Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20090916.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part XLV: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Instruction On Hypocrisy
(Luke 12:1-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the best ways to discern if a person is truthful is to see what he himself says about truth and deceit.
    2. Jesus taught about the deception of hypocrisy, and what He taught in light of what He did reveals Him to be truthful, supplying evidence that He is God's true Savior, and showing us how to live (as follows):
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Instruction On Hypocrisy, Luke 12:1-12.
    1. Jesus revealed He was God's True Savior by teaching that hypocrisy is self-defeating, Luke 12:1-3:
      1. A deceptive person likes to use a lie or a partial truth as a tool to influence others for his own interests.
      2. However, opposite what a deceptive person would do, Jesus openly told His disciples before a crowd that hypocrisy is self-defeating, for the reality will eventually be exposed for all to see, Luke 12:1-3:
        1. Jesus warned His disciples that they should beware of the evil "leaven" of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, a false pretense before men that can lead others to practice the same kind of deception before men much like leaven spreads to a whole lump of dough, Luke 12:1.
        2. His reason was that every fact that is covered as in the case of the deception of hypocrisy will eventually be openly exposed, Luke 12:2-3.
        3. Jesus thus spoke as One Who did not value misleading others, like a Person Who lived truthfully!
    2. Jesus revealed He was God's True Savior by teaching one should never fear telling the truth, Luke 12:4-5:
      1. Christ told His disciples not to fear those who could kill the body but not have power beyond that, but rather to fear God Who had the capacity to kill the body and then to cast the soul into Hell, Lk. 12:4-5.
      2. Thus, unlike deceptive folk who try to deceive to advance their causes in this earthly life, Jesus revealed He was focused on one's accountability to God beyond this life as does a truthful Person!
    3. Jesus revealed He was God's True Savior by teaching the truth is invaluable to God, Luke 12:6-10:
      1. The Lord explained that His disciples were each of great value to God in heaven, more so than many sparrows that even had value in the marketplace, Luke 12:6, 7b.
      2. Indeed, He relayed that God had numbered even all the hairs of their heads, so they were not to fear man, but God to whom they were accountable, Luke 12:7a,b.
      3. Thus, Jesus told His disciples to confess Him as being from God before men that they might be rewarded before God (Luke 12:8-9), and not to say Jesus had performed miracles by Satan's power in slander against the Holy Spirit by Whom Jesus actually performed His miracles, Luke 12:10; 4:18-21.
      4. This focus on accountability to God in eternity reveals Jesus was not living for the values of what this life could provide as would a deceiver, but that He focused on eternal values as does a truthful Person!
    4. Jesus revealed He was God's True Savior by teaching His men to rely on God's Spirit to answer powerful human leaders versus trying to plan ahead in a crisis that can intimidate one to lie, Luke 12:11-12:
      1. Typical of all hypocritical and thus all deceptive people is their tendency to try to control the thinking of others around them by deceit so they might fulfill their personal interests in their earthly lives.
      2. However, Jesus told His disciples not even to plan ahead what they should say in their defense when brought before human rulers, a situation that can easily intimidate one to lie for self preservation, Luke 12:11-12. Rather, Jesus taught His disciples to rely on the Holy Spirit Who would give them the words to say in such crises, revealing Himself to be truthful in teaching His men to avoid temptations to lie!
Lesson: As Jesus told His disciples to avoid hypocrisy by realizing all they did and said in secret would become public, by focusing on their accountability to God and their need to rely on the Holy Spirit to tell the truth under duress, He showed He lived in truth as God's Savior, and how we must also live!

Application: (1) May we trust in Jesus as God's TRUTHFUL Savior. (2) For ourselves, (a) may we realize that all we secretly say and do will become known, and so live truthfully in private! (b) May we always tell the truth in view of our eternal accountability to Almighty God! (c) May we rely on the Holy Spirit to tell God's truth in crises versus trying to plan ahead, that we might avoid lying under pressure!