Religion is Just as Dangerous as Un-

I. Introduction
A. Last week: There are two kinds of sins. That means there are two kinds of temptations.
1. Satan loves to turn tax collectors into Pharisees.
2. In one sense that’s what happened to me. I was an atheist who came to Christ, but it didn’t take long before I was becoming a Pharisee.
3. It reminds me of Rm.11:17-22 where the Gentiles are warned: “be careful not to become proud, lest you too be cut off.”
B. Today’s sermon follows on last weeks.
C. Once again, in the background of this sermon is Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son.
D. Being religious introduces temptations of the older brother kind.
E. The same basic point as last week, but from a different perspective.
1. Prodigal son: the father represents God.
a. There are two kinds of sins: irreligious sins (like the younger brother) and religious sins (like the older brother).
b. One blatantly and flagrantly rejects the father.
c. But the older son rejects the father as well. And his rejection is just as profound. But the older son’s rejection is disguised. It doesn’t look like rejection.
II. Isaiah 1:11-17
A. He mentions burnt offerings of rams, bulls, lambs, goats. He refers to coming to appear before God, offering incense, new moon and Sabbath gatherings, appointed feasts and prayers.
B. These are all things God commanded in the law of Moses: in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy in particular.
C. And yet now He’s almost mocking the very things He commanded.
D. Look at the strong language He uses:
1. “What are these things to me?”
2. “I have had enough”
3. “I do not delight in these things.”
4. “Bring no more of these offerings.”
5. “It is an abomination to me.”
6. “I cannot endure this stuff.”
7. “My soul hates these things.”
8. “They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.”
9. “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you.”
10. “Even when you make many prayers, I will not listen.”
E. The things He once required of them He now hates and finds burdensome.
F. Even desperate, persistent prayer He rejects outright.
G. Now it’s important to notice here that it is not just that these religious things aren’t enough. The doing of these things – at least in this context – actually disgusts God.
1. They’re making their sacrifices and offering their incense. They’re keeping all the feasts and observing all the holy days. They’re attending the religious meetings and prescribed gatherings.
2. But God says, “I can’t stand it! I hate all of it! I am so tired of all your religious activity! It makes me sick!”
H. Now obviously these people are relying on their religious activity.
1. These things are meaningless — absolutely meaningless to God — and yet the people are proud of themselves and think God is proud of them as well.
2. Like the older brother, they thought that by doing the things the father requested, they were pleasing Him.
I. God commanded these things and now He’s angry they’re doing them. What’s going on?
J. But in both Isaiah 1 and in the parable of the prodigal son we find out that the father is not at all pleased by mere outward conformity. He is looking for those who will delight in His love and rejoice in His grace.
III. The problem of religious sin
A. There are forms in religion. In the OT there were sacrifices and feasts and cleansing ceremonies and incense offerings and circumcisions, etc., etc., etc. Things God commanded.
B. Even in the Christian religion there are forms, which God has given us.
1. Baptism, The Lord’s Supper, The church, Church leaders
2. The worship service: Scripture readings, Songs, Proclamation of His word, Prayer
C. Forms like this are necessary. We are physical beings and we live in physical world.
D. But forms, even God-commanded forms, can easily be misused by sinful man.
E. The forms are designed to reflect an inner reality.
1. E.g. prayer: talking to God or impressing people or making you feel better about yourself?
2. E.g. going to church: drawing near to God in the company of His people, listening to God, crying out to God, being refreshed in the glory and truth and grace of God OR feeling better about yourself, being with your friends, having a good time, spending time with nice people?
F. Forms of religion can easily be used instead of an in place of any inward reality.
1. You know why? Because it is much easier to do outward things than it is to have the right heart.
2. And in the end sinful people can care more about looking godly than being godly.
3. They can care more about being religious than about humbling themselves before God.
G. Sometimes it’s ignorance. Some people think the forms ARE the essence of man’s relationship to God. Some think that these forms ARE the heart of it.
1. But this is clearly not so. Many passages like Isaiah 1 make it clear that God is NOT at all pleased when people practice the forms of religion but don’t do it out of love for Him.
2. The forms are only meaningful with the right attitude, the right heart.
H. True religion involves deep humility before God. But sin is so tricky that man can be very religious and also very proud.
I. Paul was religious. Then he became a Christian.
1. He was really devout! “...circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:5-7)
J. I used to prize devoutness and passion above all other virtues.
1. But Paul was devout & passionate — before He met Christ. And his devoutness & passion led him to kill Christians.
K. For many, being religious means that you’re serious about the things of God. You have strong convictions.
1. And a Christian must be serious about the things of God and have strong convictions. I’m not trying to discourage that, obviously.
2. But Jesus attacked the religious people most of all.
3. And it wasn’t that the religion was false. It was that they embraced the religion falsely.
IV. Application
A. Do you know it’s possible to be doing things God commanded and yet grieving Him instead of pleasing Him? e.g. Matt.23 last week
1. Evangelistic zeal, overseas missions
2. Tithing
3. Prayer
4. Speaking to leaders with respect
5. Looking for ways to arrange your finances so you can give even more to the church
B. The Lord’s Prayer
C. Does baptism make you “safe”?
D. Religiousness means NOTHING to God.
1. There is no advantage being religious. In some ways it is a disadvantage.
2. Because religious sins are harder to discern.
3. Think about the sins of the Pharisees. They were not obvious and objective. On the outside, they looked clean. The problem was on the inside.
E. The question is not whether you are religious or not. The question is not whether you believe in God or not. The question is not whether you go to church or are baptized or take communion or...
1. Now all those are good things, and things God wants us to do.
2. But doing them is not the point.
3. The point is to be responsive to the love of God shown in Christ Jesus.
4. We want to be the performers on stage and have God cheer. But God wants us to be the audience cheering His performance. We want Him to be happy with us. But He’s more concerned with us being happy with Him.
5. The point is know God, the point is to trust God; the point is to joyfully and gratefully receive the grace and forgiveness and love of God.
6. That’s what God wants. Not because He needs it, but because He’s offered Himself to us and wants us to say yes! Because He loves us, He knows that the best thing for us is to open our hearts to Him and recognize the spectacular grace which He’s poured out upon us.