BETTER BODY BUILDING INTRO part 1
Can you believe that we are headed for the holiday season already? Very soon we will be looking at celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas and it will be another new year. I am praying that 2009 will be a year when we see great growth and decisions as we have the latter part of this year. Next week we will have a guest speaker as our missionary host from Haiti will bring us a message, and the following week we will have our Thanksgiving dinner and service, then the following week we will be starting a 4 week series for Christmas, and our New Year’s sermon and then we have a five week slot before REVIVAL! This morning I am going to introduce a series of sermon’s I am working on for that five week slot. Inspired by my most recent excursion to get in shape, I am calling this series “Better Body Building.” I see that many people in our country and perhaps in the world, pledge to “get in shape” at the first of the year, and I think we as the Body of Christ, should build a better body as well. The benefits of getting our physical body in shape are easy to see, the benefits of getting the body of Christ in shape may be a little more difficult to see, and yet, they are equally important. Let’s face it, we get our bodies in shape because; we want to live longer, feel better, do more, look better, grow in proper proportion, and be healthy. The body of Christ is no different, we as Christ’s bride should want to live forever, (as churches across our country are dying everyday). We should want feel better, this is our FAMILY.
We should want to do more, a church that is not DOING is DYING. We should want to look better, the world will judge us on what they see. We need to grow in proper proportion, meaning we cannot succeed with 300 people in church and 50 doing all the work. AND we want to be healthy, that is being God’s church not our country club. This morning I want to show you why we are a body that needs to get in shape, and why we need to “Build a Better Body”
Turn with me this morning to 1 Cor. 12 we are looking at a lot of scripture here so keep your finger in your Bible as we go through God’s Word this morning, first let us look at verses 12-14.1 Cor 12:12-14 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
We are a UNIT of many parts, but together we are powerful.
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "What channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can’t you guys get organized like that?"
WHY? Indeed, why can the church not get organized into the powerful unit that God intended it to be? Part of the answer to that question has been addressed in weeks gone by. We have looked at the fact that many Christians have made a decision to follow Christ and be a part of the church, BUT they have not made a commitment to that decision. Building a Better Body will take a commitment. Another reason that the church is not nearly as powerful as it should be is because we spend a great deal of time making false judgments about each other. We as God’s children have no business passing judgement on those outside the church as the scripture tells us and we are to be careful how we pass judgement on those inside the church family as well.
Two taxidermists stopped in front of a window where an owl was on display. They immediately began to criticize the way it was mounted. Its eyes were not natural; its wings were not in proportion with its head; its feathers were not neatly arranged; and its feet could be improved. Just when they had finished with their criticism, the owl turned his head...and blinked. It’s easier to be critical than correct.
Mark 3:24-25 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
AND we know this to be true, we see it ALL around us. The world gives us great examples of how division causes problems.
In a state fair in days of old, they had teams of horses attempting to pull huge amounts of weight. I read where one team pulled 17,000 pounds to beat out another team that pulled 15000 pounds. Someone decided they should see if the two teams together could pull 32,000 pounds, BUT together they pulled 45,000 pounds. When God’s people work together as a family they can do ALL things. We are members of God’s household. EPH 2:19 tells us this, Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,
WE MUST have a COMMITMENT to UNITY as the enemy does whatever he can to divide.
BUT, we are a body of many parts, and this in itself can cause us problems, just as it does in our human bodies. You see, under this coat of many more pounds than I should have, is a fit and trim 30 something man. (OK maybe 40 something) The point is that some parts of my body do not work the way I would like them to, some because of neglect on my part, some because of age, and some have never had the strength to work the way I would have liked them to. Paul says the same thing.
1 Cor 12:15-17 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
Here Paul talks to those in the church that feel they are not a significant part of the body. He is saying we cannot be a body if we are all the same things, we need each other and we need to embrace the diversity.
When I was in Marine Corps boot-camp, (some 30 years ago) one of the most impressionable things the drill instructor’s did was to make us work as a unit. When running, we did not finsih until the last man crossed the line. We would have to run in place until the last person got to where we were at. We were a unit, we LEFT no one behind, EVER. An effective church realizes that our GOD would leave no person behind. The Marines taught that we were only as strong as the weakest man, the Bible teaches us that in our weakness we are strong, because we then rely on God’s strength and not our own. There is no one that is not needed in God’s household, ALL are important to Him and should be important to us as well. We all have different opinions, we all have different ideas, BUT God loves us just the same and we should do the same as a unit.
The other side of the coin is where Paul talks about those that think they are TOO significant, proud and there is NO room for pride in the church BODY.
1 Cor 12:21-25 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don’t need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don’t need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
We have no right to speak of who we need in our church body and who we don’t need, it has to be God’s decision. It is our job to make the body as good as we can make it, those that are weaker are INDISPENSABLE, this word translates as necessary. The weaker members of the church are NECESSARY, - - - - - WHY?
If we were ALL strong in the Word and the ways of God, who would we teach, who would our example touch, how could we grow? AND Paul says, Those that we THINK are less honorable deserve special honor and so forth.
LET NOT OUR PRIDE GET IN THE WAY!!
A young pilot had just passed the point of no return when the weather changed for the worse. Visibility dropped to a matter of feet as fog descended to the earth. Putting total trust in the cockpit instruments was a new experience to him, for the ink was still wet on the certificate verifying that he was qualified for instrument flying. The landing worried him the most. His destination was a crowded metropolitan airport he wasn’t familiar with. In a few minutes he would be in radio contact with the tower. Until then, he was alone with his thoughts. His instructor had practically forced him to memorize the rulebook. He didn’t care for it at the time, but now he was thankful. Finally he heard the voice of the air traffic controller. “I’m going to put you on a holding pattern,” the controller radioed. Great! thought the pilot. However, he knew that his safe landing was in the hands of this person. He had to draw upon his previous instructions and training, and trust the voice of an air traffic controller he couldn’t see. Aware that this was no time for pride, he informed the controller, “This is not a seasoned pro up here. I would appreciate any help you could give me.” “You’ve got it!” he heard back. For the next 45 minutes, the controller gently guided the pilot through the blinding fog. As course and altitude corrections came periodically, the young pilot realized the controller was guiding him around obstacles and away from potential collisions. With the words of the rulebook firmly placed in his mind, and with the gentle voice of the controller, he landed safely at last.
This is what God expects from us, Gal 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. There is NO ROOM for pride in the body, this is what we must watch for.
SO WE ARE a UNIT with MANY PARTS but I need to bring you to the reason for a series entitled “Better Body Building” And I can sum it up in one word
COMPLACENCY!!!
In the church, complacency is CANCER.
Let me share story with you about some church people… It’s about 4 people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody… The church had some financial responsibilities and Everybody was asked to help… Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it… Anybody could have done it… But you know who did it? Nobody… It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done… Then the church grounds needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help… But Somebody got mad, because Anybody could have done it, and after all, it was really Everybody’s job… In the end, the work was given to Nobody, and Nobody did a fine job… On & on it went… Whenever work was to be done, Nobody could always be counted on… Nobody visited the sick, Nobody gave his time, Nobody shared his faith… In short, Nobody was a very faithful member… Finally the day came when Somebody left the church and took Anybody & Everybody with him… Guess who was left. Nobody! Isn’t that a sad story?
NOW, I can honestly say that I do not see this sadness in our church, BUT I would like to insure that things stay that way. We all need to be in God’s Gym, working and stretching to make our body a better one. It will take discipline and it will take commitment. We can not allow the cancer of complacency to kill our church and so in January I will start a series of sermon that are intended to bring a high-impact spiritual workout to make our church body better. To help us become a church on the move, to be a church that is in good shape, feeling and looking better, being more productive and being healthy.
As I see it there are many things that a church can do to get in better shape, but I am going to talk about five of them and that will take us to the REVIVAL with brother Tom Weaver.
The first is working the prayer master- the stair master is one piece of equipment that has always been difficult for me. The up and down movement is difficult on my joints and makes my body ache. I know it is good for me and still I avoid that one exercise whenever possible.
