Inside Out Faith

Introduction- Navigating the Interior Life: Spiritual Direction & The Journey To God by Dan Burke, Fr. John Bartunek

Not too long ago, I came across fresh mountain lion tracks while fly-fishing alone in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. My first response was a bit of concern, but after a brief, careful survey of the surrounding terrain, I turned my attention back to the river. As I did so, all my instincts began to press in on me and I realized that I was in a very bad situation. Facing the river and focusing on the water, I was completely unable to keep track of what was around me. The roar of the river through the canyon completely disabled my ability to hear anything but the rushing water. I tried to brush off the feeling, but the tension just continued to rise until—with a teeth-bearing growl—I decided to hike back to safety.

I just couldn’t get beyond the fear that the huge blind spot behind me harbored an inevitable attack. This is a picture of a rare event in life. Blind spots are called “blind spots” because we are not aware of them; we are “blind” to them.

The best among us work very hard to develop virtue and to avoid, or eliminate sin, yet often have only a vague understanding of the fragile nature of our souls. Saints and sinners alike, we all have blind spots. For all of us, the most deadly are those that threaten our spiritual health and growth. Simply put, these blind spots can hide potentially fatal attacks from the enemy of our souls. “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in faith” (1 Pet. 5:8–9a).

The French Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin famously said,

‘We are not human beings having a spiritual experience – we are spiritual beings having a human experience.’ And if this is true, we ignore either of those facts at our peril.

People who attempt to live purely in the material world and ignore the spiritual tend, in my experience, to ride the roller coaster of life’s ups and downs and arrive at the end of the ride feeling – accurately – that they haven’t actually gotten anywhere and wondering why those spiritual people seem so calm and peaceful.

Transition To Body- Jesus seeing the crowds

Matthew 5:1–16 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:6 ESV

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Body- Inside Out Faith

Upholds Authority of Scripture

Matthew 5:17 ESV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Abolish

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 76.23 καταλύω

to completely invalidate something which has been in force—‘to do away with, to invalidate, to make invalid

Fulfil

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.144 πληρόω

to give the true or complete meaning to something—‘to give the true meaning to, to provide the real significance of.’

John 5:38–39 ESV

38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

John 16:13 ESV

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:11 ESV

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Observes Permanence of Scripture

Matthew 5:18 ESV

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

The grass withers...

Isaiah 40:6–8 ESV

6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Evinces Incarnation of Scriptures

Matthew 5:19–20 ESV

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

evinces- to constitute outward evidence of; to display clearly: reveal

Incarnate- : invested with bodily and especially human nature and form

: made manifest or comprehensible : EMBODIED

Incarnation-

: a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept

especially : a person showing a trait or typical character to a marked degree

First, this exceeding righteousness should be evident in our attitudes.

Six different times in Matthew 5:21-48 Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said . . . but I tell you . . ."

Matthew 5:6 ESV

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Second, Jesus says that our exceeding righteousness should be evident in our desires.

In Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus refers to three different kinds of behavior: giving (vv. 2-3), prayer (vv. 5-14), and fasting (vv. 16-18).

Matthew 6:1 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Third, in Matthew 6:19-34 Jesus says that we must have new ambitions.

He gives the following instructions in verses 31-33: So don't worry, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we wear?" For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Jesus’ fulfilling all righteousness

Matthew 3:13–15 ESV

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

The LORD counted (imputed) our Righteousness through our faith

Genesis 15:6 ESV

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:3 ESV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Pharisees Trusted in themselves (Practice What You Preach)...

Matthew 23:1–4 ESV

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Paul said Not our own righteousness

Philippians 3:9 ESV

9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

The Righteousness of God Revealed

Romans 3:21–23 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Trust the LORD

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Jesus Christ is the Righteousness of God

1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV

30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

Put on Christ

Romans 13:14 ESV

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Colossians 3:12–15 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

John 17:17 ESV

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Seek first the Kingdom…

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Transition To Close- Christ- the Incarnate Word

Other definition of incarnation:

capitalized : the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ

: the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form

John 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Close

John 1:14–18 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Sow for yourselves Righteousness

Hosea 10:12 ESV

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

Galatians 6:6–9 ESV

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

1 Corinthians 15:42–45 ESV

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

John 3:16–17 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.