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South Bay SDA Church

Jeremy Arnall

The Importance of Tradition

Before I begin, I just want to just speak to Revelation 10, verse 11 again, a verse that I trust we're all very familiar with, but I want to read it.

It says, and he said to me, you must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.

And then you know that that's the connecting link.

Well, It says again, so it means that it's in relationship to the little book, which was Daniel.

And of course, we know that when we go to the connecting verse there in chapter 14, verse 6 of Revelation, that it's telling the 3 angels' messages.

That means that we have been held responsible for sharing what we are sharing in this very series.

In other words, this is a fulfillment of our calling.

And I just hope that you enjoy and celebrate and will also share this opportunity.

You know, when you go through a series in 1 month like this, it's different than doing 6 months of Bible studies.

I'm not saying that the 6 months of Bible studies isn't critical.

But this is the celebration, the culmination.

This is where you step back and you get the sort of the 40, 000-foot view.

It's still rich and it still goes in depth, but it gives you that big picture of, now I see how it all fits together.

I heard somebody say, this was, I don't know, this is, well, this is our first campaign of sorts or series like this in this church, amen?

I'm not trying to get you to waver or anything.

I just want you to just stop and think about the magnitude of this, especially when you consider what you're reading in the news.

Okay, and like my brother Benny said, and as my wife said on the way to church, what better time to celebrate the Lord's Supper than as we go into these meetings together.

Of course, the rest of the next 4 weeks of Sabbaths we will be in the midst of meetings themselves, but what a way to begin.

I want to talk to you about traditions this morning.

A very poor and holy man lived in a remote part of China, the story goes.

Every day before his time of meditation in order to show his devotion he put a dish of butter up on the windowsill as an offering to God since food was so scarce and he wanted to give something that meant something to him.

1 day his cat came in and his cat ate the butter.

To remedy this situation, he began tying the cat to the bedpost each day before his quiet time.

I don't know about you, but you ever tried to tie a cat to anything?

This man was so revered for his piety that others began to join him as his disciples and worshiped as he did in the manner in which he worshiped.

Generations later, Long after, I should say, this righteous man had died, his followers placed an offering of butter on the windowsill during their time of prayer and meditation.

And as you probably guessed it, each 1 bought a cat and tied it to the bedpost.

Typically, we mention this concept of tradition with a bit of disdain, perhaps, because we know as Adventists, as students of prophecy, that tradition has played havoc within the church, both in Christ's day and even in modern times.

The language typically reminds us of pagan practices that crept into the church during the Dark Ages and have become mistaken today, now 2, 000 years out from when Christ walked this earth, have crept into the church and thus men are worshiping the practices of men as though they were the practices of God.

And thus we remember and recall, rightly so, the words of rebuke that came from Jesus as He directed them towards the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day there in Matthew 23 when he appealed to them, and we think of the Bible's warning for guarding ourselves against the traditions of men, yet truth be known, traditions play an important role in the practice and experience of God's people.

Today I want us to spend a few moments reflecting on the importance of tradition as we prepare to experience and practice a tradition handed down to us from Jesus himself.

The title of the message is simply, The Importance of Tradition.

Would you speak to our hearts this morning, Lord?

Wash us, cleanse us, fill us with your spirit, And if you would just speak to us and show yourself to us, we, like Moses of old, will be satisfied.

And we know, therefore, we can go from this place reflecting your glory.

The commentary states that the word tradition, it comes from the Greek word paradosis, which simply means things delivered, handed over, or transmitted by way of teaching or doctrine.

The Greek is just simply saying it's a teaching handed down.

It's something that continues forward because it's been handed down from the grandparent to the parent to the children and then to their children and you get the idea.

Paul writes about it in 2 Thessalonians 2.15 where he says, therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

Hold fast to those traditions that we gave you.

First Corinthians 11.2, now I praise you brethren that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you." Second Thessalonians 3, 6, but we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he receives from us.

Romans 6, 17, understanding that tradition is this notion of teaching or even we could say doctrine being handed down.

Notice that Romans 6.17 says, but God be thanked and that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

And Jude 3 says, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." More on that in a little bit.

But tradition is a powerful mechanism for establishing belief in one's heart.

Tradition is a powerful mechanism for establishing belief in one's heart.

You might say that traditions are essentially a way of making and teaching a habit, which is powerful, though in some ways can pose a risk.

You see, the beauty of habit, you know what a habit is, right?

The beauty of a habit is that it becomes instinctive, second nature.

And when we speak of God writing His law in our hearts, isn't that what we want?

We want His character to become our habit, Right?

That means we want it to be so embedded into our operating system, if you will, our minds, our hearts, that when carrying out His will, we are about what?

So there's something powerful about habit and tradition, which is a teaching that is handed down.

You see, Tradition is the means of helping to establish a teaching and making it into a habit.

For example, we all know that habits can allow for 1 to carry something out without even having to think hard about it, without even having to strain or work at it.

For example, when you're riding down the highway, we all know if you've been driving for a certain amount of time that you can go quite a ways And then you can stop and think to yourself.

I Don't remember a thing I've been doing this whole time because I've been my mind's been somewhere completely different, right?

Okay Because that's the power of habit So do you see that there's a risk when we talk about habit as it relates to our spiritual experience, there's inherent risk, but there's also inherent beauty and power.

I'm not sure who said it, but somebody said these words, I don't know who, but anyway, an author, speaker, anyway, but the words are still good.

Quote, at the time of a huge event, like a death or a birth, traditions can carry you through.

When your body goes on autopilot, as it does when there's a death or any other tragedy, the traditions that you have are just like a wonderful cocoon that you feel wrapped up in and comforted by.

Traditions help you know that life goes on." That's why we want traditions to be something that we practice at home so that when our young people go through a stressful situation, that is when they go to college for the first week, their traditions, their habits will be like a cocoon that will protect and will direct them through that very strenuous time.

Sometimes your world is turned upside down.

I'm not saying birth is bad, but I'm just saying you know what I mean.

When you don't know what to do, you need something that you know how to do well to take place in your life.

This is where traditions can help protect and direct, assuming they are based on, of course, truth.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, stressful event.

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The Importance of Tradition

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