What About Religion?

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

I have called this part of our study “The Renewed Life” because Matthew tells the story of Jesus in a way that highlights the difference that Jesus makes.

We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.

Over the last several months we talked about divine healing, deliverance, forgiveness and being a disciple of Jesus.

We have talked about faith, repentance and having a personal relationship with God.

A few weeks ago we looked at parables of Jesus which describe the Kingdom of God as being powerful like a seed and valuable like treasure.

Last week we talked about miracles, signs and wonders which demonstrate both the power of God and His purpose to restore all things.

Over this week and next we are going to be revisiting the subjects of religion and tradition.

God’s Word as revealed in the scripture must be allowed to challenge and even change our traditions.

This week I want to focus on religion - our text includes Peter’s famous confession which is acclaimed to be the founding of the church.

Was Jesus starting a religion? Or was it something even bigger than that?

Beatles singer Paul McCartney is famous for saying, “I’m not religious, but I am a spiritual person.

To which Christian songwriter, Scott Wesley Brown wrote the lyrics to the song, “I’m not religious, I just love the Lord.”

Numerous popular preachers have been quoted as saying, “Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship.” This has prompted other bloggers and commentators to ask, What’s the difference?” or “Why can’t it be both?”

Religion is a system of beliefs and practices centered around the worship of a deity.

Traditions - the things that we do over and over again - are part of that.

There is also a collection of sacred texts and teachings which help to define a religion.

For Christians, that is the Bible.

And various sub-categories - we call them denominations - each have their statement of faith which defines how they interpret the Bible.

And even beyond beliefs and practices is the community that is formed around a religion, through with we have a network of shared relationships and shared experiences.

For many people, religion is more than a chosen path, it is an understanding of one’s identity as reflecting that of our Creator.

And all of this provides a context for a personal relationship with God.

It helps us to know what to expect from God.

It helps us to interpret what we see, hear and feel.

it helps us to recognize when God is revealing Himself to us.

Religion was never mean to stand alone - just as we were never meant to live life without God.

Religion should facilitate relationship with God - but it should never become a substitute for knowing God personally.

As we finish Matthew chapter 15 and begin chapter 16 think about how Jesus is trying to help his fallowers move beyond the forms of religion to the substance of knowing God.

Knowing what to expect.

People attending a church service for the first time often don’t know what to expect. When Karie and I were in Ohio for my graduation we attended the church that my advisor pastors. It happens to be a Lutheran Church. Karie grew up attending a Lutheran Church. I have actually never attended a liturgical church on a Sunday morning. She knew when to sit and when to stand. After the pastor would say something, the congregation would respond in unison. She knew exactly what to say - I had to follow along in my bulletin.

Growing up in the Mennonite Church, we were “non-liturgical” meaning that we did not have an order of service which included the very words which would be spoken. But we did have a very predictable order of service. There would be exactly three hymns sung. The service would open and close with prayer. As a child growing up in the church I could even predict what would be prayed according to who was doing the praying. And if it was my dad, I knew the prayer would be long.

Did you know that we have a page on our website that tells people what to expect when the visit Spring City Fellowship. People want to know what time the service will start and end. They want to know how to dress - formal or casual. And they want to know what the church has to offer their children during the service. They can even fill out a form to let us know they are coming - and yes, we do get those!

Religion is a sort of container for faith and tradition is part of that container.

There are certain things that we do over and over again.

Repetition is said to be the mother of learning.

And what do I so often say about repetition in the scripture? _ Emphasis!

That right, it may just be going through the motions, but eventually those motions are supposed to shape and form you for a purpose.

So what can you expect as a follower of Jesus?

Aside from the forms of religion - what should you find no matter what kind of church you attend?

What is it about a church that makes it more than just a building with services and programs?

Matthew teaches us to look for the things that characterize the renewed life - where people learn to live like Jesus.

Expect compassion.

Matthew 15:32–34 ESV

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

I know you may be thinking, wait, didn’t we just read this story?

Both Matthew and Mark record Jesus feeding a multitude of four thousand in addition to the feeding of the five thousand.

