The End of Hypocrisy

I think it was around 2004 that the famous atheist Richard Dawkins released his book,

The God Delusion.

It was a book that was designed to argue that there was no logical possibility that a God

of any form existed.

His premise was that anyone who believed in God was deluded or stupid or any other list

of names that he proceeded to call Christians and the like.

It was a fairly uninspiring book and since then a whole bunch of prominent atheists have

kind of distanced themselves from it because it turns out that really his book was more

anti-Christian propaganda than any kind of logical discussion.

And so more thinking atheists have kind of separated themselves from him and his attack.

But what struck me about this book when it came out and about its content was the irony

of the title.

So Richard Dawkins was eager to prove basically that there was nothing and no one other than

himself that he was accountable to.

So essentially what he was arguing was that he was his own God.

Now those aren't his words but the possibility of there being a God was held up against his

personal logic or his personal experience or his personal understanding and his philosophies

of right and wrong and then rejected because it didn't fit his perception.

It could be argued that Dawkins has his own God delusion of sorts.

He's made himself God and perhaps that delusion is more dangerous than the one that he was seeking

to mock and argue against.

But the scary thing about this particular delusion is that it's one that you and I share with him.

The idea that the world revolves around me, the idea that I'm the final arbiter of truth,

that I decide what's right and wrong, even though we don't articulate it like that,

is evident in so many of our lives.

And the problem with this delusion is that it's not just arrogant but it's ignorant as well.

I mean firstly it distorts our perception of reality.

We love to use language like the world is your oyster, you can do whatever you want,

you can do whatever you set your mind to.

But that's just not true, is it?

Have a look at verse 13.

Now listen, you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,

spend a year there, carry on business and make money,

well you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.

What is your life?

You're a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

You can make plans all you want but you actually have no idea what's going to happen.

You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone next week or next month or next year.

There will always be external forces or factors that affect the things that happen in our life.

There's always going to be things that are beyond our control.

Four weeks ago I came back from a few days away of planning with the senior staff here at St. Paul's.

It was a good couple of days, we've got some exciting things in store for next year.

And I was about to head home and pack for a trip

because me and Sal were heading away for her cousin's wedding.

And I was sitting there in my head thinking about how am I going to dodge the traffic,

how am I going to pack in the five or ten minutes that I'll have when I get home before we leave.

You know, I was looking at restaurants on my phone about where I could take Sal

and you know, my head was completely in the things that we were going to be doing.

And about an hour later I was in hospital with two broken legs

and the prospect of six weeks of rehab for me, let alone the stress on Sal.

Now I had no idea what was about to happen.

I had no control over what was about to happen.

I had no control over when it was going to happen and neither do we.

And yet, so often in ignorance we live and talk and plan as if we're in control.

As if we can absolutely influence everything in our life.

Like the ultimate defining factor is what I want and when I want it.

The delusion that we're in control is arrogant because it presumes power that we just don't have.

And it's ignorant because God's rule is not dependent on us acknowledging or recognising it.

One of the great parenting challenges in our house at the moment

is trying to teach an increasingly competent and coherent three-year-old about who's in charge.

So now if I ask Bailey to do something that he doesn't want to do,

he can respond with, no, I don't want to do that.

In fact, it's the only time that he responds politely and says, no thanks, I don't want to do that.

Maybe hoping that that might win the argument.

And if I insist, he responds with phrases that are scarily familiar.

Like, daddy, I said no.

Or, daddy, you're not the boss.

Now of course, when this happens, I respond with gentleness and grace.

No, that's not true.

I react.

Because my authority is being challenged in that moment.

My rightful authority as his dad is being challenged.

And there's this understanding for him, even at three years old,

that he wants to be the master of his own destiny.

He wants to be his own decision maker.

He wants to be his own king.

And of course, the problem comes when you have two masters or two kings in the same domain.

Two kings, two self-proclaimed kings in the one house.

Because whenever there are two people competing for authority,

two people claiming authority, one of them has to be rejected.

See, when we think or speak or act or plan like we're the ones in control,

like we know everything that's going to happen,

in effect, we are arrogantly saying to God,

I'm king, not you.

