Posts Tagged ‘Revolt Against Religion’

Redefining Sacred Space

Sunday, April 9th, 2006
This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:


1 Peter 2:4-9 (NIV)

4 As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

INTRODUCTION

Today I?m going to be sharing the last message in the series I?ve been preaching called, “Revolt against Religion”. I hope you?ve noticed as I?ve shared this series how Jesus set in motion the end to religion. When Jesus came to earth and still today he offers people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality.

He modeled in His life and spoke about how if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. How, if you love God and you love your neighbour the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationships with others!

Jesus also pointed out the dangerous place tradition and customs had been elevated to in Jewish “religion”. Without minimizing the value of traditions and customs as spiritual tools He simply modeled that it?s okay to break those that had become “sacred cows”. When traditions and customs become “sacred cows” they create a wall preventing intimacy with God, make faith a lifeless ritual, and blind people to the truth. Hopefully, you?ve had an opportunity to examine traditions/customs in your own life and from your experience growing up and evaluated whether they have become “sacred cows”!

Jesus also spent a great deal of His time exposing and coming against the exclusive “club” mentality of the religious leaders and religion in the days of His ministry. Jesus shared the message of God?s love that was radically inclusive in a world where religions were anything but! He offered an incredible reorientation of family values ? opposing the idea that birth, blood, and biology defines true family. Instead, he stressed that our unity with God and one another comes through shared faith and common purpose. In Christ?s Kingdom, ethnicity, social status, or gender identity are no longer important categories of distinction. Instead, all members of this Kingdom are unified as one family, with God as our shared Father and Abraham as our shared ancestor.

Therefore, so far we?ve looked at how Jesus has exposed three characteristics of religion and religious people.

  1. Begin righteous is more important than being right.
  2. Traditions and customs are “sacred cows”
  3. Religious people belong to an “exclusive club”.

Today we?re going to wrap up this series by looking at what Jesus had to say towards the persistent perspective of religion and religious people where in their thinking, The “Holy of Holies” still exists.

You see, Jesus lived and taught in a world that views life in terms of concentric circles of sacred space. (show diagram on powerpoint). There was the understanding that all the world belonged to God but the land of Israel was a particularly holy land ? Jerusalem is a particularly holy city in the holy land, and the Temple was a particularly Holy building in the holy city, of the holy land, and finally, the epicenter of sacredness was the Holy of Holies in the Holy building, in the Holy city, of the Holy land. It was in this place, the Holy of Holies, where God?s presence was said to be most manifest. The religion of Jesus? day, and religions around the world today base much of its approach to life on strong distinctions between the sacred and the profane, the holy and the mundane. First, there is the creation of distinctions between the two ? in other words, defining what is holy and what is profane. Then second, religion offers systematic ways for people to move from one realm to the other. This process includes pilgrimages to “holy” sites or attending special services in sacred spaces ? usually special buildings that represent the institution. The idea is that in order to connect with God there is a particular location you have to be in. The idea that there are certain spaces in life where God is accessible and spaces where He is not.

Contrary to the religious norm of His day, Jesus taught a form of spirituality that erased the lines of distinction between sacred space and mundane space.

HOW DID HE DO THIS?

  2. He spoke of His own body as the Temple.

Jesus upset the status quo of His day by speaking of His own body as the Temple or Sanctuary of God (the place where the Divine and Human meet).

In John 2:13-22 we find a story where Jesus makes a dramatic statement in the “sacred space” of religion.

John 2:13-22 (NIV)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

Two things happened in this “Temple incident” (see also Matt. 21:12-14; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48)

  1. Jesus turned over the tables and released all of the sacrificial animals that were used for the forgiveness ceremonies.
  2. Redefined His own body as the temple! (and at the same time prophesied about the resurrection)

Notice that the Jewish religious people demanded of Jesus in verse 18 to show a miraculous sign to prove His authority to enter the temple and do what He did. It was a common thought among the religious people during this time because wherever Jesus went He acted as thought the Divine presence was fully with Him and not just back in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Many times Jesus scandalized the religious leaders by personally offering people God?s forgiveness for their sins. The religion of first-century Israel taught that people received God?s forgiveness in a specific way ? through the animal sacrificial system of the Temple in Jerusalem. One would purchase a goat or a dove from a vendor (conveniently located in the Temple courts) and then present it to a priest for sacrifice. Only a priest of the Temple could then conduct the ceremony and offer worshippers forgiveness of sins on behalf of God. It was all quite simple, quite predictable, and quite institutional. So think of how the religious leaders reacted when Jesus did things like this;

Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)

36 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(see also Matthew 9:1-13 and the forgiveness [and healing] of the paralytic man)

When Jesus would say to the people, “Your sins are forgiven” he was not just being a kind source of encouragement to hurting people but making a decidedly irreligious statement to his culture. He was completely bypassing the religious system of His day and helping people connect with God?s grace, mercy, and forgiveness directly through Himself.

2. He established and pointed to a new “organic” Temple.

Jesus also taught his followers to expect his own continuing presence to dwell, not within special buildings called “churches”, but within their relationships. He said that wherever two or three people gather together in his name he would be there with them (Matthew 18:20)

Jesus poured His life into 12 men that he chose to accompany Him and called to follow Him. It was these men who would provide the leadership for the early movement of Jesus? followers and become living stones of the new Temple Jesus was building.

Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus also used the illustration of the vine and branches to teach the organic nature of this new temple He was building. In this poignant description we see the wonderful picture of the interconnecting relationships between Jesus and each of his followers.

John 15:1-8 (NIV)

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS REDEFINITION OF SACRED SPACE?

1. Sacred space is now defined by relational connection rather than physical location.

Certainly when you read about the early church you discover that they saw themselves as living stones, built together into this organic Temple, made up of the people of God. They believed that the Spirit of God dwelled within this relational Temple, this Sanctuary-as-Community.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

In other words, because of Jesus, they understood that all of life is holy and every godly relationship is sacred. Truly, there is no holier ground that the space between you and me as we connect in honest, vulnerable, forgiving relationship. That is why the early Christian movement felt no need to hold their meetings in special buildings For about the first 300 years, Christ-followers met primarily in people?s homes (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2)

2. Reaffirms the value of every member in the body of Christ (the “organic” living temple).

There are no pointless “bricks” in this temple. An image that the apostle Paul used to remind the early church of this implication is that of a body;

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NIV)

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

3. It underscores the incredible work of grace God has wrought through Christ.

This is a mind-boggling implication when you think about it. Jesus declared and the early church understood that from the cross forward it was possible for people to host and manifest His Spirit. There is only one way that this could take place and that?s through the shed blood of Christ, the impartation of God?s grace, and the believing faith of its recipient. When God looks at us who believe in Christ, He doesn?t see our sin, our failings, our faults and our fumblings. He sees us as His child and part of His family and worthy of His presence. The incredible reality that Jesus wants us to embrace is that it is possible for believers to connect with God independent of location and regardless of “status” in His church. In fact, the idea of constructing special holy buildings called “churches”, where priests would steward God?s grace to the people, would have been a very foreign idea to the early Christians. Instead the early Church considered every believer representing God to each other as a kingdom of priests (see 1 Peter 2:4-9 as read this morning)

1 Peter 2:4-9 (NIV)

4 As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

4. Presents the challenge of how we live in the world. (Romans 12:1)

This is probably one of the more practical implications of this redefinition of sacred space. Realizing that you are a “temple” of the Holy Spirit should create a consciousness of how we treat this “temple” and how we live.

Paul said to the Corinthian church,

1 Corinthian 6:19-20 (NIV)

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

The early Christian church believed that their entire lives were altars upon which to offer sacrificial love to God and others. Witness the instructions given to the Roman church,

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.

Certainly as we become aware of this incredible privilege of divine visitation and presence in our lives. The idea that sacredness is not confined to a particular location but instead spread throughout the organic temple of Christ?s body, the church and indeed in your own life as a believer. Then, it gives us good reason to seek to honor God with how we live ? not because we have to ? but in appreciation and love for Him!

CONCLUSION

As we draw to a close in this series. I want to highlight one more significant event in the history of Jesus. It centers around probably the most monumental event not only in His own life here on earth but also in all of history ? and that is the crucifixion of Christ. On the surface, the picture of Jesus hanging on the cross looks like a photographic negative: the dark is light, death is life, and a Jewish prisoner of Rome is offering everyone else freedom. However, in looking at this event through the glory of the resurrection, the first followers of Jesus were convinced that this event, the death of their leader, was the doorway into a whole new world, a world without religion, where all people could access God?s grace and experience his presence directly, just as the most holy of priests and prophets had done.

