Are you Spiritually Fit
Text: 1 Timothy 4:7-8, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 2 Timothy 4:7
Date: 10/11/09
Location: Sulphur Spring Baptist Church
Introduction: I personally think Paul was a sports fan. He used several sports analogies throughout his writings. For instance: In 1 Corithians 9:24-27 He says,
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win.” 1 Corithians 9:24, The Message
All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. 1 Corithians 9:25, The Message
I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! 1 Corithians 9:26, The Message
I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping,”
1 Corithians 9:27, The Message
And then towards the end of his life and ministry Paul wrote:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2Ti 4:7 NIV
Now turn with me to 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (Read NIV First)
I like the way the Phillips translation translates verse 7, It says,
Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” 1 Tim 4:7
Paul understood that in order for a Christian to be ‘spiritually fit’ that it was going to take some time and commitment. That it doesn’t just happen.
I also want to share with you two additional translations of verse 8, The first is from the New Living Translation and the second is from the Message Paraphrase of the Bible.
“Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next”. NLT
“Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever” The Message
I believe it’s pretty obvious from reading these passages of Scripture that the Apostle Paul new the importance of being both physically fit and spiritually fit.
Physical Fitness is a multi-billion dollar business in America today. Gyms and Health Clubs are almost as plentiful as churches. Not to mention all of the workout videos and equipment that you can buy from wal-mart, late night t.v infomercials, or even off the internet. But despite the Physical Fitness craze in America, according to the World Health Organization, over 74% of adults in America are overweight. Why is that?
Well, I can only speak for myself here. I started a new diet and workout program about 6 weeks ago but before that I guess I made every excuse in the book for not doing it. I didn’t have time to go to the gym…, it was easier and quicker to just go through a drive through than to cook…, it was harder to lose weight because I’m older than I used to be, an on and on. But the sad truth of the matter is that I was either in denial, or was just too lazy to do anything about it.
1. I had to face the reality that I was overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy. I had to admit that I had a problem. I had to consciously draw a line in the sand and say okay that’s it I’ve got to do something I’m tired of being overweight.
And guess what. No one could make that decision for me. My doctors had told me that I needed to loose some weight. Mary Anne had encouraged me to lose weight but it wasn’t until I got to the point that I wanted to put the time and effort into losing the weight that it actually started to happen.
2. I had to make some changes.
I couldn’t keep eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Not only that I couldn’t just sit around watching t.v. and expect to lose the weight I needed to lose.
3. I had to change my habitats. I was used to drinking 3 or 4 diet cokes a day. Now I usually only drink one a day. Before I began this diet, I rarely drank water before, now I drink at least 6 or 8 glasses a day.
4. I had to change my attitude…I had to stop being satisfied with the status quo and take some responsibility to actually do something about it. I had to make a commitment to do whatever it takes to lose the weight.
I had to change my priorities. I had to make ‘exercising’ one of my top priorities. I had to make a commitment to myself to work it into my schedule whenever I can.
I had to discipline myself. I couldn’t eat what I had been used to eating. I had to give up sweets, bread and potatoes. If I by the girls some donuts from Sweet Sue’s for breakfast I can’t eat any of them, and believe me that’s not easy, it takes all of the discipline and self control I’ve got.
I had to realize that I’m not going to accomplish my goal of losing 33 pounds overnight. I gained that weight over a period of 10 years and so it’s going to take some time to get it off. I haven’t met my goal yet but I’m making progress.
When I began exercising I didn’t start out spending 45 minutes to an hour on the treadmill or elliptical machine every day. I started out spending 20-30 minutes a day and have steadily increased that time as my body adjusted to it.
Okay, I know you’re probably wondering what in the world all of this has to do with anything, but this morning I want us to make a few comparisons to being physically fit and spiritually fit. I want to ask you a question this morning?
I. ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY FIT?
Now what do I mean by that? I mean are you spiritually mature, or are you like the people that the Apostle Paul was writing to in the book of 1st Corinthians 3:1-3 when He said,
“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.” 1 Cor 3:1
I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn’t handle anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,”
1 Cor 3:2 NLT
“for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord.” 1 Cor 3:3 (NLT)
This is similar to what the writer of the book of Hebrews said in Hebrews 5:12-13,
“You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food.” Heb 5:12 (NLT)
“And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right.” Heb 5:13 (NLT)
Christian author and pollster George Barna made some interesting observations about spiritually maturity in a recent survey. He said 9 out of 10 pastors in America believe that a lack of spiritual immaturity is the most significant or one of the biggest problems facing our churches and our nation today.
In the same study Barna reported that most Christian adults in America consider themselves to be both spiritually mature and spiritually healthy.
Maybe we need to define spiritual maturity. What do I mean when I say “are you spiritually mature?” I’ll give you several characteristics of someone who is ‘spiritually mature.’
A Spiritually mature person…
1) Has a close intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ.
2) Spends time with the Lord daily reading His word and praying.
