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THE HOME OF THE HOPELESS HYPOCRITE
Job 8:11-15
Sunday Morning Sermon
September 5, 1999
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
Text: V. 15
Let’s notice a few of these verses again and allow me to make some commentary before we arrive at VERSE 15.
V. 11 - Can the rush grow up without mire? NO
V. 11 - Can the flag (an aquatic plant) grow without water? NO
V. 13 - SO ...
... are the paths of all that forget God: and the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
Just as certain as the bullrush cannot grow without the mire and the flag cannot grow without water ...
It is certain that the hypocrite’s hope shall perish.
The hope of happiness,
The hope of tranquility
The hope of contentment,
The hope of satisfaction
The hope of goodness,
It will all perish.
The word “hypocrite” is defined as “an actor under an assumed character, acting under a feigned part.”
Many Christians today are just acting,
acting under an assumed character,
acting under a feigned part.
Jesus described them perfectly in Matt. 15:7-8 when He was quoting Isaiah 29:13, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
Acting - draweth nigh with their mouth
Acting under an assumed character - honoureth me with their lips
Acting under a feigned part - but their heart is far from me
Hypocrisy is the scourge of our churches today.
It has destroyed many a church and home.
The bullrush will not grow without the mire,
The flag, the water plant, will not grow without water,
The hypocrite has no hope.
How sad ...
But that is not my message.
I draw my message from VERSE 15, “He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand, he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.”
I’ve entitled my message for this morning, “The Home of the Hopeless Hypocrite.”
No one ever gets married and says to their spouse,
“Boy, oh, boy, I can’t wait until the kids grow up and break our hearts, can you?”
“Man, oh, man, I can’t wait until little Susie gets pregnant out of wedlock as a teenager. I can’t wait until she turns 15 or 16.”
“I can’t hardly wait until the children get grown and get divorced and we get to raise the grandchildren. Won’t that be exciting?”
“Sweetie-pie, we’ve got three kids and one of these days they’ll get married and divorced and married and divorced and married and divorced, and the grandkids will get married and divorced and married and divorced. The grandkids and great-grandkids will all have different last names.”
“I just enjoy my husband yelling and screaming at me all the time. It makes our marriage so much more pleasant.”
Is that what young couples sit around and talk about?
“Wife, won’t it be great when Junior gets older and we get to bail him of jail? I sure am looking forward to selling all my deer rifles to post bail.”
“Honey, aren’t you just looking for the day when the kids get grown and don’t want to go with us to church?”
“Don’t you just love it when Roscoe backtalks and yells at us when he doesn’t get his way?”
“Honey-bunch, just think, one of these days we get to cry and weep over our terrible financial situation.”
“Lovey, wait until you hear this good news. Our son is dating a girl on drugs. Isn’t that exciting?”
Haven’t you had those kind of conversations with your wife?
“Hey, sweetie, aren’t you looking forward to the day that Roscoe quits school and bums around from house to house?”
“Hey, sweetheart, just think, one of these days our little Roscoe will be sitting here smoking a cigarette, cussing every other word, and has a six pack of beer in his ice chest in the back of his pick up truck. Honey, won’t that be a blessing?”
“Dumpling, I can’t wait until we get to see our son’s home wrecked and his children devastated because of alcohol.”
“Darling, I really don’t want our grown children and our grandchildren to go to church with us.”
“I sure am looking forward to visiting my son in the county jail one day. We’ll be so proud.”
Preacher, you’re being absurd.
“Honey, control yourself, it won’t be long until our daughter is married for the third time.”
“Honey, aren’t you looking forward to the day that our little Roscoe starts wearing necklaces, gets his ear pierced, cuts his hair funny, colors it different colors, and wears his sandals and wears those baggy pants that almost fall off. Isn’t he handsome?”
“Hey, love, Susie is getting to be a teenager, I can’t wait to see her run around half-naked with her short shorts and tank top. She’ll get any boy she wants.”
“Precious, I know you just can’t wait until Susie moves in and shacks up with her boyfriend.”
“Doesn’t our grandson look good? Don’t you just love that funny haircut, those tattoos, that earring, and the way his girlfriend hangs all over him and the way he puts his hands all over her.”
“I can’t wait to see my wife cry herself to sleep at night because of our kids and their wickedness.”
“Boy, oh, boy. One of these days I’ll get to argue and fight with my ex-wife and my step-children. I can’t wait.”
“Child support for 15 years? Sure, who wouldn’t want to do that. It’s just 35% of my paycheck each week. No problem. Everyone wants to do it.”
How would you describe those statements?
· ridiculous
· absurd
· asinine
· ludicrous
· preposterous
and I might agree.
But, wait a minute.
More often than not, isn’t that the description of most homes today?
How many of those statements hit a nerve?
Is that what God intended?
I don’t think so -- not if you believe Psalm 18:20, “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.”
I wouldn’t call divorce,
drug abuse,
sexual abuse,
shacking up,
adultery,
fornication,
teenage pregnancy,
beer,
cigarettes,
screaming,
yelling,
arguing,
fussing,
bitterness,
discouragement,
or unhappiness a reward ... and you don’t either.
Psalm 58:11, “Verily there is a reward for righteous...”
You can’t convince me or yourself that God repays righteousness with those things.
You can’t convince me or yourself that any of those things mentioned are rewards.
Back in Job 8:15
“He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.”
The hypocrite’s house will not stand,
It will not endure.
It can’t.
It won’t.
WHY? Because God said so.
Let’s examine Isaiah 32:17-18, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
How many homes would you describe as quiet?
How many homes would you describe as peaceable?
How many homes would you describe as quiet resting places?
How many homes are sure?
You know it and I know it that most homes today are on the edge, just moments from falling apart.
You might be playing the part at church in front of everyone, but you know the truth.
Quiet - only because you refuse talk to one another about half the time.
Peaceable - only because you’ve called a truce because you’re tired or arguing.
Sure - the only thing you’re sure of is that you’ve already thought about divorce.
The home of the hypocrite will not stand,
It will not endure.
Thus, “The Home of the Hopeless Hypocrite!”
Psalm 19 teaches us another wonderful truth about the rewards to righteousness.
Let’s read VERSES 7-11 and notice the last part of VERSE 11.
“... and in keeping of them there is great reward.”
The child of God who recognizes that the Word of God is perfect,
and who realizes that the testimony of the Lord is sure,
and knows the statutes of the Lord are right,
and knows the commandments of the Lord are enlightening,
and realizes that the Word of God warns,
AND IN KEEPING OF THEM THERE IS GREAT REWARD.
And the reverse is true.
The child of God who neglects and ignores and refuses to live by the Book, they will get their reward, but it won’t be the reward they were expecting.
Gal. 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Our text in Job 8 says the home of the hypocrite will not stand,
it will not endure.
it will not and cannot.
Many church members today are acting,
They are playing the part,
They are simply faking it,
And one day it will catch up.
Let me close with this statement and please listen carefully and let it sink in.
“Most people today are hypocrites and don’t even realize it.”
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