Sermon: Private Religion

Performing Our Righteous Acts in Secret
#1709

Given 20-May-23; 79 minutes

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Over the years, the godless Hollywood movie moguls have enjoyed creating a stereotype or caricature of a religious zealot, sadly having a plentitude of real material to draw from, including the glossolalia performed by charismatic evangelicals. Every religion on earth employs titles of aplomb and extravagant displays of piety to draw attention to themselves. Jesus Christ insisted that His followers should display little public piety, keeping their daily walk with God outgoing, private, and personal. Someone misusing piety to draw attention to themselves to enhance reputation destroys character and they will not enter the Kingdom of God. In the semantic drift of the word "hypocrite" the connotation is of donning a mask for deceiving or lying, a deadly mortal sin (Revelation 21:8). In the three separate parts of Matthew 6:1-18, focusing upon charity, prayer, and fasting, Jesus insists that these acts of righteousness be done in private, not practiced before other people, and that all acts of righteousness be regular habitual practice, as natural as breathing. The acts of righteousness performed by His saints in secrecy, privacy, and inconspicuousness shall be rewarded by God publicly.




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