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August 17, 2021 2:00 am
Every day, people go to the gym to work out. Running on a treadmill, spinning on a cycle, and lifting weights are all common activities. In the message "How to Have a Great Workout," Skip shares how you can stay in top spiritual shape.
This teaching is from the series Technicolor Joy: A Study through Philippians .
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We can't be passive in spiritual matters.
We do have to be aggressive.
We have to comes to spiritual health. We need to exercise our faith we need in short to work out what God is working in to us that is thrust of this passage and why must we do that. Why does Paul think that he should devote to versus two kind of hammering this spot home in this correspondence to the Philippian church. Well, it's because Christianity is more than just a decision to make Jesus your Savior.
It's also a determination to walk with Jesus as your Lord. Many people spend hundreds of dollars a month on health value physical health for temporary body.
This much, how much more should we value the spiritual health of our eternal soul connect with Skip Heitzigs of today as you share some encouragement to help you get a top spiritual shape, but first, if you will of Bible study trip to Israel is a life changing your Bible study will never be the same Skip has lived in Israel, and lead tours. Many many times.
Here he is to invite you. One is next to her. You know there's always something new to see and experience in Israel and I'm so excited to let you know that I'm taking another tour group to Israel next spring. In 2022 urine for an incredible time as we travel throughout Israel and experience the culture that's so unique to that country will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north. Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more. This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship. Now I've been to Israel and number of times over the years and I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded where Jesus lived taught and healed. It just never gets old. I can't wait to see you in Israel start planning and saving now to tour Israel with Skip Heitzig information and inspiration. Cruises.com/see ABQ. That's inspiration cruises.com/see ABQ chapter 2 as we get into the message with Skip Heitzigs and last year, a 29-year-old weightlifter named Kenneth leverage world-class athlete went to a very famous speech in Southern California. Venice Beach at this particular place called muscle Beach on Venice Boardwalk its place and sort of cordoned off with chain-link fencing weightlifters go to show off their physique and what they can do that everybody comes as a wild crazy place on this 29-year-old Kenneth leverage goes to muscle Beach and he challenges the people who were there to weightlifting competition that would not be unusual except he decided to go disguised as an 84-year-old man, and the disguise was so good. I mean, he had a Hollywood class makeup artists put wrinkles on him give them a gray receding hairline gray hair will wire rim glasses, cardigan sweater, khaki pants just shuffled out there known as tennis shoes and so he goes unchallenged, you guys in a let's see what you got and you can't be serious, and so they started lifting weights and he smoked them and so get this, he lifted 465 pounds. Doing a back squat and to say that the crowd was amazed would sell it short by me. They were just flabbergasted all the phones are going out like I can't believe what I'm seeing is an old man who's just eaten everybody out here and I saw on YouTube. It has been seen 110 million times on YouTube seem I wanted to check that out. Kenneth leverage and and and look up don't do that now is not set a church activity but just remember that look it up later. So at the at the end of this workout. These you know young weightlifting gadget is shaking their heads. They they finally went up to Ammon and said look you have any advice for us. Could you tell us you know what what what we obviously need to learn from you.
So what can you tell us, he said, kind of, and in his older voice he was just keep doing this just just keep working hard. Just get stronger every day and for a few minutes the crowd thought an 84-year-old had beaten the 25-year-olds, but what it amounted to the disguise was all office Kenneth leverage his had a great workout. What I want to show it share with you today out of Philippians 2 is have a great workout how to have a great spiritual workout. I want to talk about your spiritual exercise routine, working out what God is working in you and that comes from Philippians chapter 2 verse 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence workout your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to do, or both to will and to do for his good pleasure today recovering only two verses and that helps us, it allows us to really dig deep into it and uncover truth by truth, phrase by phrase. What Paul was writing to the Philippian church.
But here's a little interesting background in the United States of America. There are 30,000 health clubs, gyms, 30,000 of them in the United States, along with 273,500 personal trainers to go around how many people to think in the United States are working out.
These gyms, 58 million of us go to the gym and work out every people here to do that without a gym publisher is he that in less you a lot of us do that.
It's a lucrative business in the United States alone had gym membership revenue is $27 billion $27 billion. Of course, worldwide, that is $75,700,000,000 are taken in by these people on people like us who paid money to go.
But here's the digger.
Did you know that 80% of those people who join health clubs 80%. That's a significant number will quit after five months. So I'm thinking of good intentions, probably January New Year's resolution nominated on a date with him to do this this year and are good for January February March April May peace out there, they just there, they quit question is why. Why do 80% of the people quit workout program easy answer because it's hard right. It hurts to do that. It's not easy. As one jokester put it on my first workout back at the gym was great. I did 15 minutes of cardio 10 minutes on the defibrillator then three days in the hospital or you might've heard that old joke when I feel the urge to exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes, but the truth is we can't be passive in spiritual matters. We do have to be aggressive.
