Faithful to death for eternal truth not human tradition!
A. We are called to be faithful unto death for eternal truth in order to get the crown of life! Rev.2:10
1. 2000 years ago, the Jews held on to their tradition and rejected the truth which Jesus brought to them!
2. Jesus said these to them! Mark 7:7-8
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the tradition of man.
3. People around us are making the same mistake!
B. What they held on to were from the one God which was recorded in the Old Testament!
1. But today most people hold on to are plain man-made traditions!
2, Their ancestors saw with their own eyes, their God on mount Sinai gave them the ten commandments!
3. But God also sent them prophets to tell them because of their ancestor’s disobedience to the commands!
God had made a New Covenant! Jer.31:31-32
God declares: The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them.
C. Jesus came to declare the end of the Law of Moses and the beginning of the New Testament.
1. The Jews rise up to oppose Jesus vigorously! They were determined to wipe out Jesus’ teaching!
2. Apostle Paul himself once was one of them! Acts 22:3-10
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly
trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. Acts 22:3
I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing
them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from
them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to
be punished. Acts 22:4-5
3. It took a vision from heaven to make Paul change!
About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to
the ground and heard a voice say to me, `Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me? "`Who are you, Lord?'
I asked. "`I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. My companions saw the light,
but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. "`What shall I do, Lord?'
I asked. "`Get up,' the Lord said, `and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been
assigned to do.' Acts 22:6-10
D. The Jews refused to be persuaded to this day!
1. To this day, even with such clear evidences they can’t practice the most important part of the Law,
they still hold on to whatever they are allowed to practice!
The most important element of the law they can’t practice is sacrifice of a live animal once a year!
2. They know if they failed to keep one point of the law they are guilty of all! James 2:10, Gal.5:1-4
How foolish can they be, by thinking they can just keep whatever they are allowed to practice!
3. Israel is forced to rely on a nation that is so opposite to what says in the law of Moses for survival!
If they respect the law of Moses, they would rise up to condemn this nation and refuse to be its friend!
4. There are these other religions and man-made believes people hold on to!
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. Mark 7:7
They let go of the commands of God and hold on to human traditions! What a shame it is!
E. As for me, I am determined to hold on to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ!
1. Matt.24:35--> Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
2. Jn. 6:63--> The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.
3. 1Peter 4:11--> If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it
as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to
whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
4. He 13:6 So that we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
May the Lord bless you and keep you always. Preach this on February 2, 2013.