Beware! Religious Performance Now Showing, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll a warning about the dangers of hypocrisy when our devotion becomes a performance relapse into hypocrisy.

You know what only you know you are self-aware you will know, be doing this.

Stop doing when our devotion becomes a performance relapse into hypocrisy. Even though it may not literally have a mask faking as Christians, most of us have felt the self-induced pressure form. We can't help our inclination is to project spiritual maturity.

Whether it's the way we pray matter in which we serve.

And yet Jesus taught us to be extremely cautious about practicing righteousness in order to impress others today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll helps us face this bold and convicting teaching from Jesus. In the event you missed any portion of Chuck's presentation will begin today with a helpful summary. Chuck titled the study in Matthew six. Beware religious performance shown Jesus words are very logical begins with giving a live mark that in a bright color in my Bible so I won't overlook it by Mark when you pray verse five Mark when you fast, in verse 16. Interestingly, following each of those settings, he adds, do not do something verse two when you give to the poor sound the trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and in the street so that they may be seen, they may be honored by others to don't. In fact, there are several do not do not do that. Verse two.

Do not let your left hand know what the right hand doing verse three do not pray using meaningless verbiage. Verse seven verse eight do not be like the Pharisees. In fact he says in verse 16 when you fast no walk around in dirty clothes making people know why.

How much is been giving please will know by your life. If your sacrificial were not looking at your clothing. Jesus certainly didn't looking at the heart. So now, this matter of giving and let's analyze it a little bit more careful because of what you get the wrong impression is not an easy is not a getting. Please God's work is supported by God's people, not by unbelievers nor should it be. But when you are God's people participate in the financial support of his work.

We who have hearts for the poor gift to the poor just part of being a believer in Christ.

None of it is to be done to get our name etched in bronze or our picture on some wall or an announcement made that so-and-so gave so much. That's all part of what this is about don't sound the trumpet not say this to all of you. Whatever may be your status financially and I give thanks for everyone of you who gives with the right motive, but I warn all of us about that motive why look closely the repeated statement verse for your father who sees what is done in secret.

The original simply says your father who sees in secret is not the only time verse six.

Your father who sees in secret. Verse 18 close as your father who sees what is done in secret. You see something repeated like that little bully in the margin of your Bible, you could write Hebrews 413 which says, among other things, all things are naked and lay bare before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. You just you live your life naked before God, there is no such thing as a hidden sin. There is no such thing as an unspoken movie he sees and hears secret thinking. You can't act like you're a little more holy, which is an impossibility that someone else, you either wholly or not, and giving publicly. That's all the reward the father who sees in secret would love in secret to reward you many times those of you who gave and often give sacrificially and I tell you I haven't the words to describe my gratitude for you is not important. My gratitude is the father's delight in you. You have rewards that you can even put into words's you have a great sense that Anita has been met and you were able to participate in. You have the joy of realizing that your occupation, provided you with with a sufficient amount that you could give to this end and you you hear about the results and you just are so grateful that's required not to mention rewards awaiting you your father who sees in secret is ready to take note of that.

In fact it is.

Look at verse three. So secret you're left-handed. Even though the right and it's about to do that sort of a rundown would you give don't display it when you give.

Don't keep remembering it when you can do it anonymously and always do it with purity of motive. This would versus two, three and four are teaching your giving, which is done in secret will be seen in secret love. The way one man writes this. The only reward any gracious giver wants is seeing the need met the situation relieved the naked Claude the sick healed, the disabled, encourage the building built and furnished the broken men did the lost see the forgotten found the wayward and disobedient restored to wholeness and dignity and dignity. Such acts of generous love in action bring with them their very own private war and get better so it is forgiving, never ready for the second one which is even more convicting beginning at verse five when you pray, look at what it says you are not to be like the hypocrites. John Stott writes this about the hypocrite in classical Greek, the Hippocrates was first and orator and then an actor so figuratively. The word came to be applied to anybody who treats the world is a stage on which he plays a part. He laid aside his true identity and assumes a false one. He's no longer himself. But in disguise, impersonating somebody else. He wears a mask. Stott clarifies now in the theater.

