When Religion Gets In The Way: The Danger Of Looking Religious

Journey Church Gillette · Sep 23, 2026 · 39m

What does it look like when faith becomes a performance? In Matthew 23, we come face to face with one of the most searching questions Jesus ever raised, not directed at skeptics or outsiders, but aimed squarely at the most religiously devoted people of his day. The scribes and Pharisees knew the scriptures, kept the traditions, wore the symbols, and held the seats of honor, yet Jesus looked past all of it and saw hearts that were far from God. The central warning here is one we cannot afford to ignore: it is entirely possible to look like a follower of God while never truly following him…