Holywood Christianity
Categories: Repentance
Holywood Christianity
“And the Lord said unto him, ‘Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.’” Luke 11:39-44.Like the Pharisees of old, many are more concerned about what their outward spirituality - what others see. We can all fall into the trap of making “the outside cup” of our lives look nice and spiritual to those around us. The desire that others would look at us as spiritual, holy people can become our motivation for serving in our fellowship or in our community. This pride and arrogance is what our Lord condemns. People who are in love with how they appear to others are vain, ignorant, and completely empty of true spirituality, for inwardly they are “full of ravening and wickedness.” Their ravening and wickedness is sinful, evil, and idolatrous. They fight for position, verbally attack those who truly are serving the Lord from the heart, and always seek to make themselves look better than those who’s spirituality actually exceeds their own. They desire to have the highest positions of authority – they want to be in charge, but they don’t want to serve. They want to tell others what to do, but they themselves do not do it. They love to be known in the church or community as the pastor, the leader, or the servant who does so much good for people. They have a false humility in front of the crowd, while in their heart they crave recognition. Their self motivating, lustful desires for power have blinded their eyes to their true spirituality, and they, themselves, are “dead” to how God views them.
The Lord Jesus Christ says that people who do not serve Him from the heart, with no motivation other than love for Him, are “hypocrites” and “graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.” These kinds of leaders are fooling everyone, including themselves, but they are not fooling God. Jesus said, “Ye fools, did not he that make that which is without make that which is within also?”
Having been a Pharisee, I have personally modeled what Jesus Christ has spoken here in Luke. I have succumbed to the stupidity of actually desiring to have others think of me as though I were a great “man of God.” I didn’t realize what a stench I was in the nostrils of Christ, and so is every man and woman who fights for position, seeks reputation, and causes divisions in the body of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is going to annihilate Hollywood Christianity! He is going to exalt all those who serve Him from their heart, who do not seek the honor of men, and who do not manipulate through feigned humility. Jesus does not condemn a clean heart. What heart do you have? Why are you a Christian? Why do you serve?
Holywood Christianity
“And the Lord said unto him, ‘Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.’” Luke 11:39-44.Like the Pharisees of old, many are more concerned about what their outward spirituality - what others see. We can all fall into the trap of making “the outside cup” of our lives look nice and spiritual to those around us. The desire that others would look at us as spiritual, holy people can become our motivation for serving in our fellowship or in our community. This pride and arrogance is what our Lord condemns. People who are in love with how they appear to others are vain, ignorant, and completely empty of true spirituality, for inwardly they are “full of ravening and wickedness.” Their ravening and wickedness is sinful, evil, and idolatrous. They fight for position, verbally attack those who truly are serving the Lord from the heart, and always seek to make themselves look better than those who’s spirituality actually exceeds their own. They desire to have the highest positions of authority – they want to be in charge, but they don’t want to serve. They want to tell others what to do, but they themselves do not do it. They love to be known in the church or community as the pastor, the leader, or the servant who does so much good for people. They have a false humility in front of the crowd, while in their heart they crave recognition. Their self motivating, lustful desires for power have blinded their eyes to their true spirituality, and they, themselves, are “dead” to how God views them.
The Lord Jesus Christ says that people who do not serve Him from the heart, with no motivation other than love for Him, are “hypocrites” and “graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.” These kinds of leaders are fooling everyone, including themselves, but they are not fooling God. Jesus said, “Ye fools, did not he that make that which is without make that which is within also?”
Having been a Pharisee, I have personally modeled what Jesus Christ has spoken here in Luke. I have succumbed to the stupidity of actually desiring to have others think of me as though I were a great “man of God.” I didn’t realize what a stench I was in the nostrils of Christ, and so is every man and woman who fights for position, seeks reputation, and causes divisions in the body of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is going to annihilate Hollywood Christianity! He is going to exalt all those who serve Him from their heart, who do not seek the honor of men, and who do not manipulate through feigned humility. Jesus does not condemn a clean heart. What heart do you have? Why are you a Christian? Why do you serve?
Labels: Repentance
posted by Ryan at
2:21 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home