The details of the stories are similar, but different - seven loaves and an undetermined number of fish, though they are said to be small.

It seems that the miracle of multiplying loaves and fishes happened more than once.

I was once part of a church where they claimed that the miracle of multiplying the food happened every time they had fellowship meal. People would bring what they had, but there were so many people who didn’t have food to bring that they would simply pray over the food, that God would bless it and multiply it. And they always seemed to have enough!

The first thing we read here is that Jesus had compassion on the crowd.

This is not the only time we read about Jesus having compassion.

Matthew 9:36 AMP

36 When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus seems pretty much like a softy - kind, sympathetic, emotional.

I think that is exactly the point - God condescends to understanding and relating to our condition.

That’s what makes Jesus different from what everyone else expected Messiah to be.

But it’s what it is what is so profound about the Bible - how God chose to reveal Himself - as Divine and yet so human...

I think that the thing that the world is looking for is a church that is real - you know - human and relatable even condescending.

Not condescending in terms of looking down on everyone else.

But condescending in the Biblical sense … entering into the suffering of others.

We expect Jesus to be compassionate and people should expect Jesus followers to be compassionate as well.

I’m not talking about the kind of compassion that just says everything is ok.

I’m talking about the kind of compassion that recognizes the real problems and seeks to solve them.

People are hungry for truth - they don’t know what they don’t know and just telling them ”your truth is good for you” doesn’t satisfy anyone’ hunger.

I understand that the church drives people away when the feel judged rather than accepted.

I think that people do need acceptance before they can change - but that love and acceptance should also help to inspire change.

God loves us enough to accept us as we are - but He loves us to much to leave us that way.

As followers of Jesus we need to learn to begin with compassion but move toward truth.

We need to speak the truth in love as Paul says.

Ephesians 4:15 NLT

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

That is how we become like Jesus the Bible says.

By balancing truth and love, justice and mercy, compassion with action...

Expect to be involved.

Matthew 15:35–39 ESV

35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

The disciples have been through this before; they know what Jesus is going to say, “you give them something to eat”.

They were probably already looking for loaves and fishes before Jesus even said something.

This time they found seven and some sardines (small fish).

I wonder if Jesus actually broke the fish or just multiplied them?

The same thing happened as before- as the food was distributed it miraculously increased to meet the need.

That also means that everyone who took part in the distribution was involved in the miracle.

Everybody who broke the bread had bread multiplying between their hands.

Just as predictable as Jesus’ compassion is His practice of involving people in the solution.

Have you noticed that when Jesus healed people, he didn’t take the credit but affirmed their faith.

Last week, with the foreign woman who came to Jesus to heal her daughter, Jesus remarked about her faith.

Matthew 15:28 NLT

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

And the woman with the issue of blood, Jesus said it was her faith that made her well.

Matthew 9:22 ESV

22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

It seems that Jesus is more than happy to share joy and the credit of participating in a miracle.

That is another thing that should be true of every Christian - we not only demonstrate the compassion of Jesus but we accept that we are part of the solution.

If a member of the congregation comes to me and says, “Pastor, we really need to do something about… (you name it). I’m always glad to hear that people are attuned and attentive to the needs of others. I can’t know everything about everyone (and don’t want to!) But you know what I am going to say? “Fine, why don’t you do what you can do and the church will help.” Just as I can’t know everything, I can’t do everything either. I love suggestions, but I love it even more when people are willing to take initiative themselves.

Following Jesus is more than just a belief system - it’s a way of life.

And as a way of life, it is more than just following certain practices and traditions - it is sharing Jesus purpose, participating in His mission.

You can expect that “Live like Jesus” means getting involved in doing the things that Jesus did and is still doing today.

For those who think that religion is dry, boring or even dead - I would venture to guess that they never got too involved.

I’m not just talking about older traditions either.

A lot of newer churches have a problem with a “consumer mentality”.

The church tries so hard to give people what they want that people get the idea that church is all about them and their wants.

Then they criticize the church whenever their is something they don’t like or when the church down the street has something better.

