Here is an excerpt from my sermon yesterday. I wanted to re-post this on my blog because I feel it is something God showed to me in regards to Christianity verses religion...
John the Baptist’s whole ministry (and life for that matter) was devoted to pointing people to Jesus. He was a heart changer. He knew his place in life. He had a humble (and strong) spirit to him. He was not about self promotion, he was about Jesus promotion. He had no agenda of his own. He had God’s agenda. He was more concerned with people being right with God by preaching a message of baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Than he was about telling people how they should act or interpret the law. His purpose and goal was to show people a new way of life... a relationship with God through the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
The Jews (or religious leaders) were all about the rules, conformity and power. Their whole lives and ministry were about keeping the law and being pious. Their “religion” was more about doing than being. They were very much into self promotion and power simply by imposing rules and regulations on people based on their interpretations and beliefs. The clothes they wore were lavish and their attitudes were conceited. They had no concern for God’s agenda; they were more about God changing his agenda to fit their plans. There was no talk of repentance and forgiveness and submitting to God. It was all about the rules. Their righteousness was based on outwardly keeping the rules.
When I look at these two groups of people I am reminded of how these attitudes are still among us today. Thankfully there are heart changers in this world today. There are believers today who are caught up in Christ promotion and preaching a message of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. They understand that their spirituality or faith is not a result of keeping rules and pointing out the sins of others in a self righteous way. They are who they are because they are submitted to the one (Jesus) who has shown us the way to the Kingdom. A heart changer receives a new heart when Jesus becomes their Lord and Savior. They don’t just become better versions of themselves, they become new creations in Christ. The old has passed away and the new has come.
Unfortunately there are still people and attitudes among us today of the rule followers. These are individuals who depend on “doing” more than “being”. In their minds their fulfillment of duties and “being a good person” are all they need in order to be a Christian. They attend church on a semi regularly basis, they try to be moral (but like all of us fail every so often). They may put some (in some cases a lot of) money in the plate when it comes around. There is little to no change in heart; they are the same person they have always been. Maybe they have carved out a little compartment in their life for God (on Sundays or when they are in a difficult situation.) You get the picture.
The question I want to leave with you today is this… Are you a heart changer or are you a rule follower in your relationship with Jesus? Are you putting all your chips on the belief that you are a good person and follow the rules and treat others kidly as insurance for life? Or have you repented of your sins, sought forgiveness and given your heart completely over to Jesus to completely transform your life?
3 comments:
This lesson is becoming repetetive and boring in some churches. Yet it is still so sorely needed in others. Therefore, I'll concede to you on the point of the relevance of the message.
It needs to be tempered with one important reminder: there is nothing wrong with following rules and obeying God's Law (or laws).
The ramification of the two apparently antithetical concepts is in the natural behavior of the character in process of transofrmation by the Holy Spirit. Whereas in the former state we would like to obey but are to one degree or another "unable to help it," in the latter case we submit in an ever-increasing manner to the character of Christ.
The end result is heart-changed and heart-changing rule followers. But then, to paraphrase from elsewhere, perhaps the Law is not for the rule followers. At least if they truly are rule followers.
I make no arrogant claim to be there yet. But I do hope that I'm well on my way by now and that I can take a bunch of others along for the ride.
Yeah, I don't won't people to think that following the rules is anti-God, which I don't think I imply at all. I guess living in a highly religious community (where your faith is based on whether you belong to a denomination or not) would make this message very relevant.
The theme of the blog though is not so much the law is bad, but it is when people put their faith in the law or consider themselves followers of Christ based on the fact that they keep the laws and are moral individuals.
I think in the Church at large we are becoming more performance base and man centered than Jesus centered and this is kind of what I am gearing this blog towards.
I know what you are saying in your response and it's good to hear it from your perspective since I knew the point I was trying to make :)
Every day the boys and I end our morning prayer by asking God to help us to be good christians and good people because I think there are some distinctions between the two. At least in regards to the preception of others. I hope that after years and years of saying this prayer and having good conversation they grow up knowing you can be a good person and not a good christian, that you have to work at both. Sometimes they beautifully walk hand and hand and other times...not so much.
Post a Comment