Our Traditions

Mark 7:1-13  Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.  (2)  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.  (3)  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.  (4)  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, brasen vessels, and of tables.  (5)  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?  (6)  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  (7)  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  (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 ye do.  (9)  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.  (10)  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  (11)  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.  (12)  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;  (13)  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Introduction:  These passages are dealing with “Man’s Tradition.”  “We have always done it that way.”

ILLUSTRATION:  A woman has the butcher cut off the end of the ham.  Her husband asked her why they cut it off.  Her answer was, “Mom always did it that way.  So the husband asked his mother-in-law why she did it that way, and her comment was, “so it would fit in my pan.  If I had had a larger pan, I wouldn’t have had it cut off.”

              We are like that in so many ways.  We as Independent Fundamental Baptists abhor the methodology and tradition of the Protestants.  Yet, if we would step back and have one of those “outa body” experiences, we might find we are not much different.

              We have our traditions; we do it because Fundamental Independent Baptists do it that way.  It isn’t always following God, it is following Baptists.  Not all tradition is bad, our King James Bible is ours by tradition, our music is good, however, we walk in the tradition of the world, the agnostics, the atheists, the Protestants.  We are not seen as strict in our walk.

              We wash our brains (hands).  We are always making rules; we change scripture to suit our friends, our convictions.

I.            TRADITION IS HYPOCRITICAL.                           (vv 6-8)

2 Peter 2:18-19  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.  (19)  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

              A.           We Have A Vain Tongue.                             (v 6)

                             1.           We have great vain words

                                           i.            Yet our walk does not reflect our

                                                          hypocritical words

                                           ii.           We become servant of corruption.

              B.           We Have A Worthless Worship.                  (v 7)

John 4:21-24  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.  (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.  (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  (24)  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

                                               

                             1.           The hour comes

                                           i.            Our worship will be revealed

                                           ii.           We will then know

                                                          a.           What we are ignoring

                             2.           God is seeking those who worship Him.

              C.           We Create Commandments From Our Tradition

                             1.           We make our personal convictions commandments                                  

Colossians 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

                             2.           With minor exceptions, our Bible:

                                           i.            KJB is a literal

                                                          a.           History book

                                                          b.           Book of Prophecy

                                                          c.            It is God’s Word

                                                                        1.)          Absolutely

                                                                                      Complete.

II.           TRADITION KEEPS BEFORE THE COMMANDMENTS

                                                                                                     (vv 9-12)

              A.           “My Goods Are Corban”

                             1.           Corban = A gift dedicated to God

                                           i.            This statement made in front of

                                                          witnesses

                                                          a.           Was legally binding

                             2.           Priests were seeking “corban” from people

                                           who had dire financial needs

Isaiah 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

                                           i.            The family needed the sought after gift

                             3.           God expects that we tithe

                                           i.            From the 90% we are to take care of  our personal needs

                                           ii.           From any excess, “corban” can be

                                                          given

III.         THROUGH TRADITION THE “WORD” BECOMES   (v 13)

              INEFFECTIVE                                             

              A.           Any Ritual Or Procedure Which Gives Us Security                

                             1.              Without resorting to the “Word”

                                           i.            Anything which gives us security over  the “Word”.

              B.           Personal Traditions.

                             1.           Church attendance

                             2.           Prayers

                             3.           Ceremonies

                                           i.            Whatever we hang onto for

                                                          security

                                                          a.           Outside of God’s “Word”

Matthew 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

              C.           None Effect

                             1.           To make worthless

                                           i.            To become vain

CONCLUSION:  In the Introduction, I referred to an “outa body” experience.

              Personally, I have a problem with the concept of “outa body” experiences.  But I do believe we as Christians, then as Baptists, we each need to look at what our beliefs are.

              Have we allowed tradition to supplement our “Word” of God?

All that we believe should be based on what is written, not necessarily on what might be implied.

              When I was working at Union Pacific, a group of us entered a  discussion of Noah and his ark, and all the animals two by two.   I noted to a woman that there were more than two by two of the clean animals.  She let me know she had been a Baptist a lot longer than I.  She had heard many preachers extol on the two by two.  After she read God’s Word, she apologized.

              How many stories of the Bible are kinda twisted in your mind?

We need to read our Bible with a need to comprehension, and for completeness.

              Read to learn, not for certificates.  They are nice, but we must comprehend God’s “Word” to the best of our ability.