Last weekend was the Halloween Pub Crawl and several of us were out here witnessing. We saw many people last Saturday night dressed up in costumes. Many people were wearing masks last Saturday. I suspect that we will see people out here tonight who are wearing masks, since it’s Halloween. So right now I want to ask if any of you out here tonight that are dressed up in costumes, are Christians? Are there any Christians out here tonight that are all dressed up in costumes, wearing masks and do you intend to head to the bars and drink or head off to a party and get drunk tonight? Do we have any Christians out here that will admit that they are doing this?
If you are, I want to ask you why are you celebrating the night for the devil? We see evil out here quite a bit in downtown Springfield. We have witnessed some awful and evil things right here on the square and on South Street. But do you realize that Satan is the great pretender? The Bible tells us that he pretends to be an angel of light. He pretends to be something that he is not. He is very good at what he does. In fact, many people living in the United States and in Europe don’t even believe that the devil exists. But if you go to a third world country where they have voodoo and spells and witchcraft, real witchcraft and people will tell you that evil is real. They will tell you that Satan is real. They’ve seen it first hand and they know it is real.
But in America, Satan has done a masterful job of convincing people that he doesn’t even exist. But have you ever noticed that on Halloween, people don’t even try to hide evil? Halloween is the one night of the year where Satan can run rampant because many people dress up as the devil or as demons or other evil forces. They think it’s funny, but he doesn’t have to pretend on this one night of the year.So let me ask you something, are you like your father the devil? Are you also a great pretender? Do you profess to be a Christian, yet you dress up like the devil, go out and lie, drink and chase women? Are you acting like the devil tonight and then on Sunday morning you will show up to your church and act all pious and righteous? Are you a pretender? Or the better question is: are you a hypocrite? Back when Jesus walked this earth, actors used to hold a mask in front of their face when they were acting out a part. They would do this when they were pretending to be someone else. The word hypocrite literally means two-faced. Are you two faced tonight? Are you a hypocrite?
Do you know what Jesus thought about hypocrites? Listen to these words found in Matthew 6:16-18: Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to fast. Verily I say to you, They have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; That you appear not to men to fast, but to your Father which is in secret: and your Father, which sees in secret, shall reward you openly.
Are you a hypocrite tonight? Are you out here laughing it up with the devil and then will you be in church on Sunday singing worship songs to the Lord? Are you a hypocrite? Are you pretending to have the Light of Jesus in you, but you are really full of darkness? Do you serve Jesus or the devil? Are you a servant of Jesus Christ our Lord or are you in bondage to sin? The apostle Paul’s mission from Jesus was to witness to the Gentiles and Jesus told Paul that He was sending him: To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me (Acts 26:18).Are you stuck in darkness tonight? Are you spiritually in a dark place? Are you under the power or influence of Satan?
Are you are a hypocrite? Are you wearing a mask tonight? Or better yet, do you wear a mask when you go to church on Sunday morning? Are you a hypocrite? Are you two faced? Do you claim Jesus as your Savior but do you really serve your master – the devil? Who do you truly serve? This may not be an exact correlation, but I think Revelation 3:15-16 applies here too where Jesus talks about those who are lukewarm. I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth.
If you are a sold out Christian – sold out for the Lord Jesus, you wouldn’t be out here dressed up for Satan and you sure wouldn’t be out here bar hopping or fornicating. And if you were truly cold, you wouldn’t even pretend by going to church on Sunday. So I think those who Jesus described as being lukewarm are also hypocrites. And Jesus is disgusted with both – hypocrites and those who are lukewarm.
So is Jesus going to spue you out of His mouth on Judgment Day? Are you two-faced? Are you a hypocrite tonight? Are you lukewarm? Jesus said that we will know His disciples by their fruit. What kind of fruit are you bearing for the Lord? Are you wearing a mask tonight? Will you be wearing a mask on Sunday?
Jesus despises hypocrites. He has some really harsh words for hypocrites in Matthew 23. To pretenders He says many times, over and over in this chapter: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! He also says Woe to you, you blind guides. He says you fools and blind.
Does Jesus look at your words and your actions and say these harsh words to you? Does Jesus despise you tonight? Will your actions tonight make our Lord want to throw up? Are you wearing a mask tonight? If you are and your conscience is bothering you, then there is Good News for you. Maybe you really are saved, but you have drifted away from God. Maybe you really are backslidden. Maybe the world has grabbed your attention and you are wrongly caught up in the pleasures of the flesh. The Good News is that Jesus can forgive you for your sins. He can forgive you and remember your sins no more. But you must humbly come to Him. You must confess and forsake your sins. You must come to Him unmasked.
If you are a hypocrite tonight, please take off your mask. Please turn away from your sins and turn back to Jesus Christ our Lord. Please get right with God tonight. Stop playing the hypocrite. Take off the mask and leave it off. Put on the full armor of God; submit yourself to God and then resist the devil and he will flee from you. Get right with God tonight. Repent and follow Jesus.
Maybe you are out here tonight and you have never put your trust in Jesus. Maybe you have never surrendered your life to Him. But you also have been wearing a mask. Maybe you have been wearing the mask of independence. Maybe you have been wearing a mask where you pretend that everything is alright. Maybe you pretend that you can handle alcohol or drugs or one tawdry sexual relationship after another. Maybe you wear a mask because you’ve been hurt so many times in life that you are never going to let anyone else ever hurt you again. If this describes you tonight, then you are a prideful person. You are wearing a mask of self righteousness. You are wearing a mask of self reliance.
Please know that God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. You are not independent tonight. You are dependent on God whether you like it or not. You are dependent on Him for every breath that you take. He could withdraw His mercy from you tonight. He could require your very life from you tonight. Your head could hit the pillow tonight and you could never wake up – at least not in this world. You could wake up in the next world – before sun up. And if you die in your sins, if you die wearing your mask: the mask of I can do anything and I don’t need anybody; then you will die as an unrepentant sinner and you will take your very next breath in Hell, as agonizing as that would be.
Do not be deceived tonight. Satan has filled you with lie after lie. He has convinced you that he doesn’t exist and he may have even convinced you that God doesn’t exist. But God does exist. He is the great Creator. He created you and He loves you. But your sin has driven you away from God. Please do not die in your sins and be separated from God forever.
Repent tonight and put your faith in Jesus. He is the only Savior. He can save you. He can cleanse you from all unrighteousness. He can wipe the marks off your face that have been left from the mask that you’ve been wearing for so long. He can wrap His loving arms around you and say Come to me child, you are mine. I forgive you and I cleanse you from all your sins.
But you can only come to Him unmasked. You can only come to Him – humbly. You can only come to him with a humble and a contrite spirit. You must confess and forsake your sins. You need to cry out to Him to forgive you for your sins and then stop trusting in your own self righteousness; stop trusting in your own self-perceived independence. You need to cry out to Him to save you. You need to come to Jesus – unmasked. Won’t you do this tonight? Won’t you be saved tonight? Come to Jesus. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Be saved tonight. Take the mask off and throw it away. Come to Jesus and turn away from your sins. Come to Jesus unmasked. Please do this tonight and receive everlasting life.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on October 31, 2014)