WHAT SHALL WE DO TO
THESE MEN?
1. According to Acts 4:16, the people of God were brought before some officials.
2. Unsaved men asked “what should be done” to some of the first Christians.
3. How should the people of God be treated by those who were not of the faith?
4. The question that these men asked is still relevant.
5. Certain things are done to those who are Christians.
TONIGHT
I WANT TO LOOK AT FIVE OF THE WAYS THE WORLD RESPONDS TO CHRISTIANS.
A. I will list these five things in advance and then cover them in more detail.
B. The first one is, suspect them as hypocrites.
C. # 2: View them as liars.
D. # 3: Treat them as enemies.
E. # 4: Punish them as evildoers.
F. # 5: Act as if they are separatists, and guilty of division.
2. The first way that some deal with Christianity is by charging its members with hypocrisy.
3. We find that some reject the gospel because they believe Christians are frauds and pretenders.
4. It is often alleged that Christians are two-faced; the ultimate example of hypocrites.
A. This is an interesting charge because of who it is made against.
B. How many times have we heard a Buddhist called a hypocrite?
C. The environmental rights people and feminists are seldom called hypocrites.
D. Christianity is the faith that is most often singled out and labeled as hypocritical.
E. The people of God are charged with this sin again and again.
F. In some cases, this charge is true.
G. Judas was a hypocrite.
H. He greeted Jesus and then betrayed him
I. There is no question about the one who betrayed the Lord.
J.
In Mt.
K. In the modern religious world we have seen hypocrites and horrible hypocrisy.
L. Priests have abuse children and continue performing their religious duties.
M. Preachers are involved with adultery but preach a message of righteousness.
N. There are examples of religious people who are absolute hypocrites.
5. Others are guilty of hypocrisy at certain intervals.
6. The book of Galatians tells a little story about Peter.
7. This was the passage that we were asked to hold in readiness.
8. We will start with verse 11 – READ.
9. Peter was an apostle. He had been part of the Lord’s inner circle.
10. Yet, Paul said that he “stood condemned.”
11. The reason for this is found in verses 12-13 – READ.
12. The specific charge of hypocrisy is in verse 14 – READ.
13. Sometime after Peter had become a Christian, he had discarded the Jewish laws.
14. Yet, because of peer pressure he went back to the old ways.
15. He did not live in the way that is right.
16. Peter was a hypocrite, but this was an isolated instance.
17. Those who are unsaved seldom make any distinctions in the area of hypocrisy.
18. They see problems in the lives of religious people and paint everyone w/same brush.
19. The Bible makes some distinctions.
A. There are passages that describe, shall we say, full time hypocrisy.
B. Hypocrisy can also be short term, though the examples of this are extremely rare.
C. The only real example of that I can find of brief hypocrisy is Gal. 2.
D. Perhaps it would be better label this as a very public sin instead of hypocrisy.
E. Peter was temporarily overcome or entrapped in something that was wrong.
F. There are also examples in scripture of those who were not hypocritical.
20. Paul said that he had lived in “all good conscience” before his conversion (Acts 23:1).
21. Zacharias and Elizabeth (Lk. 1:6) were “blameless.”
22. Elders (Tit. 1:6) and deacons (1
Tim.
23. When the word hypocrisy comes up, this should be a word that we are willing to discuss.
24. The Bible affirms that not every Christians is a hypocrite.
25. Some are, and those who are guilty of this sin will be lost.
26. The charge that all Christians are hypocrites is simply untrue.
27. Condemning Christianity because of hypocrisy among Christians is certainly not right.
28. Hypocritical people in the church does not prove that Christianity is wrong.
29. A SECOND OBJECTION TO THE FAITH DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE IS THE IDEA THAT CHRISTIANS ARE LIARS AND PHONIES.
A. It has been alleged that religious people tell lies for money.
B. Religious groups and leaders use lies and deceit to trick people.
C. Christianity is a faith that is nothing more than a giant hoax.
D. Paul touched on this in 1 Cor. 15:15.
E. The Koran says that Christians are liars (37:150).
F. Some have said that even the Bible endorses lies and lying.
G. One man was so bold he said, “no one will admit that his belief in God is wishful thinking."
H. These claims are interesting because of what Jesus said in Jn. 8.
I. The Lord had a discussion with some Jews.
J. From the sound of the text, this was a rather intense conversation.
K. In the course of the exchange, Jesus spoke about Satan.
L. Here is what verse 44 says – READ.
30. Lying is from the world.
31. Not telling the truth is associated with sin, evil, and wickedness—not God.
32. Other parts of the Bible have some things to say about lying.
33. According to Col. 3:9, it is associated with the “old man.”
A. When someone says that Christians lie, the response should be,
B. “I used to. That was part of my old life.”
C. Christianity has changed my life. I now tell the truth.
D. In
Eph.
E.
Falsehood is “put away” (Eph.
34. Christians believe that liars are worthy of the same fate as murderers (Rev. 21:8).
35. John joined liars with sorcerers, fornicators, and the unbelieving.
36. The charge that Christians are not interested in the truth is false.
37. Deception, falsehood, and lies are associated with those who are outside of Christ.
38. WHEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST ARE WILLING TO SAY THAT CHRISTIANS ARE HYPOCRITES AND LIARS, IT IS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD HAVE TREATED CHRISTIANS AS THE ENEMY.
