Personal Trainer

Opening Story

How have you been doing in training yourself in Godliness?

1 Timothy 4:7 CSB

7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness.

Do we have any massage therapist here?

Who here has even has received a professional massage?

I have not but I’ve heard they are REALLY nice. I have you various massage chairs and the hydro massage at Planet Fitness and that isn’t too bad itself.

Professional athletes use various types of massages all of the time. It helps relax, heal, and get ready for your next workout.

Unfortunately many of us as Christians are only getting massaged and not “training ourself in Godliness.”

You Pastor is not your massage therapist and you must stop treating him like one.

Shepherds don’t make sheep. Sheep make sheep.

Shepherds protect, lead, feed, guide, love and gives up their life for the flock. But they don’t make sheep.

Question

Are you training yourself in Godliness and allowing the pastor to pastor? Or are you treating your pastor like a massage therapist and treating church like a therapy session?

Text

Ephesians 4:1–12 CSB

1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to live worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 equipping the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,

A Pastor is not your massage therapist. A pastor is training you for spiritual warfare.

Application

What are you going to do about this?

Challenge

How can we all live this out together?