Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 7. Our text is going to come from
the book of Mark, but I want to begin in Matthew chapter 7. We are surrounded, absolutely surrounded all day,
every day by religion. We live in a particular part
of the country called the Bible Belt. Everyone is religious. Everyone is religious. And unfortunately,
that's not a good thing. That's a bad thing. The reason is because most of
religion is nothing but lies. Almost every time the word religion
is used in the scripture, it's used to describe the lies that
were told by the Pharisees of that day, the Jews' religion. There is only one truth in a
matter. There's only one truth to be
told. But religion in the name of the
truth is so different. Religions are so different. One
has this religion, another has that religion. But there's only
one truth. So most of religion is nothing
but lies. You drive down the road and you
see church building after church building after church building.
The majority of those church buildings are houses of lies. I know that sounds harsh, but
it's just true. Politicians may lie to us. They just might do it. The media
may lie to us. But nowhere are men and women
being lied to like they are in religion. Now right here in Matthew
chapter seven, verse 13 says, and this is our Lord speaking,
he said, enter ye in at the straight gate. For wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there
be which go in thereat." Now, when God Almighty says many
will be destroyed, do you think He means not very many? He said many, didn't He? many. Verse 14 he said, because straight
is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and
few there be that find it. Now when God Almighty says few
will find life, do you think he means everybody will be saved? You think that's what he means? He said, few, didn't he? Oh, in verse 15, he said, beware
of false prophets. Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. What he's saying is at first
glance, they seem okay, but they're not. They're spreading lies. Lies that are damning people. But it all sounds so close, doesn't
it? Everybody seems to talk about Jesus and they say the word grace
and they sing, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me. But as close as it sounds, something's
not right. When it's not God's Word alone,
something's not right. Something is missing. Something
has been added. Something has been mixed in. God's pure truth has been diluted. Over in Matthew chapter 24, verse
21 says, for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor shall ever
be. And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's
sake, those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto
you, lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall
arise false Christs and false prophets. and shall show great
signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall
deceive the very elect." God has an elect. God has chosen a particular people
to be His own. And He calls those people out
of darkness. He delivers them from the lies
of religion. And He turns them to the truth.
He turns them to the truth of His Word. Now go with me to our
text. It's in Mark chapter 7. And in
these verses our Lord perfectly describes religion today. I mean perfectly. Today's religion. He exposes the lies. He points
out the error. And He teaches us in this the
difference between an empty show of religion, that's all religion
is, is an empty show. And He teaches us the difference
between that empty show and a true heart worship to the Lord our
God. So Mark chapter seven, verse
one says, then came together unto him, the Pharisees and certain
of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. Now the Pharisees
were the religious leaders of that day. They were the famous
preachers, the ones everybody was listening to and looking
to. And we have some of those today.
Verse one says, then came together unto him the Pharisees and certain
of the scribes which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw
some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say
with unwashing hands, they found fault. They saw the Lord's disciples
as being unclean. They hadn't washed their hands
according to the law. They had a law on this. and the
disciples weren't doing it. And they saw them as being unclean
sinners. And I see why they would see
the disciples as being that. The reason is because they were
in and of themselves. Verse two says, when they saw
some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say
with unwashing hands, they found fault. for the Pharisees and
all the Jews except they washed their hands oft." Now that word
oft, often, sometimes we look these words up what their original
meaning was and that word means diligently with the fist up to
the elbow, scrubbing their hands and their arms up to the elbow.
