Sunday 10:30 am

 

Maundy Thursday & Good Friday Services 10:00 am & 7:00 pm

Called to Live: Avoiding Hypocrisy

March 7, 2013 by David Peterson 0 comments

Posted in: Sermon Preview

Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."

Nothing annoys God like human pride. The book of Proverbs warns us,

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Religious leaders in Christ's day were known for their self-righteous arrogance toward others. Though they were quick to point out the weaknesses and sins of others, they were blind to their own faults. They rejected Christ and his call to repentance; they refused to be baptized and trusted in their good works to save them. What they didn't understand is that, in their pride, they had rejected God himself. Rather than pleasing God, their extravagant prayers and offerings only demonstrated their lost condition.

As Christians, we value personal humility, repentance, and love for others. We recognize that God has given his Son to save us from our sins, and out of gratitude for what he has done for us, we help others. Religion is not a show in which we are the star, but a opportunity to love sinners the way Christ loved us.

Comments for this post have been disabled