There is no harm or deceit in actors playing their parts. It is an accepted convention, the audience know that they have come to a drama.

They are not taken in by the trouble with the religious hypocrite on the other hand, is that he deliberately sets out to deceive people.

There's a lot of that that goes on to speak to my fellow minister friends who are hearing me right now, some in this audience and submit an audience. Later on with the guard against this kind of hypocrisy stuff deliberately. We have people trusting us to be who we are not playing apart behind a mask acting like something were really not Jesus rebukes such hypocrisy that he says look at it verse five they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners live so that they may see while look at that holy person really that's holy pray only to the Lord and have your best prayers reserved for privacy in place in your home maybe were you study your own desk or or become a quiet spot for your quiet time. Great. That's the spot. That's the place poured out. Tell me about it. I don't even know how long you prayed or what you said maybe you could say this morning you came to mind and pray for you. I appreciate that is not showing off. That's encouraging someone else that you have them on your heart or one of my favorites. I heard this time Lorna got the 78 Chevy and you know Lord I'm trying to sell it and I realize are some people here that could give 754. But maybe you'd move on their hearts to give maybe 800 so I can use it for an eight don't advertise in prayer. Please, I being facetious, of course, but that's what this is all about people I've admired in my life, and there have been many mentors who have shaped my thinking and change my direction and rebuked me for so many things in my life. They were men whose prayer life was a private thing one comes to mind and he doesn't know to this day that I happen to see him. I was on the island of Okinawa and I was at the bottom, emotionally and spiritually in I would buy to see Bob Newkirk who was navigator representative on the island lived in Naha. Norma came to the door and I said Bob. She said I'm sorry you missed it was kind of a rainy night. She said heat.

I think you might be at his office, but is a lot I don't want to bother him. She said you know he's get a lot of things on his mind and he says going shoot down there for a while so I picked up the local jitney and took a ride over spot walk through few mud puddles came to his little office's a great moment.

It was a made of bamboo so it had counted cracks in I saw the candle lit inside and I heard Bob singing come the fount of every blessing to my heart to sing that grace.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. The rain was dripping off my nose and I heard him prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God he was weeping similar sacred moment in that man's life, I had the privilege of catching him in that moment changed my whole concept of the man.

There was a depth there that I'd missed was a heart that he never displayed, never showed off but I realize the kind of man I want to be when I grew up I II would love it if one of my children would remember having seen your daddy pray and I never knew about two very special thing to do it God's way and when you witness it. All the masks are thrown away and you you ask the Lord give me this kind of authenticity may not be that mad, do what's right, my I love compassion, kindness and mercy.

So genuinely that when I walk with you. It's in humility and when you pray verse seven note don't keep repeating the same words. In fact, he says they do it, thinking that will be heard for their many words. Elijah was bringing fire down on the altar and the prophets of bail had tried and they had screamed over and over and over and over and over and over and over as Old Bailey or was told by a no fire for Elijah came he called out to the Lord God fired the water consumed the altar. All of the water rental give up all the extra words just come to him as a father, just tell them what you need poured out in all honesty, if you want to sing to them. He loves your song. He loves to hear your heart. He loves that you will level with him on things that you may be left with no one else about. That's intimacy.

Those are not meaningless word. No one will plot I slipped away that night and Bob never knew I was outside his office would've probably been uneasy, lest I think anything with simplicity, originality, brevity, authenticity. They all go together in there all the things the Pharisees were not so that's why says in verse eight. Don't go there now. You may have been taught by Pharisee. They still live you know, you may afford habits because your Pharisee individual on the one give a title whoever that person is you need to break that get that out of your mind. That's not your model. You were taught wrong.

