Mar 11, 2007 Week 4 – A BIBLICAL EDUCATION – The Pattern

Patterns: The Danger of Being Religious

It is no more accurate to see the New Testament as love letters as it is as case law.  In reality, it is both.

(Mark 7:6-9)  "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

(Philippians 3:15-17)  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

(2 Timothy 1:11-14)  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

NOTICE That  PATTERNS ARE GUARDED WITH THE SPIRIT LIVING IN US.

          •       DO WE ACCEPT GOD’s TEACHING

          •       OR, HUMAN TEACHING AND TRADITONS?

-  Beings Religious, fundamentally boils down to following LEGALISTIC RULES:

- Pharisees The Pharisees constituted the most important group.

- They appear in the Gospels as the opponents of Jesus

- They were the most numerous of the groups - Josephus stated that they numbered about6000

- They controlled the synagogues and exercised great control over the general population

- No surviving writing gives us information about the origin of the Pharisees. The earliest reference to them is dated in the time of Jonathan (160-143 B.C.)

- "Pharisee" means "the separated ones"  -- separated themselves from the masses of the people or that they separated themselves to the study and interpretation of the law

- They appear to be responsible for the transformation of Judaism from a religion of sacrifice to one of law

- They were the developers of the oral tradition, the teachers of the two-fold law: written and oral

- They saw the way to God as being through obedience to the law:  They were the progressives of the day, willing to adopt new ideas and adapt the law to new situations

- The Pharisees opposed Jesus because He refused to accept their rules.

By Our Nature - We are rule breakers.  Our Covenant of Grace demands That we follow Patterns, not RULES

- LEGALISM is a theology dependent on moral law rather than faith.

           It Negates the ability of God to work Spiritualy in our lives.

THREE are 2 ASPECTS OF a Godly & Biblical

UNDERSTANDING

OF GRACE:

        1st:  ATTITUDE (FAITH & LOVE)

        2nd:  SPIRITUALITY

AND - THEY ARE DEMAND LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE

AS AN INTER-CONNECTED PATTERN

Consider:   Paul discussion with Peter     -   Galatians Ch 2

(Galatians 2:15-16)  "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

(Galatians 2:21)  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

  God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth, not those adhering to religious rules.

1.   attitude - a fixed way of thinking about FAITH and LOVE

        that is consistently reflected in our behavior.

(Philippians 2:5-11)  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2.  spirituality - relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things

(Galatians 3:1-3)  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

II.  Understanding a Pattern Means acting on a PATTERN in our Lifestyles and adhereing to a Spritual Worldview.

“Spirituality is the pattern by which we shape our lives in response to our experience of God as a very real presence in and around us...  To be spiritual is to take seriously our consciousness of God's presence and to live in such a way that the presence of God is central in all that we do.”  Howard L. Rice

A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will

worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of

worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must

worship in spirit and in truth.  John 4:23-24

(Matthew 10:28)  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body . . .

(Mark 8:36-37)  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Our souls, Our Spiritual Beings

III.  FINALLY, ----- Think!

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Rom 12:2

(Matthew 22:34-40)  Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

(Hebrews 4:12)  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

(Colossians 2:6-8)  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

(Luke 10:25-27)  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Conclusion.  Be Truly Religious—Follow this pattern.

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Life by lists = a recipe for failing God Desires for Us

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

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INVITATION:

PLEASE STAND NOW   AND   OPEN

YOUR Hymnals TO:

HE TOUCHED ME -  #504   (v 1 , 2)

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REFs

Why does God make an issue of what we believe and how we serve and worship Him? Because He is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24), not ritualistically and ignorantly. God wants to be worshiped from a heart that is responding to the truth about His love and grace.  It may sound complex, but it isn't. All God really wants is for us to know and love His Son. Good religion will follow (James. 1:26-27). From Religion or Christ: What's the Difference, RBC Ministries

(James 1:27)  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

From the beginning, religion has been dangerous. Long before the Japanese nerve-gas cult Aum Shinrikyo, people of faith have been killing one another in the name of God. Long before Waco and Jonestown, spiritual fervor has created a battleground where some have been saved and others have been lost.  The danger of being religious can be seen as early as our first parents. Adam and Eve's fatal mistake occurred in an attempt to be more like God. Their error was not that they stopped believing in God, but that they began believing in a way that had been forbidden.

Spirituality is the pattern by which we shape our lives in response to our experience of God as a very real presence in and around us...  To be spiritual is to take seriously our consciousness of God's presence and to live in such a way that the presence of God is central in all that we do. [Howard L. Rice, Reformed Spirituality, pp.45-46]

(Philippians 2:5-11)  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 12:2 (NASB95)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NASB95)

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

(Matthew 23:23-24)  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

(Acts 15:5-11)  Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

(Matthew 23:13-15)  "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 14  15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

The New Testament suggests that there is a pattern that is to be followed (Rom. 6:17, Heb. 8:5, 2 Tim. 3:3).  These uses of patterns suggest there are absolute requirements that must be followed. 

(Romans 12:2)  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

(Philippians 3:15-17)  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

(2 Timothy 1:11-14)  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.