The Church Without Rules

Are you following the rules of the church or the commands of god? There were lots of rules set before man in the old testament. It is said that the Jews of the old testament had over 600 rules theses governed everything form when to plant and harvest crops to the washing of hands before you eat. In the book of Mark, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees and scribes. This is that story.

Mar 7:5-15 ERV  The Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Jesus, "Your followers don't follow the traditions we have from our great leaders who lived long ago. They eat their food with hands that are not clean. Why do they do this?"  (6)  Jesus answered, "You are all hypocrites. Isaiah was right when he wrote these words from God about you: 'These people honor me with their words, but I am not really important to them.  (7)  Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules.'  (8)  You have stopped following God's commands, preferring instead the man-made rules you got from others."  (9)  Then he said, "You show great skill in avoiding the commands of God so that you can follow your own teachings!  (10)  Moses said, 'You must respect your father and mother.' He also said, 'Whoever says anything bad to their father or mother must be killed.'  (11)  But you teach that people can say to their father or mother, 'I have something I could use to help you, but I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.'  (12)  You are telling people that they do not have to do anything for their father or mother.  (13)  So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many things like that."  (14)  Jesus called the people to him again. He said, "Everyone should listen to me and understand what I am saying.  (15)  There is nothing people can put in their mouth that will make them wrong. People are made wrong by what comes from inside them."

We should never be a Church of Rules, we should be a Church of God. At no point should we hand a rule book to a member or guest of the church and tell them that this is what they have to do to come to our church. God provides instruction through conviction and it is through these convictions that God changes people. The Church is not for us to give out rules it is for us to share the story of Jesus Christ.