Idol - Religion

The church is no change there is no God is Dr. Tony Evans is carrying out religious duty is no substitute for pursuing God. We are religious without relationship.

Therefore, there is no this is the alternative with Dr. Tony other author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative are you a real Christian or just a religious groupie today. Dr. Evans explains how to tell the difference and why that's so important. Let's join him in the year 1982 in the city of Chicago seven people lost their lives. When I went into a drugstore to purchase extra strength, was all over the news throughout the nation raise people with tool store to buy something to deliver them with to get to deliver them destroyed. That was because the Tylenol had been laced with potassium cyanide poisoning that was in good medicine with lease equipoise and legitimate medicine rather than bringing about life brought about the destruction. There is a deadly poison that is affecting all can be affecting you and me today and what makes it so deadly is its unrecognizable and spiritual potassium Psion that can destroy a very good thing.

I is and I were calling the idol of religion. Paul is writing to a Christian church. The church (he calls them when he opens up the book of first Corinthians 6 that believers even in those 14. He says my below my fellow men and women in the family of God.

So he's writing to Christians not known, but he's writing about a concern. His concern is that they get rid of items you can be a Christian and in the Christian church and still be hanging out with idols. Notice the word users repetitively in this past twice in verse 16 sharers sharing IT sharers in verse 20 sharers the word to share means to participate with to partner with to hold in common with his concern was that even though they were Christians on their way to heaven there will hanging out with demons that were hanging out with demons and they were doing in church when they were partakers of the bread and the cup is talking about the communion. One of the church ordinances. He goes on the say don't you know when people sacrifice things at the altar when they do that they did that as part of the worship so they were worshiping going to church and yet he says real, but the demons that flow through the and not a real thing tree is not a God son is not God's thoughts are not God that there's no thing in the created at the real God. But whenever that is wrongly becomes an open invitation for demons to infiltrate so his concern is I don't want you to be called a shelter. He says in demons. I don't want you to know what potassium cyanide and not even know what you think you okay in church because you take communion sharing in the altar you doing the worship, singing the song you're praying the prayer all the time demons are having a good time with you. I don't want you to be sharers of demons. Why because idolatry invites the demonic realm.

Many of the issues we are facing we are facing because the demons will let us go because we worship an idol and that I can be sitting at the wrong table. They makes it clear you can't sit at God's table and the demons table and still have God you have to choose, but when you try to have. You will only have demons and you won't have God because Paul says you can't sit at tables that if you can't worship simultaneously in both environments to his concern is about an idol that shows up in worship that demons use in order to infiltrate it and so I'm calling it the idol of religion. Religion is man's attempt to convince God through 72 to be favorable to you religious people want God's faith want God's blessing and so they do religious things in order to motivate God to give them favorable blessing all the various goodies that they are looking for. But religion would define that way is like cotton candy cotton can taste sweet but it goes away quickly and leaves you unsatisfied religion defined that way is like going to the doughnut shop to get up in the microwave, melt in your mouth, but leaving you with no nutritional value religion defined that way is like a that distances you from reality because it gives you that makes you feel good but drops you know, with nothing beneficial from the high say a lot about come the church to get that, oh Jesus, I can't begin to preach a sermon they come to get on the singing singing and make it but by the time they get the parking lot drop low because what happened was they came for religion as it is ill defined religion is like a pacifier when a mother puts a pacifier in the babies mouth one of two things will happen. One baby may get baby sucking and sucking is not. But nothing happened is trying but nothing is sinking in. All the pacifier they put the baby to sleep. That's what religion would be little keep you busy sucking and accomplishing nothing or put you to sleep so that you are unaware of the virtual reality all around religion church attendance saying grace reading your Bible. All of those are legitimate but all of those can be because all of those can simply mean you're carrying out a religious duty rather than pursuing a divine person.

Religion, as in this case can be a context where demons converge beside I go to church because you going to garage the legal, just because you go to McDonald's only your burn just be in the place doesn't make you profane the places calling.

That's why the Bible 1002nd chapter 3 verse five about having a form of godliness no more.

You look the part where Christian close. You carry the Christian Bible you speak Christian. These because you got a Christian vocabulary. Holly will praise the Lord God bless you all the time all the time God is good. That's called Christian. These the right thing in the right place at the right time around the right people but you can do that with no spiritual reality taking place he says is three by having a form of godliness but no power attached to it because when God shows up his power shows up. So if you are changing God's power is not working and being manifested. You may be religious, but you may be demon effect because the religion has not accomplish what true authentic relationship is designed to warning them that they could be would be where you, because you're supposed to wear you worship because it's Sunday what you say grace because you will talk to because all that religious routine won't get you to the true God as shipment as they are because they can actually camouflage what God is all about in your life and in my life. Dr. Evans will give us some things to watch out for when he continues her lesson just a moment. Stay with us. Politics, money, gender, race, these are just some of the items we worship in America when we elevate them about the place of Jesus in our lives but you can break free and that the Christ centered kingdom focused life that God calls you to. We want to help you with two powerful resources from Dr. Tony is Banyan message series called American Idol and popular black America turning a mission to find now is the time forgot to stand together and start doing today to get both resources and today is the final day. These resources will be bundled together. We need to hear from you right away. Tony's American Idol series contains eight full-length messages to get them to review on both CD and digital download.

Along with this popular and important book America turning a nation to God they're both yours is our thank you gift and appreciation for your contribution to make this listener supported ministry possible visit Tony Evans.org today to get the details and make the arrangements. Again, that's Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 to speak with one of our friendly resource team members that are ready to help you around the clock that's 1-800-800-3222. I'll have the contact information for you again after part two of today's message in this Bible study is like gold-mining. The deeper you dig the more treasury, no wonder, if you're waiting to Mother asked for the kingdom anytime, anywhere is growing list of online courses waiting for you now in the Tony of an screening process. Take your time with each online module little taking verse by verse through the text exclusive in-depth content from Dr. Evans probing discussion questions access to full-length messages and online discussion forum where you can ask specific questions and get detailed answers. The focus is on understanding application God's work in the real world explore a growing list of courses covering many of the most important concepts in Christianity Tony of string anytime, anywhere.

Some will take teachings inspired but religiously camouflaged so that you think God but is really not God. So the demons can interjected he called the doctrine of demons you away from the faith, can be described as traditional is external is ritual is narcissism and legal though is that the Bible talks about that you to steer people from in order that the demonic realm can take over but they can all be religiously camouflaged so that you think you're okay when actually you're being drawn from God I love religion that is been taught by demons or this gets ritualism. Ritualism is an extra little activity that makes you think because you're doing the ritual bring spiritual benefit. Let me take a simple saying grace. Probably most of us say grace, we would talk to the reason I know that we do it that way. Is this the same way every time Lauren. I want to thank you for this would about to receive my body in Jesus name, amen. You can say grace, and not think about why because it's a ritual we been doing it for so long. Mother told us to do what we didn't know will tell people in a minute.

Well because it is ingrained in us, but first Timothy says when you pray over your food not just saying grace you want to sanctify why things are not that can hurt you so because their things in those schools that potentially hurt you.

You want to get God to intervene himself on the bacon and you natural intervention when you put that in your mouth. So don't say grace. You better get some supernatural activity all different grace bears legalism. One day as we grow only what legalism is the misapplication of God's way. Legalism is pursuing rules at the expense of a relationship with him says I'm gotta do these things with and let's take the 10 Commandments, the 10 Commandments are called the law of the Bible says the 10 commandment a good, but the 10 Commandments. Also negative all telephone on negative. Thou shall not not all negative about that. Good negative buffet negatives. Why because the 10 Commandments while telling you God spenders help you fulfill them. It can only describe so when a person says I'm trying to keep the 10 Commandments. That's a good statement but the problem is trying to keep the 10 Commandments can help you keep the 10th commandment because there is no power in the commandment the commandment can tell you it can help. That's why the Bible talks over and over about the limitation of the law to give you the Salish to keep you from going to fall Salish to hold you back… We've all seen a dog who had a dog on a leash when you have a dog leash to keep it from going too far because you wanted to go to Folsom you will only see the dog didn't even leash because it was walking right beside his master, because the lease was in the relationship. So have a long relationship which relationship leash. The law leash because he tried to pull away from trying to block a relationship leash you want to pull away from it because you want to get too far from the best. So the law can give you the standard, but what the law can't do is give you the power to keep the standard even when you're keeping this if you're doing it on you not happy that you have to keep it because you know what the consequences were not all different mindset religious mindset and motivation that is restricting you but doesn't necessarily change you and you wind up being a bit of misery trying all you can to obey God. I have so much joy as I keep the 10 Commandments. Why because you feel like you're the lease because you really justly expected to commit just like the 10 Commandments can get you to heaven. But the 10 Commandments can change one or because there is no power in the commandment. That is why Paul says Kelly to step three versus 23 and 24 that the law wasn't to drive Christ. He says because because giving up itself, it does not give you the power to do what it it just tells you what you better do a good negative consequences for not doing so it can tell you probably can't fix the problem. So what he's talking about is this concept of religion that does not change so many of us go week after week, month after month, year after year and we would have to but we have been changed with thinking the same way I say we walk in the same way James says in James 127. Is this true religion when is operating.

