0717 The Tale of Two Trees

Three types of laws in the Bible:

- Ceremonial (priests, feasts, sacrifices) fulfilled by Jesus

- Civil (legal, land, economics, criminal justice) applies to Israel

- Moral (adultery, stealing, killing, lying) is timeless!

Rules don’t condition but confirm our relationship!

Rules in the family verses rules in the gym:

Gym: Rules to enter, and if you break it, you will get kicked.

Family: You get rules because you are in the family. Love does not change.

***My family rules: church, cursing, help around the house.

Family loves kids more than rules!

When rules are kept this communicates trust and respect!

***My marriage fighting rules: - No physical - don’t say ALWAYS and NEVER - complain, not criticize - don’t mention DIVORCE - don’t remind the PAST - don’t call person with other name then their first name!

Jesus came to put religion in the right place.

Until Jesus, religion, rules was in the center which produced self righteousness leaders and hypocrite followers.

Jesus always modeled that people are more important then rules.

Jesus is FIRST, people are second, rules are last.

Religion puts RULES first, people and Jesus are last!

Religion will keep to keep rules, Jesus would die to save people!

Don’t confuse Christianity with churchianity!

Jesus is my savior, not my religion.

Genesis 2:9, 17; 2 Corinthians 3:6

Tree of life is Jesus - it will be again in paradise. Revelation 2:7; 22:2

Tree of knowledge, is a mystery.

- If you eat, it will be bad, if you don’t eat it will be good

- The problem was not with having it, but eating of it

You need rules in life, but they can’t be your life. Philippians 1:21

Rules don’t give life, light or love, they don’t have power! They can’t earn your salvation!

Religion is like a fork, it has its place in the table. But it can’t feed you.

Religion takes that fork to hurt people with it.

Jesus says - fork will not feed you.

Jesus says - fork is not a weapon against people but tool for success.

Jesus says - I am bread, not your fork!

Religion says BEHAVE, Christ says BELIEVE

Religion says DO, Christ says DONE

Religion is EXTERNAL, Christ is INTERNAL (washing hands)

Religion is WILL POWER, Christ is HOLY POWER

Religion is DEATH, Christ is LIFE (Light, Love)

*People don’t get saved in religious churches.

*Religious people are most negative, intolerant, judgmental.

Religion is TRYING, Christ is TRUSTING.

Religion is RULES, Christ is RELATIONSHIP.