In the gospel account of Jesus death, something happened that would forever signal the end of the religious system (you can read about this in Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). In the Temple in Jerusalem was a large heavy curtain, a veil that separated the rest of the Temple from the most holy place, the “Holy of Holies,” where God?s presence was believed to dwell in all His majesty and glory. For a time, it was also the place where the Ark of the Covenant was kept ? but since invaders had carried it away, nothing remained but an empty space, a space made holy by God?s glorious presence. No one ever went into the Holy of Holies except the High Priest, and he only did that once a year to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Nothing could better symbolize the dividing line between the sacred and the profane, the holy and the mundane, than the veil of the Temple. It was like a line drawn in the sand, with God on one side and everyone else on the other.

However, at the moment of Jesus? death, the Bible records that this veil was torn from top to bottom. It seemed as if God the Father himself stepped into the picture and confirmed the message and mission of Jesus through his own act of irreligious desecration. The dividing wall between those who are “in” and those who are “out” was finally done away with. In this definitive act it was if God was saying, it?s time for me to leave the building ? it?s time to move along ? it?s time to get close to my creation again.

As we?ve looked at the life of Jesus and what He had to say about religion you may be ready to conclude, as many have, that this world would be a far better place without religion ? I believe your right. However, with nothing to fill the void left by its absence, the result of doing away with religion would hardly be an improvement.

Friends, the human soul was created for a purpose. To be fully authentic, to become what it was made to be, the human soul needs more than the absence of something; it needs the presence of Someone. We were designed to live within the context of a relationship with our Divine Creator ? the person of God. This concept of intimate and interactive relationship with God, a relationship of naked intimacy, delight, and passion, was at the core of Jesus? teaching and abundantly evident in His own life. Experiencing God as Father, Mother, Husband, Lover, Friend, Counselor, and Guide are ways Jesus describes this relationship and the goal He leads us toward.

If we are really going to follow Jesus we need to lose the trappings of religion, drop the pursuit of systems, and dive into our connection with God through the relationship He offers with Him and through our relationship with others in His family!

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Family Values

Sunday, April 2nd, 2006
This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NIV)

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)– 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

INTRODUCTION

Today, I?m continuing the series I?ve been preaching on called “Revolt against Religion”. I?m convinced that when you look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus in the Bible, you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion. He offers people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality ? a way of living that god originally intended for us to know.

So far we?ve looked at what Jesus had to say to religious people and their adherence to rules, regulations, and routine at the expense of the transforming work of love. Jesus lived by a simple philosophy: if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. It?s not that they don?t serve a purpose ? the commands and rules we read about in the Bible are important in their purpose to expose sin. But obedience to these rules apart from heart change is meaningless. In other words, if you love God and you love your neighbour the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationship with others! Simply remove rules and you are left with anarchy. Transcend rules with love, and you?re beginning to live like Jesus!

Last week I spent some time highlighting Jesus? message to the religious leaders and the religion of His day about their attachment to certain traditions and customs. The danger of tradition is that it can be elevated to a place of authority equal to the place of Scripture and becomes what I call a “Sacred Cow”. A common saying of religions people is, “This is the way it?s always been done ? so this is the way it always should be done!”

Jesus made it absolutely clear in His ministry and in His various confrontations with religious tradition that tradition must take a back-seat to the Scripture it claims to be based on. This doesn?t mean that traditions can never be helpful spiritual tools ? but we must always be ready to evaluate whether a tradition or custom has become a ?sacred cow? because if it gets to that point then it ceases to be helpful and becomes harmful. Last week I shared with you some questions that you can ask that can help you in determining whether there are any traditions or customs that you follow that might be ?sacred cows? in your life.

The problem Jesus had with the traditions and customs of the religion in His day was that they had created a wall preventing intimacy with God, made faith a lifeless ritual, and blinded people to the truth. Jesus exposed the hypocrisy with the “Tradition of the Elders” in the religious people and we desperately need this same hypocrisy exposed and dealt with today!

This morning I want to take a few minutes to share with you the next characteristic of religions/religious people that Jesus debunked. Jesus? message of God?s love was radically inclusive in a world where religions were anything but. He came with a strong rebuke against the way the religious people of His day had lost touch with the universal focus of their faith.

God had always intended for His chosen people to be the vehicle through which His glory would be displayed to the whole world. Certainly, when taken as a whole, the historical account of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people and all the events they went through and the instructions God gave them were recorded in the Bible not just to preserve a genealogical or narrative record for future generations. Rather, the Holy Spirit divinely inspired and initiated everything towards the singular purpose of the revealing of God?s answer to the sin problem that plagued the world from the fall of Adam ? an answer that was planned because of His love for the human race. Interwoven throughout the entire scriptures are many references to a person coming who would be a messiah, a savior, who would restore once and for all God?s people to completeness. Truly, this messiah was the hope of the Jewish nation. Yet, the cool thing ? God never intended this Savior to only save the Israelites but through Him the entire world. Listen to the prophetic words of Isaiah as God spoke through Him?

Isaiah 42:6 (NIV)

6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,

Isaiah 49:6 (NIV)

6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah was talking about the coming Messiah and how He would not only restore Israel to glory an righteousness but would be a light for the Gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. What?s this mean? Two quick definitions: Gentile = non-Jewish person; Salvation = Rescuing from the consequence, penalty, and curse of sin (death). Put simply, God is saying through His servant Isaiah that through the Messiah sin will be dealt with and everyone will have the opportunity to be saved from the curse of sin. It seems though that for the most part ? the Jewish religious people had forgotten about this prophecy of the coming Messiah. In fact the religious people of Jesus? day had become incredibly exclusive in their religiosity. So much so that when Jesus was speaking to His disciples and a crowd of Jewish people who had gathered around Him one day He made a point of drawing a connection between what they were hearing, seeing, and experiencing and their responsibility. Listen to His words?


Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Even though Jesus made many statements indicating that He was sent first to help the Jewish people get on course ? for example?


Matthew 10:5-6 (NIV)

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:24 (NIV)

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

?his message and mission intentionally extended God?s offer of loving relationship beyond the ethnic boundaries of Jewish religion. Through Jesus, Gentiles (non-Jews) were invited to become equal citizens in God?s Kingdom alongside Jewish brothers and sisters.

John 3:16 (NIV)

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. “

It was a message and teaching clearly understood and modeled by leaders in the early Christian church as evidenced in their letters?

(see also Romans 2:17-29; Romans 4:9-18)

Romans 9:6 (NIV)

6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

Romans 10:11-13 (NIV)

11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NIV) ? read this morning

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Here?s the important point of Jesus revolt against religion here: Jesus challenged the strong kinship based identity of first-century Israel by offering a radical reorientation of family values. One time, Jesus had gone to a house ? probably for a bite to eat and a time of rest ? but scriptures record in Mark 3:20 that crowds began to gather again and Jesus and His disciples didn?t get a chance to eat. In the midst of this, Jesus counters some accusations from the religious leaders declaring that Jesus gained His power from being possessed by Satan. Jesus further shares a strong warning against rejecting and dishonoring the work of the Holy Spirit by attributing His work to the work of evil spirits. In the midst of all this, something interesting happens?

Mark 3:31-35 (NIV)

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Through these words, Jesus opposed the idea that birth, blood, and biology defines true family. Instead, he stressed that our unity with God and one another comes through shared faith and common purpose. In this way, Jesus invited his followers to become part of a worldwide, trans-national, multi-ethnic family of faith. And so, it is to his Jewish friends that Jesus said once,

John 10:16 (NIV)

16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

The apostle Paul described the inclusive reality of the Kingdom this way:

Galatians 3:28-29 (NIV)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Colossians 3:11 (NIV)

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

In Christ?s Kingdom, ethnicity, social status, or gender identity are no longer important categories of distinction. Instead, all members of this Kingdom are unified as one family, with God as our shared Father and Abraham as our shared ancestor.

Jesus came against the characteristic where Religious people belong to an exclusive “club”. The religious people in Jesus day had a religious “club” that was defined by family ties and birth. I would venture to say this morning that today there exists a similar manifestation of this characteristic in the Christian church. It?s a bit harder to pick up on this characteristic because it is a little bit more subtle than the others and is harder to recognize sometimes because of it?s nature. However, I want to quickly give a few clues that will help us to discern and recognize it?s presence when we come across it.

