1. THEY’RE EGOCENTRIC, GREEDY, BRAGGERS. THEY HATE GODLY PEOPLE. THEY LOVE ENTERTAINMENT MORE THAN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY. BUT THEY HAVE AN EXTERNAL RELIGIOUS CEREMONIALISM OR SUPERFICIAL CHURCH INVOLVEMENT.

Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents (God fearing ones), unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.   –2 Timothy 3:2-5

2. THEY ARE LIKE CHARACTER ACTORS THAT PUT ON A “PRAYER WARRIOR” PERSONA LIKE ELMER GANTRY. THEY DO THIS BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE ATTENTION.

Do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.   –Matthew 6:5

3. IF THEY ARE PREACHERS, THEN THEY ARE PATENTLY FALSE IN THE WAY THEY ACT AROUND OTHERS. THEY PRETEND TO BE HUMBLE AND MEEK TO BLEND IN WITH THE CHURCH CROWD. BUT WHEN THEY ARE ALONE, OR JUST WITH ONE PERSON, THEN THEY ARE FEROCIOUS IN THEIR BEHAVIOR. LIKE THE OLD MACHIAVELLIAN CHARACTER TROPE, THEY USE DECEPTION TO CONTROL THEIR REPUTATION, BUT CRUELTY TO DISMISS THE WISE AND RIGHTEOUS FROM THEIR MIDST.

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.   –Matthew 7:15

4. WHEN THEY PRAY OR PREACH AT CHURCH, THEY SAY ALL THE RIGHT SOUNDING WORDS. BUT THEY ARE INSINCERE. THEIR HEARTS ARE ACTUALLY COMPLETELY DISINTERESTED ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD, OR ANY GENUINE CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY. THEIR CHURCH INVOLVEMENT IS MERELY A FORMALITY BASED ON THE CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS PASSED DOWN TO THEM.

These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.    –Isaiah 29:13