More Than Rules (Title is link to sermon)
This is part five of the "Not a Fan" series by Kyle Idleman.
I remember my sister and me getting up one Sunday morning and getting all dressed up to go to a church only a few miles from the house. Marty and I had planned this during the week and saved our best set of school clothes for this little Sunday jaunt. I had a license and since our parents didn't want to go, we decided we would go anyway! We had moved into a pretty small town and the church we went to visit wasn’t that big of a church. I am not sure of the denomination but that doesn't really matter the fact is that my sister and I were going to church amen?
The church must have had all the oldest people from the community! There was not anyone young there! I don't think there was anyone our parent’s age there either! During the entire church service, I would get a feeling that someone was looking at me! I would turn towards that burning sensation and ta-da! Yes, one of the geriatric elders would be looking at me and they would give me a slight nod and an uncomfortable smile.
When the service was over, we made our way to the door and was stopped by one of those elders with a very nice smile. He seemed to like having some young folks at the church and as he shook my hand he said, "We were glad to have you today, but I have to tell you we wear our Sunday best at this church."
We smiled awkwardly and walked to the 1969 Ford LTD briskly. We sat in the car totally in shock as we gathered our thoughts.
It was simple we didn't belong there, and we were not accepted there. The had a set of rules and we could not follow those rules! That happened 43 years ago, and I still feel like it was yesterday!
Here is a quote from Gandhi: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
If you remember in John chapter 8, the religious people tried to trick Jesus with the rules and laws.
They had caught a woman in sin and was ready to stone her!
She had broken the rules!
This woman, she is looking down—humiliated, guilty, ashamed. She’s been caught breaking the rules, and this may be the day that breaking a rule cost her everything.
Finally, Jesus looks up at these spiritual leaders & He says, “If any one of you is without sin, he can cast the first stone.”
And the grace of Jesus, that same grace that saved a woman from being stoned, calls to those who have been hauling around a long list of rules and rituals and obligations – Jesus calls to those who are tired of pretending to be more than they are.
Jesus calls to you!
Maybe you grew up in a home where you were taught all about Jesus.
Maybe, you went to church on the weekend and church camp in the summer. And you learned to fear Jesus…so you kept as many rules as you could hoping you wouldn’t go to hell. And when you would sin you would feel guilt wondering if you would be good enough.
And you were taught to observe different religious traditions and rule keeping.
But somehow, you never really fell in love with Jesus. You became a fan. Because when you come into a situation in which rules take precedence over love and grace, it’s hard to fall in love.
It is More Than Rules!
Receive HIS grace and mercy today.
Be blessed
Comments
Thank you Jesus for your mercy and grace. Forgive me of my sins and help me to not repeat or fall back into them. Help me to recognize what needs to change so I can reach out to You for forgiveness so change can happen. Praise You for making me new each day as I grow in You.
Amen indeed