InteGRITy (Part 3)

Written by Ed Allen
 Sunday, 03 May 2009 09:00

Sermons - InteGRITty

mp3

Sermon Notes

Give your body to God
Resist sloth
Idolize your body no more
Train your body in order to do good

Today’s Passages

Proverbs 6:6-11

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

10A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.

John 15:1-8

The Vine and the Branches

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

What is sloth?

  • The avoidance of physical or spiritual work.
  • The habitual disinclination toward exertion; indolence; laziness.

Other definitions of sloth

  • Not doing what needs to be done.
  • An unwillingness to care.

Personal signs of sloth

  • Being 25 minutes late to everything
  • Feeling completely overwhelmed by what I have to do
  • Watching too much television
  • Taking too much time to get work tasks done
  • Not getting things done for your spouse or others
  • Not feeling like you've spent your time well at the end of the day
  • Trouble establishing a good rhythm of eating, sleeping and exercising

Spiritual impacts of sloth

  1. The slothful person doe not collect the provision that God has for them.
    • See the Proverbs 6 passage above
  2. The slothful person does not live a fruitful life
    • See the John 15 passage above

Remaining in Christ consists of all those activities of body and mind that put me in the place where I can receive life from God.

Strategies to resist sloth

  1. Train yourself to remain in Jesus
  2. Find a partner
  3. Live in the present
  4. Remember

Small Group Questions

Warm up Questions:

  • What is the longest distance you have ever run, biked or walked?
  • Think about a time in your life when you were in the best physical condition you have ever been in. How did you feel? What did you have to do to stay in that peak form?

Discussion Questions

  1. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” God has called us to live a holy life and to join in His work in the world.
    • How would you define “a spirit of timidity?”
    • Why do you think this spirit is portrayed in 1 Timothy as being on the opposite side of power, love, and self-discipline?
  2. Read Proverbs 6: 6-11. One of Pastor Ed’s definitions of slothfulness was “...not doing what needs to be done WHEN it needs to be done.”
    • Have you ever felt resistant to doing something WHEN it needs to be done?
    • Do you have trouble following through and finishing projects?
    • What can you learn from the ant’s wisdom?
  3. Resting, observing the Sabbath, and spending time restoring ourselves are also highly valued in the Christian walk.
    • Where is the line (for you) between being legitimately tired and in need of rest and being slothful?
  4. Read John 15: 1-8. Couple this with the rich visual image of a tree in Psalm 1:3. Pastor Ed says that remaining in Christ is accomplished through activities of the mind, body, and soul that put us in the place where we can receive life from God.
    • What does it mean to REMAIN in CHRIST?
    • Brainstorm ways to encourage one another to REMAIN in Christ.
  5. Strategies to resist SLOTH include:
    1. TRAIN ourselves to remain in Jesus;
    2. FIND a partner to help you develop discipline in the areas of prayer, Bible reading and exercise;
    3. Live in the present- don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed (paralyzed) with worry about the future;
    4. Remember God’s blessings through worship.
    • Which of these strategies do you feel most drawn to establish in your life and why? Discuss.
  6. PRAY for each other in each person’s chosen strategy.
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