Words of Jesus Podcast - Honesty and Bravery Are Required of Christians

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

The way to salvation is described as a narrow path. There is no room for crowds maintained by hypocrisy (acting) or compromise. A purposeful stand regardless of "what others think" will bring persecution and pressure. We must square our shoulders and resist the temptation to change our position to "get along" or to "belong" to the crowd. It is denial of Christ that we must fear. There will be difficulty for sure, but when you stand with Christ - you do not stand alone. Be strong. ***65: Jesus Warns His Disciples Against HypocrisyLuke 12:1-12When a great multitude of people gathered around him, standing so thick that they trod upon one another’s feet, Jesus began to speak, saying:             “Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, ‘Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.’ But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, ‘Fear him.’ Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore. Ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, ‘Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.’ And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemest against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus series with Don C. Harris Hello my friends and welcome once again to Think Red Ink Ministries presentation of the Words of Jesus series. Our goal here is to reinforce Christianity with the wisdom and the words of Jesus, which incidentally are recorded in red ink in your Bible. We've been speaking from chapter 64. Now we're moving to chapter 65 of our little book, Jesus Warns His Disciples Against Hypocrisy. that they trode one upon another's feet, Jesus began to speak, saying, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

I would love to read this without interruption, but I can hardly do this. The reason I say that is, if you ask any theologian, read any commentary, Jewish, Christian, it doesn't seem to matter. Somewhere along the line, somebody has decided that leaven symbolizes what? You tell me. What are you thinking right now? I know what you're thinking.

Everybody thinks that leaven symbolizes sin. And there is no reason to believe that whatsoever. Except through the mouths and the transference of, I happen to think, you know, very selfish, egotistical men that want to say whatever it is they want to say. They want to teach whatever it is they were taught in seminary, but nobody looks at the scriptures. I remember talking about this with someone, and I asked him, what do you think

that leaven, when Jesus mentions leaven, what do you think that symbolizes? And the answer, of course, is immediately sin. And I say, where did you get that from? Well, that's just, that's what it means. No, I'm asking you, where did you get the idea from? Which is, by the way, a very peculiar thought to many Christians, because I don't think they think a whole lot about where they receive what they receive. Most of this is done with good intention. People want to be Christian. They want to do the right thing.

They want to live a life that's pleasing to God. So if they set out to do this, they find, you know, some tall steeple somewhere in town, and they go to that church, and they visit a preacher who they consider to be a holy man, that they consider to be, well, essentially where they want to be. I mean in that status of being friends with God. I mean that's what they're after, right? So they go to the person pretty much like many of us may go to a mechanic and ask him to work on our car and that fear and trepidation that you feel when you turn your keys

over to this little greasy guy that says he can fix your car, and you don't have any confidence in the world that he's going to do it. You're just going to let him try, and you know, you may be one who, you know, gets cheated, goes someplace else, and gets cheated, and goes someplace else, and eventually you find a mechanic, and if you do, you tell everybody you know hey i found an honest guy that actually knows how to fix a car it's news well we think that because a person is in business that that you know that they ought to know what they're doing but they don't and we go to church thinking that this particular denomination, this doctrine, this guy,

this whole church full of people, could they all be wrong? Could they all be misled? Absolutely they could be. Because many people don't ever consider the question, I asked this man, where did you hear that? Who told you that? And I'm knowing fully well that the Bible doesn't teach that. Why are they saying that? Then nobody ever gives that a thought. I encourage you to do that. It's probably, I mean, if doctrine is important to you,

and it should be, if theology is important to you, and it should be if theology is important to you and it should be i don't know how you intend on worshiping a god that you don't know worshiping a god you know nothing about trying to live in the guidelines that are to you are just as clear as mud i don't know how you're going to do that without a sound theology and a sound doctrine. Number one, the first thing you need to do is decide, where did I hear that? Who told me that? On what grounds is this based? Now, if you're a person who really doesn't care, you know, what the Bible says, that's one thing.

But when you have whole denominations essentially bragging that, their entire denomination and their foundation and their theology, their doctrine, their whatever dogma they happen to be barking over the pulpit, all comes from the scriptures. We're scripture-based. We're 1611 King James people or whatever they claim to be. And you can't find what they say in the scriptures, it's time to go.

