Questions: Ever purchased something that appeared desirable but you later discovered it was rotten? Perhaps it was a bag of apples from the produce market. Perhaps it was a ‘lemon’ of a vehicle. The list is perhaps long.

How much more dangerous is it when it happens in our spiritual lives. That is why there are countless warnings in Scripture about having biblically qualified leaders rather than wonderclouts.

Here are just a few examples of some whose appearance was that of righteousness but whose reality was wickedness:

• Pharisees and Scribes
• Judas Iscariot
• Cain
• King Saul

First, in Matthew 23:1-12 (ESV), Jesus shines His divine spotlight on the hypocrisy and spiritual bankruptcy of the religious leaders:

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Second, in Mattew 26:14-16 (ESV), Judas Iscariot is revealed to be a child of Satan. Yet he’d worn the appearance of being a Christian for years before:

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.”

Third, the first murderer in the Bible is Cain. He murdered his brother Abel. Fratricide in Genesis 4:8-11 (ESV):

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

Fourth, King Saul. He was a liar from the beginning. He was insecure, cunning, and narcissistic. Just listen to God’s words to the Godly Samuel about how God was going to give the people what they wanted as a judgment for their lack of discernment:

And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7, ESV).

Will we notice the pattern? What do the scribes, Pharisees, Judas Iscariot, Cain, and wicked King Saul all have in common? They loved not the people; they loved themselves. They coveted the applause of men. They sought power over people. They were manipulators. They were narcissists. They were crafty. And they ruined others. Why? Because their love was self. They were self-involved, self-absorbed, self-centered people.

Encouragement/takeaway: Appearance vs. Reality is perhaps the greatest and oldest of themes. But what’s down in the well invariably comes up in the bucket. May the Lord grant discernment to His true sheep. Why? Because a wonderclout in the spiritual life is cancerous for all involved.

Here’s a link to the YouTube video of my addressing the same theme:

Failure-1640s, failer, “a failing, deficiency,” also “act of failing,” from Anglo-French failer, Old French falir “be lacking; not succeed” (see fail (v.)). The verb in Anglo-French used as a noun; ending altered 17c. in English to conform with words in -ure. Meaning “thing or person considered as a failure” is from 1837.

Introduction: Last week in my Sunday school class with the saints, a friend from class said something that struck me and the rest of the class because of its insight. His remarks came on the heels of my teaching from Matthew 26:30-46. This is the passage in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus told His disciples that they would all bail at the moment of greatest testing. Here’s the text:

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.” (Mt 26:30-46, ESV)

The remark was something along these lines. This is not a direct quote, mind you, but this was the gist of his insight: “This is one more piece of evidence for the divine origin of Scripture. The Bible is filled with examples like this of people in their failures. Peter swore he would not fall away, and he did. Three times in one night, even. It’s the same with others. David, great as he was, sinned grievously. Solomon, wise as he was at times, blew it. Moses, gentle and patient as he was at times, was also a murderer and had a serious anger problem.” You get the idea, I hope.

Jesus’ disciples all said they’d be faithful. And yet, that very night, Judas would betray Him into the hands of the Sanhedrin and other wicked men. Peter would deny Him three times and the prophesied rooster did indeed crow. And Peter wept. Bitterly. Peter was learning about Peter, and it broke his heart.

Encouragement/takeaway: Were the Bible a made-up book of tales, a concoction of moralism and/or fables, men would be portrayed as heroic. Instead, we get the truth. We men are much more often failures. We’re a lot more like Moses and David and Judas and Peter on their bad days than we are like Christ on any of His days.

We need to be careful about adopting a position of being anointed or special or above others; we’re the sinners. Christ came for those of us who are broken over what we are. We need redemption, and Christ is the Redeemer and Hero.

Let us be appreciative of the failures given to us in the pages of sacred Scripture. We’re much more like them than we might care to admit.

(Credit goes to D.D. in class for inspiring this piece. Thank you, brother.)

Introduction: I was concentrating once again upon some of the most profound verses ever penned in the New Testament, Paul’s last words in Ephesians 6. They were not Paul’s last words, mind you, but they were the last ones in this particular New Testament letter. You perhaps know of the passage. It’s where Paul describes man’s battle as primarily spiritual. And because man’s primary battle is spiritual (we’re not just molecules in motion or meat puppets, as the secularists would have us believe), the Christian man or woman to is to don, or put on, “the whole armor of God.”

But what gripped me so powerfully in my studies today was the appearance–once again–of this man Tychicus. Here’s the way Paul ends this letter. Notice his commendation of Tychicus:

So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts (Eph 6:21-22, ESV).

Setting: Remember where Paul was when he wrote this letter? Yes, once again he was incarcerated.

After penning this salvo about spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10-20), Paul commends Tychicus. Why?

Here are (4) leadership lessons we learn about Tychicus from here in Ephesians and other NT passages:

• He was faithful (Eph 6:21; Col 4:7)
• He encouraged the saints (Eph 6:22)
• He suffered for the sake of the gospel (Acts 20:4)
• He served the body rather than himself (2 Tim 4:12; Titus 3:12)

Questions:

• Do we see this level of faithfulness in our day?
• Do you think our generation of Christians will go down in church history as an age of faithful soldiers? If so, why? If not, why not?
• Is our ministry characterized by our encouragement of the saints and equipping them for spiritual battles?
• Do we teach how to suffer for the sake of the gospel, or do we perhaps proffer a sub-biblical message designed to keep money coming in so we can be comfortable, and none of the wrong people get offended?
• Do we serve the body of saints? Do we deny ourselves for the sake of the sheep? Or do we design structures to feather our own nests?
• Do we in many ways resemble New Testament believers like Paul’s friend Tychicus?