I'm in charge, not you.

I'm in control, not you.

It is arrogant and ignorant to say to the creator of everything,

I'm more powerful than you.

Or to somehow assume that his power is dependent on my willingness to submit to it.

The Bible describes Jesus as the creator of all things,

the sustainer of all things.

Without him, nothing exists.

The New Testament tells us that there will come a point where every knee will bow,

where every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, is King.

Either by force or by choice,

everyone will one day acknowledge that Jesus is King.

And yet we, as Christians,

as people who claim to willingly choose Jesus as our King,

shamefully remove him from his place

and act like we're in control.

Plus, the delusion of control for us foolishly ignores eternity.

When we think we're in control,

we start to live life like this,

here and now is all that there is.

And so suddenly we are consumed by the desire to accumulate stuff,

to get things,

to gather pleasure,

as much as we possibly can.

And if you're a Christian,

and remember that this letter in James is written to the church,

it's written to people who claim to be following Jesus,

who as far as we know are following Jesus.

If you're a Christian,

and you've forgotten about the eternity that your life is a part of,

then your life is pitiful.

1 Corinthians 15 says that if you only have hope for this life,

then you are to be pitied above all men.

Because the Christian life,

the Christian hope recognizes that we are made for more than just a bit between our birth and our death.

The Christian hope yearns for something that is more satisfying than the fickle treasures and pleasures

that we do enjoy in this life.

Our lives in the scheme of eternity are a mist that appears

and is gone.

And it is arrogance to assume

that what we could accumulate in our short breath of a life

can even vaguely compare

to the eternity of goodness

that God has prepared

for those who love him.

And yet,

we pour out our lives

in a vain attempt

to satisfy ourselves,

to gather pleasure,

to gather things,

to make ourselves happy.

This passage isn't saying that our lives have no value.

What it means,

what it's talking about

when it says that your life is a mist

is it's giving you the context

in which your life can flourish.

It's giving you the purpose,

the environment in which you can get the most

out of the mist,

the breath that God has given you.

And that context

is eternity.

To quote Russell Crowe,

the modern day prophet

from the movie Gladiator,

what we do in this life

echoes in eternity.

The way we live,

the choices we make,

the things we pursue,

the things we dream about,

need to reflect our understanding

that God has indescribable goodness for us

beyond this life.

And that he has already purchased that for us

by sending Jesus.

The way we use our time

and our energy

and our money

must reflect our awareness

that everything we have

in this life

comes from God

and is entrusted to us

for his purpose.

Have a look at verse 1 of chapter 5.

Now listen,

you rich people,

weep and wail

because of the misery

that is coming upon you.

Your wealth has rotted

and moths have eaten your clothes.

Your gold and silver

are corroded.

Their corrosion

will testify against you

and eat your flesh

like fire.

You have hoarded wealth

in the last days.

Look,

the wages you failed

to pay the workmen

who mowed your fields

are crying out against you.

The cries of the harvesters

have reached the ears

of the Lord Almighty.

You have lived on earth

in luxury

and self-indulgence.

You have fattened yourselves

in the day of slaughter.

You have condemned

and murdered innocent men

who are not opposing you.

The issue here

is not with the fact

that these people are rich.

The problem

for these rich people

and remember

we've been reminded

that we fall under

the category of rich people.

The issue

is how they got rich.

The issue

is what they've done

with their wealth.

The issue

is most importantly

where their hearts are.

See,

their unbridled commitment

to hoarding wealth

for themselves

at the expense of others,

even in the oppression

of others,

by not paying wages,

reflects an ignorance

that their life

that they live now

and everything

that they gather now

is but a mist

in the context

of eternity.

They have forgotten

that there is something

bigger

that God

has prepared.

Their wealth

is corroding

and even

condemning them

because it

testifies

to their desire

to be in control.

They hoard wealth

to look after

themselves,

to protect themselves,

to create the illusion

of safety.

It testifies

that they have

rejected

God

as king.

They have rejected

his purposes

in their life

and we need

to be warned

because we are

the rich.

We need

to have our

hearts

and our eyes

fixed

on eternity.

We need

to see

everything

that we have

and enjoy now,

the transient

treasures,

the good things

that God

has entrusted

to us

as just that,

things

entrusted

to us

for his

purpose.

Nothing

we have

is ours.

Every good

thing we have

comes from God,

James 1 tells us

that,

but nothing

we have

is ours

or

for our

discretion.

Everything

we have

is from him

and for him.

In

a couple

of weeks'

time,

we will be

in our

commitment series

and something

that we do

as part of

our commitment

series is we

pledge

financially

to the

work of

ministry

for the

coming 12

months.

It's

something

that we've

been doing

for several

years

and many

of you

are in

the habit

of doing.

But I

wonder in

reflection on

what God

is challenging

us here

tonight,

given that

we have

to recognise

that at

points in

our lives

and in

areas of

our lives

we live

like God

is not

king,

like we

are king,

what would

it look

like as

you reflect

on the

resources that

God has

entrusted to

you,

financial and

otherwise,

as you

dream about

how to

give them

to the

work of

ministry,

what difference

would it make

if your

starting point

was everything

that I have

in my

hand,

every dollar,

every resource,

every ounce of

energy is not

mine,

but is God's,

entrusted to me

for his purpose.

purpose,

how might that

change what

you commit

to doing,

what you

commit to

giving?

See,

when we

place ourselves

at the

centre,

when we

delude

ourselves

into thinking

that we

are in

control,

we take

the good

things that

God gives

us and

elevate them

above the

one who

gave them

in the

first place

and that

is sin

at its

heart.

You can

almost hear

the defence

of the

people who

are reading

this passage

for the

first time.

It might

be the

defence that

you're

rehearsing in

your mind

even now

as I

speak.

What's

wrong with

planning or

working hard?

I still go

to church,

I still pray,

I still do

good things?

But this is

where this

God delusion

becomes really

dangerous.

when you're

the centre

of your

world,

when what

you want

matters most,

you actually

lose the

ability to

even understand

what sin

is.

Sin becomes

just a list

of things

that I'm not

supposed to

do.

Or maybe a

list of

things that I

am supposed

to do.

Hence the

defence,

I'm not so

bad, I'm

ticking the

boxes.

But only

when Jesus

is in

his rightful

place at

the centre,

can you

begin to

see the

impact of

not just

the specific

actions that

you do or

don't do,

but the

impact of

your allegiance,

of your

affection.

creation.

Because if

you're loving

something else,

something other

than Jesus,

who loved you

and gave

himself for

you and

sits on the

throne as

the rightful

ruler over

all creation,

if you are

loving anything

more than

Jesus, that

is sin,

that is

serious,

that matters.

And so

verse 17

tells us,

anyone then

who knows

the good

he ought to

do and

doesn't do

it,

sins.

The good

that you

ought to

do, the

good that

you know

about as

someone who

follows

Jesus, is

that the

world and

your life and

everything in

them belong

to Jesus,

belong under

his rule.

The good you

ought to do is

to love him

with all your

heart, soul,

mind and

strength.

the good

that you

ought to

do is

to offer

your life

and everything

in it for

his purpose

and not

your own.

But when

you live

with a

God delusion,

when you

live with

yourself at

the center

like the

world is

your oyster

to do

with as

you please,

you float

along in

ignorance,

oblivious

even to

the good

design that

God has

for your

life.

You become

unwilling to

submit to

his direction

because you're

convinced that

your life

will go

better if

you stay

in the

driver's

seat.

The

command here

in verse

15,

the alternative

to having

a God

delusion,

instead,

you ought to

say,

if it is

the Lord's

will,

we will

live and

do this

or that.

The

alternative is

to submit

to the

Lord's

will,

to ask

that

question

before

every

decision

and

action,

if it

is the

Lord's

will.

That's a

really

significant

phrase.

We need

to pause

and just

reflect on

that for a

second.

It's a

sentence that's

maybe been

emptied of

its gravity,

of its meaning,

because it's the

sort of thing we

throw into

prayers to make

ourselves sound

godly.

