JESUS: His Answers                                                                    7-9-06

“Why Do You Break Traditions?”

Mark 7:1-13 (Colossians 2:8)     Audio

Back in April Pastor Norm preached from this same passage, but I have not been able to get away from the urging I have felt to re-visit these verses and talk further about the difference between Christianity based on Tradition and Christianity based on the Bible.

Read Mark 7:1-13.  Pray.

This is an amazing passage.  It is the heart of the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day.  On one hand stand the traditions of men; on the other hand stand the commands of God.

The word that is used repeatedly here, tradition(s), has to do with what was passed on orally from generation to generation. It’s not necessarily a negative term.  The Apostle Paul uses it several times in a positive sense.  But here is what had happened. God originally gave the Law to Moses around 1500 B.C. and he wrote it down.  In contrast to the Ceremonial Law, which was given in great detail, the Moral Law was generally given as great moral principles.  It didn’t go into all the details.  Men were left to interpret and apply the Law for themselves.

But in fifth and fourth centuries before Christ, there arose a class of legal experts known as Scribes.  These men had a passion for definition.  And they wanted these great moral principles given by God to be amplified and expanded and broken down until they had thousands upon thousands of little rules and regulations that covered every aspect of life.  So life now was no longer governed by moral principles but rather by minúte rules and regulations.

These were never written down until long after Jesus, and in His day were called the Oral Law, or the Tradition of the Elders.  And it is all these rules and regulations that Jesus is talking about here.

Rules and regulations and rituals and ceremonies and traditions, or the Word of God?

The Word of God had to do with the heart – loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself.  The Tradition of the Elders had to do with every aspect of our outward behavior, despite the condition of your heart.  As long as you looked good on the outside, the Pharisees were not all that concerned about a person’s heart.

It’s like the story of the Muslim man that William Barclay tells in his commentary on this passage. The man was pursuing his enemy with an upraised knife to murder him. But just then the call to prayer sounded.  So the man whose heart was intent on murder, unrolled his prayer mat, knelt down, said his prayers as quickly as possible, and then continued his murderous pursuit.  But he had dutifully said his prayers. 

That’s what Jesus is condemning here – religious motions by people whose hearts are not right with God.  On the outside they might look good, culturally they might be acceptable, but Jesus condemns them.  He calls them hypocrites; He says they have substituted human rules and traditions for the commands and the voice of God.

As I have thought about these verses for the past several weeks, I had a vague recollection of preaching on this subject of Biblical vs. Cultural Christianity somewhere in the past.  And I went to the records I keep of what I preach on and I found that back in September of 1992 we dealt with this subject.  How many of you were not here 14 years ago?  How many of you who were here 14 years ago remember what I said that morning?  (How many of you remember what Pr. Norm said in April?)

Modern American Christianity is often a mixture of both Cultural and Biblical Christianity.  Some of what we believe and do comes from the Bible, and some of it comes from our culture and from human tradition.  I want us to examine that this morning, with the prayer that we would identify and maybe even reject that which is simply cultural rather than Biblical, that which is simply tradition rather than Bible.

Jesus said that these people He was addressing had set aside the commands of God in favor of the traditions of men.  In churches across our nation today, the same thing is happening, and there are people who don’t even recognize it.  How well can you distinguish between what you do that is based on the Bible, and what is based on tradition?

It’s not that traditions are necessarily wrong, but when we elevate them to the level of Scripture, as the Pharisees had done, then we are imposing on people what God never intended to be imposed.  And the problem is especially severe when our traditions cause us to set aside the commandments of God in order to observe our traditions.

The Christianity of the Bible can adapt itself to every culture in every age.  Christianity can do that and still be Biblical.  If it cannot, then we in America have no hope, because Christianity was originally Jewish and Middle Eastern.  But Christianity can be adapted to the Western World.

But there are some areas where Christianity, in adapting to a culture, ceases to be Biblical.  And that’s what I want us to think about this morning.  Let me give you three areas where I see conflict between Biblical Christianity and our current American culture, areas where the church is in danger of holding to the traditions of men rather than the commands of God.

THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

What we believe about God will affect all the rest of our beliefs, and will affect how we live.  Last Sunday as we talked about Jesus wanting to set us free, I prayed for people to be set free from their wrong beliefs about God.  I see people who are crippled emotionally and spiritually because they believe things about God that are not true.

How does our culture view God?

Some would tell us that He is a Celestial Santa Claus.  We sit on his lap, tell him what we want, and he is obligated to bring that to us.  We have a want; we push his button; he gives us what we want.  And when he does not, we have every right to be angry with him.  He hasn’t come through on his part of the bargain.

