Title: Should Christians Exercise and Workout? Meta: What is the Bible's view on Christians exercising? Someone wrote in saying, "By the time I drive to a gym, work out, shower, change clothes, drive back, it is almost a two hour ordeal. I don't want to spend that much time each day in something unless God affirms it as good, and not just neutral." Tags: christian,workout,weights,exercise,1 Timothy 4:8,1 Corinthians 6:19-20,Ask Pastor Tim 1 00:00:05,077 --> 00:00:06,833 Dear Pastor Tim, 2 00:00:06,833 --> 00:00:10,399 "What is your view on Christians exercising? 3 00:00:10,399 --> 00:00:13,428 I find this difficult because I think 4 00:00:13,428 --> 00:00:17,615 1 Corinthians 6:19-20..." 5 00:00:17,615 --> 00:00:19,426 Anybody know those texts right off? 6 00:00:19,426 --> 00:00:25,375 What they deal with? 7 00:00:25,375 --> 00:00:27,083 There the ones that have to do 8 00:00:27,083 --> 00:00:32,903 with our body being a temple of the Holy Spirit. 9 00:00:32,903 --> 00:00:35,795 It's dealing with sexual immorality, 10 00:00:35,795 --> 00:00:39,220 but specifically it has to do with our bodies 11 00:00:39,220 --> 00:00:43,142 being a temple for the Holy Spirit. 12 00:00:43,142 --> 00:00:50,208 Jamie says, "I find this difficult, 13 00:00:50,208 --> 00:00:53,112 because I think 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 14 00:00:53,112 --> 00:00:56,421 gets pulled out of context a lot. 15 00:00:56,421 --> 00:01:00,655 Also, 1 Timothy 4:8 says different things 16 00:01:00,655 --> 00:01:02,944 in different translations." 17 00:01:02,944 --> 00:01:05,780 That's the one that speaks about 18 00:01:05,780 --> 00:01:13,240 bodily exercise as being a little profitable, 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:19,487 or profits a little or it's of some value, 20 00:01:19,487 --> 00:01:22,818 but godliness is valuable, 21 00:01:22,818 --> 00:01:25,022 godliness is good; 22 00:01:25,022 --> 00:01:29,271 godliness is profitable in all things. 23 00:01:29,271 --> 00:01:31,387 "By the time I drive to a gym, 24 00:01:31,387 --> 00:01:34,347 work out, shower, change clothes, drive back, etc. 25 00:01:34,347 --> 00:01:37,198 it's almost a two hour ordeal. 26 00:01:37,198 --> 00:01:39,460 I don't want to spend that much time each day 27 00:01:39,460 --> 00:01:43,091 in something unless God affirms it as good. 28 00:01:43,091 --> 00:01:44,631 Not just neutral. 29 00:01:44,631 --> 00:01:48,534 Is there anything that can give me clarity?" 30 00:01:48,534 --> 00:01:50,477 And I thought that's a good one 31 00:01:50,477 --> 00:01:54,878 because we have a young church 32 00:01:54,878 --> 00:01:57,122 and young people especially - 33 00:01:57,122 --> 00:02:05,051 not just young people, 34 00:02:05,051 --> 00:02:08,382 if you can believe it, 35 00:02:08,382 --> 00:02:10,941 I heard a rumor that Brother Andy 36 00:02:10,941 --> 00:02:13,754 was bench pressing 400 pounds 37 00:02:13,754 --> 00:02:20,444 even after he was 60 years old. 38 00:02:20,444 --> 00:02:23,877 There is a group of 39 00:02:23,877 --> 00:02:26,267 the reformed Baptist pastors, 40 00:02:26,267 --> 00:02:28,354 including Al Martin 41 00:02:28,354 --> 00:02:40,409 who really took staying physically fit serious. 42 00:02:40,409 --> 00:02:44,622 But, there are obviously a lot of pastors 43 00:02:44,622 --> 00:02:47,507 who don't take it serious 44 00:02:47,507 --> 00:02:54,331 as their shape would testify to. 45 00:02:54,331 --> 00:02:56,133 Even some that we highly esteem 46 00:02:56,133 --> 00:03:00,453 were rather stout men. 47 00:03:00,453 --> 00:03:10,721 So, some men stay fit, some men, not so much. 48 00:03:10,721 --> 00:03:13,345 But what does Scripture have to say? 49 00:03:13,345 --> 00:03:16,500 Different men take different positions on these things. 