We have to when it comes to spiritual health. We need to exercise our faith we need in short to work out what God is working in to us.
That is the thrust of this passage and why must we do that.
Why does Paul think that he should devote two verses to kind of hammering this thought home in this correspondence to the Philippian church.
Well, it's because Christianity is more than just a decision to make Jesus your Savior. It's also a determination to walk with Jesus as your Lord is your master if you don't do that you're going to become what so many in the church of Jesus Christ around the globe, and especially I would say in this country have become. A lot of people become pew potatoes, that's the spiritual equivalent of a couch potato there a few potato there a lounge lizard there. They they are there viewers they watch things happen that are not doers of the word, so we have to guard against that GK Chesterton one of my favorite authors Paulette statesman, theologian, said the Christian faith has not been tried and found wanting. It is been found difficult and left untried so you have a gym membership so to speak. God is at work in you that's good news and we love to hear that truth God's working man, God's work in God's working in me what that doesn't mean is that you can just hang out. You know you doesn't mean let go and let God days to hear that all the time. Just let go and let God. Let go of what let God do what it's almost like you don't do anything.
You just watch God do stuff. So what I want to do in looking at these two verses in drilling down with use give you five choices to make. If you have a great workout number one. Get a good trainer. Get a good trainer will notice the first word in verse 12 is the word what your Bible says, therefore, therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Workout your own salvation with fear and trembling that whenever Paul uses that therefore, by the way, this is the third time he has done so in this chapter alone what he is doing is pulling back something he just told you into the present. I just told you about this. Therefore, he brings that truth to bear. Now. So what is been talking about is Jesus Christ who humbled himself, and then God exalted him. So what he is saying is he is our example is been his trust for the entire chapter so far. Jesus is our great example. Mark Twain use to write a lot of quickie things.
One of the things he wrote was few things are harder to put up with. Then the annoyance of a good example. And what annoys us about a good example. Well good example set a standard on thing and it's sometimes hard to watch. A good example because they set a standard for us that it's hard to hit on some occasions and what if that example isn't just a good example. But he's the perfect example. I mean, Paul is saying here is Jesus.
Look what he's done. Do that you're going to like to but I don't think that's going to happen.
However, a good example can inspire us. You can incentivize us and that is the thought of Paul's use of the word therefore at this particular time when he says therefore in this verse, he is saying on this basis or on the basis of Christ on the basis of Jesus example of love and humility. Do this. I've been told by a number of accomplished athletes that what has what is made their routine work there workout routine workout is a personal trainer said it's it was always the difference to them between failure and success and why is that because a personal trainer will incentivize you will encourage you. You can do this you can do this.
I'll spot you don't don't use too much weight do it this way you're not. You're not having the right form. So a good trainer will help you get the most out of your workout well. Who can you think of is the best trainer for all things spiritual. None better than Jesus. That's why Jesus said it is recorded no less than 19 times in the four Gospels.
He said that too simple but profound words follow me, follow me Jesus and follow me insight. Follow my people can say follow my disciples even say follow my preachers, he said, follow me, even when Jesus washed people's feet like the disciples in the Last Supper.
He was washing their feet because they couldn't be bothered with their arguing about who is he to be the greatest in the kingdoms of Jesus against thou washing their feet and then he said to them, I have given you an example that you should do as I have done so, he becomes their spiritual trainer.
Now it's good to have more human examples we might say, of integrity and honor that we can follow.
Paul was one of those he said to his brothers and sisters follow me as I follow the Lord. But the real key to spiritual success is beginning with the right template and for the Philippians and for Paul that template.
That model was Jesus Christ. Notice what he says. Therefore, using Jesus as the basis for example, my beloved, because of my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only when I'm with you, but now much more in my absence workout your own salvation. What a sweet description. Paul has for this group of Christian believers you've always obeyed. I love that you guys are always responsive.
In fact, the word he uses here for obeyed is the same word he uses in Ephesians 6 when he says children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is the first commandment with a promise though. Here's the thought just like a child would be responsive to a parent. The Philippians were responsive to Paul's spiritual leadership.
But now they have a problem.
Paul's in jail. He's incarcerated. They don't have Paul around any longer but they still have the example of Jesus Christ.
See, that's Paul's point, whether I'm with you or not with you. Therefore obey. Therefore do this of Jesus becomes the ultimate model for them. There's a principal to be found here. The real test of spiritual maturity is how you live. When the props are gone when you don't have somebody there to tell you how to do it or what to do or show you how to do who do you look to Paul's in jail saying I'm absent from you, but Jesus is present with you. He's spotting you he's watching over this.
Yes, some people on jobs will work very hard when the boss is looking most bosses configure pretty quickly who those people are, but they can always spot a round a corner office, and that employee sits up and and put that phone down like no I'm not on Instagram hi what can I do. I'm just all about work. This is why Obama worker but there that way. Only when the eye of the bosses on them. I think what Paul is saying to them is your boss is always watching. He's always looking whether I am with you or not.
