All right, turn with me first
to Matthew chapter 7. Our text is in Mark chapter 7,
but we're going to begin in Matthew 7. We just heard what our Lord had
to say in Matthew 7, and He told the truth, didn't He? Our Lord
told the truth. We are surrounded, and I do mean
surrounded, all day, every day, by religion. We're surrounded all day, every
day, by religion. We live in a particular part
of the country that is called the Bible Belt, don't we? And it is. It is. Everyone is religious. And unfortunately, that's a bad
thing. That's a bad thing, isn't it? The reason is because religion
is nothing but lies. Shocking, isn't it? Religion is nothing but lies. You drive down the road and you
see church building after church building after church building,
don't you? Church after church after church. The majority of them, thank God
not all of them, but the majority of them are houses of lies. And
I hate to say that. I don't enjoy saying that. Not
at all, but it's just the truth. Houses of lies. Our politicians
are lying to us. We know that, don't we? They
want our vote. And the media is lying to us. We know that, don't we? But nowhere
are men and women being lied to like they are in religion. Matthew chapter 7, look at verse
13. This is the Lord God Almighty
speaking. He said, enter ye in at the straight
gate. The word straight means narrow. 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? You think that's what He
means? I didn't say it. You might have
it in red. God said it. He said many. Verse 14, he said, because straight
is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. He's talking about eternal life.
And he said, few there be that find it. Now, when God Almighty
says, few will find life, do you think he means everybody
will be saved? Think that's what he means? He
said, few, few. Verse 15, oh, he said, 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. They really do. At first glance,
they seem okay, but they're not. They're not. They're spreading
lies that are damning people, eternally damning people. But it sounds so close, doesn't
it? It really does. It sounds so
close. They talk about Jesus. Every Christian building right
now is talking about Jesus. especially today. And they talk about the word
grace, don't they? Some of them might even sing
the song Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch
like me. Have you ever thought about the
words of that song? Most people love it on bagpipes,
but they never think about the words of that song. Amazing Grace,
how sweet the sound to this wretch right here, this sinful wretch
of a man. Oh, how sweet the sound of God's
grace that saved a wretch like me. But as close as it sounds, something's
not right, is it? Something's not right. Something
is missing in religion. Something has been added in religion. Something has been mixed in and
God's pure truth has been diluted. Isn't that right? Diluted. Turn with me over to Matthew
24. Matthew 24, look at verse 21. It says, For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world
to this time, no, nor ever shall 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 particular people,
hasn't He? He has an elect. He's chosen
particular people to be His own and He calls those people out
of darkness. They lived their whole life in
the darkness of religion. And He calls those people out
of darkness and He delivers them from the lies of religion And
He turns them to the truth. Isn't that wonderful? Now go
with me to our text. Go with me to Mark chapter 7. In these verses right here, our
Lord perfectly describes religion today. He exposes the lies. He points out the error. And
he teaches us in this the difference between an empty show of religion. Does anybody here want to have
an empty show of religion today? He shows us the difference of
an empty show of religion and true worship from the heart.
I mean true worship to God Almighty. from the heart. Mark 7 verse 1 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 that everybody was listening to, everybody was looking to,
and we have some of those today. We have the same thing today.
Verse 1, 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 sinners. And I see why they thought that.
It's because they were. Verse 2 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. And if you have a
center reference, you can see that word oft means diligently
with the fist up to the elbow, like a surgeon. I'm clean. Let it be known. I have made myself clean. That's what the Pharisees were
saying. Did everybody see it? You saw it, right? I've made
myself clean. Verse 3 says, For the Pharisees
and all the Jews, except they washed their hands oft, eat not,
holding the tradition of the elders. Do you notice that that
does not say holding the tradition of the Word of God? You notice
that? What they were doing right there
is not in the Word of God. They had this tradition and it's
not in the Word of God. Now, let me tell you what religion
is. We talk about religion. And there's one verse of Scripture
where the Lord said, this is pure religion, visiting the fatherless
and the widows and their affliction. But other than that, every time
the word religion is in the Bible, it's in a bad way. He talks about
the Jews' religion. All right, let me tell you what
religion is. This is what religion is. It's
something that an old man made up and passed down. And as time
went on, as enough time went on, people started thinking it
was God's Word, when in fact it is not. That's religion. Now here's an example of religion. You know that God helps those
who help themselves. That is not in the Bible. That is not true. Somebody just made it up. Nowhere
does it say that. Not one time. How do you know?
How do you know cover to cover? I'm telling you I know. Nowhere
does it say that. Not one time. Now listen. God wants to save you if you'll
let Him. That is not in the Bible. That's
the only problem with that statement. Nowhere is that statement found. It is not true. It's just something
that somebody made up. And everybody says it. God wants
everybody to be saved. That is not in the Bible. That
statement is not, nothing close to that is in the Word of God.
It's not true. It's just something that somebody
made up. It's just a lie of religion. It's a lie of religion. 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. And that's what religion is.
Every form of religion has some ceremony they've added to God's
Word. Oh, they've added a lot to God's
Word. Verse 5 says, Then the Pharisees and scribes asked them,
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? How come they have to be so contrary
to what everybody else is? Everybody's doing it. Why don't they just fall in with
the masses and just give in to the tradition of the elders?