50 00:03:16,500 --> 00:03:20,389 What does Scripture have to say? 51 00:03:20,389 --> 00:03:22,883 If we want a good balance... 52 00:03:22,883 --> 00:03:27,296 on one hand, we want to promote holiness; 53 00:03:27,296 --> 00:03:29,138 we want to promote redeeming the time; 54 00:03:29,138 --> 00:03:31,079 we want to promote godliness. 55 00:03:31,079 --> 00:03:36,738 We want to promote a good expenditure of our time, 56 00:03:36,738 --> 00:03:39,638 our effort, our hours. 57 00:03:39,638 --> 00:03:42,029 You don't get them back. 58 00:03:42,029 --> 00:03:46,158 We recognize the outer man is wasting away. 59 00:03:46,158 --> 00:03:47,610 You can't stop that. 60 00:03:47,610 --> 00:03:49,499 No matter how much you go to the gym, 61 00:03:49,499 --> 00:03:51,741 you cannot stop what you're going to look like 62 00:03:51,741 --> 00:03:53,791 200 years from now. 63 00:03:53,791 --> 00:03:58,761 You can't stop that. 64 00:03:58,761 --> 00:04:02,025 So, 200 years from now, 65 00:04:02,025 --> 00:04:06,954 whether you went to the gym every day 66 00:04:06,954 --> 00:04:15,660 or whether you didn't; 67 00:04:15,660 --> 00:04:18,883 the worms are coming for you. 68 00:04:18,883 --> 00:04:22,478 So, what do we want to think about 69 00:04:22,478 --> 00:04:25,031 when we think about, 70 00:04:25,031 --> 00:04:33,165 before the Lord, how exercise 71 00:04:33,165 --> 00:04:37,534 or even proper eating - 72 00:04:37,534 --> 00:04:42,048 how that fits in? 73 00:04:42,048 --> 00:04:45,522 One thing that comes to my mind, 74 00:04:45,522 --> 00:04:47,415 Jonathan Edwards. 75 00:04:47,415 --> 00:04:53,323 Jonathan Edwards would not eat certain foods 76 00:04:53,323 --> 00:04:55,042 because it gave him a headache. 77 00:04:55,042 --> 00:04:58,758 I'm not the first guy that gets headaches. 78 00:04:58,758 --> 00:05:00,958 Jonathan Edwards would get headaches. 79 00:05:00,958 --> 00:05:02,980 And he knew, there were certain things 80 00:05:02,980 --> 00:05:05,894 that he could eat and he would get headaches. 81 00:05:05,894 --> 00:05:07,422 So he stayed away from it. 82 00:05:07,422 --> 00:05:09,509 I also have read about him 83 00:05:09,509 --> 00:05:14,357 that he specifically would go out and chop wood. 84 00:05:14,357 --> 00:05:15,909 Now, he had servants, in fact, 85 00:05:15,909 --> 00:05:18,258 he may have even had slaves. 86 00:05:18,258 --> 00:05:20,282 That's another topic for another time. 87 00:05:20,282 --> 00:05:21,871 He didn't have to chop the wood, 88 00:05:21,871 --> 00:05:22,874 in other words. 89 00:05:22,874 --> 00:05:25,710 But he would purposely go out and chop the wood. 90 00:05:25,710 --> 00:05:29,399 For one, chopping the wood was great exercise. 91 00:05:29,399 --> 00:05:31,691 That was the primary reason that he did it. 92 00:05:31,691 --> 00:05:38,790 Two, it wasn't just pumping iron. 93 00:05:38,790 --> 00:05:46,135 Do you know that work is actually 94 00:05:46,135 --> 00:05:54,868 a force that moves across a distance. 95 00:05:54,868 --> 00:05:56,615 That's work. 96 00:05:56,615 --> 00:05:58,584 From an engineering standpoint. 97 00:05:58,584 --> 00:06:00,957 I know, we define it differently 98 00:06:00,957 --> 00:06:02,956 when we talk about going to work. 99 00:06:02,956 --> 00:06:04,733 But I'm talking about work. 100 00:06:04,733 --> 00:06:06,468 You've got force. 101 00:06:06,468 --> 00:06:08,491 I can exert a force on here on this table 102 00:06:08,491 --> 00:06:10,260 and it not move at all. 103 00:06:10,260 --> 00:06:11,993 Force and work are different. 104 00:06:11,993 --> 00:06:14,049 Work is when you apply a force 105 00:06:14,049 --> 00:06:17,301 and it actually goes somewhere. 106 00:06:17,301 --> 00:06:19,365 You could go outside, 107 00:06:19,365 --> 00:06:21,843 and you could press against this house, 108 00:06:21,843 --> 00:06:23,333 put all your weight into it, 109 00:06:23,333 --> 00:06:24,754 put your shoulder into it, 110 00:06:24,754 --> 00:06:26,770 and do that for 24 hours, 111 00:06:26,770 --> 00:06:28,241 and come in here exhausted. 112 00:06:28,241 --> 00:06:29,328 Oh, I was working. 113 00:06:29,328 --> 00:06:32,563 Well, no, actually you didn't do any work. 114 00:06:32,563 --> 00:06:36,759 You applied a force, 115 00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:39,258 but you really didn't do any work. 116 00:06:39,258 --> 00:06:41,708 And see, that's kind of like lifting weights. 117 00:06:41,708 --> 00:06:43,546 You're not really doing any work. 118 00:06:43,546 --> 00:06:45,184 You say, yeah, but there's motion. 119 00:06:45,184 --> 00:06:47,193 Yeah, but in the end the weight ends up 120 00:06:47,193 --> 00:06:50,317 right where it was. 121 00:06:50,317 --> 00:06:55,106 The thing is he actually exercised in a way 122 00:06:55,106 --> 00:06:57,816 that he was producing some real work, 123 00:06:57,816 --> 00:07:00,786 where the wood was split 124 00:07:00,786 --> 00:07:03,480 and that was necessary in those days. 125 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,186 That's how they heated their home 126 00:07:05,186 --> 00:07:07,802 and he was up in the Northeast. 127 00:07:07,802 --> 00:07:09,566 And that was necessary. 128 00:07:09,566 --> 00:07:12,837 So he was doing a necessary labor. 129 00:07:12,837 --> 00:07:14,427 It's just interesting. 130 00:07:14,427 --> 00:07:16,247 I'm just bringing up the fact that 131 00:07:16,247 --> 00:07:17,298 he did that. 132 00:07:17,298 --> 00:07:23,487 He sought to eat in a way to keep his head clear. 133 00:07:23,487 --> 00:07:25,581 And he sought to exercise in a way 134 00:07:25,581 --> 00:07:32,061 that was actually productive. 135 00:07:32,061 --> 00:07:33,339 That's it. 136 00:07:33,339 --> 00:07:35,547 I'm throwing it out for thought. 137 00:07:35,547 --> 00:07:37,305 Ulimately, what we want to do is 138 00:07:37,305 --> 00:07:39,859 we want to look at Scripture. 139 00:07:39,859 --> 00:07:43,222 One of the texts that I threw out 140 00:07:43,222 --> 00:07:45,437 that I think we need to deal with is 141 00:07:45,437 --> 00:07:47,862 "redeem the time." 142 00:07:47,862 --> 00:07:49,219 So let me ask you this: 143 00:07:49,219 --> 00:07:52,597 if a guy were to spend two hours a day, 144 00:07:52,597 --> 00:07:54,394 five days a week or six days a week 145 00:07:54,394 --> 00:07:55,219 in the gym, 146 00:07:55,219 --> 00:08:01,942 is he redeeming the time? 147 00:08:04,385 --> 00:08:06,415 Here's the thing you want to think about. 148 00:08:06,415 --> 00:08:14,023 He's pumping weights that don't go anywhere. 149 00:08:14,023 --> 00:08:16,600 He's doing it with a body that 100 years from now 150 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:18,825 is going to be worm-eaten. 151 00:08:18,825 --> 00:08:26,425 Pumping weights is not a fountain of youth. 152 00:08:26,425 --> 00:08:38,987 So, is that redeeming the time? 153 00:08:38,987 --> 00:08:42,228 Did I hear a [no?] 154 00:08:42,228 --> 00:08:46,223 (from the room) 155 00:08:46,223 --> 00:08:49,781 Say if I have a situation like 156 00:08:49,781 --> 00:08:53,368 I'm a fire fighter on duty 157 00:08:53,368 --> 00:08:56,868 and I'm sitting around the fire house 158 00:08:56,868 --> 00:08:59,220 with nothing to do, 159 00:08:59,220 --> 00:09:01,028 but I'm able to go and work out 160 00:09:01,028 --> 00:09:02,294 and get paid for it, 161 00:09:02,294 --> 00:09:04,680 to me, that's a different factor there 162 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:06,365 based on the fact that I don't 163 00:09:06,365 --> 00:09:08,838 really have anything else to do at the fire house, 164 00:09:08,838 --> 00:09:10,592 I'm a fireman waiting for a call. 165 00:09:10,592 --> 00:09:12,693 We can go work out at a gym 166 00:09:12,693 --> 00:09:13,869 and wait to get a call, 167 00:09:13,869 --> 00:09:15,827 and then we'll leave from there. 