Man Made Religion

Zechariah  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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What does God Want?

There is a question concerning fasts that the people are doing
Fasts that correspond to the fall of Jerusalem
destruction of the temple
going into captivity
the people declared the fast to mourn and remember
the rule might have been a good idea at the time
but what was the motivation?
to remember the reason for the trials… their sin and rejection of God
or is it a day of mourning the loss
now that the temple is well on its way to being completed
now that the people are coming back into the land
we was just wondering if we had to continue these fasts
what does God want us to do?
read Zechariah 7 1-14
Pray

The Delegation

Zechariah 7:1 LEB
And then, in the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev.
it is now two years later
Zechariah 1:1 LEB
In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, saying,
the people have been in captivity a little over 70 years
this fast has been going on longer than some have been alive
can we end this thing?
Zechariah 7:2 LEB
And the people of Bethel sent Sharezer and Regem-Melech, and their men, to entreat the favor of Yahweh,
we want to end this, but we also want to do what God wants
we are here to receive word from Him
I think that if their predecessors would have asked of the Lord
Shall we begin a fast?
the answer would be no
Zechariah 7:3 LEB
saying to the priests of the house of Yahweh of hosts and to the prophets, “Should I mourn in the fifth month and keep myself separate as I have done for these many years?”
we are doing what we have been taught to do
and we are not sure we have to
These men are sincerely wanting answers from God
as should we be seeking the right answer
maybe there is a belief or religious practice that we do
Is this right?, is this true?
is this God ordained or man ordained
is this true according to God’s word? or a man made theology
why do we do this anyway?
A behaviour experiment
They put a ladder in the room and on top of the ladder bananas. Whenever an ape tried to climb up the ladder to get a banana the ape was instantly sprayed with cool water. But not just this ape, the whole group (collective punishment)
The apes stopped trying to get to the bananas; and not just that. Whenever a hungry ape tried to climb the ladder they were attacked by the rest of the group
After a while a slow replacement started.
They removed one ape after another from the original group and replaced them with new apes. Every new ape tried, of course, to get the bananas – and was attacked by the group.
Eventually all original apes were replaced by new apes, who never were sprayed with cool water, yet those apes kept attacking ape members that tried to get to the bananas, though not a single of the new apes experienced a punishment.
These men were saying do we have to keep the traditions?

God’s Answer

Zechariah 7:4 LEB
And the word of Yahweh of hosts came to me, saying,
Zechariah 7:5 LEB
“Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?
was this something that I wanted?
was this something I ordained you should do?
did you do this because I was hurt because of your sin?
was you mourning on My behalf?
Zechariah 7:6 LEB
And when you eat and drink, are you not eating and drinking for yourselves?
Zechariah 7:7 LEB
Are not these the words that Yahweh proclaimed through the former prophets, when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were inhabited and at ease, and the Negev and the Shephelah were inhabited?’ ”
These are not new
these instructions are the same ones that you had from the beginning
when times were good you had your religious ceremonies
but your attitudes toward them were what can I get out of this
not that this is to the glory of God
Westminster shorter catechism: the first question is what is the chief end of man?
Answer: Mans chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever
the religious traditions and rituals most are man made and its been forgotten why it was started
and they have become drudgery
Is God glorified in this?
Because of doing this, are we enjoying God?
our life is it enjoying God? or a drudgery?
our religious practices reading the Bible?
should we? yes
be honest with yourself, are you enjoying God by it?
prayer, going to church,
do you come exited to meet with God and His people?
do you come exited to bring a praise or scripture to share?
do you come exited to serve others?

God’s Remedy

I never asked you to fast.
these rituals that you made up
it’s surprising the answer God has
it’s nothing to do with fasting, feasting, sacrificing, tithing, singing, studying
going to church
Zechariah 7:8–10 LEB
And the word of Yahweh came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Judge with trustworthy justice, and show steadfast love and compassion to one another. You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the needy. You must not devise evil in your heart against one another.’
love one another
be compassionate to one another
don’t take advantage of people
don’t Judge wrongly
you see they were doing all of the religious things out of duty
but their relationships were showing the heart
its all about me self self self
James says
James 1:26–27 LEB
If anyone thinks he is religious, although he does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Jesus said “if you love me Keep my Commandments”
2 John 5 LEB
And now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but one that we have had from the beginning), that we should love one another.
our greatest goal should be to glorify God
a lot of religious rituals start with this goal
but over time the ritual loses its meaning becomes a drudgery
we have to be kept reminded of the important things of God
to love one another
1 Corinthians 10:31–33 LEB
Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God. Give no offense both to Jews and to Greeks and to the church of God, just as I also please all people in all things, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of the many, in order that they may be saved.
we glorify God by loving others
that is not the only way but its what we are looking at today
but
Zechariah 7:11–12 LEB
But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from listening. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that Yahweh of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from Yahweh of hosts.
because they would not listen to the warnings
they had to be disciplined
Zechariah 7:13–14 LEB
‘Thus, just as I called and they would not hear, so they will call and I will not hear,’ says Yahweh of hosts. ‘And I scattered them with a wind among all the nations that they had not known; the land was made desolate behind them— no one crossing through it or returning—and they made the desirable land a desolation.’ ”
they are coming out of captivity
they were in captivity because of their selfishness
their God given religion became a ritual, without the love
1 Corinthians 13:1–3 LEB
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and I know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I parcel out all my possessions, and if I hand over my body in order that I will be burned, but do not have love, it benefits me nothing.
what does Jesus say in Matthew
Matthew 25:34–40 LEB
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world! For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you as a guest, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’
what is our motivation?
to do what we like?
to do the religious thing?
to do the ritual?
God has told us what pleases Him
without faith it’s impossible to please God
love one another
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