Jump Start # 2112

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

On Wednesday evenings at the congregation I attend, we are working through a series of lessons on “The Traits of a Strong Christian.” Different men in the congregation are teaching one lesson each. It’s been a good study. It brings forth a common question, Why are some strong and some not? Why do some excel and others seem to stumble along? Why do some become teachers and leaders and others are always needing constant attention, and help? Why do some grow and become helpful and others seem to always need help?

These are the type of questions that preachers think about at night. These are the things that make shepherds look deeply into what is being taught and what needs to be changed to help some. Some get it and some struggle, all the time. Every week, there are those that you know will be there. Then there are some that you never know. They might be there and they might not.

Some of us have had great advantages because of our parents and the environment we were raised in. We learned the books of the Bible and have been hearing sermons for decades. Others, not so. Some have come from the ugly side of the world. Their past includes crime, prison, mean people, running the streets and keeping one step ahead of trouble. They have scratch and clawed their way through life. They didn’t have any help. But with both groups, those who had great spiritual opportunities and those who had very few, we find success stories and stories of struggle and failure. There were children and grandchildren of preachers and elders who bombed spiritually. They turned their backs on all the upbringing, moral guidance and wonderful opportunities given to them. They made a mess of their lives. And, there are powerful stories of those who came from broken homes, abuse and turmoil and today they stand behind pulpits preaching God’s word. Strong, powerful, mighty in the Lord.

The story of the kings of Judah paints a similar picture. Out of spiritual messes rises a Hezekiah, who is faithful to the Lord. His family history was idolatry, disobedience and arrogance. He was different. But following this great king, comes a child who goes the other direction. The idols are back. The spiritual successes are swept away by poor leadership and a lack of faith in the Lord.

So, we are back to asking, why do some get it and some do not? Why are some strong, as our passage admonishes us to be, and why are some weak? Analyze this or that, look at the family history, look at opportunities, hang your hat on many concepts, but finally, it comes down to choices. A person chooses to be strong by the right choices they make in life. To be strong not only necessitates choosing rightly, it also means choosing to stay clear of wrong things. People influence us. Strong Christians have a network of strong people around them. They feed their faith. They seize opportunities that will help them spiritually. They recognize the great value of worship, prayer and positive influences in their lives. They have developed regular habits that help them be strong. They take advantage of opportunities to learn, grow and become even stronger. They have developed an insight that helps them see through the fallacy of mindless TV, superficial vanity, empty literature and friends that pull them downward rather than upward.

Strong Christians have learned to make the right choices. They have had help early on learning how to make these choices. They have seen and been taught about the consequences of wrong choices. They have learned how to discern and see things through the eyes of the Lord. They have moved past having others always tell them what is right and what is wrong. They have picked up on being responsible and caring for their own faith.

Strong Christians have come to understand that every day is made up of choices. Some of these choices have little or no impact upon the soul, such as which breakfast cereal will I eat today. However, many, many choices do shape, color and define our character, heart and strength spiritually. Will I engage in conversations that are negative and trash another person or will I walk away from such? Will I do what is dishonest just to get ahead or will I follow the path of righteousness? Will I tell a lie? Will I give in to temptation? Every day you and I are faced with these choices. The strong knows what the answers ought to be and it’s easier for him to make those right choices. Those who are struggling, will struggle with these things. They do not see what the strong sees. They do not see the consequences, the dangers or the long range impact that some choices will have. They struggle and will continue to struggle simply because they do not know how to recognize right choices from wrong choices. Some days they may actually do what is right, but many days, they will not.

Choices—that’s why some are strong and some are not. We help our children the most when we teach them how to make the right choices. There comes a time when parents must stop making the choices and allow a child to make their choices but guide them and talk them through why one is better than the other. You are doing more than helping them at the moment, you are instructing them on how to make the best choice. Some never learn. And because of that some never become strong spiritually. They won’t until they can learn to make the right choices in life.

How do you teach a person to see right choices from wrong choices? A sermon from the pulpit may give us a grand overview, but this works the best as a stronger Christian mentors a younger Christian. Spend time with each other and develop a close friendship and connection. Talk freely and openly. Share thoughts. And, in this process, have a goal of showing the other how one becomes strong.

A church of strong Christians is a strong church. It is from the pool of strong Christians that future elders are found. It is from the voice and leadership of strong Christians that keeps a church following the path of the Lord.

Be strong…simple words, but it’s a journey of choices. The right choices.

Roger

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

Jump Start # 787

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

This week, I want to focus upon some of the common expectations God has for Christians. Just “getting saved” isn’t enough. There’s more. God expects more. We leave ourselves short and miss out on some powerful opportunities when we “settle” in our faith.

We begin with this great admonition found in Ephesians. This leads into the spiritual armor of a Christian. There are many things to be learned from this simple verse.

Be strong is a choice. It doesn’t just happen. A strong mind, a strong body, a strong faith all takes effort, diligence and a plan. The opposite of being strong, is being weak. Weakness in any area is not something we desire. A weak mind is gullible, shallow and easy prey to wild ideas and falsehoods. A weak body is an easy target for the flu and other sicknesses. A weak body can’t do much. A weak faith doesn’t help a person much. There isn’t much resistance given to the devil by a weak faith. A weak faith isn’t one that will accurately tell the story of Jesus. A weak faith is just a step away from throwing in the towel and quitting.

God’s words are, “be strong in the Lord.” We look upon the leaders in the church as men of strength. We want our Bible class teachers to be people of strong faith. With strength comes conviction, assurance and answers. The world throws doubt at the Christian. A strong faith deflects those doubts. A strong faith recognizes error in a book. A strong faith sees through the shallow hype of trendy fads that many are attracted to. People of strong faith build strong families and strong congregations. You cannot have a group of weak members and believe that from that you will have a strong church. Strong churches are made up of strong members.

So, how do you become strong in faith?

• It begins with wanting that. Like anything else in life, until we are motivated to change, we tend to settle for the easy things. It’s easy to come home at the end of the day and spend hours watching TV until we fall asleep. There is nothing wrong with TV, as long as the shows are decent. But patterns and habits are formed and watching TV doesn’t take much effort. A week goes by, has my faith gotten any stronger? Like saving money, or losing weight, a desire to better self spiritually is the key. It will take changes of habits and effort to become stronger.
• It will take more than just what the church offers. A person ought to get stronger by coming to worship and Bible class. If they are reading their Bible, listening, taking notes, they will learn, make applications and thereby become stronger. But more is needed than simply what is done at the church building. A plan at home. Reading passages every day. Having specific things you want to learn. Thinking about what you have learned, read and heard is part of the process. What am I going to do this day? This week? This month? Goals are part of the process. Start simple. Learn the books of the Bible. Learn about each of the books. Learn about Jesus. Learn why certain things happened certain ways. It’s like anything in life, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. Paul’s words, “be strong,” are intended to say, “put your all into it.”
• Use your faith. Teach others. Tell others. In difficult times, rely upon that faith. Like building muscle, the more you use it the stronger you become. Think spiritually. Think about what this show or this friend or this activity will do to you spiritually. Think about how you can glorify God TODAY. Be thinking. Be praying. Be looking.

• Spend some time with those who have strong faith. Ask them what they are reading. Ask them about their routines. Learn from those who have become strong. If a person was serious about saving money, he’d read books and listen to those who have achieved financial success. Following the advice of a broke cousin won’t get you there. The same is true spiritually. Following the example of others who are weak in faith will not make me strong. Get to know personally your preacher and shepherds of the church. Ask them questions. Learn from them. Strong Christians pray often. Strong Christians attend every service, unless they are sick. They come straight from work. They come tried. But they come. Strong Christians are engaged in worship. They are singing, fellowshipping, participating and connected during worship. Strong Christians have family time where they help the faith of those in their household. Strong Christians are readers. They love reading the Bible. They love reading about spiritual things. Strong Christians are busy with others. They are sending cards, making phone calls, encouraging and doing what they can. You’ll run into them at the hospital and funeral homes. They are there because they care. You’ll see them long after services have ended, talking with others. They are open, friendly, kind in heart and generous with time and resources. These are the people that have helped you in the past. These are the people that you go to when there is a problem. These are the people that you count on. Spend time with them. Learn from them.

Be strong. This is what God expects from you. A weak faith not only hurts you, it hurts your family and it hurts those you impact. Being weak is not acceptable. It is not pleasing to God. It is not the best that you can do. Be strong…people will notice. It shows. It’s what God wants from you. This is something that you CAN do, because God said so. Are you strong?

Roger

Jump Start # 665

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

The apostle Paul wraps up his letter to the Ephesians with one final grand admonition to the church. Be strong, he tells them. What follows is that wonderful section commonly called “the Christian armor.” Put on the full armor of God the apostle tells the brethren. Like a coach inspiring his team, or a parent talking to his child, Paul encourages these brethren to:

· Stand firm (11, 13. 14)

· Resist the evil one (13)

· Extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (16)

Spiritual strength is what leads all of this. Without strength one will not be able to stand firm. They can not resist nor extinguish flaming arrows without strength. This is where it all begins. For too long, congregations have not taken this seriously. As long as folks show up, that’s about all that is expected of them. Paul didn’t think so. He wanted the brethren to be strong.  Weak members make a weak church.

The Olympics these days remind us of the importance of strength. Before us, each night on TV, are the world’s best. These athletes have dedicated themselves to training. Hours and hours, and days and days, and months and months of training, practicing, meets have taken place. We witness physical strength at its best.

Spiritual strength, likewise doesn’t just happen. There are things that have to be done. When they are, what a blessing spiritual strength is. Knowledge of God’s word allows you to recognize right and wrong. You can help people understand the Bible. Remember the Ethiopian reading Isaiah in his chariot. He didn’t understand what he was reading. Philip came along. Philip did. He had spiritual strength. His strength not only gave the answers that the Ethiopian was looking for, it led to the conversion of the eunuch. How different this story would have been had Philip said, “I don’t know who Isaiah is talking about?” Or, worse, had he just made a guess and been wrong. Spiritual strength is based upon Biblical knowledge. That knowledge opens doors and opens eyes. A person can read something in a book and immediately recognize that it is correct with what the Bible says or it is off track.

Spiritual strength is more than just knowledge of the book. That’s where it begins. It is also using that strength in the forms of courage, teaching, standing up for what is right, leadership and helping others to grow. Strength is only valuable if it is used. The Olympians work out with the goal of competing. They use their strength. Paul had this in mind when he said resist and extinguish. That’s putting the strength to practice. Jumping in and teaching a Bible class, spending time with others to help them become better, developing people, serving as an elder, or deacon—these are a few ways we use spiritual strength. The greatest way is courageously standing up for God. Satan is alive and well and is trying to get a foothold in many congregations. Weak and indifferent brethren will hold the door open for him. The strong will recognize when things are not according to God’s word. Different and change are often covers for unscriptural and wrong. Many do not recognize that. Many go along with that. Many see no harm. The strong does. The strong keeps us on course with God. Ancient mariners who got off course just slightly often got terribly lost at sea. It didn’t take much. Staying the course is vital. Spiritual strength are the ones who need to be at the helm when the ship gets off.

Spiritual strength takes time. It takes work. It takes spending time with the Bible. Thinking. Reading. Underling. Taking notes. Asking questions. Chasing down thoughts and ideas. Connecting dots. Before long, you start to see how everything is connected. You see what it was that Jesus was after. You see what the apostles were teaching. Your learning takes you from knowledge to wisdom to becoming. It affects you. It changes you. You get excited about what you see and learn. It drives you to want to learn more. You invest in some good study tools that will help you. You share what you’ve learned with others. It changes your marriage and parenting. It shapes your heart. You start to see doors of opportunity all around you. The heart of a servant becomes your heart. You are busy doing things for others. You are amazed at the passion, zeal and drive that you have found. You love being a Christian.

One of the best ways this strength comes from is by teaching. You study and study and prepare and anticipate questions and think and write and chase rabbits in your study and shape it up for a class or a lesson or a sermon. You find that you can’t use all that you have, so you must trim out things here and there. But all through this process you are learning, growing and becoming. The class you teach helps you become strong. A question is asked. You know the answer. Someone offers a different view, you steer the ship back to the right course. You know what to do. You are at the helm. Strength will do that.

Be strong—what simple words. What profound impact they have. Weak brethren are constantly stumbling and tripping over temptation. Weak minds give weak ideas and weak answers and weak conclusions. It’s the strong that makes the difference. It’s the strong that leads the way.

You can be strong—Paul said so.  Be strong!

Roger