ACTS: The Church In Action
how to be spiritual
Themes from 14 & 17

INTRODUCTION: Like the believers in the early church, we live in a culture with a variety of ideas about "spirituality".  Acts 14 and 17 highlight three different groups of people who heard and responded to the gospel message based on their idea of what it meant to be spiritual. Two of them were imbalanced and extreme, and one was called "noble".


two extremes (acts 14:8-20 & 17:32)
  1. Fanaticism: The People of Lystra (14:11, 19)
    1. A tendency toward emotional extremism (v 11-18)
    2. A tendency toward idolatry (v 11-18)
    3. A tendency to be fickle (v 19)
  2. Elitism: The Men of Athens (17:32)
    1. A tendency to be cynical (v 18)
    2. A tendency to be purely philosophical (v 21)
    3. A tendency to minimize the miraculous (v 32)
the noble approach (Acts 17:10,11)
  1. Balance: The Bereans (17:10,11)
    1. Eagerness to receive from God (v 11)
    2. Willingness to test all things by the Word (v 11)
A recipe for biblical spirituality
  1. Pursue unity with the brethren. (I cor 3:1-3)

    "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ."
  2. Seek to obey the Word of God. (I Cor 14:37)

    "If any man thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I am writing are the commandment of the Lord."
  3. Commit yourself to physical purity (Rom 12:1)

    "... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."
  4. Live a life that is above reproach (I Cor 2:15)

    "He that is spiritual appraises all things, and is judged of no man."
  5. Assist a weaker brother to become strong (Gal 6:1)

    "Brethren, if any man is caught up in sin, you who are spiritual restore him in a spirit of gentleness, looking also to yourselves that you also may be tempted."