The Importance Of Spiritual Training
I. The Champion Spirit
A.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-The prayer is that God
would set you apart WHOLLY and to do that He has to address your spirit, your
soul, and your body b/c that is the whole of who you are
1. Your mind is a real thing and it can be in good/bad condition; Your body
is a real thing and it can be in good/bad condition; so can your spirit
B.
There is an inner man and God places value
and importance on his development
1. 1 Peter 3:3-4-The inner man being beautified & decorated is what is
precious to God
a. We can make him beautiful, decorate him with spiritual ornaments
2. 2 Corinthians 4:16-The important thing is our spirit is getting stronger
everyday
C.
We want to adorn our spirit with Champion characteristics-1) Strong 2) Mighty 3) Brave 4) Soldier 5) Warrior 6)
Gladiator 7) A
hero; a brave warrior, one who is bold
in contest 8) One who fights
9) One who wins 10) One who has
defeated and surpassed all rivals 11) One who is superior and has all the
attributes of a winner 12) A man who undertakes a combat in the cause of another
II. 1 Timothy 4:6-Words play a
key role in determining the condition of your spirit
A.
***Nourished up-You have to support your
spirit with the Word of God, the way you have to support your body with natural
food***
1. If a person were to be born in the Earth and not feed their natural body
properly it would greatly impact what they could do with that body; If a person
gets born again and doesn’t feed their spirit properly it will greatly impact
what they can do with their spirit
2. You have to maintain your spirit by feeding it; Your spirit requires daily
upkeep
B.
The way natural food is major key to the
nourishment of your body is the way words are a major key to the nourishment of
your spirit
1. Words of faith and good doctrine are nourishment for your spirit; they promote
growth & strength
2. Words of faith are simply words that agree with God’s Words
a. Sometimes you can hear words that disagree with God’s from the pulpit
(you just never know, it sure is tough out there)
3. Good teaching, good instruction, good learning will keep your spirit
nourished
a. You can be hearing the word, but not learning-Proverb 4:7-Get understanding
b. The better the instruction the more nourishment it provides
C.
If the right words would nourish you up, then
the wrong words tear you down
1. Wrongs words aren’t neutral in their impact, they have a negative impact
a. The condition of your spirit gets worse as you listen to the wrong words
b. Like unhealthy food hurts your body, wrong words hurt your spirit
2. Proverbs 15:4-A perverse tongue will break your spirit
a. We can listen to words and not know that they are negatively effecting
our spirit b/c we have been so unaware of the condition of our own spirit
3. Jeremiah 15:16-The word of God will be joy and strength to you (depression/weak)
a. Proverbs 16:24-Pleasnt words are as a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and
health to the bones
b. Psalm 119:103-How sweet are your words to my taste! Sweeter than honey
to my mouth
III. 1 Timothy 4:6-8-Exercise
(define) yourself unto godliness; This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a command-There
is a spiritual training that we must engage
A.
***Until you see the importance of the
condition of your spirit you won’t engage the activities necessary to improve
the condition of your spirit ***
1. The condition of our spirits is a life or death issue, but we haven’t
trained our spirits as such (John 10:10-Satan is here to kill, still, and
destroy)
2. Everything in your spiritual life flows from and begins with your spirit
a. The faith issue, love issue, mind issue, obedience issue is determined
here
3. If you’re spirit gets weak, it’s over for you-Proverbs 18:14
a. Nothing can turn in life until you engage the activities to strengthen
your spirit
b. If you’re mind or body get weak a strong spirit will support them, but
if you’re spirit gets weak there’s no one to support a weak spirit
B.
***Radical discipline to develop your spirit
will be the result of you realizing the importance of the condition of your
spirit ***
1. When you get the revelation that everything in your life hangs on the
condition of your spirit you’ll get serious about developing your spirit
2. We need to have a spiritual perspective and recognizing and value what
is truly important
a. Col 3:2-While you’re on the Earth keep Heavens things as the priority
b. Matt 7:6-Those who don’t know the value of their spirits will trample/neglect
them
c. People spend enormous amounts of time on the development of their mind
and body and totally neglect their spirit
C.
Make the connection between the condition of
your spirit and the quality of your life
1. Spiritual training is profitable, useful, and valuable in everything and
in every way
a. We’ve found something that when you engage it, it will positively effect
every area of your life (Your marriage, your finances, your mind, your body)
b.
If you will make the development of your
spirit priority #1 in your life you will find that everything else in your life
falls into place
2. When you recognize that the change you desire begins with the strength
and condition of your spirit you’ll do whatever it takes to train your spirit
so that you can see that change in your life
D.
AMP-You’re going to have to train yourself
towards godliness (the champion spirit)
1. A fully developed champion spirit is not something that you obtain when
you get born again, but rather it is something that must be developed
a. When you get born again you get “Champion Spirit Potential”
2. After you get saved you have to keep yourself spiritually fit; You can
be saved and not fit
a. 1 Chronicles 12:8-Fit for what? For battle; These men were champions fit
for battle and Jesus needs us the same way
1) Jesus needs people who can walk in love, live by faith, be led of the
spirit, be submitted to those over us, meek and teachable
b. Most battles are won or lost before they are ever fought
1) This battle was decided when you chose to watch TV rather than spend
time in the Word, to sleep in rather than get up and study
IV.
Galatians 5:16-17-Your life coming to down to this issue; Is you’re
spirit strong enough to rule over your flesh
A.
16-If you do what the Holy Spirit is telling
your spirit to do, you will not perform and execute the desires and cravings of
the flesh
1.
Flesh-Human nature of man apart from divine
influence; the unrenewed nature
a.
It’s the part of you that has yet to have
been influenced by God
b.
That would include the unrenewed parts of
your mind and the untrained body
B.
That flesh desires against your spirit and
your spirit desires against the flesh
1.
They are opposite of one another and opposed
to one another
a.
Obviously the part of you that has been
influenced by God is going to be against the part of you that hasn’t and vice
versa
2.
Your flesh is trying to keep your spirit from
doing the things you want to do
3.
The unrenewed part of you is the part of you
that Satan tries to prey on and it’s the only part of you that he has to work
with
a.
Because once your mind has been renewed and
body retrained he’s not going to get you in that area
4.
Whichever one (your flesh or your spirit) is
stronger is going to win
a.
You’re spirit will either put pressure on
your flesh until it caves or your flesh will put pressure on your spirit until
it caves (Romans 7-This happened to the Apostle Paul)
C.
The reality is the curse awaits those who
walk in the flesh and the blessing awaits those you walk in the spirit
V.
Jesus the Champion
A.
Jesus made time to be alone with the Father (Mt
14:23, Mk 4:10, Lk , 9:18, Jn 6:15)
1.
This shows me that Jesus recognize the
importance of keeping His Spirit strong
2.
A true champion is made on time spend alone
with God in His Word
B.
Jesus grew strong in spirit-Luke 1:80, 2:40
1.
Matt 4-We he had opportunities to get in
strife he didn’t, to get in unbelief he didn’t, to say things in anger he
didn’t