Bad Religion – Part 1

Clean cups, dirty hearts

Based on interactions with Christians, who would the world say that Jesus is angry at?

A few questions:

1. Should we expect culture to have and for Christianity?
2. Do we have for the Lords Supper?
3. Are we the heart of Jesus when we call out such ?

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“Isn’t it interesting how religious people, who are sinners themselves, love to label others who sin differently with the title of sinner. And isn’t it interesting how each generation of religious people has its own group that gets singled out and becomes the unwelcome guest at the table? In Jesus’ day, that group was tax collectors, a fact that may seem kind of ridiculous to us now…Yet, someone from two thousand years ago might find it completely bizarre that Christians today tend to single out and reject the LGBTQ+ community. Why would someone struggling with their gender identity or sexual orientation feel like church is the last place they would be accepted?” Jeff Jones, Rebranding Christianity

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Jesus was never on sin, but he was with sinners.

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Jesus’ toughest words, His most biting commentary, and sharp criticism, was not aimed at the openly sinful, but at the religious.

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Jesus called the Religious:

Hypocrites

Brood of Vipers

Poisonous snakes

Blind fools

Blind Guides

Sons of the Devil

Children of Hell

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Why? What were they doing that was so bad?

They studied scripture diligently (John 5:39)

They were the teachers and preachers (Mt 23:3)

They evangelized (Mt 23:15)

They tithed regularly (Mt 23:15)

They prayed (Mk 12:40)

They fasted (Lk 18:12)

They observed the Sabbath (Mk 2:18)

They religiously attended Synagogue and the Temple (Lk 18:9)

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Matthew 16:5-6

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Matthew 16:7

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Matthew 16:11-12

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A little leavens the whole lump.

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“No words that ever fell from the lips of our Lord were more scathing. It is a merciless condemnation. If you read this chapter carefully, it will blanch your own soul.” J. Venon McGee

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1. They didn’t what they preached.

Matthew 23:1-3

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2. Religion made people’s lives .

Matthew 23:4

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“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus

“Come, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will make it worse.” – Religion

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3. Religion is just a .

Matthew 23:5

⁵ “Everything they do is for show… (NLT)

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4. Religion keeps people out of the kingdom.

Matthew 23:13

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5. Religion can’t heal the heart.

Matthew 23:25-26

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Matthew 15:19-20

¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person…

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Luke 4:18 (KJV)

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Personal Notes: