Sermon Outline Text: When tradition replaces Bible doctrine
Bible Text: Mark 7:1-13, (Exodus 20 (Honor your father and mother)
Theme: The danger of elevating man-made traditions above God’s commands and doctrine
Big Idea: When we put traditions first and faith second, we become like the Pharisees—honoring God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him, making our worship vain and opening the door for the devil to get a stranglehold on the church.
1. The Pharisees: Outwardly Clean, Inwardly Dead (Mark 7:1-4)
a. Like whitewashed sepulchers—painted bright and clean on the outside, full of dead men’s bones inside
b. They were offended when Jesus’ disciples ate with unwashed hands
c. They kept the tradition of the elders but missed the heart of God
2. Traditions Can Help, But Never Interfere with Doctrine (Mark 7:5-8)
a. Traditions can keep order and consistency in church services
b. But traditions and rudiments allow you to go through motions while leaving the Spirit out
c. Jesus said, “You honor Me with your lips, but your heart is far from Me”
3. Jesus’ Rebuke: You Invalidate God’s Command for Your Tradition (Mark 7:9-13)
a. The Pharisees created a loophole called “Corban” to avoid caring for elderly parents
b. Children could say their resources were “devoted to God” and refuse to help their parents
c. This tradition replaced God’s clear command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20)
4. Modern-Day Tradition #1: “We’ve Always Done It This Way”
a. This is fine if it’s the right way, but dangerous if it interferes with doctrine
b. Churches with 12 people may need to pray for Jesus to show them a different way
c. Don’t abandon doctrine—abandon traditions that interfere with doctrine
5. Modern-Day Tradition #2: The End Justifies the Means
a. When people say, “If it works, it must be right in God’s eyes”
b. True worship is not measured by numbers, money, or how much people like it
c. True worship is measured by adherence to Scripture, spiritual growth, and depth in God’s Word
6. Modern-Day Tradition #3: Subjective Truth – “That’s True for You, Not for Me”
a. Making Bible doctrine subject to each individual person instead of the Word of God
b. Examples: gay pastors who made the Bible fit their life instead of making their life fit the Bible
c. God’s Word is objective truth, not open to personal interpretation
7. Modern-Day Tradition #4: Sensationalism – Feelings Over Faith
a. When people get emotionally charged and make promises to Jesus based on feelings
b. If it felt powerful, people assume God had to be in it
c. People’s feelings become proof of God’s presence, but emotions can betray them
Illustration
In Jesus’ day, graves were often whitened so people wouldn’t accidentally touch them and become ceremonially unclean. The Pharisees were like those whitewashed tombs—bright and clean-looking on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness on the inside. They had perfected the art of looking spiritual through their traditions, but their hearts were far from God. Today, we can fall into the same trap. We can have perfect church services, follow all our traditions, and look good to everyone around us—but if our traditions have replaced God’s truth, we’re just going through the motions without the Spirit. That’s why spontaneity matters—it keeps us connected to the Spirit instead of enslaved to our traditions and rituals.
Alliterated Main Points
- Tradition (Over God’s commands)
- Violation (Breaking God’s law for man’s rules)
- Deception (Whitewashed tombs)
- Corruption (Modern church dangers)
Conclusion / Invitation
Jesus set the Pharisees straight when they put traditions first and faith second. He said, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain your tradition!” Teaching traditions over the doctrines of God can become a recipe for disaster for a church even today. Traditions are simply “we’ve always done it this way because that’s what we think is right”—but if tradition comes before the doctrine of the Bible, it can open the door for the devil to get a stranglehold on the church, just like he did with the religion of Jesus’ day. Today, examine your heart: Are you going through religious motions, or is your heart truly connected to God? Are you more concerned with looking good to people or being right with God? Don’t let tradition replace truth. Let the Spirit lead you into genuine worship that honors God with both your lips and your heart.