Empty Religion

Q: What does the Bible say about empty religion?

The Bible denounces empty religion, emphasizing that true worship must stem from the heart rather than mere outward rituals. In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quoted Isaiah, stating, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me.' This illustrates the essence of empty religion—it is characterized by outward displays of piety without genuine heart devotion. True religion involves the heart being engaged in worship, rather than merely performing ceremonial acts.

Q: How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

True worship is essential for Christians as it reflects a heartfelt devotion to God, which is integral to genuine faith. True worship involves engaging the heart and spirit in a way that honors God authentically. As outlined in John 4:24, 'God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.' Worship that is rooted in heartfelt devotion leads to an authentic relationship with God, as opposed to mere participation in church rituals. Ultimately, worship that glorifies God is about celebrating His truth and expressing our faith fully.

Q: Why is it wrong to add to or diminish from Scripture?

Adding to or diminishing from Scripture makes God's Word ineffective and disrespectful to His authority. Deuteronomy 4:2 cautions, 'Ye shall not add unto the word which I commanded you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.' This principle is upheld throughout the Bible, including Revelation 22:18-19, which warns against altering God's Word. Such actions undermine scripture’s authority and can lead to false teachings, as traditions may be mistakenly placed above the commands of God, resulting in empty worship devoid of true understanding.

Q: What are the characteristics of true religion according to the Bible?

True religion is practical, heartfelt, and involves genuine worship that reflects God's glory. According to James 1:27, 'Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.' True religion is not limited to ceremonial observance but is characterized by practical acts of love and obedience. It acknowledges that genuine faith impacts daily life, compelling believers to reflect God's character and serve others, demonstrating the true essence of Christianity.

Q: How should Christians approach worship according to scripture?

Christians should approach worship with sincerity, focusing on the heart rather than mere rituals. Christians are called to worship God in spirit and truth, as emphasized in John 4:24. Worship should arise from a heart of faith and integrity, avoiding hypocrisy. The ritualistic observance of practices must not overshadow the core of worship, which is an authentic relationship with God. Therefore, when engaging in worship, believers are encouraged to examine their intentions and ensure that their worship is rooted in a genuine desire to honor God.

Now my subject this evening is empty religion. That may sound like a negative approach to a passage of scripture, but sometimes by seeing that which is set forth as being empty and meaningless and vile, we learn a great deal about that which is full and significant and righteous and good.

Now, in this text, our Lord Jesus confronts the religious system of his day head on. He confronts the scribes and Pharisees, publicly giving them a scathing review with regard to their practices of religion. This was not something that was done in a corner, this was not something where he pulled folks aside and said, but rather he confronts them head-on, in a most public manner, with a scathing rebuke and a scathing reproof of that which they consider to be holy and righteous and good. By doing so, he exposes their hypocrisy, and he denounces their customs and traditions, and he draws a clear line of distinction between empty religion and true religion. Now this is a matter that God's servants must deal with and have dealt with in every age in history.

Let's read our text together. Matthew 15 verse 1. Then came to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem. These were the head honchos. These were the fellows at religious headquarters in Jerusalem. And this is what they said. Why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Now, these fellows took this thing seriously. They took it seriously.

Do you remember the water that our Lord turned into wine in Cana of Galilee at the marriage feast? John chapter 2? There were six water pots of wine. Each one containing between 18 and 25 gallons for a wedding party. Now that was, those water pots were full of that much water. That's a lot of water.

You know what they used it for? Washing their hands. It was there for purification. So that everybody, every time they start to pick something up to eat, they go to the ceremony and they wash their hands. They considered it to be a very, very grave point of religious practice.

Alright? He answered and said unto them, why do you transgress the commandment of God by your traditions? And he's talking about this tradition of washing your hands before you eat. There was nothing wrong with the tradition in itself. Perfectly right, wash your hands before you eat. I recommend that you do it. I tried to do so myself. We stopped to have supper last night with Faith and Doug, and I went to rest up and washed my hands. First thing, that's a good thing to do.

