Religion Vs. Reality

One of the resounding messages sent forth from the pulpit of Pure Life Ministries is that there is a huge difference between speaking and acting like the Christian culture and having a real encounter with God. In other words there is religion, and then there is reality. Many professing Christians in America are content to look at their outward performance without examining their hearts. In this segment, Pastor Steve Gallagher exhorts the men in our residential program to seek after a real Christian life. (From #396 - Hypocrites Go To Church Too)

Jordan got up and shared about those two buildings: one built on sand and one built on a rock. The way it was coming to me in my mind is the different elements of Christianity: the church, worship, the word of God, Prayer—those kinds of things—and how you can have all those elements in place, and have one guy whose life is built on the rock and he has one experience with those things; but you have someone whose life is built on the sand—they might be sitting right next to each other in church having completely different experiences. So let me just take a look at them real quick.  

First of all, the church. What is the church there for? The building that you go to every Sunday, why is it there? You know it's kind of a replica of the temple situation in Jerusalem way back in the day. The temple was there because it was a place where the presence of God dwelt. OK, now we know that a building doesn't have the presence of God in that sense, but believers do and so believers come together. When you go to a church you should be going there not to just perform your religious duty for the week—just to put in your time and get your "Get Out Of Jail Free card.” You make your appearance, but you can't wait to get out of there and get home. If that's your attitude either something is terribly wrong in your life—well that's for sure anyway—but maybe something's terribly wrong in the church you're at. Because the presence of God should be there and if it's not, you're at the wrong place. And when you go home... Many of you are going to leave this place walking with the Lord, and you get home, you're going to find that church isn't like you remembered it. You know back when you were back-slidden it all looked really spiritual, but when you come home walking with God that church better be on fire or you're going to be really disappointed. Believe me I've heard many many many stories of that down through the years, or staff members who just go home for vacation and go to their old church and they come back—wow— just in shock. Make sure you're in a Godly church.

<pull-quote>If you approach the Word with the typical, academic, mental, head-knowledge mindset that's out there so commonly now, you're not going to walk away with anything.<pull-quote>

The Word of God. When you open the Bible... If you approach it with the typical, academic, mental, head-knowledge mindset that's out there so commonly now, you're not going to walk away with anything. The Word of God is there for a purpose; it's for you to meet with the Lord, not to just fill your head with more information—you don't need more information, you need an encounter with God. And so your approach to the Word—this is on you now and I can't blame the pastor, we're talking about you and the Bible. First of all you've got to have it, you've got to spend time in it—but you approach it saying, "Lord speak to me, speak to me, Lord. Speak for your servant listens."  

Prayer. Don't just go in with your laundry list of all the things that you want so your life can be better. "Oh yeah and save," you know "my brother and sister my wife," or whoever—no, you go to talk to the Lord to really communicate with someone; He's a person, He's there! You know, you're going to be in a transition, hopefully, while you're here: transitioning from religion into a relationship with a person. That person is Jesus Christ, the most awesome person who has ever lived on this earth by far.  

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And just one more quick thing. I was thinking... There's the Broad Way: living for this world, yet claiming to represent Jesus Christ—that's the Broad Way. I would like to think that at Pure Life Ministries, we're pretty much on the Narrow Way here. It certainly is our heart to be that. But there was one—only one who ever did it and that was a razor thin line of perfection. Only Jesus did that. Only Jesus. No one else ever has. Only Jesus Christ. I mean you talk about narrow... We're talking perfection His whole life. What a savior!  

Lord, I just love you this morning I praise your name. You are worthy, Lord, you are worthy of our praise and our worship. We want to be in relationship with you, Lord. It's not about religion it's not about going to church, it's about meeting what with the King, the only one who is worthy. And we worship you and praise your name this morning, Lord. And I just pray that as Nate comes up, Lord that you will just anoint your word. And Holy Spirit, magnify Jesus Christ this morning. Magnify him, Lord, not just that we learn some more stuff, but there would be something that would be imparted into our souls and into our spirits that we can walk away from here feeling like we have met with the Lord. It's you that can do that, Lord and we're asking you, regardless of whatever the sermon is, Lord, we're asking you to please, Holy Spirit, please magnify Jesus in our hearts in such a way that when we leave it stays with us—a sight of the lowly King. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.