168 00:09:15,827 --> 00:09:18,391 Tim: If you have a job where 169 00:09:18,391 --> 00:09:22,091 remaining healthy like that is pretty essential 170 00:09:22,091 --> 00:09:24,390 to your effectiveness in the job. 171 00:09:24,390 --> 00:09:28,405 Chip Hewitt - military. 172 00:09:28,405 --> 00:09:32,423 Those guys have to take PT exam 173 00:09:32,423 --> 00:09:35,080 every so often, 174 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:38,184 and so they have to maintain 175 00:09:38,184 --> 00:09:41,092 a certain level of physical fitness, 176 00:09:41,092 --> 00:09:44,089 or else. 177 00:09:44,089 --> 00:09:45,348 Why? 178 00:09:45,348 --> 00:09:47,112 Because when you're a fire fighter, 179 00:09:47,112 --> 00:09:48,791 or when you're in the military, 180 00:09:48,791 --> 00:09:52,406 there's an expectation of maintaining 181 00:09:52,406 --> 00:09:57,104 a certain level of health. 182 00:09:57,104 --> 00:09:59,645 You see some of these police officers... 183 00:09:59,645 --> 00:10:01,230 it's like they've been spending 184 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:03,102 way too much time at Dunkin Donuts. 185 00:10:03,102 --> 00:10:05,188 And you just wonder if they had to chase 186 00:10:05,188 --> 00:10:06,821 a criminal, 187 00:10:06,821 --> 00:10:15,388 would they even come close to catching them? 188 00:10:15,388 --> 00:10:23,394 Did you see that big guy that was in the wedding? 189 00:10:23,394 --> 00:10:24,589 Evan's friend. 190 00:10:24,589 --> 00:10:26,791 That guy was a fire fighter. 191 00:10:26,791 --> 00:10:28,612 I'm thinking if my house is on fire, 192 00:10:28,612 --> 00:10:32,862 I'd love to see about 12 of those guys show up. 193 00:10:32,862 --> 00:10:34,316 Why? 194 00:10:34,316 --> 00:10:35,878 They can move walls. 195 00:10:35,878 --> 00:10:38,731 They can make things happen. 196 00:10:38,731 --> 00:10:39,557 (from the room) 197 00:10:39,557 --> 00:10:41,093 For people who weren't there, 198 00:10:41,093 --> 00:10:42,441 it wasn't big like "fat," 199 00:10:42,441 --> 00:10:43,981 but big as in strong and tall. 200 00:10:43,981 --> 00:10:49,720 Tim: Yeah, just a monster of a man. 201 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:53,077 So, what we're basically establishing here 202 00:10:53,077 --> 00:11:02,129 is there's not one specific rule. 203 00:11:02,129 --> 00:11:07,568 But think about this: 204 00:11:07,568 --> 00:11:12,626 All things are lawful, but... 205 00:11:12,626 --> 00:11:16,036 not all things are expedient or helpful. 206 00:11:16,036 --> 00:11:21,652 All things are lawful, but... 207 00:11:21,652 --> 00:11:28,416 I will not be brought under the power of any. 208 00:11:28,416 --> 00:11:30,733 See, I guess the thing is 209 00:11:30,733 --> 00:11:32,874 we have to look at life like that. 210 00:11:32,874 --> 00:11:36,996 Ok, these are things that fall into the gray areas. 211 00:11:36,996 --> 00:11:39,396 All things are lawful, 212 00:11:39,396 --> 00:11:41,099 that are not unlawful, 213 00:11:41,099 --> 00:11:42,732 all things are lawful, 214 00:11:42,732 --> 00:11:47,450 but see, what Paul's doing there, 215 00:11:47,450 --> 00:11:50,366 is he's apparently taking 216 00:11:50,366 --> 00:11:53,334 a colloquial expression. 