Give Me That Old Time Religion

SCRIPTURE

Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

INTRODUCTION

Christianity is changing.

And not necessarily for the better. We have seen a dramatic decline in the moral, spiritual, and biblical values within the church in recent years. It’s happening in mainline denominations and independent congregations. It’s happening in protestant, evangelical, and pentecostal traditions. But it is not just the recent decline that is concerning. The problem I see is that the modern day church looks nothing like the church that Jesus built nearly 2,000 years ago. Jesus built His church on the foundation of the rock of Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is: “thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” And Jesus said because of that one foundational principle, the gates of hell would not prevail against His church!

I wonder sometimes what Jesus thinks about the current condition of His church today?

I wonder, what would the early apostles and church leaders, that we read about in the book of Acts, those who led the church through its infancy and its dramatic growth throughout the known world at that time, think about the condition of the church today?

I think Jesus and the early apostles and church leaders would have to characterize the modern day church as a Laocidean church.

Like the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation, the modern day church believes it is rich and increased with goods and has need of nothing. But it doesn’t realize that it is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Church has become a profit center. Church has become nothing more than a social club. Instead of being an infirmary for the hurting and the lost, it has become a club med for sinners. It is in a lukewarm condition and is being lured to sleep by the satanic forces of this world and Jesus must be about ready to spew it out of His mouth!

EXEGESIS

Here in Jeremiah Chapter 6, ancient Israel found themselves in a similar condition.

God had called Israel out of all the nations of the world to be His own possession. He had given them His laws and commandments through Moses. All God had asked them to do was to follow these requirements and be faithful to Him and to not serve other gods. But Israel was unfaithful to God. They began to compromise with the culture around them. They committed spiritual adultery with the false gods of the pagan nations that surrounded them.

God send prophets, like Jeremiah, to warn Israel that judgment was coming upon them because of their unrepentant sinful condition.

But they refused to listen to the prophets of God. They refused to repent and turn away from their spiritual adultery. Instead they got closer and closer to the world and further and further away from God. Here in Jeremiah 6:16, we find Israel at the point in their history just before God finally had enough of their wickedness and handed them over completely to their enemies to be destroyed and led into captivity.

What we see is a picture of Israel standing at a crossroads with two paths in front of them to choose from.

Jeremiah 6:16 NIV

16 This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

There are two paths.

The first path is God’s path. They have to come to Him and follow His path on His terms. The second path is their own path. There are no restrictions and they can forge their own path. But the two paths do not end up at the same destination. God’s path is a straight and narrow way that leads to life. Their own path is a wide and a broad way that leads to death. God’s path is an old, ancient way. Their own path is a new, modern way.

God speaking through Jeremiah tells them the path to take.

He said, “ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it.” The old paths are the ways of God. The old paths are His commandments and laws. The old paths are the ways God had commanded them to live and worship. He said if they would follow these old paths, they would find rest for their souls. They would find peace, joy, contentment. They would receive the promise of God’s blessing and increase over their lives.

But Israel refused God’s offer.

They said, “We will not walk in it.” They made a wrong turn at the crossroads. They chose their own path that led them further away from God. They chose the broad way that would ultimately lead them to their own destruction.

MESSAGE

And I believe that the church finds itself in a similar spiritual condition today.

For Israel, returning to the old paths meant going back to the law and commandments that God had given them through Moses. But for us today, we don’t look back to the Law. The Bible says that Jesus has forgiven our sins:

Colossians 2:14 NKJV

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

We don’t live under the Old Covenant, but we live under the New Covenant.

We don’t live under the law of Moses, we live under the law of Christ. But the Word of God is still our standard. The law of Christ under the New Covenant is founded on the intent of the Law and the Prophets. That means all of the Word of God is beneficial and applicable. All 66 books. Old and New Testament.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The problem is that many in the modern church today do not want to follow the old paths. They say the Bible is too outdated. We have to reinterpret it and rewrite it for our day. But there is a huge problem with that type of thinking. John wrote the following concerning the book of Revelation, but I believe we can expand it to apply to the entire Bible:

Revelation 22:18–19 NKJV

18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

When we begin to move away from the Word of God we are moving away from the old paths.

I believe this is the root of the problem within the modern church. As a result, the modern church has fallen into two major doctrinal errors: Legalism and Liberalism.

Legalism

Legalism is the error of adding more to the Word of God than what it actually says. It is creating man-made laws that are then elevated to the same importance and authority as God’s Word. The problem is that they are of no real spiritual benefit and actual do more harm that good. Look at what Paul wrote to the Colossian church:

Colossians 2:20–23 NKJV

20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Notice what he said there at the end. Those things are of no value against the indulgences of the flesh. People who fall into this category of Legalism are actually creating for themselves a works-based religion. They are like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day that would “load up burdens on people’s shoulders that were impossible to bear, but wouldn’t take one of their fingers and flick off one of those burdens.”

Legalism is not the old path we are to take.

Liberalism

On the other side of the coin is Liberalism, which involves taking away from God’s Word. Liberalism says that we can’t teach and preach on the old paths regarding marriage, abortion, adultery, fornication, etc. Liberalism says that we have to reinterpret God’s Word so that it fits better with our society.

But we do not adjust God’s Word to fit our society, our moral standards, or what we want. We adjust our wants, our desires, and our standards to fit His Word!

But the Bible tells us that the church of the last days would be known as a church that will not endure sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 NKJV

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

In other words, the church in the last days will leave the old paths, leave the truths of God’s Word, leave sound doctrine, leave preaching that convicts of sin, leave talking about hell or eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ. This is the day that we are living in right now!

Stand in the ways and see, and ask for old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it.

In other words, stand at the crossroads. Consider the two paths that are laid out in front of you. There is a good way and an evil way. There is a way of life and a way of death. There is a way of blessing and a way of a curse. Carefully consider you steps and ask for the old paths. Ask for directions.

There are some of you in here that hate to ask for directions. You would rather spend 30 minutes driving in circles than admit you don’t know where you’re going and ask someone for directions. I’ll never forget when I was younger, I was with Dad and Mom and we were headed to some type of church service. And we were trying to get to a church that we had never been to before. Dad was driving and he had no idea where he was going. This was in the days before Siri and Google and GPS. And we are on this little country road between nowhere and the boondocks. And out of nowhere there was a man standing beside the road eating a banana. Dad put on the brakes and pulled over and rolled down the window and said, “sorry to bother you but do you know where such-and-such church is and can you tell us how to get there?” The old man walked over steadily gnawing on that banana. He opened his mouth and didn’t have a tooth one in his head. Banana is going everywhere and he proceeded to try to explain how many trees you pass before the first turn to the left…or is it right? And there is a little white house after the first 6 almost identical white houses before it with a dog in the front yard…or is the in the back yard? Finally Dad just told the guy “thank you for your time,” rolled up the window, and drove off. We were more lost at that point than we were to begin with.

Be careful who you ask directions from! But here is one thing you can remember, God will never lead you astray and God’s Word will never lead you astray. It will always lead you to the old paths, to the good way, where you can find rest for your soul!

GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION!

I’m not just talking about that old time religion from 10 years ago…20 years ago…or even 50 years ago. That was good. But I’m talking about that old time religion that started nearly 2,000 years ago when the Son of God was incarnated in a little stable in Bethlehem. I’m talking about that old time religion that started with a the teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ in Galilee. I’m talking about that old time religion that Jesus established through His death, burial, and resurrection. I’m talking about that old time religion that was ignited on the Day of Pentecost with 120 people in an upper room in Jerusalem when the Holy Ghost was poured out, they spoke in tongues, and a revival broke out! I’m talking about that old time religion that sparked a movement in the early church in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth and turned the world upside down with the power of the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION!

We’ve strayed from the old paths.

We need to “stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it!” We need to focus on being the church that Jesus has designed us to be.

So what does that look like? I believe we can get the answer to that question from taking a look at how the early church functioned in the book of Acts.

The Early Church Had Fellowship

Acts 2:42 NKJV

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The Early Church Had Power

Acts 2:43 NKJV

43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

There were filled with the Holy Ghost.

They performed healings and miracles.

They performed deliverances.

The Early Church Had Unity

Acts 2:44 NKJV

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

The Early Church Had Love

Acts 2:45 NKJV

45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

The Early Church Had Revival

Acts 2:46–47 NKJV

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION

Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’