Introduction: Internals long before externals. Ever heard someone say, “I hate hypocrites!”? Of course. We all have. Maybe we’ve said it ourselves. There is something viscerally repulsive about hypocrisy. Spiritual hypocrisy may be the most distasteful. I think that’s why Satan loves it when so-called pastors or spiritual leaders fall. The enemy of truth goes, “See? I told you they were fakes. Just in it for money, fame, and power.” I remember how crestfallen I was when Ravi Zacharias was exposed. It hurt me deeply. I felt the same way again when Steve Lawson was exposed. I had read all the books of both men and had contributed financially to their ministries and even purchased their books to give to others I was trying to reach for Christ. But it all blew up in my face when the truth was exposed.

Connection to Scripture: In Luke 11, Jesus rebukes hypocrites to their faces.

Follow me in the text:

37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you” (Lk 11:37-41, ESV).

Encouragement/takeaway: In the above passage, the legalistic Pharisee purported to judge the Lord Jesus for not washing His hands before eating. (Just let that sink in: the Pharisee purported to judge God.) But Jesus gently rebuked the Pharisee by reminding him of a fundamental truth: God assesses our hearts long before He’s concerned with our handwashing. In other words, internals long before externals. If our heart is changed, the effects will show. Our theology will be made visible. But if we’re consumed with posturing and externals, that, too, is known to God. And there, too, our theology is made visible. May we have teachable spirits, hearts intent upon internal obedience and not concerned with appearances that fool neither God nor the discerning.

Introduction: A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of watching all of a series on a streaming platform titled House of Cards. I write that it was a mistake because it messed with me spiritually. The themes in that show were so dark, so vile, that I literally felt sick to my stomach when viewing more than a few episodes. The acting was superb; the cinematography was top-notch; the storylines were riveting; all of that is accurate. But something happened inside my spirit and in my guts because of watching that show. I felt like I’d seen inside the belly of the beast. I felt like I’d seen behind the black curtains into the very bowels of hell and its denizens. I still think about that show, and what it portrayed about the lengths to which some evil people will go to get and maintain power. It sickened me then and it sickens me now. For some, their god is their belly, their appetites. In short, they are their own gods (Phil. 3:19).

Connection to Scripture: In Luke 11, Jesus was teaching about the Devil and unclean spirits. Listen to the words of Christ: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first” (Lk 11:24-26, ESV).

What’s going on here? In short, Satan is persistent; he hates the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He hates God. He hates God’s people, Christians. So, when the powers of hell are confronted, they must be vanquished entirely. They must be defeated. Fully. God’s light must vanquish the darkness. The spiritual lights must be turned on like a switch for the dark deeds to be exposed. That’s why House of Cards troubled me so deeply; darkness prevailed there. That’s why there was always a spirit of suspicion, narcissism, and jockeying for power. No one loved anyone but himself/herself.

Jesus says in John 3:19 (ESV), “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

Takeaway: Still now, years later, that show haunts me. Why? Because I so long for light and truth and beauty to prevail. I’m hard-wired to root for the righteous. I believe in truth, in the good, and the beautiful. But those categories only make sense because they are rooted in the God who is. Lord, may You be pleased to vanquish the darkness, shine the light of Your holiness on the myriad houses of cards using spiritual forces of darkness to blind the minds of countless souls. Bring glory to Yourself by exposing sin and exalting righteousness.

Introduction: Daniel is one of the most debated books when it comes to its prophetic sections. There are some cryptic passages about which there’s no paucity of debate. But what is clear in the section I want to look at in this piece is Daniel 11:32-35. These four verses speak to a vital issue, namely, the alternatives facing a people. Follow me …

Text:

32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. (Dan 11:32-35, ESV)

Most scholars with which I’m familiar teach that the man referred to here is Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the 160s B.C. and the Maccabean revolt that resulted due to Antiochus’ destruction and profanation of the temple in Jerusalem.

First, what interests me here is how “the wise among the people” (v. 33) behaved. What does the text say about them? It says they “knew their God” and that they “[stood] firm” and “[took] action” (v. 32).

Second, the wise helped others understand because destruction was afoot (v. 33).

Third, a winnowing occurred as part of judgment (vv. 34-35). In other words, purification.

God was refining His people. He was separating wheat from chaff. He was using suffering to purify His people. He was teaching them.

Encouragement: The alternative was made plain, in other words. God’s people could either bow to the pagan forces and capitulate or they could stand firm in the Lord, and fight for truth and light. This is simple but not easy. Simple, I say, but not easy.

The Issue: The Matter of Separation vis-à-vis the Truth

Background: For over a year now I have been teaching the saints from class. We are near the end now of Matthew’s gospel. This Sunday we will be in Matthew 26. This is where the chief priests and elders plot together to kill the Lord Christ. It is also the section in Matthew’s gospel where a woman anoints Jesus’ body with very expensive ointment she pours from her alabaster flask. And do you know what’s happening? A separation is occurring. A division between the spiritually hardened (the chief priests and elders) and the spiritually regenerate and tender (the woman with the flask of ointment) unfolds in real. Two types: those hostile to the truth vs. those who embrace the truth.

Jesus’ Words about the Woman:

10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Mt 26:10-13, ESV).

Teaching: In sum, Jesus was rebuking those who were more concerned with criticizing the woman than with embracing Him as the only Savior. They were more concerned with external appearances and finances. Meanwhile Jesus says this woman’s obedience will remain forever lauded wherever the gospel is proclaimed. How’s that for a commendation?

Encouragement: When your desire is to please the Lord, rest assured that separation will occur. Those whose longing is for the approval of man will resent you. But your obedience is known by the Lord Christ. Stay true, stay humble, and trust the Lord.