
FRESH part 3: “TRADITIONS”
Colossians 2:8
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
YOUR FAITH CAN SPOIL BY
Tradition with family can be a good thing.
It make us remember the past.
Tradition with your FAITH can be a horrible thing.
It makes us WORSHIP the past.
WE MUST DRAW A STRONG LINE BETWEEN
or
IT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
Tradition = religiously holding onto something that you’ve always done because of comfort, nostalgia or fear.
TRADITION IS A FORM OF GODLINESS WITH NO POWER.
TRADITION MAKES US FEEL SPIRITUAL,
BUT STOPS US FROM EXPECTING GOD’S POWER TO MOVE.
John 4:3 - 4
3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
The Bible says that Jesus had to pass through Samaria.
WHY DID JESUS “MUST” GO THROUGH SAMARIA?!
Jews avoided Samaria as much as they possibly could…
- Many Jews died by Samaritan hands.
- The temple was burned by Samaritans.
John 4:6 - 9
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
A PART OF GROWING IN YOUR FAITH WITH JESUS IS YOU HAVE TO QUESTION WHY YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
and
WHY YOU DON’T BELIEVE WHAT GOD IS ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE.
John 4:10
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
WHAT IS TRUTH???
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
John 4:11
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
SHE HAS AN ATTITUDE HERE…
THAT IS USUALLY HOW PEOPLE RESPOND WHEN YOU COME AGAINST THEIR RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS…
DIG DOWN DEEP TO SEE - Do I believe the BIBLE or my RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS?
John 4:15 - 18
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
John 4:20 - 24
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
WALK IN THE SPIRIT and LISTEN TO THE TRUTH.
What is truth? ~ THE WORD OF GOD.
Luke 7:11 - 17
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
1. STOP THE
This is COMPLETELY AGAINST TRADITION!!!
EVERYONE ELSE IS JUST FOLLOWING THE PARADE OF DEATH.
Instead:
JESUS SAYS - “DON’T CRY”. (NOT that he is against crying…)
If you get your emotions on me being here more than him being dead, I can do something tradition will not allow me to do.
Jesus being “HERE” is an announcement that everything is going to change!
STOP THE STROLL AND WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?!
JESUS TOUCHES THE COFFIN - not THE BOY.
The coffin was just a BOX.
2. GET
In the Old Testament, the presence of God was kept in a box (the Ark of the Covenant).
The New Testament is not a book about God in the box.
- Jesus was GOD out of the box!
- God wants to get out of the box!
GOD WILL NOT GO IN THE BOX YOU
Want to know why some people do not get excited in church?
It is because they only expect God to do something within the box…
Want to know what the problem is?
We treat Jesus like a Jack-in-the-Box.
- As soon as the service is over. Get back in the box, Jesus.
- That felt good in church, but that will not work out here.
GOD LOVES TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!
Some Christians are asking Jesus to TOUCH THEM, but not their coffin.
WHAT IS A COFFIN?
IT IS A TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE TO A GRAVE LEADING YOU TO THE GRAVE!
Luke 7:14b - 15
14b And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
3.
RELIGIOUS SPIRITS AND TRADITIONS PUT A LID ON WHAT and HOW GOD CAN DO THINGS.
- HOW CAN GOD MOVE?
- WHAT GOD CAN SAY?
- WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE?
~~ WHAT IS YOUR LID??? ~~
WILL YOU DO WHAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE TO STEP INTO WHAT IS AVAILABLE?
- GET UP WHEN YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT
- PRAISE WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED ABOUT IT
- EXPECT GOD TO DO FAR ABOVE ALL YOU ASK OR THINK
TRADITION PUTS LIDS ON HOW MUCH GOD CAN DO AND HOW FAR GOD CAN GO.
Mark 11:13 - 14
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
TRADITION SAYS: NOTHING SHOULD HAVE FIGS AT THIS TIME!
No one gets figs at this time, so I cannot expect figs at this time.
Jesus curses it… for not being FRUITFUL out of SEASON.
If the fig tree WOULD HAVE HAD FIGS - it would have been SUPERNATURAL FRUIT!
JESUS ANSWERS THAT “THE TREE THAT WOULD NOT BELIEVE”.
Jesus says:
IF YOU DO NOT PUT A LID ON WHAT I CAN DO,
MY WORD CAN CHANGE THE SEASON!
Psalm 1:2 - 3
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
TRADITION SAYS
- trees wither during certain seasons.
- God can’t do anything in my situation.
- do what everyone else does.
- expect what everyone else has.
TRUTH SAYS = HIS WORD CHANGES MY SEASON!!
- It does not mean you will not have a bad day.
- It just means that a bad day will never take your fruit again.
WE ARE DIGGING UP CARROTS!
- STOP MY STROLL!
- GET OUT OF THE BOX!
- LIFT THE LID!