Episode Transcript
You're listening to, I Heard It On The 806, a podcast by John Bowers.
Operating in ministry is an amazing blessing, but it can also have its challenges, especially when it comes to the battle between religion and relationship. When we prioritize the manmade part of church over the relationships God has given us, we are missing the mark.
In Jesus's parable of the prodigal son, the father chose relationship over religion. But his son who remained at home did not. Instead of celebrating his brother who had returned from his life of sin and destruction, he became envious. When he confronted his father, he was given this reply: "My son," the father said, "you are always with me and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found."
Here's John telling a story about a time in his life when he chose religion over relationship.
In 1975, when I was ordained, one thing that God spoke to my heart was "Walk in a relationship, not in a religion. Die to religion, come alive into a relationship that I have for you."
So I proclaimed that, I preached that, I taught that, I lived that for year after year after year. I let my family know, first of all, what was prioritized in my life when it came to serving Jesus. It was: serve my wife, serve my children second, serve the church third; and that was the command of God. That was a direct command from God. And the Lord says, don't test your wares on the street until they're proven at home.
And folks, I would just say to you again and again, that's a battle that I have to wage on a regular basis because religion has a power that the enemy has been working with from the very beginning; that religious spirit that kills the order of God and that is relationship with Him.
Man's ways are not God's ways. And religion has chosen man's ways, not God's ways. So I was pretty proud of the fact that I thought I had my act together and that my children knew that I never would miss one of their basketball games. I wouldn't miss one of their piano recitals. I wouldn't miss my daughter's dance recitals.
We were there for every event. And even if there was a church event, That happened to coincide with one of my kids' events, I would always choose my children first. I would proclaim this to pastors at conventions, but Jesus first put your family behind Jesus, but the church behind your family and you'll have success.
I was asked at a conference here several years ago. How is it that you have been a pastor for so long at the same time? I says, well, you, you, you never get tired of your children and you never get tired of your wife. You get tired of the church, you get tired of religion, you get tired of people, but at the same time, as long as you're serving your wife and your children in Jesus, then the church is doing just fine.
Again, test your wares at home before you take them on the street. If they don't work at home, you have not be successful in the church. And on this. So I had all this teaching. I had everybody knew it. Everybody at Christ center knew where I stood, you know, did I fail? I got so confident in the fact that I had a relationship with Jesus that I allowed religion to start creeping in.
I didn't even know it. I became so used to the fact that I had a relationship. I understood it, that I let the enemy creep in with the religious. That destroyed me. That took me down, that wiped me out. And it all happened in 1977. I think it was 78. The Portland trailblazers and their basketball team in Portland was playing for the championship, the NBA championship and the 70 Sixers from Philadelphia.
We're playing with them and it was the final game and the tickets were outlandish. You couldn't get a ticket and the arena in Portland, wasn't all that big. It was impossible to get a ticket. My son, Todd loved basketball and we would talk about it. We'd listened to it on the radio together. We would talk about what a great event it would be.
If we could go to that game out of the blue, I get a call from this guy businessmen. He said, pastor John. He said, I got two tickets for the trailblazers and the 76 years. And they're mid court halfway up. Fantastic seats. I'd like for you to give you a two. Oh man. Oh man, are you, are you kidding me? God, hallelujah.
This just is perfect. Take my son to the game. And I looked at the calendar to make sure that everything was set. And could you believe it was on Sunday morning? Sunday afternoon was the game. Sunday afternoon was the game. And I had proclaimed that we were building towards the climax of a series that I had been teaching.
And that Sunday we had a variety of things taking place and it was a big event. And I thought to myself, oh no, I can't leave this event. And I did something that I never dreamed I would do. I told Todd Todd, there's no way I can leave this event. So I'm going to get the tickets and send you with somebody.
And he says, dad, I, I don't want to go without you. Come on, dad. Dad, we can do this. How many times is the trailblazers ever going to play in the NBA championship? I says, Todd, I just can't get out of this schedule that I'm in. I turn those tickets down. And even that I'm telling you now all these years later, I can nearly turn to tears because what it did to my son, I'll never forget the look on his face.
I had completely turned against him. And chose religion over relationship. Oh, man. Oh, did I ever, ever regret that? And you know what happened that Sunday? We just had regular church. It wasn't anything dynamic. In fact, we probably should have canceled church for what I just said done, but God came through, I picked myself up off the floor and I told Todd, I said, Todd, That will never ever happen again.
I told my wife that'll never happen again, and I was wrong and I regret it. I went before the church and I repented before the church for doing that very thing. So I'm telling you church, I'm telling you people, I'm telling you what, those that have relationships that thank you. You're simply cocooned in that relationship.
So nothing can penetrate you, watch out. The devil is on the prowl. He's always looking. He's always trying to find a way to rip the carpet out from under you and let you fall flat on your face. He did that to me. Don't let him do it to you. Check it out regularly. Make sure you're walking in a relationship. And rebuke that religious spirit that will cause your son to look at you and say, but dad,
You've been listening to the, I heard it on the 806 Podcast with John Bowers.
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