Welcome August 09, 2015 Understanding Religious Traditions P.1 Mark 7:1-8

A. Religious Traditions Do Not Make a Person Righteous Mark 7:1,2 Matthew 7:23-25

Mark 7:1-2 7 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

Matthew 7: And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

B. Religous Traditions Can Produce a Self Righteous Spirit Mark 7:3-6 Isaiah 29:13

Mark 7:3-6 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5

The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?” 6 And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.

Isaiah 29:13 13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,

C.Religious Traditions May Cause You to Miss Out on True Worship Mark 7:7, 8 Jeremiah 17:9 Psalm 119:11-13

Mark 7:7-8 7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ 8 Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

Jeremiah 17:9 9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Psalm 119: Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth.