A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: Jesus saved his most scathing words for hypocrites. Coming up today, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how the Lord is looking for honesty. He is looking for those with pure hearts. A hypocrite is a person who is putting on a performance. They are playing a role. They are hiding behind a mask. And God doesn't like it when you do that. Better to be an honest sinner than a lying saint or hypocrite.

Greg Laurie: This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace how sweet the sound. Can you hear the angels singing? This is the day the day when life begins.

Greg Laurie: When we hide behind a facade, a false front, trying to pretend we are someone we are not, we are not fooling God, right? He knows who we really are. In fact, He knows us better than we know ourselves. Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the peril of living an imitation life. It is a disappointment to the Lord, and our act may not be believable to those around us, either. It is a good opportunity for a reset and to live a life of transparent honesty going forward.

Greg Laurie: This is the day. The day when life begins. The title of my message today is, Honest to God.

On Halloween, you know, maybe you put on a costume. Maybe you put on a mask, and you pretend to be something that you are not. That is what I want to talk about in my message today that I am calling Honest to God, is you don't want to be a hypocrite. And a technical definition of a hypocrite is it's someone who's playing a part.

Someone who is effectively an actor. They are presenting an image that is not really them and they want you to believe that they are this person. And in context, this would be a person pretending to be a Christian and is actually not a Christian at all. Now, let's be honest. One of the things that keeps non-believers away is hypocrisy in the church, right?

How many of you have heard some non-believer say, well, the reason I don't go to church is there are too many hypocrites there? Have you heard that one? Yeah, we have all heard it. What are you going to say? No, come to our church, it's hypocrite-free. That's impossible. I sometimes say to people, well, if you find a perfect church and there's no hypocrites in it, please don't join it because you'll ruin it, right?

We are imperfect people serving a perfect God. And if we are honest, we all have moments of hypocrisy. But sometimes this is used as an excuse that non-believers offer as to why they will not become Christians. I was at a Harley dealership a while ago and some guy, I was talking to him about the Lord, and he said, well, what about all the different religions that are out there? How can one belief be true and the others not be true?

And at that moment, a really loud Harley rode by with super loud pipes. I said, you hear that? That is the sound of a genuine Harley Davidson motorcycle. And he said, yeah, that's right. And I said, and there are a lot of imitations out there on the road, but there's only one Harley. And I have to say, riding a Harley myself, when you see someone coming on the other side of the road toward you, if you ride a Harley, you do this little sideways wave.

If you're a rider, you know what I'm talking about. You kind of ride, you just kind of go, hey, like that. But if they're on another kind of motorcycle, you don't acknowledge them. Okay? It's just, it's kind of an elitist thing because we think we're cool when we're not. But whatever. But my point was, just because there are imitations, doesn't mean there is not a genuine. And in fact, the very existence of all the imitations shows there has to be the real one there somewhere.

So, here's the devil's thinking. He knows there's the genuine Savior, Jesus Christ. He knows it's through Christ that people come to God. Therefore, he effectively floods the market with cheap imitations to distract and divert people from the real thing. But let us understand what a hypocrite really is. A hypocrite is not a Christian who's following Christ and slips up.

Because people appoint an accusing finger, you just got angry. You exceeded the speed limit while you were driving. You were unkind. You, you didn't do this exactly right. And we all have moments where we don't live up to the standards we have in scripture and the faith that we have, but that happens, but that's not hypocrisy. That is, well, humanity. We're all going to fall short. But the difference between a person who falls short and admits it and is sorry for it and tries to do better and a person who's playing a role is, is one is trying, one is walking with the Lord, the other isn't walking with the Lord at all.

Look, we're all going to fall short. Even the Apostle Paul admitted his personal struggle. In Romans 7, he said this, I don't understand myself at all. I really want to do what is right and I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well when I'm doing this wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good, but I can't help myself because it's sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.

Now, that was not Paul's everyday experience, but it was a candid admission. Having said that, that does not mean we're content with the state that we're in because we're always seeking to become more like Jesus and to live godly lives. Paul said in Philippians 3, friends, I'm not all that I should be, but I'm focusing all of my energies on this one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. So, we're all going to fall short in some way, shape or form.

The fact is, the further we go in the Christian life, the more we realize we need to grow. And so here is the difference. A hypocrite is a person who is putting on a performance. They're playing a role. They're hiding behind a mask. And really, they're not a believer at all. And ironically, hypocrites are often the most critical people of all. It doesn't surprise me when I find a hyper-critical person turn out to be guilty of sins that are far worse than the sins they're criticizing in other people's lives.

I bring this up because we're going to look at a very interesting couple in the Bible. Ananias and Sapphira. They were two hypocrites who found out the hard way that you can't pull the wool over God's eyes. Now, here's the thing to remember, Jesus saved his most scathing words not for sinners, but for hypocrites. He saved his most scathing words for the Pharisees. Now, being a Pharisee was not in and of itself a bad thing.

A Pharisee could be a very devout man. He could be a man who really sought to know God by memorizing the scripture and and living by the standards he lived by. But unfortunately, many of the Pharisees had no interest in God at all. And for them it was more about theater, and Jesus was very critical of them, calling them whitewashed tombs, which means you look good on the outside, but you're dead in the inside. In contrast, with sinners, Jesus was incredibly compassionate.

Take the woman caught in the act of adultery as an example. The Pharisees grabbed her, threw her before Jesus, not because they cared about the law or what was right or wrong. They just wanted to put him to a test that hopefully he would fail. They throw her down at the feet of Christ. They say, the law says this woman should be put to death. What do you say? Jesus looks around at these creepy, self-righteous, arrogant hypocrites, and we read that he stoops down and writes in the sand, stands up, writes in the sand again.

Then he looks at them and says, let him that is among you without sin cast the first stone. And the Bible says they left from the eldest to the youngest. Now he looks at this woman, who actually was guilty of this sin. And he says, woman, where are your accusers? She says, I have none, Lord. It's interesting the very word that he used for woman is a, a, it's a term of respect. It's almost as though he called her ma'am or lady.

I don't know if she'd ever been called that before, but he said, ma'am, lady, woman, where are your accusers? Showing that he didn't just see her for what she was, he saw her for what she could become. Yeah, at that moment she was an immoral woman caught in the act. But he saw that she could become a woman of God. Woman, lady, ma'am, where are your accusers? I have none, Lord. Then go and sin no more. And we see this over and over again, he's loving, patient, and compassionate with sinners, even being called the friend of sinners, but very quick to deal with self-righteous hypocrites.

Listen to this, better to be an honest sinner than a lying saint. Let me say that again, better to be an honest sinner than a lying saint or hypocrite. Hypocrisy has driven many people away from the church and many young people in particular. So here's the deal, your kids are not expecting perfection from you. They know you mess up just as well as you know it. And I think periodically it's not a bad idea to apologize to your children.

Well, I can't do that. They'll lose respect for me. No, they'll probably gain respect for you. Wow, dad's finally owning up to what he actually does. He's actually admitting it. And while you're at it, I probably should apologize to some more people. Apologize to your parents, apologize to your spouse. We all have moments of hypocrisy and we want to avoid that kind of lifestyle at all costs.

Greg Laurie: Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

Greg Laurie: We really enjoy hearing when people appreciate Pastor Greg's messages.

Guest (Male): I just wanted to let Greg know that he has inspired my life. I feel like he is a older brother and he's given me so much hope and love through the word of Christ. I just retired as a law enforcement after 41 years and thank you for everything you do in bringing the word of Christ to the lost and to the needy. Take care.

Greg Laurie: It's a blessing to know that listeners are hearing these messages, and God is using his word to touch hearts. How have Pastor Greg's studies impacted your life? Would you let him know? Send an email to greg@harvest.org. Well, today Pastor Greg is presenting a study of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira in a message called Honest to God. Let's listen.

Greg Laurie: So here we come now to the story of how the devil changes his approach. At first, he attacked the church outwardly and that blew up in his face. Instead of weakening the church, it strengthened the church. So now he comes in a different way. First he came like a lion. Now he's going to come like a serpent. Just like he came to Eve in the Garden of Eden, slithering in. That's how the devil often works.

He'll attack you on the outside and you're fighting him here, but you might be letting him in somewhere else. So let's get the backdrop of the story. Barnabas is seen giving a gift to the church for the use of ministry. I love Barnabas. He's called the son of consolation. Whenever you read about Barnabas, he's encouraging someone. He's, he's doing something that encourages others. And here he is giving this. Now, no one forced him to do this.

No one pressured him to do this. And periodically, we have people come to us and say, I want to give a gift to the ministry because I want to invest in what you guys are doing. And we're so appreciative of that. But here's the thing, this was voluntary. He didn't have to do it, but he wanted to do it. And other members in the church did the same thing. They were sort of pitching in and helping out because some believers, because of persecution, were losing their employment.

They needed help, so the church was pooling their resources. It wasn't forced on them by the government. It was voluntarily done by members of the church of the congregation. But so Ananias and Sapphira see this, and they think, wow, look at how the people appreciate this. We want to be seen as virtuous people too. So this is what happens next. And one of the most shocking stories in the Bible, quite candidly.

Acts chapter 5, starting in verse 1. I'm reading from the New Living Translation. There was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the property to the apostles, but claimed it was the full amount. His wife agreed to this deception. Underline that, this deception. Then Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit and you kept some of the money for yourself. This property was, was yours to sell or not sell, as you wish or not.

And after selling it, the money was yours to keep or to give away. Why would you do a thing like this? You're not lying to us, you're lying to God. And as soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the ground and died. And everyone who heard about it was terrified. Well, then some young men wrapped him in a sheet, took him out and buried him. About three hours later, his wife comes in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asks her, what was this price you and your husband received for the land?

She said, yeah, that was the price. Peter said, how could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this, conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord? You might underline that phrase, test the Spirit of the Lord. Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they'll carry you out too. And instantly, she fell to the floor and died. And the young men saw she was dead and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

And great fear gripped the entire church and all the others who heard what happened. We'll stop there. How's that for a story? Wow. So people say, I wish we could see more miracles in the church today like they had in the book of Acts. Really? How about this miracle? Do you wish God was doing this today? If he was, people would be dropping like flies in a church service. Maybe starting with the preacher.

If God dealt with the church today as he dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, every church would have to have a full-time undertaker on staff and a morgue in the basement. I did hear about a preacher who had a lot of people dying when he was working. But see, it turns out this preacher was moonlighting as a lifeguard. And they noticed like 10 people would die every day he was out there at his lifeguard stand. So they went to try to figure out what was happening with this preacher.

He had been trained, he knew how to use his equipment, and they saw him up there and if someone was in trouble and waving back and forth, the preacher lifeguard said, God bless you, I see that hand. God bless you, I see that hand. God bless you. But so this is a serious thing. And why did God deal so severely with these two people? Because they committed a specific sin against the Spirit that still can be committed today.

They lied to the Spirit of God. Verse 4, you've not lied to men, but to God. Their sin was they lied to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a will. The Holy Spirit has a personality. The Holy Spirit can be specifically sinned against. There are specific sins identified in the Bible that can be committed against the Holy Spirit.

For instance, you can insult the Spirit. You can resist the Spirit. You can lie to the Spirit as the story here shows, and you can blaspheme the Spirit. So what is this about again? Ananias and Sapphira were hypocrites. They were playing a part. They were pretending to be something that they were not. They wanted people to think they were really devoted to God, but they weren't. Now, before we criticize them, let's just ask ourselves this question.

Have we ever done anything like this? The answer is, yes. Here's how. You know, we put on a performance. Maybe there's a prayer meeting and it's our turn to pray and we hog the prayer. You ever pray with people like that? They just pray forever, forever. And, and it's a very flowery prayer. They because what are they doing? They want to impress you, right? Oh, our father, we thank thee today, and I thank you, Lord, as I was studying your word for three hours, how you spoke to my heart.

And then, Lord, as I was actually, uh, leading people to Christ on the way over here, six or seven as I recall. But, Lord, what is that all about? You're talking more about you than the Lord. And so this is the thing. We can do the same thing. In fact, Jesus called out the Pharisees in Matthew 6. In a modern translation, he says, be especially careful when you're trying to be good, so you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you will not be applauding.

Don't pray for theater. Don't worship for theater. You know, some people say, I'm going to really just, you know, sing louder and lift my hands higher. And that's all good. We want that. But don't do it in a way where you're drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. Sometimes people will pretend to be a Christian when it works to their benefit. Maybe you're a Christian girl, and some guy comes up and says, hey, I'd like to take you out for dinner.