How can we recognize this characteristic today?

When evangelism is something “someone else” will do.

A recognizable feature of this religious characteristic is the lack of care for those who are lost. At the extreme it manifests in a protectionist policy whenever someone “new” or “different” comes to church on a Sunday and there is fear they upset the status quo. “Aww man, someone has sat in my seat!”, “I wish that person wouldn?t come ? they really need a shower.” “Did you see what she?s wearing!”. Or it will manifest in the hiding of one?s “religion” when out in the big, bad “world” because it?s dangerous out there. Well I don?t dispute that our society is becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity I would venture to say it?s more because all Canadians are being exposed to is the Christian “religion” ? rather than the transforming presence of God in His relationship with individuals sold out to Him!

Friends, to counter this mindset we need to regain an understanding of exactly what Jesus has rescued us from and gain a compassion for those still lost! Every single one of us has a sphere of influence where we have an opportunity to demonstrate the difference Christ makes in our life. Pastor Nancy shared a message two weeks ago on evangelism I hope you heard ? and if you didn?t get a tape! We need to be reminded constantly that evangelism is not something that “someone else” will do but is something every one of us can do!

A significant event in the life of any family is the addition of a new family member. I?ve got news for you?God WANTS His family to grow! And it will grow when we allow the light of Christ to shine in our lives in acts of compassion, works of grace, gifts of generosity, and words of LIFE! He wants all of us to be like a “city on a hill”!

When some sins are worse than others?

Another extreme manifestation of this mindset of course is the idea that there are certain sins worse than others. This leads to all sorts of discrimination in who “deserves” to hear the gospel message. What barriers have been erected by religious people today for ministry to people serving time in prisons for murder, or homosexuals, or prostitutes, because of the nature of their sin? What prejudices are those in our lives that need to be exposed? A good indicator that we have these prejudices is when we consider certain sins worse than others.

We must not forget Jesus drew no distinction between degree of sinfulness but highlighted the depravity of anyone outside of God?s grace! In fact in a very pointed story Jesus indicates the danger of this kind of thinking to your own salvation!

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When fellowship is just a Sunday buffet.

How can this be an indicator of a “club” mentality in religion? Now don?t get me wrong ? I love the times when we come together as a church family and have fun together and eat together. There?s nothing wrong with that ? and it should be something we do often. However, fellowship as understood in the biblical context is so much more than just having a meal with a group of people. Acts 2:42 contains a picture of the early church and introduces the kind of fellowship that Jesus promotes,

Acts 2:42 (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Greek word for fellowship used in this verse is “Koinonia” (see also 2 Cor. 6:14; 13:13-14; Phil. 3:10; 1 John 1:3) and carries with it the idea of partnership and sharing together in a cause and sharing with each other. There is this incredible sense associated with the word fellowship of not just being a “part” of something but actually belonging to and investing in it. The idea that in the family of God, we belong to each other! What are the practical implications of this? When you read further about the early church in Acts you discover in verses 44-47 the demonstration of biblical fellowship,

Acts 2:44-47 (NLT)

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord?s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity ? all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Wow! Truly, every-time I read that I realize that we come pretty close to this biblical idea of fellowship but in some ways we?re still quite a ways away from it.

When fellowship is just a Sunday Buffet in the mindset of the religious person it?s usually because they really don?t understand what it means to really belong to God?s family. It?s not being a part of a social club, or a people with like interests, or spiritual tea party ? viewed with this perspective Christianity becomes very exclusive and religious. Whereas when a person embraces the biblical understanding of fellowship and incorporates this incredible sense of belonging to a family then there is a sense of other-focused sharing in every area of life. And it?s interesting that the more this healthy understanding of biblical fellowship is embraced ? the more inclusive we become of those new to the family who might be a little different than us ? because we are family!

CONCLUSION

I?ve just shared with you three indicators that can help us discern when – either collectively as a church body or individually – we wade into the thinking of Religious people where we?re a part of an exclusive club. Just to be clear, these aren?t the only indicators! There are more, but for the sake of time I?ve decided to share these three today (for example another one is when the church is defined as a building rather than a body). The point is this ? Jesus stressed that our unity with God and one another comes through shared faith and common purpose. Jesus invited His followers to become part of and belong to an incredible diverse group of people united in Him as God?s family.

As we look at what Jesus has to say to religion and the religious people of His day and today it?s important that I draw your attention to one passage in the New Testament that, on first read, seems to have something positive to say about “religion”. I?m going to share it as I close this message because it?s related to this whole idea of family in God?s kingdom. The focus of this passage is on the lifestyle that should characterize people who follow Jesus. James (the brother of Jesus) dedicated his entire letter to the early followers of Christ to reminding them of what their “religion” should look like.

James 1:26-27 (NIV)

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This verse is the only positive use of the word “religion” in the Bible. James did not place the emphasis on ritual, but rather on practical, other-centered behaviour. To summarize James said Christians should be:

  2. constructive rather than destructive in our words
  4. compassionate in practical ways toward people in distress;
  6. counter-cultural in our daily life, refusing to simply follow the accepted norms of the majority (the “world”) when those norms do not lead to a loving lifestyle.

In other words the only “religion” that God approves of is faith (a trusting relationship with the Person of God) expressing itself in practical loving action. James goes on to describe this more fully in the remainder of his letter. For people who want to follow Jesus, the emphasis on ritual should be replaced with other-centered relationship. Period. That?s a description of good religion in a nutshell, which in the end has little to do with what many people mean when they use the word religion today.

Notice, however, what James did not say in his letter to Christ followers. He did not say that the only religion God approves of involves:

  • saying certain prayers a specified number of times each day,
  • participating in the proper rituals,
  • meditating in the right position,
  • believing the right doctrines,
  • attending the specified services,
  • reading the appropriate books,
  • memorizing the right texts,
  • celebrating the right holidays and so on.

What people usually think of when they look at the topic of “religion” ? the rules, rituals, and routines ? are completely absent in James letter. Instead, he teaches that God wants us to experience and intimate relationship with himself and then express that through a holistic lifestyle of compassion for others.

Is it any wonder then, that in one of his letters to the early Christian community, the Apostle Paul wrestled with the same issue of following the way of relationship or religion. Paul?s conclusion?

Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

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Exposing “Sacred Cows”

Sunday, March 26th, 2006
This entry is part 3 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

INTRODUCTION

Three weeks ago I began a series entitled, “Revolt against Religion”. For most people the word religion has a negative meaning and is something people would rather not get involved in. Is it no wonder then, when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus in the bible, you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion? In scripture, we see Jesus offering people anon-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality ? a way of living that God originally intended for us to know.

Two weeks ago we examined the first characteristic of Religion (and religious people) that Jesus revolted against. Jesus had much to say to the Jewish religious people and the religion in His day that revolved around rules, regulations, and routine providing the way to connect with God. Jesus? life was a contrast to the lives of the religious people where being righteous is more important than being right. We discovered that Jesus called people to a rule-free spirituality. However, Jesus didn?t say that rules and “laws” are no good ? in fact rather than coming to do away with the Law of the Old Testament ? he fulfilled it ? the law exposes sin, Jesus deals with sin once and for all. He deals with sin because of the one thing that he emphasized more than anything in His ministry ? the freeing and motivating character of love!

Jesus, as demonstrated in the Bible, lived by a simple philosophy: if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. The love God has for us and the love we have for God and for others is the inward change that produces the righteousness God is looking for! You see, Jesus wasn?t against righteous acts and obedience to rules and regulations but clarified that such obedience apart from heart change is meaningless. In other words, if you love God and you love your neighbour the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationship with others! Simply remove rules and you are left with anarchy. Transcend rules with love, and you are beginning to live like Jesus!

Today we?re going to examine the second characteristic of religion and religious people that Jesus exposed and disputed. In Jesus? day the religious leaders had what they thought was a great way of helping people to apply the commands of Scripture to every part of their daily lives. Through the years they verbally passed on extra “traditions” or teaching from generation to generation that accompanied or expanded upon the written Torah (the Law). Taken all together, these teachings were called the “Tradition of the Elders,” or the “Oral Torah”. They were considered a “fence” around the law. It was based on the idea that it?s “better to be safe than sorry” and so these fences of tradition were designed to keep people conservative, conventional, conformist, and supposedly, far away from sin. The thinking was that in order to break a law and thereby fall into sin, a person would first have to intentionally hop the fence of tradition.

