HEALTHY BODIES

1 Corinthians 6:12–20 (ESV)

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

**NEW TO OUR CHURCH? Essentials & The App.****

****** May is mental health awareness month & we are finishing this series off there - Next week will have a focus on mental health*****

Healthy REST, Healthy WORK… today HEALTHY BODIES.

WELLNESS is a big thing these days. The global wellness market is estimated at around 1.5Trillion dollars annually and rising. Better health, Better Diet Better Sleep. Better Appearance.... all for a better BODY.

I want to talk today about the PHYSICAL BODY - and specifically what the bible talks about in relation to HEALTH.

Does God care about how we treat our bodies.?

Is there a connection between our natural and spiritual bodies?

does it matter in the end what we do with our bodies?

Is it possible to mistreat and mis-use our bodies - What does GOD say>?

Is it possible to have a HEALTHY BODY.

Som great verses n the bible when it comes to Health and the Body… let me show you a few here:

3 John 1:2 “2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

Proverbs 17:22 “22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Jeremiah 17:14 “14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”

Proverbs 16:24 “24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”

So lets talk about HEALTH and the BODY! from our text....

1..YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN A BODY

See this is truth todayL you don’t just HAVE a BODY - You’ve been GIVEN a Body.

All health Goes back to the beginning & we see the intention of God in the creation story.

You see in creation - the formation of the body of man.

the natural formation of MAN WAS...Im going to make a point here...

YOU ONLY HAVE ONE BODY.

Write this down: My body and my health comes from God.

Exodus 15:26 ESV

26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

Health, comes from God. Healing which is part of the WORD Health - Is from the LORD.

Proverbs 3:7–8 ESV

7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

(feel like this is going to help alot of people today)

You only get one BODY. (yes we get resurrected bodies later but when it comes to this life: this is it)!!!!

… What you’ve got is what you’ve GOT - Its what Gods given you - so work with it!

So start there

What youve got is what youve GOT - So work with WHAT YOUVE GOT!

I want you to think about the mazing things that your body can do”

it can heal itself - You have a blood system that will pulsate towards an affected area to do self-triage in an event that something happens to you. (my toenail story)

It can protect itself. Did you know that if you fall into extremely cold water your body knows how to isolate parts of your critical internal organs especially your brain to protect you from the elements for a brief amount of time. You first feel it in your skin, then your nerves send the information to the brain and the brain does its thing - Its incredible. Goosebumps are an example of your body, reading temperature for you, begins to insulate itself and give you temporary warmth. Its amazing!

It can build itself up - You can build muscle. You can develop the body. (this works in reverse too i guess)

It can re-grow. Skin can re-grow. Bones can re-set.

it can learn things, New patterns (adapt to brand new environments and movements and can develop muscle memory).

It can send you signals. Your body will tell you things. It will warn you. It will advise you! ----”Like ok you’ve had enough now, your going to lie down now”. Its important that you listen to the body God gave you - because if you listen to it - God actually speaks to us through our bodies. When we have a lack of peace - What happens? we feel it in our bodies, our minds also.... God uses the very thing Hes given us to speak directly to us!!!)

Here is the point: you have been given a body - and your body is actually amazing.

BODY IMAGE IS A MASSIVE DEAL TODAY: Pastoral ministry has SHOWN me that - THIS IS A PLAGUE ON OU SOCIETY:

SOME OF YOU IN HERE / ALOT OF US HAVE DONE THIS / WE HAVE TAKEN THE STANCE… WE DON’T LIKE OUR BODIES.

Here is the problem with that:

God gave it to you.

and for now… Its all youve got?

some of you need to start thinking that its pretty awesome. instead of being constantly unhappy or dissatisfied with your body you need to start to appreciate it as something thats been given you by God.

Men struggle with this: but women do more.

body image problems are on the rise. social media makes this worse. Our children need protecting and teaching with this.

LIKES AND COMMENTS ARE NOT OUR VALUE METRIC.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS.

OUR ADOPTION PAPERS ARE WHERE WE GET OUR VALUE. NOT SOME SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. OR SOME GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO MOST OF WHICH DONT DO LIFE WITH US ANYWAY.

What have we let this become?

