Creekside Church, April 11, 2021
Aren't We Better Off Without Religion?
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
REAL. GOOD. QUESTIONS.
Aren’t We Better Off Without Religion?
We would not be better off without religion.
1. We Have Tried It And It Has Failed Miserably
2. We Have Bigger Problems Than Religion
3. Blaming Religion For Our Problems Is Too Naïve And Simplistic
If you say that religion poisons everything, then to be consistent, you would also have to say that . . . science poisons everything, politics poisons everything, business poisons everything . . .
4. Christianity Has Brought Us Many Great Blessings
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35.
“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
1 Timothy 6:10.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances…”
1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Luke 11:4
5. The Problem Isn’t Religion… The Problem Is People
We humans can take just about anything and use it for good or use it for evil. That’s true of politics, drugs, science, sex and religion.
If you are going to criticize religion when it goes wrong, you are probably closer to Jesus on that issue than you could have ever imagined.
Timothy Keller
Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
…“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
Luke 11:39-46
The church has been guilty of the oppression of others. But, ironically, it is the bible that provides the tools for measuring where the church has failed to be what God himself has called her to be. The strongest critics of Christianity are using the book Christianity claims to follow against her . . . and rightly so!
Historically, there are examples where Christianity has been a voice for self-correction.
Think of slavery and racism.
Christianity is guilty of many hurtful, hateful, shameful, vile actions . . .BUT JESUS IS NOT.
____
It was not his message, it was not his lifestyle, it was not what he called his followers to emulate. And that to me is the key. We humans can mess up a lot of things including the life and message of Jesus. But if you move away from all of that and look only to him alone, you will find “no fault in him”. And he is the one we are called to follow.
Aren’t We Better Off Without Religion?
We would not be better off without religion.
1. We Have Tried It And It Has Failed Miserably
2. We Have Bigger Problems Than Religion
3. Blaming Religion For Our Problems Is Too Naïve And Simplistic
If you say that religion poisons everything, then to be consistent, you would also have to say that . . . science poisons everything, politics poisons everything, business poisons everything . . .
4. Christianity Has Brought Us Many Great Blessings
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35.
“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
1 Timothy 6:10.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances…”
1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Luke 11:4
5. The Problem Isn’t Religion… The Problem Is People
We humans can take just about anything and use it for good or use it for evil. That’s true of politics, drugs, science, sex and religion.
If you are going to criticize religion when it goes wrong, you are probably closer to Jesus on that issue than you could have ever imagined.
Timothy Keller
Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?
…“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
Luke 11:39-46
The church has been guilty of the oppression of others. But, ironically, it is the bible that provides the tools for measuring where the church has failed to be what God himself has called her to be. The strongest critics of Christianity are using the book Christianity claims to follow against her . . . and rightly so!
Historically, there are examples where Christianity has been a voice for self-correction.
Think of slavery and racism.
Christianity is guilty of many hurtful, hateful, shameful, vile actions . . .BUT JESUS IS NOT.
____
It was not his message, it was not his lifestyle, it was not what he called his followers to emulate. And that to me is the key. We humans can mess up a lot of things including the life and message of Jesus. But if you move away from all of that and look only to him alone, you will find “no fault in him”. And he is the one we are called to follow.