Dallas Willard | Life in the Spirit

thank you for your warm welcome thank you for those kind words, it is always a pleasure to be here when I can and especially now to be part of the conference and to have the opportunity to speak in the chapel, the conference is about

life

in the

spirit

ual

spirit

. formation in theological perspective this morning I would like to try to leave a clear or clearer impression on our minds about exactly what

life

in the spirit is like and, in fact, this wonderful hymn would be difficult to improve with a general description of life in the spirit. spirit of what is said in this hymn, but you might expect a philosopher to offer a definition or two and I think I will start by telling you what the spirit is.

Haven't you wanted to know what the spirit is? spirit is oned personal power oned personal power now biblically God is paradigmatically spirit and that is what God is he is a unique personal power he acts God acts and God's actions constitute his kingdom the kingdom of God is the range of his effective will It's where you do what you once did and we pray your kingdom come and when I say that prayer I'm not really thinking about the United Nations or the broader scene, although I hope it gets there too. I'm thinking about my life, may your kingdom come, may your will be done in my life, a spiritual life.

It is basically in the Christian understanding it is a life lived from the direction and the power and the motivations and the character of Jesus Christ himself it is Christ in you who gives you a spiritual life and of course with Christ comes his two best friends God the father and God the Holy Spirit and truly bring Christ into our lives a spiritual life is a life lived from the kingdom of God it is a life in the power of the risen Christ and it is a life that is available to all who will simply come and put their trust total in Jesus Christ, he will take care of the rest now.

I'm afraid this is still a bit abstract, so today I want to take a series of scriptures and try to help us understand more fully what a spiritual life is. It seems and I'm going to focus it all on a verse that I think you all know very well, we even have a song where we can sing it and that verse is Matthew 6:33 Matthew 6:33 where Jesus is speaking and uh would you agree with me that Jesus knows what he's talking about, so when he speaks we say yes and then we say how can I do that?

So his word is to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of it, the kind of righteousness characteristic of the kingdom. of God and everything else will be added, he is talking in a context of people like us who have all kinds of worries that rise up and jump on us when we wake up in the morning if we don't dream about them and he tells them now all those worries simply let them rest for a while and pay attention to one thing and that is to find the kingdom of God now he doesn't actually say find it did you notice that about the verse and you might well wonder why?

Didn't he say find him and the reason is because if you look for him you will find him and in fact he will find you? That's the way it works if you seek the kingdom of God it will find you and especially if you understand who Jesus is. inviting you to look for it now what do you do when you look for something how would you describe searching let's say you lost your keys well when you look for something you look for it everywhere that's what searching means and you make that your main project finding it you're not going anywhere until you find your keys , so that puts it in the front row and now you're looking for your keys and you're looking for them everywhere and that's how you search for the kingdom of God, okay?

What did we say that the kingdom of God was God in action? So when we seek the kingdom of God, what do we look for God in action and where do we look for Him? Can you say everywhere? Okay, you seek God in action everywhere, that's how you seek the kingdom of God now we're going to try to make it a little more specific in certain ways in a moment and we'll bring in some other scriptures that promise pretty much the same thing as If you do just one thing, everything else takes care of itself. the Lord is my shepherd nothing will really lack me yes really yes the Lord is my shepherd yes I have done it and I am living under his care see that the scriptures are actually full of these things let's look at some more familiar scriptures in a moment to complete the picture, but I want you to have a general idea because you live in a world where you face many demands and threats and it is just an honest response to my personal situation to recognize that.

I can't deal with them and if I recognize that without the kingdom of God then my life is as the song says a short life and full of problems is that every time I enter the kingdom of God I look for him and he and he finds me that I start to have the kind of justice that is characteristic of him and I begin to see the action of God in relation to all the things that concern me, including the next finals that you are going to take, so when you take a final you want to be sure and take it into the kingdom of God and when you prepare for it you want to do it also in the kingdom of God, so that's the big picture now one could say why we have to look for it, why?

It's obvious why it doesn't pass us by, that's an important question. The search is essential because it is what we search for that shows who we are. Our desires are the most important thing in our lives. Do you remember in John Chapter 2 some of the Baptists The disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus and when they approached him, he turned and asked them a very simple question: what are you looking for? What you and I are looking for is what ties our life together in whatever form it may take and makes it what it is. and God leaves us free to deal with the issue of what we want.

A very famous story in the Philosophical Circle about Burton Russell and Father Ceston having a debate and Father Ceston asked Beran Berti what will you do when you stand before God, what will you do? Say and Burton Russell responded I'll say why didn't you give me more evidence? Now God has an answer to that and the answer was good. I wanted you to have the opportunity to do what you wanted because that's what makes you. What makes you who you are? Let me ask you this morning while you are here in this quiet moment. What is your life really about?