Verse 6, He answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied
of you hypocrites? As it is written, this people
honoreth 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. And it's important
for us to know that in the scripture, The word hypocrite is never,
ever attached to a person who is acknowledging the fact that
he or she is a sinner. Never. Never. Not one time is
a drunk called a hypocrite. Not one time is a harlot called
a hypocrite. Not one time is a publican called
a hypocrite. Not one time. That word every
time in the scriptures is attached to the preachers. Right here. It's always attached to the preachers.
It's always attached to those who are consumed with self-righteous
religion, self-worthy in God's presence religion. God is happy
with all of my way of life, all that I do and all that I think,
and God loves me because of who I am religion. And I'm going to just go ahead
and tell you the truth. You know why God loves us? You
know why God loves us? Christ. It's not because of me. Oh, man, if you could... I'm
so glad you can't look on this heart right here. I'm so glad
you cannot see what's inside this heart right here. God can. And He does not love me for me.
He loves me for Christ. If He loved me, He put me in
Christ. And when He looks at me, He sees
Christ. But the word hypocrite is always
attached to those who are consumed with self-righteous religion,
trying to make themselves something when they're nothing. Our Lord
said, here's the truth about religion. Here's the truth about
it. They honor me with their lips, but their heart is far
from me. There's no true worship in the
heart. No real love for Jesus Christ
in the heart. Solomon wrote, out of the heart
are the issues of life. It's all out of the heart, every
bit of it. Verse 7, he said, how be it in
vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. Listen, that's it right there. That's it right there. Teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men. The word doctrine means
words. That's what it means. Teaching. And our Lord right here is saying,
they're standing up saying, this is what I've said. You know,
they get their billboards and they put a little thing on it,
dash God, as though God said it. They're saying, this is what
I've said, but I haven't. I haven't. It's the commandments
of men. Verse 8, For laying aside the
commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men as the washing
of pots and cups and many other such like things you do. 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. It's printed in all of our Bibles. And they've had a copy since
they were a child. And then all of a sudden they
see with their own two eyes what God's Word says and they say,
I don't care what it says. I'm sticking with what I've always If what I've always believed
is contrary to the Word of God, it's time for me to let it go. It's time to let it go. Verse 10, 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, making the word of God
of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered in many
such like things. Do you? Our Lord just illustrated
to them what he's talking about. Our Lord God Almighty gave a
law to Moses that said, honor your father and your mother.
And part of the word honor, what that meant was take care of them
like they've taken care of you, physically, financially. That's
what they were required to do. And when the people couldn't
give their money to the church because they had to take their
money and give it to support their parents, these greedy preachers
started telling them, if you say you already designated it
for the church, it's Corbin, I would give it to my parents,
but this is a gift. I've already obligated that to
the church. If you say that and you give
it to us, it'll be a win-win for everybody. You see, we'll
get your money, and God will take care of your parents. And
you won't have any money left, so you'll be relieved of that
obligation. God Himself right here is saying, that's all a
lie. You're lying on me, you're lying on my word. Verse 13 says,
making the word of God of none effect through your tradition
which you have delivered in many such like things do ye. The web
of religion is luring men and women to their own eternal grave. Isn't that sad? Isn't this the most necessary
thing for a sinner to come to realize in this life? May God
set us free from the lies of religion. May God set more sinners
free. You know what the gospel does?
We're about to make a change here. You read it? You know what
the gospel does? It sets men and women It sets
them free. All this religion, it's bad,
isn't it? Did you enjoy that? No. I love
the truth, but did you enjoy that? No. It's all bad. But you know what happens when
the gospel comes? It sets men and women free. They fly away from the lies of
religion, the clutch of religion. It sets them free. If God does set sinners free,
how will they know it? If God sets me free, and if God
sets you free from the lies of religion, now we begin this by
God Almighty saying, many people are going to go the broad way
of religion, and it's going to be to their destruction. How can I know if God has chosen
to set me free from the destruction of lies and religion? How can
I know? How can I know if He's chosen
to open my eyes to the truth? How can I know if my worship
is sincere, not in vain? Our Lord said at the end of verse
6, it has everything to do with this heart right here. everything
to do with this heart right here. Religion can go to work on a
man's pride. It can. It can go to work on
a man's appearance and it can go to work on a man's morality,
but it'll never touch his heart. Only God can do that. Religion
can touch a man's emotions, it can make him wave his hands,
and it can make him jump up and down, but it cannot touch his
heart. Only God can do that. 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'll
do. That is the first thing he'll do. Break it to his own sin.
Break it to the fear of a holy, holy, holy God that must punish
sin. He'll start to realize there
must be a way. There must be a way to stand
before this God. Let me show you what a heart
looks like that God has touched, okay? Let me show you what a
heart looks like that God has touched. Turn with me over to
Psalm 51. This right here is the heart
of a sinner that God has touched. This is something religion could
never produce. Never produce. This is of God.
