I'm Pastor Darrell Bailey. Thank you for tuning in for our Sunday night message, the mask of the world, authentic faith versus false appearances here at Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. As we get into the wonderful word of God, December the 14th, 2025, the 24th of Kislev, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar. And so, Take your copy of the scriptures out, if you will, and join us as we get into the wonderful Word of God. Amen. We'll be coming out of 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2, verses 15, 16, and 17, as we get into the wonderful Word of God. Here tonight, we talk about the mast of the world, the unseen disguises, the hidden loyalties, the exposed heart, because man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart in 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. And so the masks and shadows that we all wear tonight will uncover the many disguises that the world uses to hide truth. They deceive our children through the cartoons and through the many deceptive waves of the world and commercials. of their masks in the world today. You see, the mask of success, looking to accomplish, but empty. And the mask of pleasure, chasing feelings over faith. The mask of image, appearing righteous, but living divided. and the mast of pride, self-made, self-centered, and self-exalting. There's the mast of approval, living for applause instead of obedience. And then there's the mask of control, trusting self instead of God. The mast of comparison, measuring worth by others. And then there's the mast of religion itself, spiritual on the outside, but resistance on the inside. Every mass has cracks. What's hidden always surfaces, and what's loved always reveals itself. And so we'll be talking about our three main truths tonight out of 1 John 2, verses 16, 17 of the King James Version. We look at the lust of the flesh, You know, hey, I want to feel good, living for appetite instead of obedience, the lust of the flesh. Secondly, we'll talk about I want what I see, desire, shape by comparison and coveting. And then thirdly, the pride of life. I want to be seen. It's an identity that is built on status, control and self. I want to ask you a question that needs to resonate through all of our ears as we listen tonight. What happens when the mass cracks and God exposes the heart? As we get into the mass of the world, when appearances replace authentic face, at the crossroads of faith and hope, building lives for eternity at Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. Here, let's open up with a time of prayer and let's ask God to intervene on our behalf and give us what no one else can give us as we get into the wonderful Word of God. He is the only one that can do for us what no one else can. Will you pray with me tonight? Lord, we come before you confessing that too often we've hidden behind the mask that are available to us in the world. Religious masks, cultural masks, emotional masks, and your word declares behold our desirous truth in the inward parts of the Psalms. Forgive us of our sins, our daily knowingly and unknowingly, because we need you to strip away every false covering that keeps us from true repentance and real faith. Lord, thank you for Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. On behalf of our prayer list and each and every one that we call upon you to intervene and be the great physician that they need tonight. Deliver us from the deception of the world, the pride of self, and the lies of the enemy. Lord, I pray you'll convict these 7 million sinners that are in Georgia, of the 159 counties across this state. revive our saints, glorify Jesus Christ, for what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? We ask this in Jesus's marvelous mighty name we pray. Amen. Well, I'm glad tonight when we begin to look at the Word of God it will give us and deliver to us exactly what we need out of 1 John 2, verses 15, 16, and 17. When we look at the appearances of that authentic faith, and as we introduce, as we get into 1 John, the Apostle John was writing near the end of his life. As you listen to this before we read the scripture, you'll be able to look at what the message is all about tonight because John addresses a church that is surrounded by false teachers, cultural pressure, and spiritual compromise. His number one concern is not how Christians look, but whether they are real, authentic in their faith. John writes to expose the imitation faith, to tear off those masks, and so, He tells us, these things have a written in you that believe that you may know that you have eternal life. Well, Adrian Rogers used to say one time, the greatest threat to Christianity is not open rebellion, but hidden substitution. And so let's move into the wonderful and the powerful word of God tonight. Because when appearances replace authentic faith, as we look at the master of the world, and I'm glad that we can get into the word of God here with a burden of first John as he writes to expose that imitation faith, not how we look, but who we are. And so in the world we look. And the Word of God tonight, He tells us in verse 15 of 1 John chapter 2, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Well, the love, not the world. It's a call to an undivided loyalty. John isn't talking about people. He's talking about a system. And the world is a mindset that lives without God and feeds the flesh and glorifies self. Well, you cannot love God deeply while flirting with what opposes him. God will not share first place with anything. And so the master of the world that are out there, that we see, many of us. Verse 15 draws a very clear line. Love the world, love for the world, or love for the Father. That's the line. Not both. This isn't about perfection, it's about direction. What has your heart? And so he says, if any man loved the world, wow, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the exposure is of the heart and it's sobering and it's uncomfortable to hear because it's meant to be. He's telling us, John says that if the love of the world dominates your heart, the love of the Father is not ruling there. And so what you crave reveals who you serve. Church attendance doesn't prove love for God. Words don't prove love for God. Desire does. The mass may look spiritual, but the heart tells the crystal clear truth of it all. And so we move on, he says. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world. Here in verse 16, we look, John exposes the three core drivers of all sin, the cracks where the real self always begins to leak out. The lust of the flesh. I want to feel good. This is living for appetite, physical pleasure, comfort, impulse, and when flesh rules, discipline dies. Not only the lust of the flesh, but the lust of the eyes. And he says, I want what I see. And this desire is fueled by compassion and coveting. Social media thrives here. So does envy and greed and dissatisfaction. And so we see the lust of the flesh. We see, I want to feel good. We see the lust of eyes. I want what I see. And then we see the pride of life. I want to be seen. The status, ego, the control, the recognition. This is the most deceptive one because it often hides behind success and religion. The flesh wants to be satisfied. The eyes want to be impressed. And pride wants to be celebrated. And none of it comes from the Father. And so, he says, that he tells us in verse 17, And the world passeth away, and the lust there, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And so, I'm glad that the temporary nature of the mast that he's talking about in verse 17. The world passeth away. Everything that the world promises, pleasure, applause, power, it will expire. The mass works for a reason, but eventually it cracks under pressure. It slips in suffering. It falls into eternity. And what you built your life on will not last unless it's rooted in God. We look at the master of the world and when appearances replace that authentic face, he tells us in verse 17. You know what? He that doeth the will of God abideth forever. And so there's an eternal contrast. Here's the hope. And if nobody has hope, what do they have? Praise God. While the world fades, while obedience lasts, while the mass decay, truth endures. And while self-gratification dies, God's will lives on. Doing the will of God isn't about religious performance. It's about a surrendered alignment. You don't lose anything by letting go of the world. You gain everything by clinging to God. And so you can hide behind a mask for a while. But love always exposes itself. Cracks always show. And so, eternity always reveals what mattered most. And the question that this scripture in 1 John 2, verses 15, 16, and 17 is telling us, is telling us, praise God, that forces us simply, it's piercing. What do you love the most? What do you love the most? And so each and every one of us, when we look and realize that the Apostle John, he's writing near the end of his life, and he's addressing a church that is surrounded by false teachers, cultural pressure, spiritual compromise. His concern is not how Christians live, but whether they are real. And John writes to expose that imitation faith, to tear off their mask. He says, I'm glad 1 John 5, 13, these things have I written unto you that believe that you may know that you have eternal life. And so I'm glad that when we look, first of all, a man once wore a disguise daily at work for years due to insecurity, eventually confessed that he no longer knew who he really was without it. Every morning, the man arrived early before anyone else, before emails, before meetings, before the lights fully came on. He didn't start his day with coffee, he started with a mask. Not a costume mask, but a carefully constructed one. A posture, a tone, a personality he believed people would accept. For years, he adjusted it daily, depending on who would be watching. At work, he was confident. At home, he was exhausted. In public, admired. In private, unsure. One day during a counseling, he made a confession that stopped the whole room cold in its tracks. I don't know who I am anymore when the mask comes off. He had worn it so long that the disguise felt real and authenticity felt dangerous. Church, when you wear a mask long enough, you forget what authenticity feels like. You stop asking. Who did God create me to be? And you start asking, who do they need me to be? Paul Harvey's voice. And now, you know, the rest of the story. Well, as we go forward, each and every one of us. As we go forward, we asked ourselves a question, what appetite are you hiding behind a spiritual mast? Well, We look and we see, first of all, the mask of desire. The appetite that we hide is the one we've learned to justify instead of crucify. It's an uncontrollable craving that the flesh demands to be satisfied without submission to God. We sing. We serve, we shout, and yet quietly we feel, feed desires that never bow to the spirit. And so we look and we see a pretending sin, is it serious? Hebrews chapter 11, verse 25, the pleasures of sin for a season. You see, the hidden appetite says it's not that bad. I can stop anytime God understands. I can stop at any time. God understands this thing. But sin always advertises temporary pleasure and it hides eternal cost. And so sin promises fun, delivers chains, and invoices eternity. What we call just a struggle, heaven calls a surrender point. And so we see the covering because in this mask, we look and we realize that we're pretending sin