HOFC Sermon Archive

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

3. The Baptism of Jesus

4. Temptation of Jesus

5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I

6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II

7. The First Disciples

8. A Teacher with Authority

9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

25. Parable of the Mustard Seed

26. Benefits of Private Teaching

27. Jesus Calms the Storm

28. Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29. The Touch of Jesus

30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

31. Principles of Evangelism

32. Weakness in the Seat of Power

33. The Need for Rest

34. Feeding 5000

35. Jesus Walks on Water

36. Healings at Gennesaret

37. The Danger of Traditions

Today is Sunday. October 5^th, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Discipleship Study

Every Monday from 5:00 – 6:30 PM here at the church. We have coffee, and everyone is invited to bring snacks. This study focuses on the foundational truths of Christianity, with a particular emphasis on building faith and understanding.

October 31, 1517 – Reformation Day

The Augustinian monk Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses in Wittenberg, protesting the church's selling indulgences (WHAT) and calling the church to repent and return to the authority of scripture and sufficiency of Christ’s atonement.

This was the beginning of the reformation across Europe. Luther clarified convictions later summarized as what has become known as the five Sola’s.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)

Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)

Sola Fide (Faith Alone)

Solus Christus (Christ Alone)

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory of God Alone)

He then translated the Bible into German for the common man to read, and renewed attention to preaching, sacraments, and pastoral care, giving us the protestant movement.

INTRODUCTION

Last week we read of more healing in Gennesaret, and spoke about the difference between Apostles and Disciples, and how 100% of Jesus' and the Apostles' healing were both 100% accomplished, and instant.

This week, fitting as it is with the coming Reformation Day of October 31^st, we will look at what the Gospel of Mark has to say about the dangers of tradition.

We see through scripture that Jesus was often confronted by the religious leaders of the day about traditions. In Mark 2:23-28, when His disciples plucked heads of grain on the Sabbath, or Mark 7:1-13 when they ate without ritualistically washing their hands first.

“For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders” Mark 7:3

Jesus describes the danger of traditions in length, even stating how keeping them can nullify, or “make void” the very commands of God. Keeping traditions can make our worship vain before God.

Some religions make traditions very important.

In Roman Catholicism, their tradition is placed equal with God’s Word.

In the Catholic Dictionary, p. 41-42 “It is an article of faith from a decree of the Vatican Council that Tradition is a source of theological teaching distinct from Scripture, and that it is infallible. It is therefore to be received with the same internal assent of Scripture, for it is the word of God.”

In the Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 11 “Do you have to believe in Tradition? Yes, because it is the Word of God and has equal authority with the Bible.”

Even protestant churches can have traditions. What differentiates one denomination from another? Tradition.

How do you become a member of some churches? By acknowledging, you accept the traditions of that church.

So, what are traditions? Are traditions always wrong? If not, when does a tradition become sinful and “make void” the Word of God and make our worship of God in vain?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 7:1-13
“And the Pharisees and some of the scribes *gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, ²and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with defiled hands, that is, unwashed.

³(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; ⁴and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash [LIT: ceremonial washing / baptizing] themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) ⁵And the Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?”

⁶And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
⁷But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commands of men.’

⁸Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹And He was also saying to them, “You are good at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. ¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; ¹¹but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever you might benefit from me is Corban (that is to say, an offering of a gift given to God),’ ¹²you no longer leave him to do anything for his father or his mother; ¹³thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

I. THE MEANING OF TRADITION

a. The word itself

i. The Greek word for tradition is paradosis

ii. Meaning “giving over” or “handing down”

iii. Referring to teaching that is handed down either by word (orally) or in writing

b. As understood by the Jews

i. It applied to the oral teachings of the elders

1. These were from distinguished elders from Moses on down.

ii. These traditions were divided into three categories

1. Oral law, supposedly given by Moses, IN ADDITION to the written laws

2. Decisions of various judges which became precedents in judicial matters (sound familiar?)

3. Interpretations of highly respected rabbis that were held in reverence, along with the Old Testament scriptures

“Tradition,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, rev. ed., ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, 4 vols. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979–1995).

iii. Before his conversion, Paul was a loyal supporter of Jewish tradition (Galatians 1:13-14)

c. As understood by the Roman and Greek Catholics

i. Their view is parallel to that of the Jews

ii. What they considered “Tradition” is what they believe to be the teachings.

