Religion alone will never cause you to lift your head

Service Notes

Pictures from NYC

“One of the most effective tools that Satan has used to keep people away from a relationship with the living God is dead religion.”

Love name of the churches. Pastor of Living Hope is here.

Bible Reading

Miracle only recorded in Luke

Comes right on the heels of a story about repentance

Mirror Miracle - Seen miracles in Luke 4,5,6 and seen the Pharisee’s responses

Second incident of a healing on Sunday

Luke 13:10–22 (KJV 1900)

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. (This is the last time Jesus is recorded to have taught in a synagogue or even to have been in one.)

11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. (Behold signifies she walked in after everything started. She might have been late but she was there. If I had been crippled for eighteen years, I wonder if I would be faithful to worship God week after week in the synagogue?)

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

“Religion alone will never cause you to lift your head and praise your Creator”

Religion can be marked by bondage, but Jesus brings freedom.

"We are foolish to think that spiritual issues cause all physical problems, but we are also foolish to think spiritual issues can never cause physical problems."

These women has been limited and in pain for this for 18 years

Tinsley suggested I play the role of the old, woman who moves slow and cant bend

She walked as if she was looking for the grave

She did not look upon the stars

Her entire life has been altered by this

She would receive no comfort from the religious crowd who saw suffering only as a result of her sin (remember previous story)

Not only does Satan bow people down, but so do sin, sorrow, and suffering.

Sin

Psalm 38:6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

Sorrow

Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.

Suffering

Psalm 44:25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

But in spite of all her years of going to the synagogue, this woman was in bondage to this debilitating illness that Jesus ascribes to Satan. As such, she is a picture of the millions who attend religious services every week for years, but they live in spiritual bondage to sin and to the prince of darkness. They are often sincere people, but they are bent over under the load of sin and guilt. The religious system tolerates their bondage and perhaps even shrugs it off as accepted. But it can’t deliver them from it. What they need is what this woman experienced, a personal encounter with the living Lord Jesus Christ.

“One of the most effective tools that Satan has used to keep people away from a relationship with the living God is dead religion.”

What do we mean by dead religion?

Matthew 15:8-10 “8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:”

Story follows the story of the unfruitful fig tree

NYC doesn’t need another one of these

GA certainly doesn’t need another one

True Christianity has something that is propriety

Proprietary: something that is used, produced, or marketed under exclusive legal right of the inventor or make

Religion: The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.” In that respect, Christianity can be classified as a religion.

Christianity has a key difference that separates it from other belief systems that are considered religions. That difference is relationship with a all powerful and loving God.

All religions are trying to get to the top of the mountain to attain peace with the Creator. Christianity knows the Creator came down to us so we can know Him.

During his crossing of the Atlantic, John Wesley had been on board with a bunch of German Moravians who had a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. During a storm at sea, Wesley was gripped by fear for his life, but these people were singing praises to God. When he got back to England, he started attending their meetings. On May 24, 1738, as Wesley listened to a brother read from the preface of Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans, he felt his heart “strangely warmed.” From then on, Wesley declared, he had only “one point of view—to promote so far as I am able vital, practical religion; and by the grace of God to beget, preserve, and increase the life of God in the souls of men” Wesley’s phrase, “the life of God in the souls of men,” is the difference between dead religion and the power of reality with the Lord Jesus Christ. A Skevington Wood, The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church [Zondervan], ed. by J. D. Douglas, p. 1034).

Religion can lack compassion, but Jesus never overlooks the hurting

Jesus sees people differently than the religious leaders do

Jesus saw her as a sheep with no shepherd. Religious leaders, at best, didn’t see her at all and if they did see her they did not see her value to their lives.

Luke 13:14 “14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

Jesus gave several compelling reasons why it was appropriate to show her mercy

She was a woman—made in the image of God, and because a woman and not a man, worthy of more care and concern.

She was a daughter of Abraham, a Jewish woman, with a covenant connection to Abraham. This may also indicate that she was a woman of faith, as well as her attendance at synagogue.

She was one whom Satan had bound, and every day is a good day to oppose the work of Satan and to set free his captives.

She was afflicted for eighteen years, long enough to suffer greatly and to draw forth the compassion of Jesus and others.

Jesus has no interest in their religious games or rank and status

Now all of a sudden she becomes the centerpiece of the whole day.

