real spirituality
May 22nd, 2008
I. SERMON OUTLINE:
Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, people of New Age Movement, the occult or the conservation movement all regard themselves as spiritual. What is the real thing?
I. REAL SPIRITUALITY IS DISCERNING TRUTH (I COR 2:9-16)
A spiritual person has close fellowship with the Spirit. His spirituality comes from being in the Spirit. And since the Spirit is the Spirit of truth and guides us into all truth (Jn 16:13)
Paul was judged by false teachers and apostles who undermined his authority, so he said, “It is not right for those folks who are men of flesh to judge me who is spiritual, in whom the Spirit dwells, who guides me into truth, and reveals things of God to me.” He says the spiritual man is able to judge what is true and untrue, edifying or destructive. He knows there is nothing that God will reveal that is not already in the Bible. It is just re-discovery of whats in it all along. eg justification by faith. He also warns that in the last days false doctrines will cause some to fall away(1 Timothy 4:1-3). A real spiritual person says like John Wesley,” I am a man of One Book.”
B. REAL SPIRITUALITY IS BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT (GAL 5:22-23)
Paul commands Christians to be intoxicated and influenced by the Spirit (Eph 5:18) for then they will allow God to work in their lives and with patience bear the fruit or harvest of the Spirit’s hard work on the soil of our lives : love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Paul then says these believers with the fruit of the Spirit those who are “spiritual” (Galatians 6:1), and who have the kind of ripened Christian character to bring back the lapsed brother or sister.
The Galatian Christians started in the Spirit but ended in flesh.
The Corinthians Christians were carnal and not spiritual (1 Cor 3:1)
C. REAL SPIRITUALITY SPRINGS OUT OF HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US AND NOT HOW MUCH WE LOVE GOD (EPH 3:18-19)
Eph 3:18, 19 does not use the word spiritual but being “filled with the fullness of God” certainly qualifies for real spirituality. The more we experience the great vastness of his love for us, the more we will grow in real spirituality, for his love heals us of our defects, inferiorities, fears, insecurities, rejection, guilt, etc and make us more whole and holy.
1 John 4:10,16,19 tells us we need to believe and experience the love of God for us before we are capable of loving God in return and to love people around us. Therefore we need to focus more on how much he loves us instead of dwelling and wallowing in our failure to measure up in our love for Him. Real spiritual people will display love for people, for God is love.
So the real spiritual person has both the word and the spirit and the love of God.
II. DISCUSSION STARTERS:
1. Why does God want us to be a spiritual people?
2. How can we develop this spirituality
a) as an individual,
b) as a cell group and church
3. How do we spiritually approach a brother or sister in Christ whom we know has stumbled or is entangled in sin? What are some wrong things people do when they catch others doing wrong or at fault? (Galatians 6:1-3)
4. Share one pratical step you will take this week to help you grow spiritually. Then pray for one another.
Entry Filed under: Ministry
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