But don't make this thing a religious tradition that's a matter of, that becomes to you a matter of spirituality and righteousness. So our Lord says, why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, say, honor thy father and mother. First commandment with promise.

Honor your father and your mother that you may live long upon the earth. And that honor in the father and mother does not end when youth ends. That honor in the father and mother is something that children ought to be taught in their youth. Kids these days seem not to be taught to honor anything. Mom and dad ought to be honored, spoken to, and spoken of with respect and reverence. because they represent God Almighty.

That man right there is the representative of God to his family. That means he ain't here, you ought to honor him. That's your daddy. That's your daddy. Honor him. He represents God in his household. Lindsey Campbell represents God Almighty in his household. That means he's to be honored because honoring him is honoring God and despising him, despising God. Honor your father and your mother. But it is something that is also to be carried on while mom and dad are growing old. And particularly, this text is talking about that. It says, the word of God says, honor your father and your mother.

And he that curses father or mother, let him die the day. Let him be put to death. But you say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me. and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Now let me explain to you what our Lord's talking about. Again, the Pharisees and scribes had a custom. They were good on customs. Some old Jew had invented a custom. Maybe he just said it. Maybe he just did it.

But anyway, it became a tradition among the Jews that when a man had taken something and set it aside for God, a tithe or a gift or whatever it might be, and he set it aside for God, then that man was bound under law not to use that thing for himself or for anyone else, not even for mother and father.

Now, notice two things. The Lord here makes the cursing of father and mother to be the same thing as not providing for them. You see that? He said, he said, you say, you say that the man uses this thing and, and, and he, he uses it for himself and says, this is a gift for God. Our Lord speaks of that as being cursing them. He says, whosoever curses mother or father, let him die the death. And the gift that was supposed to be a pious, the gift that was supposed to be a symbol of righteousness, our Lord said that's a transgression.

That's a transgression. Whenever men and women take things and pretend to worship God, and find in their pretense of worshiping God an excuse for neglecting ordinary, practical, daily responsibilities They blaspheme God, and they speak lightly of him, and their religion is empty and vain. All right, read on. You hypocrites. You hypocrites. See if I can illustrate it for you. Mother or father stands in need. My mother and dad down in Bristol, Tennessee, they have a need. And I have the ability to take care of their needs. I have the ability to meet their needs, whatever that may be.

And I say to them, now, I'm sorry, I can't do that. Because you see, I'm God's servant, and I've dedicated this to God, and I've dedicated my life to God, so I can't meet those responsibilities. Our Lord said, that's hypocrisy. That's hypocrisy. You don't hide behind the cloak of religion to neglect daily responsibilities of practical nature. All right, read on.

Well did Esaias prophesy, and you say, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me. That is, they say they worship me, but it's all empty, it's vain, it's meaningless. Teaching for doctrines, the commandments of him.

God says in his law, thou shalt not take to the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Now obviously, that commandment prohibits profanity and vulgar language which uses the name of God lightly and irreverently. But it also prohibits the flippant, irreverent use of God's name just in common language. The name of the Lord God is not to be used as a byword.

I can't stress that enough. I can't stress that enough. In this day and age, it seems that everybody speaks lightly with regard to God, and we somehow get sucked into things. You young people, and mom and dad especially, listen to me, set an example before.

Don't use terms like G and G's and Jesus and G-Wiz and oh God and oh Lord and my gosh. Those things are nothing on this earth but minced oats by which men take the name of God lightly. Don't use God's name as a byword. Don't speak irreverently in use of God's name. But something that commonly is ignored. is that this commandment, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, goes far, far deeper than just the use of our Lord's name.

