Waiting To Exhale
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Spiritual Wellness
Spiritual Wellness
Greet the online audience
Recap Divided States of America
Talk about this series and what we hope to accomplish in it, and focus on the collaborative planning model again.
Anchor Verse:
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
What does it mean to be well?
Well is defined as in good health; free or recovered from illness.
Health is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury.
So when I am well, it means I am free from illness and injury.
Illness is a disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.
Injury is an act that damages or hurts.
Both are detrimental, yet we typically encounter both differently.
Injury is often due to unexpected yet seen impact.
Illness on the other hand often creeps into our bodies and lives there for a while before the symptoms announce to you and I that the illness is there.
The point I’m making is that some of you can pinpoint the impact you SAW that created the lack of wellness you have right now. Others are ill and aware, and a few of you are waiting to find out.
Our goal in this series is for you to be WELL.
Luke 5 begins with a familiar story that many in the body have named the Launch Out Into The Deep parable I guess.
Then we see another classic in the man who’s friends literally raised the roof for his healing.
The Pharisees got upset with him for telling the man his sins were forgiven. Notice how Jesus dealt with the heart as a pathway to healing.
but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Jesus then proves His authority for the Pharisees by commanding the man to rise, pick up his mat, and walk. He knew the healing had taken place, but the demonstration needed to be seen.
Then Jesus meets a tax collector named Levi, goes to his home, and has dinner with him and his tax collector friends. Tax collectors did not have a favorable view of themselves amongst others. So the Pharisees didn’t like Jesus eating with them. That’s when He utters those famous words we’re anchoring this series on.
Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
In order to understand how to become spiritually well, we must first look at what caused the illness in the first place.
Four key areas contribute to a lack of spiritual wellness. They are:
1) Selective Blindness
2) Ignorant to Spiritual truths
3) Asleep to the Works of Darkness
4) Religious / Self-righteous/ Judgmental
1. Selective Blindness
He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
Notice I said selective blindness, which means it’s by choice.
It’s dangerous when we choose to overlook what we know to be the truth of God’s word.
If we’re not careful, the same spirit that was able to lure Eve away will do the same to you and I.
How should we respond to selective blindness?
Keep our eyes open to the truth, and remain watchful of the enemy.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Notice it says be watchful, which by nature helps to overcome selective blindness. Instead I must acknowledge the truth in what I see.
2. Ignorant to Spiritual Truths
so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes to the church at Corinth. He deals with their need to forgive, but in the middle of it, he addresses this.
It’s dangerous for a believer to be unaware of the schemes and designs of the enemy.
Ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge, and the enemy knows if he can keep our knowledge low on spiritual truths, he can keep us stuck in a place where we’re not well.
How should we respond to our ignorance to spiritual truths?
Become diligent in our pursuit of God: His Word, His Will, His Way.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
KJV says Study to show thyself approved
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
3. Asleep to the Works of Darkness
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Many of us are asleep while the devil is at work. He’s literally doing what he wants right in front of us, but we are too busy sleeping to notice it.
Jesus tells us how to handle it. In fact, it was likely the reason he was so aggravated with the disciples he brought with him to the garden of Gethsemane. Here he was struggling, and they were sleeping.
How should we respond to being asleep to the works of darkness?
Watch and pray.
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
4. Religious / Self-righteous / Judgmental
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Religious, self-righteous, judgmental people are certainly not spiritually well. Because it is impossible to be spiritually well and be any of those things.
And I’m not talking about moments in any of those areas, because we can all encounter a moment of being off, but there’s a difference in a moment and what has become your character.
How should we approach the temptation to become religious, self-righteous, or judgmental?
Never lose sight of our own weaknesses.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
So remember, in order to remain spiritually well, we must:
1. Keep our eyes open to the truth, and remain watchful of the enemy.
2. Become diligent in our pursuit of God: His Word, His Will, His Way.
3. Watch and pray.
4. Never lose sight of our own weaknesses.