isn't serious at all. Sin promises fun, but it delivers change and it invoices eternity. And so we see that it's all about that lust of the flesh. And secondly, that hidden appetite. But not only do we look and we see a pretending sin isn't serious, and we look and realize that covering brokenness with pleasure Because each and every one of us, Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9, talks about the heart is deceitful above all things. And we hide pain behind pleasure, using food, using screens and relationships and lust, our success to numb what only God can heal. We laugh loud, we post often, and we pray little. And the heart doesn't just feel. It lies convincing us that indulgence is healing when it's actually anesthetic. And so the mask of desire. We see pretending sin is it serious and covering brokenness with pleasure and thirdly, wearing a smile while dying inside. How sad. Because Proverbs chapter 14 verse 13, even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful. Well, the smile becomes the mask, like the commercials that you see on TV. The worship becomes the cover. But private compromise eventually produces public emptiness. And what we refuse to expose to God will slowly extract life from our joy. Now, listen to me. When we look at all of this, When we look at the lust of the flesh, the hidden appetites and the pretended holiness, the master of desire, which is what we say, pretending sin, is it serious and covering brokenness with pleasure and wearing a smile while dying inside. We see the addictions, the pornography, the digital escapes, the modern mast for ancient sin. But the real question is not, do I have desires? The question is, have my desires submitted to Christ? Have my desires submitted to Christ or have I simply hidden them behind spirituality? When the mast of desire comes off, real faith doesn't pretend, it repents. It surrenders and it hungers for God more than gratification. Boy, that uncontrollable craving. Sin invoices eternity. And so it's sad. The modern mast of today for ancient sin, addictions, pornography, and digital escapes. What a shame. the mast of desire, the mast of the world when appearances replace authentic faith. Now, we look if every mass came up. If every mass came off today, would your faith still be real? Hmm. Well. You know, when the world teaches us to hide our appetites, 1 John 2, verse 16, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, if the mast of desire were removed, many would discover that what they call faith has been quietly competing with unshaked appetites. Because the world teaches us to manage desire, not mortify it, to hide it behind respectability, spirituality, or success. But scripture exposes desire as a spiritual battleground. The lust of the flesh is not merely craving. It is the flesh demanding control, shaping choices, priorities, and devotion. Real faith does not coexist comfortably with secret indulgence. When desire rules in private faith becomes performative in public, because if the mask came off, the question is not where the desire exists, But who it answers to, a faith that is real, will confront the flesh, submit appetite to the spirit and choose obedience over satisfaction. Because when desire is unmasked, true faith is revealed, not by perfection, but by repentance, surrender and a hunger for God greater than a hunger for sin. And so, People often hide behind masks instead of being themselves because being authentic can feel risky. Some of the most common reasons is maybe the fear of rejection or judgment. Many people worry that if others see their true thoughts, feelings, or flaws, they'll be rejected, criticized, or not accepted. A mask feels safer than vulnerability. Desire for approval or Belonging from a young age, people, they learn which behaviors are rewarded and which aren't. And over time, they may shape themselves to fit that expectation of family culture, work, or social media in order to feel valued. The past hurt or trauma, if someone has been mocked, betrayed, or emotionally hurt for being themselves, they may protect themselves by hiding parts of who they really are. Social roles and pressure Different environments often demand different versions of us. Professionals at work, strong for family, confident with friends, and these roles can slowly turn into masks if people feel they're never allowed to drop them. Lack of self-understanding. Some people aren't hiding on purpose. They may not fully know who they are yet. The mask can be confusion rather than deception. Control and self-protection masks give a sense of control. Showing less of yourself means others have less power to hurt you. And so ironically, ironically, while masks can protect people, short term, they often lead to loneliness, long term, because real connection requires authenticity. And if this question comes from a personal frustration or hurt, You're not alone. Many people struggle with this. Being yourself is brave and not everyone feels safe. Enough to do that yet. People often hide behind masks instead of being themselves because being authentic can feel risky. Fear of judgment, rejection or past hurt. It makes a mask feel safer than vulnerability. And many people learn to shape themselves to meet expectations at work, in relationships or on the social media network until the mask becomes a routine. But no mask is perfect. There's always cracks in the mask. Someone is hiding behind. Stress, strong emotions, exhaustion are moments of truth cause the real self to slip through. And over time, What's hidden finds a way to surface through words, actions, or emotional reactions. While masks can protect people in the short term, they often lead to loneliness and inner conflict in the long run. Real connection