SERIES: THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS.
TEXT: MATTHEW 13:24-30.
As the pilgrim walks in the journey to heaven he meets a person who also seems to be heading the same destination. This person is called Mr. Talkative. As the Christian engages this man in talk, the man Talkative knows more about pilgrimage than the Christian himself. He knows more Bible verses than the Christian pilgrim himself and it seems that Mr. Talkative will make to be a better pilgrim than Mr. Christian himself. However, as the saying goes, “not all that glitters is gold.”
Our Lord Jesus talked about false pilgrims who look like real pilgrims but along the way that end up exiting the pilgrimage journey.
The Christian pilgrim later comes to find that this Mr. Talkative who seems to know of great mysteries about this kingdom that his religion was only in his mouth!! Why the Lord warned us about hypocrites is because unless they are identified they end up doing a lot of destruction to the true and sincere children of God.
WHAT THE LORD TAUGHT ABOUT HYPOCRITES.
- The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seeds in his field-Matthew 13:24. The purpose of the sower is to get harvest.
- While everyone slept the enemy came (secretly) and planted tares among the genuine seed and went away.
- The planter’s servants requested to pluck out the tares. The owner of the farm objected-Vs. 29.
- The owner of the farm informed his servants about the day of harvest. He said, “Leave them to grow together, the reaper will separate them.”
- The reaper will put the real harvest into the barn/store but he will cast the tares into the fire.
- The Lord said that the place of the tares is in the fire.
MORE ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE HYPOCRITE.
- Some of the pilgrims whom God delivered from Egypt started longing to go back to Egypt while on the journey to the Promised land. While initially celebrating their new found freedom from painful slavery, mistreatment and brutality from Pharaoh, they felt a pull to go back to the slavery they were familiar with other than embark on a journey of unfamiliar challenges. They said, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt”-Numbers 14:4.
- Judas Iscariot served in the ministry of the Lord for 3 years. He cast out evil spirits with the others when the Lord send them out to preach about the kingdom-Luke 10:1-23. Judas Iscariot also cast out devils that time.
THE IDENTITY OF THE TRUE PILGRIM IS IN DOING NOT IN HEARING.
- Matthew 7:24-27, The Lord said that the one that hears the words of the kingdom and does them is likened to a man who builds his house on a rock. The foolish man is the builder who builds on quicksand, he’s a very good hearer and can talk a lot about the mysteries of the kingdom of God with all jargons but his religion is only in his tongue!
- The Pharisees had a public display of piety that masked their inner corruption. Jesus compared them to whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of dead men’s bones and uncleanliness on the inside-Matt. 23:27-28.
THE EVIL DONE BY HYPOCRITES.
- They wound the sincere. They are they which cause the sincere believers to stumble.
- Tares suck the nutrients meant for the genuine crop. Hypocrites can also wear out the servants of God, their demands are always greater. The tares consume water, manure and labor meant for the genuine crop.
- They are a spot in the faith. Hypocrites know that they are hypocrites and have no intention to embrace genuine salvation and turn to the Lord.
- They become spots in the kingdom and cause many non-believers to reject the gospel-2nd Peter 2:2.
THE REAPER WILL DECIDE BETWEEN REAL SEED AND THE TARES.
- The Lord allows the tares to grow in the church but you should be aware of them-1st Cor. 5:11.
- Do not associate with immoral people even when they are in church.
CONCLUSION
- No church/congregation is without hypocrites. However, as a pilgrim beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing, they appear like real sheep but they are wolves in the faith.
- You will know them by their fruits-Matt. 7:16.
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