It's just time to go. You've got, not only do you have a misinformed man, but at that particular point, you've discovered him to be dishonest. Because if he says what he believes comes from the scriptures and it doesn't, do you think he doesn't know that you think it's never occurred well perhaps i mean now that i think about it i mean maybe we could give them the benefit of the doubt maybe maybe they believe they're seminary professors and they never considered who Who told me that? Where did that come from? Who said that to me? What was it based in? What was it based on? Perhaps, maybe we're three or four, five, six, seven, eight, ten generations into a bunch of misinformed people that never couple

their precious scriptures that they call the Word of God, they never couple that to what they believe. Now when Jesus says, beware the leaven of the scribes and the Pharisees and Herod, in another gospel he mentions Herod. And he uses it. I was going to tell you the story. I asked this fellow, I said, do you know the Bible actually says what leaven is? Jesus in red ink actually says what leaven, he was using the word leaven in a

sentence, and he told them what leaven is. And it's three words. It's in the Bible. Three words. And it doesn't say sin. And as is my way, I wait. And I wait, and I wait. And I'm just shocked that this person never says, gee what does it say or what did what did jesus say or what is leaven or could i be mistaken about this no no no see you've already told him that what he believes is wrong so the wall goes up he's got nothing else to say to you if he has anything to say to you he wants to tell you that

you're a heretic you're a devil you got a bad spirit you're a boat rocker or whatever else but why am i being accused of being a boat rocker because i'm trying to reinforce your christianity with the words of jesus really that's why I'm a boat rocker? That's why I'm a troublemaker? That's why I have a bad spirit? Unbelievably similar to what they said to Jesus every time he opened his mouth. This guy's got a bad spirit. Well, I was shocked and somewhat disappointed that this particular person that I'm remembering the conversation about

never asked. Well, what did you do, Don? I never told him. You know what? If you don't want to know, what's it to me? He doesn't care what Jesus said. He doesn't care what the Bible says. He only cares about what he believes. And he's going to, and if I'm not mistaken, it's been many, many years ago, he's, you know, just made it his purpose to go through life and tell everybody what he believes.

And I'm sure he continues to tell people that leaven means sin. Doesn't care what Jesus said about it. Well, you know, if I'm talking about you, you need to make a change. You need to stop that. Are you a Christian or are you not a Christian? Are you just a seminarian? that what you are a seminarian you're not a christian jesus says why do you call me lord you don't do what i say many of us we don't even know what he said do you know what he said well of course you do i just read it to you

beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There's your three words. Which is hypocrisy. Which is hypocrisy. So what is leaven? Sin? Oh, hypocrisy's a sin. Oh, is it? Where does the Bible say thou shalt not be a hypocrite? A sin is a transgression against the law. So how are you saying that hypocrisy is a sin? How are you trying to justify what you believe by twisting words in the scriptures saying, well, hypocrisy is a sin. Who told you that? Where did you get that

from? Not from the scriptures. The scripture says that sin is a transgression against the law. Or does the law say thou shalt not be a hypocrite? It doesn't. So although hypocrisy is stupid behavior, it's selfish behavior, it's egotistical behavior, it's bad behavior that will eventually lead you into a life where sin is welcome. It's not a sin in itself. So that's no argument. What is this thing called hypocrisy? It actually, its root comes from a Greek word that means actor.

These are people who are performing to an audience. These are people who are doing what they do, saying what they say, dressing the way they dress, in order to perform for an audience. Now Jesus was in the boat with his disciples and they were on their way to this event. Now this event was huge. He said that there were so many people there that they stepped on one another's feet. Jesus was trying to warn his disciples about leaven. Now of course when he said beware the leaven of the Pharisees, as we spoke of before, the disciples were

all bent out of shape because they'd forgotten bread. Oh my goodness, he knows that we're out of bread. They didn't hear anything else he had to say because they were concerned about their own hides, which maybe they should have been. But nevertheless, Jesus says, I'm not concerned about bread. Haven't you seen me make bread? I really don't have any trouble doing it. I made enough to feed 5,000 once. You remember that, don't you? I made enough to feed 3,000 once. You remember that, don't you? Why do you think I'm talking about Brad? I'm talking about hypocrisy.

