Sunday, February 25, 2007
A 5-Point Spiritual Inspection
Introduction:
Just like how a car needs regular maintenance service (checking the tires, fluids, brakes every 5000 miles, etc.), we as Christians periodically need a checkup, and maybe even a tune-up every now and then. It’s time to flip up the hood, so to speak, and take a look – to match ourselves up against God’s Word and see if anything needs to be fixed up before we head off into another week of Christian life. So this morning, we are going to give our spiritual lives a quick 5-point inspection, and reflect upon what’s going well and what areas we need to improve in our own lives. The first thing we are going to inspect is our praise life…
1) PRAISE LIFE
Our praise life is like the engine of the car, because the joy of the Lord is our strength – praising God gives us the strength to keep going from day to day. It is so important to take time every day to praise God. He is worthy of all our praise and then some, not just for what He’s done, but for Who He is. The Bible teaches us to “let everything that has breath, praise the Lord” – and I think all of us meet that criteria. Here are some questions to ask yourself this morning: Are you taking enough time to praise God? When was the last time you stopped thinking about your problems and began to count your blessings? Can you truly say that the joy of the Lord is your strength? Do you praise Him at all times, or just when things are going well? Having a healthy praise life is extremely important, for many reasons. Let’s look at the dangers of not giving God the glory and praise He deserves…
(Read Romans 1:21-25)
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.
When you don’t worship God, things get out of whack. Praising God keeps you humble, and keeps things in the right perspective. When God is not on the throne of your life, being lifted up in praise, then it’s easier to fall into idolatry (letting something else take that top position in your life). When you praise God you remember how big and important He is, and how insignificant worldly things and selfish things are in comparison. It is harder to sin, have bad attitudes, or even get depressed when you have a vibrant, healthy praise life. So be sure to check out your praise life this morning.
Furthermore, the Bible says that if we lift Him up, He will draw all men and women unto Himself. What a great reminder and incentive to praise Him, so we can watch this promise in action…
2) PRAYER LIFE
Our prayer life is like the oil in a car – it helps keep all the parts running smoothly. Just like how we check the oil level in a car, we need to examine our prayer life on a regular basis and make sure that our relationship with God is being replenished with quality time spent with Him. Sometimes we even get so busy serving God that we don’t take time to pray, and so we are out there trying to give to others when we are spiritually empty ourselves.
(Read Romans 12:12)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
How is your prayer life, and how are your quiet times with God going lately? Are you staying faithful in prayer? Prayer is our communication with God, and is a huge privilege. Are we treating it as the privilege that it is, or more like an obligation to get out of the way. A healthy prayer life has many benefits, including a deeper relationship with God. Also, it’s a major stress reliever – God told us to cast our cares on Him, and that He would carry our burdens. We don’t have to walk around burdened down; instead we can focus our mind on Him through prayer, and put our faith and trust in His supernatural power. We must learn to stay faithful in prayer, even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered. If your prayer life needs a tune up this morning, I encourage you to ask God for the strength and guidance to get your prayer life back together – because when you are having trouble in your prayer life, it is a sign of deeper trouble in your walk with God. The next thing we need to check is our level of love…
3) LOVE
Love is like the air in the tires. Without love, everything we do for God is meaningless – just like how you could have the greatest car in the world, but if there are no air in the tires it’s not going anywhere. Preaching without love is just a verbal assault, leading worship without love is just a rock concert, teaching Sunday School without love is just child care. Love is what makes the difference! Without a doubt, love is the central message of Jesus and the Bible. We have been commanded to love one another, even more than we love ourselves. We are even supposed to love our enemies. That is how the world will know we are Christians, and God will show His love through us in order to draw others unto Himself. Let’s check to see if we are meeting God’s standards regarding the love we show, and if we don’t, then let’s pray to get things right this morning. A great biblical definition of love is in I Corinthians 13…
(Read I Corinthians 13:4-7)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Does this describe you? Are we meeting these standards? Are you loving and forgiving people the same way that God has loved and forgiven you? If we live this way, God will get the glory, because people will know we are not doing this on our own power. This type of unconditional love is only possible through a relationship with God. It’s easy to philosophize about this, but let’s think of some very practical ways to put these principles into action. Think of how the world would be impacted if Christians were more consistent about seeking God’s help to really live this way.
4) THE BIBLE: GOD’S WORD
The Bible is like the car’s owners’ manual. It not only guides the operation of the car, but tells how to make the necessary repairs. God created us, so He knows best how to run our lives!
(Read Psalm 119:9-16)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.
Consider your attitude and relationship with God’s Word. Do you value it, obey it, rejoice in it, hide it in your heart, etc.? Do we really love the Lord’s commands, or do we treat them like burdens around our neck? If we truly love God’s Word, we will be enthusiastic about reading it and studying it. And, we will have a good attitude about putting it into practice and obeying it. We can’t say we truly love God or His Word if we don’t live our lives according to it. Remember, Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord” but you don’t do what I say?” And we can’t really say we love God if we don’t have an interest in reading and studying the things that He said. It is so crucial that we spend quality time reading and reflecting upon God’s Word each day. It serves as an honest mirror to evaluate ourselves spiritually, it brings conviction (cuts like a double-edged sword), and it also gives us hope and encouragement as we head through tough times. We are in a spiritual battle in this life, and we can’t afford to head out into the world each day unequipped. Are you filled up to the right level with God’s Word, or do you need a refill this morning?