Dear God,

please make

me feel

better,

if it's

your will.

It's become

something that's

a bit of a

cliche or

maybe a

lip service

to God.

But the

problem in

this passage

and in our

lives is not

that we have

rejected God,

it's that

we've reduced

God,

we've diluted

him,

we've tried to

tame him,

we haven't sent

him away,

we've just

reduced his

authority and

his power over

us to the

point where

he's still

king,

but just not

over everything,

he gets a

little bit.

He's kind of

a vice king

to my

ultimate

kingship.

And so I

will follow

wherever God

leads, as long

as it fits in

with where I was

going anyway.

I'll go to

church, I'll

read my Bible,

I'll do my

best to be

moral, but I'm

going to decide

what I do with

my money.

I'll submit to

your rule,

Jesus, but I

decide where I

live.

I decide what

job I have.

Because we've

shrunk God

down so much,

we become

ignorant to

what his

will even

is, to the

point where

we've begun to

make his will

our will.

And so when

I've talked to

people about

areas of their

life that don't

reflect God's

will, that don't

reflect the Bible,

that don't reflect

a love for Jesus

above all

else, and if

I'm honest, I've

heard these

phrases in myself

as well, the

phrases that

sometimes come

out when we've

twisted God's

will to be our

will is, I

can't imagine a

God who

wouldn't want me

to be happy.

I can't imagine a

God who would

care which

suburb I live

in.

I can't imagine a

God who would

bother interfering

with my love

life, or my

work.

When we

reduce God, we

just make him

like us, so

it's easier.

And so we

think that

following God's

will will only

be good, because

that's our plan

for us.

We can't imagine

a scenario where

God would actually

put something

difficult in our

lives for our

sake and for

his glory.

And yet when

Jesus prayed,

your will be

done and not

mine, he said

it in tears as

he prepared to

go to the

cross.

Following

Jesus is an

all-consuming

reality.

It

redefines your

whole life.

It replaces

every ambition

and every

treasure.

It demands

that we lay

down the

things that

we had

hoped for

ourselves and

come empty

handed, ready

to go wherever

we are sent,

ready to do

whatever is

asked, ready

to serve in

whatever way he

requires.

It demands that

we let go of

the treasures

that we

previously held

so that we

can grab hold

of the better

treasure that

is Jesus, that

is forgiveness,

that is hope.

Submitting to

God is better,

God is

will.

But when we

delude ourselves

into thinking the

world is about

God's will is.

Jesus is the

ultimate picture of

what it looks like

to submit to his

father's will.

Through his whole

life he gives

himself to

everything that is

asked of him,

even his death.

Taking the

penalty for our

sins is in

obedience to his

father's will.

Listen to

Philippians chapter

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

2.

It says,

Jesus who being

in very nature

God did not

consider equality

with God something

to be grasped,

but made himself

nothing, taking the

very nature of a

servant, being made

in human likeness,

and being found in

appearance as a

man, he humbled

himself and became

obedient to death,

even death on a

cross.

The path that he

chose in life was

the path of

obedience to his

father.

And what

happened?

God exalted

him to the

highest place and

gave him the

name that is above

every name, that

at the name of

Jesus every knee

should bow, in

heaven and on

earth and under

the earth, and

every tongue

confess that Jesus

Christ is Lord, to

the glory of God

the Father.

Jesus always did

his father's will,

for our sake.

He always did what

was asked of him,

and his father

lifted him up.

He was not left

forsaken.

Jesus models what

it is to give

yourself fully to

God.

And James is

calling us as

Christians to

imitate that

wholesale

commitment, that

uncompromising,

undiluted, every

minute of everyday

commitment to our

father's call.

He calls us to

have as the

starting point to

every decision in

life, to every day

that we wake,

God, here I am.

With everything

that you have

given me, what

would you have me

do?

Not, God, I've

got this stuff

planned, is there

anything you want

me to do while I'm

getting it done?

But to start

every decision

about what job

we'd have, about

what house we'd

live in, about

what ministry

we'd be involved

in, about what

money we would

give, what money

we would save,

about everything

that we would

do, with the

heart position of

your will be done

because you are

king.

