Pastor Elwin Ahu
January 9, 2011 - W1102

At the beginning of the New Year most of us make new years resolutions. The top two resolutions are Losing Weight and Getting Back In Shape. Holidays bring out the see food diet - what we see we eat.  Then comes the New Year and we all get this obsession of wanting to get into better physical condition.

One of the newest craze in getting back into shape is called Zumba which is great exercise.  So why are we all winded when we are asked to exert ourselves physically?  We are not prepared for the moment.  Someone challenges you to get off your seat, and we get tired.  It is fun and exciting in the beginning but 85 % drop out of their health clubs.  When the going gets tough they quit.

Spiritual fitness is NO different.  We come to worship Christ, raise our hands,

and say YES to Jesus and get water baptized and celebrate.  Then we hit the

reality of life and the tough times come, and we are not Spiritually prepared.  We

get discouraged, disappointed, and angry with GOD and many times Christian's quit -

because we are not Spiritually prepared.

We are in a life that is unfair, unforgiving, and unpredictable.  It is not that we

have a GOD that is unfair, life is unfair.  If we are not prepared to face the

reality of life, we fall apart.

The Bible talks about training ourselves.  Paul understood our human nature.   

Some train only when there is a competition coming up.  Athletes will tell you that they train long and hard before the game starts.  They put their minds and muscles into training hard.  But when the game is over, they eat, drink and celebrate.

Spiritual training is just like physical training.  We need to get into an environment where we can exercise and be coached.

Why do we need to train spiritually and physically?  Training physically is for our health, to compete better and become National Champions.  In a spiritual sense we are in a game that is called the Spiritual Battle.  The Bible tells us that we are engaged in this game every single day.  This game is unforgiving and unpredictable.  Paul says we live in a corrupt generation and it will only get worse.

Sometimes we can't see the hit coming and get blindsided.  We do not see the divorce or the lost of a loved one.  A Congress woman was shot in the head just last night; she did not know this was going to happen to her.  A nine year old girl was shot and killed along with five others; their families did not know that was coming.  GOD is not unfair. Life is unfair.

We live amongst fallen men and women.  Paul encourages us to train ourselves spiritually.  When we are faced with the reality of life we can be prepared spiritually on the inside.

Trained athletes perform and train hard; they score more points and are inspirations to watch.  When they get hurt, they recover very quickly.

Spiritual training is an asset to GOD's team.  Spiritually trained Christians perform better with their families and in their relationships.  They know what GOD wants and in which direction to go in their lives.   Trained Christians contribute more to the community. They inspire you to move forward.  That is why Paul says to train yourself in the spiritual things in life. 

1. Training, not TRYING, equips you for life's challenges;
  

It takes time to train ourselves, it does not happen overnight.  We can try hard to live thru life and try hard to do our best, but it will take training to understand the things of GOD.  If we do not train spiritually, we will miss opportunities that GOD is sending to us.

We will not know what they are, unless we train. Accordingly, it is written, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." (Heb. 5:13-14)

We know good from evil, bad from good.  When you train yourself in the service of GOD you will be able to know good and what is best for your life.  GOD can have the very best for you, but you will miss it if you can not discern that.

A young man was sitting in his Lazy Boy chair and surfing the channels on TV.  He sits until there is a knock on the door.  He walks very slowly to the door and when he opens it, there is a gentleman who says "Congratulations, you have been selected to represent the state of Hawaii in the Vance Triple Crown of surfing that’s coming up in a few months.  The young man loved surfing and so accepted the invitation. The caller informed him that he will call in a few months when the waves are up so to make sure to get ready.  The young man shuts the door and walks back to his chair dreaming of this championship event.  He gets back into his Lazy Boy and continues surfing on the web.  He reaches over for a malasada and then a manapua.  Weeks turn into months and all he does is eat, sit, and surf on the web.  One day the phone rings and the caller informs him that the waves are up and tomorrow is the big day!   He gets his board and heads up to Haleiwa.  All the competitors are in the water waiting for the first heat. The young man can barely get past the shore break.  He paddles out, the waves hit him and he flips over but tries again.  The crowd on the beach is cheering for him to him to get out there.  He is really trying but never gets out there. What was his problem?  He tried real hard in the waves but he didn't take the time to train himself to be a part of GOD's best way.  He missed it.

 As the Bible says, "Exercise daily in God; no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever." (1 Tim. 4:7-8 MSG) So how do we discipline ourselves?

2. Set the right GOALS;

 Many times we set the wrong goals and that is why we get frustrated and quit. We set a schedule as our goal.  Nobody likes to live by a schedule.  When we miss a few days of schedules, we end up quitting.  Goals aren't schedules.  A goal should define who you want to be and what you want to look like.  People cut out pictures and place them up somewhere because they want to be like that. We should have a spiritual goal. Accordingly, Paul says, "You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. 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 Cor. 9:24-25 MSG)

When it comes to spiritual races, winning is everything.  We’ve all heard that it doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it is how you play the game. However, Paul is saying to us that it does matter whether you win or lose spiritually. You have to win in the end. Play to win. Define what it means to win spiritually. Remember …

* Growth isn't measured by your achievements; it's revealed in who you're BECOMING;

To Paul, in order to win spiritually, you have to become more and more like Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Bible says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Gal. 5:22-24 NIV)

Our spiritual winning is to get rid of ourselves.  We should have less of ourselves and more of Him.  How is my life reflecting the love, kindness, forgiveness and self control, of Christ?  All of this is the fruits of the Spirit.  Is it reflecting in my life?  How can I proceed to acquire more of that likeness over time?  That is our goal. 

I brought my son a real rod and reel for fishing.  I took him to Ala Moana, near the pond on the Ewa side and taught him how to throw the line out but he kept reeling it in too slow.  So I had to pull out the junks that were caught by the hook.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the little fishes jumping and something chasing them.  I looked over at my son, and said "Barracuda". We went to the area and threw the hook in.  I took the pole and threw the line out and then the spinner made noise.  I knew I had caught something. I kept pulling it in and we caught a barracuda! I didn't have a net so Jared went for the bucket.  The fish slipped off the hook and dropped to the ledge. I jumped off the wall and into the water.  When Jared returned with the bucket, the fish looked at me and swam away.  At that moment Joy finished running.  I told her about the barracuda and told Jared to tell his mom about the fish and all the fun.  Jarrett sadly said that he never caught any fish.  At that moment the Lord dug into my heart.  I should have given Jared the reel to bring in the fish and given him that memory. The Lord asked me "What was your goal?"  I said, “to catch fish”.  The Lord said that my goal should have been to spend time with my son.

I thought of our church and how we count the many Bible studies, prayer times and church classes taken.  It is not about that.  Those are the means to an end.  Do not confuse the means with the end.  The Lord wants us to spend time with His son so we can learn about the hope that Jesus gives us.  He wants us to understand that He is A GOD that holds everything together in our lives. So what do we need to do this year to spend time with Jesus Christ?

3. Strive for CONSISTENCY and COMMITMENT;

Engage in growth opportunities and stay with them.  New Hope offers a whole buffet of opportunities for growth.  Check today’s bulletin.

Apostle Paul declared very strongly, "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! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself." (1 Cor. 9:26-27 MSG)

The Bible further advises, "[And] let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Heb. 10:24-25)

We need to decide what are we going to do and what changes we need to make to be able to grow spiritually.

Discussion Questions:

1. What commitment will you make to grow spiritually in this next year?

2. What priorities will need to be rearranged to allow you to grow spiritually in Christ?

3. Why do we have to train spiritually?

4. What ministry or ministries would you like to join to help you grow?

5. What are the right goals?