It forbids all superficial, indifferent, insincere, half-hearted, hypocritical worship. so that we do not come to the house of God and seek God's name. We're just saying his praise. We call on the name of the Lord in prayer. We read his word. Don't do it half-heartedly. Don't dare, don't dare come to God half-heartedly. Don't, don't dare approach God without due consideration of who it is we've come to worship. We come here. God forgive us for ever coming to church and going through the habitual practice of religious evil. God forgive me and forgive us.

It is taking God's name in vain to do so. Someone said God's name is taken in vain more often inside the church than outside. Because most of what we see in religion is nothing less than the blasphemy of God's name. The mechanical use of God's name in repetitious prayers, and repetitious songs, and repetitious rituals, while having no thought in regard for God's honor, and a genuine devotion to him, is taking his name in vain. That means that interreligious rituals and ceremonies, even when outwardly they are forms of religion that are required by the Word of God, but interreligious rituals and ceremonies is but taking God's name in vain.

Let me show you. Turn to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 1. This is not something that's new. This is a problem that has existed from the very beginning, because we are all by nature given to idolatry, and we are all by nature Pharisees at heart. Here in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 13, the Lord God speaks and says, bring no more vain oblations.

Incense is an abomination unto me. The new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of the assemblies, I cannot away with. It's iniquity. Even your solemn meetings, your new moons, and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth them. They are troubling to me, and I'm weary of them.

And when you spread forth your hands, that's it, when you call on me in prayer, I'll hide my eyes from you. Verse 16, he says, Make you clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. And cease to do evil. And he's talking about worship. He's talking about where he is coming to the temple and doing exactly what you and I have come here to do tonight. Coming in God's name and coming pretending to worship God. But he says, don't you come to me half-heartedly. Don't you come to me without faith in me. Don't you come to me without the intent of honoring me. Don't do it. God says, I'm weary with this.

Learn to do well, seek judgment, and then he says in verse 18, come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Most religious practices today don't even attempt an outward conformity to the word of God, but here our Lord is speaking concerning even those who do attempt outwardly to do what he says to.

You and I, I think I can honestly say, we attempt, honestly, to worship God in accordance with his word. But don't be satisfied with just outward worship. Don't be satisfied with just doing things according to the letter of scripture. Come to God with true heart worship as well.

Malachi declares that the offering of a blemished, unworthy sacrifice is taking God's name in vain. You can read that in Malachi 1. We're told that God will not accept any pretended worship of him. Any worship that does not arise from a redeemed, regenerate, believing heart, God won't accept. The wise man says the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination. The sacrifice of a man who doesn't come to God with heart worship, heart faith, heart reverence, heart obedience, heart love, his sacrifice is an abomination to God.

Boy, that put an end to preachers begging and pleading, hitting the streets trying to get unregenerative, unbelieving people to have no interest in the gospel, to support God's cause and God's work. Boy, that's foolishness. That's foolishness. Preachers bow and escape him before men as though God Almighty is honored. If man will pretty please give God a ten cent tip for being God, that's nonsense.

God Almighty stands in need of nothing, and God's servants don't treat him as though he stands in need of nothing, and they don't drag him through the mud and act as though he stood in need of something. Our God rules over all. He has all things. We don't go to men and beg men to help God or to help his cause.

The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to him. Now, most people think that religion is primarily an outward thing. Most people do. But our text declares that true religion, true worship, true Christianity is far more inward than outward. The Pharisees died out hundreds of years ago. But the spirit of the Pharisee thrives today as it always has. The Pharisee's religion is a religion of show. It's a religion of show.

But our Savior tells us plainly that we must never make a show of religion. I wish I could get that real well established. We are called upon by God as believing men and women to give and be generous, but don't ever make a show of it. Don't ever make a show of it. We're called upon by our God to call on him in prayer and worship him, but he says do it in private, not in public. Don't ever make a show of it. If we fast, he says, don't you show and appear to men as though you fast. In other words, believers, as they worship God, are not to be ostentatious, not showing, not flamboyant so that folks look at what we're doing. But rather, our religion, our worship ought to be such that causes folks to look to Him to whom we're looking.

