Why in The World (4) – Putting Religion in Its Place

Welcome to CROLCC, we are so glad you are here worshiping with us. If you have kids one of the most frequent questions you will ever hear from your children is “why?” “Why do I have to go to bed now?” “Why do I have to go to school?” “Why are we Christians?” We all want answers for life’s mysteries and we have been asking questions ever since we were little children. As we grow order we might ask questions like – Is there an afterlife? Will I see my dad again? What does the Bible say about divorce? Does the Bible really say we have to give ten percent of our money to the church?

In this series we have been asking this question – Why in the world did Jesus come? Many of us probably have been associating Jesus with religion all of our lives and it’s natural to do that. But religion tries to answer questions. Religion is about answers, order, and predictability. Unfortunately, life isn’t about any of those things. Life can be messy. Religion has a place in our lives, but Jesus taught us it shouldn’t be in the first place. When religion takes first place, it begins flexing its muscles at the expense of mercy.

Moving Forward

Jesus didn’t die for precepts and principles. Jesus died for people. Jesus didn’t die for the law. Jesus died for the lawless. Jesus didn’t die for a set of rules. Jesus died for rule breakers. Jesus didn’t die for a view. Jesus died for a you.

You can know with certainty that you are more important than God’s view of religion because God’s view of you was defined by his Son’s view from a blood-stained Roman cross.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you tend to follow rules to the letter, bend them when it suits you, or outright break them? In what ways do you think that tendency has influenced the way you view God?

2. What are some reasons people find rules comfortable and comforting?

3. Read Isaiah 1:13 and 17. How do these verses challenge most people’s views of God? What do they tell us about what he values?

4. “Jesus consistently prioritized people over his own religion, customs, and traditions.” Respond to that statement. In what ways does it challenge your assumptions about Jesus?

5. Is it difficult for you to believe that God values you above his own rules? Why or why not?

6. What is one thing you can do this week to prioritize loving God and loving other people over your religion, customs, and traditions? What can this group do to support you?