3) Knows what they believe and why they believe it.
4) Knows the Bible well enough to know what is in it and what isn’t.
5) Understands that Jesus is the Lord of their life and that they are His servant and consequently have no right to tell Him they aren’t going to do something He wants them to do.
6) Lives a God centered life instead of a self-centered life.
7) Lives a life of humility and considers others better than themselves.
8) Loves God with all of their heart, soul and mind, and loves their neighbor as much as they do themselves.
9) Sees people through God’s eyes instead of their own.
10) Lives their life according to the Spirit.
In the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul did a good job of comparing and contrasting those who are Spiritually mature with those who aren’t. Turn with me if you will to Galatians 5:16-26. (Read From Bible.)
II. If you are here this morning and you realize that you are not as spiritually mature or as spiritually fit as you should be there are some things you are going to have to do.
1. You are going to have to admit that your spiritual condition is not what it should be.
That’s what I had to do about my weight problem, and it’s the first step toward overcoming any problem, whether you’re talking about a problem with drugs or alcohol, a problem with your weight, or a spiritual problem. It’s not the easiest thing to do but unless you do it, you’ll remain a spiritual baby the rest of your life.
2. You are going to have to make a commitment to yourself and to God to do whatever it takes to become spiritually fit. No one can make that decision for you. I can stand up here and preach about it until I’m blue in the face but until you make the commitment to do whatever you have to do to become spiritually mature then it wont’ matter.
3. You are going to have to invest the time and effort into becoming spiritually fit.
It doesn’t just happen.
You can’t put the Bible under your pillow at night and learn it through osmosis.
You will never become spiritually mature as long as you continue to rely on me to spoon feed you the word of God once a week.
You’ve got to accept the responsibility for your own spiritual condition no one can do it for you.
My doctors and Mary Anne encouraged me to lose weight, but they couldn’t do it for me. I’m encouraging you this morning to get spiritually fit, but I can’t do it for you. I can encourage you, I can assist you, I can teach you, but I can’t do it for you.
(4) You are going to have to make some changes, especially when it comes to your priorities.
Your relationship to God has got to be your top priority.
Which means you’re going to have to spend less time watching television and more time reading His Word.
It means you’re going to have to spend less time talking or texting your friends and more time talking to God.
It means you’re going to have to spend less time memorizing the lyrics to your favorite songs and more time memorizing His Word.
It means you’re going to have to spend more time worshipping and praising His name and less time praising your favorite athlete.
II. LET ME GIVE YOU THREE STEPS TO BECOMING SPIRITUALLY FIT.
(1) Spiritual Fitness Requires the proper Spiritual Nutrition.
Just as our bodies need a certain amount of nourishment every day to remain strong and healthy, we as Christians also need the proper amount of spiritual nourishment in order to grow in our faith and remain spiritually strong.
Jesus said, “I am the vine you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)
And of course just like a branch receives it’s nourishment through the vine, we receiver our nourishment by abiding in Him; by maintaining a close personal relationship with Him; by spending time reading His word and communicating with Him on a daily basis.
(2) Spiritual Fitness Requires Regular Spiritual Exercise.
Faith is like a muscle; it must be exercised in order for it to grow. Jesus constantly chastised His Disciples for their lack of faith.
But at the same time He told them if they had faith the size of a mustard seed that nothing would be impossible for them.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that as Christians “we are to live by faith, not by sight.”
So go out and exercise your faith in God this week.
(3) Spiritual Fitness Requires Spiritual Renewal.
There’s more to the Christian life than just being saved from your sins. From time to time we all need to be revived and renewed spiritually. We let our guard down and before we know it we’re being dragged down by anything and everything. That’s what the writer of Hebrews was talking about when He said,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
You see in order to be spiritually renewed you have to get rid of all of that sin and baggage that is weighing you down. Why don’t you do that this morning? I promise you, that you’ll be glad you did.
Conclusion: What I’m suggesting this morning is not going to be easy. In fact it may very well be the hardest thing you’ve ever tried to do in your life. But I guarantee you it’s worth it. Jesus wants you to enjoy a Full and Abundant life but He’s not going to force you to do anything. The decision is yours and yours alone.
Apple Computers and IPods are sure to be some of the most popular Christmas gifts again this year. But back in the early 1980’s Apple was struggling to survive and the concept of personal computers had not yet taken off. It was then that Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers flew to New York City to talk to a man by the name of John Scully, who at that particular time was the President of Pepsi Cola. Jobs was doing his best to talk Scully into joining the Apple team, but Scully was reluctant, after all he didn’t no anything about computers. Finally, Jobs looked at him and said, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"
That’s my challenge to you this morning. Do you want to continue to live a mediocre, lukewarm Christian life or do you want to change the world?
You see, I guarantee you, if you get spiritually fit, God will do things through you that you never dreamed possible. And who knows if enough of us get spiritually fit then maybe we can change our little corner of the world, just like the Disciples did some 2000 years ago.
