Text:
Matthew 22:36-40: “Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind. This is the
great and first commandment. And a
second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Topic:
Religion—A Biblical
Perspective
Introduction:How many religions are there in the world
today? Whether you know
it or not, there are hundreds and hundreds of religions in America and around
the world today. Just to name a few, there are East Asian religions, Indic
religions, Middle Eastern religions, Indigenous religions. New religious
movements, and historical religions.
There is a word that describes the person who has a belief about
their god but there practice of their belief does not go hand in hand with what
they say they believe about their god. That word is “hypocrite” or another word
is “phony” or another word is “fake” or another word is “false” or another word
is “liar.”
Perhaps, you are not a member of none of the traditionally
organized religions as we may know then. Perhaps you have your own
individualized religion. Perhaps you go to a church, a temple, a mosque, a
house of worship regularly in person or on-line.
BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING!!! ALERT!!!
Let us consider four things this morning which
are clearly indicative of this one and only true religion, this one and only
God Almighty, this one and only Lord and Savior, who is worthy of our worship
and praise.
There
are people around you who need someone to speak a word to them. They need
someone to encourage them. They need a decent conversation who is not full of
the polluted world around them. Speak life, faith, and hope love into some
lonely person’s life, a widow, widower, or fatherless child.
Point
One:
True
religion is sharing a conversation.
James 1:26-27: If anyone thinks he is religious and
does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is
worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself
unstained from the world.
There
are people around you who need someone to speak a word to them. They need
someone to encourage them. They need a decent conversation who is not full of
the polluted world around them. Speak life, faith, and hope love into some
lonely person’s life, a widow, widower, or fatherless child.
First John 1:7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin.
Point
Two:
Matthew 6:3-4: But when
you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees
what is done in secret, will reward you.
“Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink?When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick
or in prison and go to visit you?’
Point Three:
Luke 4:18: Jesus said, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruise.
James 2:1-26: My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the
faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold
ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing
also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing
and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You
stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made
distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my
beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich
in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
Point Four:
First Corinthian 13:1-3: If I speak in the
tongues of
men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a
clanging cymbal. If I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do
not have love, I am nothing. If
I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I
may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Galatians 5:22-25: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit,
let us also walk by the Spirit.
Conclusion:
John 3:16says,
“For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.”John 14:6: “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Now, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Roosevelt McPherson
Email: mcphersonroosevelt@gmail.com
