Spiritual, Religious, or Both? - Frank Brancato

I can't dive into a topic. Very deep or build a thought for

very long when our sermons are going to be 10 or 15 minutes

long. But I want to just talk about a

subject that is often discussed in the world and that is are you

spiritual religious or both? Maybe you've heard people say

this. I have in my life where somebody

might say, I'm not religious, I'm just spiritual.

Well, the question is, is it possible according to the word

of God to be spiritual and not be religious?

Are these Concepts found in the word of God.

And what does all that mean? Well, first of all the mindset

basically that says, I'm spiritual, I'm not religious.

What people are saying, is this, everything that is relating to

religious practice, or organized religion would be considered

religious and In everything that is associated with the mind or

the attitude or the behavior is dealing with the spiritual.

So here's the mindset. As long as I am preparing my

mind and my mind is right on the inside.

I don't have to be part of any religious organization at all.

I don't have to be a part of organized religion.

Maybe you've also heard this where somebody might say, I

believe in God. I'm a Believer in God but I

don't believe in any kind of organized religion.

Well, here's the point that I want to make.

We want to notice, is it possible truly to be spiritual

and not religious? Well, first of all, I want to

ask two questions. Is this a distinction that ought

to be made? Should we be making a

distinction between spiritual and religious?

And secondly is God. Happy with such a distinction?

Well, first of all, let's talk about the definition of

spiritual according to the American Heritage dictionary and

there are four different definitions interesting.

I thought especially number for just a minute but here is how

the dictionary defined spiritual Relating to consisting of or

having the nature of spirit. It is something not tangible or

material second definition. It is concerned with or that,

which is affecting the soul. Number three, it is from or

relating to God. But then we get into number 4,

and it says belonging to a church or religion.

It is that which is sacred You know what's interesting about

this sometimes spiritual and the definition of spiritual and

religious are interchangeable. In fact, this is the definition

of what it means to be religious, you belong to a body,

you belong to a religious organization.

Now it's also the same definition, definition number

four, for the word, spiritual they run hand-in-hand.

So I think that there are similarities and for Good

reason. One scholar said it this way, he

said the reason that they're used interchangeably and there

are similarities is because there are some things that are

spiritual that are religious and things that are religious and

also spiritual we're going to get more into that in just a

minute. So those that set up a contrast

between spiritual and religious have a special definition for

each Here's the special definition for Spiritual.

They mean, specifically, religious Behavior relating to

the mind like meditation. Like prayer like devotion.

Let me ask you this. If meditation bad?

No, the Bible says meditate on these things meditation is

wonderful. If you're having a problem with

your thinking in your mindset, you have to rid yourself of all

the negative stuff. How do you do it by focusing on,

or meditating on that? Which is good, that which is,

lovely, and on, and so on, and so forth of good report.

And when the Bible says think, on these things, it means

meditate. So, meditates a great thing,

What about this prayer prayer is part of our life.

It is everything that we do. And by the way, if the only time

you pray is, when you pray for your food or you pray at night,

you're probably not praying enough.

Your prayer life should be that, which incorporates all that you

do. What about devotion?

Absolutely, but the special definition for those that are

Advocates of spirituality without religion, say it is

this. It is meditation.

It is prayer. R and it's devotion.

Only, here's the special definition that they give when

they make a distinction between the two for the word religious,

they mean behavior that is associated with activities of

religion, such as forms of worship and also Church.

Attendance, you know, I tell you, I heard a guy say one time

about spirituality and about being a spiritual person and he

said it's better. And he quoted some author.

He said it's better to be like I am spiritually or be spiritual

he said because it's better to be in the mountains.

It's better to be in a mountains thinking about God than it is to

be in a church building. Thinking about the mountains.

Now, when we come together in the church building we don't

think About the mountains, that's true.

When we assemble his worship, we don't think about the mountains,

and that's true. But the concept was this.

I can have, I can be spiritual without worship and without

attendance and without having a religious bond with anybody

else, okay? So, is there really a

distinction between spiritual and religious?

There is a distinction, it is much as there's a difference

between the inward person, or the spirit and the ACT.

Cities of the out were person. That is the body.

Let's give some Bible for that. In 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and

verse 16, where for we faint not.

But though our outward man is decaying yet, our inward man is

being renewed day by day. So there's a difference.

There's a distinction between the outer man and the inner man

in our worship though. There's also a distinction,

Jesus talked about worship as being in spirit and in truth,

when This was there and the woman at the well Jesus said,

God is a spirit, and those that worship Him must worship him.

We're going to get more to this at the end to in spirit. and in

truth, I want to make this point.

Please get this. It is not good enough to

robotically, go through the mechanics of worship.

We need to put our whole Spirit our whole heart behind it.

In fact, when the Bible talks about from the deepest part of

our heart or the bowels of our heart, it's talking about the

deepest part of emotion. So what do we do?

It has to be in truth. That is right but it also has to

be in spirit. It has to come from the heart,

it has to be the right motive behind it.

All in other words, spiritual is in spirit.

Religious is the part that's in truth.

So yes, there's a distinction between the two words.

However, The biblical distinction between these two

concepts is not nearly as great as some might think it is.

So instead of promoting the idea that you can have one without

the other, the Bible teaches the opposite being religious is

dependent on being spiritual and being spiritual is dependent

upon being religious. Let's look at an example.

In the Book of James James, chapter 1, And verse 26, and 27.

