Pentecost XIV Bottom Line Spirituality

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Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23: Their heart is far from me.

We become what we worship. If we worship a God of Laws we become legalistic, if a God of grace we become graceful.

In Mark 7:6, Jesus said," These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, in vain do they worship me."

This parable is the difference between what we think in rational Worldly way and how we think in Godly spirituality.

Worldly rational teaching tells people what to do to worship outwardly.

Godly spiritual teaching points to how to worship Inwardly.

Jesus tells us God is seeking the true worshipper. (John 4:23) The hour is now when the TRUE worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship him. The English translation of the Greek word can either be "true" or "real." "True" means correct, "real" means actual. There is a difference between true and real worshippers. Rational understanding teaches what true worship is. Conscious understanding points to how real worship is.

We must know the difference between rational thinking and conscious understanding. Thinking rationally seeks true worship to get into the Presence. Understanding consciously gets into the Presence to make worship real. We use both the rational and the spiritual to worship. True rational worship follows certain rules to worship spiritually. Real conscious worship gets into the Spirit to do what the rational calls for.

Worldly rational worship out of the Presence becomes conditional. "The Pharisees do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze." Mark 7:4

Worldly rational worship goes from out to in. The outside event creates the inside thought that creates the feeling in the heart. "And so it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." Mark 7:21.

Scripture tells us, "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in Truth." John 4:24 The Spirit is unseen and cannot be seen rationally. It can only be experienced consciously.

Godly conscious worship goes from in to out. The conscious feeling of the Presence in the heart creates the thought in the head to the outside event. Jesus always consciously goes in the Spirit first to rationally know what is real. John 4:24

We worship God for our sake, not for God's sake.

Real worship is to consciously abide in His Presence anytime, in any place, and under any circumstances in order to rationally understand our real nature.

In Worldly thinking our external thoughts create our internal spirit about worship. In Godly understanding, the feeling of our inward Presence creates our outward thoughts in worship. When was the last time you had real worship?