and peace come from authenticity because eventually the effort of hiding becomes heavier than the fear of being seen. And so, we see our Are you performing for people or living before God? Here we come to our second point. The first one was the mask of desire. When the world teaches us to hide out of 1 John 2, verse 16, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh. But secondly, when appearances replace authentic faith, we see the mask of image. Because when the world trains us to perform, 1 John 2, verse 16, and the lust of the eyes. You see, the mask of image is worn when faith becomes a performance instead of a presence. The lust of the eyes is not just desire, it's covenants vision, wanting to be seen as something God never assigned us to be. It is living for visibility rather than obedience, applause rather than approval. And so we look and we begin to realize the lust of the eyes. Because first of all, the mast of the image, when the world trains us to perform, oh my goodness, we look and we realize that here in 1 John 2, verse 16, and the lust of the eyes, that covenant's vision that's wanting what God never assigned. First of all, we see living for applause and not approval. And so how sad because Galatians chapter 1 verse 10, if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. You see, when applause becomes the metric, obedience becomes optional. Performing faith seeks likes affirmation and recognition, but authentic faith seeks God's smile even when no one else is clapping. You cannot serve Christ fully while auditioning for God's, for people's approval. And so we see living for applause and not approval. Some people do this with supervisors. They'll try to crawl up underneath them when they're around them and then stab them in the back when they're not there. How sad. I see it so much. God help us. Lord help us today. And so the master of the image that we see when the world trains us to perform. And that is, we see living for applause and not approval. Secondly, forgetting God sees behind the mask. Because every one of us today, excuse me, I'm jumping ahead. Secondly, social media Christianity is second. It's a filtered faith. It's a crop testimony. Some folks don't need revival. They need to log out and repent. Hallelujah. Praise God. It's that social media Christianity that's out there today. A filtered faith, man, a crop testimony. Oh, my goodness. When you see people posting themselves and all, man, it's all about me, myself, and I. Me, myself, and I. a crop testimony, we post victories without valleys, and scriptures without surrender, and worship without wounds. Some folks don't need revival. They need to log out and repent. Hear me. And when image replaces intimacy, faith becomes a brand instead of relationship. And so the mask of image when the world trains us to perform. And that is we're living for applause, not approval. Secondly, social media Christianity. And thirdly, we're forgetting God sees behind the mask. Oh, yes, he does. And so, 1 Samuel chapter 16, verse 7, man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart. A hunter painted his face to blend in in camouflage, but he forgot the wind direction. Church, you can fool some people with camouflage, lighting, and language, but God smells the deception every single time. He doesn't check the filter. He searches the heart, hallelujah. And if your faith collapses when no one's watching, it was never conviction. It was just a performance. Real faith lives carom deo before the face of God, obedient in private, consistent in public, and unconcerned with applause. When the mask of image comes off, true faith doesn't perform. It stands exposed and approved by God, hallelujah, alone. And so we see the lust of life living for applause and filtered with faith. And so that question that we asked ourselves each and every time, are you performing for people? Are you living before God? Huh? Well, The master of the image is when the world trains us to perform. The lust of the eyes, born when faith becomes something we display instead of something we live. The lust of the eyes speaks of a covenant's vision, wanting to be seen, admired, or affirmed in ways of God. never assigned. It trains us to measure spiritually by appearance, platform, and perception rather than obedience and intimacy. And when image rules, we perform righteousness for an audience instead of walking humbly before God. We curate our faith, crop our testimonies, and highlight what looks impressive while hiding what requires repentance. But God is not impressed by presentation. He's searching for authenticity. Living before God means choosing. And that is choosing faithfulness over fame, obedience over optics, and truth over applause when the mask of image comes off. Real faith doesn't need to be seen. It only needs to be approved by God. And so we look And we see that social media mass. I got it all together. Oh, man. Online, everybody's winning perfect pics, perfect bodies, perfect vibes, no tears, no doubt, no struggle. But here's the truth. Filters can fix a photo. Oh, man. Oh, my goodness. And you know, when we look and we realize that each and every one of us as we go through life, as they fix all of those things, filters can fix a photo. but not a heart. People might only see your posts. God sees your DMs. God sees your browser history. God sees the nights you scroll because you don't want to feel alone. Likes can hype you, but they can't heal you. Followers can watch you, but they can't save you. You don't need a better image. You need a real encounter with a holy God. So stop trying to look okay, and stop pretending you're fine, because the real flex, is it, listen to me, is it perfection? Because it doesn't exist. It's honesty before