Are You A Traditional Hypocrite?

Are you a traditional hypocrite?

2 Thess 2:15

15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

2 Thess 3:6

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

These are the only two scriptures that treat tradition in the positive sense. The other ten in the New Testament are in a negative sense.

Matt 15:1-2

15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Matt 15:3

3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Matt 15:6-7

6 Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

7 Ye hypocrites,

Mark 7:9

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Notice that God equates traditionalism with hypocrisy.

Notice that when the elders spoke of transgressing tradition that they never referred to tradition as the Law (Word of God).

tradition - A set of customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents influencing the present: A body of unwritten religious precepts.

Traditions are developed over time.

I want us to look at tradition because I that we might find a little traditionalism in our lives.

Traditionalist find it very hard to accept anything new.

New means change. Change is not always bad.

Traditionalist loves tradition because it requires nothing more than what they have already designed and structured.

Tradition does not require energy because we are not going to do any more than what we are doing now.

It doesn’t require money because we are not going to spend it any on anything new. (To hoard offerings that intended to further the work of God is to steal in from God)

It doesn’t require a diligent prayer life because to see God do the miraculous, we would have labor in prayer, so we are happy just as we are, and since there are no real personal needs, we are not going to do that. (To act as though we do is hypocrisy)

Traditionalist rarely search Scripture because they have been in this way long enough, they’ve heard enough and are happy to live in the Laws that they are able to keep. (To act as though we do is hypocrisy)

They do not get involved in evangelistic efforts because it might bring in some new people and ruin the routine of things in the church. (To act as though we have a burden for lost souls is hypocrisy)

So, we come to church with our Bibles tucked under our arms, occasionally lift a hand in praise, agree how sinful the world is, go home and talk about how good the service was. And we do this over and over and over.

Are we traditionalist? I hope not.

Tradition opposes adventure and challenges to prove God and see His power in changing lives.

And this is what we need so desperately to bring life to church.

Change approached in the proper way can bring revival to our church and lives.

There will be no compromise of God’s Word.