What are you looking for beyond your specialization, beyond qualifications? Beyond good letters of recommendation from your teachers for that professional school that I hope to get into what you are really looking for in life. That's the deepest question anyone can ask you and it's a very dangerous question and that's why we need to ask it and that's why God doesn't shove it down our throats if God wanted to. He could put an end to all deviations from his will simply by being present, but when he incarnated in the form of his son, he did so in an inauspicious way and even after being resurrected from the dead he simply appeared to some of his friends.

Now, if it had been me, I would have gone to visit Pilate and said, uh, let's have that conversation about the truth again or maybe the high priest, but he didn't do that because he wanted them to choose, he wanted them. To follow his wishes he wanted them to be the person who makes the decision and that is why the Kingdom of Heaven is something we have to seek. You know what if you don't want to know you don't have to at least for a while? now and now is what concerns us and that is very important for God to preserve that but now on the other hand he makes it available so that we can find it if we look for it if we start putting it first on our agenda Jeremiah in his very well-known statement in Jeremiah 29 :13 says: If you really look for me with all your heart, you will find me.

You see, that brings you back to the question: what do you really want? You will see where it is very tempting for us. we have our projects there are things we want and we would like to have a little help from God look that is not your kingdom come that is my will let my kingdom be come and the greatest threat to the kingdom of God in my life is my kingdom and God gives us space, he makes the kingdom available, he made it available in his son, he makes it available in the scriptures, he makes it available in human history and, above all, he makes it available right next to you, where you can know it now and today . if that's what you want to know if you really want to know we have a song Holiness Holiness is all I really long for if that's what you long for you will find it but sometimes our songs don't quite match the realities of our hearts and Christ comes to us now and says you have a lot of things to worry about, just do this, make your main goal in life to find a way to interact with what God is doing in your time, which is the gateway to life eternal. now God is all for it, you don't need to worry about having help from him, the help will be there, it's simply a matter of us establishing in our lives what that means, now you know, I think that was the gospel of Jesus if you look Matthew 4:17 and other passages, you will see that when Jesus came preaching his word was to repent for the kingdom of heaven and now we have problems with the wording and there have been many misunderstandings about it, but let me.

I'll tell you what he was saying and it shows in the reality of how he treated people and what happened to them. What it means is that the Kingdom of Heaven is now available to you. Is near. It has come closer. Those are ways of translating. but I think there's no real sense that it's now available to you and the big change was that it's now available to everyone who will just look at it and trust it. Everyone no longer has to have the right. okay, fill in the blank the right way, whatever because the conditions that had been established had made, or so it seemed, made the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God, the action of God, the government of God, something that was not available to most Ordinaries.

People and the goal of the Beatitudes is to make it clear that people who were on the human scale could come to the kingdom of God where the blessing is and the gospel of Jesus brings the old news that there is a kingdom of God up to the level where the people who say I don't qualify could by trusting in him enter the kingdom of God which is called a new birth if you read John 3 you will see that it is a passage of the kingdom of God and now how it looks more specifically let me give you three passages I hope that these may be familiar to you uh but if not they will be after today some of you will have memorized Joshua 18 and if you haven't taken note look at it because it coincides with what Jesus says about seeking first the kingdom of God Joshua 18 says that this book of the law it will not depart from your mouth he did not say that it will not depart from your bookshelf or from your bundle of books from your mouth this book of the law will not come out of your mouth but you will meditate on it day and night so that you can observe and do accordingly with everything that is written in it.

Then you will make your way prosperous and you will have good success. Do you see the parallel between Matthew 633 and Joshua? 18 Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God what is the kingdom of God is what God is doing what is God's law is what God is doing are God's ways God's way of acting and of course the law is refers to much more than just the Ten Commandments, but also includes them, the Ten Commandments are how God would act the law, as Paul says, it is spiritual, the law is holy, just and good, the law is a good thing to keep to fill your mind, brings a substance that will direct your life accordingly, you not only have to try to do it, but you assimilate it and then, by taking the subsubstance of the word of God in you, it directs you, motivates you and motivates you. it gives power so that whatever you are doing is in accordance with the kingdom of God and that is why you make your way prosperous and have good success now Wheaton has a wonderful curriculum but they cannot guarantee you what that verse guarantees you unless they allow you to come to terms with that verse. which is that everything you do will prosper and you will have good success now, that is repeated in Psalm 1.

I don't have time this morning to go to that, but if you take Joshua 18 and compare it to the first Psalm, the first four verses and you will see the same Pro promise, you will see that the word is a primary dimension of the Kingdom, it is a primary dimension of the Kingdom, it is active, it is creative, it is Redemptive and when you take the word in it it is a substance for your soul and that is why Jesus You will remember that such a man will not live on bread alone but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God and when we take the word of God in us, not just a verse here and there, you need some passages and you must take them.