God. Man, somebody out there at work, cause I posted something, I told him I ain't perfect either. And you know what? It worked. Man, because every one of us can get angry and we try to perform our testimony and our witness. But one thing I can tell you about me, I don't lie about it and I'm authentic. And if I do something, I'm going to tell you I do it. And so that's the story and that's the truth. And that's how we ought to be. I didn't try to lie about it. I said, yes, I did it. Yes, I put it up. Boy, I tell you, when you're dealing with a bunch of young 18-year-olds ain't never learn nothing at home. God help us all. They got a lot to learn. And I hope and pray that people have the patience to show them. Amen to take that time to show this young world what they ain't getting at home because there's a many of parents are playing games and doing everything else and they're not doing their job as a parent and many of them can't stay long enough to be a parent. We've got to pray for this world. We got to pray for the marriages. We got to pray for our children in our future because it's not like it was when some of us were growing up. Are you trusting in God or in the image of yourself that success has created? Well, We look at our third point. The mask of desire, number one, when the world teaches us to hide our appetites in 1 John 2, verse 16. Secondly, the mask of image, when the world trains us to perform in verse 16. And then we look at that third, the mask of pride, the mask of pride. Because when the world applauds our pretense in 1 John 2, verse 16, and the pride of life, Because we look and we see that when the world applauds our pretense, 1 John chapter 2 and the pride of life, the mast of pride convinces us that achievement equals approval and visibility equals intimacy. And so This is speaking of empty boasting and confidence built on appearance, status, and self-sufficiency rather than surrender. Pride doesn't always shout. Sometimes it stands quietly in the religious success and it says some things like, I'm doing fine without fully depending on God. Well, first of all, we see in the master pride and when the world applauds our pretense, we see success without surrender. Proverbs 16, verse 18, pride goeth before destruction. And so each and every one of us, when we look and we realize that as pride celebrates outcomes while resisting oversight, it wants a blessing without bowing, progress without prayer, crowns without crosses, but the world calls success. Heaven often examines for submission, but anything that elevates us above dependence on God is already positioning us for a fall. Remember, we're not here, we're not, pastors, we're not behind the pulpit to draw attention to ourselves. Sunday school teachers. We're not teaching to draw attention to ourselves. We're to give honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's what it's about. It's about reaching the lost. It's about the Great Commission. And it's about teaching your church and sharing the Word of God with them. And so we see that success without surrender. Amen. Pride goeth before destruction. But we also see secular religion without repentance. Because Matthew chapter 7 verses 22 and 23, I never knew you. Pride doesn't deny God, it replaces him with performance. And you know, Michael Brown, Rabbi Michael Brown said one time, many didn't lose faith, they never possessed it. These were not atheists, they were active, gifted, vocal, but unknown and ministry activity mark the absence of relationship. And so we see success without surrender and religion without repentance. And then thirdly, America's national mask. Many didn't lose faith. They never possessed it, as Rabbi Michael Brown said. But America's national mask Jonathan Cahn said one time, God's language is without God's obedience and a blessing without brokenness. And so we see out there today that Isaiah chapter 29, verse 13, this people draw near me with their mouth, but they're far from me with their heart. We invoke God publicly while ignoring him privately. Pride turns heritage into entitlement. and favor into assumption. We got people out there that still living in the past digging up old things and politicians that want to keep digging it up and they want to keep stirring it up. And you know what? There ain't a one of us today that have done something from our ancestors, but we're paying for it every single day and we'll never get it out of the media because no, there's some people out there that won't never let it die down. And you know what? People are the ones that have to do that. We do it in front of our children and we pass that curse on to the next generation and to the next generation with the master pride. And so the master pride that when the world applauds our pretense, When appearances replace authentic faith, what a shame that is happening in the world around the day with the pride of life, religion without repentance and success without surrender. And so. If every mass came off today, would your faith still be real? You know what? When the master pride. The world applauds our pretense. And if the master pride were removed today, real faith would be revealed not by what we built, achieved or accumulate, but by what we're still willing to surrender, the pride of life. That empty, boasting false confidence rooted in success and status and self-reliance. That convinces us that because we're doing all of these things, that we're blessed, busy or admired, and we must also be right with God. Pride allows us to substitute achievement for obedience and recognition for relationship. We may speak God's name, do God's work, and enjoy God's benefits, and yet resist God's authority over our hearts. And when pride is present, faith becomes something