Proverbs 21_27      Reject Rotten Religion

Rev. David Holwick  W                                     Proverbs series

First Baptist Church

Ledgewood, New Jersey

July 30, 2006

Proverbs 21:27


REJECT ROTTEN RELIGION



  I. Religionland.

      A. America has a reputation for being very religious.

          1) Among industrialized nations, we certainly are.

              a) Only Ireland beats us.

          2) 41% in U.S. say they attend religious services regularly.

              a) Josiah's comment -- no way!!

              b) I agree with him.  So do some researchers.

                  1> A different reporting technique shows only 21%

                        attend religious services once a week or more.

                  2> People lie about attending church!


      B. What kind of religion do Americans have?

          1) It runs the gamut, but tends to be highly personalized.

          2) "God and me make a great team."


      C. Proverbs cuts through the baloney.

          1) Real faith has a real impact on a person's life.

          2) How much baloney is there in YOUR personal faith?


II. Rotten religion is rejected.

      A. God looks at your heart, not your church attendance.


         15:8  The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but

                 the prayer of the upright pleases him.


         21:27  The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable -- how

                  much more so when brought with evil intent!


          1) Lots of people are religious, but only some love God.

              a) Jesus said by their fruit you know them.

          2) Good religion doesn't offset bad behavior.

              a) Godfather III movie - the godfather has to murder

                    lots of people to keep his power, so he makes

                       big donations to his church to balance it out.

              b) God hates such hypocrisy.

              c) If your lifestyle contains wickedness, God is under

                    no obligation to bless you or even hear you.

          3) Actions are important, but so it your attitude.

              a) God takes account of our intentions.


      B. God shuts the door on the wicked.


             15:29  The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the

                      prayer of the righteous.


             28:9  If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his

                     prayers are detestable.


          1) If your prayers seem like they are going nowhere, maybe

                that is an accurate assessment.

          2) What in your life does not match up with the gospel?

              a) Assess your relationships.

              b) Assess your habits.

              c) Assess your priorities.

              d) Assess your attitudes.

                  1> What kind of remarks do you make about other races?

                  2> How often do you lose your temper?

          3) Even better, have someone who knows you well, assess you.


      C. Obedience is mandatory.


         21:3  To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the

                 LORD than sacrifice.


          1) Does this make religion obsolete?

              a) This contrast between morality and religion is often

                    found in the Old Testament prophets.

                  1> "To obey is better than sacrifice."      1 Sam 15:22

              b) Morality is not superior to faith, nor a replacement.

                  1> However, true faith is always moral.

          2) Religious practices can be hollow.

              a) A beautiful baptism may be just a good bath.

              b) An hour in prayer may mean just sore knees.

          3) What people see in your life reflects what is in your soul.

              a) Obedience comes first, then worship should follow.

                  1> King David's example in Psalm 51:16-19.


III. Put your faith on the right track.

      A. Admit you are not God.


         30:3  I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the

                 Holy One.

         30:4  Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

               Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his

                  hands?

               Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?

               Who has established all the ends of the earth?

               What is his name, and the name of his son?

                  Tell me if you know!


          1) There are things humans don't know, and can't know.

              a) (science accepts no limits like this, but Bible does)

          2) God alone is greater than we are, and worthy of our awe.


             9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

                     and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.


      B. Acknowledge your sin.


         20:9  Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and

                 without sin"?


         28:13  He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever

                  confesses and renounces them finds mercy.


          1) The great evangelist D.L. Moody used to say,


             "You can always tell when a man is a great way from God

                 - he is always talking about himself, how good he is.

              But the moment he sees God by the eye of faith, he is

                 down on his knees, and like Job, he cries,

                    'Behold, I am vile.'"

                                                                   #23140

          2) C. S. Lewis once put it like this:


             "Christianity has no message for those who do not realize

                 they are sinners."

                                                                    #1641

             Only sinners need Christ.

                Do YOU need him?


      C. Have a high regard for God's Word.

          1) God gives us a foundation.


              29:18  Where there is no revelation, the people cast off

                       restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.


              a) Our society is finding out what happens when there is

                    no moral foundation -- anything goes!

              b) "Revelation" here is the revealing of God's Word to us,

                    whether by prophets or written Scripture.

              c) Once we recognize revelation, we have to keep it.

          2) The Bible must be treated seriously and respectfully.


              30:5  Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to

                      those who take refuge in him.


              30:6  Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and

                      prove you a liar.


              a) The Bible doesn't need to be improved upon.

              b) Modern studies have cast doubts on the accuracy of the

                    Bible.

                  1> Some of the points of contention are valid.

                  2> Most are the result of a predetermined worldview.

                      A> They assume the Bible is false to begin with.

              c) A simple test - read the Bible consistently and see

                    what you think about it.


