Relationships #2 - You don't rule over me
We are talking about how you should not be taken captive by traditions.
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Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Colossians 2:8a “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men…”
Don’t let the empty deceptions of the traditions of men take you captive. Traditions are different than truths that God has declared. Traditions are usually how we respond to what Jesus has said. When does a tradition turn into an empty deception that rules over you? One way to see this is to take a tradition in the church and imagine applying it to a church in the amazon jungle, or in a small eskimo town in the frozen north.
Evaluate these traditions in the church.
ordained or licensed: It is good to be trained and prepared. What if a group has no one who is ordained? What if there is no seminary?
suits, ties, beards, short hair: Well I went to a prayer meeting with my long hair. Everyday it seems I get the “You look like Jesus.” This was a Romanian prayer meeting and my long hair was causing a bit of a problem. There were several that assumed that I didn’t follow Jesus. They even asked if I wanted to give my life to Jesus. When they heard I was a missionary and a pastor from California the host of the prayer meeting went pale. If Jesus had long hair and a beard, why is this a problem in church?
“I don’t sin anymore”: In 1 John 1:8 it says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” I have met many pastors in other countries who believe the idea that they don’t sin anymore. I’ve noticed a pattern of pride, status, and power that gets added when they can say they are perfect. We all know that only Jesus is perfect.
“smoking” is sin: God judges the heart not the outward appearance. Jesus says in Matthew 15:8, “ 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.”
Story: Smoking at work. When I was in college I worked any job I could during the summers to pay for tuition. I worked for my dad when I’d come home on break. He had an insulation company that blew newly mixed insulation from the truck into the house. Each house insulation had to pass a test before dad could get paid the government subsidy money. I came home on break and there were dozens of tests sitting on a table undone. “Dad why are these not done? Don’t you need the money?” He walked out in frustration. I asked my brother what was going on. “Dad has to start a cigarette and place it upside down on end and let it burn through. container os insulation to see how much weight burns away. He can’t get the cigarettes to start.” I was an athlete and had many teammates who smoked. I had learned you have to pull air through the cigarette or breadstick to get it to burn. So, without hesitation I began to light each cigarette and record the weight and complete every test. I had never smoked before. It took 2 or 3 good puffs for each. I didn’t like the smoke smell, but somebody had to do it and it was either me or my brother. Did I sin?
the sanctuary, the pulpit, worship and the works of our hands: It’s a tradition to consider the church sanctuary and pulpit a holy place. We call worship and the works of our hands holy. What makes these holy and clean? God declares through the profit Haggai that someone unclean cannot make things clean. It says in Haggai 2:13-14, “Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?’ And the priests answered, ‘It will become unclean.’ Then Haggai said, " 'So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,' declares the LORD, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.” Jesus is the one who makes us clean so that through Him we can produce good fruit. We are unclean without Him.
membership and tax deductions for donations: It has become a practice for many denominations to follow non-profit organization laws in America and this has influenced the purpose of membership and donations.
the prayer team: To avoid someone praying out of order many churches have established prayer teams. I have personally been asked not to pray for people after a service in the sanctuary because I wasn’t on their prayer team of that church.
eyes closed and head bowed: As a kid I was taught to always close my eyes and bow my head when I prayed. It made sense to honor the Lord reverently as I prayed. Now I pray all the time even when I am driving. Should I close my eyes and bow my head while driving?
the doxology: We quoted the doxology every service since I can remember. It is a special tradition and can be a powerful prayer. What happens if we don’t pray the doxology?
Communion: For some orthodox religious groups they actually believe the bread and wine turn into Jesus’ body and blood all over again. This idea then requires someone special to handle the elements. Jesus said in John chapter 6 that we are to eat His body and drink His blood. This statement was hard for the disciples to hear and some followers left Jesus for saying it. Jesus then explained in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” Jesus was not talking about his physical body or physical blood. He was talking about the Spirit. We need God as Spirit to live inside us to give us life.
Prayer coaching: “Jesus I give you permission to confront me when I am wrong. Show me which traditions I have made more important than You and the truth. Correct me and tell me what to do. Turn me around and help get me on the right path.”