Jesus reveals His utter indifference to their perception of privilege.

Jesus reveals His complete indifference to their sense of achievement.

Jesus has no affection for their honor system.

Jesus elevates one they would seek to sweep away.

Religion can be hypocritical but Jesus is truthful and always sincere.

Luke 13:15 “15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?”

Saying “not one hates a bad cop more than a good cop” Let is also be true of us . No one dislikes false teachers more than Bible teachers. Brings bondage.

Emphasis on loosening

The woman was loosened from her infirmity.

The animals are loosened to get water

Sabbath is often a point of contention in the Gospels

Luke 13:14 “14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.”

Of all the things that could be covered, only 89 chapters in the Gospel

6 sabbath controversies / 4 stories in Luke

Luke is a Gentile writing to Gentiles / you would expect this from Matthew

Sabbath represents the false teaching that hangs over the head of so many

Religion loves to distort God’s gifts; the Sabbath was a gift from God not bondage.

Cannot fully understand the battle of the Sabbath

Remember they were protecting their understanding of the 10 Commandments

It would be like stealing in front of us each Sunday in church

During time of captivity and scattering there was little they could do to protect their culture

Keeping the Sabbath was at the very root of preserving who they are as a people.

Jesus points out their hypocrisy

Luke 13:15 “15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?”

Jesus points out the double standard

What they would do for animals they wouldn’t do for people.

Isn’t this a matter of “ought” Luke 13:16 “16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”

LORD’S LESSON: It is possible that in the midst of true religion and in an effort in safeguard Scriptural matter. It is possible for us to go far beyond what the Bible teaches and bind people in our application.

Example:

Some mainline churches that would have a prayer book that the pastors would read lest they say things they should not.

Charles Wesley started preaching in fields and people said it can’t be done it is too casual

Saturday, 31, 1739 In the evening I reached Bristol and met Mr. Whitefield there. I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which he set me an example on Sunday; I had been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin if it had not been done in a church.

We must be careful in taking the place of the religious leader and adding heaviness around the necks of people

Teaching of Christ is the focus of the passage and must be for our life

Luke 13:10 “10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.”

Creating a way of life on anything outside of Scripture creates bondage

Building a community around anything besides God Word would leave us to protecting it with the anger of the rulers.

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name

On Christ the solid rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

A frame as in a structure that gives shelter and security: I will not trust in the sweetest and most secure shelter on earth but instead trust wholly in Jesus’ name

A frame as in a body: I will not trust in myself or any other person, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name)

A frame as in a frame of mind: I will not trust in any other idea or truth, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name)

A frame as in an advantage or benefit: I will not trust in any advantage or benefit I receive, except in trusting Jesus’ name)

Religion can be joyless and angry, but Jesus brings fulness of life

Luke 13:14 “14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.”

Jesus messes up the life of the religious, but He is to be our lives

Religious rulers saw jesus as disruptive to His life.

The woman in need saw jesus as Life giving.

We see a living example of the barren fig tree in this man

He did not have the courage to express his anger to Jesus, so he scolded the congregation!

A new life in Christ transforms us from the inside out

Look at different responses “one was angry” the other were “all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.”

Anger is a deed of the flesh, but joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Closing Story

Luke 13:18–22 (KJV 1900)

18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

If you like this story there is more to come

Parable of the mustard seed

The parable of the mustard seed illustrates that ultimately, Jesus will triumph over all!

The woman’s three measures of flour were equal to about 39 liters or 50 pounds of flour, a large amount. The point is that just a

Parable of the measure of meal

small amount of leaven was all that was needed to permeate this large mass of dough.

“I have not only sin this mustard sin grow and run through out this world. But I have seen it spread throughout my heart and this church and grow us in ways we would never imagine”

Jesus made all the difference in this woman’s story. He made all the difference in our story.

Life your head today and worship!!

Jesus has loosened us from the bondage of false teaching. He is the reason we rejoice today!!

We will sing “my hope is built on nothing less”

Understand what it means “to trust not the sweetest frame” sing it with all your heart

Look around and see other people that God has lifted their head

YOU HAVE BEEN LOOSENED OR FREE TO GLORIFY GOD. SO DO IT!

If you can’t rejoice with us today, let me let you in on the celebration