Finishing Well Pt 3 Daily Nutrition
Proper Nutrition for the Race
(Finishing Well pt.3)
John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst
In order to finish well, we must be single minded or focused on the race. In a race if you don’t have the proper nutrition before you race, you bonk. Let’s look at how we can practically get good spiritual nutrition in our lives.
1.) What’s in your daily diet? Ritz Crackers
Department of Natural Resources talks about Adequate nutrition as: Adequate nutrition has two components—necessary nutrients and energy in the form of calories. It is possible to ingest enough energy without a well-balanced selection of individual nutrients and produce diseases that are noticeably different from those resulting from an overall insufficiency of nutrients and energy. Although all foods are a source of energy for the organism, it is possible to consume a seemingly adequate amount of food without getting the required minimum of energy (calories). Thus, Malnutrition is the inadequate intake of any of the required nutrients.
· Could you survive on one gourmet meal a week?
80% of Americans don’t have a daily feeding of God’s Word.
Bible Reading Improves Quality Of Life: For many believers this is an understatement of the obvious. However, for the general American population it’s big news. A recent Tyndale House study of randomly selected adult Americans revealed:
· 90% of frequent Bible readers say they feel at peace all or most of the time, compared to only 58% of people who read the Bible less than once a month.
· 81% of frequent Bible readers feel content most of the time, while 69% are extremely satisfied with their lives.
· 15% of regular Bible readers indicated that they worry about being accepted, compared to 28% of infrequent readers.
· 22% of non-Bible readers said they worry "somewhat" or "very much" about death, compared to only 12% among regular Bible readers.
· 92% of frequent Bible readers have a clear purpose and meaning in life compared to only 69% of infrequent Bible readers. (Tyndale House Publishers and EP News 10/97)
2.) Evaluate your diet daily. (Like the Ritz crackers are we aware of what we are putting into our spirits?)
Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB95) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
a) Your flesh doesn’t want to cooperate with the spirit
Eugene Peterson talks about our flesh in the Message Paraphrase:
Galatians 5:19-21 (The Message) It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; 20 trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; 21 the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
b) Walking in the spirit is a choice, with exceptional spiritual nutrition.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NASB95) But I say, walk by the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-25 (The Message) But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. 24 Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. 25 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.
c) Eat till your full of the good stuff
John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”… “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger.’
When I assumed my duties as the Pastor of a church, I was delighted to see brand new Bibles placed in each pew. When I opened one to see what version it was, I was dumbfounded by what I saw. In large, red letters these words were stamped inside the front cover, “NOT TO BE TAKEN FROM THE CHURCH.” Here was the word of God, “not to be taken from the church.”... Take out meal for your home
3.) Jesus wants to invite you to His suppertime.
By having supper time with the Lord daily, you will:
a) Have an increased sense of happiness in your life.
Proverbs 8:34 (NASB95) “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
b) Have greater confidence
Acts 4:13 (NASB95) Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
c) Be tutored by the best teacher in the world
John 14:26 (NASB95) “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
4) We are in jeopardy of spiritual malnutrition if we neglect the Word of God.
Psalm 119:10-16 (NASB95)
10 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. 11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. 16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Acts 17:10-12 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
a) Therefore, the Word:
- It keeps us from sin
- It teaches us His ways
- It increases our faith
- It keeps us from error
b) Reading the Bible is the highest form of prayer.
Ephesians 5:26 (NASB95) so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
· What is prayer? Prayer is monologue or dialogue with God.
· When you read the Word, you’re putting God’s template
over your mind.
· It renews our mind to become like His.
· It’s God breathed—All Scripture is inspired by God.
The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter. - Phillip Brooks...
5.) You can feed yourself on the word?
a) Read to glean
b) Read to learn
c) Read to refresh
Here’s a method to help you in your daily reading:
S Scripture
O Observation
A Application
P Prayer
· Remember attitude is important in our daily meeting with Jesus.
· Religion says you have to spend time with God on a daily basis in order to be spiritual.
· Relationship says we get an opportunity to spend time with the one we love.
John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Noted Bible teacher E. Schuyler English told of Michael Billester, a Bible distributor who visited a small hamlet in Poland shortly before World War II. Billester gave a Bible to a villager, who was converted by reading it. The new believer then passed the Book on to others. The cycle of conversions and sharing continued until 200 people had become believers through that one Bible.
When Billeser returned in 1940, this group of Christians met together for a worship service in which he was to preach the Word. He normally asked for testimonies, but this time he suggested that several in the audience recite verses of Scripture. One man stood and said, “Perhaps we have misunderstood. Did you mean verses or chapters?”
These villagers had not memorized a few select verses of the Bible but whole chapters and books. Thirteen people knew Matthew, Luke, and half of Genesis. Another person had committed to memory the Psalms. That single copy of the Bible given by Billester had done its work. Transformed lives bore witness to the power of the Word.
from Bible.org...
Recap:
John 6:33-35 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst
1) What’s in your daily diet?
2.) Evaluate your diet
3.) Jesus wants to invite you to His suppertime.
4) We are in jeopardy of spiritual malnutrition if we neglect the Word of God.
5.) You can feed yourself on the word?