More Pulpit Crimes

The question preachers must answer is: do I have the right to spiritualize the text to fit my convictions or traditons. One popular text is Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Sadly many preachers rob this great text to fit their "style" of church. They apply this text to how a person should dress, the music they listen to and Bible translations. Stop thief! How dare you change the original intent of God's Word.
Read this great commentary on this verse from Gil Rugh

Notice God's exhortation in verse 16, 'Thus says the LORD, 'Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'''
This is not substantiating the validity of tradition. The thing some people cling to most in their religious worship is the way it has always been done. 'Our church has tradition,' they brag. 'It has heritage.' They do not know enough about the Bible to know whether it is biblical or not. They have placed their total faith in the traditions of the church, and they are just like unbelieving Israel. That is going to be clear in Jeremiah's next section. They have put complete faith in their traditions and their heritage. But that is not what God is talking about.

a. Exhorted to Repent

When He says, 'Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,' He is talking about the revelation He has given in His Word. He is referring to the way that men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses had followed in faith, believing the Word of God. Israel was continuing with the traditions and religious ceremony and going to great expense to do it. Jeremiah will deal with that. But the problem is that they have left the ancient ways. They had left the heart of the whole system which was faith in God and the revelation He had given of Himself. And they are continuing these hollow, external forms and trusting their eternal salvation to external religious ceremony.

Things have not changed a bit. People are doing the same today, doing it because Martin Luther did it, because John Calvin did it, or because John Wesley did it. They continue a lot of the ceremonies and ritual, but what they have lost is the faith these men had in Jesus Christ. They are not believing in the Savior that God had provided nor proclaiming the truth of His Word. But they have continued the hollow traditions, the forms and the ceremonies. That is the difference. They need to be exhorted to return to the ancient ways. If the Presbyterians today had the faith of John Calvin, the Presbyterian church would be totally different. If the Methodists had the faith of John Wesley, the Methodist church would be totally different. If the Lutherans had the faith of Martin Luther, we would have another reformation. But what has happened? We have all these ceremonies chugging along with people placing their eternal salvation in the ceremony, ritual and form.

I am not saying that there are no Presbyterians, Methodists, or Lutherans who are saved. I believe Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and others can be saved, but only by recognizing their sin and believing Jesus Christ the Son of God died for them personally and was raised from the dead because He had accomplished salvation. That is the means of salvation, not going through certain rituals, routines or ceremonies. People at this church have to be saved the same way, not by coming here and going through the ritual or routine, but by believing the message concerning the Savior, Jesus Christ.

That is the exhortation here--return to the ancient ways, what God intended when He gave that revelation to and through Moses to the people. He told them to return to that faith.