You see the difference? Most people, their religion's on their sleeve. Their religion's what they wear. Their religion's the way they wear their hair, or the way they wear their shoes, or the way they speak, the way they talk, the way they pray, the way they bow their head. Nonsense! The believer worships God instead.

Now, I want to show you four things in this text of Scripture. You give me your attention for just a few minutes, if you can, and I'll show you these four things, and I pray that God, the Holy Spirit, who calls these words of our Savior to be written here in Matthew, will inscribe these facts upon our hearts. We need to learn them. We need to lay them to heart. We need to remember them.

First, understand this. formal, ritualistic, ceremonial, outward religion, without heart-faith, is useless anti-religion. It's just useless religion. The complaint of the Scribes and Pharisees against the disciples of our Lord was not that they were evil, corrupt, covetous men, but simply that they did not keep the Jewish traditions of washing their hands before they ate. I often have compared the text of Scripture that's before us this evening to the custom of religious folks going to a restaurant, a crowded restaurant, and acting like they're praying.

Now, I hope folks don't take offense. Pray, by all means pray, give thanks to God. Don't ever think about picking up a piece of bread and putting it in your mouth, other than thanks to God. But don't make a show of it. Don't make a show of it. Folks say, well you need to let folks know it's a good witness. That's not a witness for Christ. That's showing somebody that you're religious. That's showing somebody that you're different from them. But rather, simply in your heart, give thanks to God and give praise to Him. That's your home.

Or when you're gathering with believers, even in a public place, you're just gathering with believers, you're about to eat, by all means, public prayer is awkward. But in a public place, in a public restaurant, the bowing and saying of prayers, it's just out of place.

And these Pharisees, when they would eat the bread, when they would take a piece of meat or a piece of bread in their hand, they would go through the ceremony, washing their hands. Why? They could have washed their hands at home. They could wash their hands in private. But no, they put the water pots out right in front so everybody comes in the house, wash their hands. Let's see if we're showing that we're holy. We're showing that we won't defile ourselves. Now don't misunderstand me. Don't misunderstand me and certainly don't misunderstand the doctrine of our Lord in this text.

I do not suggest, nor does our text suggest, that outward public worship is insignificant. Nothing is more important. No activity of life is more important for a believer than public worship. Nothing is more important. Believers must not forsake the assembling of themselves together.

I do not suggest, and our text does not suggest, that the outward form of public worship is insignificant. We must be careful that we do not make rules and regulations that God hasn't made. And for that reason, we do not try to impose upon others the way we conduct our worship services here.

Here we meet, we have a couple of songs, maybe three or four songs, we read the scriptures, and we have our prayer time, and we have the preaching of the word. Now, those things ought to be involved in worship, I recognize that. But sometimes the worship's more formal, sometimes it's less formal. Sometimes there are lots of musical instruments, sometimes there are no musical instruments. Those things are insignificant. The outward act of worship is really insignificant. But we do not suggest that the form of gospel ordinances is in any way insignificant. We come here to worship God, and unless we worship God in the way he's prescribed, we don't worship him at all. I don't want to offend friends, but I've had several conversations recently concerning this matter of believers' baptism, and folks say I don't pay any attention to that. You'd better pay attention to it. You'd better pay attention to it.

If we don't practice baptism the way our Lord commands that we practice, we don't do anything but mock God when we pretend to practice baptism. If we don't observe the Lord's table the way our Lord commands that it be observed, then we just mock him when we pretend to worship him in vain. We call upon him if we don't call upon him as he said that we should.

And yet, even when the outward form of worship is right, that's not the principal thing. Heart worship is the principal thing. That's the principal part of worship. Look what our Savior says here in verse 8. He quotes from Isaiah 29 13, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. The heart is the principal thing in all relationships.

