IS YOUR RELIGION REALLY YOURS? #1 By David J. Riggs (Note: I am indebted to Bill Hall for some of the thoughts in my two sermons on this subject). Intro. A. Religion has to do with faith in God, love of God, hope of eternal life, conviction, moral standards. B. Our religion has a tremendous bearing on our lives. It affects what we do on the Lord's day, and every other day of the week. C. Everyone's religion is founded upon a certain basis. 1. We want to make a two part study in which we ask the question, "Is your religion really yours?" In other words, "On what basis is your religion founded?" D. In this first lesson we want to look at some negatives - some wrong things upon which some people's religion is based. 1. In the next lesson we will look at the positive side. We will consider many passages which teach that our religion must be ours. I. MANY PEOPLE'S RELIGION IS ORGANIZATIONAL. A. Many people's religion is organizational because they act and believe as their church would have them act and believe. 1. If they don't drink, it is because their church doesn't allow drinking. If they do drink, it is because their church allows drinking. a. In other words, whatever moral standards they hold, it is not because it's revealed in God's word, but it's what their church teaches. 2. Whatever they believe in the doctrinal realm, is whatever their church teaches. a. For example, if their church baptizes infants, that's what they hold to. b. They never stop to ask, "Why are we doing this?" c. If another says, "You shouldn't be doing that?" they will say, "My church teaches it and that's what I am a member of." (1) They say, "If you can get my church to change, I'll change." 3. Even their presence for worship might be based upon the fact that their church requires them to be present, not because of their own convictions or real love for God. 4. Someday they may change to another church, and it they do, again, they change to what that churches teaches. a. If the church to which they have changed has a loose standard, or a strict standard, they will just adapt to it. b. If it has different doctrines, they will just adopt them. c. The whole basis of their religion is organizational. 5. Some churches seek to convert people to their organization. a. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses seek to convert people to their doctrines, rather than converting them to the Lord. 6. The New Testament converts people to the Lord. a. It requires a personal belief in the personal Being. John 20:30-31; 1 John 1:1-4 b. A personal confession with one's own mouth is required. Rom. 10:9-10 c. It includes a personal acceptance of the personal atonement of Christ for one's personal sins. (1) The atonement is very board in scope, but unless specifically applied, is of no benefit to the individual. (a) "Every one of you" - Acts 2:38; 3:26.. (2) Unless I make it personal, it is of no value to me. II. MANY PEOPLE'S RELIGION IS FOUNDED ON FAMILY. A. For some, what they believe and practice in religion is built around family loyalty. 1. It's like it is in politics in some places. Ever since the civil war, the Jones or Smith clan has voted Democrat. Why? Because that's what great, great, grand-daddy did. 2. They are called, "Yellow-dog-democrats" meaning, "Even if they ran a yellow dog on the democratic ticket they would still vote for it." 3. Similarly, since great, great, grand-daddy joined such- and-such church, all the Jones or Smith clan belongs to such-and-such church. B. Furthermore, sometimes in the church, there are families whose religion is based on one member of the family. It may be a father or mother or some other strong relative. 1. The problem is that everything is based on the faith, love, and God of that one strong member. 2. That one does the studying for everyone. When they have a question, need help on a Bible lesson, or have some spiritual problem, they go to that one member. 3. The problem with this is that some do not have their own religion. a. Often, shortly after young people leave home, they become unfaithful. b. Why? Because they did not have their own religion; their religion was founded upon the father or the mother. They have no root themselves. Luke 8:13 c. If there is a problem in the church, as is often the case, who will these young people follow? They will not be capable of making decisions for themselves because their religion is not theirs. They have simply adopted the religion of their parents. 4. Some have adopted the religion of their husband, or their wife, and their religion is not theirs. a. For example, there was a faithful elder in a congregation in Louisville, Kentucky. After he passed away, his wife became unfaithful. Those who knew her said that she showed no interest, genuine faith, or love for the Lord for years before her husband died. She only attended services because her husband insisted on it. C. There is the problem of the "third generation Christian." 1. A young couple is converted out of denominationalism, and suffer persecution for their stand for the truth. 2. Their children, who had their religion handed to them on a silver platter so to speak, haven't paid the price for truth, and thus are weaker than their parents. a. The haven't bought the truth, it's been given to them. 3. The third generation who had the weak parents are usually weaker than their parents. a. Thus, often, by the third generation the descendants are very weak in the faith. See Judges 2:8-12 D. In the religion of Christ, one must follow the Lord Himself, not family. 1. If one's religion is based upon family, it is worthless. Matt. 10:37-38; Luke 14:26-27 a. By the acceptance of the truth, one may loose his physical family; however, the spiritual rewards are great. Mark 10:29-30 III. MANY PEOPLE'S RELIGION IS BASED ON SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS. A. They hold to whatever they do on the basis of personal loyalty. 1. Perhaps it's loyalty to the person who converted them; or, its loyalty to a preacher or some role model they look up to. 2. All of their religion leans upon the faith, hope, and love of that person. B. People build friendships and social ties in the churches of which they are members. 1. They follow outward requirements because they don't want fellow members to think unfavorably of them; e.g., "I want people to like me." "If I don't do right, they will notice. I want them to admire and appreciate me, not think badly of me." C. Churches use these social ties to pressure people into submission. 1. Cults use this social pressure to bring their members into subjection to the cult. 2. First, they establish a strong friendship and social tie to the new convert. 3. Later, they brow-beat, use guilt trips, etc., to cause their members to walk the line. D. Some people, through social pressures, are half-converted. 1. A half-converted person is one who has been converted on a few doctrinal points, but not the whole of the New Testament of Christ. 2. They have obeyed the steps of the gospel, and are part of a group, but they have never fully been converted to the Lord and His doctrine. 3. All their works are done because of fellow men, not out of true love and devotion for the Lord. a. Matt. 23:5; 2 Cor. 10:12; John 12:42-43 - Are these problems confined only to Jesus' day? b. John 5:44 - Many will never have the proper faith because of their undue regard from their fellow men. c. Remember, the Lord knows those who are truly His. 2 Tim. 2:19 Concl. A. What about you? Is your religion really yours? 1. You cannot depend on someone else's faith, conviction, hope, love, or whatever. B. 2 Cor. 13:5 - It's time for a personal examination on the part of each and every one of us. C. Each of us must ask regarding our religion. 1. Is the faith that I have really my faith? 2. Do I have my own love for God that will see me through trials? 3. Am I living by moral standards on which I have personal conviction? 4. When there is a problem in the church, can I honestly and fairly look at both sides and make my own decision on the basis of the Scriptures? D. If you are not a Christian, we urge you to personally make up your own mind regarding it. 1. We urge you, personally, to repent of your sins, to confess Jesus as your Lord, and be baptized for the remission of your sins. E. As we mentioned, in the next lesson we will look at the positive side. We will consider many passages which teach that our religion must be ours.