Leaving Religion Entering Kingdom
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: When you are traveling down the road regardless of where you are going you will pass a sign that says Leaving (Michigan) so and so and Entering (Ohio) so and so. I am leaving one destination and I am entering into another place. I am leaving where I was and entering where I am going. When I go to Ohio, I see the sign which says leaving Michigan and entering Ohio. I am leaving somethings behind and entering something different. WATCH THIS: I am not a skinny guy I weigh over 300 pounds and in my house in Michigan I have a bed designed for big people. My mattress is made for people weighing 600lbs or more. It is a very comfortable mattress, but when I leave to go to Ohio, I leave that comfortable mattress behind and deal with whatever is waiting for me. When I leave Michigan and go to Ohio, I am leaving my comfort zone and entering something different. Leaving religion and entering Kingdom is leaving your comfort zone, leaving what you are used to and entering what God has ordained.
PRAYER:
SCRIPTURE: Luke 4:18 says “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”.
James 1:27 says “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Matthew 23:5 & 13-15 says “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves”.
Because people are hurting, struggling, discouraged, and tired of religion I feel I need to deal with this subject of Kingdom for a while. So, until God says otherwise, I am going to deal with aspect of Kingdom. What we call church, the repetitive, ritualistic, services are not Kingdom it is religion. The resurrection of Jesus Christ did not inaugurate a religion but brought Kingdom. Jesus always talked about Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom is at Hand, my Kingdom is not of this world. Today when we hear the word kingdom, immediately many different ideas, concepts, and pictures come to mind. Most of our concepts in life are the result of our culture, social development, and education. When you mention Kingdom religious minded people almost immediately draw the conclusion of heretic or here, they go thinking they got some new revelation. The true understanding of Kingdom is often lost because we have become conditioned to religion and traditions and lost the concept of Kingdom and the power of Kingdom. Religion and repetitive rituals have left a void in the lives of people that will only be filled by understanding the Kingdom. Now someone may say just fill up on Jesus and we are Kingdom is what Jesus preached.
Leaving Religion and Entering Kingdom!
Definition: Religion is defined as “an organized system and the adherence to a set of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods that regulate the moral, social, and ritualistic behavior of the individual.” That definition can literally make anything a religion. Atheism – the belief that there is no God is a religion. Buddhism – the belief in a false god is a religion. Hinduism – the belief in many gods is a religion. Some can believe in a television show or performer and that is their god therefore that becomes their religion like Beyonce-ism. I heard someone say once that they practiced the religion of Jedi-ism because they believed that the force was in them, for those that may not know a Jedi is the main protagonists (the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text) of the Star Wars Movie franchise, they are fictional characters in a movie and to develop a religion out of that and anything other than Jesus Christ is sin. Romans 14:23 says “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin”.
Sadly, much of what we call church today is caught up in religion, traditionalism and showmanship. Focus is more on mega-structures, wearing so-called ecclesiastical robes, ministerial collars, offering lines, titles, and positions but fail to minister to hurting, broken, sin sick people.
If we were to live our life and only do church work, then that would have the same effect on the world as if Jesus had only come to earth and did busy work and did not die on Calvary’s cross and raise from the dead.
Understanding this Religion is the most powerful force on earth. All you need to do is look at history and things today and realize that religion is responsible for most of the atrocities through the years the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition which was a means to disperse the people of God, the deaths of the people of the Protestant Reformation, Slavery, ethnic cleansing, segregation, racial discrimination, and other oppressive practices all have been justified by some religious code or system.
It is utterly amazing how the very thing that is supposed to provide a solution to many of life’s problems and provide us with hope and faith, has itself created more problems throughout history than it has solved.
As a result, many people have rejected any form of institutional religion and are either turning to atheisms which is the belief there is no god, agnosticism which believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God or get mixed up in a cult of twisted theology like Kabbalism where they themselves are a god.
Understand that much of what we call religion today (or church) is made up of rituals and acts that benefit the physical requirements in a church, organization, or denomination. Religion is doing - many people that are operating in religion are doing things - holding several different roles, titles, and positions in church and believe that they are doing work that is pleasing to God. They may be very busy doing this and that and going here and there, but what they are doing is not pleasing God and are not impacting lives for Christ. While Martha was busy preparing a meal for Jesus and His disciples, Mary sat at His feet focused solely on listening to everything Jesus had to say. Luke 10:40-41 says “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Religion limits us to the four walls it limits us to routines and habits. We spent and enormous amount of time organizing services, conferences, conventions, and convocations, spend gobs of money on clothes, air fare, hotels and offerings on top of offerings just to say oh that was nice I can’t wait to see what next year will be. Yet there has not been an impact in the lives of hurting, broken, sin sick souls – busy doing church.
A religious rule, doctrine, practice, principle, or command can be observed with no heart at all it simply is a form of godliness but has no power. Then adding to the confusion, outward religion looks and feels like the real thing. People who are religious, not Kingdom, do not understand the role of the heart and the true meaning of compassion. To them, serving God is about outward obedience. They see themselves as doing all the right things: they dress the right way, they know the lingo, understand the flow of church, they have the right doctrines, possess the right gifts, carry the right bible, and they keep the commandments, but it is all superficial.
There comes a time – at least for me it has, and I know I am not the only one – there comes a time in our Christian walk where we do some introspection and say there must be more. There must be more than church on Sunday at 11:00, there must be more than the robes and titles, there has to more than the ritualistic, mundane, repetitive, aspects of religion. This desire, this hunger comes from the loss of what we lost a long time ago and that is relationship and purpose, and it is this that drives us with the desire to leave religion and enter kingdom.
Understand it is only by doing Kingdom work, by being the church and loving people to Jesus that will bring sinners to the foot of the cross. The old song says at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away It was there by faith I received my sight And now I am happy all the day At the Cross. It doesn’t say because of your robes titles offerings and positions that my spirit has been lifted.
Religion is doing church clapping, shouting, and seeing the same old faces week after week. Kingdom is being and going out making disciples, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the widows and orphans understanding that you are anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised – Luke 4:18.
DEFINITION: Kingdom - Just the term kingdom implies both a king and his domain. Kingdom refers to the actual territory ruled by a King who influences, imparts and impacts the people of his Kingdom personally with his values, morality, lifestyle, ethics, principles, laws and desires until the people begin to reflect him.
Psalm 24:1 teaches us that the earth belongs to the Lord and Psalm 22:28 says that His kingdom rules over all nations – not just over the church. Consequently, we in His Kingdom Colossians 1:12-13 are called to manifest His rule in the whole earth - not just the church realm.
Kingdom is made up of principles, ethics, desires, and acts that result in the growth of the Kingdom of God. Kingdom is concerned about souls and making disciples.
Matthew 23:13-15 says “But woe to you scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves”. Proselyte: a person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another.
Let’s talk a little about Kingdom. Understand the Hebrew word mamlakah is translated as kingdom, dominion, sovereign rule, or royal power. Genesis 1:26 says “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”.
The church is not the Kingdom but the main agent of the Kingdom to represent God and manifest His government in the earth realm. Despite this fact, many churches and denominations have historically bypassed scripture and created a secondary tradition that is nowhere close to the way of Jesus and the apostles.
Understand: Jesus and the apostles did not inaugurate another religious system, but the age of the Kingdom of God; As we examine the gospels and the book of Acts, the main theme of the preaching was the Kingdom of God - not the church and not a religion.
The reason why I feel such a burden to deal with this right now is down in my spirit I feel God is shaking people causing them to realize that what truly is their purpose and is reviving and re-establishing Kingdom principles. I believe God is cleansing people of their traditions and rituals that are opposed to His Kingdom regardless of denominational affiliation, this is not a Pentecostal thing, a Baptist thing, or a Catholic thing but a Kingdom thing.
It is utterly important for people to understand the difference between characteristics of the Kingdom and religion, because the world will only be transformed through His Kingdom not religion.
I want to here do some comparisons between Religion and Kingdom.
Religion preoccupies man until he finds the kingdom. Religion is what people do until they enter into Kingdom. Religion is reaching up to God; Kingdom is God coming to man.
Religion seeks to take earth to Heaven; Kingdom seeks to bring heaven to earth.
Kingdom operators focus on manifesting God in the earth; religion, focuses on applying traditions inside church buildings.
Matthew chapters 5-7, 23 reveals that God requires truth in the inner man. Therefore, the kingdom focuses on inside out transformation while religion focus on observing rituals, traditions, and showmanship.
Acts 2:17 says “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams”. The Kingdom inaugurated the age in which the Holy Spirit was poured out upon every culture, tribe, kindred, tongue and nation. He was not just for the religious Jews anymore, and His Spirit was no longer restricted to the Most Holy Place in their temple. Regardless religion still believe the Holy Ghost only shows up within the four walls of a building and only on Sunday.
Kingdom understands that the presence of God is wherever and operates through the Kingdom operator wherever they go; in religion, the presence of God is at the altar of their churches. Kingdom operators understands that the power and presence of God to heal, deliver and save the oppressed was manifested more in the streets than in the synagogue or the temple. God wants to unleash an army of Kingdom operators who will turn the world upside down, but religion wants to keep believers closed inside church buildings and will justify this using scripture whenever possible.
Kingdom is based in relationship; religion is based on hierarchical status and favoritism. Many religious systems operate upon titles and positions, Apostle, Bishop, Overseers, Elder and ect, which causes competition, favoritism, and prejudices within the denomination because esteem is conferred upon individuals based upon how high one is ecclesiastically or what position they hold in the organization. Kingdom operators understand my relationship with Him is all the world t my. It doesn’t matter if they are called Bishop, Pastor, Minister, or by their name all the are concerned about is I want to be pleasing to God and hear Him say well done my good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord which has been prepared for you Matthew 25:21 & 23.
Kingdom operators realize the five-fold ministry equips the people of God to do the work of the ministry which is to bring reconciliation and build up the Kingdom of God. Religion keeps the five-fold ministry to a certain so-called called requiring people to be dependent upon titled clergy to pray for the sick, counsel, preach, and represent God to the world - Ephesians 4:11-12.
Kingdom operators understand this principle that most religion minded people don’t and that is Kingdom will equip people to be the problem solvers of society. They equip them with a biblical worldview to frame their service in every vocation that affects communities. In the kingdom, it is not merely about how many people attend the church services – but how many in the Kingdom are sent out to transform their world!
Matthew 5:13 says “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men”. Kingdom operators understand they are the salt of the earth while religion minded people believe the church is the salt of the earth. Jesus called His disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world, not the salt of the church and the light of their religion.
The price of Kingdom.
Kingdom operators understand 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”. They realize that since we a brought with a great price, Jesus Christ death, burial, and resurrection that it is going to cost something to be a Kingdom operator.
When I leave Michigan and go to Ohio understand this, I have a bed that is designed for Big People. I weigh over 300 lbs. my bed is designed for people weighing over 600 lbs. it is a very comfortable bed. However, when I leave Michigan, I don’t take my bed with me, but I sleep in the bed that is provided. When you operate in Kingdom you will leave you comfort zone and go and operate in what God has provided.
Sometimes when I leave Michigan and go to Ohio my wife doesn’t go with me. When you leave religion and enter into Kingdom you are going to have to leave some people behind. Why because sometimes when I go to Ohio it may be just to fish with my Dad and brother my wife doesn’t go fishing. Those so called friends may not be ready to operate in Kingdom, they are still operating in religion and in order for you to be effective and fulfill the purpose God has called you they can’t go so you have to leave them and do what God has called you to do. Luke 14:25-28 says “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it”. Understand operating in Kingdom is going to cost you something.
Entering Kingdom will cause you to be talked about by Religion Minded people. Some will believe they are doing good and say just hold on here everything is going to be alright. Some will totally disassociate with you. They will criticize you, call you a heretic, say that you are going against leadership and those that have rule over you. However, I am reminded and encourage my scripture when the religious minded leaders came to Jesus criticizing the disciples saying in Matthew 15:1-3 “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem (these were the religious people of the day) came to Jesus, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders (not the scripture, the Word of God but man made traditions)? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"
QUESTION: Who would rather transgress the traditions of religion, the traditions of men and be talked about or transgress the commandments of God and be damned? As for me Matthew 10:28 sounds in my head “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”.
Religion will try to threaten you and use your license and titles and positions against you but Hebrews 12: 2 says “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”. What God has ordained the Devil and all of Hell can’t stop so if that can’t stop it no religion of men will be able to stop it.
Let me bring this home. What are you doing for God? Are you being Kingdom or are you doing just religion & ritualism? Kingdom operating people understand that unless you are serving other then you are not truly serving God
The world is full of sin and lost, hurting, broken, and messed up people that need reconciliation and a relationship with Jesus. Religion will not suffice in showing or rather bringing them to Jesus.
Matthew 28:19 Jesus says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”.
Jesus said, “Go and Make”. He did not say “DO”. We have to leave the four walls of our churches, leave the rigors of religion and go into all the world into the highways and hedges, go to our neighbors, loved ones, friends, enemies, co-workers, and others and tell them about Jesus and what He has done for you and what He can do for them. This is done beyond the limits of Sunday morning.
We must love people to Jesus for Jeremiah 31:3 says “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” with Lovingkindness is how we will win people to Jesus Christ not through ritualism, ecclesiastical garments, and religion.
CLOSING: Due to general bonds, relational conditions, religious affiliations and life in general leaving religion is a major life event and many people struggle with trying to leave institutional religion. Dismantling the religious mentality will not be easy and will cost you, but when your eyes are opened, and your mind has been transformed to the power of Kingdom you cannot and will not go back to religion.
John 13:35 says “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”.
Kingdom is LOVE – religion is rituals. Go make an impact in the Kingdom.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Go make an impact for God’s Kingdom today and everyday.
