Stripped Down Religion: Worship God in Spirit and Truth

Stripped Down Religion
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Introduction
Although I know that this message will not be
received well be all who my hear it. I am convicted
by the Holy Spirit and so compelled just as Paul
himself did say “Though I preach the Gospel, I have
nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me,
yes, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel.
Therefore I tell you of truth, my brothers and sisters,
that it is my stern confidence, and even unto my
dying breath, that I am directed by the inward
impulse of the Holy Spirit to proclaim what thus
says the LORD, without reservation, apprehension,
or concern of self, rather be it mine or yours.

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Therefore
I believe the church as it relates to the people of God
to be in a crisis.
I perceive that from coast to coast, and New Horizon
being of no exception, and thereto counted in that
number, indeed in truth does stand at a crossroads
void of understanding as it relates to the doctrine of
worship.
And as well, all too often is the Christian dazed and
confused and near incapable to give an answer
should one ask them to give reason for the hope that
is in them.
All too often is the Christian bewildered, and just
out right perplexed, as to the sound doctrines taught
in the bible.

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Future Endeavour
And all though the time will not allow, nor would it
be appropriate to attempt to address it all at once; I
will today touch on some of these, if ever so brief.
And I will endeavor, as the Lord gives me
opportunity to proclaim his Holy, Perfect, and
Righteous Word to His People, to make the sound
doctrines taught in the Holy Scriptures the theme of
my future sermons.
Inspiration
I mind you that a take liberty to paraphrase, but
Reverend Spurgeon once said “I was asked what it is
to preach the gospel?” he answered “to preach the
gospel is to exalt Jesus Christ”. Spurgeon went on
to say, “I am very sorry to see very often how little
the gospel is understood even by some of the best

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Christians…. He said “we get so much work stored
into our brain, [and] the idea of merit and of doing,
formed into our hearts, that it is almost impossible to
preach justification by faith clearly and fully; and
when it is people won't receive it. We tell them,
"Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved." But they have a notion that
faith is something so wonderful, so mysterious, that
it is impossible that without doing something else
they can ever get it.”
What Rev. Spurgeon was talking about is religion;
and religion is always based on work.
This leads us to our Scripture for today and the
Theme of this message:
A Stripped Down Religion

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John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship
Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Say this with me if you would; LORD STRIP DOWN MY
RELIGION THAT I MAY WORSHIP YOU IN SPIRIT AND IN
TRUTH.
Religion limits God and interferes with the
worship of God.
Religion has relegated Church to that thing that we
do on Sunday; that place we go to hear a word from
on high. But is not the church you and I? are we not
the hewn out costly stones? Paid for in full with that
O’ so precious blood that was spilt out that we yes

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you and I may be built together into God’s Holy
church!
Religion has turn God to a thing is if He where not
alive nor capable of feeling emotions, and we even
dare to not make Him a priority above all else, and
indeed do so often neglect Him.
We penciled him in for Sunday morning and if I feel
like it then I might come out on Wednesday for bible
study. But I prove naysayers wrong God is indeed
alive and capable of feelings, because that which is
dead has no power over that which is alive, and the
bible says that Jesus wept, that God is LOVE and
that we ought not to grieve the Holy Spirit; this is
infallible proof that He is alive and that He is
capable of emotions!

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Religion places the responsibility for salvation on
the pastor.
Religion has produced a generation of ill equipped
Christians that is sporadic in their praise and
worship God and ineffectual in their Christian
vocation.
A Christian with religion will experience peaks and
valleys and their joy will wash away with the reigns
of this world. They are unable to fully realize that
that deep down rooted joy because of the cares of
this world; and the struggle with secret sin in their
life that makes them feel less than worthy.
And yet there is another kind of Christian with
religion that suffers with the same kind of issues but
believes that either – that is just how it is supposed

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to be or that God will deliver him from these things
in His own time.
Religion resembles the law
Religion in some ways resembles the law; in that it
has rule and regulation and like the law, we are
never able to keep it. But the law, unlike religion,
was given to us by God that we might know what sin
is and thereby know just how much we are in need
of God and His Saving grace!
Religion has rules and protocols for the proper order
of things that must be adhered so to that there may
be a standard and an appearance of order. But in
truth the rules that accompany religion is a mere
guise that people may establish their claim on power
and authority over others.

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This is not to say that there is no place for order
among the saints, Lord forbid, rather let all things be
done decently and in order. Paul, in the Spirit, said
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of
peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”
Rather my point is that Christians are choosing
religion as a power and authority to rule over them.
Religion chooses a king
Christianity as it relates to religion has said “now
make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Yes
Christians with religion have chosen a king for
themselves; a king to judge over them just as the rest
of the rest of the world’s religions.
Yes indeed, they have sat their king upon a throne
called the pulpit; they lift their eyes up to the man

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rather than the hills from which comes their help.
And the Lord says, “They have rejected Me.” Yet it
is a mighty low throne they have placed their king
upon and even the footstool of my God.
I am in no way bashing pastors; there is a many
great many man and woman that humble themselves
and labor tirelessly behind the pulpit on any given
Sunday.
Yet it is more than evident to me that we have
become a generation predisposed to the preached
Word rather than study of the Word!
And prayer has become lackluster repetition of the
Lord’s Prayer and indeed a bothersome chore that
has been passed on to the pastor and the pulpit.

