10-08-2025 PART 2: Unmasked Faith The Call to Be Real

Section 1

This message opens with a clear reminder: God is not impressed by appearances—He looks at the heart. Matthew 23:27–28 paints a vivid image of the Pharisees as “whitewashed tombs,” beautiful on the outside but filled with decay within. The Lord’s warning against hypocrisy is echoed in 1 Samuel 16:7, where God tells Samuel that He does not see as man sees; people look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart. The lesson is unmistakable—Christian faith is not a costume to wear but a relationship to live. The world is filled with those who claim belief yet deny the life of Christ in their actions. Real faith means inner integrity, not external image.

Section 2

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 underscores this truth three times in one chapter: when giving, praying, and fasting, do not act “as the hypocrites do.” The Greek word for “hypocrite,” hypokritēs, literally means “actor”—someone wearing a mask. In ancient plays, actors would hold up masks to switch identities; today, some believers do the same spiritually. God despises that kind of pretense. Authenticity matters more than polished performance. Ananias and Sapphira’s story in Acts 5 drives this home with chilling clarity—lying to the Holy Spirit cost them their lives. The first major sin recorded in the early church wasn’t theft or immorality—it was fakery. God’s message is simple: be honest before Him and before others.

Section 3

The call to be genuine continues with a practical challenge. Don’t answer “I’m fine” when you’re not. If you don’t want to share details, simply say so—but don’t pretend. God honors truthfulness, not surface smiles. The believer who admits weakness and need finds grace and growth, while the one who performs for approval remains hollow. Jesus Himself showed emotion and frustration—He was real, not robotic. Genuine faith doesn’t require perfection; it requires honesty. The world needs fewer masks and more mercy, fewer performances and more prayer. As Jesus once said of Nathanael, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” That is the model of real discipleship—unmasked, honest, and wholly surrendered to God.