217 00:11:53,334 --> 00:11:55,343 Some kind of cliche saying 218 00:11:55,343 --> 00:11:57,927 that's getting thrown around by the Corinthians. 219 00:11:57,927 --> 00:11:59,326 All things are lawful... 220 00:11:59,326 --> 00:12:01,413 It comes up in 1 Corinthians 6 221 00:12:01,413 --> 00:12:03,664 and again in 1 Corinthians 10. 222 00:12:03,664 --> 00:12:07,038 It's like it was something that they would say 223 00:12:07,038 --> 00:12:10,469 to justify what they did with their lives. 224 00:12:10,469 --> 00:12:15,137 And he came along and said this: 225 00:12:15,137 --> 00:12:17,597 All things are lawful... 226 00:12:17,597 --> 00:12:23,821 Ok. But... there's more to put into the equation 227 00:12:23,821 --> 00:12:28,244 than just that. 228 00:12:28,244 --> 00:12:30,360 Boy, this is what we've been talking about 229 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,311 often times in living the Christian life 230 00:12:32,311 --> 00:12:33,888 over these last several months 231 00:12:33,888 --> 00:12:35,601 in this Bible study. 232 00:12:35,601 --> 00:12:37,152 It's not just a matter of: 233 00:12:37,152 --> 00:12:40,113 "Show me in the Bible where I can't do that." 234 00:12:40,113 --> 00:12:43,482 See, you're way too shallow 235 00:12:43,482 --> 00:12:45,620 if that's how you're living your life. 236 00:12:45,620 --> 00:12:48,918 It's got to do with: 237 00:12:48,918 --> 00:12:52,871 Does it edify? Does it build up? 238 00:12:52,871 --> 00:12:55,208 Is it helpful? 239 00:12:55,208 --> 00:12:59,146 Does it bring me under its power? 240 00:12:59,146 --> 00:13:05,682 Like, some of you know the story of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 241 00:13:05,682 --> 00:13:07,821 and what transpired in his life. 242 00:13:07,821 --> 00:13:10,500 He's a pastor and he smoked. 243 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:14,494 My understanding was he smoked a pack a day. 244 00:13:14,494 --> 00:13:15,633 What happened? 245 00:13:15,633 --> 00:13:17,560 He got to the point where he recognized, 246 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:20,629 he was under the power of this. 247 00:13:20,629 --> 00:13:22,071 And I'll tell you what, 248 00:13:22,071 --> 00:13:24,135 weight lifting is the kind of thing 249 00:13:24,135 --> 00:13:26,798 that can pull you under it's power. 250 00:13:26,798 --> 00:13:29,254 It's the kind of thing that's almost like a drug. 251 00:13:29,254 --> 00:13:31,330 You need to have it. 252 00:13:31,330 --> 00:13:33,913 There's an adrenaline rush. 253 00:13:33,913 --> 00:13:36,178 You take your protein powder 254 00:13:36,178 --> 00:13:38,035 or your creatine or whatever 255 00:13:38,035 --> 00:13:42,939 and there's a high connected with that. 256 00:13:42,939 --> 00:13:48,344 And guys thrive on that. 257 00:13:48,344 --> 00:13:51,928 But what we have to ask ourselves is, 258 00:13:51,928 --> 00:13:53,638 there's a little profit in it, 259 00:13:53,638 --> 00:13:58,315 but there's primarily profit in godliness. 260 00:13:58,315 --> 00:14:02,618 So, you want to ask questions like, 261 00:14:02,618 --> 00:14:06,306 well, rather than spending two hours 262 00:14:06,306 --> 00:14:08,218 going to the gym, 263 00:14:08,218 --> 00:14:09,802 what if you bought some dumbbells 264 00:14:09,802 --> 00:14:12,225 and you worked out for fifteen minutes 265 00:14:12,225 --> 00:14:13,737 here and there during the day 266 00:14:13,737 --> 00:14:16,018 when you had a little bit of free time, 267 00:14:16,018 --> 00:14:18,217 and you gave the rest of that two hours a day 268 00:14:18,217 --> 00:14:20,843 to memorizing Scripture? 