5) EVANGELISM: THE GREAT COMMISSION
Evangelism is like giving the car a road test. After checking all the other aspects, we need to make sure we can put everything into action. Just like the ultimate purpose of a car is to be able to drive out on the road, the purpose of a Christian is to get out there and spread God’s Word.
The last area we are going to examine, is to see how we are doing with regard to Jesus’ Great Commission – to go out and spread His Word. This was the last instruction He left us with before ascending into Heaven. We know it must be important if He spent His last words on Earth saying it. Let’s turn to Matthew 28:18-20…
(Read Matthew 28:18-20)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Our life as a Christian was never meant to just be about ourselves and our own relationship with God, but God gave us a responsibility for others. I don’t know how so many Christians ignore this important command or treat it lightly, but Jesus definitely gave us clear instructions to go out and spread His Word, to all nations. We are here to be His ambassadors (since He’s not here in bodily form anymore), to be the “salt and light” that gives the world a Christ-like flavor and models His principles as living examples on a daily basis. How have you been doing on this individually? Is there anyone you should be talking to or praying for? You might be the only Christian they know, and God has given you a special opportunity to be the one to introduce them to Him. How are we doing as a ministry? Are we outreaching as we should, or are we just focusing on ourselves? We should be constantly praying for and looking for opportunities to outreach and to live out the Great Commission. If you look for these opportunities, God will reveal them to you. Each day pray for opportunities. And the good news is that God will give you the strength and abilities to do this – you are not alone. He is “with you always”, just like He promised in His Word. He never intended you to do these things on your own strength and power.
Conclusion:
As you think back over these five areas of your spiritual life and your relationship with God, ask God to convict your heart regarding what you need to change or improve. Today is the day to make things right – to stop procrastinating, check yourself in for a spiritual tune-up, and let God do the necessary maintenance work and make the necessary repairs in your life. You don’t have to do it yourself – just come to Him, just as you are, and He will help you fix up the areas of your life that need work. If you took your car in for the 10,000 mile maintenance and they told you that something major was wrong, would you even consider not fixing it? You will never regret taking time to have a deeper relationship with God – He will give you peace, joy, meaning, and fulfillment in your life like you’ve never known.
Just like how a car needs regular maintenance service (checking the tires, fluids, brakes every 5000 miles, etc.), we as Christians periodically need a checkup, and maybe even a tune-up every now and then. It’s time to flip up the hood, so to speak, and take a look – to match ourselves up against God’s Word and see if anything needs to be fixed up before we head off into another week of Christian life. So this morning, we are going to give our spiritual lives a quick 5-point inspection, and reflect upon what’s going well and what areas we need to improve in our own lives. The first thing we are going to inspect is our praise life…
1) PRAISE LIFE
Our praise life is like the engine of the car, because the joy of the Lord is our strength – praising God gives us the strength to keep going from day to day. It is so important to take time every day to praise God. He is worthy of all our praise and then some, not just for what He’s done, but for Who He is. The Bible teaches us to “let everything that has breath, praise the Lord” – and I think all of us meet that criteria. Here are some questions to ask yourself this morning: Are you taking enough time to praise God? When was the last time you stopped thinking about your problems and began to count your blessings? Can you truly say that the joy of the Lord is your strength? Do you praise Him at all times, or just when things are going well? Having a healthy praise life is extremely important, for many reasons. Let’s look at the dangers of not giving God the glory and praise He deserves…
(Read Romans 1:21-25)
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.
When you don’t worship God, things get out of whack. Praising God keeps you humble, and keeps things in the right perspective. When God is not on the throne of your life, being lifted up in praise, then it’s easier to fall into idolatry (letting something else take that top position in your life). When you praise God you remember how big and important He is, and how insignificant worldly things and selfish things are in comparison. It is harder to sin, have bad attitudes, or even get depressed when you have a vibrant, healthy praise life. So be sure to check out your praise life this morning.
Furthermore, the Bible says that if we lift Him up, He will draw all men and women unto Himself. What a great reminder and incentive to praise Him, so we can watch this promise in action…
2) PRAYER LIFE
Our prayer life is like the oil in a car – it helps keep all the parts running smoothly. Just like how we check the oil level in a car, we need to examine our prayer life on a regular basis and make sure that our relationship with God is being replenished with quality time spent with Him. Sometimes we even get so busy serving God that we don’t take time to pray, and so we are out there trying to give to others when we are spiritually empty ourselves.