1. Of Jesus or the Apostles, preserved orally rather than through writing (thus denying the scriptures as final authority)

2. Of various councils that have left various decrees

3. Various church leaders (such as the pope) are considered to be inspired with additional revelation from God, and as such, infallible and equal to the Word of God.

iii. Of course, to believe this way means you have to rely solely upon their word, since the Bible is not the final authority.

d. As found in the scriptures

i. The word “tradition” is not found in the Old Testament

ii. It is used thirteen times in the New Testament

1. Three times referring to the teaching of the Apostles

a. That had been delivered by the Apostles themselves

i. 1 Corinthians 11:2

b. Whether by word (in person) or epistle (letter)

i. 2 Thessalonians 2:15

c. Which Christians were expected to keep

i. 2 Thessalonians 3:6

2. Ten times referring to the “tradition of the elders” or the “tradition of men”

a. As in our text today and parallel passages

i. Mark 7:3-13; Matthew 15:2-6

ii. Paul warned the Colossians of this

1. Colossians 2:8

iii. And from which Christians had been delivered

1. 1 Peter 1:18; Galatians 1:14

iii. Jesus did not feel bound to abide by the “traditions of elders”

1. But some traditions, He had no problem keeping

a. Such as going to the wedding feast in John 2:1-2

b. Or attending the feast of Dedication in John 10:22-23

2. But He just as easily had no problem violating other traditions

a. Plucking grain on the Sabbath

b. Eating with unwashed hands

iv. Jesus did not subscribe to the view of “traditions” that were handed down orally

1. He never appealed to the traditions of elders.

2. He always appealed to the authority of the written Word (the Law of Moses), or to His own authority as the Son of God.

So, not all "traditions" are wrong. If they are teachings of God, "handed down" by inspired men, such as the prophets, apostles, or Jesus, they are to be heeded (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Remember last week, the foundation that has already been laid?

“Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone.” Ephesians 2:20. (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:6–7)

But if they are doctrines or interpretations handed down by uninspired men, like the traditions of the Jews, they are suspect.

As we return to our text, Jesus points out the danger of the traditions of men.

II. THE DANGER OF THE TRADITIONS OF MEN

a. They can lead to hypocritical worship

i. Traditions of men tend toward ritualism

ii. Look at all the rituals found in many religions that have no scriptural basis!

iii. Such ritualism is done repeatedly without thought to its origin or purpose.

iv. In fact, many times your heart and mind will be on other things as you go through the ritual for the 100^th time

v. Worship without your heart and mind on God is hypocritical worship!

Mark 7:6-7 “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
⁷But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commands of men.’”

b. They can lead to vain worship.

i. When the traditions of men are taught on the same level as the commands of God, it leads to vain worship.

ii. This worship may appear impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless.

1. First, because God did not command it, man made it up.

2. Second, because it does not accomplish what we really need

Colossians 2:18-23 “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, being puffed up for nothing by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees: ²¹“Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? ²²Which deal with everything destined to perish with use, which are in accordance with the commands and teachings of men; ²³which are matters having, to be sure, a word of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

All the stories about “visions,” trips to heaven, angelic visitations, “glory manifestations,” feed people with “experiences” over the authoritative Word of God, shifting trust from Christ’s finished work to the “latest revelation.”

Celebrity culture, miracle-branding, boastful claims of power all feeding spiritual pride. Focus is removed from the giver, God, and given to the “gifted” person.

Man-made rules with no scriptural basis, such as seed-faith giving, mandatory positive confessions, speaking things into existence, taboos of “negative talk” speaking things onto yourself, or gag-rules like “do not question the anointed!”

Hate to break it to your pride, but all believers are anointed; the anointing, according to scripture, is the Holy Spirit of God, which is received when we are saved.

They promise “next-level” holiness or power, yet never kill the sin in their lives. Chasing sensation and feelings as opposed to dying to self and living in obedience to the Word of God, holiness, and love.

c. They can make the Word of God void

i. Jesus gave the example of honoring one's parents.

1. The elders taught that giving to the temple freed one from having to give to their parents to take care of them. (I gave at the office…)

2. Thus, rendering the command of God of no effect.

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:8

ii. There are traditions of men today that do the same thing

1. “Church” membership, in addition to being part of the Body of Christ

2. “Sinners' prayer,” though helpful for understanding, is no scriptural

3. Clergy vestments…fancy shirts and collars, tall hats, fancy robes, special colors for seasons or events for high holidays, scripture only identifies elder qualifications, not clothing requirements. Peacock-ing and pride. 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9

4. Confirmation classes or membership classes

5. Church year observations – Advent, Lent, Ash Wednesday

6. Honorific titles for leaders as spiritual rank other than Elder, Overseer, or Pastor.

7. The list goes on and on.

Through such traditions, one is actually rejecting the command of God.

CONCLUSION

So, what are traditions? Simply put, teachings that are handed down.

Either in the case of Prophets, Apostles, and Jesus through the inspired Word of God, which are good and should be followed, or

In oral traditions supposedly kept reserved through oral tradition by uninspired men, which should be suspect and in most cases rejected.

Jesus didn’t adhere to oral tradition. Only the written Word of God.

Most traditions of men are vain and can lead to vain worship.

They can lead us to vanity, pride, breaking God’s commands, and when they are taught as doctrine, and equal to the Word of God, they are sinful.

From the words of Jesus, let us beware of "The Danger Of Traditions", and make sure that our faith and practice are based upon the written Word of God, not the interpretations and teachings of uninspired men...!

NEXT WEEK: “Part 38: The Source of True Defilement”

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Thursday, October 9, 2025

Gospel of Mark Part 37 Danger of Tradition