Some would tell us that He is a Powerful Tyrant.  They fear him, but it’s not a healthy fear.  They see him as a colossal spoil-sport who has nothing better to do than to sit in heaven and dream up ways of spoiling our fun.  That’s what they think brings him pleasure – finding out what we enjoy, and then forbidding us to do it.

Some would tell us that he is not even interested in what is going on down here on earth.  He exists, but he is impersonal and not concerned about us poor mortals.  He has much better things to do than to spend his time involving himself with us.  He doesn’t listen to prayer, much less answer it.

The Bible tells us that God is indeed a God of compassion, and mercy, and grace, and patience.  But the Bible also tells us that He is a God of holiness, and justice, and anger, and judgment.  Human tradition so often takes just one or two aspects of God’s character and emphasizes those while ignoring the other aspects of His character.  Only in the Bible will you find God described in all of His fullness.  Ex. 3:7 God says: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them…”

He is described as a Father.  That’s what Jesus called Him.  That’s how Jesus instructed us to pray: “When you pray, say ‘Our Father in heaven’”.  Think about your own view of God: Do you see Him as a perfect Father, or do you see Him as a tyrant, a celestial Santa Claus, a detached, disinterested deity far, far away from you?

A perfect father loves and cares for and provides for his children.  He protects his children.  He has time for them.  He does what is in their best interests, even when they think they know better than He does what is best for them.  He is willing to endure their disappointment and even their anger to do what he knows is best for them.

And that is the God of the Bible.  He won’t always give you what you want.  He will give you what He knows is best, and He knows when is best.  He has time for you.  He is committed to caring and providing for you, protecting you, even disciplining you when you need it.

Don’t nullify the Word of God by believing the traditional view of God that will come to you from this culture.  Only the God of the Bible is worthy of your worship.  Only the God of the Bible can fulfill the deepest needs of your heart.  The Character of God.

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.

If Satan can get you to believe that the Bible is just another religious book, one of the many good religious books in our world, then he has you right where he wants you. 

Some believe that the Bible is outdated.  It really doesn’t have much to say to our 21^st century American culture.  It simply reflects the thinking of people who wrote it nearly 2000 years ago.  How can you possibly believe that what they thought clear back then is more accurate than what our modern scientific minds are discovering today?

In the area of ethics, in the area of morals, in the area of science, in the area of business, in the area of government, in the area of medicine, the Bible is hopelessly outdated, some say.

When we can now test the amniotic fluid surrounding the unborn baby and discover he or she has genetic defects, when we can use ultra-sound and see that the baby is malformed, that makes the Biblical prohibitions of abortion out of touch with reality.  That’s what many people believe today.  The Bible is out of date.

When we now have contraceptives that can prevent diseasse and unwanted pregnancy, and since sex is so much a part of our modern way of life, the Biblical prohibitions of sex  outside of marriage are out of touch with today’s reality.  The Bible is just out of date, they say.

Some believe that the Bible has a lot of wonderful sayings in it.  The Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – that’s a wonderful saying.  The Lord’s prayer – it’s such a wonderful saying – let’s repeat it every time we get together. 

Or the 23^rd Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  Or that one in Philippians: “My God will supply all my need according to His riches in Glory.”  The book of Proverbs is also filled with good sayings.  You can find all sorts of things in there that go good in speeches, whether it’s a political speech, or an after dinner speech. 

The Bible is a great source book of material.  But so are all the great religious classics.  They all have wonderful sayings in them.  But the Bible is nice when you need something profound to say, some people believe.

Some believe that the Bible is a good guidebook.  There is a lot of wisdom for living in the Bible.  “A good name is to be more desired than great riches.”  “A fool always loses his temper; but a wise man holds it back.”  “Let every man be quick to hear, slow to anger, and slow to lose his temper.”  “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.”  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Those are all good guidance for our lives.  Even if you don’t believe in God, those are good guidance for you.  They will help you live a more peaceable and happy life.  And there are a lot of people who are not committed to Jesus, but they take sayings from the Bible and endeavor to live their lives by them.  A good guidebook for life – that’s what some believe.

Some believe that the Bible contains the Word of God.

This one is more sneaky.  Beneath the made-up stories, beneath the folklore, beneath the legends and myths in the Bible you will find God attempting to speak to us.  This position is taken by many today who claim to be Christians, but who do not believe in the full inspiration of the Bible. 

They believe that God was behind the writing of the Bible, but that He only inspired the ideas and left the men who wrote to write however they pleased, complete with mistakes, inaccuracies and made-up stories.