On the other hand, if we see ourselves as participants rather than consumers - then its not about what the church can do for you but what we can to together to advance God’s agenda.

It’s abut living for His glory and building His Kingdom.

Jesus asked the disciples, “Do you remember how satisfying it was to pick up more leftovers than what you started with?”

Yes- that’s it - you got to be part of a miracle.

And know you know what is possible.

Interpreting what you perceive.

I said last week that whenever I read about the Pharisees and Sadducees in the Bible, I used to imagine my own church leaders.

It seems religious leaders have always been pretty much the same.

When you are trying to lead people who are always critical, you become critical yourself.

You don’t worry about your reputation unless you have a reputation to protect.

When you are a leader and people expect you to know things - its amazing how suddenly, you don’t know so much.

I think rather than be too hard on the Pharisees and Sadducees we should see them as merely asking the questions that everyone is thinking but they are doing the asking...

Consider the context.

Matthew 16:1–4 ESV

1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

Religion is a belief system that helps us to interpret our lives and the world around us.

However, sometimes we get so fixated on certain beliefs, doctrines or practices that we entirely miss the point.

There is an old saying that someone “can’t see the forest for the trees.” It comes from a poem written in 1546 by Joh Heywood which goes like this:

From him who sees no wood for trees/ And yet is busy as the bees/ From him that's settled on his lees/ And speaketh not without his fees."

The poem speaks to situations where people are so focused on minute details that they miss the larger problem.

Ironically, the way this passage is typically interpreted only illustrates the point.

Commentators who are eager to make current application of the passage often see the phrase “signs of the times” as pointing to end time events.

Then they start looking for hidden meaning in the image of the red sky or in the idea of being swallowed whole by a fish.

But Jesus is actually making a much simpler point.

You can tell something about the weather by how the sky looks, but you don’t understand what is going on around you.

Today we have such sophisticated means of weather forecasting that most of us probably never stop to look at the sky.

We would rather open up our weather app and check the current radar than actually look up at the clouds.

I wonder if we ever do the same thing with knowing God?

Do we ever check a commentary instead of reading a passage to see what it means?

Do we ever do Christian activities instead of spending time with God?

Do we ever share a prayer request instead of praying?

If you are looking for a sign from God - here it is!

The answers you seek are not too complicated - they’re probably too simple.

Jesus once pointed to a child as an example of what we should aspire to become.

Matthew 18:3 CEV

3 Then he said: I promise you this. If you don’t change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

As for Jonah, what could that mean?

Jesus would spend three days in the grave, just like Jonah spent three days in the fish?

Sure, that works - but maybe it’s even simpler than that.

God was merciful and Jonah didn’t get it.

Jonah was a great prophet who saved a city - but he didn’t know God.

Consider what you are spreading.

Matthew 16:5–12 ESV

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

So here is a moment where the disciples find themselves unprepared, without bread - I guess they didn’t have room in the boat for the leftovers.

They have already seen Jesus multiply food from next to nothing.

Maybe they were talking amongst themselves about how to multiply food.

The trick probably has to do with activating yeast.

Yeast is what makes breast rise.

Yeast is what puts the tiny little air bubbles into the bread and makes it light and fluffy.

Maybe we could figure out how to multiply bread using yeast...

That’s when Jesus turns their conversation into a teaching moment.

Yeast can be good or it can be bad.

The same thing that makes bread light and fluffy can also turn it sour.

Don’t be like the Pharisees - they make sourdough that is more sour than dough.

In other words, you have to know what is growing inside you and spreading to others.

Truth is more often caught than taught.

Most of the religious leaders talk a good game, but they don’t do what they say.

Matthew 23:2–3 NLT

2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.

It is really important when constructing a belief system that our doctrine must be consistent all the way through to our lifestyle.

Whatever we preach on Sunday, we need to do Monday through Saturday.

Otherwise our yeast is worthless - or even worse - it’s spoiled.

Most of the time when people are disillusioned with religion - it’s not the ideas that they have a problem with - it’s the practice or the lack thereof.

It’s the lack of compassion.

It’s the lack of involvement.

It’s the lack of a clear and accurate picture of who God is and who we are to Him.