I always recommend Colossians 31-117 as a good place to start because in many ways it has all the reality of spiritual formation. In it, let me give you another verse, I hope you know this one too. This is Proverbs 3:5-7. listen to these words now what are we talking about we are talking about a spiritual life what does it look like listen to these words trust in the Lord with all your heart do not lean on your own understanding and I emphasize now verse six in all your in all your ways recognize it and he will make straight your ways do not be wise in your own opinion fear the lord and depart from evil let me take just a part of that passage in all your ways recognize it it goes with the previous passage from Joshua this book of the law will not depart from your mouth but you will meditate well on all yourways recognize it a spiritual life is a life of one who recognizes God in all his ways now what does that mean recognizing well means first of all recognizing his presence in everything you do, not only accept it yourself, you have to overcome the idea of ​​your own sufficiency and the reason why many people do not find God tangibly present in their lives is because they are still directing their lives.

God's direction is, in a manner of speaking, at the end of your rope and when you reach the end of your rope you will find God, which is why many people have had a seriously life-changing conversion. pray what is called the atheistic prayer, oh my God, if there is a God to save me. soul yes I have a soul and you would be surprised how many people have been deeply converted by it because they were at the end of their mantle a spiritual life is the life of a person who recognizes and expects God to be involved in everything they What you are doing now Obviously, that means giving up, doesn't it?

You have to give up the idea that you can run your own life and that is why the proverb says so clearly, do not be wise in your own eyes. Now quickly, let me give you. one more passage there are so many we could refer to here but one of my favorites on how to live this life is First Peter chapter 5 verses 5-7 Peter says clothe yourself with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but gives grace To the humble, humble yourselves, therefore, under the powerful hand of God so that he may exalt you at the appropriate time.

I hope you see the parallel between Joshua 18 and Proverbs uh 35-7 and this passage, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you. Let him exalt you at the right moment you see that they all have to do with leading a life of sufficiency but leading it from the hand of God you would like to be exalted you would probably do it but it is not clear what would be good for you God knows when it will be good and that is why The scripture says humble yourself under the powerful hand of God that is the action of God the hand of God is the action of God that means that you recognize Him in everything you depend on Him in everything you humble yourself under the powerful hand of God and when the time is right suitable God wants to exalt you God wants to exalt you if He can get us to put aside our efforts to be exalted and involve Him in our lives.

He would like to exalt you like a grandfather loves to exalt. your grandson, except that's not even the beginning of what it is, but it's more important that you be in a position to be exalted and the way to get there is by humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God, we have a hard time with humility, do we? You know? We find it difficult to even talk about it and you may have heard something like: if you are very humble you wouldn't know it well, ask yourselves how you are going to obey this commandment, dress in humility towards each other and we have jokes. about the man who writes the book on humility with 12 full page photographs of himself things like that what does it mean to be humble being humble simply means that you are realistic with yourself that is what humility means and if you are realistic with yourself that It will lead you to God because by being realistic with yourself you immediately see that you cannot manage your life or your career or whatever you are managing, that only with the help of God can you make your life work, that is why humility is so important in this. general overview of the spiritual life now if you are humble you are in the hands of God that is the humble person it is not someone who acts mortified and Uriah wants to take a Dickinsonian figure uh it is the person who simply is who he is and I give you three steps towards humility.

Later I will show you my fully paid photos. In fact, what I discovered is that it's pretty simple. It has three steps, all three starting with a p so you can use them to preach a sermon. One never pretends. Don't fake it now, you'll have to learn how to do it, but learning not to fake it, taking your body where it wasn't intended before you thought about it will take some training, some teaching, but never fake it. I will help you, that will take a big burden off your shoulders. Just think of all the energy human beings put into pretending.

Secondly, never brag, never assume that you should be treated a certain way, don't assume that you are depressed. assume you're on top just again be who you are where you never are assume it will save you a lot of disappointment if you do that and ultimately never push stand up for what is right stand up for who you are stand up for God but let him do the pushing and if you do those three things you will have to learn to do them you will find it possible to submit yourself under the powerful hand of God and he will exalt you it is very important that you understand that if you are humble that does not mean that you are passive and that you do nothing that means that there is nothing that you would not undertake if you thought that It is right and good because you are under the hand of God well, this is available to anyone, no matter what your qualifications or lack of qualifications, no matter if you are tall or short, whether you are a homebody or an absolute knockout, you have athletic ability or those who snail it.

It doesn't matter, you don't have to be intellectually deep, although that can help and you don't have to be well trained, you start where you are and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and you will know the fullness of a spiritual life, if you simply remain in that. way, we will represent a blessing, heavenly father, in the midst of many words, be our teacher and give us the simple lesson to our hearts, each one individually, and bring glory to your son and his cause. in this world in answer to these prayers now May the grace of God rest upon you Encouraged today amen you are watching WN a service of Wheaten College for information about our programs call 630752 561 or email WN we.edu a guide of video programs is available at w.org