How to Not Be Religious (Colossians 2.20-23 and Luke 5.27-39)

Introduction

Well, congratulations to Benjamin and Sohini on your baptism. And Steph, congratulations to you too on the renewal of your baptismal vows.

Each one of you today has had a growing and maturing Christian faith for some time now – but what’s different about now is that today you want to stand up and say that it’s real, that it’s very important to you and you want the world to know – and who cares what anyone thinks.

Not Religious?

Some people might wonder why the title chosen for a sermon in a baptism service is “How to NOT be religious.”

Some would say, “Hang on a minute! Look! The fact that these people are being baptized today shows that religion is important to them. Baptism is a religious ceremony isn’t it? How much more religious can you get than this?”

Maybe some people have been thinking as they looked at the information sheet, “I’ve noticed a typo here. It says ‘How to Not Be Religious.’ That should say ‘How to Be Religious.’ Someone should have proofread this properly.”

So let me put that one to bed. There’s no mistake. There is no misprint. It says “How to NOT be religious” on purpose.

The truth is this: The last thing I want for you here today, or anyone else come to think of it, is to be “religious”.

Religion is all the things people do to try and get to God. There are dozens of religious customs you hear about and are well known. All religions have different customs and practices.

Some people have to wear different kinds of head and face coverings; turbans, nikabs, burkas, skull caps, veils and so on.

Some people only eat fish on Friday; others never eat pork or beef on any day of the week.

Some people burn incense, others light special candles. Some cross themselves when they feel afraid, others bathe in special rivers. There are many different religious rituals.

I’m going to put a rough percentage on how much of that is important and necessary. Zero per cent.

(There’s a 0.1% margin of accuracy there so it might not be exactly right. But it’s definitely close).

We need Jesus, not religion. You might say, “What’s the difference? Isn’t Jesus a religious figure? Isn’t Christianity a religion? Come on…”

So I am going to share with you this morning some of the differences between what we call religion and what we call the Gospel. Basically, the difference is this; religion is man-made, and the Gospel is heaven-sent.

Religion, as I said just now, is all the customs and traditions and practices that people observe to try and get to God.

The word “Gospel” is the opposite of religion. The word just means the Good News about Jesus. In fact, the word Gospel is an Old Anglo Saxon word that simply means good news.

1) God Will Love Me or God Does Love Me?

The first difference between religion and the Gospel is this:

Religion says: “If I behave well enough then God will love me.” You see? So if I stop drinking, if I tell no more lies, if I stop swearing, if I give up smoking etc, if I cut out all my excess and brush myself up a bit, become a better person, then God will love me.

But the Gospel says: “No! God does love me. It doesn’t depend on me being a good person first.

How do I know? I know because God showed just how much he loved me by sending his very own Son to live for me, die for me, rise again for me and come to live in me by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says “God demonstrates [God proves, God reveals] his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, [that means when we were still all over the place, when our lives were messed up, think about your life as low as you’ve ever been… it was then that] Christ died for us.”

So religion says “God will love me if I behave.” The Gospel says “God loves me so much already. And if I am in any doubt how much God loves me I just need to look at the cross.”

Religion is like me turning around to my children when they were young and saying to them “Here is a list of things that are important to me so I hope you’re taking notes. I want you to tidy your room, work well at school, share your toys with your friends, clean your teeth three times a day, wash your hands before you eat – and if you do all that I will be your daddy. And if you don’t, I won’t love you anymore and I will leave you.”

My kids always knew – at least I hope they did (I tried to tell them) – that they could light bangers in the house, they could put custard in my bed, they could dip my books in the toilet and write graffiti on the kitchen walls... To be fair, they knew very well that I wouldn’t be all that happy about it. But crucially, they knew I would never, ever stop being their daddy or stop loving them just because they did.

2) Good and Bad or Repentant and Unrepentant?

Here’s the second difference between religion and the Gospel.

Religion says that the world basically contains two kinds of people; good people and bad people. How do you know who the good ones are? They’re the ones like us. Bad people – well, they’re the ones like them. Don't quote me now. That’s what religion says.

So a group of religious people called Pharisees went around in Jesus’ day praying in a loud voice so everybody could hear; “O God, thank you so much that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

They totally thought they were good. That’s what religion looks like and, to be honest with you, it stinks.

They are the kind of people Paul was talking about in our first reading. “Human commands and teachings” he says. “False humility and harsh treatment of the body” he says. “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” There’s a nitpicking joylessness about religion. It’s obsessively miserable.

The Gospel also says there are two kinds of people; but it’s not good people and bad people. 

It’s repentant people and unrepentant people. The word “repentant” just means sorry. It’s when I admit I’m in the wrong.

The uncomfortable truth is this: Everybody sins and everybody falls short of God’s standard.

Would you agree? Or would you not agree with me?