This is how you do it will deal with the further part on prayer and fasting. Next time, don't try to look holy. Don't try to be seen have a friend who went to a Christian boarding school in his high school years. True story is that you know Chuck, the thing we learned is students that there was a path for all the faculty walked on the way to class. He said you know what to tell you something now would never be admitted back there.

We, jockeying for position to be along the path so that Dr. so-and-so for Prof. so-and-so would see us as they walked by his work praying they want. Praying they were showing off so that I look back on that now and so embarrassed I can hardly admit that we did that. I can imagine it happening. Math teacher, oh Lord, you know how hard math is been for me these days. Pray the professor will be full of grace great on the big curve. That's not prayer you want to say that said to the prof want to say to the Lord the women to get through it is if you help me, to prepare as best I can but I'm in a rely on you. That's how you do it okay three warnings and on through very simple number one when our devotion becomes a performance we lapse into hypocrisy. You know what only you know if you are self-aware you will know not be doing this to stop doing this when our devotion becomes a performance we lapse into hypocrisy.

Even though it may not literally have a mask were faking good time for me to make to the book about this place to read here it is. Paul David Tripp dear RPP dangerous calling out even though Paul I mentioned, both because it's one of the best books I read last year, Paul David Tripp dangerous calling and I say to you who are ministers serving in whatever capacity you need to read the book specially the chapter on familiarity number two second warning when our giving lacks secrecy. We missed the reward of deep satisfaction. The deep feeling that we participated in a need and got accused our giving to relieve the need. There's a enormous sense of pleasure that were rewarded with you miss it all. When you do it to be known as 1/3 when our praying is to impress, we fail to tap into God's power. Please don't reach for your keys and please do not leave. As I read the final statement to you from Paul David Tripp here at all. I would simply ask that you deactivate your inner lawyer and consider with an open heart. What I'm writing be so bold as to ask God to reveal in you what needs to be revealed and to give you the grace to address what needs to be addressed and as you do these things celebrate the grace that has been lavished on you. That frees you from the burden of having to pop up your righteousness and prorated before others because your standing before your Lord is based on the righteousness of another.

You can stand before a holy God and admit your darkest secret and own your deepest failures and be unafraid the one to whom you confess will not turn his back on you, but will move toward you with forgiveness rescuing transforming empowering and delivering grace. This is the good news is that you and I need to preach to ourselves and to one another day after Lord. This is called soul surgery and we been through it without anesthetic and is hurt you cut deeply you've exposed reality and for once you found us quiet. Not wanting to excuse ourselves or rationalize around where we have been phony. Forgive us our father by your grace, where we have done things for the motive of being known and seen and impressing others. Oh Lord, break the habit starting today, and by your grace, make us real real to the core in spite of what anyone else may say or do or think. In the name of our Savior the most authentic one who ever lived, praying every once includes our three-day study in Matthew chapter 6 through message Chuck Swindoll has titled beware religious performance now showing your listening to Insight for living.

To learn more about this ministry or these messages, please visit us online@insightworld.org the stern warning from Jesus certainly causes us to check our motives whenever were tempted to impress others. His rebuke is humbling to be sure, but gratefully Jesus did far more than scold the hypocrites. He described the antithesis of a self-centered lifestyle. Jesus taught us how to become salt and light in our culture in order to draw unbelievers toward us, rather than away from us what Chuck Swindoll addresses this refreshing subject in a message called shake and shine. It's a sermon for every season.

No one needs to be convinced of the dangers that surround us, we inhabit a morally decaying world that's trapped in spiritual darkness will Jesus told us neither to run from it, nor to embrace it but to shake and shine our way through it. Today our featured resource is a full-length audio message from Chuck again called shake and shine and you can purchase a copy on CD or MP3 right now by calling us if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or go to Insight.org/store. In addition to purchasing the message. We invite you to join us in this mission to bring the hope of Christ to 195 countries of the world. Your donations are needed and deeply appreciated.

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Join us tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll begins a message called prayer and fasting, minus all the pizzazz that's next time on Insight for living. The preceding message. Beware religious performance now showing was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

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