Folks, if Jesus was willing to break the rules of the Bible (as we examined last week) to make His point, He was even more merciless with these inherited religious tradition. As Bruxy Cavey says,

“Fences are fine for cattle, but sheep need a shepherd” (End to Religion by Bruxy Cavey, p. 52)

What Jesus disputed in the religion and religious leaders of His day was when Traditions and Customs are “Sacred Cows”.

As I explained in the first message in this series, a “sacred cow” is anything that becomes so important in religious tradition or custom that tampering with it is like taking a Bible and burning it. A common saying of religious people is, “This is the way it?s always been done ? so this is the way it?s always should be done!” With that in mind I?d like to pause for a moment to view a short video clip that gives a glimpse into this kind of thinking?

(show video clip ? “old man drama” [purchased from SermonSpice.com, video is by Icharus Productions])

I wonder what Jesus? might have to say to this guy? Well let?s take a moment and look what Jesus did say to the religious people of His day?

Mark 7:1-9 (NIV)

1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

Jesus and his disciples had opted out of something that was a very important religious tradition in first-century Judaism. When the religious leaders challenged Jesus and friends on their neglecting this ritual of washing hands, wanting everyone to conform to the norm, Jesus defended His position by going on the offensive:

“You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition” (Mark 7:9, NASB)

and,

“You ignore God? commands in order to follow your own teaching” (Mark 7:13, CEV)

Now, to those He was speaking to these statements would have been startling accusations. After all, the religious people believed that their traditions reflected God?s will!

Jesus made it absolutely clear in His ministry and in His various confrontations with religious tradition that tradition must take a back-seat to the Scripture it claims to be based on. He even goes one step further, Jesus believed that even the Scriptures themselves must submit to His own authoritative interpretation. So, Jesus considered himself, not religious tradition, the first and last word on how to interpret and apply the Bible.

Now friends, this doesn?t mean that traditions can never be helpful spiritual tools. An examination of the New Testament reveals that there are numerous occasions where it speaks positively of traditions?

1 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NIV)

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV)

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

At the same time however, the NT also contains strong cautions against religious tradition?

Matthew 15:1-20 (NIV)

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”

Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Why would Jesus and his earliest followers give religious traditions, at best, mixed reviews?

In the next few moments I want to share some of the dangers of tradition and how something that may be initially good can become something destructive. In the process, I?d like to provide some questions that you can ask to determine if a tradition or custom you follow has become a “sacred cow”.

Tradition can take a bridge and turn it into a wall.

Traditions can be useful in providing a bridge to a more intimate relationship with Jesus in various aspects of Christian life and service. They can also provide helpful markers for living a life that honors God. However, over a period of time those same traditions which once acted as bridges can turn into walls that not only hinder the Christian?s relationship with God but can even block and prevent others from even discovering the love of God!

I?d like to share an illustration from Bruxy Cavey that helps to explain how traditions begin and can evolve into something that is more harmful than good.

Let?s make a up a hypothetical biblical law. Let?s pretend that God clearly communicated through Scripture that, for reasons known only to him, it is wrong for his people to sit in red-coloured chairs. (Remember, this is a symbolic exercise ? I have it on good authority that God actually likes red chairs.)

So, God?s Torah says, “Thou shalt not sit in red chairs.” The role of spiritual leaders would be to communicate this teaching to each generation, and perhaps to suggest ways that this rule could best be maintained in their particular day and age. So the next generations of religious leaders make a suggestion: “God?s people should never be within ten feet of a red-coloured chair.” This “fence” is designed as a helpful tool to aid people in their desire to obey God?s law, but now an insidious process has begun.

The next generation inherits that new suggestion as a rule and tacks on their own “helpful” addition: “It is wrong for God?s people to even look at red chairs.” There that should help people deal with the problem of temptation. Further generations add: “God?s people must never be in the same room as a red chair” and “in the same house as a red chair” and so on. Eventually, most of the religious leader?s time is taken up debating whether or not it is spiritually lawful to shop at Ikea! A whole lineage of rules and regulations that God never intended thus evolves around this one topic: Sin avoidance has been systematized, righteousness has been mechanized, and little room is left for deviation and diversity. (The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey, p.53)

So what begins innocently as a “fence” intended to protect ends up dangerously as a “wall” keeping out. With religious people, over time certain behaviors become sacred, certain styles of music are sacred, certain ways of dressing become sacred, certain methods or ways of doing things becomes sacred. And religious people have a real problem with those who question or even (!gasp!) break that tradition or custom!

The question to ask when examining whether a tradition or custom is in danger of becoming a sacred cow and hence a wall rather than a bridge is, “Is following this tradition on par with obeying Scripture?” In other words has the tradition or custom been elevated to the authoritative place of scripture in your life. To get even more personal, “Would you take it personally if you encountered another Christian who broke that tradition or custom?” Answering yes to either of those questions should be a warning to you!

“It?s the way it?s always been done?and it?s they way it should be done!”


Tradition can supplant vibrant faith with lifeless ritual.

Even well-meaning traditions can sometimes discourage thoughtful faith. Although the people who initiated that tradition may have put great thought into its meaning, this doesn?t guarantee that future generations will engage these traditions with the same mental energy! In fact, the danger with tradition is that religious people often use it to do their thinking for them. In the end, traditions that are claimed as “Bible based” can begin to take over the place of Scripture in the lives of people who claim to follow the Bible. Even thought tradition is a useful tool or mechanism or bridge that we can use to pass on truth to future generations, often only the mechanism gets passed on.

Take for example the practice of devotions. I?ve heard it, and you?ve all heard about it, I?ve even preached and taught on the importance of having a devotional life. Devotions, meaning taking a certain period of time each day to read your Bible, pray, and praise God. Not only is this encouraged in our private lives but also in our family life as well. A tremendous tool for families to encourage this practice in their homes is to set a certain time where their children will get together with parents leading a family devotional. It?s a great tradition, and creates many bridge building opportunities to grow closer to God together as a family and for children to be introduced to the love God has for them. Let?s say however that to make things easier the parents decide they are going to stick to a particular devotional book and just rotate through the stories. Then to make things even easier because you know how children need routine why don?t we have a special nighttime prayer that we say together before bed? And of course, because Dad is the head of the household he should always be the last one to pray?well, why don?t we just have everybody pray in the same order so that there?s no fighting.

Now that this family has got everything down pat ? their tradition is established and becomes a routine that?s easy to follow! It?s great! We?re doing devotions together, right? Can you see the problem here though? This tradition has become little more than a mechanical routine in the life of this family?much like the routine of brushing teeth.

Jesus deplored the condition of religious people where tradition had become so rooted in peoples lives that they had forgotten what they were doing it for in the first place. Oh sure they had the right answer down pat but there was no thought behind their answer. Tradition can supplant vibrant faith with lifeless ritual if we?re not careful!

This is one of the greatest killers of a persons excitement when they are first born-again into the family of God. Have you ever witnessed that? The joy and passion of a new believer is truly exciting to behold but then something tends to happen over a period of 10-20 years that somehow dampens and even kills that energy. There are many reasons for this but chief among them is the curse of religious tradition. The Christian church today is full of it. Even in preparing this message there were examples that came to mind in my own life that I realized Jesus isn?t too happy with!

Here?s another question you can ask that will reveal any tradition in your life that is a sacred cow, “Does this tradition leave you energized or drained?” Another insightful question would be, “Is this tradition just something you do, or does it adds meaning to what you do?” If this tradition or custom is just something you do then it has become so mechanical and routine that it will drain your faith of any vibrancy it had. Whereas, if the tradition or custom adds meaning to what you do (in other words it is infused with purpose beyond routine) then it is something that will energize your faith.

Friends, Jesus teaches that there is nothing wrong with breaking tradition when it has become routine!


Tradition can blind you to the truth.

Few people feel as spiritually safe as religious traditionalists do. I mean they?ve taken care to weave serving the Almighty into the pattern of their lives ? how could God ever be displeased with them? The problem is that the serving is by habit rather than be discerning choice. This causes blind spots for religious people that affects even the reading of God?s word. Understanding of scripture gets filtered through traditions and routines and leads to conclusions that inevitably reaffirm those same traditions and routines.

More than once you can read about Jesus calling the religious leaders “blind guides” (Matthew 15:15, 23:16,24). These blind spots can make it easy for hypocrisy to take root, which was Jesus? main grievance against religious leaders (see Matthew 23:28; Luke 12:1).