O.K., let's put it to the test. If anyone here this morning can confidently say “I have always lived a perfect life, my motives are always flawless, my thoughts are always pure, my words are always loving, my actions are always good” please stand up now.

All of us think, and say, and do things we know we should not. We all know they are against what God wants. The only difference is that some of us say sorry to God and some of us think we’re fine without him.

So God doesn’t look down and see good people and bad people. This is going to sound harsh. But he sees bad people and the Lord Jesus.

Because when I just asked anyone to stand who could say “I have always lived a perfect life, my motives are always flawless, my thoughts are always pure, my words are always loving, my actions are always good” Jesus could have stood up.

Think about this with me; who were the people who rejected and murdered Jesus? Was it the thieves, prostitutes and alcoholics? Or was it the upright religious people?

Answer: it was the religious people. That should tell you all you need to know about whose side religious people are really on.

Jesus went to the religious people - and he loved them - and he told them the truth about who they were.

And they replied “How dare you!” They hated him, they tried to trap him, they argued with him, they plotted against him, they arrested him, they fixed his trial, and they got him crucified. 

This is what the Bible calls the offense of the Gospel. It offends religious people when they're told the truth about themselves because they think that they're good. And part of the Gospel is to learn that no one is really good.

Jesus went to the messed up people; the loose women, the drunkards, the tax collectors and petty criminals - and he loved them - and he told them the truth about who they were as well.

And they said “You’re right, we are totally screwed up. Our lives are a disaster. How are we ever going to get out of the mess we’re in? We need change but we just never seem to get out of the hole we’re in. Is there anything that can be done? Can you help? You can? Great!” they said, “Come over to our place for dinner!”

That is what happened in our second reading. Jesus finds himself invited to a party with his mates. He gets there and finds himself surrounded by the riff raff - who love him. But there are religious people there too and guess what? They can’t stand him.

They don’t get it that Jesus keeps company with messed up people. They get upset about it and find it embarrassing that a spiritual leader is having a good time.

So they say “What’s this about?” Verse 30: “Why do you eat and drink with sinners?” You should be doing religious things that the good people do. You should be fasting. You should go around looking depressed. You should be living a rigorous life like John the Baptist and the Pharisees.”

See what they’re saying? “Look at you. Call yourself a Christian? Having a good time? Eating party food and drinking alcohol. Have you seen who’s here? The likes of us shouldn’t be seen with rogues, whores, crooks and street rats…”

And tax collectors. People used to love tax collectors in those days just like people these days love expenses-fiddling politicians and fat cat bankers on massive bonuses.

So Jesus tells them what’s what. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

In other words, there are two kinds of people. There are those who think they’re good. They love religion.

And there are those who know they’re not good and are sorry. They love the Gospel – because it’s good news about God’s love and favour for them.

What do you think? That the world only has good and bad people – and that you’re one of the good ones?

Or that there are only bad people and Jesus – and that when you are sorry for your sin you get given all Jesus’ goodness to you as a gift.

3) Birth Credentials or New Birth Credentials?

The third and last difference between religion and the Gospel is this: Religion says that your birth credentials are what matter.

Never mind all this happy clappy Jesus stuff, were you done when you were a baby? Did Uncle Billy say “yes” to being your godfather?

Or “you’re all right because you’re the vicar’s son, or the bishop’s daughter or your Auntie Lil once shook hands with the Pope.” All these things are about the advantages of the family you happen to be born into.

Benjamin and Steph – you grew up in a Christian home. Sohini, your background was Hindu, but you heard about Jesus at school and a spark was lit in your soul when you were young.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that really. In fact it’s great. But in itself, it’s not enough.

In our second reading, Jesus talked about wine and wineskins.

In those days they didn’t have bottles, They used animal skins to contain wine because the skins were watertight and they stretched.

When wine is fermenting it expands so the container it’s in needs to expand as well – otherwise it bursts and you lose your wine.

You can’t put new wine in old wineskins because they’ve already been been stretched to their limit. If they stretch more they burst open.

In the same way, all the advantages you have from the family you were born into and the upbringing you had cannot hold the new wine of God’s grace.

What I’m saying is this. It’s not about the advantages that come with your birth. It’s about new birth. Jesus said “You must be born again.” You must. He said “Unless you are born of water [that’s baptism] and the Spirit [that’s something changing in your soul where you start a new relationship with God] unless you do that, you cannot see the kingdom of God.

You have got to have faith for yourself.

Ending

So Benjamin, Sohini and Steph, we are delighted today that you have asked to be baptized and to renew your baptism promises. 

We know that God has started a new work in your lives. We can see it.

We know that your lives are not about religion. They are about the Gospel. You know it’s all about Jesus.

May everyone here as well be like new wineskins for the new wine of God’s grace.

Let’s pray…

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 3rd March 2013