Jesus is always there. He is that personal trainer not long ago I was driving my car, rounding the corner I saw a runner in the distance the renter runner did know that I spotted him I knew he was a runner because he had Nike shoes on its shorts and shirt and he was like Nike put in a personified what he was walking sort of Dragon speak, but when I rounded the corner and came toward him and I started know a way like you I'm a runner I'm doing this but I could tell, he's only runners as long as I'm watching him run solder know what if he saw a slight drag in the rest of the day, and only when the cars goodbyes.
He's doing so make sure Jesus is your personal trainer your template your model when no one else is around traversable get a good trainer. The second choice you need to make. If you have a great workout is your pump some iron.
You gotta get in there and and work it out so look at what it says.
Therefore, my beloved, you've always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence workout work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now this is been a problem verse of Scripture for a lot of people for a long time with his plumbing work out your own salvation. It's problematic, especially when they find out what words actually mean words actually mean maintain constant energy and effort to finish a task when I say it's become a problematic taxes because some people think it means self-help salvation that I'm in a work really hard to get saved sort of the equivalent of God helps those who help themselves so they think if I work hard to find my way there. Then God is going to save me. By the way, that's how most people think you get saved by working or ask someone asked the average person where you live, your neighbor work hey are you going to heaven. Are you saved in a Muslim Italian well I'm trying.
I work real hard. I go to church.
You know it� A not believe that stuff but if they want to go there, they will usually point to something they have done in working hard to earn God's favor. I'm working it out man working it out, but please notice that Paul doesn't say works for your salvation is a work toward your own salvation or work at your salvation, he says work out your own salvation and you can't work out what God has in first worked in, and what I want you to see is this he's not writing to unbelievers but to believers he's not telling unbelievers how to get to heaven.
He's telling believers. This he calls them beloved. He says in verse one of chapter 1.
You are saints in Christ Jesus was her believing people, not unbelievers, but is telling believers to go workout your pump. Some are you have to do something. You have to apply some energy into this process. I was reading this week about another athlete named Shane Hammond he's been called America's strongest man some of you may have heard of Shane Hammond. He was in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He weighed in at the time.
This is his training weight he weighed in his weight 350 pounds. The big boy 350 pounds. His chest 62 inches. His neck 22 inches. I didn't think Incredible Hulk, his biceps almost 24 inches, 2 feet of bicep skies a monster and he could squat lift 1008 pounds, America's strongest man but Shane Hammond is also a believer in Jesus Christ, raised in the Christian home in Oklahoma on a farm. He said I when I was a kid my parents strong Christian.
They said they drove me to church. They may be go to church even when I did want to go and he looks back he was. I'm glad they did.
That's a good thing so they work really hard at getting the right things put into me but he said what was the weekends when it was the weekdays.
I grew up lifting melons on a farm so's first workout was Melvin and he said my my week was this eight hours every day I worked out in the field, after which I went to the gym 2 1/2 hours every day. 10 1/2 hours of work out every day so that we had a good workout. Now look at the words in your text. It says work out your own salvation.
Those two words are one single word in the original. The Greek language the word is caught our God.
So my or cut our God's own mind however you want to pronounce that enemies to work something to full completion like you would work out a math problem.
You're not inventing math, you're not producing man given a problem know you work it out to full completion in ancient times, this word workout partner got to my was used for working on mine or working the field so let's take the first example working on my let's say you own a silver mine. Let's say it is even been given to you by your parents. They give you the title deed you on this over my nurse nurse silver or gold in them thar hills and you have now is that silver gonna work its way out toward humanistic land in her hand. You have to go in and work it out.
It's yours it's been given. He was working out with joy that Skip Heitzigs.
It's powerful message for the series Technicolor joy. Right now we want to tell you about another resource for your spiritual health of those times you hear a sermon that really speaks to you. It's almost as if the pastor knows what you personally going through and he teaches a message like you're the only one listening. Well it's not that the pastor knows you personally that God gives you personally here. Skip, I think in nearly 40 years of expository teaching. I still love hearing that one of my messages spoke to someone personal that it erred them on to know God better or become more like but that's not because of me that's just the power of the word of God doing the work of God in the hearts of the people get to know the God who knows you pastor Skip pics a collection of some of pastor skip's most memorable teachings, including the rapture. Real and overcoming an anxious mind this for DVD collection. Our thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help keep this ministry connecting more people to Jesus. Call now to request a copy of pastor Skip pics 892 1888 working online securely connectwithskip.com/offer so exciting to hear how this broadcast is encouraging people to persevere through trials to join all thanks to your support today.
We want the opportunity to help share the building trades from password even more people around the world that I didn't get to connectwithskip.com/Downey.com/demo or you can call 800-9200 92 thank you come back again tomorrow take pictures even more tips to help you maintain your spiritual act with Skip presentation of connection communications to go through ever-changing time