Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• It must be terrible to be religious - with no certainty of heaven
• As Christians we have an assurance
• Joy unspeakable will fill our souls
• If Jesus was to walk the streets today - who would He call to Himself?
• He came to call sinners 
• His actions surprised many
• Tax collectors and publicians were hated
• v27 - Jesus called Levi the tax collector
• The pharisees couldn't stomach this
• Do we feel some people are beyond the grace of God?
• Levi left all and followed Jesus
• He called Jesus to his home and He ate with sinners and tax collectors
• The pharisees were indignant in this
• Looking at a contrast this morning:
• A joyful, generous and gracious religion
• A joyless, judgmental and legalistic religion
• Complainers don't much have the spirit of God in them
• Complaining about Jesus
• Jesus uses imagery to talk about a relationship with God
• Concentrating on v33-39
• Overview
• A Critical Insinuation (v33)
• A Corrective Answer (v34-35)
• To Clarifying Analogies (v35-39)

A Critical Insinuation (v33)

• Jesus answer to the pharisees' question wasn't enough (v31-32)
• How is it that our religion is rigorous and strict?
• (The pharisees and John's disciples would fast, have set hours of prayer)
• Some of John's disciples were falling into a form of legalism
• They couldn't understand why Jesus' disciples were not following their customs, traditions and collective wisdom
• They though Jesus' disciples were having an easy ride
• There was an insinuation that Jesus and His disciples weren't really holy
• Jesus taught His disciples to pray
• He hadn't yet taught them to fast
• The pharisees and some of John's disciples believed religion was about following strict rules
• Outward observance / external appearance
• It was all an outward sham - God saw their true hearts
• They were a joyless people - their religion was all about rules and regulations - man's laws
• Their greatest sin was pride - looking down on others and judging motives
• We must pray that we are not like the pharisees

A Corrective Answer (v34-35)

• Jesus response
• He would often challenge with a question
• He often called people to analyse their own hearts
• He would often reply in parables
• He refers to Himself as a bridegroom
• This is an analogy that was not in the Old Testament, so they might not have understood
• He stated He was the bridegroom
• Jesus could have explained the rules about fasting (that it was only required on the day of Yom Kippur)
• Jesus replied that it was the time of feasting, dance, joy and merriment - since this was the time of the bridegroom
• Consider the recent healing of the paralysed man - there was joy (v26)
• Had not the Angel said "Glad tidings of joy to all people"
• Do you think that Christianity is about joyless religion and rules or the life of the Spirit, knowing forgiveness and having a relationship with God?
• What is your religion?
• What is your view of Christianity?
• He makes a veiled reference to His death (the taking away of the bridegroom)
• Then the disciples would fast
• Since this time there has been periods of fasting - times and seasons

To Clarifying Analogies (v35-39)

• Jesus is speaking of the old compatibility of Jewish religion with the new gospel of grace
• He uses the analogy of clothes - you cannot patch up a works based religion with a gospel of religion
  • Explanation
• Jesus was not coming to reform the religion but replace it
• Not the Ten Commandments
• Come to replace a works based religion
• Abraham was saved by grace
• Others in the Old Testament were not saved by works but by faith in the Messiah
• No man can be justified by the works of the law or please God in the flesh
• Their old mindset needed to be done away with
• What about today?
• Do you think that you will be accepted by a Holy God because of our (little) effort?
• We need Jesus as our Saviour and Lord
• We can never 'add-on' Jesus Christ to our old religious ways
• He uses the analogy of wineskins
• Explanation
• The gospel is diametrically opposed to Jewish legalism
• The gospel is about the free gift of God in Jesus Christ
• A works based religion is about us trying, that we have some kind of potential/merit
• The gospel tells smashes this way of thinking
• Others try other things
• Example of Catholicism, the 7th Day Adventist, Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons
• It is faith only - you can not 'add on' Jesus
• You cannot have Jesus and your own foolish ways?
• Are you trusting only in Jesus Christ?
• If not, you need a new heart and a new mindset
• There is a vast difference between man made religion and the gospel of Jesus Christ

Closing Remarks