Church has changed a lot since I was a kid. The buildings are different more friendly and accessible, many pastors have gotten rid of those huge boxes they stood behind and no longer preach at the people but to them. Messages are more easily understood and in many cases are deeper in content. We no longer wear ties, suits or “ladies” High heels.
We have a lot of resources available to us that help us reach a world of unreached people with the good news of Jesus. We have the Bible online, bookstores filled with Biblical tools and Bibles too. We have sermons online, podcasts, worship music at the tips of our fingers, we have educational blog posts that articulate Christian theology and it’s FREE!
And yet for all these advances…
WE STILL HOLDING ON TO THINGS THAT HOLD US BACK
STICKY STATEMENT:
If you are not enjoying the ride it is because you are DRIVING!
Here is what we are going to discover today:
Most of the things you resist about church are things the church should resist.
If you are not enjoying the ride, chances are you are not doing this Christian thing right.
YOU NEED A REFRESHER COURSE
THREE THINGS JESUS GAVE US TO DO and we struggle with all of them
LOVE GOD
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
What I have heard NON-Christians say about Christians is they don’t like Christians because…
-They are unloving
-They say one thing and do another
-They Hate sinners not just the sin
-They enjoy arguing but seldom volunteer to help out
-They tip bad
Here is a question we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves…
Why doesn’t everybody in America go to church?
Who would not want to be a part of a community that?
Loves One another
Forgives One another
Unites to help improve the community.
Why has the irresistible (The Church where Jesus is in Charge) become resistible in America today.
SACRED DRIVING SYSTEMS
-SACRED STOPS
-SACRED ROAD SIGNS
-SACRED INTERPRETERS
-SINCERE FOLLOWERS
TOXIC FAITH
The Religious Driving Systems…
Grants extraordinary power to sacred Interpreters in sacred places who determine the meaning of sacred signs for all the sincere followers.
Why is what we do here any different from what I am describing? Jesus is the difference.
The arrival of Jesus signaled the end of the Religious Driving Systems and the beginning of something entirely NEW!
Something New for Everyone! Not just the Jewish people but for all mankind.
And the Something Entirely New marks the beginning of personal relationship with God through Jesus and the end of controlling systems that are man centered.
The person you are is more sacred to God than the ground you stand on the Church building you go to worship Him in.
Matt. 16:18
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…
ἐκκλησία: ekklésia
an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.
William Tyndale had the courage to translate this word “congregation” and some sacred leaders had him burned at the stake for doing it.
They wanted to keep the SACRED driving systems in place.
The entry of Jesus established a NEW covenant.
In this New Covenant God opened a way for all mankind to approach God directly.
There was interest among those who wanted a more controlled system to make it appear as though the building and the sacred men who interpreted the road signs were the only way to get to God.
But God had another plan. He sent his only son. He brought a New Covenant
Jesus said:
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matt. 5:17 NIV)
JESUS claimed that the Old Testament prophets were talking about Him.
That everything was leading to this moment when the power of the Religious Driving System would be broken forever.
What about the Sincere people who are following the Religious Driving System?
Jesus showed them example after example of how you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong.
In Matt. 23 he warned about the Religious Driving System leaders:
…do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see:…6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. (Matt. 23:3-7 NIV)
JESUS INSITUTED THE MOVEMENT DEFINING ETHIC!
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (Jn. 13:34 NIV)
Jesus changed the rules of the road when it comes to religion.
You will not be measured by the rules you keep but by the way you LOVE people who may be difficult to love.
HERE IS THE QUESTION…..
Are you ready to give Jesus the driver’s seat?
OLD ROAD SIGNS
- do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
- They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them
- 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see:…
- 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
- 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. (Matt. 23:3-7 NIV)
NEW ROAD SIGNS
ü PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
ü LIGHTEN THE LOAD OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BURDENED
ü DO ACTS OF LOVE THAT PEOPLE NEVER SEE
ü CHOOSE TO PERFER OTHERS
ü LET GOD BE RECOGNIZED AND PRAISED
Every one of these actions is impossible as long as you insist on driving.
But you can sit back and enjoy the ride if you will let Jesus do the driving…
2 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. (I Jn. 1:12,13 NLT)
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