Religious exhibitionism is a sin which is frequently labeled as righteous spirituality.  It is also often not discerned or is underestimated in terms of both its severity and in terms of how it generally promotes and/or covers up hypocrisy in many other ways.  This message will be a compilation of extractions from previous messages which relate to this topic.  Not only is religious exhibitionism a sin which can be done in an individual’s attempt to show off in a religious context, it is also something which religious leaders can provoke those at their meetings to in order to manufacture an environment to promote various ungodly goals which they have.  Religious exhibitionism is multifaceted and can be displayed and/or thrust upon others in a vast variety of ways.

Nadab and Abihu killed by fire for offering strange fire (Leviticus 10:1-3).

The context here is the inauguration of God’s worship in the Tabernacle.  God makes it clear that He is pleased with it, and will dwell there, as Moses and Aaron complete His instructions to inaugurate it.  

This is recorded in Leviticus 9:22-24: “And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.   And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.   And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.”

And then Nadab and Abihu want in on the action.  

Leviticus 10:1-3: “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.   And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.   Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified.  And Aaron held his peace.”

Nadab and Abihu had been doing their part ministering as these things went on, but then they chose to innovate.  While the Bible never says specifically why they did this, the obvious effect would have been to generate a show- or in this case to add to the event which was happening already, which was not a show, but which a man looking to make a show might emulate or try to add to.  

There are churches now of all varieties, but I especially think of many megachurches and Pentecostal-type churches, which could not exist without making a show.  That is mainly how they draw people; and they would surely be out of business without this.  They innovate in worship to produce a show for man, to gratify man, and to produce emotional experiences calculated to man’s satisfaction.  A church should rather just do what God has prescribed for corporate worship, and leave whatever effects that might produce to Him.  God has testified that His wrath is against showmanship in worship by the example of Nadab and Abihu.  

When someone is regularly screaming in church like an angry drill sergeant, or acting like a know-it-all professor who is evidently trying to portray themselves as an expert and seeking to impress their audience by their oratory tactics, that is really just pathetic showmanship.  Waving around a Bible and screaming things at a church which already believes what you’re saying is not courage.  That can rather easily be a cowardly attempt to get applause from people without actually displaying any courage at all.  And many IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) pastors, as well as many other preachers, will rebuke and shame people in their church from the pulpit when they know they will get Amens and have the congregation on their side.  It would have been right though, and much more courageous, to just tell the person the rebuke in private if they were really in the wrong and the preacher really ought to rebuke them.  And it is obviously common in the IFB, but surely not limited to the IFB, to have a Pastor who has such ungodly control over his congregation that if he said that the sky is pink or green, it is quite possible no one would even challenge him.  That is not Biblical submission to authority.  

Music is often consciously calculated to move people’s emotions in a certain way.  Through the means of music, other media, and various exhibitions people can be moved emotionally in a powerful way.  Often this is so powerful that the emotional experience can masquerade as a spiritual experience and easily be mistaken as such.  Those who are skillful in psychology, and who also seek to manipulate people, know these things and seek to control people by deception related to this.  Don’t think that churches are off-limits to such operations.  It is quite the opposite.

Pre-planned emotional movements of a church congregation through the means of song selection, methods of preaching sermons, lighting, and/or in other ways are manipulative and a curse to those who are affected by such.  It is especially common for such means to reach a climax which is centered around, or happening especially near to, the time of the collection plate being passed (or other means of collecting the offering).   And this problem of  infiltration of emotionalism into Christendom is especially common in mega-churches.  A few of the most glaring examples are the extremely popular Bethel-Redding church (and its associates) and the Hillsong churches.  

Music, when played to honor God and not calculated to appeal primarily to man’s feelings, can be a powerful tool for praising and worshiping God- which might perhaps generate emotional experiences in people hearing it- as a by-product.  Music might also be selected to reflect healthy emotions related to commonly known circumstances which are greatly affecting many in the congregation.  That is not wrong.  Yet when the music is written or selected to deliberately alter man’s psyche in a given way, then it is controlling, manipulative, and used for evil ends.  It is a strange fire.

Environments where this strange fire is offered confuse the simple, as they are taught to label their altered emotional states as “the presence of God.”  Such environments may even deeply harm an already psychologically damaged person even worse than they are already hurt or make a grieving person’s grief even worse.  An example would be a fast-paced environment where everyone is implicitly pressured to tap their feet and act happy.  When the psychological pressure of the environment is strong enough, people feel compelled to do this even when it doesn’t reflect the state of their present psyche.  This is not appropriate in their circumstances (the Bible says to rejoice with them that rejoice; and to mourn with them that mourn in Romans chapter 12- certainly not to act excessively the opposite around them, hoping that emotion will spread to them contagiously).  This can also tempt and provoke people to put on an act to fit in with, and conform to, whatever heightened emotional state the congregation is being pressured to conform to.