And I can just see these Pharisees doing this according to their
law before they eat. They spend their time like a
surgeon before he's gonna conduct surgery. They're scrubbing themselves
and then they hold their hands up saying, I'm clean. I want everybody to know, I want
everybody to see this. I have made myself to be clean. That's what the Pharisees were
doing. I've cleansed myself. Verse 3 says, For the Pharisees
and all the Jews, except they washed their hands oft, eat not,
holding the traditions of the elders. Now do you notice that that does
not say holding the tradition of the Word of God? You see that? What they were doing right there
is not in the Word of God. It is not in the Word of God. Let me tell both of us what religion
truly is. Religion is something that an
old man made up. Just made it up. Came up with
it. Decided he liked it. Made it
up. And then passed it down. And after enough time goes on,
people pass it down and pass it down. Eventually, they start
to believe it's the Word of God. when it's not. It's just not. Here's an example
of religion. Somebody might say, now you know
God helps those who help themselves. God helps those who help themselves
now. That is not in the Bible. Nowhere does it say that, nowhere. That is a lie. Somebody just
made it up. Now listen, God wants to save
you if you'll let Him. That is not in the Bible. That's not in the Bible. Nowhere
does it say that. The scripture says the exact
opposite. The Lord said, I will work, and who shall let it? God wants to save you if you'll
let Him, which is what most religion teaches. The ball's in your court. But the truth is, it's just a
lie. Somebody made it up. They passed it down. People have
been saying that for generations and generations. Here's another
one. God wants everybody to be saved. That is not in the Bible. Nowhere
does it say that. Nowhere. That's just a lie of
religion. Somebody just made it up. Right
here in Mark chapter 7 verse 3 says, For the Pharisees and
all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding
the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market,
except they wash, they eat not. and many other things there be
which they have received to hold as the washing of cups and pots,
brazen vessels, and of tables." They've made up many things,
many things. They've added much to God's Word. Verse five says, then the Pharisees
and scribes asked him, why walk not thy disciples according to
the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashing
hands? Why don't your disciples go with
the flow like everybody else? Why don't they fall in with the
masses and just give in to the tradition of the elders? Verse
six, he answered and said unto them, well hath Isaiah prophesied
of you hypocrites. As it is written, this people
honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. A hypocrite is an actor. That's
what the word means. Somebody who is pretending. Pretending
to be one thing when that's not what he is. It's important for
us to know that in the scripture, the word hypocrite is never attached
to a person who is acknowledging himself to be a sinner, never,
never. Not one time is a drunk called
a hypocrite, never. Not one time is a harlot called
a hypocrite, never. Not one time has a publican called
a hypocrite. Not one time. That word is always
attached to the preachers. Always. The Pharisees. It's always
attached to those who are consumed with self-righteous religion. Those who try to make themselves
to be something when they're nothing. Our Lord said, here's
the truth about religion. They honor me with their lips,
they do. But their heart is far from me. There's no true worship
in the heart. There's no real love for Christ
in the heart. Solomon wrote, out of the heart
are the issues of life. Verse 7, he said, how be it in
vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. That's it. That's it. They teach for doctrines the
commandments of men. The word doctrines means words. It means teaching. Words. They're saying my word is this
way when it's not. I didn't say that at all. It's
the commandments of man, it's not the commandments of God.
Verse 8, For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the
tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups and many other
such like things, do ye? And he said unto them, Full well
you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own
tradition. I don't think it will ever cease
to amaze me how men and women can see what God's Word says
and after they see it with their own two eyes say, I don't care
what it says. I'm sticking with what I've always
believed. I'll tell you, if what I've always
believed is contrary to the Word of God, it's time for me to change
what I believe. It's time for me to let it go.
Verse 10, the Lord said, for Moses said, honor thy father
and thy mother, and whoso curseth father or mother, let him die
the death. But you say, if a man shall say to his father or mother,
it is Corbin, that is to say a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest
be profited by me, he shall be free. And you suffer him no more
to do aught for his father or his mother. Our Lord just illustrated
to them what he's talking about. The Lord gave a law to Moses
that said, honor thy father and thy mother. And part of the word
honor meant take care of them. Take care of them as they've
taken care of you, physically take care of them, financially
take care of them. And when people couldn't give
their money to the church because they were by law obligated to
take care of their parents, The greedy preachers, the greedy
Pharisees, greedy religion started telling people, if you say that
you cannot use your money on your parents because you've already
given it to the church, it'll be a win-win for everybody. We'll
get the money. God will take care of your parents.