This is a scary

prospect.

This is a scary

demand.

What about the

things that you're

looking forward to?

What about the

things that you

really love?

What if you have

to give up

something that

you really enjoy?

I mean, if I

give up control,

if I stop trying

to be God and

entrust myself to

God, how is that

going to work out

for me?

That's the fear,

isn't it?

That's why we try

and hold the

wheel, isn't it?

Because we're

worried that

somehow we'll

lose if we let

go.

Jesus is more

than just a model

for us to

imitate.

Jesus is the

foundation that

gives us

confidence to

trust God,

confidence to

submit our lives

to His will

and know that

it will always

be good.

Listen to the

words of Romans

8.

Verse 28 says,

We know that in

all things God

works for the

good of those

who love Him.

How do we know?

Verse 32.

He who did not

spare His own

Son, but gave

Him up for us

all, how will

He not also,

along with Him,

graciously give us

all things.

The cross is the

proof that God's

will for you is

always good.

Sometimes difficult,

sometimes painful,

but always good.

Always given to you

out of love,

always given for

your benefit,

always given for

His glory.

The fear that our

lives won't be as

good, won't be as

satisfying, won't be

as fantastic, or

that we'll miss out

on something is

obliterated by the

cross, because at

the cross God

gives you the

thing that He

cares about most.

He pays the

highest price for

you.

And He proves

that He is in

control.

He proves that

His power and

His goodness

combine to give

us security when

we trust Him.

To know that He is

good and He is in

control, and He is

working for our

good.

And so I want to

ask you tonight to

reflect on your own

life.

Right now, is there

anything in your

life, is there any

part of your life

that you are holding

on to and trying to

control?

Are there dreams and

ambitions in your

life that you're

holding on to so

tightly that you

would not let go if

God asked you to?

Are there things that

you're sacrificing for,

that you're prioritizing,

that don't reflect the

one who bought you

with the blood of

His Son?

What is it that you're

pouring your energy

into?

What is it that you're

sacrificing to get?

What is it that you're

dreaming about in your

life?

Because God's will for

you is that the answer

to all those questions

would be Him.

That the thing you

dream about is Him.

The thing you sacrifice

for is Him.

The thing you pour your

energy into is Him and

His purpose and His

kingdom and His will.

His desire is that you

would be so satisfied in

Him that you would

joyfully empty your

hands of the temporary,

inferior joys that the

world is trying to sell

us.

God alone is God.

God alone belongs at the

center of your world.

He alone has mapped out the

best path for your life.

God alone has a life.

God alone has a life.

God alone has a life.

God alone has a life.

God alone has a life.

God alone has a life full of

good gifts entrusted to you

for His purpose.

Instead, you should say, if it

is the Lord's will.

Let's pray.

Father God, we want to

acknowledge and recognize

that we elevate ourselves,

we place trust in ourselves

that is misguided, that we

try and control things even

when we know we can't

logically.

We still refuse to throw

ourselves on you and your

goodness.

But God, we ask that you

would open our eyes to see

in the cross the guarantee

that your will is good, that

your will is unstoppable, and

that there is much joy and

much blessing in living the

life that you have designed

for us.

God, I pray that you would

open our eyes to see the

things or the areas of

the passions in our life

that we are keeping for

ourselves.

Things that we are elevating

above you.

God, I pray that tonight you

would shine brighter for us,

that we would recognize that

you are the true treasure,

that we would let go of

things that we might grab

hold of more of you and be

more satisfied in you.

God, we pray for us as a

church that as we begin to

give ourselves, give our whole

lives, give everything that we

are and have to you and your

cause, that you might use us

mightily, that you might draw

others to come and know the

hope and purpose that you have

ordained for your people.

We pray that people would see a

difference in us, see a

contentment, see a security that

cannot be found elsewhere.

We pray that in our difficult

times and in our prosperous

times that we would still hold

firmly to the truth that you are

king, that you rule, that you are

worthy.

Father, please open our hearts,

enable us to love you as you

deserve so that you might get the

glory.

Amen.