Breaking the Religious Cycle
Notes
Transcript
Handout
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Announcements
Introduction
Introduction
Glad to be back in our Gospel Story series for this week and next.
Open your Bibles to the book of Judges 2.
The book of Judges chronicles life in Israel after the conquests of Joshua. It’s a time when God would rule over his people without a king.
Yet during this time, over and over again, the people would turn from Him and He would raise up a judge to deliver them only for them to run from Him again.
When you hear the word judge, you are probably like me and think of judge judy or judge joe brown delineating out justice with a hint of attitude.
The word judge here in Hebrew represents more of a ruler or commander. Each of the judges acted in such a way that they lead the Israelites out of a repressive situation from their enemies in some form.
This cycle in judges is one I’d like to present to you as the Cycle of Religion
When I say religion I want to be clear in what I am speaking of. I am speaking of a system of rites, obligations, and rituals that one believes brings them acceptance and love from God.
Let me give you an example:
Some of you may be like me and have only been apart of a baptist or non-protestant church. Many of you though have had experience in catholic or protestant churches that put a major emphasis on sacrements or obligations.
Because of my lack of experience with those types of organizations I have to tell you I was shocked to hear of something called “Holy Obligation Days.”
These are days that your attendance to church or mass is required. If you miss, you should go to confession because you have sinned and cannot recieve communion. If you recieve communioin you commit the mortal sin of sacrilege.
A mortal sin is one that if not confessed before death, leads to damnation...
Wow. I mean…wow
To live under that type of repressive ideology would be cause a constant state of guilt and fear.
Some of us as Bible Believing Christians put ourself under this undue burden but don’t have to.
In Judges, I believe we see just that. We see a Cycle of religion that plays out in the hearts of the Israelites and is worked out through their turning away. They had forgotten the grace of God, they had forgotten the mercy of God, they had forgotten the wrath and judgement of God that was seen in the desert and during Joshua’s conquest.
I believe, that when you truly understand and accept who God is, what God has done, and who you are in light of Jesus Christ, you can truly live under the grace that is provided. Until then, there is this burden of guilt that makes you feel as though you are not good enough.
Today we are going to examine the religious cycle as seen in the book of Judges and it is my prayer you will see how the gospel breaks that cycle.
Let me ask you something before we read these verses: Do you struggle to believe you are enough for God? Do you find yourself believing that if you did this or did that He would love you more? What would it mean to you to know, you are enough?
Follow along as I read
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:
12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.
13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
PRAY
The first part of the religious cycle is rebellion
I. Rebellion
I. Rebellion
Rebellion to a religious system is mandatory to each person who partakes in it.
Why? Because the law was given to show our need for a savior. It was given with the understanding that we would never be able to keep it.
And when you break the law, sacrement, vennial sin, mortal sin, or otherwise, you find yourself in rebellion.
Now the Israelites in Judges went a whole step further than just forgetting a holy day or neglecting prayer.
They completely turned from God and worshipped he false gods of those around them.
Why? I believe, their rebellion was because of their believing their acceptance by God was based upon their behavior.
I know that may sound contrary to many’s understanding of the Old testament but hear me, more importantly, hear the Bible.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
If you remember back in January as we were going through Genesis, which I’m sure you do. But for those that might have not been here that day.
The Abrahamic coveneant was sealed with what’s known as a cutting ceremony. In short, there were animals that were cut in half and laid out creating an aisle that both parties of the covenant would walk down showing their agreement to fulfill the part or be subject to the same fate as the animals. In short, Abraham never walked down that aisle. God was the only one who passed through that aisle.
What does that mean? It means that it was an unconditional covenant made to Abraham and his descendants. Regardless of what they did and who they were, they would always be God’s chosen people.
They would always have a relationship with Him.
Just like a parent always has a relationship with their child.
This was a covenant, a promise, of unconditional love and acceptance. All Abraham and his descendants had to do, was accept it.
It’s been accurately said that “Rules without relationship breeds rebellion.”
Does that mean the rulemaker doesn’t have or desire a relationship with the one who is to abide by the rules? Not necessarily. It could be that the one who is to abide by the rules doesn’t desire a relationship or isn’t pursuing the relationship with the rulegiver.
One of the excuses I’ve heard from people when I’ve had the opportunity to witness to them and ask about being saved is “I don’t want to change my lifestyle.”
They don’t want to live underneath the umbrella of someone’s rules.
It’s like the child who won’t follow the rule of not touching the outlet with a fork. We would say it’s foolish and “he’ll learn the hard way.”
I wonder if God doesn’t see us sometimes and say the same thing. “I tried to tell you, I guess you’ll learn the hard way.”
How can we keep ourselves from rebellion? Try really really hard? No.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
We follow Him.
As we grow in our understanding of who God is, what God is done, and what that truly means to us, we find ourselves developing less of a contempt for the “dos and don’ts” and more of an appreciation for our God who loves us.
Rebellion comes from a lack of relationship.
