Worship

Salem Lutheran Church                                                          Pastor Jon Enter

Theme: Honor the Lord with Our Bodies

Text: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Do you have a love-hate but mostly hate relationship with your mirror? I don’t think many of us walk by a mirror, back pedal, check ourselves out, and joyfully say, “What’s up, good looking!” We tend to avoid the mirror. Do you know what is often the number one New Year’s Resolution made by Americans? Get in Shape. We all want to get in better shape. Those not physically fit want to get fit. Those in shape want more definition, bigger arms, or a tighter tummy. Even the healthiest people think they have “problem areas” on their bodies they are working on in the gym.

What is the problem area of your body? Arms? Legs? Tummy? Hips? “Um, pastor, is there a box I can checkmark for ALL OF THE ABOVE?” If you are not happy with the way your body looks and you aren’t as healthy as you want to be, what’s holding you back? What’s stopping you?

Today’s sermon isn’t going to regurgitate what your doctor or spouse or best friend says to you about health. “Get more sleep.” “Check your body mass index.” “Shop the outside of the grocery store where the food is real and not the center aisles where the food is filled with preservatives and ‘ingredients’ you can’t pronounce.” Although, those are all valuable and should be taken seriously; this is a spiritual conversation. Your body is a spiritual conversation. Your use of your body is a matter of faith in action.

In the New Testament, Paul saw the connection as well between our soul and our body. “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) Paul reveals our souls and bodies are connected together. He prays they are BOTH sanctified. To be sanctified means to live in a holy, God-pleasing way. Not only does God expect our souls to be pleasing to Him but He expects our bodies to be the same. He expects our bodies to DO right actions physically and spiritually.

If your body is not in the shape you want it to be, there are two very simple reasons why. This is true no matter your age. You’re probably not eating right or exercising right. That’s it. It’s just that simple. If you change these two things in your life almost everyone will lose weight and feel better.

Our text today dealing with how we use or abuse our bodies is written to the believers in Corinth and for good reason. Corinth was basically the Las Vegas of Greece; all other Greeks knew Corinth was the place where people did whatever they wanted. What happens in Corinth, stays in Corinth. It had a reputation for immorality and indulgence, which impacted the believers living there.

Paul quoted the Corinthians’ thinking in his letter to them, “I have the right to do anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) That was the mindset in Corinth. Anything, everything was permissible. They approved doing anything with their bodies with food, with drink, with the process of procreation (keeping this PG for the children). The believers there bought into the Corinthian carnal thinking that their bodies were just tools to be used for pleasure and their bodies were separate from their faith.

Paul countered that thinking, “But not everything is beneficial.” Crazy fact: in ancient Corinth, there were over a thousand temple prostitutes at the temple of Aphrodite. Culturally, that kind of prostitution was a part of everyday life. That’s how they “worshipped” Aphrodite. Paul condemned that culture calling the Corinthian Christians to apply their faith. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!” (1 Corinthians 6:15)

Your bodies are members of Christ Himself. Let that sink in. You, body and soul, have been joined to Christ and Christ to you by faith. Paul explained it this way in Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him [physically] in glory.” Your body and your soul are connected. How are you doing with this command of Christ, “Honor God with your bodies”? (1 Corinthians 6:20)

FOUR FACTS ON AMERICANS’ UNHEALTHY HEALTH:

1- Over 100 million Americans are obese. I repeat, obese, not just overweight. That’s 34 million more than the populations of Australia AND Canada!

2- The percentage of Americans either obese or overweight is 74%.

3- One out of every ten Americans is diabetic. That number is set to increase to three out of every ten Americans by 2040.

4- The average American eats 200 grams of sugar each day. That’s a cup of sugar every day. Check the ingredients, sugar is added to almost everything! (CenterforDiseaseControl.gov)

One of the biggest problems American have that contribute to our waistlines are the portion sizes of the fatty, junky, unhealthy but tasty food we eat. The problem is the more butter, soy sauce, or deep fried goodness food has, it tends to be tastier. But that taste sensation is only temporary. Have you heard this phrase? “A moment on the lips leads to a lifetime on the hips.” It’s so true! What we eat and how much we eat leads to our bodies feeling run down and overweight because we aren’t fueling it properly.

