The Truth about Tradition
Notes
Transcript
BOTTOM LINE
BOTTOM LINE
TRADITION MAY NOT KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT DO YOU?
WHAT ABOUT CUSTOMS -
Coming to Canada can be an eye-opener for many. The change in scenery, diversity, and weather tends to differ from what non-Canadians are used to. Though some customs and traditions in Canada may vary depending on the region and community, if you ask a Canadian if they did or participated in something from this list, chances are, they have. Read on and familiarize yourself with all things Canada!
Standing on the right side of the escalator: Standing on the right side of the escalator is one of the most notable practices found across the country! Standing on the right allows those in a hurry to pass on the left. It may seem like a small detail, but it is a fundamental aspect of Canadian culture and reflects the country’s emphasis on politeness and consideration for others.
Small talk: Canadians are known for being friendly and approachable, which often manifest as small talk. Whether it is a casual conversation with a stranger on the bus, or a more formal exchange with a colleague at work, small talk is a way for Canadians to connect with others and build relationships. This reflects the country’s strong sense of community and its emphasis on social cohesion. One popular subject for small talk is the weather!
Hockey: This is one of the customs in Canada that only some participate in but still support. Hockey is Canada’s national sport and is deeply ingrained in the country’s culture. Whether it’s the NHL, minor league, or amateur leagues, hocky is a big part of Canadian traditions. It is a way to come together and bond.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a staple in Canadian households. It’s an important part of the country cultural heritage and economy. It is used in traditional Canadian dishes, such as pancakes and baked beans. It’s also a popular ingredient in desserts such as pies and tarts. Maple syrup is often viewed as a symbol of Canada and of the country’s natural beauty and abundance.
Always apologizing: Canadians tend to apologize frequently. Whether bumping into someone on the street or holding up the line, it’s not uncommon to hear “sorry” from a Canadian. Canadians try to avoid conflicts and maintain a peaceful atmosphere. Apologizing is a way of saying that you are aware of your actions and don’t want to cause any harm. It’s just another way that Canadians express their friendly and polite nature!
Outdoors: Whether it is hiking, skiing, camping, or fishing, most Canadians love the outdoors. It’s understandable. Who wouldn’t love to see the vast wilderness and diverse landscape, which includes mountains, forest, lakes, and rivers? It doesn’t matter what season it is; there’s always something to enjoy outdoors!
Poutine: A beloved Canadian traditional dish consists of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. This comforting dish can be found at almost every corner in Canada due to its popularity. Poutine is a dish that can be enjoyed anytime, whether as a late-night snack or a hearty breakfast (with maple syrup). This Canadian staple brings people together and reflects the country's diverse cultural influences.
Canada Day: July 1st is Canada’s national holiday and marks the country’s birthday. It is a day of celebration and national pride. We celebrate this day by hosting parades, concerts, and fireworks. Canada Day is usually when all Canadians come together to celebrate their country and its history.
Canadian traditions and customs are diverse and varied, but they all share a common thread of politeness, community, and a love for the country’s natural beauty and diversity.
Every church has a culture and it is created and nurtured, intentionally or unintentionally.
whats all this talk of customs and culture?
well for us to understand the passage of scripture that we are looking at today, helps us to understand how culture and customs make a community of people tick.
FOR CENTURIES THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAD THE LAW AND THE SACRIFICES THAT KEPT THEM IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
NOW JESUS HAD COME AND IS THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE AND USHERING IN A NEW THING, FAITH IN GOD IS NOW OPEN TO ALL.
THIS IS HARD STUFF TO GET YOUR HEAD AROUND.
PAUL DOES NOT COME WITHOUT BAGGAGE
PRETTY SURE THERE ARE STILL SOME WHO DO NOT TRUST HIM
ACTUALLY THIS IS WHAT THE RUMOURS WERE ABOUT - PAUL IS AT IT AGAIN.
journey with me this morning to Jerusalem -
PAUL IS THERE DESPITE THE PROPHECY THAT HE WAS GIVEN ABOUT BEING THROWN INTO PRISON BY THE JEWS.
PAUL WAS ON A MISSION AND HE HAS AN OFFERING FROM THE GENTILES TO THE BELEIVING JEWS IN JERUSALEM, AND A REPORT OF ALL THE THINGS GOD HAS DONE THROUGH THE GENTILES. THE MINISTRY IS FLOURISHING.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 21:20–21
While there was rejoicing over Paul’s report, there was also apprehension about Paul’s reputation among believing Jews who were zealous for the Law
PAUL, REMEMBER, WAS PRIMARILY AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES BUT HE NEVER LOST HIS CONCERN FOR THE SALVATION OF HIS OWN PEOPLE. (THE JEWISH PEOPLE)
JAMES TELLS PAUL THAT RUMOURS ARE GOING AROUND THAT HE HAS BEEN TELLING THE GENTILE BELEIVERS NOT TO FOLLOW THE JEWISH TRADITIONS.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 21:20–21
It was true Paul taught Gentiles that it was religiously inconsequential whether they circumcised their sons or not and he did not teach them Jewish customs
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 21:20–21
However, he never taught Jews … not to circumcise their sons or to disregard Jewish customs.
THE GENTILES WERE NOT UNAWARE OF THE JEWISH CUSTOMS. REMEMBER THEY HAVE BEEN A THORN IN THE SIDE OF THE JEWS FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY WERE SHUNNED AND TREATED BADLY. JESUS CAME AND TURNED EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN. HE CAME TO DIE FOR EVERYONE.
IMAGINE THAT!!
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.
18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,
21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
SO NOW WE COME TO THIS TENSION IN VERSE 22 -
REMEBER THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM THAT MET OVER THIS VERY ISSUE IN CHAPTER 15...