The problem with this is: who is to say what is the Word of God and what is the word of man?  If the Bible only contains the Word of God, who is to say what is of God and what is of man?  Nothing is certain if you believe this teaching.  And I can throw out anything I don’t like in the Bible because if I don’t like it, it must not be of God.  I can still call myself a Christian and live any way I please, ignoring God’s command to live a holy life because that’s probably just something man made up.

Which brings us now to the position that has been held historically by Christians, and which is held by this church:

The Bible is the eternal, authoritative Word of Almighty God.

This is what the Bible itself teaches.  2 Timothy 3:16 & 17 says: All Scripture is God-breathed & is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting & training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

All Scripture is inspired by God.  I have been in the book of Chronicles in my morning devotions this week – chapter after chapter with lists of who begat who.  Or is it “whom”?  But even the genealogies are inspired by God.  The poetry of the Psalms and Proverbs and Job, the prophetic books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the history of Genesis and Exodus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, the letters of Romans and Ephesians and all the others, the apocalyptic literature of Daniel and Revelation, it’s all inspired of God.

And it’s useful – all of it is useful.  As the New Living Translation says –  useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NLT)

And then as it says in James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. God’s Word is to be authoritative in our lives.  We are to take it seriously and be obedient to it, for it is God speaking to us. 

Is your view of the Bible cultural and traditional, or is it Biblical?  Is it to you a “good book”, or is it the one and only “God book”, the final authority for all things in your life?  Do I evaluate everything the world tell me in light of what the Bible says, or do I evaluate what the Bible says in light of what the world tells me?  The answer to that question tells you whether your view of the Bible is cultural or Biblical.

SEXUAL MORALITY.

I once heard Dr. Dean Edell, who used to dispense medical advice on T.V. and radio say: “Religions are going to have to change their definition of sin.  Medical evidence is proving that homosexuality is a genetic thing, not a moral thing.  Some more enlightened religious people are already changing their attitude toward this condition.  After all, don’t all religions change and develop through the years?”

His implication is that sin is whatever we religious people decide to call sin, and if we would just agree to stop calling something a sin, then everything would be ok.  And besides, if you are an enlightened person you have already stopped calling some of these sexual things sin.  It’s an example of cultural Christianity in contrast to Biblical Christianity.

When it comes to sin and holiness, there is more disagreement between Biblical Christianity and cultural Christianity than at almost any other point.  God’s moral standard for our lives is much different than the world’s standard, the standard that comes from the changing traditions of men.

How do we as Christians go about defining sin?

Is pre-marital sex a sin?  Is living together without marriage a sin?

Is adultery a sin?  Is homosexuality a sin?  Is abortion a sin?

Is pornography a sin?  Is drunkenness a sin? Is lying a sin?

In conveniently forgetting to report income on your tax form a sin?

Is not loving your neighbor a sin?  Is refusing to forgive a sin?

How do we as Christians define sin?  The world, as represented by Dr. Edell, thinks sin is something we religious people got together on and decided to call it a sin.  And if we can just get enough of us to vote their way, then that particular thing will no longer be a sin.  Is that how sin is determined?

Biblical Christianity defines sin as any thought, word, attitude, motive, or action contrary to the will of God.

And the will of God can be found in either a positive command or a negative command.  When the Bible says “You must not” and I do, it’s a sin.  And when the Bible says “You must” and I don’t, it’s also a sin.

When it comes to sex, God has some pretty well-defined commands.  One of the 10 Commandments says: “You shall not commit adultery”.  Adultery is a sexual encounter between a married person and someone other than their spouse.  Our culture allows it.  God forbids it. 

Another word used in the Bible is “fornication”.  That is a broader term and would include single people as well as married people.

Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality…

1 Corin. 6:9-10 Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality (pornea, from which we get the word “pornography”). All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Our culture says: “What’s the big deal?  As long as you practice safe sex, as long as it’s consensual, as long as you both enjoy it, how can it be wrong?”  I like the bumper sticker that says “Any sex that can send you to hell is not safe sex.”

Cultural Christianity, the Christianity of traditions, is Christianity that has been shaped by its culture rather than shaping its culture.  It is no longer the same as Christianity has been historically.  In past generations Christianity has been a much more powerful force in shaping America than it is today.  We are living in what many are calling the “Post Christian Age” in our country.

Yet within our culture we are to be a people who think & act differently than others.  We are to be a people whose thought processes & whose actions are shaped by the Bible rather than by traditions, by the culture around us.

Is that the kind of Christian you are today?  Are you a Biblical Christian, or a cultural Christian?  Have you set aside the commands of God in order to observe the traditions of this world – in your view of God, in your view of the Bible, in your view of sex?  If you have, you need to repent of that sin today, and to make a fresh commitment to Jesus, to hold to His commands rather than to the traditions of men.