August 30, 2009 P13b.
What would you say is the most common religion in the USA? Some might
guess it is Christian. Others might note we have many religions here, and
no one religion dominates. But there is one more common than all the
others. Tho most don't know what it is called. It's syncretism.
Syncretism means you mix and combine different ideas, feelings,
practices, and religions into your own personal blend. A person might go to
church, but hang crystals around the house to channel energy. A person
might say Jesus is God, but accepts the notion that any person of faith goes
to heaven if they are good enough. A person may believe in heaven, but not
believe in hell. Maybe it describes someone you know: even you.
Syncretism is not a new religion. 3,400 years ago God spoke thru
Moses, warning His people not to mix and blend, or pick and choose, what to
believe.
The statutes and decrees Moses would recite in (Deut. 5) the next
chapter included the Ten Commandments. The Lord's people were told to obey
them in response to God's gift of the Promised Land they would soon enter.
The Word of God then still applies today. We are not to add to God's
commands nor take away any part from them (Deut. 4:2). No editing,
revising, updating, ignoring, adding, or omitting. We are to teach them to
our own children and grandchildren (4:9) and, of course, live them
ourselves. Poor sinful creatures that we are,: we are syncretists.
Tho warned (1), the Israelites DID fall into the appeal of other
religions. Canaanites were very loose (w/ sexuality) and had fertility
rites with temple men and/or women. They had lucky trinkets and clothing.
They had fortune-tellers & star gazers predicting the future. They would
call up dead spirits to chat.
They were obsessed with getting more land and finer things to eat and
drink and wear and use. Every village had a gossip-news reporter.
Archeologists say that if there was a theft, any punishment depended on WHO
the person was, not what was stolen. The list goes on.
God wanted His people to NOT live like their pagan neighbors. He
wanted them to be spiritually alive, connected to Him. He wanted them to be
a light in a dark world. He wanted them to obey all of His Commandments to
show love to God and the world around them. He promised to give them faith
and a desire to obey Him as they listened to His Word. God gave them the
Promised Land, the territory He pledged to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their
descendants.
They chose syncretism. They added to God's Word, and took away or
ignored what they didn't like. God eventually gave them what they wanted.
He let them go their own way, and He destroyed their nation.
3400 years ago, the culture was like it is today.
In public and with no shame we have materialism, psychics, horoscopes,
sex w/o genuine marriage, lucky charms, mixing of all sorts of eastern
religions, and many other additions. How often have you gone to a funeral
where the person was praised so much you were led to wonder how God was
going to get along without the person here on earth? People today want to
believe if they are good enough, God will welcome them into heaven; and only
the very bad people (by their standards) don't go there.
Besides adding to, many people take away. People ignore some
commandments such as remembering the Sabbath, or being truthful,
materialism, putting God first, or others. People pick and choose what to
add to or take away from, and think they're ok with God.
But what about you? Are there parts of the Bible that YOU want to add
to or take away from? Do you really want to make disciples of ALL nations;
or only people you like? Or make disciples only when it is convenient?
Would you rather believe God loves good people, like you and your
friends, so as long as you don't do anything TOO bad you are ok? Do you
feel you have little or no need to repent? Or your good deeds CERTAINLY
outweigh your bad actions?
Do you give to those in need with a cheerful heart? Or grumble? Or
just "not give"? Or believe "God helps those who help themselves"? (The
Bible says the opposite!) All of that is syncretism. We take away from God's
Word what we don't feel we like, AND we add our own judgments.
It's difficult for us to admit, but what Jesus says about the fallen
natural heart of man still applies to you and me today (Mark 7:14-23).
Yet for all our syncretism, our 'adding to and taking away from', we
thank and praise God: HE is not syncretistic!
Despite our many failures to "take care, and keep our souls diligently"
(Dt. 4:9), we are confident Christ went to the cross for us. God the Father
claimed us as His own children in Holy Baptism. He cleaned what was
impossible for us to clean (last Sunday's sermon) washing us absolutely
spotless. He still reserves a place for us in heaven (funeral sermon for
Gladys - John 14). He still sends His Holy Spirit to remake us and reshape
our lives as His people thru the power of His Word.
We are God's chosen people. Chosen by His mercy alone. We are chosen to
be salt and light in this corrupt and dark world, to live according to His
will, and to shout to the world around us by our words and actions and
invitations that our God cares, protects, preserves, and loves us.
We are also on a journey to a Promised Land - of heaven. We are also
traveling thru the wilderness of sin, moving thru cultures that are not
Christian: they are syncretistic. God warns us that they will try to
influence us and get us to go along with them: to add to and to take away
from God's Word and promises.
You and I live in Deuteronomy 4. God calls us to leave behind the
unfaithfulness and sin at the cross of Christ. He calls us to look ahead to
the rest of the journey of life as His holy missionary people. He offers us
what one pastor calls a "package deal" (Rev. S.J. Constein's term, and
frankly his general outline).
You have eaten at a smorgasbord, a buffet, or a potluck. You can choose
what you want, and how much. God does not do that. He does not give some
joy, a bit of peace, lots of hope, and no salvation. He offers total
forgiveness and transformation: all or none. It is by grace thru faith
alone, or you are totally on your own.
Put another way, God's Word is holy: it is complete and without
mistakes. God's Word is not HOLE-Y, or full of holes like Swiss Cheese with
parts we can ignore or add what we feel like.
God loves you and me too much to water-down warnings of law. He cares
for you too much to overlook any sin. He is a jealous God Who does not want
His Word added to or taken away from. He does not want to share you with
Satan or other 'gods'. He wants us to go only to Him in every trouble, &
stand in His might.
He also does not want us to tone-down or soften the Gospel. We do not
only have a God who is near (4:7), we have God-with-us (Immanuel)! He
offers forgiveness freely to us at the cost of His Son, and He doesn't want
us to add to or take away from His promise. He is the Source of all that is
just and good, and nourishes us in virtues that we may grow in His grace and
do good works.
We live in a nation and a world that is syncretistic. All around us,
people add things to God's Word and take things away from it. When you
confront people who demand to ignore parts of what God's Word demands, or
who angrily try to force you to add things not found in God's Word:
remember Jesus died for them. They need to see and hear God's Word lived in
your life. They need to hear about repentance and forgiveness; not
clean-living or ignoring sins. (Matthew 4:17, Luke 24:47, Acts 13:38,
etc.).
God has washed us from our iniquities, cleansed us from our sins,
created clean hearts in us, and all the wonderful Gospel of Psalm 51. May
we, as pilgrims on the journey to the Promised Land of heaven, "listen to
the statutes and just decrees. and do them" in the joy of God's salvation in
Christ. Amen.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
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