The one thing my wife wants from me and must have, and the one thing I want from her and must have is heart. Got to have a heart. The one thing parents and children want from one another and must have is their hearts. The one thing that friends want from friends is their hearts. The one thing that God demands of us is, my son, give me thine heart. What are we What is it that we must have if we're to be saved?

A new heart. What sacrifice does God require of us? A broken and contrite heart. What is the true circumcision? It's the circumcision of the heart. What is it that God calls for? The heart. Where does Christ dwell? In our hearts, by faith. J.C. Ryle made this observation, and he's exactly right.

He said, the bowed head, the loud amen, the daily chapter read, the regular attendance at the Lord's table are all useless and unprofitable so long as our affections are nailed to sin, or pleasure, or money, or the world. That's the first thing. Outward, ceremonial, ritualistic religion without heart worship is empty religion. That religion which adds to or diminishes from the word of God is empty, useless religion.

I want you to see three texts of scripture. Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. Now, I know folks think, well, you don't have any compassion, you're too strict, you're too divisive, you say things too plain, you get folks upset. But compassion is telling you the truth. Compassion requires that I declare God's truth to you. And if you're headed in a way of destruction, that I warn you of the way of destruction.

Look here in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 2. God says, you shall not add unto the word which I commanded you, neither shall you diminish aught from it. Don't you add a word to it? Don't you take a word away from it. Look in chapter 12 of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 12 and verse 32. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it. Thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Now that's God's word with regard to the giving of the law by Moses, with regard to the Old Testament prophecy. Turn to Revelation chapter 22. Revelation chapter 22. The Apostle John writes the same thing by inspiration with regard to the New Testament, as he closes out the New Testament itself.

In verse 18, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Now how important is it that we bow to the authority of God's word? Life and death is at stake. Eternal glory or eternal misery is at stake. Eternal blessedness or eternal woe is at stake. God says, don't you add to my word, and don't you take away from my word.

Now the Jews were very sincere. They were very zealous. They were serious about this thing. The Jews, perhaps the first fellow who set this thing up as an ordinance, as a ritual to go through, perhaps he didn't have the intention. that the Jews finally made it to be of becoming a matter of spirituality and holiness and acceptable with God. But what he did was he added one little thing to the word of God, the worship of God, the way men and women approached God. And the Jews ran with it. And they made something big out of it. And they were serious. They were sincere. They were as zealous as they could be.

But our Lord said it's just lip labor. nothing else. It's just lip service. You in vain worship me. You have taken the traditions of men and set them up for the Father and neglected the Word of God. And that's what always happens. Those who treat the Word of God with such contempt make the Word of God of none effect by their Now there's a whole lot that could be said in this regard, but I want you to listen carefully to this.

Our only authority for anything in the worship of God is this book right here. I have friends all around the country and around the world who will get up on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, whenever they preach, and they're going to bring a study on a subject and they will read the texts and the scriptures, and then they'll get their church confession and read a text from that, and then they'll get the confessions of the fathers and read a text from that, and though they may have the best of intentions, wanting to show that this is a doctrine that is historically founded and a doctrine that badness had been believed throughout their history, they may have the very best of intentions, but what happens is the people to whom they're preaching Exalt the catechism and the creed and the confession above the Word of God. I'll give you a prime example. Give you a prime example.

I was in a church nearby here, about where you were raised. They had a row with a fellow who said he believed the gospel of God's grace, and I just sat and listened. I just listened to the public meeting. Danny asked me to come over there, so I went over there and just sat and listened.

And one of the deacons in the church got up and he said, I don't care what the Word of God says. The only thing at issue, I'm telling you exactly what it says. It doesn't matter what the Word of God says. The only issue here is does it agree with our confession of faith. I'm telling you, when men start adding to the Word of God, they make the Word of God none of that. The Word of God becomes meaningless. It becomes insignificant.

