East Frankfort Baptist Church Pastor's Blog: religion

Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

Monday, March 20, 2017

March 19, 2017 | Mark 7:1-13: Here Comes Trouble: Why Hypocrisy is Both a Religious and Heart Issue, Part 1

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Mark 7:1-13.

The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, ²and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. ³(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; ⁴and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) ⁵The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” ⁶And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
⁷‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’

⁸Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. ¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; ¹¹but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ ¹²you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; ¹³thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

Audio
Notes

For more:
January 10, 2016 | Mark 1:1-15: Jesus is the Gospel, Stupid
January 17, 2016 | Mark 1:16-20: The Correlation Between Repentance and Obedience, or, If Jesus Jumped Off a Bridge Would You Follow?
January 17, 2016 | Malachi 3:13-4:6: Is it Vanity to Worship God?
January 24, 2016 | Mark 1:21-28 - This Means War!
January 31, 2016 | Mark 1:29-45: Rusted and Weathered
February 7, 2016 | Mark 2:1-12
February 14, 2016 | Mark 2:13-17: God Helps Those Who Cannot Help Themselves
February 21, 2016 | Mark 2:18-22
February 28, 2016 | Mark 2:23-28
March 6, 2016 | Mark 3:1-6
March 13, 2016 | Mark 3:7-19 - How to Change the World
March 20, 2016 | Mark 3:20-35
January 1, 2017 | Mark 4:1-20: The Parable of the Soils, Part 1
January 1, 2017 | Mark 4:1-20: The Parable of the Soils, Part 2
January 15, 2-17 | Mark 4:21-25 - Hide It Under a Bushel?: The Beauty and Blessing of Taking the Gospel Seriously
January 15, 2017 | John 9
January 22, 2017 | Mark 4:26-34: The Kingdom of God is Coming. Wait For It Y'all
January 29, 2017 | Mark 4:35-41: We Have Nothing to Fear But God Himself
January 29, 2017 | Jonah: God Pursues
February 5 2017 | Mark 5:1-20: What Can Wash Away My Stains?
February 5, 2017 | On Spiritual Warfare, Part 1
February 12, 2017 | Mark 5:21-43
February 19, 2017 | Mark 6:1-6: The Nazarene School of Rejection
February 19, 2017 | On Spiritual Warfare, Part 2
February 26, 2017 | Mark 6:7-13: When Disciples Become Ambassadors
March 5, 2017 | Mark 6:14-32 - Something Worth Losing Your Head Over: Why Repentance is Truly Liberating
March 5, 2017 | Judges 13-16 - Samson: Let the Strong Say I Am Weak
March 12, 2017 | Mark 6:33-56 (unavailable)
March 12, 2017 | John 6:1-40: The Bread of Life
March 19, 2017 | Mark 7:1-13: Here Comes Trouble: Why Hypocrisy is Both a Religious and Heart Issue, Part 1

Monday, March 7, 2016

March 6, 2016 | Mark 3:1-6

Here is the sermon from yesterday morning taken from Mark 3:1-6:

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. ²Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. ³Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

⁴Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

⁵He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. ⁶Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Monday, February 29, 2016

February 28, 2016 | Mark 2:23-28

Here is the sermon from yesterday morning taken from Mark 2:23-28.

²³And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ²⁵And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; ²⁶how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” ²⁷Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Sermon Notes: Religion vs. the Gospel

Though most, at least in my experience, in the pews assume thirty minutes is plenty of time to exhaust a topic or text of Scripture. The truth is, however, one could never fully exhaust the Word of God. That is a constant challenge for pastor's who will one day stand before God and be judged for how they handled His special revelation.

With that said, I want to occasionally either expand upon or pass along something that was said in a sermon or study. Sunday evening I sought to clearly differentiate between religion (or moralism or legalism or traditionalism) and the pure, saving gospel in our discussion of Philippians 3:1-11. One will make us twice the son of hell (Matthew 23:15) while the other will make us adopted sons of God.

Below is that list. Some points are expanded upon.

Religion is all about me. The gospel is all about Christ. Religion is all about resume enhancing for one's own benefit. Recall Jesus criticizing the Pharisees for praying to be seen. "They have their reward," he said. The gospel is consumed with Jesus - and only Jesus.
Religion is all about what I do. The gospel is all about what Christ has done. If all our works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) only a blind religious person would brag about what they've done. The gospel only boast in Christ.
Religion begins w/ my obedience & ends w/ God’s conditional love. The gospel begins w/ God’s unconditional love & bears the fruit of my obedience. Imagine if I told my little girl that I would love her – her daddy – only when she starts using the potty & I will keep loving her only if she keeps using the potty. Would that not be wicked?
Religion is all about your birth family. The gospel is all about new birth. This is why religious people want their kids to be moral so they don’t embarrass them in front of all of the other religious people.
Religions is about manipulating God for our own ends. The gospel is about receiving from God His Son for His glory. Religion – God make me happy, healthy, wealth, & successful. “Religion is a stick & God is a pinata.”*
In Religion, motivation is based on fear & insecurity. In the gospel, motivation is based on grateful joy. Religion says, "If you mess up, God will judge you." The gospel says, "If you mess up, God will hold you."
Religion doesn’t know what to do w/ suffering & pain. The gospel believes in “sanctified affliction.”** The gospel allows us to cry out to God in our pain knowing that He hears us. The gospel reminds us that God is not distant in our suffering, but has entered our universe in the flesh & suffered the pain, the loss, & death itself in the Person of Christ. Religion, on the other hand, can only blame suffering on personal sin (see Job).
Religion is outwardly pious, but inwardly corrupt. The gospel transforms the inside. Thus, like the Pharisees, religious people care about church attendance, clean houses, moral lifestyles, charity, & modesty all the while they’re judgmental, unloving, impatient, & unjust. Furthermore, religious people have a hard time repenting b/c it would require them to admit they are hypocrites.
Religion sees us as good & them as bad. The gospel sees us all as bad & God as good.
A religious prayer usually consists mostly of petition especially in times of need b/c of their need to be in control. The gospel believer prays mostly praise & adoration in an effort to join in fellowship w/ God. The religious pray to get from God. The gospel believer prays to get God.
Religion leads to a life of continual uncertainty. The gospel leads to a life of peace & assurance. How do you know, in a religious system, when you've done enough? The gospel, however, forever believes Jesus when he declared, "It is finished."
Religion ends in pride or despair. The gospel ends in humility & joy. Ever met a prideful religious person? Ever met a religious person in despair.
Religion is all Law. The gospel is all grace. Throughout his ministry, Tchividjian has offered a lot of contrasting words between law and gospel.*** Here are a few

If the Law is the first word, Grace is the last.
The Law exposes us, while Grace exonerates us.
The law diagnoses, but Grace delivers.
The Law accuses, Grace acquits.
The Law condemns the best of us, while Grace saves the worst of us.
The Law says ‘cursed,’ Grace says ‘blessed.’
The Law says ‘slave,’ Grace says ‘son.’
The Law says ‘guilty,’ Grace says ‘forgiven.’
The Law can break a hard heart, but only Grace can heal one.”

Ultimately, we need to see that religion is a cancer. The gospel is the cure.

* Taken from Mark Driscoll's sermon, "Examining Two Enemies of the Gospel."
** Ibid.
*** See especially his books Jesus + Nothing = Everything and One Way Love.