Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19961006.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part X. Christ's Messianic Kingdom Postponed
H. Discerning False From True Spirituality
(Matthew 15:1-20)
  1. Introduction
    1. Increasingly, we are facing a widespread spiritual challenge of artificial spirituality in the Church, and it does much harm the welfare of innocent, unsuspecting believers in the Church.
    2. At times, the false spirituality can be so pervasive and so subtle that people confuse right with wrong to the point that the upright are viewed as wrong and the errant as being godly, cf. 2 Cor. 11:13-15.
    3. The best way to walk circumspectly on this issue of artificial spirituality is to know how to discern it.
    4. A number of tell-tale signals equipping us to distinguish between false spirituality and the true spring up in Jesus' interaction with the Pharisees in Matthew 15 that can go a long way to helping us in this matter:
  2. Identifying And Responding To False And True Spirituality Forms, Matthew 15:1-20.
    1. Revealing Quality One - False spirituality is revealed in the errant ways the errant treat God's Word:
      1. False spirituality causes the errant to make extra-Scriptural standards as authoritative or more authoritative than God's Word, Mtt. 15:1-9.
      2. False spirituality causes the errant to fail to learn the truth from previously known Scriptures, 15:7b-9.
    2. Revealing Quality Two - False spirituality is revealed in the errant ways the errant relate to others:
      1. False spirituality causes the errant to evaluate worship experiences purely from external criteria apart from internal fellowship with the Lord, Mtt. 15:7-8.
      2. False spirituality causes the errant to be insubordinated or insensitive to adhering to divinely established chains-of-command for life and ministry, Mtt. 15:13.
      3. False spirituality causes the errant to subject relationships to personal selfish ambitions, Mtt. 15:4-6.
      4. False spirituality causes the errant to take personal offense at being Biblically corrected, Mtt. 15:12.
      5. False spirituality causes the errant to be hardened against the truth at being critiqued so that they lead other weaker people down their route to error, Mtt. 15:14.
    3. Revealing Quality Three - False spirituality is revealed in the errant characteristics of personal behavior:
      1. False spirituality is exhibited by one's inconsistency in keeping stands he makes, Mtt. 15:4-6,7.
      2. False spirituality is exhibited by a lack of discernment between truth and error, Mtt. 15:14a.
      3. False spirituality is exhibited by standards being drawn from externals rather than the heart, 15:15-20.
      4. False spirituality is exhibited by one's ministry not lasting due to a withdrawal of divine support, 15:12f.
Lesson: We discern true from false spirituality as follows: (a) False spirituality overlooks the authority of Scripture where true spirituality adheres strictly to God's Word; (b) false spirituality overlooks the content of known Scriptures where true spirituality recalls it, Jn. 14:26; (c) false spirituality evaluates worship experiences by external criteria where true spirituality evaluates worship based on the heart attitude; (d) false spirituality is ins ubordinate to divinely established authority where true spirituality conforms to that authority; (e) false spirituality puts selfish ambitions above relationships where true spirituality is selfless; (f) false spirituality takes personal offense at correcti ons where true spirituality receives it, Prov. 3:11-12; (g) false spirituality causes the errant one to resist the truth so as to mislead others where true spirituality leads one to adopt it and guide others, Prov. 10:21; (h) false spirituality make s one inconsistent between his asserted beliefs and life where true spirituality leads one to live out exactly what he believes, James 3:17; (i) false spirituality cannot discern truth from error where true spirituality discerns all things, 1 Cor. 2:14f; (j) false spirituality draws standards from externals where true spirituality leads one to evaluate the heart, 2 Cor. 10:7-11, 3-4; (k) false spirituality causes one's ministry to b e transitory as it misses God's blessing where true spirituality makes it last, 1 Pet. 5:1-11.