Matthew 7:1-11 ESV
Confronting Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is all around us, both in small and large ways. We see it in politics, media, workplaces, and sometimes even in our own homes. But what about the hypocrisy that resides within us? It’s my hope that we can move past the obvious hypocrisies we navigate every day and deal with the more subtle, ignored, or even justified hypocrisy that each of us harbors in our own hearts and spew willingly or unwillingly on those around us.
Judging Others More Severely Than Yourself
Matthew 7:1-5 ESV says: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
We often wear masks to present ourselves as strong, capable, kind, spiritual, and caring. But behind these masks, we may be weak, frail, bitter, self-seeking, and inconvenienced. This is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy involves being critical, judgmental, and self-righteous, judging others more severely than ourselves.
What areas of my life do I experience this type of hypocrisy?
Overcoming Hypocrisy / Taking the Log Out
1. Reflect: Daily if not hourly, take a step back and honestly assess your actions and attitudes. Where have you been hypocritical?
2. Repent: Acknowledge your faults before God and seek His forgiveness and turn away the hypocrisy.
3. Reframe: Change your mindset by memorizing scripture that counter act the hypocrisy in your life. Begin to see others with compassion and understanding, just as God sees you, and points out in his Word.
Finding Help
Matthew 7:6-11 ESV says: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
When you need help, who do you ask? When you seek understanding, where do you turn? When you need support, whose door do you knock on?
The Habits of Children of God
1. Ask: Pray to God. The result is that YOU WILL BE GIVEN.
2. Seek: Be a disciple, a follower or learner of God’s ways. The result is that YOU WILL FIND HIM.
3. Knock: Surrender to God’s will. The result is that YOU WILL RECEIVE AN OPEN DOOR.
Good things come from God. Test it in your life. When you face challenges, turn to Him and see His faithfulness.
Hypocrisy Killer
Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.”
Look into the water…reflect Jesus. Take your masks off and do the necessary work for the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape every thought and action. Trust God to give you a loving, caring heart. By doing so, you will reflect His image more clearly to those around you.
Small Group Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you judged someone more harshly than you judged yourself. What factors contributed to this behavior, and how did it impact your relationships with others?
2. Self-Reflection: Considering the metaphor of the “log” in your own eye, what are some personal weaknesses or flaws that you often overlook or justify? How can reflecting, repenting, and reframing these help you become less judgmental?
3. Seeking Help: When faced with a challenging situation (or person), who do you typically turn to for advice or support? How does this align with the instruction to ask God, seek God, and knock on God’s door as outlined in Matthew 7:7-11?
4. Receiving from God: Share an experience where you asked God for something and felt that your prayer was answered. How did this experience affect your faith and your understanding of God’s generosity?
5. Living Authentically: Proverbs 27:19 emphasizes the importance of a heart that reflects true character. In what ways can you remove your “masks” and allow the gospel to shape your thoughts and actions more authentically in your daily life?
Quick Overview
“Hypocrisy Killer” explores Matthew 7:1-11, emphasizing the importance of not judging others harshly while ignoring one’s own flaws. The message also highlights the importance of seeking help from God, promising that God will respond generously in a way that brings about His glory. It’s our hope that this message will encourage you to live authentically and reflect Jesus by allowing the gospel to shape all your thoughts and actions.
C4 