People don't talk like they used to tell you still cussing like a sailor got your tongue demons got to talk you got a charge like a helper. They upset me. I couldn't say no no no demons got your tongue. That's why you can be holy in church and becomes an outsider church got your religious changed to proof that this thing is real is the power of transformation. No change, demons have infected your religion in spite of how much you go to church. Read the Bible say grace, pray all the religious thing, why because the demons have infected two tables something about me or you or us individually or collectively as a family way from Christianity and even we walked totally away.

We try to do two tables which is the same as walking away, wanted to establish this point that religion can be and I don't because you're going through the motions going through legitimate activity, but with the right motivation and therefore you've invited demons into your situation can happen. Tables John told the church in Ephesus and ablation to 1 to 75 things that I love all you serve me sacrifice forming Orthodox you know you working hard since five things that got a great church since I have one thing against only one problem, which is the biggie. He says you left your first love. So he's calling on you and me not to send it to tables, not the goal of this religious thing, but he's got something deeper when you're now looking at things from God's perspective religious activity without the goal of spiritual intimacy like putting BenGay on a broken leg. You will feel better but nothing is changed, church and feel better.

You can be inspired and encouraged in all of but there is no change there is no growth meeting God is not operating no matter how good the sermon on the surface of the singing was all that has its place. All of that is important but it is important toward a bigger goal and the goal is spiritual intimacy, which always leads to spiritual transformation. One of the reasons why we can get things straightened out.

We can overcome addiction.

What we can't restore relationships what we can do with all the pressure is because we are religious without relationship. Therefore, there is no power.

There is no change everything you do must be driven by Michael that I might know I'm coming to church not because it's Sunday, I'm coming to church. Got no God. Because I'm supposed to not become the birthday keeps the devil away, reading the Bible. I'm reviewing the sermon scriptures that opened up on the screen. I want to get the note because I'm supposed to pray with you I want to get to know that the driving doll God all serious about me not about religion. I want to show myself to when that becomes the goal then you will experience God just "just the site serendipity, you know, in the experience to see what he does in your situation and doctrines is one more story to wrap up our look at banishing the idol of religion will be back in just a moment to share that with us, but first a final reminder that today's the last day to take advantage of that special double offer. I mentioned earlier that includes all eight full-length messages in the powerful collection.

Tony's finishing up today, American idols, as well as his popular book America turning a nation to God. Both of these can be yours as our gift and appreciation for your contribution to help us keep this program coming your way. Each day, resource Center right away at 1-800-800-3222 to make the arrangements it staffed 24 seven with friendly team members who are ready to help with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222 or go to Tony have a start, or you can make your donation and instantly download all the messages in this series. Next time, Dr. Evans will talk about the importance of being a conduit of blessings as he explains how God meets needs, when we plant seeds right now though he's back with his closing story for today training is coming to a drawbridge flag.

This is years ago because the flag tell them what it's safe to keep going when we had to stop the bridge engineer was waving the flag the train when and fell off into the river. 18 people died. True story, but the conduct of the conductor and the engineer connected with each other and he said why didn't you stop. I was waving the red flag having stop waving the red flag style, but you wouldn't stop the train engineers said no you wave the white flag wave the white flag wave the red flag says stop stop says no. I saw the white flag, which means to keep going, so that when Dr. flag. The flag was red but so from a distance it looks white, red, but the red soul train, Saudi body would look like Going. Don't let religion pay the rent for religion, you wave the red flag for your transgression rose for your iniquities the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior and Almighty father God want to know because you got a faded talking to you why some people don't know where you're coming from for your free challenges collectively me and you are about to alternative with Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous