Jump Start # 869

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

Spiritual strength—that is the key to thriving congregations today. It’s not large crowds, but strong crowds that make a difference. The opposite of strong is weak. There is not many needs for weak—weak backs aren’t much help when moving the college student into the dorm. Weak minds are not the ones that come up with ideas or solutions. Weak hearts don’t go sky diving or rock climbing. Weak tea, weak coffee, weak bridges—none of these have much appeal nor use to us.

It is the spiritual strong that teach Bible classes. It is the spiritual strong that become leaders in the kingdom. It is the spiritual strong that people go to for answers and advice. My good friend Dee said in a sermon recently, “Strong churches come from strong preaching.” Spiritual strength will drive away doubts and fears. It is the strong that you can count upon. It is the strong that are seeking to help others.

Our verse says, “Be strong…” Now, how is that done? That was a theme of a class I taught to three young men yesterday who asked me that question. “How do we get strong?”

There are common parallels between spiritual strength and physical strength. A guy who lays on the coach each night watching TV and eating chips is not going to be strong. He looks flabby and feels flabby. It doesn’t take much to get him winded. He’s out of shape and is weak. The things you tell that couch potato are the same steps that it takes for us to be strong spiritually.

First, just thinking about it won’t do it. If the couch potato watches weight lifters on TV, while eating his chips, or reads fitness magazines he may have the understanding but he is still weak. He must have a plan. He must stick to the plan. There is always a crowd at gyms in January, because of all the resolutions, but my May it’s only the dedicated that are still there.

Second, we’d tell our couch potato to quit eating chips every night. Get rid of the junk and start eating healthy. More fruits and more veggies. Filling yourself up with junk won’t do it.

Third, diet alone, is not enough. He has to get off that couch and exercise. Not just once in a while, but often. Daily. His body will be sore. He won’t feel like it. Things will happen that will cause an interruption. He’ll think of excuses. He must fight all those if he wants to become strong.

Fourth, if he hangs out with overweight people who sit around and eat chips and inhale sodas every night, he’ll fall back into his old ways. He needs role models who are strong. He needs to see success stories, not failures. He needs to find friends who are strong.

That’s it. It works physically and it works spiritually. Just sitting in a church house and listening to a few verses read by the preacher is not enough to get strong. You have to have the right spiritual diet. You have to hit the Book. Have a plan. Read it. Think about it. Study it. Look up words. Ask questions. Grow in knowledge.

Then, you must exercise spiritually. What you read must be put into practice. Do things for others. Help out at the church. Teach a class. Visit someone. Tell the story of Jesus. Invite someone. Change your insides. Be more forgiving and less mouthy. Be kind and not so harsh. Be a servant and less demanding. Exercise. Practice what you preach!

Fourth, hang around the spiritual strong. Get tips from them. Ask them questions. Watch them.

Spiritual weakness plagues too many congregations. People have been listening to sermons and sitting in classes for years, but nothing is changing. Folks aren’t getting stronger. It could be the classes. It could be the people sitting in the classes. Taking a bag of chips to the gym to watch the guys work out will not make a person strong.

Put the chips in the trash, jump on the bike and start working out.

Be strong. That’s not an idea or dream, it’s a command. Weak Christians have weak families and they make up weak churches. Strong Christians have strong families and they make strong churches.

So, how is it with you? Are you strong spiritually? How do others see you? Are you using that spiritual strength to help the church or others around you?

Be strong!

Roger