Last Wednesday was my 57th birthday, which means I'm pretty old. My topic for tonight is something that directly affects our spiritual health, and it becomes especially important as we grow older.
A guy I worked with dropped dead in 1996. He was 42 years old. He had a history of heart disease in his family yet he smoked, never exercised, and ate junk food all the time. We used to have wellness evaluations at work and his blood test results were always horrible. Cholesterol 350+, triglycerides 800, etc. We had a flower fund at work that we used to buy flowers whenever someone in the group lost a family member. It seems mean in hindsight, but every time he got his blood test results, we would jokingly ask him if he was paid up in the flower fund (the implication being that he didn't have long to live). I would invite him to come to the company fitness center at lunch & work out with me. He never took me up on my offer. After Labor Day weekend 1996, he didn't come back to work or call in for a couple of days & we got concerned. The police broke in at his apartment and he had dropped dead of a massive heart attack. He was a nice guy who died way too young. What's really sad is that he ignored the warning signs (his blood test results) along the way.
Both the scriptures & common sense tell us that our bodies are God's temple. Consider 1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." Paul is speaking specifically about sexual immorality here, but the overall point he's making (that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit) goes way beyond sexual immorality. How can we glorify God in our bodies if we don't take care of them? We don't put bad gas or bad oil in our cars because they're an essential piece of equipment & we need them to get from point A to point B. The same is true of our bodies. Smoking, too much junk food, eating more calories than we burn (that's one I need to work on), lack of exercise - all these things are detrimental to the body and therefore hinder our ability to accomplish God's work. Routine physical exams are important too, so we identify health issues before they get out of hand. If we don't maintain our cars properly, they wear out too soon, but we can always buy another car. Not so with the body - this earthly tent we occupy is the only one we get. Maintain it properly and it will last you a long time. Treat it badly and the opposite holds true. Everyone leaves a void in someone else's life when they die. Don't make your loved ones experience that heartache prematurely because you didn't take care of yourself.
Speaking of exercise, if you're here tonight and you're not a Christian, you need some exercise. It will be the easiest and most important workout of your life. All you have to do is walk up front, repent of your sins, confess your faith, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. There's no better time than now. If you are a Christian and you are struggling with some burden, there are people here who can help you. You don't have to carry your burdens alone. Come forward and let us help you. Come as we stand and sing.