A common example of this we see in the church today is the tradition of Sunday Morning services. Yep, you?ve heard me right folks. Sunday morning services are a tradition. You know I tried to find it in scripture but unfortunately there just isn?t any place where Christians are told to spend an hour together every Sunday morning. Interesting, and yet its so entrenched in the practice of the western church that to even suggest canceling a Sunday morning service would meet with an uproar! Now I?m not using this as an example because I want to cancel church next Sunday hehe ? but to make a point. For some religious people, their strict attendance to services on Sunday convinces them that they are spiritual. Yet, their conduct throughout the week is a mockery of Christ?s name. I want to share with you a little story that I?ve received from numerous sources in this past week ? I don?t know if it?s true or not but I could definitely see it happening!

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard.

Suddenly, just in front of him the light turned yellow.

He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have

beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as

she missed her chance to get through the intersection.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up

into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to

the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed and

placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the

door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer

was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your

car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you,

and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate

holder, the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to

Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem

on the trunk. I assumed you had stolen the car.” (source unknown, received in various emails and by word of mouth)

Another question that you can ask that will reveal traditions or customs in your life that have become sacred cows is, “Do you measure your worth to God by how well you follow those traditions or customs?” If you find yourself saying things like, “I read my Bible, I pray, I attend church ? so I?m spiritual” then be careful. I want you to hear something important. Our value to God is not based on what we do but who we are! I treasure my children not because I get money from the government every month to subsidize their care, or because they give me hugs and kisses when I come home from work, or when they obey something I?ve told them to do, or when they are sleeping peacefully. Don?t get me wrong. I like all that. But I treasure Zachary, Liam, Jenna, and Karissa because they are my children! They are a part of my family! Our value to God is measured by the depth of our relationship with him not the amount of our works for Him. Now, it?s still important to Him what we do ? but not as important as who we are in Him. This is an incredible truth because when you truly understand this the things we do are motivated out of our relationship to the Father rather than a feeling of obligation.

CONCLUSION

What are the implications of Jesus revolt against tradition?

The diversity of form in Christianity.

As Bruxy Cavey puts it, “The great freedom and frustration of Christ-following is that the forms of this faith are open to diversity” (p. 55, The End of Religion). We have to be careful that tradition and customs don?t end up doing the thinking for us otherwise we may slowly evolve into something quit unlike what Jesus intended. An evolution that has sadly already occurred in many cases already.

There is room for incredible diversity in music, in acts of service, in ways to meet together, and evangelism in our relationship with God and in His work by His spirit through us! When tradition becomes a sacred cow we lose the richness of diversity that Christ encourages.

Tradition helps communicate the message but should never become the message!

When traditions or customs are sacred cows they become the focus rather than the reason for those traditions and customs in the first place. As I?ve already said, traditions can be helpful in providing bridges through which to be introduced too and live out the life Christ has for us ? but without care they can degenerate into walls that prevent that life from flourishing. One example of this implication is on the way we approach reaching our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ today. Let?s face it, there may be tremendous sentimental value and memory associated with some of the traditional approaches of evangelism that has been practiced by the church in previous years but holding to those methods simply because that?s the way it?s always been done communicates a far different message than the one you may think is being shared?

It?s important to be vigilant in evaluating tradition against God?s word.

?and not only that ? but whether it has become God?s word in our lives (a dangerous place indeed)! This of course is the most important implication. I believe very strongly in sticking closely to what the Bible teaches ? not to be an oppressive legalist, but to avoid oppressive legalism, which is usually the result of human tradition being added to the Bible and passed off as Scriptural teaching. The original teachings of Jesus are completely freeing ? why would anyone want to deviate from that?


John 8:31-32 (NIV)

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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Breaking the Rules

Sunday, March 12th, 2006
This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

INTRODUCTION

Today I?m continuing the series that I began last week entitled, “Revolt against Religion”. You may remember the warning I began with last week that I believe some of the things I say may cause some people to raise their eyebrows and wonder where I?m going with this. I hope if there is anything I say that raises questions in your mind that at the very least you?ll investigate it for yourself. Like I said last week, I don?t want you to be passive listeners.

Last week some of you may remember the challenge I gave you to ask a few people you know the simple question, “What?s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, ?Religion?”. Bobbi-Jo took me up on this challenge and posted the question on her website. At the time of writing this message there were 23 comments posted in reply ? here?s a sampling of some of the responses,

  • “conforming or stifling”
  • “The first word I thought of is ?bondage?”
  • “organized belief”
  • “Formalities, rituals”
  • “The word religion holds many negative conotations for me. I much prefer the word Christianity. Religion, speaks to me of organized religion, and a lot of death, judgement, and condemnation. There are a lot of different religions, Satanism is a religion. This word isn’t one of my favs.”
  • “To me religion is a set of beliefs and ideas that shape persons, and groups of persons with common ideals, goals, and traditions.”
  • “Government. That’s the word that came to my mind. For me, religion, like government, has this wonderful concept that can exist behind it, this guiding force that aids us in living together, working towards common goals, etc. Unfortunately, like government, it mostly gets caught up in worrying about its cogs and doings and internal organization and loses that esoteric grant quality that make it a word with good connotations and not a bad one.”

(quotes taken from “bobbi?s world” ? (http://spaces.msn.com/newbeginnings1976/))

A couple of the responses I received from people that I asked the question to were:


  • “Personally i feel religion is too much pomp and ceremony obstructing our true connection with our creator”
  • “Well when the word “religion” is said, I think Catholic, Christian, and all the other different types of beliefs”

For most people the word religion has a negative meaning and is something people would rather not get involved in. Is it no wonder then, when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus in the Bible, you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion? In scripture, we see Jesus offering people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality ? a way of living that God originally intended for us to know.

Today, we?re going to take a look at the first characteristic of Religion that Jesus revolted against. Jesus had much to say too the Jewish religious people and the religion in his day that revolved around rules, regulations, and routine providing the way to connect with God. What Jesus came against was the idea that being righteous is more important than being right.

Does that mean that righteousness is not important to God? Of course not! But for religion and religious people ? righteousness is about what you do ? with God, righteousness is about who you are. For religion and religious people you are righteous when you do righteous things (follow rules and regulations) ? with God you do righteous or right things when you are righteous. I?m going to talk more about this important distinction in the process of sharing this message.

When you read about Jesus ? you discover that in order to make a point He broke a few rules! Jesus set out to deconstruct the rule-based system of the religion of His day so that He could reintroduce people to what was really important. Before he could build a new understanding, he first needed to tear down the old-law based construction. So Jesus lived in such a way as to offend anyone who put their faith in religious rules. Here?s some examples:

  • Even though the Old Testament contains many dietary rules about what constitutes kosher food and what does not (see Leviticus 11), Jesus declared all foods clean!


Mark 7:18-19 (NIV)
18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

  • Even though Moses had commanded very clear procedures concerning divorce and remarriage (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus said God meant those to be temporary guidelines and that he came to offer a better way.


Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV)
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 19:8-9 (NIV)
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

  • Even though carrying personal belongings around on the Sabbath was clearly forbidden by the Old Testament Scriptures (Exodus 20:9-11; Jeremiah 17:21-22,27), when Jesus healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, he specifically commanded him to pick up his mat and walk (John 5:8-9). To add insult to injury, Jesus later referred to his healing as “working” on the Sabbath, apparently for no other reason than to shock the interrogating religious leaders into deeper thought.


John 5:16-17 (NIV)
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

  • Even though the Old Testament contains many rules about how to avoid people with skin diseases (see Leviticus 13-14), Jesus healed lepers ? with a touch (Matthew 8:3)

(see page 47-48 in The End of Religion, by Bruxy Cavey for these observations)

In his ministry, Jesus called people to a rule-free spirituality, which is very difficult for religious people to fathom. Now that I?ve made that statement, some might quickly jump to the conclusion that Jesus is teaching that we need to “do-away” with rules, and regulations all together. However, something that Jesus said contradicts that line of thinking?

Matthew 5:17-20 (NLT)
Don?t misunderstand why I have come, I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God?s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So, if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God?s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you ? unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

There are a couple important statements that Jesus makes in this short passage that I think are crucial to understand when we consider Jesus? revolution against the “Laws of Religion”.

