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Cutting Off the End of the Ham

by Chris Dawson
November 9, 2008
[ Audio ][ Printer Friendly Sermon ]

Introduction

  1. Have you heard the story of the young lady who cut off the end of the ham?
    1. Woman baked a ham on a holiday, cut off the end
    2. Husband asked why she did it, she said her mom always did
    3. Called mom and asked why, she said her mom always did
    4. Called grandma and asked why, she said, "My roaster not big enough."
  2. What is tradition:
    1. Delivery; the act of delivering into the hands of another. (Think of "trade")
    2. Opinions, doctrines, practices, rites, customs passed down through generations.
  3. Traditions may be of men or of God.
    1. Of God:
      1. II Thess. 2:15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
    2. Of Men:
      1. Matt. 15:3 - Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
      2. Col. 2:8 - Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit. after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  4. Traditions of men:
    1. Can cause us to hinder the work of God
    2. Can cause us to stray from God
    3. We call this "Traditionalism"

Principles In Overcoming Traditionalism

  1. Study Rigorously

    1. The Bible says, "Study!"
      1. II Tim. 2:15 - Study to show thyself approved unto God
      2. I Pet. 3:15 - Be ready to give an answer
      3. Prov. 15:28 - Heart of the wise studies to answer
      4. I Tim. 4:13,15 - Give attendance to reading...meditate upon these things
    2. Knowledge is fundamental in overcoming traditionalism
      1. Matt. 28:19-20 - Teaching them to observe all things
      2. II Tim. 2:2 - Training men/women to teach others
    3. Comes time to move beyond the first principles
      1. Heb. 5:12 - Time you ought to be teachers
      2. Emphasize why we do, not just what we do
      3. "Why?" "Because we're supposed to." = traditionalism

  2. Think Independently

    1. Eph. 4:14-16 - Not tossed to and fro...but speaking the truth in love..grow up
      1. Learn how to think
      2. Interact, conduct study, disagree w/out tearing each other apart
    2. I Thess. 5:21 - Prove all things
      1. Have we stopped thinking and proving
      2. If we challenge specific thinking, could we answer?
    3. Phil. 3:13-14 - Forgetting the things behind
      1. Those were Paul's traditions
      2. Should be able to erase all we know and start afresh

  3. Evaluate Teachings and Practices

    1. Commanded to evaluate, not blindly accept
      1. Acts 17:11 - Received the Scriptures and searched the word
      2. I John 4:1 - Evaluate the spirits
    2. Evaluate your long held beliefs
      1. Matt. 22:41-46 - Whose son is he?
      2. Matt. 5:21,27,33,43 - Ye have heard that it hath been said...
    3. Don't change what you do, but methods of doing it.
      1. Evangelism - Matt. 28:19
      2. Edification - Jude 20
      3. Benevolence - Gal. 6:10
    4. Common traditions reevaluated:
      1. VBS - Designed to reach out to the community?
      2. Gospel Meeting - Effective to reach the lost?
      3. Mail-Outs - "How many Bible studies?"
      4. Film Strips - Geared toward folks from a generation or two ago
      5. One Hour Worship - Who decided that worship was to last one hour?
      6. Sunday Night Worship - Could we accomplish more with a class?
      7. Mission Work - Sending a check once a month v. being active in a work
      8. Preacher Training - Another more effective way?
        1. II Tim. 2:2 - Teach others also
        2. Acts 16:1-5 - Timothy was taken with Paul, hands on training
      9. Orphans' Homes - Scriptural, but do we have to? is it the best way?
        1. Jas. 1:27 - Visit the fatherless and widows
        2. I Tim. 5:16 - Church charged with care for widows and orphans
      10. Remember:
        1. Just because you've never heard/thought of a thing doesn't make it wrong
        2. Think: What are the best means of: Reaching lost? Strengthening church?
        3. Not simply try to justify our practices
        4. Just because something is being done does not mean
        5. Not just change for change sake: Scriptural and effective
        6. Think Scripturally, then how to do it better than the way we do it
        7. Plan for the ideal of the Scriptures, not simply what is accepted
        8. If you were to plant a congregation, would you recreate what already have?
        9. If we were to erase all we know about the church and start afresh...
        10. Easier to go along w/ tradition, then take the steps we have mentioned.

Conclusion

  1. Have you been cutting off the end of the ham, settling for traditionalism?
  2. Start Right Now - "And now why are you waiting?" (Acts 22:16)

Copyright © 2008 by Chris Dawson. All rights reserved.
This sermon may only be used for personal and not-for-profit purposes provided the title, author, and URL are properly referenced.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version.