United We Stand - "Being United in Body, Soul, and Spirit for God"
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NKJV) 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
I. Introduction
A. Greeting and Opening Prayer
B. Theme Introduction: Exploring the holistic unity of body, soul, and spirit in service to God.
II. Understanding the Tripartite Nature of Man
A. Biblical Basis: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NKJV) - 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
B. Explanation of Body, Soul, and Spirit
1. Body: soma - Our physical existence and actions. We see, feel, smell, touch, connect physically.
2. Soul: psyche - Our emotions, will, and intellect.
3. Spirit: pneûma - Our innermost part that connects with God.
C. Rabbi Isaac (Zohar in Lev. tbl. 29. 2,) says, "Worthy are the righteous in this world and the world to come, for lo, they are all holy; their body is holy, their soul is holy, their spirit, and their breath is holy."
Isaiah 26:9 (NKJV) 9 With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
With my soul I have desired You in the night… Unfortunately, this is when we realize we need help from a higher power. “In the Night”, when we are confused, short sighted, lost, frustrated, don’t know heads from tales.
But because we have looked …by my spirit within me I will seek You early…the spirit leads us into the Righteousness of God.
III. The Body: Temple of the Holy Spirit
A. Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)- 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
B. Application: Caring for our physical health as an act of worship.
C. Practical Steps: Exercise, rest, and healthy living as stewardship of God’s gift.
D. Read - Biblical Illustrator (1)
IV. The Soul: Emotional and Intellectual Alignment with God
A. Scripture Reference: Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV)- “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”
B. Application: Cultivating a soul that seeks and reflects God’s character.
C. Practical Steps: Prayer, meditation, and study of Scripture.
D. Read - Biblical Illustrator
V. The Spirit: Deepening Our Relationship with God
A. Scripture Reference: Romans 8:16 (NKJV) - “16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
B. Application: Fostering a spirit receptive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
C. Practical Steps: Worship, obedience, and spiritual disciplines.
D. Read - Biblical Illustrator (2)
VI. Integrating Body, Soul, and Spirit in Christian Living
A. The Call for Holistic Unity: Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV)- 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”
B. The Importance of Balance and Harmony
C. Examples of Holistic Christian Living
D. Read - Biblical Illustrator (2 & 3)
VII. Conclusion
A. Summarization of Key Points
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 (NKJV)
7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:
8 There is one alone, without [companion:
He has neither son nor brother.
Yet there is no end to all his labors,
Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
But he never asks,
“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?”
This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
In the simplest sense, fiber that is twisted or braided is stronger than the same bundle of fibers that are straight because the cord has more capacity to stretch.
B. Call to Action: Living United in Body, Soul, and Spirit
When you are the Strongest when you are ONE with God.
And, you are Super Strong when you are united with another that are at their Strongest.
When you unite with someone, you are only as strong as the Weakest, but you are still Stronger than anybody standing alone.
C. Closing Prayer
