When God Gets Sick of Religion
This study was inspired by the song “Sick Of It” by Skillet, a christian rock band. “Sick Of It” is based on Isaiah 1:17.
Isaiah 1:11-20 / Mark 3:13-15
INTRO: Isaiah was a prophet during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Uzziah & Manasseh. His book was written about 760 BC. It is one of the longest books of prophecy in the Bible, it talks about the redemption through Jesus and the fall of Jerusalem.
It is important for you to know this background, because Bible content should never be taken out of context. At the time of Isaiah 1, the people had religious routines that were much like the times we’re living now. There are many things for us to get from this text including God’s warning to a sleeping church.
God Cares About Your Heart
“To what purpose, [God said,] is the multitude of your sacrifice?” (Isa 1:11). He gets into the religious aspects of their lives, God shows here that the sacrifices and outward religion has no value. The same thing applies to us, God is not interested in our outward religion practices, he is interested in our hearts. The attitudes of our hearts are far more valuable to God than our actions. What motivates your actions? God cares about your heart, he cares about your motivations and not your religion practices.
A Call For Change
God comes off a bit strong in the terms of “I am sick of your sacrifices”, but He also offers us a way to change ourselves. He offers us to start living right and doing the things that really do matter to Him. Isaiah 1:17 says “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.“ That’s a clear command from God to care about each other, to be the difference, to stand up for the oppressed and show the character of Jesus through our lives. We have to learn to stop and think about what we do and why we do it. Are you being selfish with the way you’re living at the moment? Perhaps God is calling you to stop and think about the condition of your heart.
Let’s Reason Together
God’s Offer: Let’s reason together. In Isaiah 1:18 God offers to reason with you. He is requiring more than just empty sacrifices, but he wants to help you come out of that routine, he wants to offer you a better way of living. I love that about God. He’s not a dictator, he offers you a choice and he backs up his word with an invitation to do something. “Come, let’s reason together.”…that’s music to my ears. Isn’t it amazing that the God of the universe makes such an invitation to us, mere humans? He doesn’t NEED you, he WANTS you. Try to hear that voice calling you…”Come”
More than a calling
Mark 3:13-15 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons. Jesus is calling for you to be a leader in this generation, to lead others to find freedom in Him. He calls you and gives you all the tools you need to be part of his team, but you have to accept it, it is more than a calling, it’s a choice. You have to accept this calling because we’re are called. We’re not called to be followers, we’re called to be leaders. We’re to heal the sick, cast out demons, help the oppressed, seek justice, and the list goes on. There is much to do, but the choice is yours to accept the invitation. It will cost you your life, your finances, your friends, your music, your dreams & desires. God asks 100% of you, He wants you to surrender it all before Him. If you don’t leave your selfish ambitions behind, you will never be able to fully accept His calling. This is more than a calling, it’s accepting to surrender it all for Him. You have to make changes, you have to give up things, if you want to be a leader and used in amazing ways then don’t negotiate with God, give your life freely to God.
Salvation is a free gift, but it will cost you your life, in return, you will get JESUS. Come. Let’s reason together (Isaiah 1:18) “Come, let’s do things right, I don’t want your empty 10% sacrifices, I want all of you”
Devote your life completely. Give yourself full to God, because he doesn’t want your left overs. He wants you, all of you. Take a stand, raise your hands and say to Jesus “YES! I’ll give you all of me, take it all!”