1. Jesus fulfills the purpose of the Old Testament.

In Jesus? day, using the phrase, “Law of Moses and writings of the prophets” was a simple reference to the scriptures that we now know as much of the Old Testament. In this particular instance, Jesus? is drawing attention to the rules, regulations, routines, customs otherwise known as “God?s Law” that we can read about throughout the Old Testament. Jesus was clear that his mission didn?t involve tossing away any of the Laws that God gave Moses or the inspired writings of the prophets but instead accomplishes their purpose.

The Greek word that is translated in the NLT using the phrase, “accomplish their purpose” is also translated as “to fulfill”, or “to realize”. What Jesus is saying, then, is that there is something in His life and mission that somehow fulfills or completes the planned purpose behind the giving of Law. So there is some purpose to the rules and regulations God gave Moses ? the question then is, what is that purpose? And how did Jesus accomplish that purpose or fulfill it? Notice he goes on further to say that not even the smallest detail of God?s law will disappear until that purpose is achieved or accomplished.

So what is the purpose of the Rules and Regulations God gave the Israelite people through Moses?

The Apostle Paul acknowledged this same question in Galatians 3:19,


Galatians 3:19 (NIV)
19 What, then, was the purpose of the law?

Galatians 3:19 (NIV)
19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.

He continues with the answer,

Galatians 3:19 (NLT)
?It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.

So God gave the law as a means of showing people the markers, or boundary posts of what was right and what was wrong. It showed people how they sin in their relationship with God and in their relationships with others. It?s singular purpose is to show how sinful people really are. It?s like coming across a bench with a sign on it that says, “Wet Paint ? Do not touch”. What?s the first instinct you have when you see that sign? “Ah, let?s just see if it?s really wet?!” Rules and regulations provide a means of showing what?s right and what?s wrong ? but they also reveal the need to have them in the first place. Because of sin.

It?s important to note that God?s giving of the Law in history was but a part of His wonderful plan to bring people to the place of a intimate relationship with him as friends ? the kind of relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before the fall.

When you look at the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, the absence of religious rituals and routines in their story is key to understanding the rest of the Bible. We are told that in the beginning God created us for intimate relationship with himself and with each other (Genesis 2:18-25). Together, people and God lived in deep connection, co-creating new life (Genesis 1:26-27) and tending creation (Genesis 2:15). It was a normal and regular natural occurrence for God to manifest his presence in non-threatening, human-like ways, since humankind reflected his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 3:8). God and people, Creator and creation, walking and talking together throughout creation, living life in intimate partnership and friendship! This was the life that God intended for humankind.

If it?s true that a world without religion was God?s original design, then it is also true that a world without religion is God?s final goal for us. The biblical perspective teaches us that salvation is not ultimately about going to heaven as a disembodied spirit, but about the renewal of all creation to what it should have been in the first place (see Isaiah 11:1-9; 55:1-13; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Peter 3:13). The Bible teaches that it?s God?s desire for us to return to experiencing a face-to-face intimacy with himself,


1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

The Law that God gave Israel for a period of time (as recorded in the Old Testament) was necessary because people had become too self-centred, too ego driven, too relationally stunted to live in healthy relationships with God and each other apart from the explicit direction of rules, rituals, and routines. So rule-based living had a role to play for a time in the history of the human race. God chose the Israelite people to be the models, or the examples, through which the rest of the world could understand the nature of sin and how distant it makes us from God.

But, as Paul writes, “the Law was only designed until the coming of the child who was promised” (Gal 3:19 NLT). Who is this child? Jesus. What?s so important about this child? He?s the one who was promised way back before the Law was given as the one through whom all the peoples of the world could be blessed. And the blessing? The doing away of sin.

So how does Jesus fulfill, or complete the Law then? And the answer is simply, the law exposes sin ? Jesus deals the death blow to sin. How does Jesus do this? By bringing back into focus the whole plan of God right from the beginning ? through relationship. Why did Jesus die on the cross? Well there have been plenty of legal arguments and wonderful theological treatises and even whole books written on the necessity of Jesus paying a ransom for our sins because sin results in death and so Jesus takes our place and upon Him all the sin of the world was placed so that we could be set free from the penalty of sin. Now all that is true, and is important to understand ? but folks, that isn?t why Jesus died on the cross! Jesus died because of love! Love led him to the cross ? God?s plan for relationship with His creation is a plan rooted in love and carried out in love.

In His ministry Jesus addressed the sad progression in Israel?s relationship with God from one based in love to one based on religion (i.e. Laws, rules regulations). In other words the way in which the people related to God and even to each other became an external form.

In the last statement in Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus draws attention to this supposed righteousness the religious people thought they had by following God?s laws and rules and regulations to the letter and takes it one step further. He says,

Matthew 5:20 (NIV)
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

2. The righteousness that God is looking for is outward actions motivated by inward change.

To Jesus hearers, what he has just presented them creates quite a predicament! The Pharisees and religious teacher of the law were strict adherents to every little tit and tat that the law required. They were the “holy” people ? if anyone was righteous ? it was them. And yet, Jesus is saying that unless you have a greater righteousness then them you?ll never see the inside of the kingdom of heaven. Ouch!

At first it seems Jesus is presenting an impossible proposition. Certainly if He left it there and walked away ? then there?s no hope. But here?s the key ? Jesus is emphasizing the fallacy of thinking that it is impossible for one to completely obey every single rule and regulation in the law of God. Certainly, God requires obedience BUT the purpose of the law remember, is to show we can?t obey because of sin.

Then in the next few lessons that Matthew records for us, Jesus shares with the people the kind of righteousness he?s talking about. It is a righteousness marked by something in our inner character.

When he talks about hurting people ? the law says you must not murder. Jesus takes this one step further and says if you are even angry with someone you are subject to judgment.

When he talks about adultery ? the law says, you must not sleep with someone other than your spouse. Jesus takes this one step further and says if you even look at another person with lust then you?ve already committed adultery!

The examples Jesus gives illustrate that our outward actions are important – but if they are not motivated by inward good character ? then the outward actions are meaningless. In other words, it is in our heart that our real allegiance lies.

The problem with religion in it?s focus on rules, regulations and routines is not the laws, but the dependence on outward acts of righteousness absent of inward character. This is what was Jesus was against!

In the middle of His Sermon on the Mount, portions of which we?ve already heard from. Jesus says these important words,

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Whoa! This emphasis on other-focused action has been called “The Golden Rule,” and it sits as the epicenter of Jesus? teaching on faith, religion, and ethics. It however, is more than a rule ? it is more of a transcendent principle, a guiding orientation, a directing ethic that is transferable to all situations.

Jesus, as demonstrated in the Bible, lived by a simple philosophy: if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. Love, embraced as a principle of other-centredness, will always lead us to do the right thing. It is love then, that is the inward agent of change affecting what we do outwardly.

This is why, when Jesus was asked by a religious leader what the greatest commandment in God?s law was, Jesus replied,

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In other words, if you love God and you love your neighbour ? then the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationship with others!

Simply remove rules and you are left with anarchy. Transcend rules with love, and you are beginning to live like Jesus.

Bruxy Cavey shared a personal experience of trying to explain this concept to his daughters while reading a bedtime Bible story. They were quite puzzled by the fact that Jesus, the “hero” of the story, was the one breaking all the rules and getting into so much trouble. He found a way to explain to them that love must always overcome law. He says, the lights came on when He gave them this example. In his words, he said to them,

“Suppose you got a wonderful new dress for an upcoming wedding,” I started. “Because you liked it so much, you asked if you could wear it to school the next day, rather than waiting until the weekend wedding. What if I told you that you could wear your new dress to school if you wanted to, but only if you obeyed this simple rule: you must not get the dress dirty. This would mean that you would have to sit out from playing any sports at recess and would have to be extra careful in class. Would that be a fair rule?” They agreed it would be. “Then what if you set out for school the next day with your new dress on, only to come across a friend who had fallen off her bike and landed in a muddy ditch. What if your friend was hurt and needed help. What should you do?” It didn?t take my daughters long to express the right answer, the loving answer. “We should help her,” they said. I told them I was happy to hear that answer and completely agreed, but reminded them that in all likelihood, they would get their new dress completely dirty. “That doesn?t matter as much,” they said. “Helping our friend is more important.”

“Are you sure?” I pushed. “What about the rule? What do you think my reaction would be if you came home all dirty from head to toe?”

“You would be proud of us for doing the right thing,” they answered. And they were right. They got it. It was one of those moments parents lived for. (The End of Religion, p. 49 by Bruxy Cavey)

The point is this: religion and religious people focus so much on obeying the rules that they forget to put love first. Jesus called his followers to live by a higher standard, the way of love instead of the way of law.