Why would he be doing that? He's telling his disciples and warning his disciples that when we get where we're going you are likely going to meet people you know, people you respect, people you don't respect, family, friends, people that you know. Don't you? Try to just be an actor in front of these people, good or bad. See some people that are Christians, when they get around their buddies that, they're ungodly people, they've always been ungodly, they didn't follow him into

Christianity, and he wants to make a stand but he wants to be loved. He wants to be adored and cared for by his friends. So what he does is he kind of acts like he's one of them. You know, hey you want to go do something that they used to do. And so he goes off with them and he banquets with them or he drinks with them or he does whatever he does with them. And he's trying to fit in.

Why is he doing that? Because he's an actor. Because he's a hypocrite. You know, you can be hypocritical. I know a lot of times, I remember when I was growing up, you know, the big reason why nobody wanted to go to church. Why? You remember? Yeah, you've heard it a million times. There's hypocrites in the church, right? Well, most of the time when people say there's hypocrites in the church, they're saying that these are people who are acting like they are better than they

actually are. And that's really the definition that got stuck into hypocrisy, and I can't seem to break it loose out of people's minds. Look, just because you act like you're better than you are doesn't necessarily mean you're a hypocrite any more than acting like you're worse than you are makes you into a hypocrite. Hey guy, listen to me. Be who you are.

Be honest with yourself. If you are who you are, then be who you are. And if that's good, good. If that's bad, that's fine. But don't be an actor. There is no future in that. But you know what? The most important thing,

this is why you hear me ask the question all the time. If what you believe is not true, do you want to know it? This is why I ask people the question. Because the truth is, is most people, I want you to do a little self-analyzation here. See if this fits. See if this shoe fits. Most people would rather be long than be right. This fellow that I gave the example example of talking about hypocrisy being sin

do you know that was the thought that went through his head if i don't believe what all my friends believe all of a sudden i'm not going to belong it's not worth it you know what he is he's hypocrite he's eating up with leaven is what he's eaten up with he's eaten up with the leaven that jesus was warning his disciples don't participate in this don't get involved in this there is no future for an actor of any means good bad indifferent doesn't matter hypocrisy is hypocrisy acting is acting now what's odd is that um in other gospels that's not this is this is what i'm reading here is from luke but if you look at the other gospels about this particular story jesus said beware the leaven of the pharisees of the sadducees and of herod now i talked about this before don't want to put so much time on it now

but that was the key for me to find out what uh leaven actually meant. I could not figure out what a politician like Herod and the church leadership, leaders of the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees, leaders of the Israeli people, the Pharisees, totally respected men. And I couldn't figure out, what do those men have to do with Herod?

But you remember why Herod had John the Baptist's head cut off? The Bible says that he made an oath. And he remembered that he made it in front of all those people. And because of all those people, he gave that girl what she wanted or what she asked for. And he behated John the Baptist. Why? Hypocrisy. Because he cared what people thought he cared what people thought of him it was more than he could stand pharisees sadducees many times tried to kill jesus and they realized that every time they moved against him the people

uproared and it's and the bible says that they would have killed him against him, the people uproared. And the Bible says that they would have killed him, but they feared the people. Look at it. It's throughout the Gospels. They feared the people, feared the people, feared the people. Yeah, just like you. Would you rather be long or be right?

It's a decision we all have to make. The reason we have to make it is this book has been ignored. We have formed our doctrines minus Jesus Christ. I heard some idiot in some Christian magazine or some Christian article in some ungodly magazine, I forget where it was, said that we could have Christianity with the Apostle Paul minus

Jesus, but we couldn't have Christianity with Jesus minus the Apostle Paul. Hmm. I tell you what, let's play a game. You say something stupid, and then I'll say something stupid. So far, you're ahead. All right.