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
ALSO A REMINDER THAT EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER - PAUL IS WARNED IN VERSE 10 THAT IF HE GOES TO JERUSALEM HE WILL BE ARRESTED.
PAUL SAYS PEOPLE DONT BREAK MY HEART LIKE THIS, I AM READY TO BE IMPRISONED AND EVEN DIE “ FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS”
PAUL IS NOW TOLD THAT IN ORDER TO SHOW THE JEWISH PEOPLE THAT HE WAS NOT AGAINST THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS - HE HAS TO TAKE PART IN A PURIFICATION ALSONGSIDE SOME JEWISH MEN WHO HAD TAKEN A VOW.
22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
SO IS PAUL A HYPOCRITE NOW?
HE IS NOW PARTICIPATING IN SACRIFICES?
PAUL NEVER SAID DON’T DO IT - HE SAID JUST CONCERNTRATE ON WHAT IS NECESSARY TO GET YOU CLOSER TO JESUS. THE REST WILL FOLLOW.
BRING IN APPLICATION HERE......
THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
WE IMPOSE OUR CUSTOMS OR BELIEFS ON NEW CHRISTIANS AND IT MAKES THE BURDEN FOR THEM HEAVIER.
PAUL COULD EASILY HAVE PUSHED HIS OWN THEOLOGY ONTO THIS SITUATION AND DUG HIS HEALS IN, YET WE SEE HIM DOING SOMETHING SO CRAZY IT CAUSES ONE TO PAUSE AND SHAKE YOUR HEAD A LITTLE AND EVEN ASK WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.
WHY WOULD PAUL DO THIS.?
FOR THE SAKE OF ADVANCING THE GOSPEL!
WHAT!! HOW DOES THAT ADVANCE THE GOSPEL?
MODERN DAY ILLUSTRATION
I CAN REMEMBER BEING A PAUL ONCE -
HALLOWEEN RESEARCH
Traditionally, a bonfire would be lit, sweets would be prepared, and costumes would be worn to ward off evil spirits as the ancient Celts believed that, at this time of year, the veil separating the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest.
Early Christian officials tried to impose their own holiday in an effort to stop their converts from practicing non-Christian festivals. Pope Gregory III deemed November 1, All Saints' Day, a celebration of Christian martyrs and saints, and November 2 became All Souls Day, a day for remembering the souls of the dead. All Saints' Day later became known as All Hallows' Day, and the previous day, October 31, became known as All Hallows' Eve, then later, Halloween.
Despite the best efforts of the church, people still continued to celebrate Halloween with traditional bonfires, costumes, treats, and a focus on spirits of the dead.
WE DID NOT CELEBRATE IT
IM IN THIS NEW COUNTRY
IM A BELIEVER
HEARD BAD THINGS ABOUT THIS
SO I START TO RESEARCH
IM CONFLICTED - I FEEL JUDGED BY THE NON CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOURS AND I FEEL JUDGED BY THE CHURCH.
WHAT DO I DO?
THIS WAS MY PAUL MOMENT
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
THEY HAVE CD’S ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY
EXPLAIN TO THE KIDS
NO DARK DRESSING
WE DO NOT DECORATE OUR HOUSE
PAUL USED EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE JEWISH AND THE GENTILES ABOUT JESUS. AS HE SAID, HE WAS JUST AS WORRIED FOR THE SALVATION OF THE JEWS AS HE WAS FOR THE GENTILES. HE MADE USE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TELL ABOUT JESUS.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
No verse points out more starkly Paul’s own consciousness of what he was, both before and after meeting Christ. Before, he was the Jew’s Jew, faultless with regard to legalistic righteousness (Phil. 3:6). Afterward, he was a new man (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20), who had found in Christ the righteousness he had sought (Rom. 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30). He was still a Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22; Phil 3:5), but he was no longer a Jew living according to the Law (I … am not under the law). Still, he was willing to subject himself to the scruples of the Jews (e.g., Acts 21:23–36) in order to gain a hearing for the gospel and to win them to Christ. Yet he never compromised the essence of the gospel at the heart of which was salvation by faith, not works (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9) and freedom from legalism (Gal. 2:4–5).
PAUL
Afterward, he was a new man (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20), who had found in Christ the righteousness he had sought .
Yet he never compromised the essence of the gospel at the heart of which was salvation by faith, not works (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8–9) and freedom from legalism (Gal. 2:4–5).
He was still under authority, but not to the Old Testament Law. He was responsible to God (cf. 3:9) and Christ (cf. 4:1) and was enabled by the Spirit to fulfill the law of love (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:13–25), the opposite of lawlessness (cf. Matt. 24:12 where lawlessness drives out love). Christ’s law (Gal. 6:2) was to love God and man (Mark 12:30–31), which law Paul obeyed (1 Cor. 10:31–33).
DID I DO RIGHT ? I DONT KNOW.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT JUST LIKE PAUL, THAT BECAUSE OF CHRIST I AM A NEW PERSON
MY SALVATION IS NOT AT RISK WHEN I CHOOSE TO REACH OUT TO OTHERS THROUGH THIS WAY.
He was still under authority, but not to the Old Testament Law. He was responsible to God (cf. 3:9) and Christ (cf. 4:1) and was enabled by the Spirit to fulfill the law of love (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:13–25), the opposite of lawlessness (cf. Matt. 24:12 where lawlessness drives out love). Christ’s law (Gal. 6:2) was to love God and man (Mark 12:30–31), which law Paul obeyed (1 Cor. 10:31–33).
TRADITION MAY NOT KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT DO YOU?