Give Them Jesus, Not Religion

Summary

The preacher begins by facing the injustice of our world. Even in free countries the people at the top, when they do not know God, look out for themselves first. But we have Jesus, who judges justly and with mercy. From there comes the theme of the night: give them Jesus. The one thing that saves and truly changes a person is Christ Himself, never religion.

Jesus refused to bless the empty traditions of the religious leaders and rebuked them for setting aside God's Word to keep their customs. The same pattern repeats through history: revival after revival (Wesley, Moody, Azusa Street, the Pentecostal and charismatic movements) began alive in the Spirit, then slowly hardened into rules and died, because the church fixed its eyes on its own forms instead of on Christ. Our debates over worship styles, hymns or modern songs, drums, Sunday school - these are only forms, law without life.

Mother Teresa, asked the secret of her work, simply said, I show them Christ - nothing more. Like cleaning a fish, the old selfish self has to die first before anyone can really be taught. So we give people Jesus and let Him do the rest. A second brother adds that we love because Christ loved us first, while we were still His enemies, and that His Word, sweeter than honey and a lamp to our feet, is the treasure through which God reveals Himself.

Key Points

• Only Jesus saves and transforms a person; religion, rules, and traditions cannot.
• Jesus rebuked leaders who set aside God's Word in order to keep their traditions.
• Every revival cools down when a church looks at its own rules instead of at Christ.
• Worship styles, hymns or modern songs, drums, Sunday school - these are forms, not the gospel.
• Like cleaning a fish, the old self-centered nature must die before a person can be taught.
• We love because Christ first loved us, while we were still His enemies.
• God's Word is a treasure sweeter than honey and a lamp to our feet; love it enough to change yourself, not it.