#1 Religion Or Relationship (Ghana Version) | Matthew 15:1-9

#1 Religion Or Relationship | Matthew 15:1-9

Opening Remarks: So thankful to be here. I appreciate Pastor Ruckman inviting me and giving me an opportunity to preach.

Pastor Ruckman is one of my favorite preachers.

I wish that I could hear him preach this morning.

If you are visiting for the first time, please come back and hear him preach.

But I am excited about the message this morning. Please turn to Matthew 15.

READ vs. 1-9

The question I’m asking today is this: Do you have Religion or a Relationship?

PRAY

A. I know there are many differences between the cultures in Ghana and the United States.

1. The food and language are different.

2. The driving here is much scarier.

3. But one thing is the same in both cultures: Men and women are different.

B. Men, we are good at a lot of things, but there are some things we struggle with, like…

1. Listening – Sometimes my wife will ask me an important question…

But if I’m thinking about something else I just don’t hear her.

2. I’m also not good at remembering sometimes –

My wife will ask me to run an errand or pick something up on the way home and sometimes I forget.

But one thing is for sure, my wife never forgets anything.

3. Sometimes I’m not very good at communicating –

It can be hard for men to express ourselves or have emotion.

My wife will ask me how my day was and I’ll say, “Good.”

But if I ask her about her day, she tells me every detail from start to finish.

C. Sometimes I wonder if my wife thinks about trading me for a better version of me.

1. I have here a picture of myself.

1. He always looks at my wife when she’s talking.

2. He never leaves his things laying on the floor.

3. His clothes never need to be washed.

4. He doesn’t eat very much.

5. This version of me would be so much easier.

D. Now let’s imagine that my wife exchanges me for this one.

1. At first things go well. No messes. No arguments. No cleaning.

2. But very soon she would realize something is missing.

3. He can’t listen when she’s needs someone to talk to. He can’t kill spiders.

4. What is special about marriage is the relationship.

5. You can’t replace the interaction between a husband and wife with a photograph.

6. My wife might even get lonely enough that she would miss me.

7. I know this is silly, but it represents what believers do with God.

E. God desires a relationship with us, but we often choose religion instead.

1. He created us for fellowship, but we exchange it for religious activity.

2. In the end, our religion is as empty and lonely as a photograph.

I. God Desires A Heart Relationship. (1-9)

A. The scribes & Pharisees were “concerned” about the eating habits of Christ’s disciples.

1. The Scribes and Pharisees were the religious experts during the time of Christ.

a. They were known for their commitment to keeping the OT law.

b. They would add endless lists of rules and demand that the people keep them.

2. This passage deals with washing before eating, which was an OT law based on God’s desire for the Jews to be separated from the Gentiles.

a. But the Pharisees added their tradition to the law, making it more involved than God originally commanded.

b. Here’s an example from a writing of the Scribes: [i]

“My son, attend to "the words of the Scribes", more than to the words of the law;

…for in the words of the law, are affirmatives and negatives;

…but…"everyone that transgresses the words of the Scribes", is guilty of death.''

c. They elevated their rules above the law.

d. The Pharisees also said that the person who neglected hand washing was “as bad as a murderer”

e. But that’s not what God said. They added to the Law.

B. Christ points out their elevation of man-made tradition over God’s law. (vs. 3)

1. Jesus uses the example of honoring parents. (vs. 4-5)

a. In Jewish culture, the son was obligated to take care of his parents if they were needy.

b. But the religious leaders had found a way around this by dedicating their money to the work of God instead.

4. This was dishonoring to father and mother, but they justified it in the name of God.

C. Christ condemns their actions…

1. He tells them they had nullified the commandment of God by tradition. (vs. 6)

2. He calls them “hypocrites” and quotes Isaiah 29:13. (vs. 7, 8)

3. Christ proclaims their worship to be in vain or empty. (9)

4. How sad. Their approach to religion didn’t matter at all.

D. But they weren’t the only guilty ones.

1. Mankind has always replaced God with religion.

2. Why? It’s easier to do something than to be something.

3. Illustration: I can watch a video online about fixing my car or doing a project around the house, but that doesn’t make me a mechanic or a carpenter.

4. Just because I do something doesn’t mean I am something.

5. The scribes & Pharisees did a lot. But Jesus told them they did it to be seen of men.

6. They liked being be seen by others.

E. But God desires a heart relationship. (8)

1. Jesus said, “But their heart is far from me.”

2. While man is impressed with outward deeds, God sees why we do them.

3. Don’t misunderstand, God is interested in what we do, but He’s most concerned that it comes from a heart motivated by the right things.

4. Illustration: As a parent, I want my children to obey me.

But I don’t want them to obey on the outside and not love me in their hearts.