So when we come to find the basis and authority for our doctrine, it's right here. only in this book, only in this book. Don't ever make the mistake of taking a text of scripture and reading it and saying, now wait a minute, that doesn't fit my doctrine. We've got to figure out some way to make this text fit our doctrine. Throw your doctrine aside and make your doctrine fit this text.

You understand what I'm saying? We must bow to the Word of God, bow tradition to the Word, and bow our reason to the Word, and bow our thoughts, opinions, and experiences only to the Word of God. Not only is that true with regard to doctrine, so that to the law and to the testimony they speak not according to this Word, it's because there's no light in them, but with regard to the ordinances of divine worship, we must come only to the Word of God. likely going to get myself in trouble with some friends.

Well, I won't get myself in trouble with God's friends. But I'm going to say it anyway. This matter of baptism, I have a pamphlet in my briefcase a fellow sent me several months ago, trying to show me why it's proper to baptize babies. And I studied it carefully.

Not one argument would produce a victory. Not one. Not one basis of thought was drawn from Scripture. Not one example was given from Scripture. But the whole of the argument, the whole of the authority, was based upon what we perceived to be true according to our confession and according to our fathers. I'm telling you, we must bow to the Word of God alone.

I said one time, preaching in a Presbyterian congregation in Louisville, I said to the preachers there, If you can show me in this book, anywhere in this book where anybody ever baptized a baby, anywhere in this book where anybody ever sprinkled water on somebody's face and called it baptism, I'll start practicing tomorrow.

I'll never immerse again. I promise you. But if you can't find it in this book, don't you do it. You've got no right to do it. Now that's how serious this thing is. We submit ourselves only to the Word of God. With regard to our prescribed duties, we come to the scriptures, folks say you think it's right to do this, should a Christian do that? I've got no right to make your mind up for you.

I've got no right to tell you what to do. He wears his hair a little different than I do. Some of that has to do with the fact that I don't have as much as he's got, but he wears it a little different than I do. I've got no right to tell him not to wear his hair the way he does, nor do I have any right to set any judgment over you if you decide to wear your hair a little different than he does.

That's not our prerogative. We don't have that right. The scriptures lay down guidelines. The scriptures lay down principles. But the scriptures do not say wear your hair so long, you ladies wear this kind of makeup or don't wear any makeup. The scriptures just simply don't give us that leeway.

Should a believer go to a movie? I love what your brother says. Love Christ and do what you want with him. Just love Christ and do what you want to. You make up your mind. That's up to you. Act between you and your God. Now, if you ask me some things that I think may be wise or unwise, I'd be happy to talk to you about it.

But I am not going to lay down rules and regulations. This church has no right to do it. This preacher has no right to do it. And you have no right to do it. Say, well, I don't believe a person of the Spirit is going to do that. I don't believe a person of the Spirit is going to wear that. Only what God says is worth it. That's all. And he's given us enough. He's given us enough.

More than that, we must never allow ourselves to be put in subjection to the commandments of men. You read Colossians chapter 2 at your leisure and understand Paul's doctrine. He tells us plainly that we must not allow ourselves to be brought in bondage to the opinions and traditions of men. don't do it. I know we want to be charitable and we want to exercise kindness with regard to brotherly love and we want to be careful not to offend brethren who are weaker in the faith and all those things but when all said and done the apostle says abstain from all appearance of evil and in the context in which it's found first Thessalonians 5 22 When he says, abstain from all appearance of evil, moral evil is included, certainly so.

But he's talking about doctrinal evil. He's talking about the perversion of the gospel. Anything that smacks of works, anything that smacks of self-righteousness, anything that smells like phariseeism. Anything that you look at and you say, this is just not consistent with Greek grace, substitutionary rediction, through Jesus Christ alone, you mark it down, push it aside.

