Are you showing up to Church, or Coming to Christ?

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 14

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8  “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9  in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Why do you come to Church?

Do you come to Chrust for the music? The atmosphere?

where does your worship start?

Does your worship start when you put your church outfit on, when you put your bible in your sleeve, or when you unplug your ipad on sunday morning?

Where does your worship end?

Does your worship end when the Pastor says amen? does your worship end when nobody is looking at you.

I ask these questions because there is a clear separtation in this text from Christ, and the Pharisees.

You would think that the religious and political party that cared most for the word for word lettering of the law would notice the messiah right away.

Are we missing Christ in the middle of our Traditions and our rituals that we have made?

The Pharisees missed the mark in their worship because they had replaced it with a man made, self centered form of worship. Jesus tells us in Matthew 23 5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by men.

Showing up to Church is rigid and reuires external conformity , while Coming to Christ has spiritual unity with external diversity. (Verses 1-2)

English Standard Version Chapter 14

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”

In Marks accounts of these events he gives us this detail.

Mark 7 “1 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with defiled hands, that is, unwashed.

The keey word in this text is SOME. Not all the disciples where doing the same thing. Some where washing, some weren’t. Jesus wasn't reprimanding them for any external difference.

Man made religion only survives if everyone looks the same, everyone thinks the same, everyone is focused on the same external rituals.

We as the Church are not supposed to hold these small superficial things so close to our chest that anyone who doesnt like the same music, or uses an Ipad instead of a physical bible. Any of these things that people divide over not because its essential, but because it gives the appearance of holiness.

Wordly religion takes the easy way out. (3-6)

English Standard Version Chapter 14

3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.

Jesus doesn’t Aknkowledge there accusation, but instead highlights the hypocrisy in the system they are putting thier faith in.

Man made religion cannot save, so instead it takes the easy way out when it the heart of man is challenged. Man made religion see that Gods standard is to much to bear, and insteand of humbling itself before God, it replaces him with a God that is more managable.

When we come to Christ we are seeing that the law is a heavy burden, taht perfection is impossible, and that if it is up to us then we are doomed. We see our need for Christ, our need for the Cross, and our need for Gods holiness, not what ever cheap substitute we have created.

Settling for Traditions, and just showing up for Church Separates where Christ Unites us with God. (7-9)

English Standard Version Chapter 14

7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8  “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9  in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

Focusing on the External, outward rituals will not bring you closer to God. We can Even say Christs name, but if it is all for show then what does it matter? we can dispise others for not Following God, if our hearts are far from God Then it doesnt matter what we say.

The text tells us that this vain, useless worship is caused because we teach the doctrines of men. we elevate the law we made as God and worship it, calling it Christ.

Coming to Christ is different. We do not come to Christ because we want to look clean, or because we are already close to God, we come to Christ because we know that we cant do it by ourselves.