I want them to obey me because they love me.

In the same way, God desires a relationship that comes from your heart.

II. But Our Problem Is In Our Hearts. (10-20)

A. True defilement does not come from what you eat. (10-11)

1. The scribes and Pharisees had bigger problems than eating with dirty hands.

2. Jesus says that man is defiled because of the sin nature that every human is born with. (vs. 18-20)

3. We sin because we are sinners!

4. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

5. Sin, not dirty hands, is the biggest problem in our lives.

6. Adam & Eve weren’t removed from the garden because they forgot to wash up before supper.

7. They were removed from paradise because of sin!

B. But rather than deal with our sin, we try to cover it up with religion.

1. The problem is, good works can’t fix our sin problem.

2. Illustration: If you get a cut and it gets infected, the infection won’t be healed by covering it up.

It may look better, but underneath there’s a problem.

3. In the same way, sin is an infection of the heart.

4. The only way to fix it is with the blood of Jesus Christ.

a. He died on the cross in our place when we deserved to be there.

b. He shed His blood to fix our sin problem.

c. He then rose again, proving His power over sin.

d. He’s done all the work, yet we still try to fix our sin problem with religious works.

C. Christ said, “They draw nigh with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

1. Too many of us have a long distance relationship with God.

2. We look religious, but our hearts our far from God.

3. So we try to make up the gap between us and God with religion.

4. But we remember this: “Clean Hands Cannot Clean A Heart.”

a. It’s good to go to church, but church attendance can’t clean your heart.

b. It’s good to live morally, but right living can’t wash your sins away.

c. I’m glad you have high dress standards, but they can’t clean the inside.

d. Praise the Lord if you give to your church, but that won’t pay for your sins.

e. Extra evangelism can’t erase the sin you’ve committed against God.

4. Activity is wonderful, but being busy for God doesn’t mean He’s pleased with your heart.

a. Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please him.”

b. Faith is what pleases God. And faith is a matter of the heart, not a matter of the hands.

III. Do You Have Religion Or A Relationship?

A. Believer – Maybe you once had a relationship, but now your heart is far from God.

1. You appear religious, but all you have is clean hands. (Hold up picture on phone)

2. Just remember these truths about religion:

a. Religion is less fulfilling than a relationship.

John 15:11, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

This photo can’t provide joy like the real thing, and neither can religion.

b. Religion is less powerful than a relationship.

2 Tim. 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof...”

This photo has no power at all, and neither does religion with a relationship.

c. Religious is less rewarding than a relationship.

Mt. 6 – Jesus told the Pharisees they had their reward of being seen by men, which meant they had no rewards in Heaven.

There’s nothing rewarding about this compared to the real thing, and the same is true in a relationship with God.

3. If you want fulfillment, power, and God’s blessings, it’s time to trade religion for a relationship.

a. Confess your sin.

b. Spend time every day with the Lord.

c. And this one is so important: Come to church to know Jesus, not be religious.

B. Maybe you’ve never had a relationship with God.

1. If you’re not a believer, good works won’t help you become one.

a. Religious works aren’t enough to save you.

b. Baptism can’t save you.

c. Going to church can’t save you.

d. Living right can’t save you.

2. Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

a. God isn’t impressed with our works. He’s holy and we are not.

b. The work’s already been done by Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sin.

b. We simply have to believe and place our faith in Christ’s finished work.

3. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

a. If you refuse this relationship, the consequences are terrible.

b. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death;

c. But that verse goes on to say, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

4. There’s one way to have your sin problem taken care:

Repent of your sin

Recognize that only Jesus can fix your sin problem

Receive the gift of eternal life by faith

Friend, Clean hands can’t clean a heart! But Jesus Christ can.

V. Trading a relationship with Christ for empty religion always leads to regret.

Read verse 12-14

A. In the end, the Pharisees were exposed.

1. They looked good in life, but in death they were separated from God for eternity.

2. Hell is full of religious people.

B. Illustration: The former President of the US, Donald Trump, was shot last night.

1. It sounds like he’s okay, but that’s huge news in the US.

2. President Trump is an important person.

3. But as important as he is, he has never sought me out.

4. He has never called and asked me if I want to go to lunch.

C. But the Holy God of Heaven who created the universe wants to know me.

1. And He wants to know you.

2. He proved it when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

3. If you don’t know Him, trade religion for a relationship and find out how fulfilling it is.

4. If you do know Him, but your heart is far from Him, confess that sin and come back.

5. Come trade your religion for a relationship.

6. You will not regret it.

PRAY

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[i] T. Bab. Erubim, fol. 21. 2. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 4. 2.

[ii] The Life and Words of Christ by Cunningham Geikie