Worshiping Christ in Vain

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King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Chapters: Matthew Chapter 15, Mark Chapter 7
Message: Worshiping Christ in Vain

Hello My Friend,

There are churches all over the world, proclaiming Christ as their Saviour so lax that everything is allowed and as long as you accepted Christ as your Saviour. There are also churches so strict that even if you have accepted Christ as your Saviour, and you sin your salvation is lost. And then there are the few who are becoming more extinct by the day actually following the example that Christ laid out for His Church. Now, all churches have some moral obligations, I mean, a church that allows same sex marriage believes that fornication is a sin. Likewise, a church that allows one man to have multiple wives also agrees that fornication is a sin. Allowing one sin, but forbidding another contradicts the Law, meaning as Jesus puts it, makes it of no effect. It also tells Jesus what is really going on, [Matthew 15:8-9  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.]

Jesus, was well aware of the six hundred and thirteen commandments that God had instructed Moses to write down in the Law, every one of them had a reason and purpose for the time that they were in. By the time He came here in the flesh, the Jews had their own religion, headed up by the Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees were proud of their outward appearance of claiming to follow the precepts of both the Law and tradition of the elders, believing that this was the true service of God. As we continue in the reading of the Gospels, both Matthew and Mark also give their account of the Pharisees attempting to challenge Jesus by asking Him why the disciples do not wash up before eating. Mark, includes the reason they said this.

[Mark 7:1-5  Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.  2  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.  3  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.  4  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.  5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?]

[when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled…they found fault.] First, of all, if you are looking for fault you can be pretty sure that you will find fault, after all, we are all sinners. However, the fault my not be what God sees a fault anyway, which was the case here. At any point in His walk on earth, would Jesus have led the disciples to do anything that would cause them to sin? Of course not! From the water that He turned into wine to the man that He saved hanging there next to Him on his own cross, Jesus will never tempt nor lead anyone until sinful temptations, [James 1:13-14  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:  14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.]

[according to the tradition of the elders,] Notice that even the Pharisees even admitted that they were following tradition and not the Law. Now, I know that common sense and upbringing teaches one to wash their hands before they eat, but this was not just running your hands under the water faucet with some soap, this was a full immersion of hands and arms in the water, as if one is about to perform surgery. And we know that God had given commands for cleansing themselves when the were ill or unclean, but this went beyond that, and Jesus calls them out on it too.

[Mark 7:9-13  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.  10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.  12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;  13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.]

[If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban,] [Corban; an offering which had life; an animal offered to God; A vessel to receive gifts of charity; a gift; an alms; a treasury of the church, where offerings are deposited.] The Law of Moses, states that if their parent’s are poor, then it was their duty to provide for them. However, the Pharisees, found a loophole around the Law by claiming that they were dedicating what they had to the services of Temple and could not help them. The transgression was that they were not actually doing that so they were lying to their parents, making the Law of no effect. This is the same thing as a person who gets saved and continues to knowingly living in sin, justifying their actions under their salvation. Salvation, is not justification for sin, period, [Romans 6:1-3  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?]

[Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect] What Jesus is actually trying to explain to them was that you cannot point one thing as sin and omit another. The Law did not work that way back then and still does not work that way today. We cannot pick and choose what sin to omit, otherwise, we would be guilty of breaking them all, [James 2:8-11  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:  9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.  10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  11  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.]

Those who worship Christ in vain can sing the songs, give the praises, give the tithes and offerings, but none of it can save them from hell. They can even say the elaborate prayers, follow every one of the six hundred and thirteen commandments written in the Law, even if it were possible, but it is all worthless because they are making a mockery out of the Church. Jesus, will call us out on that too if we are worshiping Him in vain. Jesus, explains this, [Mark 7:14-16  And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:  15  There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.  16  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.]

Let me tell you, the worst offenders will be the first to tell you how offended they are when you point that out. After Jesus spoke, the disciples went up to Him and told Him how offended the Pharisees were at the way He was talking to them.

[Matthew 15:12-16  Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?  13  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.  16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?]

[Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended] The disciples were always so worried about offending the fools who challenged Jesus every step of the way that they could not understand that their traditions held no merit whatsoever. Do you realize how often Jesus has to upbraid us for this? That is exactly what He did with the disciples when they asked Him what He meant by what He said, and this was no parable.

[Mark 7:18-19,21-23  And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;  19  Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?  21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.]

[All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.] Pride, deceit, envy, covetousness, lust, hate, bitterness, greed, these are things that come from within the heart that makes a person unclean. Oh, an evil eye, have you not seen people with an evil eye? Perhaps you have had one also a time or two? While we all have a little bit of evil in us, and if we are not walking in the Spirit, then that evil can come out. It is the Law that teaches us how God wants us to live after we are saved, it is the grace that keeps us looking to Jesus, every time we need a reminder that we were no different than the world.

[1 Corinthians 6:9-11  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.]

Just because we are saved by grace, that does not mean that Jesus does not want us to trust Him with everything else. Sometimes, He is going to test our heart to see if we are going to trust Him at all times, even if He does not give us everything we want or even need. Jesus, wanted to show the Jews that their religious traditions were not going to save them, but it will be whoever comes to Him believing in Him. A Canaanite woman (in Mark she is known as Greek woman), came to Jesus seeking help for her daughter.

[Matthew 15:21-25  Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  22  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.  23  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.  24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  25  Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.]

[Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.] The woman’s faith was so strong that she, recognizing herself as a heathen, unworthy of His help, was willing to take whatever He could give, not for herself, but her daughter, and that is great faith that Jesus saw.

[Mark 7:26-30  The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.  27  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.  28  And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.  29  And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.  30  And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.]

[not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.] What was Jesus saying here? Well, the Jews, while they boasted of being the children of God, gave the name of dogs to heathens. In other words, they believe that anyone, but them were but dogs, and this is the only reason why Jesus even mentioned dogs. Just because people believed that Jesus can heal them, and that He is the Son of God that does not mean they believe Him to be God in the flesh. A man was brought to Jesus, he was deaf and stuttered when he spoke. Through this rather odd illustration, Jesus heals the man completely, fully knowing where his faith was.

[Mark 7:32-35  And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.  33  And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;  34  And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.  35  And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.]

[put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;] Can you just imagine what the people were thinking when they saw Jesus do that? They wanted to see Jesus do these weird things as if He could not just speak and it be done, and that is what He did here. That is why He sighed and I imagine that He was shaking His head too as He looked up to the Father probably, thinking, “What is with these people!” Jesus, spoke the word,Ephphatha,, which simply means, [Be opened!] Jesus, is telling them and us to open your eyes and ears, pay attention to what is going on, live by faith, not by sight, [John 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.]

Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Mark 7:7-8  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Matthew 15:28  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.]

Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercies and grace, and for the knowledge You have given us to be able to fellowship with You one on one. We are not only a saved soul when we come to You through Your Son, we are one of Your children, and that is just amazing. Lord, lead us and guide us, teach us, and prepare us so that nothing in this world enters our heart and draws us away from You. Let us not get caught up in tradition, rather in Your Word that we may be able to withstand the evils of the day. And let us humble ourselves in that while Your strength in us does enable us to go above and beyond what is expected, we do not get boastful about it. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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