Introduction: (To introduce this sermon I played a short video clip showing a man washing his truck. The truck is parked in front of a house in the driveway. As you watch the video the man is meticulous in his washing. He covers every inch of the truck. He polishes the chrome. He washes every wheel with the utmost detail. He is obviously proud of the truck. As the video concludes the man opens the door of his truck. He plans to get in and drive away. As he opens the door you see trash (paper, cans, etc) piled deep on the floor of the truck. Obviously, the trash did not get there overnight. It has been a steady accumulation. As the man gets into the truck he does nothing with the trash. Some of the trash falls onto the ground. The man drives away with some trash laying on the ground and the rest in the place where he found it. He had painstakingly cleaned the outside of the truck without giving attention to the inside. The obvious point of the video is that the man cleaned the outside but failed to give attention to the inside. I asked the question: would you agree that this man did not finish the job?)
I have a proposal. It is possible to come to church and not finish the job. We can address the outside without giving attention to the inside. What do you mean preacher? It is a wonderful thing to attend church. God is glad you and I come. However, if our church attendance is merely going through the motions we have failed to complete the job at hand. God wants to clean up the inside. God wants to touch our hearts.
Illustration: There was once a young boy who went to spend the week with his grandfather on the farm. While walking around he noticed the chickens. They were scratching and playing around. The little lad said, “They ain’t got it”. Next he saw a colt in the field playing and kicking up its heel’s to which he replied, “He ain’t got it”. After examining all of the animals on his grandfather’s farm the boy saw that none of them had “it.” The boy finally found the old donkey in the barn. When he saw the donkey’s long, frowning face and the way the donkey just stood there he screamed for his grandfather to come quick. “I found it, I found it” the boy kept yelling. When his grandfather asked what he had found he said, “Pawpaw, I found an animal that has the same kind of religion that you have.”
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Chris Layton)
It is possible to go through the motions without encountering God. That happened during the days of Jeremiah. Look at Jeremiah 7 and examine the picture of a people who did not finish the job. They tried to clean the outside but failed to clean the inside. The picture you see in Jeremiah 7 is a disturbing picture. Look at verses 8-10. "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, `We are delivered to do all these abominations’? (NKJV)
Let’s examine the text together.
1. First, notice the behavior of these people. Could this be you?
A. Their religion emphasized a name rather than a nature. Notice verse 9 "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, "and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name” (NKJV) They had the name. They were Israelites. But, they did not have the nature of a child of God.
The Israelite people were filled with arrogance. I am reminded of a conversation Jesus once had with a group of religious leaders. He said to them "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’… They were disturbed that he implied that they were not free. Their answer to Jesus was “""We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.’ Jesus said to them "I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.” They had a name but no relationship. They had a religious name but did not have the nature of God. (See John 8:32ff)
I once read a story about Napoleon, the great conqueror. A criminal was brought before Napoleon to give account for his crimes. Napoleon asked the man his name. The man said he was named Napoleon. Napoleon, the conqueror, instructed the man to change his name or change his nature. Napoleon felt the criminal had a nature that was unworthy of the name Napoleon.
Many people with names on the church roles will not find their names written in Heaven because they have not received a new nature. They have a name but nothing else. People make statements such as:
- I am a Baptist.
- I am a Methodist.
- I am a Catholic.
- I am Presbyterian.
B. Their religion gave false security. "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.” (vs. 8 NKJV) The people were trusting words instead of trusting the Lord. 8
Illustration: The people who died on the Titanic were given false security. They were told the Titanic was unsinkable.
Illustration: I remember reading a story that reminded me of another example of false security. There were a group of economists who gave false hope just before the Great Depression struck. These economists said America’s economy was in good shape. They said our economy should be safe for the next 50 years.
Are you living with false security? Has Jesus given you assurance of your salvation?
C. Their religion emphasized a place and not a person. Notice verse 10, "then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, `We are delivered to do all these abominations’? The Jews thought they could do anything and then go to the temple and be cleansed. (vs. 9-10) There is no forgiveness or salvation in a place.
Are we putting too much emphasize on the “place” of the church? The building cannot save you! The institution cannot save you! True faith is built around a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.
D. Their religion emphasized a ritual rather than a relationship. Notice verse 22. "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.” (NKJV) The Israelite people were proudly fulfilling the various religious rituals. However, God informs them that he did not command the rituals. People can be guilty of flirting with God. You know the basis of flirting. A boy or girl will behave in such a way as to win the approval of someone of the opposite sex. People sometimes flirt with God in hopes of winning His approval or relieving their guilt.
Jesus confronted this attitude. The religious leaders thought they could gain God’s approval by using vain repetition. "But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Mt. 6:7 NKJV) The Pharisees used repetition in their prayer life. They thought activity was the same as relationship.
We find a good illustration of this in I Samuel 15. Saul, the King of Israel, had disobeyed God. When Saul was confronted with his disobedience he turned to ritualism. He thought he could appease God by performing a religious ritual. Samuel confronted Saul about his sin and his empty religious practices. He had a ritual but no relationship. Listen to what Samuel said "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” (I Sam. 15:22 NKJV) If your heart is not right with God, no amount of tradition or ritualism will make things right with God.
E. Their religion hardened them to the voice of God. Look at verse 26. "Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck” (NKJV) I heard a phrase some years ago that applies to this text. The term was gospel hardening. The truth is, if you hear the truth without responding your heart will become increasingly hard.
Listen to the indictment Jesus passed on a group of religious people. “The heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed.” (Mt. 13:14-15 NKJV)
2. What does God desire from us? We find the answer in Jeremiah 7:23. "But this is what I commanded them, saying, `Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ (NKJV) God wanted His people to be obedient and to focus on a relationship with Him. He still desires the same today. Sometimes we substitute a cold, dead, formal religion for a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no comparison of the two.
Illustration: Consider this comparison. If you had a choice between eating card board and eating a sirloin steak which would you choose? The card board is stiff, tasteless and does not offer nourishment. The steak, on the other hand, is fresh, tasty and is filled with nourishment. Dead religion is the same way.Dead religion is stiff, tasteless and does not satisfy. Jesus, on the other hand, offers a fresh relationship and satisfies the deepest longings of your soul.
Please do not stop half way. Do not allow yourself to be satisfied with mere religion. God wants you to clean up the inside. God wants you to face your sin. God wants a relationship with you. He sent His Son as an answer to your sin problem. Finish the job. Turn to Jesus.