You'll be relieved of your obligation to them. And God Himself right
here is saying, you're all liars. You're liars. You've lied on
me. You've lied on my word. I did
not say that. Verse 13, making the word of
God of none effect through your tradition which you have delivered
and many such like things do ye. The web of religion is luring
men and women to their own eternal grave. It's killing men and women. May God set us free from its
lies. May God set more sinners free
from the lies of religion. Now if God does set sinners free,
how will they know it? How can I know if God has chosen
to open my eyes to the truth? How can I know? How can I know
if my worship is sincere and not in vain? Our Lord said at
the end of verse six, it has everything to do with this heart
right here. This heart. Religion can go to
work on a man's pride. It can go to work on his appearance.
It can go to work on his morality, but it'll never touch a man's
heart, never. Only God can do that. Religion
can touch a man's emotions, make him wave his hands, make him
jump up and down, but it'll never touch a man's heart. Only God
can do that. And if God touches a man's heart,
the first thing he will do is break it. That's the first thing
he will do. He will break it to his own sin. Break it to the fear of a holy
God. Let me show you what a heart
looks like that God has touched. This right here is what a heart
looks like that God has touched. Over in Psalm 51, this precious
Psalm 51. This is something that religion
could never produce, never. This right here is of God. David
said in verse one, have mercy upon me, O God. According to
thy loving kindness, According unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies blot out my transgressions, wash me throughly from mine iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest
be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest."
You're justified. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth
in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me
to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall
be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. hide thy
face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in
me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit
from me." That right there is not religion. That's grace. That's the grace of God shed
abroad on a heart. When the Lord first called Peter,
the Apostle Peter, He showed him a great miracle. And when
Peter saw who Christ was, he fell down to his knees, crying,
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. That's not religion. That's grace. If God Almighty
has broken my heart over my sin, then I'm not in religion. I'm
in grace, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over in Philippians
chapter 3, this right here is what a heart looks like that
God touches. Philippians 3 verse 4 says, Though
I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man
thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh,
I more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of
the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the
law of Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ
and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
Him. and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His
death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead." That right there is not religion. That's grace. When God touches a heart and
breaks a heart to sin, God convinces that heart that all its works
for salvation are worthless. Paul said, I count them all dung,
loss. Not only did I not gain anything,
I ended up losing because of them. Paul said, I could never
earn my own righteousness by obeying the law, never. My only
hope is that I died in Him. If God has taught me that and
if God has taught you that, we're not in religion. We're in grace. We're in grace. God is dealing
with us in grace. Turn with me over to Romans chapter
9. This is a heart that God touches. Romans 9 verse 11 says, For the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto
her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the Scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared
throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will he pardoneth." Once a
sinner realizes God can do with me whatever he wants to do with
me, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah didn't do it. So God put
Jonah in a whale's belly for three days. And when that whale
vomited Jonah up and Jonah finally realized God can do with me whatever
he wants to do with me, you know what he cried? Salvation is of
the Lord. That right there is not religion.
You will never hear that in the lies of religion, never. And
if God has caused my heart to see that and believe it, and
if God has caused your heart to see that and believe it, that
salvation is 110% totally, completely of the Lord. If He's shown us that, we're
not in religion. We are in grace. We're in the
grace of God through the gift of His Son. Now over in Jude,
here's one more heart that God touches. In Jude verse 24 it
says, Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and
to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty,
dominion and power both now and ever. Amen. That is not religion. Religion could never produce
a heart that loves His glory alone. Religion wants to share
the glory with Him. But if God has given both of
us a heart that cries all glory and praise to the Lamb that was
slain, who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain. Hallelujah, thine the glory,
hallelujah, amen. If God has given us that, we're
not in religion, we're in grace. Grace that is greater than all
our sin. Oh, may God do a work on our
hearts. May He cause us to call on Him
and beg for mercy. May He call us away from the
lies of religion. And may He cause us to worship
Him in spirit and in truth. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word to our hearts. You have been listening
to a message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign
Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.