Hype is also not compatible with authentic Christianity.  By hype, I mean deliberately generating excitement and seeking to get people to move or act based on that excitement.  Hype is ultimately an expression of emotionalism.  Churches and charismatic leaders will try to get people on board with them, and subservient to the methods they’ve contrived, through hype (like a lot of other institutions, as well as ideological and political movements).  It is especially bad and deceptive when Jesus and Biblical terms are attached to hype. 

Matthew 23:4-12: “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries (we’re talking about religious paraphernalia here), and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Don’t stop there in the chapter.  Keep reading beyond that.  The sample of how Jesus defined the evil character of the Scribes and Pharisees who were wicked is very telling.  

Unrealistic expectations of others without willingness to share their burden, exaggerated and unnecessary religious attire (and since there is no Levitical Priesthood now all clerical garments are unnecessary and ostentatious), love of prominence at religious gatherings, and taking flattering titles or giving flattering titles to others are all demonstrations of the corrupt ways of the evil Scribes and Pharisees.

Wearing clerical garments is a form of pomp and self-exaltation.  Plain and simple. It serves no good purpose whatsoever.  Israel’s Levitical Priesthood was the only exception.  Never follow anyone on religious matters who wears, or who might even occasionally wear, clerical garments.  

This is not coming against God-ordained modesty (like a woman wearing a head covering) and being conservative in dress.  

Those with real authority from God don’t need to be called “Reverend” and they don’t need to impress people or communicate that people ought to respect them because of their supposed position and/or calling.  Clerical garments imply a demand for attention and respect.  At the very least, they strongly encourage such.  That is a form of religious posturing.  It is no different than praying in the street corners for public attention or looking worse than you have to look when you fast so people will notice you’re fasting or sounding a trumpet before when you give.  Religious posturing is an especially hideous sin.  

And know that sins related to religious posturing, consciously attempting to show off one’s spirituality to people, and loving the respect and honor associated with this are hideous sins and need to be repented of, forsaken, and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ as much as things like drunkenness, fornication, and theft.  

Reading from Matthew 6:5-8: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

Though there are many examples in the Bible of public prayer which was proper and acceptable to God, Jesus makes clear in Matthew 6:5-8 that prayer should not be unnecessarily public.  It should also not be unnecessarily lengthy when done in public, should not be ostentatious ever, and it should not be a predictable formality.  

It is evident that loud public prayer, especially when loud public prayer is the predictable norm, violates every single one of these principles.  It is irreverent to scream at God in private.  It must be irreverent to scream at Him publicly too.  One who is regularly screaming out loud publicly in prayer is showing off to men.  How could it be otherwise?  Do those who do this actually believe God is hard of hearing?  

I suppose some people scream at God privately too when they are praying.  Yet this is a heathen practice derived from a degraded, heathen view of God.  Heathens typically think they can manipulate God.  Remember the prophets of Baal in their showdown with Elijah in 1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18:25-29: “And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.  And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us.  But there was no voice, nor any that answered.  And they leaped upon the altar which was made.  And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.  And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.”

That passage was used in our message exposing and rebuking emotionalism too.  And that is because the error of emotionalism and improper prayer are closely connected.  

The concept that God would hear man’s prayer and work in response to an effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man is Biblical.  But the concept that man can persuade God to answer his prayer through being longer, louder, more eloquent, or through cutting oneself or through any type of ritual is a heathen concept stemming from a degraded, heathen view of God.

Matthew 6:5-8 shows that we should not seek to cause a scene by prayer.  

We should not separate our personality in a church meeting from our personality outside of a church meeting.  Doing so to a significant degree is actually evidence that one lacks a true walk with God and genuine Christian spirituality.  

We should also avoid unnecessary eloquence in public prayer.  Not doing this is seeking vainglory and promoting strife and competition.  If you are praying and you’re about to say something that sounds eloquent, and you can think of a less eloquent way to pray the same thing, choose the less eloquent way.  

It is the same when it comes to length.  

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

3 John 9: “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.”

Gaius’ own church was being ripped apart by Diotrephes (whose name means “nourished by Jupiter”- Jupiter of course being the Pagan false god).  We’re not told what position Diotrephes had in the church, but whether he was the head elder or overseer or pastor (all mean essentially the same thing- but I think overseer is the most accurate and closest to being free from bad associations related to the traditions of men among the churches of men) or he had to come to usurp that position in an official or unofficial way, he loved to have the preeminence among the church (literally, he was fond of being first; he was ambitious of distinction).  That is all we’re told about him.  That’s all we need to know.

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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