Luke 18:9-14

A major problem in our world today is religion. In fact, lots of people are turned off to God because of religion. Many people will not consider the claims of Christ because of religion. Religion is a problem.
The problem is not simply because some people who profess to be religious show the world by their actions that they are in reality hypocrites. That certainly is an unfortunate reality. The problem is not even because of the evil things people do in the name of religion. These are really symptoms of the problem. You see, the problem of religion is religion itself. What we must understand is that religion can actually encourage people to live lives of hypocrisy. It’s easy to be religious. But religion is not enough.

So many people confuse being religious as having a relationship with Jesus and many who have a relationship with Jesus are viewed as being religious. What’s the matter with being religious in the first place? Didn’t Jesus say that real religion is to take care of widows and orphans?

In our culture today relationships are much more highly valued than religion. Religion has taken some hard knocks over the past few decades as there have been scandal after scandal involving not just pastors, but Christians in general. Living in a post-modern age, people have gravitated to relationships with others as we want to relate to others who have common interests. Today we are about gathering information and sharing that information with others we bond friendships with. We are more conversive about religion, politics, technology, careers and family.

What is religion? Is it just set of rules and regulations that you keep in order to get to heaven or is there more to it?

Religion can be defined by:

Comparing

Jesus addresses specifically who he is speaking to through this parable in verse 9, To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable.

It would be safe to say that his intended audience was not seeker sensitive.

In verse 11, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.”

Most of us would say, “thank goodness I am not like that.” That was the Pharisee’s problem. He was comparing himself to someone else. Some of us here today believe that we are good judges of character, when in fact you stink at it. By judging others character you can get caught up in the mind-set of the Pharisee.

Misdirected pride

Pride is not a bad thing. It is bad only when it is misused and perverted. The Bible tells that we should take pride, but the majority of the time in others. We can take pride in ourselves, but only after we have tested our hearts.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:3-5

The danger of pride is that it blinds us to how we really see ourselves before a holy God. Pride means that the task is more important than the people. It is amazing how many people think that God is blessed to have them on His team.

Focusing on Self

The Pharisee prayed about himself in verse 11-12

Religion is about my needs and not the needs of others. It is about what I am getting or what I can get out of church, small groups, or the worship gathering.

Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Philippians 2:3 NLT

Relationship is defined by:

A person

It takes another person in order to have a relationship. It’s hard to have a relationship with yourself – that is called religion.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Humility – verse 13-14

Humility is a rare commodity in a society that loves to brag about it’s uniqueness and merit. This tax collector knew where he stood as he approached God. Humility in a relationship is knowing that the relationship is not about you.

Friendship

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God–all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. Romans 5:11 NLT

Many people believe that it is impossible to have a personal relationship with God. It is possible, but only if we follow God’s instructions for making it happen.

Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him. Genesis 6:9 NLT

The real issue, you see, is one of the heart. You can be as religious a person as you possibly can be. You could even be a preacher who knows and believes the Bible, one who knows how to read it in its original Hebrew and Greek, and one who proclaims its truth with a loud voice from the pulpit. But if your heart is hard as stone, it means nothing. It is a matter of the heart.