True Spirituality
John 7:1-13 NLT

Spiritual Expressions

• Jesus challenged three different types of spirituality:
  
  • tradition, legalism, and superstition
    
  • Each has its own attraction and error
    
• They are false expressions of spirituality initiated by humanity in our own efforts of religion.
  
• At first these things seem innocent, but ultimately, they are a lie that leads to total deception.

Weary In Weakness

• Today we will look at the misguided spirituality of Jesus’ own brothers as well as the religious leaders and of all the people.
  
• John 7:3-5 – Jesus’ brothers try to push him to action!

God of Process

• Jesus walked out His life of obedience
  
• He was careful:
  
  • 1. To seek His guidance from God and not from men
    
  • 2. To avoid unnecessary trouble
    
• The Feast of Tabernacles
  
  • Focused on God
    
  • Required of men

Remember the maxim:

• The work of a believer is to believe!
• Faith is not the absence of doubt,
  it is the overcoming of doubt.

The Reality of Faith & Doubt

• We must break through the three barriers of faith:
  
  • Cynicism
    
  • Ignorance
    
  • Empiricism

They Were No Threat to the World – John 7:7

• They were men without conviction, discernment, courage.
  
• They never criticized the world, and never denounced evil.
  
• They “minded their own business” and never made enemies.
• Therefore the world had no cause to hate them.
  
• They waited to see which party would get into power, and then supported it!
  
• Moral issues and spiritual values had no appeal.
• God could look after His affairs; they would look after their affairs.
  
• Jesus was different.
  
  • He came to do the will of God
    
  • He denounced evil
    
  • He was spiritual; they were carnal.
    
  • He was from above; they were of the earth

We are people of the Word, we live by revelation!

It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
Matthew 4:4

“The Grand Weaver” by Ravi Zacharias pgs 95-96

• We must know to worship!

Jesus challenged three different types of spirituality or spiritual expressions:

• Traditionalism = paying homage to sect that built their traditions around sayings and laws.
  
• Legalism = A strict conformity to a religious or moral code. (Living by the Law)
  
• Superstition = controlling millions of people by fear.

Weary In Weakness

• We must be careful not to strengthen the layers surrounding our weakness!
  
  • Weary in Shame
    
  • Wicked in Sin
    
  • Wounded in Situations
    
  • Weakness in Self
    
• Our weakness, then, can be distinguished from our shame, our sin, and our wounds.

Hard to Swallow - Part 2
John 6:51-71 NASB

Weary In Weakness

• We must be careful not to strengthen the layers surrounding our weakness!
  
  • Weary in Shame
    
  • Wicked in Sin
    
  • Wounded in Situations
    
  • Weakness in Self
    
• Our weakness must be distinguished from our shame, our sin, and our wounds.

The work of a believer is to believe!
John 6:35-70 NLT

Faith is not the absence of doubt,
it is the overcoming of doubt.

People of Faith!

• Sometimes people of faith are a lot like Mr. Magoo.
  
• In a comical form of lunacy we walk not by sight, but by faith!
  
• We are totally dependent on God in His story for His grace and favor.
  
• We should not take ourselves so seriously!

The Reality of Faith & Doubt

There lives more faith in honest doubt than in half the creeds.
- Alfred Lloyd Tennyson

Hebrews 12:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

You can believe in your heart while you doubt in your head.

Three Barriers to Faith

• Cynicism
  
  • An attitude, scornful & bitterly mocking
    
  • A reaction to being deceived
    
  • A fear of being deceived
    
    • “Fool me once, shame in you, fool me twice, shame on me.”
  • "Cynicism is cancer of the spirit. The bad cells of sarcasm attack the good cells of hope and, if undiagnosed, will eventually destroy them."
• Ignorance
  
  • Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
    
  • Doubt can say foolish things in the light of history.
  • The honest searcher will:
    
    • Seek faith where other people have found it
      
    • Will expose himself:
      
    • to the evidence of God's reality
      
    • to the contagion of other peoples faith
      
    • to the preaching and teaching of the word of God
      
  • Why is it that people who doubt God the most are often the very ones who know the least about Him?
• Empiricism = Sense Knowledge
  
  • "Seeing is believing!" Empirical evidence is required.
    
  • Some only believe what their (5)senses reveal to them.
    
  • So much of life is beyond that which can be perceived by our senses.
    
  • We have never smelled an idea or felt a truth, or put a finger on a thought.
    

We are people of the Word we live by revelation.

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
I Thessalonians 5:24

Doubt sees the obstacles,
faith sees the way.
Doubt see the darksome night,
faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take the step,
faith soars on high.
Doubt whispers, "Who believes?“
faith answers --- "I."

Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.
- Frederick Buechner

Risk more than others think is safe. 
Care more than others think is wise.
Dream more than others think is practical. 
Expect more than others think is possible. 
--- Cadet Maxim - West Point