Leaven of the Pharisees
A Sermon on Luke 12:1-12
Originally preached Jan. 3, 1960
Scripture
1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2For there is nothing covered, that …
Sermon Description
In his sermon on Luke 12:1–12 titled “Leaven of the Pharisees,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones visits the topic of hypocrisy and how it relates to Christians today. He asks, “What is the enemy to the Christian life?” and the answer is hypocrisy. It remains a terrible liability to the believer’s walk because, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines, it is a desire to be both Christian and non-Christian. Good hypocrites, like the Pharisees, take pleasure in defining themselves by their own self-satisfactory terms. This mindset is a direct reflection of the heart, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, and the believer has a responsibility to look after his or her heart. Here, Dr. Lloyd-Jones breaks down the three archetypes for Christian hypocrites: the intellectual, the emotional, and the practical. Each has its own habits, but are similar in their desperate need for the Spirit. What is the opposite of hypocrisy? Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that it is the admission of weakness and acknowledging that a person cannot live both a Christian and non-Christian life. In turn, this admission creates a dependence on God that dispels this dishonest duality and replaces it with even more of His Spirit. In closing, he reminds to not let the fear of people drive Christians to hypocrisy, but rather to trust in the heavenly Father and His plan for the fullest life.
Sermon Breakdown
- Beware of hypocrisy - the desire to have the best of both worlds. It is the attitude that believes in doing the minimum necessary to be saved.
- Hypocrisy is self-deception. The hypocrite deceives himself and is unaware of his true condition.
- Hypocrisy is caused by a lack of honesty. The hypocrite does not expose his whole self to the truth. He hides parts of himself from the truth.
- Hypocrisy is caused by a lack of clear thinking. The hypocrite uses Christian phrases but does not think through their implications.
- Hypocrisy is caused by a failure to apply the truth to one's whole life. There are intellectual, emotional and practical hypocrites who only apply the truth to parts of their lives.
- Fear of man is a potent cause of failure and hypocrisy. We fear men's opinions, actions and power to harm us.
- We must realize the truth about men - their ignorance, arrogance, changeability and sinfulness. Their power is limited to the body.
- We must realize the truth about God - He sees all, judges all and has power over eternity.
- We must realize the wonderful nature of the Christian life - we are in God's hands, Christ intercedes for us, the Spirit helps us.
- Open your heart to the truth and you will have nothing else to fear.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Sermon on Luke 12:1-12
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the first major danger for Christians according to Jesus?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones's sermon on Luke 12:1-12, Jesus identifies hypocrisy as the first and greatest danger for Christians. He states, "What is the first danger which we always must avoid, or putting it in another way, what is the chiefest enemy to a christian life of confidence, assurance, happiness and success? Well, according to our Lord, it is hypocrisy." Christ warned his disciples, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define hypocrisy beyond the common understanding?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that hypocrisy is much more than just pretending to be something you're not. He defines it as "a desire to have the best of both worlds" - wanting to be Christian and non-Christian simultaneously with "a foot in both camps." It's also "the attitude and the point of view towards Christianity which believes in doing the minimum that is consistent with safety." Lloyd-Jones describes it as a state of self-deception where one doesn't expose the whole of oneself to the truth, protecting certain areas from scrutiny.
What are the three types of hypocrites that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three main types of hypocrites:
- The intellectual hypocrite: Content with intellectual knowledge and understanding of doctrine, but never allowing it to affect their heart or practice
- The emotional hypocrite: Relies solely on feelings and experiences, dismissing doctrine and practical application
- The practical hypocrite: Focuses only on moral behavior while dismissing theology and emotional aspects of faith
He notes that each type criticizes the others while failing to see they are all equally guilty of compartmentalizing faith.
What is the second major danger that Jesus warns against in this passage?
The second major danger Jesus warns against is the fear of men. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains: "The second thing, of course, comes out of it, and it is the fear of men. 'I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.'" This fear leads Christians to compromise their faith out of concern for what others might think or do to them.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest Christians overcome these dangerous tendencies?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several ways to overcome these tendencies:
- Practice "utter absolute honesty and sincerity and truth with ourselves, with the truth, with God, and with the Lord Jesus Christ and with men."
- Realize the truth about men - they are limited, temporary, and ultimately powerless over our eternal destiny
- Recognize the truth about God - He sees everything and has ultimate power over our eternal destiny
- Understand the wonderful nature of the Christian life - God cares for us intimately, numbering "the very hairs of your head"
- Remember Christ's intercession for those who confess Him
- Trust the Holy Spirit to guide us in difficult situations
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say causes self-deception in the hypocrite?
According to Lloyd-Jones, self-deception in the hypocrite is caused primarily by "a lack of honesty" at the heart level. He states, "The trouble with the man who is a hypocrite is that there is this essential dishonesty in his heart at the very center of his life, and that is what leads to the self-deception." The hypocrite doesn't allow the truth to search them completely, instead "shielding or hiding something" and putting on "shutters" to protect certain areas from examination.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians shouldn't fear men?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives several reasons Christians shouldn't fear men:
- Men have limited power - "All that they can do is temporary. They can perhaps kill the body. But after that they have nothing that they can do."
- Men are ignorant - "What do they know about life? What do they know about death? What do they know about eternity? What do they know about God?"
- Men's opinions are changeable - "You'll find that they change like the weathercock."
- Men are sinful and temporary - "These people at whom you tremble, my dear friend, they'll be dead quite soon."
Instead, Christians should fear God who has power over eternal destiny.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the true nature of the Christian life meant to be?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "the christian life is meant to be a life of happiness. It's meant to be a life of confidence. It is meant to be a life of success." He adds, "We shouldn't be living a life of fear as christians, always full of foreboding, always wondering what's going to happen to us and allowing the world in which we live to determine our type and our kind of life and the state of our soul and spirit. We are meant, as the apostle Paul puts it, to be more than conquerors."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.