When rebellion reared it’s ugly head with the Israelites, they then found themselves in the second step of the cycle of religion.
II. Reprimand
II. Reprimand
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
God brought judgment on the Israelites for their rebellion by turning them over to their enemies.
I want to clear up what I believe to be a misunderstanding in this area of God’s reprimanded.
When we disobey the biblical truths and principles we find in scripture, we can expect to find ourselves 1. Apart from God 2. heading toward death and destruction
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
What does that mean? I believe that we often look at the results of our sin as some divine punishment from God. When it comes to assuming that I would be very careful as a believer.
We must remember that when we trust in Jesus as our Savior our sins are forgiven. We are delivered from the sting of death.
When beleviers sin, it will have natural consequences.
Let me give you an example: Drunkeness is sin. To be drunk or under the control of any substance that affects your cognitive ability like being drunk, is sin. If I get drunk and then drive and wreck. Was that a divine intervention from God or a natural consequence of my sin?
I would say a natural consequence. Why make this distinction? Because we believe that God’s constantly punishing us for some sin, we are still living under the burden and yoke of it.
Jesus said
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I don’t believe that is just about work. I believe that is speaking about the mental and emotional burden and yoke we put ourselves under when we continue to live under sin and the law.
The natural consequence of sin is a reprimand from God because he established the order of the universe but is not always divine intervention if you will.
I hope that makes sense and is a help to you.
God isn’t like zeus standing on mount Olympus with a lightening bold ready to zap you every time you sin.
When we sin though, in the cycle of religion or in a relationship, we should have Repentance.
III. Repentance
III. Repentance
In our passage today you’ll see that there is no mention of repentance for the nation of Israel but if you read through judges you see times they cried out to God.
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
Now, if they were “repenting” like this throughout the book of Judges why was it not mentioned here?
I beleive, it is because they did not have true repentance, they had regret.
They regretted their decision and wanted out of the circumstances. This is the same thing a child does when they get caught doing something fun they were not supposed to do.
They did not feel bad about doing it, they hated they got caught.
Regret can look like repentence, the difference is what happens after the “regret” is expressed and the situation is resovled.
True repentance leads to a turning away from whatever it was. Regret, leads to going right back to it in new ways to not get caught.
Which do you experience when you sin? Regret or Repentance?
Regret you didn’t live up to the image you have concocted in your mind of the type of Christian you should be? Maybe regret that other people saw the type of Christian you are so now you have lost credibility in their sight?
Or Repentance because the God of the universe that created you and sent His Son to die for you knowing the sin you would commit still gave his life so that you would spend eternity with him and have a relationship with him on earth and in Heaven and each time you sin, you drive the nail further into his hands?
A cycle of religion leads to regret…not repentance.
Because of the mercy and grace of God, even in a religious cycle you will find
IV. Redemption
IV. Redemption
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
God provided these Judges as a redemption and deliverance from the consequences of their sin.
Stepping back from the day to day practical things of life let me speak to you about the eternal application of this.
In God’s mercy and love, he delivered these people knowing they would ultimately turn from Him again. Why? Because he had promised to.
Do you know what else he has promised
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.
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.
That if you believe on Jesus ,He will save you and deliever you from an eternal damnation.
The gospel by which we are saved is the death burial and resurrection of Christ.
One of the truths of the gospel that we need to better understand is the forgiveness of God and love of God that was exhibited on the Cross.
that type of love is a character trait of God’s. It was present here in the Old Testament and it is present in the New.
Being in a cycle of religion you find yourself like the Judges. Knowing there is a God. Knowing that God has rules or desires for how you should like your life. Regretting breaking them but never truly repenting of the sin and improving your relationship with Him.
Sure you can go light a candle, say a hail mary, and then what do you do? You go right back out into the world. This is because you like the idea of Jesus as your Savior but not as your Lord
I love the phrase “Jesus is either Lord of all or not Lord at all.”
So which is He to you?
How can He become Lord of all in your life? I believe that comes from understanding the answers to my questions at the beginning.
Do you struggle to believe you are enough for God? Do you find yourself believing that if you did this or did that He would love you more? What would it mean to you to know, you are enough?
If you struggle to beleive you are enough for God, know that you are enough for Him as evidenced by His Son dying on the cross for you.
Do you believe that doing this or that leads to Him loving you more or less? You shouldn’t. God loves you, period. No act will make him love you or accept you less or more.
What would it mean to your life and the lives of those around you if you truly accepted that you are enough? For me, when I finally realized that who God created me to be in Christ was enough. Flaws and all, it made me realize I don’t have to be someone I’m not. I don’t have to pretend and put on a show. I don’t have to live under this burden of thinking if I mess up or do something wrong that God will love me less, punish me, or no longer accept me.
That’s what living in the freedom of the gospel means. To live free from the burden and yoke that is placed on you because of your misunderstanding of God’s love and redemption from sin.
Time of Response
Time of Response