The Inoculation of Religiosity
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There is a lot of discussion today about vaccines. And the catalyst for this discussion of course is Covid. Apparently in the America of Today, this is our WW1 and 2 combined. The great disease that has a 99% chance of survival is our greatest moment, the equivalence of our modern day D Day! Now today there are those that are on both sides of the isle who with fight tooth and nail in regards to the vaccine.
On one side you have those that wished the government would just mandate the vaccine, in their minds it is juvenile and even dangerous to every living being on planet earth to not have the vaccine. While on the other side you have those that believe the vaccine is the first cousin to the mark of the beast. That something nefarious is going on with mass vaccinations, some kind of government control. That maybe there is mass sterilization for population control or being that the vaccines are Messenger RNA vaccines that powerful diabolical people are manipulating peoples genetics.
Today I am not worried about the covid inoculation one way of another. If you choose to get it or choose not to get it, it really doesn’t matter to me, I will love you the same no matter your choice. I am more worried about another inoculation, one that in my estimation is far more dangerous than the Moderna of Phizer vaccines. Today I am worried about the inoculation of religiosity.
Turn with me to God’s Holy Word and lets stand in honor of the reading f the Word of God today:
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Now the Apostle Paul is carrying the message of jesus across the world and He is in Athens Greece. And as He is making his way through the city, his spirit is provoked because he saw that the city was full of idols
And the Idols were idols of religion. Now don’t assume that without Christ in someones life that they are not religious, oh no. We were created to worship, that is innate to our being. We are creatures made for worship. And don’t assume that part of us died at the fall. Oh no, the religious part of us didn’t die, it was just twisted up and perverted. And don't assume the devil is looking for a nation for of atheists, oh no. He doesn’t want atheists, He wants worshippers just as God does. He just doesn’t want you worshipping the true and living God, because the devil fills every other form of false worship. Satan is the King of the cults. e receives worship under different names throughout history.
Satan has recieved worship under many different Names
Satan has recieved worship under many different Names
During Paul's days in Athens Greece, the devil recieved worship under the names of Jupiter and Zeus, in Old testament times under the Babylonians He received worship under the names of Marduk, In ancients Egypt he recieved worship under the name Osiris, Isis, and Ra.
Today in the Middle Eastern Word He receives worship under the names of Allah, or Vishnu.
You say well thats good and all what does that have to do with me?
Hold on hold on I am going to get to you in just a moment.
Why were these people worshipping these idols. Was it lack of education?
No in fact during this period of time Paul was in the most sophisticated city of the world during that time! Athens Greece, the Greeks where the fathers of Pholospy. In fact if you enroll in a philosphy course today you will study Plato, Socrate4s, Epicures and many others who were Greeks.
There is a spiritual power in idolatry and the power is demonic
But hold on, has the devil inoculated with the vaccine of religion that keeps you from catching power of the Gospel.
But hold on, has the devil inoculated with the vaccine of religion that keeps you from catching power of the Gospel.
Today millions of Americans will go to church. They will dance around, they will get themselves into a tizy, or they may be stiff as boards with their ho hum music and service. They may view themselves as Holy Ghost catchers, or they may be the frozen chosen.
But You see the problem today on America is there are millions of people getting an injection of religion on Sunday but don’t know how to walk it out on Monday!
Is the devil involved in your religion?
Is the devil involved in your religion?
You see Paul warned the believers of his day that if they didn’t watch it demons will get involved with your worship, and give you a shot of religion that makes you think that you are fine.
You see idolatry causes us to partake with demons and I don’t want you to partake with demons.
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
Now we are talking about the idolatry of religion. And Paul here is addressing the church reminding them there are two tables for you to sit at, there is the table of the Lord and there is the table of demons.
And Paul want the believers to understand that Idols are nothing, but the demons that flow through those idols are very real
You can either sit at the table of God or you can sit at the table of demons but you cannot sit at both
When you try to sit at the table of demons and try to sit at the table of God, you will only be left with demons because God wont allow both
And I will submit to you this morning, that the devil understood long ago that there is nmo way he can beat the church, so what did he do? He joined it. and He has turned the people of God to idols and away from the Living God
Well what is the Idol of Religion?
THE IDOL OF RELIGION
-Religion is mans attempt to convince God through activity to get God favor or blessing. They do things to motivate God to give those things
-Going to church, praying, reading your bible can all be demon infested because
-a lot of people who jump high on Sunday who don’t know how to walk on Monday. They had an injection with religion that didn’t stick.
Did you know that you can read the Bible with a demon.
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
It says that they are, verse 4, they “forbid marriage.” They say, “Abstain from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is [what?] good.” Good. If you were raised in a negative Christian environment where Christianity meant you can’t do this and you can’t do this and you can’t go there and you can’t, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t; well, that really is a doctrine of demons.
Any doctrine that majors on the can’ts is a hell doctrine. Now, don’t get me wrong; there are things you can’t do but that’s not the essence of Christianity. The essence of Christianity is all that God has freely given to enjoy
Its religion that undermines the Goodness of God by focusing on the harsher aspects of God’s character
Do you know that people can justify a lot of things with scripture. Do you know I have heard people say that there is no need to evangelize. To share the gospel of Jesus with others?
Why because God predetermines whose going to get saved- they take predestination to a whole other level.
I'm sorry but somewhere along the way some demons got involved with the Bible study
You see denominations get stuck on some scriptures.. Like speaking in tongues. Do you know that there are places you can go and its all about speaking in tongues… I'm sorry but a demon got involved with the Bible study somewhere.
What am I trying to say? if you only have a religious routine and you are not centered on knowing Jesus, Loving Jesus, being obedient to Jesus Sunday through Saturday. well maybe you have been inoculated with religion!
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
1. Traditionalism- weve always done it that way. Jesus said beware of the traditions of man. You can keep God from working because that’s the way you’ve always done it. Traditions get you into a rut
2. narcissism
3. Ritualism- External activity that makes you think because you are doing this you
Externalism-
Legalism - is the misapplication of Gods rules,- is perusing rules at the expense of a relationship. it can tell you the problem it just cant fix the problem.
If theres no change then demons have affected your religion. but you are sitting at two tables- you can’t have God while you are sitting at God’s table. Ypu cant have me unless its about me
Paul says watch out for for
29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
Illustration- Dont let the red fade from the blood.
A train engineer was coming to a drawbridge and the conductor looked for a flag and saw the flag and kept driving, and the man who had the flag was waving the flag, and the conductor drove the drain over the drawbridge and into the water. 18 people died but the conductor lived. The conductor and the engineer came together and the engineer said why didnt you stop I was waving the red flag. The conductor said no, you were waving the white flag. And so they went and grabbed the flag, and the flag was faded, it was read but faded so from a distance it looked white.
Dont let religion fade the red blood of Christ
Wave that flag- Isaiah 53
talk… bruised
Dont let folk go into disaster because you