that we just display rather than something we depend on. And if every mask came off, real faith would still bow, still repent, and still confess its need for God. False faith clings to image, resists exposure. True faith welcomes the light because it trusts grace more than reputation. And where the master pride fall, genuine faith doesn't defend itself. It humbles itself. And what humbles itself before God will be upheld by God. And so the broken times and the broken mast that we see out there today is, as Paul said, and be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind. We're living in breaking times when pressure exposes what performance has been hiding. And in moments like these, masks don't feel gently. They shatter. And what once passed as faith, identity, or conviction is now being tested by cultural heat. And so these borrowed identities are formed when we let culture name us instead of Christ. We wear labels, trends, and opinions that feel safe, celebrated, or current, but they were never assigned by God. Under pressure, borrowed identities always crack because they lack spiritual roots. And the cultural pressure doesn't just oppose faith. it attempts to reshape it. The world doesn't demand we deny God. It asked us to adjust him, dilute him, and redesign him to fit the moment. And Romans chapter 12 verse 2 calls us to resist conformity and choose transformation because only a renewed mind can live mass-free in a broken age and in breaking times. God's not exposing us to shame. He's breaking masks to reveal sons and daughters. And what revives, survives the pressure is what truly is formed by Him. Praise God. I'm glad that we have those things that we deal with. And so we look at Christ is called to drop the mask and Luke chapter 12 verse 2, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known. As Psalms 35, uh 32 verse 5, I acknowledge my sin unto thee and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. You see Christ's calls not to perform better but to come clean, mass delay healing, honest releases it. And what we conceal from God continues to control us, but what we confess is covered by grace. And Luke reminds us that exposure is inevitable. Every day hidden will be revealed. David shows us that confession is intentional and that we choose to step into the light before the light exposes us. God's not after humiliation. He's after restoration to drop the mask, to stop all of the defending ourselves and start depending on mercy. And when we come clean before God, forgiveness and freedom replaces that pretense. Hallelujah. So listen, if you don't lose faith by dropping the mask, you prove it was real. And so as we see, come clean before God. And I'm glad as we conclude, the world teaches us to hide and to manage appearance. and curate identity and a protect image and it rewards mass and applause performance even when the soul is starving. But hiding has a cost and what we cover up in the name of survival slowly becomes one thing that destroys us. Jesus however calls us to come clean and he never negotiates with mass. He removes them. The gospel is not an invitation to improve our image. but to surrender our hearts. And where the world says, protect yourself, Jesus said, deny yourself. The mask may protect reputation, but it quietly destroys the soul. And it keeps us admired by people distant from God. And it allows us to look alive while remaining spiritually numb. Mass delay exposure, but they also delay healing. The cross stands in a sharp contrast. It exposes sin without excusing it, and yet saves sinners without condemning them. At Calvary, nothing was hidden. Our sin was laid bare and God's mercy was poured out. And the cross proves that freedom is never found in pretending, but in repentance and surrender. In 1 John 2, verse 17, And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Everything the world uses to shape our mass, desire, image, and pride is temporary, is fading, but obedience to God produces something eternal. When the mass fall, only one thing remains, a faith rooted in truth, humility, and surrender. And so when every mass comes off, only what is real will remain and only what is real will last forever. Thank you for tuning in. Because the world teaches us to hide. Jesus calls us to be real. And so I'm glad when we look at what mask that you're wearing today, every one of us, I'm glad that there's nothing covered that shall not be revealed. Amen. And so anything that hides sin from repentance, that's what mask you're wearing. And are you saved? Because Salvation produces transformation, not performance. And thirdly, I asked you this as I close out. Will you choose Jesus today? Refusal equals eternal separation. John 3. Chapter 3, verse 18. Friend, heaven is real. Hell is eternal. Masked won't matter at judgment, only Christ will. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And as I close out, I hope and pray that each and every one of you, as we look and realize that all of us have an opportunity. Church, the world may applaud your mass, but Jesus heals your soul. The mass delays exposure, but the cross guarantees redemption. And when every mass comes off, only what's real will remain. I hope and pray that you'll ask the Lord, Lord, save sinners across Georgia. Remove the masks from the pulpits, the pews and the personal lives and revive your church. Rescue the loss and may none leave this crossroads without choosing Christ and the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. Thank you for tuning in to our Sunday night message. I hope and pray that God blesses you. Thank you for tuning in for our Sunday night message. I hope and pray that God blesses you as well. the master of the world, authentic faith versus false appearance. Oh