Big RocksSpiritualitySpirituality

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University Church of ChristUniversity Church of Christ

Are there dangers in being ‘spiritual but not religious’?

“I had this revelation that I bow to no one, and I’ve been spiritually a much happier person," says [Nazli] Ekim.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14Now we have received not the spirit of the

world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

“Spiritual”dHuman wisdom cannot

be spiritual

dSpiritual means being “of God”

1 Corinthians 14:36-38Or was it from you that the word of God

came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.

James 3:14-15But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish

ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

John 4:23-24“But the hour is coming, and is now here,

when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

“S P I R I T” without “Truth”

leads to self-centered superficiality.

2 Samuel 6:1-9And David and all the house of Israel were

making merry before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

Was David “Spiritual”?

dDavid “merry”

dGod “angry”

dDavid “angry” at God!

dDavid afraid

“T R U T H” without “Spirit”

leads to lifeless law-keeping and works salvation.

Matthew 23:23-24“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”

MercyJustice

Faithfulness

Tithing DillMint

Cumin

Micah 6:6-8“With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before God on high?Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,with calves a year old?Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the LORD require of youbut to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?”

Do JusticeLove KindnessWalk Humbly

CalvesRams

Oil

Hosea 6:6“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Steadfast LoveKnowledge of God

SacrificeBurnt Offerings

Psalm 19:7-11…the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring forever;the rules of the LORD are true,and righteous altogether.More to be desired are they

than gold,even much fine gold;sweeter also than honeyand drippings of the honeycomb.

Luke 19:37-40As he was drawing near—already on the way

down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The Big RocksdWeightier matters are the big rocksdBig rocks must be added firstdWe dare not neglect the othersdNo right to decide what is “irrelevant”demotionalism ≠ spiritualitydSpirit w/o truth is self-centered,

superficialdTruth w/o spirit is lifeless, checklist

1 Corinthians 3:1But I, brothers, could not address you as

spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

Romans 12:1-2I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the

mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ezra 7:10For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law

of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Colossians 1:9-10And so, from the day we heard, we have not

ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God .