Don't Fall Into A Ditch

Sunday, August 11th 2024

Matthew 15:13-14
But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
NKJV

Acts 17:10-11
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
NKJV
1 Peter 3:15-16

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
NKJV

The Pharisees, who were loyal to customs they had set in place, were critical of Jesus’ disciples who did not observe those traditions.

They were even open to minimizing God’s written word to explain why something as simple as honoring your parents was disregarded.

Friend, have you seen something done out of habit or tradition that no one could explain biblically? All of us need to recognize that when all is said and done, those things that are not from the Father will be uprooted and done away with.
A great question to ask someone is, why do you believe what you believe?

Unfortunately, many today have no clear understanding of why they believe what they believe. The people of Berea were not a group of people who just believed without reason:

Peter tells us this for those who ask us why we believe what we believe.
Let me encourage you to be ready to connect yourself with the living God through His Word and by His Spirit.

As well-meaning as a tradition may be and as sincere as a human being may act, apart from the foundation of God’s word and Spirit, we have nothing to live for, nothing to live for that will last.

Life Lesson: As followers of Christ, we need to be faithful in reading, studying, learning, and trusting God more each day. The Bible is our foundation of truth.

Lord,
Please help me remove those things that are in my life that are not from You. Please enable me, by Your word and Spirit, to live for You according to Your word and not man’s tradition or my own perception.

Please cleanse me and forgive me of those things that are not from You, that I might live for You.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
The Bridge