Would you put gas into your car that was mixed with sawdust, marbles, and dirt? I don’t think you would! You know it would ruin your engine and your car is far too valuable to treat that way! Why would you do that to your body? Why would you fuel your body with things that damage the engine of your body known as your heart?

It’s the food we eat, the energy drinks we consume, and the alcoholic beverages we drink. The useless calories we pour into our bodies are not what God designed in the perfect Garden of Eden. He commands you to be wise and faithful with what you put into your bodies. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”                         (1 Corinthians 10:31)

That’s only half of it. In order to get our bodies in shape, not only do we need to decrease our unhealthy-for-us food intake into our bodies, we need to increase our output; we need to be active and exercise regularly.

I was guilty of this for so long. Before Debbi and I started our family, we were active, healthy, and worked out regularly. We were in the gym three days a week and played competitive volleyball for hours on Thursday nights. Then, we had kids. Screeeeeeeech, it all grinded to a halt. When I stopped working out, any muscle mass I had went [make sucking sound] away. I may have looked healthy but inwardly I was not heart healthy. I talk for a living…how non active is that!

Since I wasn’t motivating myself to get healthy, I joined a group for physical, spiritual, and professional accountability. It made all the difference I needed. I needed someone to hold me accountable. Who holds you accountable? You need accountability. God holds us accountable for how we treat the bodies He has given us. Christ is calling you out in this sermon to get out there and make the changes in your life you know you need to make!

You’re probably thinking, “Great, how am I going to do this? I’m too busy!” Busy is a four letter word. Busy is an excuse. Busy is something you say when you’re not motivated to do something. “Can you help me move this next weekend? Um, oh, sorry, I think I’m busy.” You are only too busy for the things you don’t think are important. God tells you this is important. “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless… The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Did you notice the order of what God says should be blameless? First soul, then body. God includes your body. If your motivation for change—to get your body in shape—comes from guilt, it will not last. It needs to come from God. That’s why He tells you to have your soul in shape, to have your soul dedicated to living for the Lord. When you do, you want to get your life and body living for the Lord as well. AND Christ tells you He will motivate you to do it. “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”

So, what do you do? Confess your unfaithfulness and excuses over to Christ. Unless they are removed by His mercy, by His love and forgiveness, you will not change. You will hold on to the excuses that have kept you from getting healthy. You’re probably running the excuses right now in your mind. Not one of them is valid. Not a one. If it is keeping you from getting healthier and honoring Christ with your body, then confess it over to Him and ASK CHRIST to help you overcome that obstacle! He is faithful; and He will do it. If He cares about you enough—which He does—to forgive you for every sinful act you’ve ever done in your life, for every excuse you’ve even given for not being faithful to Him, don’t you realize Christ Jesus will motivate you and support you to improve your physical health?

I have a friend who was on every fad diet you could think of but never kept the weight off. He’d lose weight, lose motivation and gain the weight back…and then some. He’d try another diet, lose weight, lost motivation and gain the weight back…and then some. Then he finally gave his weight problem over to Christ in daily prayer and the pounds came off and stayed off. When Christ is your Strength and Motivator, change happens!

I get it; change is hard. It’s difficult. But change doesn’t happen until the pain of the present is greater than the pain of change. If you aren’t pained enough by the scale or the mirror or the way your body feels to make a change in your life, then ask someone to hold you accountable, like I did.

Here’s your plan for health blessed by God:

1-Confess your excuses.

2-Pray for success.

3-Eat a little less.

4-Exercise a little more.

5-Evaluate and increase.

6-Have accountability.

If you want to get healthier than where you are right now, this is the plan. This will work. Every time it will work! What’s going to motivate you to make the change you need? I was talking with a member this week and asked him how he was. He said he felt the best he had in a long time. A few years earlier, that wasn’t the case. Doctors told him he had less than three years to live. He had diabetes and extremely dangerous cholesterol. So, he gave it over to Jesus in prayer. He cleanses himself of the fatty, fake foods. He started walking. Then, he increased that after time and added swimming. He made sure he had an accountability partner. He lost 70 pounds, is no longer diabetic and has a new lease on life feeling the best he has in decades.

The same will be true for you as you dedicate yourself to being healthy in soul and body as Jesus commands. Have confidence it will happen for “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength!” (Philippians 4:13) Have a plan. Work the plan. And the plan will work. Time to get started. Amen.