TOP TEN – SPIRITUAL BASICS

TOP TEN – SPIRITUAL BASICS

INTRODUCTION:

1.            David Letterman Show “Top Ten List” before going to bed?!

2.            “Boil-down”; “render”-(purify fat); “refine”; “prioritize” (“great commandment?”)

3.            “sine qua non’s” – that-without-which’s – mandatory-fundamentals (drives this list, mostly)

LESSON:  “Top Ten Spiritual Basics”

#10.  Ten Commandments

1.            Society’s foundation!

2.            Mankind’s map/navigator and his mirror.

3.            No Moore Ten-Commandment monument in Montgomery; but, a “Rainbow House” in DC?! Have we lost our “moorings”?!

4.            We NEED some “objective truth” “some standards” “some ancient landmarks”

5.            Memorize the list; LIVE the list!  “… that’s rule #7 …”  or, “… that’s rule #9…” (NCIS – Gibbs)

#9.  Hunger

1.            WHAT are our culture’s appetites?  Just look at media advertising.  Hint – it is NOT God.

2.            “as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after thee!”

3.            Mt. 5  “blessed … hunger and thirst … be filled!”

4.            Jesus gave the water, and not from the well!

5.            Our Daily Bread?!

6.            “passion” “intensity” “radical”

7.            “I Love To Tell The Story” (verse 4)

 I love to tell the story,

for those who know it best

seem hungering and thirsting

to hear it like the rest.

#8.  Humility & Honesty (two that work together, catalytically, feeding on each other, like two little brats, but for improvement, not destruction)

1.            Two basic, fundamental ingredients needed for spiritual growth/progress!

2.            Lk.18 P and TC illustrates this!

3.            Francesca Battistelli – “If We're Honest”

Truth is harder than a lie

The dark seems safer than the light

And everyone has a heart that loves to hide

I'm a mess and so are you

We've built walls nobody can get through

Yeah, it may be hard, but the best thing we could ever do, ever do

[Chorus:]

Bring your brokenness, and I'll bring mine

'Cause love can heal what hurt divides

And mercy's waiting on the other side

If we're honest

If we're honest

Don't pretend to be something that you're not

Living life afraid of getting caught

There is freedom found when we lay

our secrets down at the cross, at the cross

[Chorus]

It would change our lives

It would set us free

It's what we need to be

[Chorus]

4.            Who is the Father-of-lies?!

5.            We lie to ourselves; to each other; to God!

#7.  Holiness

1.            “w/o holiness, will not see God…” Heb.12.14

2.            Battling separation – from sin, secularism, selfishness, shallowness

3.            “set-apart” “special-purposed”

4.            Use wife’s family china in your skeet-shooter?

5.            Take wedding-reception goblets and use to clean out cat-litter box?

6.            For what, to whom are we offering ourselves for its use, abuse, misuse?

7.            A sense of “nobility”?!!!

8.            Our special purpose?  Worship, service to others, God’s purposes.

#6.  Spirit

1.            Segue/transition – HOLY Spirit?!

2.            “Zechariah 4:6 - So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. –

3.            Spiritual Enterprise?!

4.            Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

5.            Scripture, Prayer, Music, Study, Disciplines, Gifts

6.            A Mighty Fortress – Martin Luther

1. A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

our helper he amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe;

his craft and power are great,

and armed with cruel hate,

on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

…

3. And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God hath willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo, his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers,

no thanks to them, abideth;

the Spirit and the gifts are ours,

thru him who with us sideth.

#5.  Fruit of Spirit

1.            “bucket-list”?!  LJPPKGFGS

2.            “pursue these more than the gifts”  (Butler, A of G, 1970’s)

3.            “I Want A Faith Like That”?!

4.            An inventory-checklist? “examine yourself …”

5.            “… bear much fruit …” Jn.15.8 -- fruitfulness

#4.  DBR – “death, burial, and resurrection”

1.            “think on things above” approach.

2.            Our real problems are not November wins; not pay scales; not even hair loss.

3.            “delivered, as of first importance …” 1Cor.15

4.            “determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ crucified”  1Cor.2.2

5.            Promise of OUR resurrection.  “first fruits” of crop to follow?!

6.            “grave, where is your sting?  Death, where is your power?”

#3.  FHL – “faith, hope, love”  -- Paul’s Triad, Paul’s Big-Three

1.            Watch the language of the NT master-theologian?!

(cf. Peter “many things Paul wrote … hard …” – but, hard to miss this cluster of words?!)

1 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:8

2.            We NEED these – FHL! (they are the greatest heavenly gifts)

1)            We NEED faith – not cynicism, doubt

2)            We NEED hope – not despair, anxiety,

3)            We NEED love – not hatred, apathy, anger.

#2.  Love

1.            Email signature – “Love God, love each other, love NOT money”

2.            Ps.119.  “Love-the-word-of-God psalm”

3.            “what is the great commandment?”  Mt.22.36

4.            1Cor.13 “more excellent way”  “greatest of FHL”

5.            Golden Rule?! A better world?!

#1.  Jesus

1.            Jesus loves me;

2.            Jesus IS love?!  “LOVE” walked among us; will live within us even now! 1Jn.4.8

3.            Sarah; picture of Hindu temple in Fiji; “neat…(architecture)” “no! it’s awful … lost souls…”

4.            Jn.14:6  -- only one, of many, exclusive statements in Gospels.

5.            Jesus is the ANSWER!  Sin?  Death?  Role-model?!  Etc.

CONCLUSION:

1.            “at the end of the day …” what really matters?

2.            “the end of the matter … fear God, keep His commandments …” (Eccl.)

3.            KISS – “keep it simple, stupid”

4.            My “bucket list” (could make a good 13-week series?!)
5.            What would you add to this list?!  Obedience? Praise? Gratitude? Service?