Tony Evans - Religion
Paul warns the Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 10 that they cannot partake in both the Lord's table and the demons' table through idolatry, even in religious acts like communion, urging them to reject the idol of religion that invites demonic influence and pursue genuine relationship with God instead.
Paul is writing to a Christian church, the church at Corinth. He calls them saints when he opens the book of 1 Corinthians. They're believers. Even in verse 14, he says, "My beloved, my fellow men and women in the family of God." So he's writing to Christians, not non-Christians. But he's writing about a concern. His concern is that they get rid of idols. Evidently, you can be a Christian in a Christian church and still be hanging out with idols. (248 characters)
Notice the word he uses repetitively in this passage. He uses it twice in verse 16: sharers, sharing. In verse 18, 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, they were hanging out with demons. They were hanging out with demons and doing it in church. (298 characters)
When he says they were partakers of the bread and the cup, he's talking about communion, one of the church ordinances. He goes on to say, "Don't you know when people sacrificed things at the altar? They did that as part of their worship." So they were worshipping, going to church. And yet he says idols aren't real, but the demons that flow through them are. (285 characters)
I don't want you to be sharers of demons. Why? Because idolatry invites the demonic realm. So many of the issues we are facing, we are facing because the demons won't let us go. Because we have worshipped an idol, and that idol can be sitting at the wrong table. Now he makes it clear you can't sit at God's table and the demon's table and still have God. (292 characters)
You have to choose. But when you try to have both, you will only have demons and you won't have God because Paul says you can't sit at both tables. That is, you can't worship simultaneously in both environments. So 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. (298 characters)
The Idol of Religion Defined
Religion is man's attempt to convince God through activity in order to get Him to be favorable to you. Religious people want God's favor, want God's blessing. And so they do religious things in order to motivate God to give them favor or blessing. Religion—church attendance, saying grace, reading your Bible, praying—all of those are legitimate. (296 characters)
But all of those can be demon infected 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. He says in 2 Timothy 3:5, "Having a form of godliness, but no power attached to it." Because when God shows up, His power shows up. (289 characters)
So if you aren't changing and God's power is not working and being manifested, you may be religious, but you may be demon infected. Because the religion has not accomplished what true, authentic relationship is designed to accomplish. And so he's warning them that they could be hanging out with demons. (278 characters)
A lot of people who jump high on Sunday don't know how to walk right on Monday because they had a religious injection for the time they were in the service that didn't stick because they were satisfied with religion. My goal is to make you dissatisfied with religion as we have defined it, where you come because you're supposed to, where you worship because it's Sunday. (300 characters)
Where you say grace because you were taught to. Because all of that religious routine won't get you to the true God, as legitimate as they are, because they can actually camouflage what God is all about in your life and in my life. (238 characters)
Demonic Doctrines in Religious Guise
So, in 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul again writing to Timothy warns of demonic doctrine. He says beginning with verse 1, "But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron..." (and the passage continues about forbidding marriage, abstaining from foods, etc.). (298 characters)
He says demons teach; doctrine is teaching. He says there is a doctrinal teaching that the demonic realm proliferates to the mind of Christians. He's writing to a Christian pastor pastoring a Christian church, and he's warning him to warn the congregation about demonic doctrines that will take you from God but will be religious sounding. (292 characters)
So let me tell you about some isms—teachings that are demonically inspired but religiously camouflaged so that you think it's God, but it's really not God. So the demons can interject it (he calls it a doctrine of demons) and steer you away from the faith. These isms can be described as traditionalism, externalism, ritualism, narcissism, and legalism. (298 characters)
Those are isms that the Bible talks about that demons use to steer people from the faith 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 by the idol of religion taught by demons or their surrogates. (278 characters)
Examples of Demonic "Isms"
For example, ritualism. Ritualism is external activity that makes you think because you're doing the ritual, it brings spiritual benefit. But 1 Timothy says when you pray over your food, you're not just saying grace; you are to sanctify it. Why? Because there are things in that food that can hurt you. (282 characters)
So because there are things in those foods that potentially hurt you, you want to get God to intervene Himself. As you chew on the bacon, as you eat the eggs, you want supernatural intervention when you put that food in your mouth. So don't just be saying that because you're supposed to say grace. You better get some supernatural activity over that meal. That's a whole different mindset in saying grace. (300 characters)
