"From Power Plan To Paper Weights"

Subject: Spiritual Health

Scripture: Hebrews 10.19-25

Sermon: “From Power Plan to Paper Weights”

Scope: This sermon should compel Christians to live and maintain a healthy spiritual life.

Summary: We must realize that spiritual health is a way of life not a quick fix.

Segue: Let’s look at some steps we must take in order to maintain spiritual health individually and collectively.

Introduction: We live in an era of health fanatics. We eat low sodium, low fat foods. We look for diet plans and diet pills. We buy workout videos and the latest peace of exercise equipment on the market, only to see our video’s become paper weights and our equipment become portable clothes hangers. Then we become frustrated because we don’t see results. What we’ve failed to realize is that the folks used to advertise this stuff have made fitness away of life. Yet, those who market and package their programs and gadgets gear them to appeal to a fast paced consumer looking for a quick fix.

Isn’t the church a lot like that. Our society is full of unhealthy churches and spiritually weak Christians. We sit back and wonder why we have no growth spiritually or physically in our churches. We have become spiritually anemic and weak. We have forgotten that spiritual fitness must be a way of life. We sit back and wait for the quick fix. We look for the latest program to come down the Christian press. What we must realize is in order to maintain a healthy spiritual life and a healthy church we must make spiritual exercise a way of life.

So, today I want us to look at some steps we must take in order to maintain spiritual health individually and corporately.

First, we must draw near to God (see Hebrews 10.22). This is the key step in our walk towards spiritual health. The closer we get to God the better we will be able to fulfill the rest of the steps outlined in this text. Isn’t that what we long for any way? We won’t be satisfied until we see him face to face. I love the hymn that says, “what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when he takes me by the hand and leads me through the promise land. What a day, glorious day that will be.” If we won’t to be healthy spiritually we must draw near to God. What a scary thought, because the closer we get to God the more of our true spirit is revealed. As we approach the presence of the Almighty we must say with the prophet Jeremiah, “woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips.” When we get to that point in our lives we can expect the Angel of the Lord to purge our lips with a coal from the alter of God, just as He did for Jeremiah.

Just as Moses had to remove his shoes as he approached the burning bush, if we want to draw near to God, we must humble ourselves when we enter His presence. That’s what the writer of Hebrews said in verse 22 as he compels us to draw near to God with a sincere and true heart in full assurance of faith. The only way that we can hope to do that is by having our hearts sprinkled clean from evil and our bodies washed with pure water.

If we want to begin to have a healthy spiritual life let us first draw near to God. One of the first steps in drawing near to God is to dig into his word. A second way to move closer to God is by spending time in prayer. So, let us begin the process of a healthy Christian life by drawing near to God.

Second, if we want to be healthy Christians and develop healthy churches we must hold fast to the confession of our hope (see Hebrews 10.23). I remember when I was 16 years old how I made my first profession of faith. Our church was in revival with Bro. Bobby McGilliard leading the service. Through his message God began to reveal to me that I was lost and headed for a place called Hell. I went forward and one of the councilors took me to a room in the back and shared with me how I could have eternal life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized. However, something happened. I began to doubt that salvation experience. I remember riding down the road talking with God and saying, Lord if I’m really a Christian let me know before I get to the next telephone pole. I would stay awake at night worrying over my eternal destiny. I questioned the words I said when I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior. This went on for about two years. But, finally on August 15, 1985 while sitting in the middle of a church service I looked up towards Heaven and said, “Lord I can’t do this any more.” I said, “God if I’m going to get to Heaven it is going to be because of what Jesus Christ did for me and not because of what I can do for myself.” It was that night that I rested completely in Jesus Christ as both my Lord and my Savior. From that day forward I have not had to battle with doubt any more. From that day forward I have held fast to the confession of my faith.