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We need only look and we see that everywhere,
large and small congregation alike, assembling for
no more than energetic and uplifting singing from
the choir and motivational words of encourage from
the pulpit that never deal with the treacherous and
abhorrent sin that is oh so obvious and rampant.
As to the law and the testimony: if they speak not
according to this Word, it is because there is no light
in them.
Surely no Master has ever been pleased with a
servant that takes at liberty to select their terms of
service.
But the people want preached inspiration and
encouragement to get them through the week rather
than divine inspiration and encouragement to get
them through this life to the next!

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I have often encountered Christian that are all too
eager and O’ so proud to proclaim what thus says the
pastor but void of the slightest inclination of what
thus says the Lord. These ill equipped Christians are
rarely produce fruit of any effect.
My heart bleeds for them.
Religion keeps you on the bench.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
We study not that we may impress others with our
knowledge of the bible for surely knowledge puffs
up. But rather we study that we may prove ourselves
JEHOVAH

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We study that we may know the truth; because it is
in truth that the mysteries of the Word are revealed
to us.
We study so that we are not ashamed.
For I am unashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by
faith.
But because they fail to study, the religious Christian
lacks proper understanding, and although in their
heart they believe that God is real; they often doubt
part or even all of the scripture.

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And have failed to search the scriptures they have a
hard time or are unable to trust in the promises of
God.
Religion is a false doctrine!
The doctrine of religion is not scriptural!
Religion is carnal; a corrupt thing of the flesh.
Religion is what man has added to the Spiritual
worship of God.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption.
Religion versus Spiritual
Religion has established rules that dictate conduct
becoming of a Christian.

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Behavioral change based religion is equivalent to
behavioral change based rules. Therefore it has no
lasting effect. Take military personal as an example;
there are many rules and regulation that dictate
conduct. But all too often members are discharged
because of their inability or unwillingness to adhere
to the rules.
Or if they receive an honorable discharge and had
kept true to the rules and regulation during their time
of service; they will soon abandon some if not all
that so governed them.
That is because this type of behavioral change is
based on obligation; that's why and this is why the
religious Christian experiences the peaks and valleys
of worship and praise and the continued struggle
with secret sin.

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But it is in the Spirit we are persuaded of love, and
in the truth we know the Lord has said “Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Yes He has promised “because he hath set his love
upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him
on high, because he hath known My name. he shall
call upon me, and I will answer him, and honour
him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him
My Salvation.
Behavioral change based on Spiritual worship is
equivalent to behavioral change based on love.

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Religion obligates you to change and turn from your
sinful nature as a requirement for true and full
acceptance.
But the Spiritual says that that I loved you always
with an everlasting love in your sinful nature even
though you have not loved Me in return.
The spiritual says I love you despite your rejection
of Me.
I love you…. although you neglect Me
I love you…. and although you deny Me, I have
given all for you
I love you…. and although you are ashamed of Me, I
have accepted the punishment of your sin
I love you…. and although you have mocked Me, I
have died in your place that you might live

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I love you…. and although you have blasphemed
Me, I have placed a hedge of Protection around you
I Love you…. and although you have railed against
Me I still provide for you.
Yes it is in Spirit and in truth that that I tell you the
Lord the great I AM; has been and yet even now still
is, all things to you!
Therefore it is in truth and in the Spirit you will be
able to say I have known the love of God!
And then it is in the Spirit can you truly confess that
Jesus is Lord and submit to his Holy and Righteous
will.
It is here, and only here, in the Spirit that you are
truly able to love God in return.

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It is here in the Spirit that truth is reveled and it is
here, and here alone, in Spirit and in truth that you
will receive freedom the bondage of your sin.
It is because of your religion that you struggle with
sin and the adversary’s demons do torment you.
But in Spirit and in truth is found the strength and
courage to fight that serpent of old.
In Spirit and in truth is found your liberty and
victory over the lust of the flesh.
It is in Spirit and in truth that our religion is stripped
down to reveal our worship of God.
And it is in Spirit and in Truth that Paul proclaimed,
as I do so proudly make promulgation before you
today, those sweat words that convicted this poor
sinner that stands before you:

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“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled
me, for He counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a
persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy,
because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace
of the Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and
love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus
Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom
I am chief.
STRIP DOWN YOUR RELIGION!
WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!
AND BE YE ENCOURAGED IN CHRIST!

Stripped Down Religion: Worship God in Spirit and Truth

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