Berean Baptist Church

SEMESTER 5

373 – The Mark of False Piety

COURSE: ECCLESIOLOGY V LESSON # 73

COMMON MARKS OF FALSE RELIGION – THE MARK OF FALSE PIETY

Read: Mat. 6:1-18

INTRODUCTION:

1. This word piety means devotion in degree to religious or good principles.

III: In Job the word integrity means precisely what this word means.

i. It is a good word. A person without piety is one without regeneration.
ii. In this context, Christ did not criticize piety, giving, praying or fasting.
iii. It was the hypocritical manner in which they did it, that He con­demned.
iv. He called them hypocrites because their piety was for show, and for men.
v. his mark of false piety or religion is seen in at least three areas.

I. PRACTICING CHARITY (ALMS) TO IMPRESS MEN(MAT. 6:2)

1. Giving of “ALMS” is a Bible principle. (I Joh. 3:17, Jam. 1:26-27)
2. This is a complex issue in our day, and is difficult to administer.
3. The hypocrisy though is in doing it for the purpose of being seen.
4. The Pharisees just had to have credit for their good deeds. (Mat. 6:2)

III: By the modern practice of photographing check transfer in donations
III: I see this in our testimonies, you are, and so and so was a blessing to me

5. The way donations are made on “Telethons” illustrates our tendencies.
6. Christ’s principle is, if you do good, do it and keep silent about it.

III: This principle by Mrs. Spurgeon’s egg money.

II. PRAYERS PRAYED TO IMPRESS MEN(MAT. 6:5)

1. This is not an indictment against public prayer. (Acts 20:36)

III: By many prayers of Christ, by Paul and prayer made for Peter, etc.

2. Nor is it a ridiculing of extended or importunate prayer.
3. It is a rebuke for praying, or acclaiming prayer to impress men.
4. It is rebuke for “vain repetitions” of flowery, meaningless statements.

III: By “Hail Mary” of Catholics, and often repeated “Our Heavenly Father” of Baptists.

5. The Biblical pattern for our prayer is found in Matthew 6:8-15.
6. Order: Simple requests, divine interests, temporal interest, all in subjection.
7. .Be importunate, without repetition or displayed pleading.
8. Be “continual” without clock-watching or time-keeping.

III. PRACTICING ABSTINENCE TO IMPRESS MEN(MAT. 6:16-18)

1. Fasting, as such, is a difficult doctrine, without definite Bible pattern.
2. It was practiced by Jewish devotees, by Christ, the apostles, and the New Testament Church.
3. The practice is neither criticized nor commanded, but is supposed.
4. The sin was displaying and advertising their abstinence and discomfort.

III: By the practice of disfiguring their faces, etc. while fasting.
III: By the modern version of preachers instructing and setting parameters

5. Many types of abstinence are absolutely proper for the Christian.
6. Self-indulgence, dress, (positive and negative) recreation and association.
7. But like humility, when done for display, these cease to be genuine.
8. Separation should be unto Christ, not just from things or people.

III: By too much deodorant. (Hear on tape.)