James 1 · chapter mention

James says, if anyone thinks he's religious If anyone thinks

he's religious and does not Bridle his tongue but deceives

his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

Pure and undefiled religion before God.

And the father is this to visit the orphans and widows in their

trouble and to keep oneself unspotted, from the world.

Now we might think that controlling our speech,

controlling our tongue is a spiritual thing.

NG and James says, it's religious.

We might think visiting orphans and so forth and widows is an

activity that we might consider spiritual because it's not

worship and yet James calls it. Pure religion.

Now, the point is, this, you can't be religious without being

spiritual. You can't the opposite.

True is true as well. You can't be spiritual without

being religious, it goes both ways.

Galatians chapter 6. Notice what Paul says here, he

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

said Brethren. If any man is overtaken in any

trespass, You that are spiritual.

Now first of all, who are they, who are the people that are

spiritual some person that's reached a higher level of

perfection know some person that's reached a higher level of

spirituality know whose it talking about.

It's talking about a faithful Christian.

Someone that is walking by the dictates of the spirit, Guided

by the word of God. Not a perfect person because

there is no such thing. What it's talking about is if

He's overtaken in a trespass. Somebody has to come to the

rescue, who's the person that which is spiritual a Christian,

has to come to the rescue. And restore such an one in the

spirit of gentleness considering yourself.

Lest you also be tempted, that's a very powerful Passage.

When you go to try to help somebody interestingly, the word

restore means mend that which is broken and sometimes were

unsuccessful in doing that. But we need to try to do our

best to do that. And the one that is spiritual

goes and tries to restore such an one two men that which is

broken. But do it in a spirit of

gentleness, considering yourself two things.

One don't act like it could never happen to you.

Don't ever act like it could never happen to you.

That's number one. Number two, don't be tempted

into thinking that it could never happen to you, therefore,

you've never done anything that bad.

You would never do what this person did and Elevate yourself

with a haughty Spirit, don't do that.

Lest you also be tempted? I'm going to taste something

anybody can fall. So do so with the spirit of

gentleness consider yourself, lest you also be tempted but

what about this? Bear one another's burdens.

You know, one of the most powerful things that we have is

each other. And it is true.

It is true. That we bear one another's.

Burdens in the word burdens means heavy.

Loads, or heavy weights. That are hard to bear or carry.

That's true. And it is true that in a general

sense. A Christian principle is to be

there for each other and help each other get through stuff.

That is true. But the context of this passage

is specific and not General, it's talking about heavy burdens

that cause your brother, or your sister to sin.

That's what it's talking about. Help them through that.

And really, that's exactly what the Bible is talking about.

When it it says confess your trespasses or your sins to each

other and pray one for another that you may be healed, the

effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

In other words have helped in getting through those times and

struggles that we go through that our burdens that are lead

us to sin and help each other in that.

And the Bible says, you fulfill the law of Christ.

So helping people that go astray is a religious thing Helping

each other. Those that are spiritual.

Do a religious thing. Bearing one another's.

Burdens is fulfilling the law of Christ, which is the law of

love. One more idea of though in First

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

Peter chapter 2 and verse 5. The church is a spiritual

Institution. In First Peter 2 and 5.

You also as living stones are built up a spiritual house.

So we're talking about that which is religious.

We're talking about organized religion.

We're talking about the church, the body of Christ.

What does Peter say? It is a spiritual house.

What are we doing the spiritual house?

Where a holy priesthood and we offer up spiritual sacrifices,

they go hand-in-hand. In our service to God

worshiping. God involves our self in

religious activities. You cannot be spiritual without

being religious as well going back to John chapter 4 and verse

John 4 · chapter mention

24. Once More Jesus said, God is a

spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit.

And in truth, the idea of in spirit is the very idea of being

spiritual and in truth is talking about religious.

SLI another words. What the internal is here

manifest itself in the external and we talked about the heart,

right? People struggle with things in

their life, it's because they don't fix it on the inside.

Everything is about that. It's about the inside and the

outside, and they go together the internals and the externals

and they're both there. What does God want them in?

Conclusion. God wants us to be both

spiritual. And also religious do you know

why? Because you can't be one without

the other. Now I want to just say one final

thing. Sometimes people that profess

Christianity. Hurt the cause of Christ because

they're not spiritual. What I mean by that, is this,

sometimes people profess religious things or they call

themself a religious person or they're a part of some religious

affiliation but their life is not demonstrated in that they

don't profess that at all. I'm going to give you one

example years ago. There was a general contractor

and he told me this he said any time that somebody a

subcontractor has on their business card.

Anything at all that resembles that there are He said I take

that business card and I throw it in the trash and I said, why

he says, because everyone that I have dealt with that professes

to be religious. Has been untruthful has lied and

has not been what they said that they were.

That's the damage that happens when our life does not manifest.

What we profess to be, we are religious people members of the

body of Christ, but we also live a spiritual life and we

demonstrate our spirituality in the things in which we do every

day. God wants us to be both.

Both spiritual and religious. I'm through this morning.

I hope that something was said in this little short little

lesson about the subject. If somebody asked the question,

are you spiritual religious? You say I'm both because it

takes both and they go together and you can't have one without

the other. Are you here today and you're

not a child of God? If you're not a child of God,

you can become one today. Come believing in Jesus.

Repent of your sins confess, his name as the Son of God and be

baptized in water for the remission of your sins.

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