FITNESS FREAKFITNESS FREAK

SUMMARYSUMMARY•We are soul -sickWe are soul -sickA symptom of our sickness – “What I don't What I don't understand about understand about myself is that I decide myself is that I decide one way, but then I act one way, but then I act another, doing things I another, doing things I absolutely despise”absolutely despise”

SUMMARYSUMMARY• Sin is rebellion Sin is rebellion against the will of against the will of GodGod•Love makes us want Love makes us want

to get better. God to get better. God loves us loves us BEFORE BEFORE we get we get

well ,not after.well ,not after.

FITNESS FREAKFITNESS FREAK

PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAMMES FAIL FOR THE PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAMMES FAIL FOR THE SAME REASON THAT MORAL –FITNESS SAME REASON THAT MORAL –FITNESS PROGRAMMES FAIL:PROGRAMMES FAIL:

PAUL’S DILEMMA PAUL’S DILEMMA RESTATED:RESTATED:

KNOWINGKNOWING what it takes to what it takes to stay fit ≠ stay fit ≠

DOING wDOING what it takes to stay hat it takes to stay fitfit

THREE WAYS WE DEAL WITH PAUL’S DILEMMATHREE WAYS WE DEAL WITH PAUL’S DILEMMA

•DENY THE PROBLEM EXISTS DENY THE PROBLEM EXISTS

•MANAGE THE MANAGE THE PROBLEMPROBLEM•OVERCOME THE OVERCOME THE PROBLEMPROBLEM

•DENY THE PROBLEM EXISTS DENY THE PROBLEM EXISTS

WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN IT COMES TO SOUL-HEALTH MOST SOUL-HEALTH MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT PEOPLE ARE NOT HYPOCHONDRIACS !HYPOCHONDRIACS !

• MANAGE THE PROBLEM MANAGE THE PROBLEM And if your eye causes you And if your eye causes you

to sin, gouge it out and to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye you to enter life with one eye

than to have two eyes and than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of be thrown into the fire of

hell. hell. And if your hand--And if your hand--even your even your

stronger hand-stronger hand--causes you to -causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it sin, cut it off and throw it

away. It is better for you to away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body lose one part of your body

than for your whole body to than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.be thrown into hell.

• MANAGE THE PROBLEM MANAGE THE PROBLEM

Step 1 – Alcoholics Step 1 – Alcoholics AnonymousAnonymous

We admitted we were We admitted we were powerless over alcohol powerless over alcohol

– – that our lives had that our lives had

become become unmanageableunmanageable

• OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OVERCOME THE PROBLEM

THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH THE UNIVERSAL HEALTH STANDARD –STANDARD –GOD’S LAW GOD’S LAW

JESUS RAISED THE BAR JESUS RAISED THE BAR EVEN HIGHEREVEN HIGHER

• OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OVERCOME THE PROBLEM

ASCITES OF THE SOULASCITES OF THE SOUL

DEALING WITH SYMPTOMS DEALING WITH SYMPTOMS RATHER THAN THE CAUSERATHER THAN THE CAUSE

• OVERCOME THE PROBLEM OVERCOME THE PROBLEM

WHY WAS THE BAR RAISED SO WHY WAS THE BAR RAISED SO HIGH?– HIGH?–

TO DEMONSTRATE TO MAN TO DEMONSTRATE TO MAN THAT THAT

HE IS NOT GODHE IS NOT GOD

GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE DROP-OUTS OF DROP-OUTS OF THE MORAL GYMTHE MORAL GYM

GOD’S INVITATION IS NOT FOR GOD’S INVITATION IS NOT FOR THE THE

MORALLY-FIT BUT THE MORALLY-FIT BUT THE MORALLY BANKRUPTMORALLY BANKRUPT

GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE DROP-OUTS OF DROP-OUTS OF THE MORAL GYMTHE MORAL GYM

““Blessed are the Blessed are the POOR IN POOR IN

SPIRITSPIRIT, for theirs is, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” the Kingdom of Heaven”

GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE GOD’S INVITATION IS FOR THE DROP-OUTS DROP-OUTS

OF THE MORAL GYMOF THE MORAL GYM

““Blessed are those who Blessed are those who HUNGER AND THIRSTHUNGER AND THIRST

for righteousness for they for righteousness for they shall be filled”shall be filled”

AS LONG AS YOU DENY, AS LONG AS YOU DENY, MANAGE OR TRY TO MANAGE OR TRY TO

OVERCOME YOUR ‘SOUL-OVERCOME YOUR ‘SOUL-SICKNESS’ YOU CANNOT SICKNESS’ YOU CANNOT RECEIVE GOD’S CURE RECEIVE GOD’S CURE

THE SNAKE STONETHE SNAKE STONE

- “Behold the lamb Behold the lamb of God who takes of God who takes

away the sin of the away the sin of the world”world”!

It was our pain he took,

and our diseases were

put on him: while to us he

seemed as one diseased,

on whom God's

punishment had come.