HOWEVER, I can say with some certainty, that a church body that does not use PRAYER, or become a master of PRAYER is a church that will not survive. This evening we are going to have a concert of prayer, an opportunity for everyone to participate in prayer and see how God moves in our lives when we communicate with Him. No one will be put on the spot and asked to pray out loud or in front of anyone, BUT the more people that we have, the more unity displayed in prayer, the more likely we are to see results. Prayer is an essential exercise for the church that is getting IN SHAPE. Jesus told us that with faith we can do things that we would never believe could be done and He said. Matt 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Of course that has to be in God’s will and not for our own selfish desires.
A young boy was observed by a minister in church praying very fervently; but much to the preacher’s surprise, he was also heard to say from time to time: "Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo." So preacher approached the boy after he had apparently finished his prayer and said, "Son, I was very pleased to see you praying so devoutly, but tell me, why did you keep saying ’Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo?" The boy replied, "Well, you see sir, I just finished taking my geography test in school, and I have been praying for the Lord to make Tokyo the Capital of France.
The second week I will speak about evangelism, or “rowing the growing machine”
The rowing machine is one of those exercises that really stretches you out, and growing can stretch a church as well. So many churches never grow because people are not really equipped to discuss their belief system. I hope that if you are not plugged into a small group yet, you will look at doing so. The small groups are looking at the “Truth Project” and this is a great way to defend your belief system or better still understand what your beliefs should be according to the Bible.
If we are to evangelize a lost world we must first KNOW the TRUTH and we must know how to present it to those that are searching for it. We must stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone and tell others about Christ and His church.
There is a story of Billy Graham when he was visiting a city for one of his crusades. He had finished writing a letter and began to look for a place to mail it. Walking around the city for a while, he came across a young boy. He asked the boy if he knew how to get to the post office. The boy gave Billy Graham the directions and before leaving, Billy said to the boy, “Come on over to the arena tonight and I’ll tell you how to get to heaven.” The boy looked at him and replied, “How can you know how to get to heaven? You don’t even know the way to the post office!”
We may not always get the answer we want, but it is our job to build God’s church by inviting people to know His son jesus Christ.
The third week we will look at lifting weights. The greatest way to build muscle is by lifting weights and the Bible tells us Gal 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. This is what we call fellowship, Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. We need to build each other up by carrying burdens, by lifting weights. There is so much more strength in a group of people then there is in the individual. Much of that fellowship time involves food.
Some of the most humorous and enlightening moments in our lives center around eating and drinking. Take for instance the interaction between a pastor and young boy in a certain congregation. It seems this particular congregation loved good fellowship and always served coffee after the sermon. One Sunday the pastor asks a little boy if he knew why they served the coffee. "I think," said the boy, "it’s to get the people awake after your sermon, before they drive home."
I don’t know about that BUT I do know that lifting weights is a great way for a church to grow, for IRON sharpens IRON.
The fourth way we will look at for building a better body is by eating right, yup, eating right. Now I know when you look at me, you might ask why I would be preaching about eating right. After all it looks like I have been on the seafood diet, I see food and eat it, but this is all about being fed the right spiritual food. This is about making sure that the parts of our body are getting the proper nutrition to do what God would have them to do and therefore making us a better body. The Bible speaks in these terms as well, John 21:15-18 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
We as parents will not allow our children to go hungry, WHY would we allow our church family to go hungry. They must eat and eat the right things 1 Cor 3:2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. Heb 5:12-14 You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Finally we will talk about “Building a Better Body” by listening to your trainer. So many times I hear people say, “If God Speaks, Why Can’t I hear Him?” This question really suggests that God does not speak, and that if He does there are reasons for our not hearing Him, my answer is YES! God does speak, and there are things that keep us from hearing Him. We hear our body telling us what we must do as well, BUT that does not insure that we will listen.
At any rate, in January and through until the REVIVAL, we will be looking at Building a Better Body through PRAYER, EVANGELISM, FELLOWSHIP, DISCIPLESHIP and SERVANTHOOD.
If you are here this morning and have not as of yet joined the church body, as the musicians come forward I would like to personally invite you to become a part of this church family. If you are a baptized believer, by immersion and would like to be a part of God’s household here in Fort Gibson, OK. Come forward as we sing this song. If you are not a believer as of yet, and you feel the Holy Spirit pulling you toward that personal relationship you need and must have in order to enter the kingdom of God, please come forward during this time.
