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STRAIGHT FROM THE PULPIT
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Pastor Larry Gatlin, So. Oregon
DON’T JUST FOLLOW TRADITIONS
Let me start with an explanation. I am not going to declare that all
traditions are bad or that we shouldn’t continue some of them. But I am going to
say that any time tradition comes between you and a more intimate relationship
with the Lord and following His Word you need to lay it aside.
We have many traditions that we follow. One tradition is meeting in a
building. We call it a church. But is it the true Church? No, because the true
church is found in the hearts of all true Believers. But over the years we have
discovered that often congregations have allowed their building to bring
division, strife and arguments. Some have even allowed the color of carpet,
pews, or chairs to bring hurt into the Church. But these things are all
traditions. Could we have Church without a building, pews, chairs, or carpet?
Sure we could. They’re all just tools.
But if we allow them to bring any division into the local church, we’ve allowed
our tradition to override what the Word of God tells us. At that point we make
the Word of God of No effect.
Mark 7:6-13
6 He replied, "Isaiah was right
when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
"'These people honor me with
their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught
by men.'
8 You have let go of the commands of
God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9 And he said to them: "You have a
fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own
traditions! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father
and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to
death.' 11
But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you
might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to
God), 12 then you no longer let him do
anything for his father or mother. 13
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.
And you do many things like that." NIV
So then by allowing tradition to guide you rather than the Word of God
you can allow it to make the Word of no affect in your life. The Church has often
so followed their traditions that they have run unbelievers off before they
could receive the truth of God’s Word for their lives.
Following tradition is about surface issues. While following the
commands of Christ and the Word of God are about issues of the heart. When we
follow what Jesus has taught and we are seeking to walk in intimacy with Him we
will develop a living relationship with the Living Lord.
When we follow traditions we will place undo qualifications on people.
They will include how they are living for God and serving Him. We’ll begin to
describe ways to live for Him that have little or nothing to do with what the
Word of God declares. We had a funny little saying at church when I was in High
School. It went like this, “We don’t smoke and we don’t chew, and we don’t go
with the girls that do. Now all of those things are issues that can hurt your
body and I think it is good for us to avoid them. But are they from Gods word
or from the traditions that we have made to keep people following after
holiness that is manmade rather than God directed. I believe that true holiness
is a matter of relationship. When we have a living relationship with the Lord,
we’ll follow true holiness because we’ll allow Him to speak to our hearts and direct
us.
We’ll even begin Pastors, Evangelists, Missionaries and other ministries
to function in a manner that is in keeping with our denominational or personal
traditions. True ministry must always be brought about by an intimate
relationship with the Lord.
We must learn to move beyond tradition and into the freshness of what
the Holy Spirit is saying and doing. What you focus on is what you’ll follow.
If you focus on tradition, it will be
your guide rather than the Word of God or the Holy Spirit. But when you focus
on Jesus and His Love for your life and all that the Holy Spirit desires for
you - you will move pass tradition and into Abundant Life.
Pastor Larry
