Overcoming Bad
Experiences in Religion.
Have You Been
“Burned by Religion?”
Bad Religious Experiences
Are not Unique to
Modern Times
(e.g., Matthew 23; Jeremiah 6:14-15)
Jesus Provides True
Healing from the “Scars”
of Bad Religion!
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
28 “Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and
ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.”
Overcoming with Christ:
Authoritarian Leadership.
• Many religious leaders today care
about their positions of power
more than they do the people!
(e.g., Matthew 23:1-10).
True Spiritual Leadership
According to Jesus.
• Honorary titles, popularity, and
having servants (or followers) do
not make a person a great spiritual
leader (Matthew 23:6-10; 20:25-28).
• A true leader will serve the people
and maintain his humility before
God and men.
Matthew 23:11-12 (NASB)
11 "But the greatest among you
shall be your servant. 12 "And
whoever exalts himself shall be
humbled; and whoever humbles
himself shall be exalted.
NO ONE has a right to
“lord it over” our faith
or have dominion over us!
1 Peter 5:2-3 (NASB)
2 Shepherd the flock of God among
you, exercising oversight not under
compulsion, but voluntarily,
according to the will of God; and
not for sordid gain, but with
eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it
over those allotted to your charge,
but proving to be examples to the
flock. -- cf. 2 Corinthians 1:24
Overcoming with Christ:
“Cold Legalism”
• Many turned off by religion when
obedience is emphasized to the
neglect of grace and love.
Everyone, without
exception, needs God’s
grace to be saved!
Overcoming with Christ:
“Cold Legalism”
• No one is ever “good enough” by
the good works they do to enter
Heaven without grace (Ephesians 2:89; Romans 3:23; Titus 3:4-7).
To be right before God or
“justified”, we must …
• Have Faith in Christ:
Romans 5:1 (NASB) Therefore
having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
To be right before God or
“justified”, we must …
• Do works of faith:
James 2:24 You see that a man is
justified by works, and not by faith
alone.
To be right before God or
“justified”, we must …
• Receive the grace of Christ:
Titus 3:7 (NASB) that being
justified by His grace we might be
made heirs according to the hope
of eternal life.
Overcoming with Christ:
“Cold Legalism”
• Genuine Christians will not merely
judge each other, but will love one
another by offering needed help
and support!
John 13:34-35 (NASB)
34 "A new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you
also love one another. 35 "By this
all men will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one
another.“
Overcoming with Christ:
“Blind Conformity”
• Expected to accept the teachings of
the church, leadership, or the
preacher without question or
careful study.
• How many times have you been
“Shut Down” when you have had
legitimate questions and concerns?
(e.g., John 9:24-34).
• People who ask questions
and desire the truth
should be commended,
not condemned!
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.”
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those
in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so.”
• Though false doctrines are many,
God’s word can be understood!
(Ephesians 3:3-5; 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:3-4;
Peter 3:14-16).
2
Overcoming with Christ:
Disappointment in a Leader.
• Many feel devastated to such a
degree that they become unfaithful
and depart from the living God!!!
Misplaced Faith!
• They had put their faith in the
wrong person!
• They obeyed God’s law not out of
love for God, but out of fear or
loyalty to men!
• When people put their faith
in men and do not hold them
accountable to the
Scriptures, their faith will be
overthrown!
(2 Timothy 2:16-18; Matthew 15:13-14)
For an Unshakeable Faith,
Put Your Faith
and Trust in God!
Psalm 37:5-6 (NASB)
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do
it. 6 And He will bring forth your
righteousness as the light, And
your judgment as the noonday.
Overcoming with Christ:
Improper Church Discipline.
• Church discipline is too often not
carried out in the right manner.
• When church discipline is
done properly, God’s will is
fulfilled and blessings come
as a result!
• Helps save the erring
brother’s soul (2 Thessalonians 3:1415; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Hebrews 10:26-31;
1 Timothy 1:20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5).
• Helps save the church
(1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 Timothy 5:20).
