Lesson 70: Fear of Man and Hypocrisy (Luke 12:1-3)

Is it possible to hide who you actually are and conceal what you do in secret? Do we ever truly get away with anything? But isn’t a bigger question, “Should I be living in such a way that I’m looking to hide at all?” Jesus regularly spoke against hypocrisy, the man-fearing sin of presenting yourself as something you really are not—this is the hiding (or covering up) that is so tempting to engage in. Pastor Daniel looks at the words of Christ in this passage and emphasizes the central point: “Hypocrisy is overcome when I replace my fear of man with a fear of God.” By keeping in view the following truths, we will be on our way to the freedom of righteous consistency between our hearts and our actions. 1) All things—good and bad—are going to be revealed. 2) Other people’s opinions are not going to last. 3) God is the one who will judge and reveal all things.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff