Traditionalism Vs. Real Biblical Truth

Baptism of the Holy Spirit Series

Traditionalism vs. Real Biblical Truth 6/20/2012

A The work of the Holy Spirit must be grounded in biblical revelation (not religious traditionalism.)

1 Tradition is the living faith of those who are now dead while traditionalism is the dead faith of those now living.

a Tradition: Worship on the Lord’s day!

b Traditionalism: It must be 10:30 AM in a building with a steeple and pews.

c We must know, discern the difference between human customs and biblical truth.

2 Often times we try to press human, denomination, or other parameters into Scripture.

B Change is hardly ever welcomed (Baby’s are the only ones who are glad when a change occurs!)

1 The only one who does not change is God, the rest of us must expect and learn to embrace it.

a The concept of repentance is based upon change.

b Repent, metanoia/GK, means to change one’s thinking.

2 Change is not always pretty, tidy, orderly.

a Prov. 14.4, reflects this truth.

4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. Prov 14:4 (NASB)

aa If you have oxen in a barn, their gonna make a mess. Manure to clean up, smell to content with.

bb The payoff is when you hook that team of oxen to your plow, turn over soil, do the hard work of tilling the field . . . the mess is worth it!

b Revival/Growth is often messy (we will do well to remember this fact)

c Where there is life, there is evidence of life & life can make things messy.

C When Jesus started His Spirit-anointed ministry, in Nazareth, He challenged the status quo. (Rocked the boat.)

1 16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor . He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives , And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord ."20 And He closed the book , gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing ."22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?"23 And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.' "24 And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown.25 "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath , in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.27 "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.30 But passing through their midst, He went His way. Luke 4:16-30 (NASB)

Jesus messed up the religious barn by exposing an attitude that I call “The Nazareth Mentality.”

a Speaking at the synagogue on Sabbat, He picked up the scroll of Isaiah and read Is. 61.1-2

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted ; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, Isaiah 61:1-2 (NASB)

b The men acknowledged the strength in Jesus’ words but they totally rejected His supernatural claims.

2 Everybody was fine when Jesus read the scroll.

a Good tidings to the poor? Amen! Heal the broken hearted? Amen! Liberate the captives? Amen! Set people free? Amen! Year of Jubilee? Amen!