Recognizing revelation.

Who is God anyway? And what does He want with us?

I have had conversations with people who say that they don’t believe in God.

I ask them, “Tel me who you think this God is that you don’t believe in?”

The usually clarify that their objection has to do with a God who causes evil, disasters and tragedy.

Or they describe a God who made the world and abandoned it - absent, uncaring -leaving the world to rot.

Or perhaps God is like a senile old man, wise in some ways but a little crazy -unpredictable and certainly not trustworthy.

When I heard what they believe about God, it gives me the opportunity to say, “I don’t believe in a god like that either!”

First of all, it’s not up to me to define God - it’s God who defines me.

He is the One Creator God - the one who made all that there is and in whom everything exists - including you and me.

We would not be able to know God , except that God has reveled himself to us.

He revealed Himself in many ways and through many people throughout history, but the most perfect revelation of God is the incarnation - Jesus.

Who is Jesus to you?

Matthew 16:13–16 ESV

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

The question that Jesus asked his disciples is the most important question there is - Who do you say Jesus is?

Is he some mysterious ancient prophet?

He a great teacher and moral leader, however, a little outdated?

Is he a wizard, a miracle worker - maybe an ancient alien from outer space.

Or is He God in the flesh - your Savior and your Lord?

Our minds can conjure a lot of ideas about Jesus, but our hearts attest to the truth.

You can know about somebody but not really know them.

And when you really know somebody, you don’t need to explain how you know, you just know.

Older forms of the word knowledge implied, not so so much head knowledge, but connection and intimacy.

Jesus is how we can know God in the more intimate way.

And it is not because we have achieved a certain understanding, but because God has reveled Himself to us - by his Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:10 TPT

10 But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit. Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things.

Peter was the first of Jesus’ disciples to actually say out loud what they probably had suspected for a while.

That Jesus is the promised Messiah.

He is the Anointed One that the prophets foretold.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

It must have been one of those “Aha” moments - where someone says something and everyone is like “Wow, that’s it!”

You just know it - and you know that its true.

The key is knowing how you know what you know.

Matthew 16:17–20 ESV

17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Traditionally it has been understood that this was the beginning of the Christian Church.

No, organized religion did not begin here - that has been around much longer.

But four centuries later the Bishop of Rome would be considered the central leader of the church

and would claim that succession goes back to Peter as the first one appointed by Jesus to lead the church.

They envision Jesus giving Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven as the mysterious appointment of the first Pope.

Evangelical scholars today have a different take on this passage.

The figurative keys are not just given to Peter, but to all believers.

The keys are essentially the understanding of who we are in Christ.

When you know who Jesus is and who you are in Him that unlocks a whole new realm of spiritual reality that you can not only enter into but function as a part of what God is doing in the earth.

The key is not just knowing what you know but knowing how you know it.

Jesus said that Peter could only know who He is by the Spirit.

If you know that the Spirit is in you and working through you, then what else can you do by the Spirit!?

You see, that is the key! Its the each to each one of us becoming what Jesus intended the church to be.

Ephesians 1:23 NLT

23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself

The key for each of us is knowing Jesus and knowing who we are in Him - that’s when we begging to function as an extension of His ministry fulfilling His mission.

That’s more than just religion - that’s the church.

It’s more than an organization - it’s organic!

The church is the living embodiment of Jesus Christ - religion is the container in which it has been formed, protected and grown.

Some people have no use for religion - I think it has been very useful.

Religion facilitates relationship - but relationship is clearly the goal.

The church transcends religious forms.

But we still value their contribution and way that they may still be helpful.

However, don’t confuse form with substance.

Questions for reflection:

What do you think about religion? What belief system did you grow up in and what did it teach you about God? In what ways was it helpful? And in what ways have you grown beyond it?

Have you answered the question, “who is Jesus?” How does the answer to that question inform who you are? Have you found that revelation to be a key that unlocks a whole new realm?

Have you learned to see the bigger picture? Does your religion seem tedious or is it liberating and gives you meaning and purpose? Do you see yourself as part of what God is doing in the world?