CONCLUSION

So what are the implications of this?

1. If life has any meaning, it won?t be found through religion but through relationship.

We were not made to live religious lives. We were made for intimate friendship with God and for relating in community with others. Friends, healthy friendships don?t need contracts and rule lists to govern the relationship. Mutual respect and love govern well enough. As long as both people are oriented toward one another in other-centered love, the relationship will develop naturally without either person having to become a systems manager.

For example, when I married Kerryanne, we made promises to each other to love, honour and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. Because we were oriented towards each other, we did not have to craft a contract with detailed rules about what that loving relationship would look like. Rules such as, “If one party of the marriage is going to be later getting home from their place of work or other persons house then he or she must phone the other party within a reasonable amount of time.” And yet, if I?m going to be later getting home from work, I would know to call Kerryanne, simply because it is the other-centred thing to do. Our relational connection is toward one another.

This is different from something like a business contract in which each party is essentially oriented away from the other, since personal gain is usually the main motivation in such agreements. In business, you need the fine print. In marriage the fine print will kill the relationship. Understanding the difference is crucial.

Folks, when there is love, it transcends the need for law because,

Romans 13:10 (NIV)
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

2. Rule-based relationships encourage minimum morality.

A classic example of this kind of thinking is experienced every time you drive a vehicle on a highway. I drive a little bit over 80km/h on the highway connecting Hanover and Owen Sound when I travel to visit my family because 80km/h is the speed limit. Funny, even though it is the speed limit, I still exceed it! However, I only exceed it by what I believe I can get away with. In the back of my mind is always the question, “How fast can I really go and still be ignored by the police?” or if Kerryanne is in the passenger seat, “How fast can I really go and not be yelled at!” But do you catch what I?m saying? Rather than loving other drivers (or my wife) by travelling at a safe and courteous speed, the rule of the law becomes the focus of my attention.

Also notice that the focus of my interaction with the law is how far over the speed limit I can reasonably get away with, not how far under. The fascinating truth is that humans tend to react to law by questioning how far beyond it they can safely get. Law can, ironically, become a form of increased temptation (Paul points this out in Romans 7). It?s almost like the law is acting like a childhood dare.

3. In truly loving relationships, law is always second best.

We need law to govern our societies because people do not automatically love as they should. Through God?s law we learn that sin cripples us and keeps us from loving God as we should.

4. In this loving relationship with Christ we learn righteousness?

  1. Comes from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves
  2. Results in us being God and other centered, not self-centered
  3. Is based on reverence for God, not approval from people.
  4. Goes beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.

Why? Because our inner being is transformed by the love of God for us in Jesus Christ, and the love we have for Him.

On one occasion, some spiritual seekers came to Jesus to ask him what “work” God would require them to do. No doubt, their religious background prepared them to receive a response that included a variety of detailed duties: pray this much, read that much, give this much, take that pilgrimage, avoid those things, do these things, and so on. His advice, however, was almost to simple for them to grasp:

John 6:28-29 (NIV)
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus is essentially saying, “Trust me, get to know me!” They expected rules. He offered relationship. And that?s what Jesus offers every single one of us.

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Subversive Spirituality

Sunday, March 5th, 2006
This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

INTRODUCTION

I?ve got to warn you – today I?m beginning a series that may raise the eyebrows of some people. There are some things I?ll say that may leave some of you wondering just where I?m going with this. You may even question the accuracy of what I share with you. Some of you may even say, “Hang on a minute, is that really true?” or “Is that right?” and then pull out your Bibles and check it out ? or even discuss it with others after the service ? through the week. I hope you do! In fact, I invite you to listen carefully to what I say in the messages of this series and check what I speak against scripture. Pray about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. If I say anything that you believe is wrong or not scriptural then please come and tell me. I can?t promise you I?ll agree with you but if there is error in what I say I will apologize and stand corrected.

Friends, the reason why I preface this message series I?m embarking on with those statements is because I don?t want you to be passive listeners. Some of the things I?m going to share with you may alarm some of you ? others may say Amen. But whatever the initial reaction – I?ve prayed, am praying, and will continue to pray that you will investigate for yourself what is being shared.

In this series I hope to introduce you to Jesus Christ in a way that many of you may never have been introduced before. Jesus can be described in many ways, but the way I?d like to emphasize this morning is that He was irreligious. I?ve titled this series, “Revolt against Religion” because I believe that when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus with the Bible as our primary source you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion. What we see recorded in the pages of scripture are Jesus offering people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality. It is a way of living that he was willing to die for, and through His death opened the door for every single one of us to experience life the way God originally intended for us to know.

Today, I?m going to begin this series by looking at the first miracle that Jesus did in His ministry on Earth and then introduce you to the religion that Jesus revolts against which we?ll look at in more detail in the future messages of this series.
Now this miracle that Jesus accomplished is actually a miracle you don?t hear preached on too often because in itself it?s rather scandalous. Some Christians are actually uncomfortable with the fact that Jesus was involved! It?s the miracle where Jesus turned water into wine. It?s interesting how Jesus used His power not only to heal but also to encourage the celebration of life. Now I?m not going to wade into the minefield of talking about whether Jesus turned the water into grape juice or into a fermented drink, which is usually the reason most people avoid talking about this miracle! Honestly, I believe it?s really irrelevant to the point Jesus was making here. As I read this story to you there is one small detail that is a keyhole through which we can peer into a larger reality. Try looking beyond the wine ? and see if you can spot the scandal.

John 2:1-11 (NIV)
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Talk about a wedding gift! Six huge jars full of the best wine going! John records that each jar could hold between 20 and 30 gallons. This makes for a grand total of between 120 and 180 gallons of wine, which would fill over 2,000 four-ounce glasses. Now that?s a lot of party juice don?t you think? What a way to begin doing miracles! But that is just the beginning. The New Testament is written in Greek and when you look at the original text, the phrase miraculous signs in verse eleven conveys the idea that this is a pointer toward the true nature of Jesus? message and mission. It was a “sign” the first of many to come ? regarding what Jesus was doing here on Earth. Hence, this miracle was not just about providing refreshment for thirsty guests. There is more going on here.

If you look closely at this miracle you?ll discover a clue that could potentially alter the way you think about Jesus. Let?s look closer at verse six. John tells us that Jesus did not use ordinary wine jars. He directed the servants to use the sacred containers set aside for a religious ritual. A little investigation reveals that one of the traditions of some religious groups of that day (especially those of an influential group called the Pharisees) was regular ritual hand cleansing. They would dip their hands in sacred water as a way of symbolizing a desire to remain pure from the sin of the world.

Here?s a question though, why would Jesus use these sacred stone jars for the water-turned-wine? Surely there were other containers available that could have held the fun-juice? If they had just run out of wine at this party, there would have obviously been plenty of “empties” around to hold the miracle liquid. Wine jars, wine jugs, wine bottles, wine kegs, wineskins ? whatever they had been using were sitting right there, empty, and waiting to be filled. So why use the stone jars? Why the sacred icons of religious tradition? Why intentionally do something so potentially offensive?

There?s only one resolution to this and that is that through his first miracle, Jesus intentionally desecrated a religious icon! He chose those stone jars with purpose ? to challenge the religious system by converting them from icons of personal purification into symbols of relational celebration! Bruxey Cavey in his book, The End of Religion says, “Jesus takes us from holy water to wedding wine. From legalism to life. From religion to relationship.” (p. 20)

This story is just the tip of the iceberg ? when you take a close look at the activity and teachings of Jesus you discover that he stood opposed to religion and religious systems and promoted something that transcends all that. In this series we?re going to uncover some prime examples of this in Jesus? ministry ? today I?d like you to consider why someone might think religion is worth revolting against.

what is religion?

There is a distinct difference between religion and spirituality. Religion is understood by most people to refer to established systems of belief about “ultimate reality” and the institutions that protect and maintain them. Essentially religion is a reliance on systems or institutions as our conduit to God. Religion offers salvation through a system of rules, regulations, rituals, and routines.

Jesus, as described in God?s Word, never used the word religion to refer to what he came to establish, nor did he invite people to join a particular institution or organization. When he spoke of the Church, he was talking about the people who gather in his name, not the structure they meet in or the organization they belong to.

Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

When Jesus talked about connecting with God, he consistently spoke not of religion but of “faith”.