• Respects and obeys the
authority of Christ
(2 Thessalonians 3:6; Colossians 1:18; 3:17).
“Unfair” Church Discipline?
(1) Even the most mature Christians make
mistakes (James 3:2; Romans 3:23).
(2) Be honest and repent of any sin of your
own (1 Timothy 5:21; James 1:22-25) .
(3) If you are unfairly judged, testimony
from others may be necessary (Acts 9:26-28).
(4) Respond with Wisdom and Love
(2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 (NKJV)
14 And if anyone does not obey our
word in this epistle, note that
person and do not keep company
with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet do not count him as an
enemy, but admonish him as a
brother. -- cf. 2 Corinthians 2:8
Overcoming with Christ:
Strife and Division.
• Since the beginning of the church,
there have been divisions among
churches (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:10-15).
Love for God and
His Word
is the Answer!
• Our first impulse must not be
division, but the desire to study the
Bible together with the goal to find
the truth and then stand for the
truth as one!
John 17 :20-21 (NASB)
20 "I do not ask in behalf of these
alone, but for those also who
believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one . . .
Love for God will also mean love for
one another.
• Love is an essential bond or “glue”
that holds people together in unity.
Colossians 3:14 (NASB)
And beyond all these things put on
love, which is the perfect bond of
unity.
Galatians 5:13-15 (NASB)
13 For you were called to freedom,
brethren; only do not turn your
freedom into an opportunity for the
flesh, but through love serve one
another. 14 For the whole Law is
fulfilled in one word, in the statement,
" You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." 15 But if you bite and
devour one another, take care lest you
be consumed by one another.
• Our first duty must be to
God, regardless of how
other people behave or
treat us in this life!
1 John 4:21 (NASB)
“And this commandment we have
from Him, that the one who loves
God should love his brother also.”
Overcoming with Christ:
Unfriendly Cliques or Factions.
• Some churches are plagued by
Cliques = clannish groups of people
who only spend time with one
another to the exclusion of others
(e.g., James 2:1-5; 1 Cor. 11:17-22).
• Cliques or factions are
condemned as a work of the
flesh! (Galatians 5:20)
- Involves favoritism or partiality
also condemned (Romans 2:11).
• Love the approval of God,
not the approval of men
(e.g., John 12:42-43).
2 Timothy 4:16-17a (NASB)
16 At my first defense no one
supported me, but all deserted me;
may it not be counted against
them. 17a But the Lord stood with
me, and strengthened me, in order
that through me the proclamation
might be fully accomplished…
In response to cliques,
seek friendships
with brethren
who are spiritual,
not carnal.
1 Corinthians 3:3b (NKJV)
“… For where there are envy,
strife, and divisions among you,
are you not carnal and behaving
like mere men?”
• Spiritually-Minded Christians will
receive all members of the Lord’s
church as family and treat them as
important and valuable to God and
His work!
(Matthew 12:46-50; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27)
1 Corinthians 12:21-23a (NASB)
21 And the eye cannot say to the
hand, "I have no need of you"; or
again the head to the feet, "I have
no need of you." 22 On the
contrary, it is much truer that the
members of the body which seem
to be weaker are necessary; 23 and
those members of the body, which
we deem less honorable, on these
we bestow more abundant honor…
1 Corinthians 12:25 (NASB)
“that there should be no division in
the body, but that the members
should have the same care for one
another.”
Conclusion:
No Matter What Bad
Experiences a Person
Has Had in Religion,
May That Person not
Blame God!
Romans 8:31-32 (NASB)
31 What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who is
against us? 32 He who did not
spare His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all, how will He not
also with Him freely give us all
things?
Romans 8:35 (NASB)
35 Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:36-37 (NASB)
36 Just as it is written, "For Thy
sake we are being put to death all
day long; We were considered as
sheep to be slaughtered." 37 But in
all these things we overwhelmingly
conquer through Him who loved
us.
Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
38 For I am convinced that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.