     God now assumes the position of prosecuting attorney, testifying against His people, Israel. In human affairs it would be unthinkable for the judge to also serve as prosecutor, but in this case it is altogether proper, for the Judge is none other than God the Most High.^[3]

b.     To love Him wholly is the essence of the Great Commandment in Deut. 6:5, which say, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” The Ten Commandments essentially rest on this foundational principle, and it is to be deeply engrained in our minds and executed throughout our lives! Correctly understood, we must love God more than our own lives. If there is a choice between our own lives and our obedience to God, we are to choose obedience to God. Nothing is to come between us and God. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul”…. 

c.      Thus, God speaks, and Israel is to listen as He testifies against them. Again, God identifies Himself: “I am God, even thy God!” He is the faithful covenant God, and all creation can testify to that fact.

 

II.      The Royal Judge’s Message.

Why do we play the hypocrite at times or as a lifestyle? Are there instances when we fail to live up to other’s expectations? Or to our own standards, expectations, requirements, and needs? Perhaps we all are morally smaller than we would like others to believe…so we pretend or fake it until we make it? Perhaps we pretend also when we are not Christlike inside…when we are not filled with the Spirit of God as we should be always. I feel a measure of guilt and shame about being a “Christian” that is not controlled by the Spirit of God constantly. Perhaps we have downplayed real “Christianity” so long that we no longer recognize ‘the real thing’ anymore.

Hypocrisy is really a form of deflection to avoid dealing with our own problems because we don’t want to be judged by others we respect. We certainly do not want to be judged by the royal Judge, God himself. Sometimes those problems are material, and yet in other instances they are spiritual. At the heart of hypocrisy is a strong desire to be loved and accepted by our peers…by God. The fear of humiliation, rejection, guilt, and judgment are so powerful, that we use blaming others, doublethink, second guessing, claiming to have or be something we are not, and cognitive dissonance (contradictory values and perspective) to avoid facing the reality of ourselves. But the Royal Judge knows us completely…deeply. He loves us enough to confront us with this malady.  

We need real revival in our churches beginning with individuals and resulting in a renewal in our worship of God. God’s priority is to restore real believers and then return us to heartfelt and genuine worship. We can start by being transparent with the God who knows us completely anyway.

Conclusion:

So, the Psalmist indicts God’s people for formalism in worship and hypocrisy in living. “Jesus’ advice to “worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) provides the proper correctives for these faults.”^[4]

There is only one way to truly live Christian and that is by Jesus Christ living through us.

John 15:5, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Galatians 2:20, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Let’s start with being honest with God about our need for Christ in all facets of our lives.

---

^[1] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

^[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628.

^[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 628.

^[4] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.