A. There are forces in this country that consider Christianity to be dangerous.
B. I do not know what the religious affiliation of John Ashcroft is.
C. Someone recently asked me if he is a member of the church. I do not know his background.
D. A high percentage of the people in this country know that this man openly professes Christianity.
E.
His religious beliefs have caused people to call him
the most dangerous man in
39. Other countries where communism flourished have classified Christianity as poisonous.
40. It has been likened to the drug opium.
41. Christians are labeled as people who promote hate and lack joy.
42. We are seen as an enemy and a detriment to this country.
43. When we starting about a single to way to God, people get nervous.
44. Our refusal to say that everything is okay in moral and religious matters upsets people.
45. Words like “ultra conservative, right wing, fanatics, and radical” are used to describe us.
46. This kind of terminology is not used to describe friends.
47. The unsaved see Christians as the opposition.
48. Someone has said that the world sees Christians as bowls of cereal.
49. We are viewed as flakes, nuts, and fruits. This is a good illustration.
50. The people of God are not infrequently scorned.
51. Because of how the world views us, we need to be removed, silenced, or have our minds changed.
52. There is on-going evidence for this conclusion from what is said in the media as well as the Bible.
53. In Rom.
54. Even in the first century some who heard about New Testament Christianity didn’t like it.
55. In the New Testament we read about people who were cast in jail for the faith.
56. Others were beaten. Some were stoned.
57. In Phil.
58. In thinking about the word enemies, consider this.
59. Christians are repeatedly told to love their “enemies.”
60. Who are the enemies we are supposed to love?
A. I am left with the impression that some do not see any enemies.
B. Or, our enemies are faceless people that we cannot identify.
C. We read about loving enemies but do we really know who they are?
D. Many of our enemies are those who are opposed to the gospel.
E. Fellow members of our society—sometimes powerful people—consider us to be dangerous.
F. We are to love the people who say that we are radical and a threat.
61. BECAUSE
ENEMIES OF THE GOSPEL EXIST, IT SHOULD BE OF NO SURPRISE THAT THEY WANT TO
PUNISH THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
A. This week there was a news story about the Supreme Court.
B. The court is looking at how a racketeering law applies to abortion protestors.
C. These protestors broke the law. They deserved to be punished.
D. Instead of handing out a punishment that was just,
E. The protestors—many of whom were religious—were charged under a racketeering law.
F. They were charged under the RICO act.
G. This stands for racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act.
H. This is a law for mobsters.
I. Yet, it was used against many who profess to be Christians.
62. There are other examples of Christians being punished or unfairly treated in society.
63. The Bible is prohibited in some classrooms but the Koran is allowed.
64. Say whatever you want at a graduation speech, but do not mention God.
65. A religious group put on its outside sign, “There is only one God and His name is not Allah.”
66. This group has been sued.
67. The world is hostile to the gospel
68. A
FINAL CHARGE THAT IS COMMONLY MADE AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF GOD IS THAT THEY ARE
GUILTY OF DIVISION.
A. When we say that there is only one God, the world says we are hateful.
B. Our beliefs lack inclusiveness. We should be willing to say that there are many gods.
C. Saying that faiths other than Christianity do not please is not inclusive and this is wrong.
D. The charge about our being guilty of division has some merit.
E. The gospel does divide. Jesus said that this would be the case.
F. There is a line between those who are saved and those who are not.
G. There is a distinction between the ways of God and the ways of the world.
H. Division and separation is not something that the people of God desire.
I. In 1 Cor. 1 Paul affirmed that division in a local congregation is bad.
J. If it is bad in a congregation, it is bad in other ways as well.
K. Christians do not enjoy division in any form.
69. Yet, even those who fault us for divisions are themselves are guilty of this same thing.
70. We have people confined to prisons and jails. Why?
71. Why divide part of our population?
72. The reason is clear. Some things need to be kept separate.
73. There are some things that cannot be put together.
74. Such is the case with the church and the world.
75. CONCLUSION: SINCE THE INCEPTION OF CHRISTIANS THE UNSAVED
HAVE CHARGED THE PEOPLE OF GOD WITH HYPOCRISY, VIEWED THEM AS LIARS, AND
TREATED THEM AS ENEMIES. CHRISTIANS HAS
BEEN CHARGED WITH PROMOTING EVIL AND DIVISION SO THEY SHOULD BE PUNISHED.
A. Today each of these problems still exists.
B. If we are a Christian, we can insure that we are not a liar or a hypocrite.
C. When we are treated as an enemy, we can respond with kindness.
D. When punished for being good, we can and need to respond with and in love.
E. Concerning the charge of division, we may say that we want unity.
F. Unity must be based upon truth.
G. Being a faithful Christian has always been a very difficult task.
H. This road is not easy and it requires a lifetime of work.
I. This is one of the reasons that so few are going to be saved.
J. Tonight, we ask if those who are here want to be among the few that Jesus said will be saved.