      D. Consider your bargains with God.

          1) Lots of people bargain with God.

              a) "Answer my prayer and I will do such-and-such."

              b) Wisdom from a "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon:


         In the comic strip it's late November and young Calvin is

            waiting with his sled for the first big snowfall.

         He waits and waits but all he finds is brown grass ... and

            no snow.


         So he says, "If I was in charge, we'd never see grass

            between October and May.

         Then, looking to the heavens, he says, "On 'three,' ready?

            "One ... Two ... Three.  SNOW!"


         Nothing happens and the little boy is downcast.

            Then he shouts to the heavens, "I said snow!  C'mon!  Snow!"

         Then shaking his fists he cries, "SNOW!"


         Now thoroughly disgusted with God's failure, he says,

            "Ok then, don't snow!  See what I care!

             I like this weather!  Let's have it forever!"


         But his defiance does not last.

         In the next frame we see Calvin on his knees offering

            this prayer:

         "Please snow!  Please??  Just a foot!  Ok, eight inches!

             That's all!

          C'mon!  Six inches, even!  How about just six??"

         Then he looks to heaven and shouts, "I'm WAAIITING . . ."


         In the next frame we see him running in a circle, head down,

            fists clenched, making a little-boy sound which the

               artist spells out as "RRRRGGHHH."

         That's not an English word but every parent has heard it

            many times.


         Finally, Calvin is exhausted, his energy spent, his

            prayer unanswered, with snow nowhere in sight.

         In the final frame, he looks up at God and cries out in

            utter desperation,

         "Do you want me to become an atheist?"


         There are many Christian people who feel just like that

            little boy, only they have prayed for things much more

               important than a few inches of snow.

         But the end result has been the same.

         And in their frustration and despair they have cried out to

            God, "Do you want me to become an atheist?"

         Most of them haven't, but some have.                      #32976


         And all of us have offered God deals like this.


          2) Don't make rash promises.


             20:25  It is a trap for a man to dedicate something

                      rashly and only later to consider his vows.

              a) Take your relationship with God seriously.

              b) It is not a negotiated relationship.

          3) Whatever you promise God, keep.


IV. Love and atonement.


     16:6  Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through

             the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.

      A. What is atonement?

          1) God's anger over our sin is erased.

              a) Our broken relationship with God is made right again.

              b) Typically, by the shed blood of an animal (or Jesus).

          2) Atonement is a very costly affair!


      B. Special considerations in Jewish history.

          1) Many times the Jews have not had a temple to worship in.

              a) Dilemma -- without a temple there are no sacrifices, and

                    without sacrifices, how will our sins be cleansed?

              b) Solution -- look for verses that speak of atonement

                    without mentioning blood.

          2) Here, love and faithfulness do the trick.

              a) These qualities are directed to God.

              b) Spiritual love and faithfulness go hand-in-hand.


          Lebanon has been much in the news lately.

          Just today an Israeli missile destroyed a building filled with

             women and children - at least 55 were killed.

          This recalls a terrible event that happened a little more than

             twenty years ago.


          One of the most tragic events during the Reagan presidency

             was the terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.

          Several hundred Americans were killed or wounded as they

             slept.

          Many of us can still recall the terrible images of the dazed

             survivors being dug out of the rubble.


          A few days after the tragedy, Marine Corps Commandant Paul

             Kelly visited some of the wounded survivors in the hospital.

          Among them was Corporal Jeffrey Lee Nashton.

          Nashton had so many tubes running in and out of his body that

             a witness said he looked more like a machine than a man,

                yet he survived.


          As Kelly neared him, Nashton, struggling to move and racked

             with pain, motioned for a piece of paper and a pen.

          He wrote a brief note and passed it back to the Commandant.

          On the slip of paper were but two words -- "Semper Fi" --

             the Latin motto of the Marines meaning "forever faithful."

                                                                   #19170


      C. True atonement comes from Jesus' love.

          1) In the words of Proverbs 30:4, "Who has gone up to heaven

                and come down?"  Jesus has done this, and Jesus alone.

          2) Accept him as your Savior today.



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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:


# 1641  "They Couldn't Smell The Garlic," Dynamic Preaching (www.sermons.com),

           sermon: How Shall We Prepare Ourselves For Christmas?,

           December 1991.


#19170  "Semper Fi," by J. Dobson & Gary Bauer, SermonCentral.com weekly

           newsletter, February 24, 2003.  Quoted from "Children at Risk" by

           J. Dobson & Gary Bauer, Word: 1990, pp. 187-188.


#23140  "Humble Before God," Fredericksburg Bible Illustrator Supplements,

           Gerald Rodgers Illustration Collection, September 2001.


#32976  "Do You Want Me To Become An Atheist?" Dr. Ray Pritchard in sermon

           "Praying For Your Prodigal."  Calvin & Hobbes was written by

           Bill Watterson.


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