A friend of my husband messaged him last night and said that I needed to sing him a song on Facebook because “between the people he had to deal with and the WVU ballgame his religion was at risk.” Needless to say that was a nice compliment and a worthy chuckle. So this morning it put the word “religion” on my heart, why we should lose it, and why Sunday is the perfect day to set out on that mission!
Religion reminds me of those folks who sing “Standing on the Promises” while sitting on the premises with their hands across their chest. Religion causes me to have frown lines and I don’t need any more lines on my brow. It reminds me of a previous me who felt very uncomfortable when the Holy Spirit moved in a service. It felt odd, out of place and very unwelcome. Heaven forbid people should raise their hand or go to an altar with a repentant heart, or a burden of prayer. Let’s just carry those burdens around until we die and in err believe that people buy our pious religious demeanor and mistaken it for spirituality. Wow! Where did that come from? I guess as my ol’ friend D.L. Kerby used to say, “If God laid it on your heart, you must have needed to say it!” Well, sometimes D.L. was right and sometimes not, but perhaps we all need to hear a reminder before church this morning that now is not the time to get complacent in our faith. Religion should have no part of church, you should lose it before you enter the building.
Religion is repetitious
In Christ every day is a new day. We don’t go church “just because it’s Sunday.” We go to church because that’s the day God’s people come together to encourage one another and to hear what God has to say.
Religion is like raisins
Only not nearly as sweet. It’s a shriveled up version of what God intended. Yes, God wants you in church, but not just to sit there for your one hour due diligence. He wants you fresh and lively like the grapes on the vine. Jesus said in John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Raisins are dried up fruit, a very good analogy I think to a religious Christian. Oh… you were good fruit once upon a time, but now, you’re ready for the box.
Religion is rebellion
Yep. I said it. And if you’re religious you’re likely upset. But God did not die on the cross for religion. He died on the cross for a relationship with those He died for. Sitting lifeless and unaffected by a sermon is not having a relationship. It’s like a rebellious child who will sit in your presence and listen to you speak, but your words are doing nothing more than tickling their ears as they go in one and out the other.
When Saul failed to take heed to the word of God and kept some of the “good spoil” for himself and the people in the battle against the Amalekites, Samuel said this to him in 1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
We call children rebellious when they won’t listen to their parents… Hello… God is our Father. If we’re not listening to Him, we’re rebelling. It’s that simple.
And I’m as guilty as the next.
I’m not saying every Christian has to be loud and hands in the air, else their not saved. That could be chaos. But if it was done in the Spirit of God, it would not be, even if the whole church was loud and hands in the air! What I’m saying is… When you get to go to church this morning, go in… sit down… and wait for instruction on the edge of your seat. And if you do… something exciting might just happen. And you too can lose your religion on Sunday and God will be well pleased!