I don't know where these ideas come from in people's minds, but there's a lot of people, I suffer persecution or criticism, I should say, criticism, because we focus on the red words of the scripture and they say, you can't interpret the words of Jesus without Paul. Hmm. I wonder what Paul did. It's just insanity it's insanity they think that paul is the he's the kind one and jesus uh uh was was uh talking about uh you know destruction and and hell and stuff and uh i'm thinking boy this is just a matter of opinion i've heard that

attached to people and and you know move moved from this person to that person. But, you know, who mentioned hell more than Paul? Anybody? It's just so silly. It's just protecting their doctrine, protecting their denomination, protecting what they believe. Have you ever thought of the consequences the the midnight wide open eyes when you realize that you're starting to get your your instruction from the spirit of god starting to get your instruction from the word of god that you read

in the scriptures huh and all of a sudden you things start to change and you realize oh my goodness my grandpa didn't believe this. My grandpa didn't, my dad didn't live this way. My mom didn't live this way. And all of a sudden you realize, maybe this is what Jesus was talking about. But if you're not willing to walk away from everyone, including your parents, including your wife, including your children.

For my sake and the gospel, you're not worthy of me. But we've never had to walk away from anything. Shoot, man, we joined a congregation of 20,000. We all believe the same thing that's because you all believe nothing that's why this is an individual walk man the lord i can't i just can't even imagine having um you know a relationship with a god that doesn't speak to me all right we need to get back into this, or the time's going to be gone. It already is. He says, Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed,

neither hid that it shall not be made known. You're not getting away with it. Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness it will be heard in the light and that which you've spoken in the ear and in closets shall be proclaimed on the housetops i say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body here it is he's explaining hypocrisy to you you can't act in front of people because you're afraid of them be not afraid of them to kill the body and after that they have no more that they can do but i will forewarn you who you shall fear fear him which after he has killed has power to cast you into hell yeah i say unto you fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast you into hell yeah i say unto you fear him

you have a deeper responsibility you have a greater obligation to your god than to just act like you are somebody or act like you're not somebody like i say doesn't matter, good or bad, doesn't matter what character in the play that you're portraying, be yourself. One thing I admired about Job, that he would say something and his friends would, oh my goodness, I can't believe you're saying that. And you know Job's attitude was, I will maintain my ways before him. You know what?

I'm telling you something that is going to cause you an incredible amount of trouble in your life. But it's absolutely necessary. You don't have a choice in this. Yea, I say unto you, fear him. Then he tries to give us comfort in that the God that you fear he does love you and he does care about you so you should fear the disobedience to him but if you do obey him you have nothing to fear are not five sparrows sold for two farthings and one of them

and not one of them is forgotten before god but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered fear not therefore you're more valuable than many sparrows also i say unto you whosoever shall confess me before men, here it is again. He's talking about hypocrisy. People that are unwilling to confess him before men. Him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men, there's the other part of hypocrisy.

You see, deny me before men shall be denied before the angels of God and whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven him but unto him that blasphemeth the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven and when they bring you into the synagogues and into the magistrates and the powers take no thought how or what thing you shall answer for what thing what you shall say

the holy ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say. Now, I think that the position of these words and sentences here is telling us something that I don't think we should miss. If you want to be a pretender, you want to be an actor, you want to be one way at work and another way at home and another way at church and you want to play that game you know what you are forfeiting you're forfeiting communication with god and his powerful defense for your life when you are persecuted for righteousness righteousness sake he's telling us here if you will live like this you don't even have to think about what you're going to say. By the way, that's good advice for life. You know, have you ever heard anybody mad at somebody else and they're saying, I'm going to talk to them about it. And if they say this, I'm going to tell them this, and I'm going to tell them that. And if they do this, I'm going to do

that. And they're going to do this. And then I'm going to do that. And you ever hear anybody rehearse like that? Do you know that really shouldn't be a part of a spirit-led person's life? It really shouldn't. As a matter of fact, he uses the term in another gospel, premeditate. Don't premeditate. And people who premeditate, what are they doing? They're making up their mind. Now, friend, when we make up our mind, our mind's made up. There is no place for God to put his wisdom and his knowledge and his understanding, we should never live that way. It's time for us to go. Will you do something for me? I need to hear from you. Tell me who you are

and where are you from? Hey, you can email me at don at thinkredinc.com. All right, till we see you again, Think Red Ink.ries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredink.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you