Psalm 51, verse 1, David cried, Have mercy upon me, O God. Have mercy upon me. According
to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender
mercies, would you blot out my transgressions? A sinner hears he's a sinner,
and the first thing a sinner does is says, No, I'm not. But
if God in mercy will grab hold of that heart and squeeze it,
he will say, Yes, I am. Yes, I am. Verse 2 says, wash
me throughly from my sin, mine iniquity, and cleanse me from
my sin. Is that not what we all cry before
God Almighty? Cleanse me from my sin. Verse
3, David said, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin
is ever before me. It's 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. What he's saying is, whatever
you do with me is your business. And it's good and it's right,
because I'm just a sinner. Verse 5, he said, 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 Christ Wisdom Purge me with hyssop and
I shall be clean hyssop is what they used to take and dip it
in the blood of the lamb and Sprinkle blood to appease God.
He said would you take hyssop and dip it in the blood of Jesus
Christ and cover me with it? 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 mine 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 is not religion. That's
called grace. That's what it's called. That's
grace. That's the grace of God shed
abroad on a heart. that God would reveal to a sinner
the truth of his condition and give him a heart, squeeze on
his heart and make him cry, help me, I'm dying. I'm going down
into the pit for all eternity. God, save me. It's called grace. Mercy and grace. When the Lord
first called Peter, When he was calling his apostles and he called
Peter, he showed him a great miracle. And when Peter saw who
Christ was, when his eyes were opened to who the Lord Jesus
Christ was, he fell down to his knees, crying, this is what he
said, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord. That's not
religion. That's called grace. That's what
it is, it's grace. If God Almighty has broken my
heart and if He's broken your heart over our sin, we're not
in religion. If God has broken our heart to
our sin, we're not in religion. We're in grace. The grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me over to Philippians
3. Again, I want to show you what
a heart looks like that God touches. Philippians chapter 3. Look with me at verse 4. The Apostle Paul 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. What he's saying is, if anybody
could be confident in the things he's done to stand before God,
it's me. He said, I lived right, as right
as a sinner can. Verse 5, he said, I was circumcised
the eighth day. He said, I'm of the stock of
Israel. I'm of the tribe of Benjamin.
I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As touching the law, I'm a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, I persecuted
the church. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, I was blameless. But what things were gained to
me, all that stuff that I thought would gain eternal life for me,
what things were gained to me, those I counted loss 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 sufferings 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. Here's a man saying, I was perfect
in my own eyes. And once I saw Christ, it all
became dumb to me. Every bit of it. I counted all
dumb. When God touches a heart, when
God breaks a heart to sin, God convinces that heart that all
its works for salvation are worthless. They're all worthless. I count
them all lost, Paul said. Not only did I not gain anything,
I lost because they set me back. They set me back. Paul said I
could never earn my own righteousness by obeying the law. Never. My
only hope is that I died in Christ. That's it. And if God has taught
you and me both that, if we believe that, if He's done something
to this heart right here, and if we both say, salvation, not
in my hands. Everything I've ever done is
done, it's lost. If God has caused us to say that,
we are not in religion. We're in grace. We're in grace
and God is dealing with us. I'm going to be very quick and
wrap this up. Turn with me to Romans 9. Romans 9. I want to show you
what a heart looks like 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. We know what that just said don't
we? before he's going to give us an example. Two children,
not yet born, not having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God, according to election, might stand. Not of works, but
of him that calleth. Verse 12, 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. Everybody in here needs to make
their own free will decision. You're going to be saved or lost. So then it is not of him that
willeth. nor of him that runneth. We can
run all we want to. It's 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 hardeneth. Once a
sinner realizes, God can do with me whatever God wants to do with
me. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, didn't He? Jonah didn't do it. God put him in the belly of a
whale for three days. After that whale vomited him
up, and after Jonah saw God can do with me whatever He wants
to do with me, do you know what he said? You know what Jonah
said? Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. And I'm going to tell you this,
that's not religion. That is not religion. You'll
never hear that in the lies of religion. Never. But if God has
caused my heart and your heart to believe that, that salvation
is 110% totally, completely of the Lord. And we're not in religion. We're
in grace. We're in grace. Last one. Go
with me to the book of Jude. Right before Revelation, the
book of Jude, here's what a heart looks like that God touches. Jude. Jude look at verse 24. 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 right there is not religion. That is not religion. Religion
could never produce a heart that loves His glory alone. Religion wants to share the glory
with Him. Me and Jesus have a good thing
going. Religion could never do that.
But if God has given both you and me a heart that cries, all
glory and praise be unto the Lamb that was slain, who has
borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain, hallelujah, thine
the glory, hallelujah, amen. If He's given us a heart to say
that, we are not in religion. We're not in religion. We are
in grace. We're in God's grace. Grace that's
greater than all our sin. May God do a work on our hearts. Wouldn't we love that? Wouldn't
we love that if God would do a work on our hearts? May He call us to Himself away
from the lies of religion. May He free us from the lies
of religion, and may He cause us to worship Him in spirit and
in truth. How blessed would we be if He
gave us a heart that cried, Amen. Amen to it all. You're a sinner,
you know that. Amen. But Christ came to save
sinners. Amen. That'd be a blessing. All right, let's stand together.