You stay away from it. Just stay away from it. Now thirdly, and this is very, very important, true religion, true spirituality is a very practical thing. False, empty religion will allow a man or a woman to neglect and despise the most common duties of life in the name of religion. True religion, true Christianity, causes people to cherish and faithfully perform the most common, ordinary duties of everyday life for the glory of God. true religion and undivided, is to visit the fatherless and the sick and the widowed and their children. I had a letter today or yesterday, maybe, from a friend of mine, Brother Ross Peniste, out in Florida. He had been planning for several months now to come over to St. Petersburg and be with us in the worship services there next weekend.

And he wrote and said he can't come. And he apologized. He's got a bread truck. He was going to hire somebody to run his route, but couldn't find anybody to run his route. So he said, I'm chained to this job. And I wrote him back a letter, and you'll see an article in the Bulletin in, oh, five or six weeks with regard to this.

But I said to him, Ross, don't ever feel like you have to apologize because you have to work. Don't ever feel that way. Don't ever think that you somehow must give up or neglect ordinary duties in life in order to worship God. Somebody has to pay the bills.

If you fellows didn't go out and work, if you folks didn't work and generously give to support the cause of Christ, I couldn't go to Florida and preach. I couldn't go anywhere and preach, but because you do, I give myself freely and completely to the ministry of the word, and that's the way it ought to be.

Religion, if it is true religion, Christianity, if it is true Christianity, will make a man honorable in everything. It'll make a man honor his parents when he's an old man or when he's a young man. It'll make a father and a husband provide for his family. I have, over the years, been across a good many men who were so spiritual they didn't feel like they ought to hold down a job. and the family suffer for it.

Not in the name of God. Not in the name of God. Man who's born of God and worships God works and works industriously to provide for himself and his family for the glory of God and he will be a diligent employee wherever he is. Wherever he is. Believers are diligent in their employment. Diligent. I didn't say they ought to be. I said they are. They're diligent in their employment, so that they go about their business, not as serving the maintenance, but as serving God.

Now, I'll use Ian again. You work for your dad in the summertime, and he kind of sees to it that you do things his way. But if you were working for Lindsay instead, Doesn't matter whether Renz is a good boss or bad boss. Doesn't matter whether he treats you like you ought to be treated or doesn't treat you like you ought to be treated. He is again in a place of authority over you, and you go about your business, whether you make him $2 an hour or $20 an hour, you go about your business as a man serving God. That's the way you do it. And that way you find commitment in seeking God over him. Not serving the man who's immediately over you.

Christianity will make a believer a faithful employer, so that the man who owns a business who's a believer, I'd like to work for him, contract or no contract, because that man's going to treat you right, and he's a believer, he's going to just do you right.

It makes a believer who is a woman a good wife, good wife. All believing women are good wives. All of them are. There's no such thing as a believing woman who doesn't love her husband and submit herself to her husband. There's no such thing as a believing woman who doesn't diligently prepare and provide for her family. There's no such thing as a believing woman who doesn't behave in such a manner as the wise man describes a believing woman in Proverbs 30. The believer, the man, the woman who worships God, Their whole life is affected by the worship of God.

Indeed, our worship of God is not our gathering here, meeting three times a week. This is our public worship. Our worship of God is living in this world, trusting Christ for the glory of God. That's what it is. That's what it is. We come here to get fed up. We come here to get refreshed and comforted. We come here to get instructed. We come here to be provided with armor to meet the enemy.

But we go back out into this world and then we worship and serve our master. Fourthly, true religion, true Christianity, true worship is a spiritual matter. It's a spiritual matter. Lindsay read that passage in John 4 earlier. The Samaritans said, we worship in this mountain. We know that when Messiah comes, we'll worship there. The Jews say we'll worship over there.

And the Lord Jesus said, you don't understand. God's spirit. God is spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit. And in whom? The Father seeketh such to worship Him. Paul says we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. True worship then begins with a circumcision of the heart. It begins with an operation of grace in the heart.