***** MAYBE TODAY YOUR BODY IMAGE NEEDS TO GET A MAKEOVER*****

Here is where i want you to get your body image from:

Genesis 2:5–7 (ESV)

5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

You have the breath of life.

NOW LET ME TAKE THIS A STEP FURTHER: If you’re married in here: You body isn’t even yours anmore.

Paul doesnt just stop at the small talk - He goes right for the issues of the day

1 Corinthians 7:1–5 ESV

1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

A MAN DOES NOT HAVE AUTHORITY OVER HIS OWN BODY, BUT THE WIFE DOES

In the ancient world this was a radical teaching - not your property anymore. expressly the property of the husband and the wife.

***this is scandoulos teaching… its radical… But thats exactly what GRACE is. its a parrallel to what JESUS has done for us, His Bride… He GAVE US HIS LIFE> HIS BODY.... ITS BEEN SURRENDERED.

This is why your body matters - because it was GIVEN YOU by God through the BREATH of Life. And JESUS has Given up his BODY & our response is to follow in the example of OUR LORD.

and now its CONNECTED and Joined to your spouse through marriage and therefore now its theirs.

**So why care about my body?

the MAIN two reasons i should care attend to, take care of:

is because 1> Gods only given me one body. I need to understand that. repent for the times i haven’t taken care of myself.... and take the best possible care of the body i’ve been given.

Gluttony and Immorality at the time Paul writes were basically one in the same.. “eat what you want”… “be with who you want” - dont concern yourself with the co sequences. But With a christian we are CONCERNED with the consequences because they matter to our relationships:

OUr relationship with God - but also with Others. There has to be GOOD fruit otherwise its not HELPING Paul says!

and 2> because i owe it to my wife. She is now the proud owner of MY BODY. !!! (this marital picture is the picture of Jesus and His church )

to take care of my body, If i treat myself like trash i’m treating HER like trash - this is essentially what PAUL is saying: a commentary i read said this

The New Bible Commentary 7:1–6 To the Married

The wife’s body is not her personal ‘property’ and neither is the man’s. Once he is married, he must not engage in sexual intercourse with another woman. It is not possible to find another reference in the literature of the ancient world which teaches that the husband surrenders his body exclusively to his wife on marriage

So.... YOUR BODY MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK.

2.YOUR BODY IS A TEMPLE.

1 Corinthians 6:18–19 (ESV)

18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

OUR BODIES ARE JOINED TO HIM. THE COLLECTIVE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF BODIES THAT ARE THE BODY (of CHRIST)

OUR BODIES Are a temple of the HOLY SPIRIT./ This is why sexual sin is so different in relation to its IMPACT - Its at a complete level - BODY. SOUL. SPIRIT.

(young person the reason you need to keep yourself for the one is beacuse there IS NO SUCH THING AS CHEAP SEX… its costly - at a soul level)

Paul Uses the ultimate example of the temple..... And this is why (i believe)

MY PHYSICAL BODY IS THE ONLY WAY THE HOLY SPIRIT GETS EXPRESSION THROUGH MY LIFE ON THIS EARTH.

1 Corinthians 6:18-19 “18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”

This is why Paul used this: The temple was a place of Holiness not Wretchedness. a place of purity not defilement. The temple is the place of forgiveness not Hatred. The temple is the place of GRACE…

Your life.. and your body: is an expression of GOD.

THE BODY CAN HOLD & HOST THE PRESENCE (Prayer)

THE BODY CAN EXPRESS THE GRACE (words)

THE BODY CAN ASSIST (HELP) OTHERS (Physically lend a helping hand)

THE BODY CAN MOVE & TRAVEL (just like the tabernacle did......

What the point?

Which means No matter where you go… and no matter what your body shape or condition - your body and my body - they can glORIFY GOD.

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

3.YOUR BODY WAS BOUGHT WITH A PRICE.

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

No one can say “my body” this… or “my body that”.... Why? becaus e

The New Bible Commentary 6:9–20 Against Christian Libertarianism

No Christian person can say ‘my body’ for he has been bought with a price i.e. ransomed by Christ’s death. The clear implication is that his task is to honour, lit. ‘glorify’ God in his body, and this is done by relating to others both socially and sexually within the relational parameters laid down in the Bible.

PRAY / Healing, Body Image & New Perspectives

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