(Read Romans 12:12)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
How is your prayer life, and how are your quiet times with God going lately? Are you staying faithful in prayer? Prayer is our communication with God, and is a huge privilege. Are we treating it as the privilege that it is, or more like an obligation to get out of the way. A healthy prayer life has many benefits, including a deeper relationship with God. Also, it’s a major stress reliever – God told us to cast our cares on Him, and that He would carry our burdens. We don’t have to walk around burdened down; instead we can focus our mind on Him through prayer, and put our faith and trust in His supernatural power. We must learn to stay faithful in prayer, even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered. If your prayer life needs a tune up this morning, I encourage you to ask God for the strength and guidance to get your prayer life back together – because when you are having trouble in your prayer life, it is a sign of deeper trouble in your walk with God. The next thing we need to check is our level of love…
3) LOVE
Love is like the air in the tires. Without love, everything we do for God is meaningless – just like how you could have the greatest car in the world, but if there are no air in the tires it’s not going anywhere. Preaching without love is just a verbal assault, leading worship without love is just a rock concert, teaching Sunday School without love is just child care. Love is what makes the difference! Without a doubt, love is the central message of Jesus and the Bible. We have been commanded to love one another, even more than we love ourselves. We are even supposed to love our enemies. That is how the world will know we are Christians, and God will show His love through us in order to draw others unto Himself. Let’s check to see if we are meeting God’s standards regarding the love we show, and if we don’t, then let’s pray to get things right this morning. A great biblical definition of love is in I Corinthians 13…
(Read I Corinthians 13:4-7)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Does this describe you? Are we meeting these standards? Are you loving and forgiving people the same way that God has loved and forgiven you? If we live this way, God will get the glory, because people will know we are not doing this on our own power. This type of unconditional love is only possible through a relationship with God. It’s easy to philosophize about this, but let’s think of some very practical ways to put these principles into action. Think of how the world would be impacted if Christians were more consistent about seeking God’s help to really live this way.
4) THE BIBLE: GOD’S WORD
The Bible is like the car’s owners’ manual. It not only guides the operation of the car, but tells how to make the necessary repairs. God created us, so He knows best how to run our lives!
(Read Psalm 119:9-16)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word.
Consider your attitude and relationship with God’s Word. Do you value it, obey it, rejoice in it, hide it in your heart, etc.? Do we really love the Lord’s commands, or do we treat them like burdens around our neck? If we truly love God’s Word, we will be enthusiastic about reading it and studying it. And, we will have a good attitude about putting it into practice and obeying it. We can’t say we truly love God or His Word if we don’t live our lives according to it. Remember, Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord” but you don’t do what I say?” And we can’t really say we love God if we don’t have an interest in reading and studying the things that He said. It is so crucial that we spend quality time reading and reflecting upon God’s Word each day. It serves as an honest mirror to evaluate ourselves spiritually, it brings conviction (cuts like a double-edged sword), and it also gives us hope and encouragement as we head through tough times. We are in a spiritual battle in this life, and we can’t afford to head out into the world each day unequipped. Are you filled up to the right level with God’s Word, or do you need a refill this morning?
5) EVANGELISM: THE GREAT COMMISSION
Evangelism is like giving the car a road test. After checking all the other aspects, we need to make sure we can put everything into action. Just like the ultimate purpose of a car is to be able to drive out on the road, the purpose of a Christian is to get out there and spread God’s Word.
The last area we are going to examine, is to see how we are doing with regard to Jesus’ Great Commission – to go out and spread His Word. This was the last instruction He left us with before ascending into Heaven. We know it must be important if He spent His last words on Earth saying it. Let’s turn to Matthew 28:18-20…
(Read Matthew 28:18-20)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Our life as a Christian was never meant to just be about ourselves and our own relationship with God, but God gave us a responsibility for others. I don’t know how so many Christians ignore this important command or treat it lightly, but Jesus definitely gave us clear instructions to go out and spread His Word, to all nations. We are here to be His ambassadors (since He’s not here in bodily form anymore), to be the “salt and light” that gives the world a Christ-like flavor and models His principles as living examples on a daily basis. How have you been doing on this individually? Is there anyone you should be talking to or praying for? You might be the only Christian they know, and God has given you a special opportunity to be the one to introduce them to Him. How are we doing as a ministry? Are we outreaching as we should, or are we just focusing on ourselves? We should be constantly praying for and looking for opportunities to outreach and to live out the Great Commission. If you look for these opportunities, God will reveal them to you. Each day pray for opportunities. And the good news is that God will give you the strength and abilities to do this – you are not alone. He is “with you always”, just like He promised in His Word. He never intended you to do these things on your own strength and power.
Conclusion:
As you think back over these five areas of your spiritual life and your relationship with God, ask God to convict your heart regarding what you need to change or improve. Today is the day to make things right – to stop procrastinating, check yourself in for a spiritual tune-up, and let God do the necessary maintenance work and make the necessary repairs in your life. You don’t have to do it yourself – just come to Him, just as you are, and He will help you fix up the areas of your life that need work. If you took your car in for the 10,000 mile maintenance and they told you that something major was wrong, would you even consider not fixing it? You will never regret taking time to have a deeper relationship with God – He will give you peace, joy, meaning, and fulfillment in your life like you’ve never known.
