Matthew 16:11b-12 So again, I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Over my years of following Christ, I have noticed one distinctive that never changed, and it was always present in the Church. It was a religious spirit that masqueraded as spirituality. People who thought their allegiance to a system of worship or a denominational doctrine was fulfilling the demand of Christ to deny self, pick up their cross, and follow Him. I know this can be a sensitive issue for some because to them religion is a good thing. Some would say, “What is wrong with going to Church and being active with a ministry?” And I would say, “Nothing is wrong with how you choose to live out the practice of your faith.” However, in Jesus’ day, He was never comfortable with the religious system that dominated the culture. Matthew Chapter 23 is the classic case of Jesus referring to the Pharisees and Sadducees idea that keeping the religious rules and practices constituted faithfulness to God. Again, Jesus told His audience to obey the law the religious leaders told them to keep, but don’t follow their example because they were hypocrites. A religious spirit is what the Apostle Paul wrote about:
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
You look spiritual and act spiritual, but your heart is still not surrendered to God. That’s where the power comes from, a broken and contrite heart God will never reject:
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
God is all about the heart, and what He desires is your obedience to love Him with all your heart, mind, and spirit. He does not want superficial songs of worship, sermons by people, and religious observances. These can be good things, but often they are substitutes for God having full access to your heart. Going through the motions of doing and saying good things may be good for your reputation with others, but God knows the real you. That’s the point. The real you must have more than just the appearance of religious, because appearances do not change anything that matters. The real person is in the heart, and that is what needs to be changed by God. Religious people will look good, but there is no power to change the person.
Matthew 23:25-26 What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too
These are sobering words for the Church.
We are told that before we offer a gift of worship to God, our hearts need to be right. The point of the worship experience is to give yourself to Him, in surrender to His glory, His goodness, and His faithfulness. However, if you have issues against people, go and be reconciled, for God wants us to have short accounts with people, not harboring any resentment.
A friend of mine sent me a running list of issues in his Church. My first glance at the list reveals that this is a religious Church, full of the wrong spirit, goals, desires, and direction.
James 3:16-17 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.
I have been in the church for over 50 years, so I have earned the right to say, “This is not abnormal, it is standard practice.” My wife told me recently that one of the Churches we served was detrimental to her and she went on to give me her list, and it mirrored the list of my friend’s Church.
So, the bottom line is this: “When you tell people to find a Church, pray that Church doesn’t have a list.” Some of you already have a comeback, don’t you? Yes, we all know there are no perfect Churches, and you would be right. But if Churches have the kind of lists that are antithetical to what the Gospel means, and there is no attempt to repent and change directions, then that Church is like salt that has gone bad … it must be thrown out. This is a serious issue. Churches that devour themselves over issues of control, gossip, jealousy, and backbiting, are Churches that are not in fellowship with Jesus. This is a challenge to all pastors or leaders of religious non-profits … are you religious only, or does your organization have a heart that is surrendered to God?
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler