Series: We’re on a Mission from God
Message: Give Me that Old Time Legalistic Religion
Text: Acts 22:22
Big Idea: Jesus had numerous confrontations with the legalists, who among other reasons, sought to kill Him for healing on the Sabbath (Mt. 13:14). Paul also experienced opposition from the legalists of his day as will you and I. None of us are completely immune from its’ affects and we too must guard our hearts from presenting a message and lifestyle that God never intended.
INTRO: Traffic School. We at least knew why we were there. What about Paul? Why is he in such hot water? Why is he in and out of jail?
Arriving on the scene of a riot, Paul, the victim, is arrested. The Tribune (Claudius Lysius) asks “Are you the Egyptian?” (the leader of a Jewish opposition group). “No, I’m not,” said Paul (21:38). So why are the Jews seeking to kill Paul? What’s got them so riled up?
What’s going on? What’s the real issue?
Paul had asked for permission to share his story, his testimony. He proceeds to share his life before Christ, his transformation, and then what his life has been like sense. He says that as he was praying in the temple Jesus calls him to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
SLIDE 1
And He said to me, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. (Acts 22:20-24)
They were listening intently (22:2) to his story until he says God sent him to the Gentiles. Upon hearing this they absolutely lose it.
“Up to this word they listened to him”. What word? Gentiles. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air.
It’s as if Gentile is a 4 letter word to them. Even though God had said to Abraham that through him all the peoples of the earth would be blessed. Even though through the prophets, such as Isaiah, God had said that His temple would be a house of prayer for the nations and that the Jews were to be a light to the nations…upon hearing it’s implementation, that it’s actually happening…they freak out.
So what’s going on?
-They’ve been oppressed by the Gentiles from the beginning. This is why “Loving your enemies” is a tough pill to swallow. For the sake of the gospel we always need to overlook our offenses. The goal of the enemy is to allow bitterness to limit our reach.
-The real problem is legalism and the traditions that come with it.
-You will be a blessing to the nations. You will be a light to the world, but over time they’ve become very inclusive and inwardly focused. Inwardly focused often results in some form of legalism.
SLID
1-Legalism hardens hearts. (i.e., it hardens the spiritual arteries)
“Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place (not God). Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (Acts 21:27-28)
-Acts 19 they are zealous for the Law…not God, but zealous for the Law.
They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him (Acts 21:30-31a)
Let that sink in-they were trying to kill him. People on the Temple Mount going in to offer their prayers, sacrifices, and offerings want to kill another human because Gentiles are coming into the Kingdom of God. Pretty sad isn’t it.
There’s so much hatred and preconceived prejudices that they cannot think objectively much less biblically. Their hearts have become hardened through legalism and here we once again see their true colors-they were trying to kill him (21:31).
How can this be? It was God’s intent that all the nations of the earth be blessed through Abraham? It was God’s desire that Israel be a light unto the world? That the temple even be a house of prayer for the nations. Legalism is presents a misleading portrayal of God.
SLIDE
image of Queen Mary
Illus: RMS Queen Mary cruise ship was in service 1936-67 and made over 1,000 voyages before being decommissioned. When it was commissioned in 1936 the RMS Queen Mary was the most awe-inspiring ocean-going vessel in the world. She was 1,019 feet long, at 81,237 tons displaced twice the tonnage of the Titanic, had 12 decks and carried 1,957 passengers attended by a crew of 1,174. In WW2 it was converted for transporting troops. The Queen Mary was retired from regular passenger service in 1967 after making 1,001 Atlantic Ocean crossings, and is presently harbored in the port of Long Beach, California where it was repurposed into a museum, movie theater, mall, shops, restaurants, and hotel, etc. You can book a room there.
During this repurposing process it was discovered that there were some problems, including the trademark smoke stacks. During its refurbishing the smoke stacks were lifted up by a crane for maintenance but upon doing so one particular smoke stack crumbled into dust. It was learned that there were over 30 coats of paint that had hidden the fact that the smokestacks had turned to rust from decades of heat, exposure and lack of maintenance. The external appearance was hiding the internal reality. The same is true with legalism.
In His sermon on the mount Jesus had said something rather jaw-dropping when He said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” - Jesus (Mt. 5:21-22)
What judgment? The same judgment you’d receive for murdering someone.
These particular Jews who were described as being zealous for the law in Acts 21:20 wanted to kill Paul. Their hearts had become like the Queen Mary's smokestacks-gleaming on the outside, rusty and completely corroded on the inside.
Here in Acts 21 and 22 Paul finds himself on the short end of the stick of their true colors. Perhaps some of you have likewise had some bad experiences with legalists as well.
SLIDE
2-Legalism depends upon moral laws, stipulations, and traditions for measuring one’s favor and closeness with God.
In the process it creates a non-Biblical religious spirituality that alienates people from God.
Rather than depending upon a personal relational faith with God for salvation, they trust in their works and traditions.
-30 years earlier, Jesus regularly referred to this same group as hypocrites, the Greek word for actor meaning you know how to dress for the part and you know all of the right things to say but you’re just going through the motions.
-In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul said the Jews, the most spiritually privileged people on earth, had become hypocritical. He said that God's name was being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of it (Rom. 2:24).
First century Judaism was rife with Legalism, i.e. a dependence upon rules, traditions, and stipulations for one’s spiritual welfare.
The Jewish Talmud (not the Bible) devotes 24 full chapters to what Jews could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath. Let me make sure you head me; 24 chapters to what you could and couldn’t do just on the Sabbath. For instance:
-you couldn’t take a bath on the Sabbath because you might accidentally splash water on the floor—and that would be washing the floor—a sin!
-No matter how cold it was you couldn't start a fire for warmth on the Sabbath.
-If your house caught on fire on the Sabbath, you couldn’t extinguish it. -You could write one Hebrew letter, but not two, e.g., Dear Mom would only be D.
Pharisees had added these and many other stipulations to the point where you were always on eggshells around them and it seemed to never end.
Legalists will seek to out-spiritualize one another.
ILLUS: As a child there was always this one kid who could always remind you that he was better. I would be excited to announce that I had Green Lantern slurpee cup, but he’d say, “yea well I’ve got the entire justice league”. “Look, I got a speed odometer for my bike” He’d respond, “Yea well I’ve got a mini bike.” “We’re going to the carnival on Saturday”. “Yea well I’m going to Disney World for a week.”
-As referenced earlier, the Pharisees had 24 chapters devoted exclusively to what you could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath. But they didn’t stop there…
The Pharisees had developed a system of 613 laws, 365 negative commands and 248 positive laws...Quite likely it was initially well intended. Regardless, by the time Christ came it had produced a heartless, cold, and arrogant brand of righteousness to the point that when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, they turned on Him.
Legalists are always comparing themselves to others and seek to come out spiritually superior.
But rather than talk about the Pharisees, what about us? Contemporary Christians are not exempt from legalism.
-Having a tv was a sin. Later it was decided it was ok to have one but only if it was black and white and only for watching the news and Gunsmoke.
-Playing cards was a sin. Later revised to exclude Rook, Go Fish, Old Maid, and Solitaire. -Women in the choir couldn't wear ear rings. -
Women in the choir couldn’t wear more than one nail polish color at a time. What in the world are we going to do about these crazy choirs?
-Couldn't buy anything on Sunday…except for ice cream. Praise the Lord.
-Drums, electric guitars, keyboards & ukuleles were banned for use in worship. I’m with you on the ukuleles. -you could watch movies on TV or VCR but not at the theater.
-Married couples could only have sex for procreation, because otherwise it could lead to dancing.
These are humorous to us and for good reason. It shows how ridiculous legalism can make you look.
The problem, among others, with legalism is that it fosters Self Righteousness and there are very few things can distance us further from the lost than that.
Whether inadvertent or intentional, legalism provides a very unhelpful, confusing, and misleading portrayal of God. Because of legalism, many of the Chosen People had become barriers rather than bridges to God and the same happens even today within Churches.
ILLUS: Holland
Most of Holland lies below sea level but the Dutch have reclaimed the land by constructing an ingenious system of canals and dikes to hold back the seawater. On one particular Sunday, storms raised the water level to a dangerous height and the water threatened to overflow the dikes and flood the farmland of particular town, devastating the crops. Many residents went to add sandbags but there were too few workers to stop the rising tide. The constable (mayor) appealed to the local Dutch Reformed Church for help. He knew there were hundreds of able-bodied men who could make the difference. Many hands, less work. He went to the church to persuade the members to come and help. The elders quickly met and decided it would be sinful to break the Sabbath rules by working on Sunday. The constable appealed to the elders to change their minds and help with the work. He pointed out that Jesus helped and healed on the Sabbath. The reply of the chief elder is classic. He said, “Yes, and I have always had a hard time accepting what Jesus did on the Sabbath, too!” That would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic. The town flooded and most of the crops were ruined, but many of the Christians felt pious because they hadn’t desecrated the Sabbath Day. Their reputation in the community however was forever ruined. Ultimately this is what legalism can do, i.e., it can ruin your reputation in the community.
How do People Get There?
Sometimes it’s learned behavior, i.e., it’s what you grew up in that hasn’t been truly filtered through God’s word and/or a misapplication of God’s Word. The root problem however is that…
SLIDE
3-Legalists Elevate Preferences over Scripture
And the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5)
They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs (Acts 21:21)
SLIDE 6
…They are all zealous for the law (Acts 21:20)
They were not zealous for God, but zealous for the Law.
I sometimes wonder how different our nation would be if we were as zealous for Jesus as we are for politics or even our sports teams.
-Spiritualize your preferences.
Prefer = to like something better than another. We all have preferences I prefer lime sherbet, Chevrolet, Southwest, Carolina style BBQ.
Its ok to have preferences but we have to remember just that...its a preference. In church we may have preferences about worship styles, teaching styles, leadership styles, communion methodologies, etc.
Ex. Communion on the first Sunday of ea. month.
Bible Versions: KJV only. “If its good enough for Paul its good enough..” ESV vs NASB.
Preferences are one thing. Every church has to pick a lane on its worship style, method and frequency of communion, etc.
Legalism, however, spiritualizes certain preferences as being more holy than others.
You'll hear legalists say things like, "If you were really right with God you would only read the NASB. If you were really right with God you’d boycott _____ fill in the blank."
Again, it’s fine to have a preference. I have certain bible versions I prefer over others. I have my favorite preachers. We all do, but when we spiritualize them as being morally and spiritually superior, we too may fall into Legalism’s snare.
As a result, you can end up majoring on the minors by focusing too much on irrelevant details. ?In fact, legalists will often insist on elevating their pet peeves. They place a higher value on tradition than biblical principles.
They’re threatened by the conversion of the Gentiles. Legalism results in a hardening of the spiritual arteries.
That’s the real issue
The real reason that they have so much hatred for Paul is that they’ve elevated their preferences to a point that it’s on the same level if not greater than God’s Word. This creates a very distorted view of God.
ILLUS: Tailor
in the 1800s A very wealthy and influential entrepreneur was visiting Prague which at the time was the home of an internationally acclaimed tailor named Hans Galard.
The businessman made a special trip to his shop to order a tailor-made suit. However, Hans was on vacation, but he really wanted a suit from the shop to show off to his friends back home and so he convinced the shop’s apprentice to take on the job. That way he could still say he’d had a custom-tailored suit from Hans Galard of Prague. But when the businessman came to pick up his suit, he found that one sleeve twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the caved in. He pulled and managed to make his body fit. When he came out of the dressing room another customer remarked "Amazing! I knew that Hans was a great tailor, but I had no idea he could make a suit fit someone as disfigured as you."
This is what legalism does to us-We get a false idea of what the Christian faith should look like: it pushes and shoves people into the most uncomfortable configurations until they fit wonderfully!
This is what Paul was up against in Jerusalem. They’d elevated their own customs and religious bylaws above the ways of God. Rather than rejoicing that Gentiles are coming into the family of God they’re threatened by it.
In some cases, it’s a learned behavior, i.e., childhood church. It’s the way you’ve always done it, but we always need to allow the Holy Spirit to be Lord of our preferences.
APPLICATION: It's ok to have a preference but whenever we begin to measure someone's spirituality based upon how they?treat our personal spiritual pet peeves we too can fall into the same trap as the Temple mob and that's one group you?don't want to be a part of. You can find yourself attacking those who don’t hold to the same preferences as you. Some people may worship differently than us, or celebrate communion differently.??You may have different views on schooling, i.e., home schooling vs Christian Schooling. Multi-sites or video teachings. Let’s be careful we not magnify one above the other spiritually. We have to pick a lane and a method, it’s fine to have a preference, but let’s not elevate our particular preferred way as being spiritually superior.
In the Gospels you’ll also notice that Jesus doesn’t have many good things to say about legalists. However, on one occasion He says something that at first glance would seem peculiar.
SLIDE
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:20)
Exceed, Surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees?
These are the people with 24 chapters about what could and couldn’t do on the sabbath and an additional 613 bylaws to the Law of Moses.
These are the ones who…
-Memorized the entire Pentateuch. They fast twice a week. They tithe spices. they strive to never been seen with a sinner. For spiritual reasons, not so much hygiene, they extensively wash their hands after being in the presence of a gentile; maybe the waiter had touched a gentile or maybe the cook did something sinful.
So, when you hear Jesus saying, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees you will not see the kingdom of heaven” what would be going through your mind? You’re most likely thinking “We’re toast. We don't have a shot.”
In fact, it’s very easy to surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
The righteousness of the Pharisees may not be what you think it is. They’re depending upon their own self-righteousness and traditions for salvation. With Jesus you’re depending upon Him for your salvation. It’s really that simple.
The heart of legalism is self-righteousness. It becomes its own religion. The heart of the gospel is grace through Jesus. Without a doubt as you follow Jesus, there will be things He’ll ask you to give up. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will guide you into living a lifestyle that represents Jesus and His ways. That being said, Salvation is through a person, specifically Jesus, not a program, nor a list of dos and don’ts.
CONCLUSION – As we begin to prepare for a new season of ministry, in a new building and with new methodologies, unlike the legalists, let’s remind ourselves that these are simply our preferences. They are not spiritually superior to the methods and ways of other evangelical churches in Town. They are simply our method. Everyone has to pick a game plan.
We have an unprecedented opportunity before us. A new building, new staff, new methods. Let’s make the most of it. Churches are known for various things, the preacher, the building, children’s ministry, but as Jesus famously said, they will know you’re my disciples by your love for one another.
Legalists value their ways and preferences above God’s Word and may that never be said of us.
What does God value? People. May the same be said of us.
God values you.
Jesus had begun to pull out the smokestacks of legalism and show it for what it really is…it’s corrosive and is based upon appearances…its going to crumble under God’s inspection. Ultimately there are none righteous, no not one.
SLIDE
For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
PRAYER