Luke 7:50 (NIV) [Jesus was just anointed with expensive perfume by a sinful woman]
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus never commanded his followers to embrace detailed creeds or codes of conduct, and he never instructed his followers to participate in exhaustive religious rituals. In fact, as we will see in this series, his life?s work was about undoing the knots that bound people to ritual and empty tradition!

There is a very important difference between relating to God through systems of doctrines, codes of conduct, inherited traditions, and institutions of power ? and relating to God directly, spirit to spirit, mind to mind, heart to heart. Jesus taught this distinction, lived this message, and was killed because of its implications.

Friends its saddening as I look at the variety of ways his teaching and example have been codified, conceptualized, and institutionalized by a religion that bears his name but all too often misses his message. I?m convinced that rightly understood and fully embraced, the message of Jesus can transform our lives in a way no religion ever could!

Earlier I made the claim that Jesus? offensive actions of turning water into wine were the tip of an irreligious iceberg. In this message series we?re going to dive beneath the surface to see just how deep the scandal goes. I hope that in the process I can help you see how the actions of Jesus reveal the irreligious heart of God. For the next few moments I want to give you an appreciation of the socio-religious context in which Jesus lived and taught. The religious people of first century Israel considered various external characteristics of their faith to be central to their spiritual lives. These “badges of identity” can be divided into four different categories, all of which Jesus challenged in some way. In the midst of sharing this I?m also going to draw from them the transferable characteristic that applies to all religious people which Jesus revolted against as well. Today I?m just going to briefly introduce these characteristics and then in each message of the series we?ll look at them in more detail.

Now I want to clarify something important. Read the New Testament and you will see that Jesus was very hard on the religious leaders of His day. He often condemned them for hypocrisy, blindness, and hard-heartedness. Because they were leaders of the Jewish religion, some ignorant people have concluded that Jesus or the New Testament authors are somehow Anti-Jewish or anti-Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Jesus of the Bible is no more anti-Jewish than was Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, or any of the Old Testament prophets who criticized Israel for missing the mark in their day. Jesus? challenge to his contemporary Jewish leaders represents a critique from within. It was a “in house” confrontation, motivated by love. His harsh words against Jerusalem, the Temple, or religious leaders were not motivated by any anti-Jewish sentiments but exactly the opposite. Jesus criticized the Jewish religious leaders because they were religious, not because they were Jewish.

TORAH
The Law of Moses was to be obeyed down to the letter, including all the dietary laws and Sabbath regulations.

1. Being “righteous” is more important than being “right”.

What I mean by this is a religious person is more concerned with external acts and “appearance” of righteousness than they are with their understanding of why they do it to begin with. A religious person is constantly absorbed with following and holding to a particular legal system of rules and regulations that is to be obeyed down to the letter at the expense of understanding the heart of God in His relationship with them.

A classic example of this religious characteristic is found in Matthew 12:9-15,

Matthew 12:9-15 (NIV)
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. 15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,

In their zeal to obey God?s command of keeping the Sabbath Day holy the Religious people of Jesus? day were very strict on the righteous way to behave on the Lord?s day. Their strict observance to their religious laws became so limiting that even helping a person on the Sabbath became a no-no! What Jesus pointed out to them by his actions there is an overarching guiding principle to every law that God gave Moses and that is love. It was not a sin to heal a man on the Sabbath because it was in keeping with God?s heart in loving our neighbor. The religious people were so intent on being “righteous” that they neglected to do that which was right!

TRADITION
For the religious people of Jesus? day, keeping the “Tradition of the Elders,” handed down from their ancestors, was on par with obedience to Scripture.

2. Traditions and customs are “Sacred Cows”

What is a sacred cow? A sacred cow is anything that becomes some important in religious tradition or custom that tampering with it is like taking a Bible and burning it. A common saying of religious people is, “This is the way it?s always been done ? so this is they way it?s always going to be done!” With religious people certain behaviors become sacred, certain styles of music are sacred, certain ways of dressing are sacred, certain methods or ways of doing things becomes sacred. And religious people have a real problem with those who question or even (!gasp!) break that tradition or custom! The reason why it?s a problem is because religious people associate the tradition or custom with the will of God. To go against that tradition or custom would result in standing outside of God?s will.

An example of Jesus? revolt against religious tradition can be found in Mark 7,

Mark 7:1-9 (NIV)
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

TRIBALISM
Ethnic, national, and cultural purity were bound together with religious identity.

3. Religious people belong to an exclusive “club”

An “outsider” would feel extremely uncomfortable in a group of religious people. The mindset of the religious is that by their adherence to a particular system of rules, regulations, rituals, and routines that they?ve got a handle on the way to connect with God. This carries over into the very idea that a person might be more spiritual or have more value to God.

Jesus message of God?s love was radically inclusive in a world where religions were anything but. The religious leaders in His day had become rather exclusive in their understanding of God?s blessing in their lives. Unless you were an Israelite, born a Israelite, lived as a Israelite it is very difficult for you to “belong” to God?s family. As “King of the Jews”, Jesus invited his own people to give up their claims of exclusivity and to join him in ushering in the universal sisterhood and brotherhood that faith in Him can bring.

The Apostle Paul described the inclusive reality of the Kingdom this way.

Galatians 3:28-29 (NIV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And also,

Colossians 3:11 (NIV)
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

In Christ?s Kingdom, ethnicity, social status, or gender identity are no longer important categories of distinction. Instead, all members of this Kingdom are unified as one family, with God as our shared Father and Abraham as our shared ancestor.

Think for a moment about the human hostilities in the world today that are the offspring of racial revulsion, economic oppression, or gender discrimination. Often the root of this is the practice of religion!

TERRITORY AND TEMPLE

The Jewish religious leaders had a theology of holy geography, with certain land, cities, and places being more sacred than others. This theology made war against those who invaded this land an expected religious duty. Regarding the temple, God was though to dwell in one holy location, in a unique way, where worshippers could offer sacrifices and receive forgiveness.

4. For the religious person, the “Holy of Holies” still exists.

When it comes to location and spaces ? the religious person makes a strong distinction between the sacred and the profane, the holy and the mundane. The religious person identifies and marks out different spheres of life where God is or isn?t. An example of this kind of thinking today is the emphasis on the church building where we go to worship God. In the church building we have the sanctuary which is a special sacred space where we meet God. Hmm?I wonder what Jesus would say about many of the sacred monuments that have been built by religious people?

Jesus taught his followers to expect his own continuing presence to dwell, not within special buildings called “churches”, but within their relationships. He said that wherever two or three people gather together in His name He would be there with them (Matthew 18:20). When you read Matthew 25:31-46 you discover Jesus saying essentially, “If you want to get close to me, get close to the people I love”!

CONCLUSION

So, for the next few weeks we?re going to look at the revolution Jesus initiated against these 4 characteristics of religion and the implications it has for us today. It?s interesting that Jesus spoke about religion as though it were a burden that weighs people down and a master that enslaves. Listen carefully to what I?m about to say, When any system of salvation or organization of belief becomes our conduit to God, it is not a large step for that system to become our God! The system itself can easily begin to demand ultimate allegiance, and in the end, something that was meant to be helpful to humanity becomes a heavy burden, demanding ever increasing loyalty and service. Religion quickly becomes an endless obstacle course of demands rather than the source of freedom.

Jesus taught that religion is a weight from under which humanity needs to be free. When speaking about the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said,

Matthew 23:4 (NIV)
4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

The problem of religion, according to Christ, is that it can point out what is wrong with us without freeing us from those very problems. It can direct us to where we need to go, but it doesn?t really help us get there. It gives us an apparently high standard but not the power to live up to that standard. There are rules to force our steps, is guilt to keep us in line, and are rituals to remind us of our failure to live up to those rules. Religion really adds more weight to those who are already burdened with life?s hardships.

As a contrast, listen to the words of Jesus. He offered (and continues to offer) Himself as an alternative to the way of religion. If you have experienced the burden of religion in your life, felt pushed down by its cumbersome demands, then I invite you to not only read these words of Jesus ? but let them sink down into your life ? take them as a personal invitation!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Although Jesus did offer rest, please notice that he said “take my yoke on you” not “take my couch under you.” He offers rest, but it is active, constructive rest. Yokes are farming implements, put on the necks of animals so they can pull a plough or wagon. By using a yoke then, Jesus makes it a symbol of purposeful work and cooperative labor. A yoke often unites two working animals together in working together cooperatively. Jesus promised that there is work involved if we want to learn from him and grow spiritually, but it is the kind of creative, purposeful , and partnering labour that is more of a release than a responsibility.

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