Killjoy God

How many of us can agree that all nations on Earth have some pretty weird, restrictive and plain stupid laws? How about taxes? A plethora is just waiting to nab you for just living. To be a slave to the laws of the land is a way to control and beat down the population in submission to one voice. This same situation was happening over two thousand years ago, when Jesus was doing his ministry in Israel.

The problem now, as it was back in the day, is that for many in religion and politics is that

RELIGION FOCUSES ON THE EXTERNAL RATHER THAN THE INTERNAL

Think about that. Religion and politicians have focused their efforts on gaming to limit our enjoyment of many titles, pleading on child protection and moral ethics. What about those religious individuals protesting against cosplay? These same people probably let their kid go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Jesus understood the hypocrisy in these quote righteous individuals.

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 23

“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.

This analogy is perfect for those who cook with cast iron. The issue is rust. Any water residing or sitting in the vessel will rust. To just get the pot or pan back to cooking for requires much scouring or sandblasting, in severe cases, then the pan needs to be cleaned and properly seasoned. This is what Jesus is really focused on in these two verses. Today, many religious and political figures are just rusty on the inside while having gold plating on the outside. To give you an example of how bad it was back in Jesus’ time, here are a few facts about Jewish Law at the time.

God created only 10 laws (commandments)

Between the time of Moses to Jesus, an additional 600 laws were added

In regards to the Sabbath, there are 65 do’s & don’t

The manmade laws that were compiled in the 3rd century were on 800 pages alone

How can you think God wants us to be happy and joyful when you are burdened with all these rules and regulations made in His name?

Well, this is the task Jesus was given, besides to remit the sins of the world. Jesus, through his teachings and ministry stated...

YOU CANNOT EARN GOD’S ACCEPTANCE BY OBEYING THE LAW

Basically, removing 100% of the manmade laws, when being a Godly person, is the way God accepts you. To get a grip on this attitude, Jesus states famously,

English Standard Version Chapter 5

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Jesus has basically lifted a very heavy burden on the common individual, at the same time, relegating the Pharisees and other religious individuals, to that same common level. Jesus stipulates that just preforming work is not how God accepted you in the first place. He flatly states that works and deed are not the sole way to to win God’s favor. It is reiterated in Romans three 20 to 22

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 3

Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin.

GOD HAS SET THINGS RIGHT

21–24  But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him.

Now, before we go to the next point, I want to make things absolutely clear. The acts of reading the bible, prayer, being baptized and going to church are really acts of faith, and not just works by rote. The reason I state this is because Jesus did these things. He studied the Torah, He prayed, He was baptized and He attended church. Well, He had to attend because He was the minister.

So, if you have said that you do not follow religion because it has so many rules, welcome to the club. Religion is man-made. Faith is individual. Here at the Greater Guild, we are nondenominational because we see people as who they are, and are like us. We are all sinners. But, by not adhering to certain religious sects, we can effectively show everyone what Jesus’ ministry truly is, and why God accepts sinners when they put their faith in Jesus. And this brings me to my final point,

BEING RIGHT WITH GOD COMES BY FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE

It is specified in Romans three 22

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 3

The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him.

God is some one who believes in KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid. When the ancient Jews added to the 10 Commandments, faith turned into religion. God is about faith. Jesus is about that return to faith. It is that simple. Why? God sent Jesus to die on a cross so that the sins of the world is remitted. That sentence is the elevator pitch God and Jesus promote to this day. It is simple, easy to memorize and understand. When we have faith that God and Jesus is there for us, and we adhere to their basic principles, we are free of the burden of religion.

Now, if we can only do the same for our governments.

Now, before we get back to the game, I just want to pray for those today that heard this message, and feel that they want a relationship with a God who loves us and a saviour who died for us.

[PRAYER]

Thank you again for joining us. Just remember to visit us at greaterguild.com for updates and more. If you wish to donate, give your tithe, or give an offering, please head over to greaterguild.com/give. You can give through our secure payment system. Once done, you can continue to give through our website, or text. Information is available via our website.

So, from all of us here at the Greater Guild, have fun, be yourself, and be real, and we will see you in 10 minute to continue are gaming session.