Then there is traditionalism, because we've always done it that way. Colossians 2:8 says, "Beware of the traditions of men." Matthew chapter 15:1-14, he says, "Your traditions are keeping God's Word from working." Did you know you can keep God's Word from working by doing something because you've always done it? (288 characters)
Mark chapter 7:1-13, he says, "Watch out for your traditions because they negate the commandment of God." What tradition does is get you into a rut. And when the demons see you're in a rut and it can't be substantiated by the Word of God, they can steer you away from God because you're mad about the tradition when the tradition wasn't from God in the first place. (298 characters)
And then there is legalism, another ism. One day, as we grow, all these isms will be wasms. Legalism is the misapplication of God's rules. Let me put it another way: Legalism is pursuing rules at the expense of a relationship. Legalism says I've got to do these things, which are legitimate. And let's take the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are called the law. The Bible says the Ten Commandments are good. (300 characters)
So when a person says, "I'm trying to keep the Ten Commandments," that's a good statement, but the problem is trying to keep the Ten Commandments can't help you keep the Ten Commandments because there's no power in the commandment. The law can give you the standard, but what the law can't do is give you the power to keep the standard. (298 characters)
Or even when you're keeping the standard, if you're doing it on a leash, you're not happy that you have to keep it, and you keep it because you don't want the consequences for not keeping it. So it's a whole different mindset, religious mindset and motivation that is restricting you, but doesn't necessarily change you. (292 characters)
And you wind up being in this mountain of misery while trying all you can to obey God. "I have so much joy as I keep the Ten Commandments." Why? Because you feel like you're on a leash because you religiously expected, just like the Ten Commandments can't get you to heaven by keeping them, the Ten Commandments can't change you on earth because there's no power in the commandments. (300 characters)
That is why Paul says in Galatians chapter 3, verses 23 and 24, that the law was a tutor to drive you to Christ. He says because in and of itself, it does not give you the power to do what it tells you you better do. It just tells you what you better do and the negative consequences for not doing it. So it can tell you the problem, it can't fix the problem. (298 characters)
So what he's talking about is this concept of religion that does not change you. And so many of us go week after week, month after month, year after year, and we would never miss church if we didn't have to, but we haven't been changed. We're thinking the same way, acting the same way, walking the same way. (288 characters)
James says in James 1:27, he says true religion, when it's operating, people don't talk like they used to talk. If there is no change, demons have infected your religion, in spite of how much you go to church, read the Bible, say grace, pray, and all the religious things. Why? Because the demons have infected. (292 characters)
You're at two tables. Something about me or you or us, individually or collectively as a family, has walked away from authentic Christianity. And either we walked totally away, or we're trying to do two tables, which is the same as walking away from God. (248 characters)
The Call to Authentic Relationship
So, where do we go with this? I wanted to establish at this point that religion can be an idol because you're going through the motions. You're going through legitimate activity, but without the right motivation, and therefore you have invited demons into your situation. You can't have both tables. (288 characters)
James 4:1-10, he says, "Draw near unto me." He says, "'Cause as long as you're hanging out over there, you can't have me. As long as you just doing this religious thing, you cannot have me." They were praying, but he says, "You can't have me unless it's about me. And if it's not about a relationship with me, then it's faulty religion." (298 characters)
And once it's faulty religion, demons can seep in while you're praising God. It's got to be about me. And what will make Oak Cliff great has nothing to do with buildings and programs, but there are thousands of people who want to make it about him. 'Cause once you make it about him, things change. He draws near 'cause he sees it's about him. (298 characters)
God says, "Is it about me? Or do you just want to show up 'cause you want something?" Because what a lot of people in church want to do is use God. They don't want a relationship with him, and they sure enough don't want to be changed by him. (248 characters)
So, the Word says, Philippians 3:1-3, Paul tells the Philippians, he says, "Watch out for false religion." He says, "Watch out for the false circumcision." Because he says if you're going to be serious about this, you must worship God in spirit, not just with your body. (278 characters)
Suffering is an invitation to intimacy. God is inviting you 'cause he know when you suffering, he going to get more time with you. Because things are not good, so you need him more. So Paul says it is the fellowship of his suffering. So when I'm going through this, we're going through our time of suffering, that is the time to draw near because the situation demands it. (300 characters)
And so he's calling on you and me not to sit at two tables, not to go through this religious thing, but he's after something deeper, where you are now looking at things from God's perspective. (238 characters)
Religious activity without the goal of spiritual intimacy is like putting Bengay on a broken leg. You will feel better, but nothing has changed. You can come to church and feel better. You can be inspired, encouraged, and all of that, but if there is no change, there is no growth, meaning God is not operating. (298 characters)
No matter how good the sermon, or the service, or the singing was, and all of 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. (268 characters)
Overcoming Through Relationship, Not Religion
One of the reasons why we can't get things straight in our lives, where we can't overcome addictions, why we can't restore relationships, why we can't deal with all the pressure is because we are religious without relationship, therefore there is no power. There is no change. (292 characters)
Everything you do must be driven now by my goal, that I might know him. So, you start with the Word. Okay, God, this is what you've said. Then you go to prayer. Prayer invites the Holy Spirit in to apply the Word that you just agreed with. (248 characters)
Now, let me explain something. If you don't agree with the Word, you can pray all you want, the Holy Spirit is not going to help. 'Cause the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, so he only agrees with what the Word says. So, when you talk about I think and it disagrees with this Word and you pray, you just hit the ceiling with your words. (298 characters)
Then you take a step of faith. That is, you act on the truth you said you agree with. You read it, you agree with it. You pray for supernatural strength to implement it. Then you take a step, walk by faith. Once you do that, you have activated the trinitarian God to intervene into your situation. (292 characters)
The Word calling down the Holy Spirit in prayer, then taking a step of faith, which shows you are serious about what you said you agreed with. Now, you have invited God into your situation. (238 characters)
The Bible says when you go to the Word, don't go like a man who looks in a mirror and forgets what he looks like. In the Bible days, they didn't have glass mirrors. They had brass mirrors. Whenever you see movies set in biblical days, they use a brass mirror because glass mirrors hadn't been invented yet. (298 characters)
So, what they would do is they would take a piece of brass and keep moving it until the light hit it right so they could see themselves. He says don't be like a man who looks in a mirror and goes away and forgets. No, he says when you go to my Word, be like a woman, not a man. James 1 says don't be like a man. (298 characters)
In other words, be like a woman. He says you don't go to God's Word like that. No, you got to God's Word and twist it a little bit, turn it a little bit, and play with it a little bit so that the Spirit of God can emerge out of the Word, and begin to sink down in your heart, and begin to sink down in your soul so that you are affected by the Word and infected with the Word. (300 characters)
And he says when that happens, you will be transformed. He's no longer a theology or a thought or a concept. He's now the living God that you can testify for yourself. (238 characters)
The Final Challenge: Kick Religion to the Curb
So, I challenge you and me and us, all of us, to kick religion to the curb. I'm talking about illegitimate religion. I'm talking about the religion that doesn't change you, the religion that makes you narcissistic so you don't serve people who can't do anything for you in return, James 1:27 says. (298 characters)
You come to worship selfish instead of worship service. It's a whole different framework. And if we could get hundreds and thousands of people thinking like this and operating like this, God will be free to blow our minds collectively as he blows your mind individually. (278 characters)
There was a man who was a train engineer, and he was coming to a drawbridge. And he looked at the flag. This is years ago because the flag would tell him whether it's safe to keep going or whether he had to stop. The bridge engineer was waving the flag. The train went and fell off into the river. 18 people died, true story. But the conductor lived. (300 characters)
The conductor and the engineer connected with each other, and he said, "Why didn't you stop? I was waving the red flag, that means stop. I kept waving the red flag, stop, but you wouldn't stop." The train engineer said, "No, you waved the white flag. You waved the white flag." He said, "No, I waved the red flag. It says stop, stop." He says, "No, I saw the white flag, which means to keep going." (300 characters)
So, they went and got the flag. The flag was red, but faded. So, from a distance, it looked white. Now, it was red, but the red had faded. So when the train driver saw it, he thought he was looking at white and kept going. (248 characters)
Don't let religion fade the red blood of Jesus Christ. Don't be faded. Don't just settle for religion. You wave the red flag. He was wounded for your transgressions, bruised for your iniquities. The chastisement of his peace was upon him. By his stripes were you healed. The blood of Jesus Christ our Savior and his almighty Father God, that's your focus. (298 characters)
I want to know him. Don't let folk go into disaster because you got a faded faith, 'cause you talking red, but you looking white, so people don't know where you coming from 'cause you haven't stood strong for your faith. I challenge us collectively, me and you individually, let's kick religion to the curb, and let's make it about a relationship with the true and living God. (300 characters)
This message in our series on "American Idols" of religion, of using God to create another God by leaving him out, his perspective out, his desires out, his standards out, but still inculcating his name and inculcating his rituals. God does not want to be defined by who we say he is or what we say he wants. He wants to be defined by who he says he is and by what he says he wants. We must always watch and keep ourselves from being tricked that just because we are engaged in religious ritual that we're worshipping the true God. We could be worshipping a false god and using religion to camouflage our idolatry.