Lose your Religion

How do you view the Bible?

David Crowder - Praise the Lord

I used to shake You like an 8-ball

I used to shoot You like a gun

I used to hold You like a hammer

Try to nail down everyone

I used to keep You in a steeple

Used to bind You in a Book

I used to take You like prescription

Without knowing what I took

Religion - Doing out of Duty

Martin Luther, “even in it’s most sincere form, Religion is man made.”

You can religiously do a lot of things

Drink religiously

Diet religiously

Be rude religiously

“I GO TO CHURCH RELIGIOUSLY”

So as Christians if our goal is to be religious-----DOING IT OUT OF DUTY

In the more literal translations: NKJV, NAS, NIV, KJV,---The world religion only used 5 times----IN THE WHOLE BIBLE

Of those 5 times---

Acts 25 & 26---Talking about Judaism—all out of DUTY

Colossians 2--- Self imposed religion---Out of DUTY

2 times in James, WE”LL GET TO THOSE IN A MINUTE

All Religion does is INTERFERE with a RELATIONSHIP

Let me tell you something, when you live your life wrapped up in RELIGION, in this perpetual sense of duty, this perpetual feeling of being obligated to comply and do specific things:

You lose your JOY

You lose your LOVE

You MISS the Blessing!

So this morning---Let’s LOSING OUR RELIGION!!!!!

Don’t hear what I’m not saying

But if Your only link to God is reading BIBLE----

You Have no relationship with Jesus!

Relationship comes from getting to know someone----ONE on ONE

Prayer, Listening, Quiet Times, Worship

Romans 2:17–24 CSB

Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law—you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

Stolen---joy, peace, ---Adultery---Look, lust, put things before God---Rob---Giving of yourself, resources,,Keeping those to yourself---Throw the Bible in peoples face---You’re NOT DOING IT ALL

Most people think BIBLE’S a big book of Do’s & don’ts

And for the most part----- it is

The Lord say, “Keep my commandments” “Obey me” “Follow me”

RELIGION IN YOU SAYS TO DO THOSE THINGS---HE SAID SO

Jesus says, “This is eternal life, That You know me”

John 17:3 CSB

This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.

If you know Him, Obedience will take care of itself

Christians carrying a Bible---Like that’s a way to have a relationship

We become about the Bible----Like The Jews were about the Law

Because religion and Law, Is easier that knowing, loving, ONE ON ONE

DON’T HEAR WHAT I’m NOT SAYING

You can learn of Jesus his Goodness and YOU SHOULD READ AND STUDY

He didn’t say, “This is eternal life…..READ ABOUT ME”

When you have a relationship----It’s easy to live this life as a CHILD OF GOD

James 1:26–27 CSB

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

----Not saying, DO THIS AND YOU’LL BE HOLY

What you should do out of duty is: widows, orphans, out of the world

No relationship involved, DO IT because God SAYS SO!

See Jeames, the Pastor of the Jerusalem church knew that people were so used to obeying religion that he was having to fight this desire that people have to be commanded to do things, be it from kings or some other authority. So already in the ealy church he was fighting the establishment of a new RELIGION, and trying to get people to see that following Jesus is DIFFERENT!

Because RELIGION is not what it is about!

Religion Removes Joy

Need to lose your religion because religion removes JOY!!

Psalm 52:12

Isaiah 12:3 CSB

You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation,

People don’t hear what you say------

People hear what they see

If you have seen your Spiritual life go from joy---

To turmoil and confusion

Religion Has robbed you---There is no turmoil or confusion in JESUS

So you’ve lost your relationship----LOST YOUR JOY

Bro Jacob, “how are you so fired up, SUN after SUN---

My relationship with JESUS—Let’s me keep the joy of my salvation

I don’t Focus rules, There are rules---

I don’t focus on duties, there are duties

I focus on teaching you to have a relationship with JESUS CHRIST

Then YOUR JOY WILL BE FULL

On the Road to Damascus SAUL gave up religion TOOK UP RELATIONSHIP

Paul thought he knew it all, studied it all

Philippians 3:1–11 CSB

In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you. Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh—although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

He tells them to rejoice---then tells why He’s rejoicing

Religion Removes Love

Romans 14:13–23 CSB

Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Still, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. For if your brother or sister is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy, by what you eat, someone for whom Christ died. Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and receives human approval. So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong to make someone fall by what he eats. It is a good thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and everything that is not from faith is sin.

We should be assembling ourselves, despite differences

We should be sensitive to people, despite our beliefs

Religion makes us bull headed,

If we don’t agree on every little point, TAKE MY BALL AND GO

That’s not how Christ works

That’s not how Paul worked

What does Paul say?

Don’t Miss the Blessing!

We are sensitive to all, and want to be a stumbling block to none

“What do you stand for then” ---Jesus Christ, Him crucified, Loving God, Loving each other----BY that all will know we are his disciples

Religion can’t make you victorious---JESUS CAN

Religion can’t forgive Your sins------JESUS CAN

Religion can’t rise from the dead ----Jesus CAN

Religion can’t set you free------------JESUS CAN

Religion can’t give you eternal life—Jesus CAN

LOSE YOUR RELIGION and BEGIN YOUR RELATIONSHIP with Jesus!