That's what circumcision represented in the Old Testament. Our pedo-Baptist friends would tell us that circumcision represented baptism in the Old Testament. No such thing. Circumcision in the Old Testament represents the regeneration of the soul, the renewing of the heart, the circumcision of the heart by God the Holy Spirit.

True worship involves the knowledge of and obedience to the truth. It involves the knowledge of and obedience to Christ, as he's revealed in this book, He submits himself, lock, stock and barrel, what God reveals. That's all. What does God say? That settles the issue in all areas of life. True worship is a spiritual thing. We worship God in our spirits, by his Holy Spirit, according to the spirit that he's revealed in his word. We worship him spiritually.

We don't worship God through the use of images and icons and all that nonsense. We don't worship God by playing with rosary beads. We don't worship God by kissing the toes of idols. We worship God spiritually, with simplicity. We worship God in our hearts, in our spirits. We worship God by the direction and power of his Holy Spirit. And true worship is in its essence rejoicing in Christ. That is, believing Him. Trusting Him alone, who is set before God.

Our Lord said, where two or three have gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. To gather in His name means that we've come here right now for the glory of God, seeking God's face through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. We've come here calling on His name. That's what it is, to gather in His name. We come here believing Christ alone as Savior and Lord. Rejoicing in him is loving him. Rejoicing in him is exalting him. We want him to be praised, honored, glorified in all things.

And true worship is a renunciation of all confidence in the flesh. No confidence in my fleshly privileges. That doesn't give me any claim with God. No confidence in the works of the flesh, things that I have done in religious activity. No confidence in the ordinances of the flesh, in the outward exercise of religion. No confidence in the experience of the flesh, but rejoicing only in Jesus Christ as my Lord, my Redeemer, my Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. That according as it is written, He the Glorious, letting glory in the Lord. Now you remember this when you come to the house of God. God help you to remember. The Lord looketh on the heart. The Lord looketh on the heart.

Don't ever, ever, ever regard this business of worship as a matter of indifference. a flippant insignificant thing. But rather make it your business under God in all things to seek to worship him, to regulate your life by his word, his honor, his worship.

I hope that you understand that. I hope everybody who gets this tape listens to it understands we're not promoting looseness or laxity. not in any way whatsoever. I don't want you to ever become indifferent about your behavior. What I am saying is that in all things, seek to honor Christ. Seek to honor him.

And the Lord God promises him that honoreth me, I will honor him. That's a good question to ask. When we start to engage in any kind of activity and worship, does this honor God? Does this Really honor God. That's the only thing that's significant. Lindsay and Ron pick out our hymns. When you pick out a hymn, look at it now. Does this honor God? Or does this promote flesh? Does this honor God? Or is it just sentiment? We'll sing what honors God. When you're engaged in whatever it is you're engaged in, in day-by-day activity, does this honor God? If it doesn't, don't do it. If it does, do it. Honor God in everything. In everything, live honestly, uprightly, by faith, seeking God's honor. That's what it is to worship Him.

Our Father, bless now Your Word to the hearts of these who've heard it and those who shall. Make Your Word profitable and effectual for the glory of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray for Your blessings upon the meetings in Florida. I ask, Father, that in all things Christ will be honored and exalted, your people helped, your kingdom increased. I ask for Ron, that your spirit will be with him as he preaches in Madisonville, and grant to Maurice as he comes here the special unction of your spirit in preaching the gospel. Close your word to go forth from this place with power, that in all things we ask that Christ Jesus, our Lord, be magnified. your people helped, your kingdom served. For Christ's sake, I pray.

Empty Religion

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about empty religion?

How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

Why is it wrong to add to or diminish from Scripture?

What are the characteristics of true religion according to the Bible?

How should Christians approach worship according to scripture?

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Empty Religion

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about empty religion?

How do we know true worship is important for Christians?

Why is it wrong to add to or diminish from Scripture?

What are the characteristics of true religion according to the Bible?

How should Christians approach worship according to scripture?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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