And you say, well, I don't want to be involved with anyone who's not a Christian. Are you a Christian? And he says, yeah. Hallelujah. Even the way he said it was kind of creepy. He said, doesn't the Bible say something about greeting one another with a holy kiss? So come here, hold on. That guy might be lying to your face, right? Or maybe when you go to buy a vehicle, a number of years ago, I was looking at some truck, and the car dealer was cussing up a blue streak, all this profanity.

And then he says, so tell me, what's your name? Greg. What do you do for a living? I'm a pastor. All of a sudden it's like, hallelujah, praise the Lord, brother. I'm like, give me a break. Just be an honest sinner, not a lying car dealer. Is that redundant, lying car? No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. But there's good car dealers. I know a few. Only a few. No, I'm kidding. But, anyway, you know, you, they say one thing, oh, all of a sudden they're a Christian.

Sometimes when someone's running for office and they want to get the evangelical vote, all of a sudden there's little religious rhetoric in their speeches, and they show up at church, and they want to be noticed, and, and everybody, look, yeah, here I am. So be careful to not put on a performance. God doesn't like it when you do that. Again, let me emphasize, better to be an honest sinner than a lying saint. So don't put this show on. That's what Ananias and Sapphira were doing.

They were pretending to be something they were not.

Greg Laurie: Pastor Greg Laurie, merging lifestyles of transparent honesty as we walk with the Lord. Good insight today here on A New Beginning. When we're pretending to be a believer, most people can see right through that. And God can always see right through that. How is your relationship with the Lord? Have you ever come to Him and asked Him to forgive you of your sins? Have you decided to follow Him? Pastor Greg, what would you say to the person listening who's not sure if they've ever come to the Lord and asked Him to be their Savior?

Greg Laurie: Yes, I think they need to make this commitment to Christ. Here's what the Bible says. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So you need to reach out to God. Not just think about it, not just say, one of these days I would like to, just do it. In fact, you can do it right now. You say, well, how do I call out to the name of the Lord? You do it through prayer. God is just a prayer away.

He desires a relationship with you. He wants you to know Him. He wants to reveal himself to you. So you just need to call out and say, Lord, save me and help me. How about if I lead you in a prayer? And you can pray this prayer after me. You can pray it out loud if you like. You can pray it quietly in your heart, but direct this prayer toward God. And you can pray it after me right now. You ready? Pray this after me.

Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that You're the Savior, and I want a relationship with You. So as Your Word says, I'm calling on the name of the Lord. I'm asking You to save me from my sin, and I'm asking that we begin a new relationship today. Thank You for loving me and sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin and then raising Him from the dead. I now put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Greg Laurie: Amen. And listen, if you have just prayed along with Pastor Greg and you've meant those words sincerely, let us be the first to welcome you into the family of God. And we want to help you get a started off right in this new daily walk with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to send you his new believers Bible. It's a special edition of God's Word for those who are new to the faith with scores of helps for new believers written by Pastor Greg. So get in touch and ask for the new believers Bible.

We'll send it to you free of charge. Just call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300. Or write us at A New Beginning, box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or go online to harvest.org and click the words no God. And then let us take a moment to thank you for praying for this ministry and for supporting it through your generous donation.

It's an investment in kingdom business. Isn't that right, Pastor Greg?

Greg Laurie: Yeah, that's really true, Dave. And I believe it's so important because you know, the gospel saves lives. It saves eternal lives because when a person believes in Jesus according to scripture, they pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. And then, of course, that changes the course of their future. That impacts their children and their children's children. The gospel changes everything. And thousands and thousands of people respond every single year.

Thanks to the Lord, also thanks to you for your investment in this ministry, enabling us to reach people wherever they are. So, if this is something you care about, I encourage you to make a financial investment in A New Beginning and Harvest Ministries.

Greg Laurie: Yeah, that's right. And we really do appreciate your support. Thanks for partnering with us today. It can make a real difference not just for today or this week, but for eternity. So, get in touch with your support today by calling 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24/7 phone number. 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, box 4000, Riverside, California, 92514. Or go online to harvest.org. Well, next time, Pastor Greg has more insights on the dangers of lying to the Spirit and the other offenses we can commit against the Lord.

Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.