1. Reaching for spirituality
Weightier matters
Mk 12:28-34
Mt 5:20

2. Reaching for spirituality
Where do we look?
Finding Spirituality in Life
True Spirituality can only be found through the one true God who created us
All others lack lasting substance
Struggle is real, even for Christians

3. Reaching for spirituality
Where do we look?
In the Church
Mt 23:23-24, Focus on Doctrine in Absence of the Spiritual
One Dimensional Christianity Lacks
Heb 5:11-6:3, Babes vs. mature
II Pet 1:5-11, Add to’s; The Blind
One dimensional Christianity: No such thing!
Doctrine, discipline, mercy, justice, love
Pharisees were one dimensional spiritually: Doctrine

4. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Definitions (Previous Lessons):
Judgment – giving what is deserved
Mercy – not giving what is deserved
Grace – giving what is not deserved
Pity - sympathetic sorrow
Compassion - sympathetic sorrow with a desire to alleviate
Mt 23:23, these three are things one does or gives; not necessarily what one receives. Jesus assigns the responsibility to give these

5. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
All Makeup the Nature of God
Judgment
Mercy
Grace
Pity
Compassion

6. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Definitions:
Faith – (Greek Pistis)
Thayer, conviction of the truth of anything, belief; fidelity, faithfulness
Barns, a man faithful to his word and promises; a man who can be trusted or confided in.
To be – Faithful, devoted, loyal, trustworthy
Faith is used in different ways in scripture. Here the intent is that one is faithful to… in all things.
Employees are faithful (reliable)
Timely, effort,
To business, boss, team, etc.

7. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
An Attribute of God:
Gen 9:8-17, Faithful to Noah’s Promise
Gen 12:1-3, Faithful to Abraham’s Promise
Rom 3:3, regardless if Israel was faithful

8. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
An Attribute of God:
I Cor 1:9, 10:13, God is faithful
I Pet 4:19, faithful creator
I Jn 1:9, faithful to forgive
He has established his word, his plan, he will stand by it. Nothing will change in it. He will perform it.
Good and the bad

9. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Faith is Developed
Rom 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing
Jn 20:30-31, word written so we might have faith
I Jn 5:13, written unto you that believe
Many many more references to this in scripture.

10. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Faith without Faithfulness
Faith is something we have
Faithfulness is something we do
They do not necessarily coexist

11. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Faith without Faithfulness
Mt 7:21-23, Faith to call Jesus Lord
Acts 4:32-5:11, Ananias and Sapphira
Jn 3:1-2 Nicodemus
Jas 2:17, faith without works is dead

12. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
We are to be Faithful to God
Mk 7:5-13, Pharisees & Scribes
Mt 25:14-30, The parable of the talents
Until death
Rev 2:10, be faithful until death
Mt 24:11-13, endure unto the end

13. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
We are to be Faithful to Jesus
I Cor 11:27-29, Lords Supper
We are to be Faithful to the Holy Spirit
Mt 12:31-32, Blasphemy
II Tim 2:15, Rightly divide word

14. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
We are to be Faithful to the Church
Heb 10:23-25, assembly
plus: provoke and exhort one another
Confusing Devotion and Loyalty with Meritorious works
Regardless of where we are: Make time.

15. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Definitions:
Judgment – giving what is deserved
Mercy – not giving what is deserved
Grace – giving what is not deserved
Pity - sympathetic sorrow
Compassion - sympathetic sorrow with a desire to alleviate
Faith - To be devoted, faithful, loyal, trustworthy
Multiple dimension of Christianity/Spirituality.
Any one lacking then we are lacking
Process of growth and development

16. Reaching for spirituality
The Weightier matters
Mt 23:23 - Faithful
Lessons
An attribute of God
Developed
Faith and Faithful Must Coincide
We Must be Faithful to:
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Church