269 00:14:20,843 --> 00:14:22,351 Think about it. 270 00:14:22,351 --> 00:14:28,169 When you're fifty years old... 271 00:14:28,169 --> 00:14:31,015 brethren, let me just tell you this. 272 00:14:31,015 --> 00:14:35,111 Because some of you are young, 273 00:14:35,111 --> 00:14:37,089 and you don't recognize what happens 274 00:14:37,089 --> 00:14:39,162 when you go from twenties to thirties, 275 00:14:39,162 --> 00:14:41,883 thirties to forties, forties to fifties. 276 00:14:41,883 --> 00:14:44,063 I haven't got to sixties or seventies yet, 277 00:14:44,063 --> 00:14:45,828 but I'm telling you, 278 00:14:45,828 --> 00:14:49,216 what is happening in my mind 279 00:14:49,216 --> 00:14:51,995 is all the Scripture I memorized 280 00:14:51,995 --> 00:14:55,678 when I was 25, 26, 27 years old, 281 00:14:55,678 --> 00:14:58,845 that is what I can recall. 282 00:14:58,845 --> 00:15:02,256 The stuff I've tried to remember in the last few years. 283 00:15:02,256 --> 00:15:06,257 Very difficult. 284 00:15:06,257 --> 00:15:08,691 You want to think. 285 00:15:08,691 --> 00:15:10,909 If you're spending hours and hours and hours 286 00:15:10,909 --> 00:15:15,392 of your life in the gym, 287 00:15:15,392 --> 00:15:17,636 what would happen if you spent all those hours 288 00:15:17,636 --> 00:15:22,136 memorizing Scripture? 289 00:15:22,136 --> 00:15:24,815 Or learning to play the guitar, 290 00:15:24,815 --> 00:15:26,744 where you could minister to God's people 291 00:15:26,744 --> 00:15:29,282 by way of song? 292 00:15:29,282 --> 00:15:33,814 We just want to look at the value. 293 00:15:33,814 --> 00:15:38,812 There's something to be said for exercising 294 00:15:38,812 --> 00:15:42,245 so that you're not tired in the middle of the afternoon. 295 00:15:42,245 --> 00:15:44,487 There's something to be said about exercising 296 00:15:44,487 --> 00:15:47,496 so that you maintain a certain level of fitness. 297 00:15:47,496 --> 00:15:51,415 We should take care of our bodies. 298 00:15:51,415 --> 00:15:53,114 When you get fat, 299 00:15:53,114 --> 00:15:55,107 and you eat terribly, 300 00:15:55,107 --> 00:15:59,731 you don't feel good, 301 00:15:59,731 --> 00:16:01,187 it's bad on your health, 302 00:16:01,187 --> 00:16:03,917 you probably shorten your life. 303 00:16:03,917 --> 00:16:06,556 But you don't want to make weightlifting 304 00:16:06,556 --> 00:16:08,317 into a god. 305 00:16:08,317 --> 00:16:10,136 And I would say this. 306 00:16:10,136 --> 00:16:13,650 We need to ask ourselves motive. 307 00:16:13,650 --> 00:16:15,492 Isn't that the issue? 308 00:16:15,492 --> 00:16:17,294 What's the motive? 309 00:16:17,294 --> 00:16:19,297 What makes us tick? 310 00:16:19,297 --> 00:16:21,181 Why do we do what we do? 311 00:16:21,181 --> 00:16:25,513 Because God looks at the motive. 312 00:16:25,513 --> 00:16:28,277 To the Lord, that's the most important thing. 313 00:16:28,277 --> 00:16:30,082 If a guy says, you know what? 314 00:16:30,082 --> 00:16:34,012 When I work out, I don't fall asleep at church. 315 00:16:34,012 --> 00:16:35,979 That's good. 316 00:16:35,979 --> 00:16:38,417 If Jonathan Edwards says 317 00:16:38,417 --> 00:16:42,725 when I go out and chop wood for 40 minutes a day 318 00:16:42,725 --> 00:16:44,596 or 20 minutes a day, 319 00:16:44,596 --> 00:16:47,132 I feel a whole lot better when I sit down at my desk. 320 00:16:47,132 --> 00:16:48,992 I don't feel like I'm going to fall asleep 321 00:16:48,992 --> 00:16:50,871 at 3:00 in the afternoon. 322 00:16:50,871 --> 00:16:51,765 Great. 323 00:16:51,765 --> 00:16:53,022 Just like eating. 324 00:16:53,022 --> 00:16:56,301 He determined, if I eat that, I get a headache. 325 00:16:56,301 --> 00:16:58,927 I'm not going to eat that. 326 00:16:58,927 --> 00:17:03,685 We have to look at why we do what we do. 327 00:17:03,685 --> 00:17:07,405 If a guy is going to the gym primarily 328 00:17:07,405 --> 00:17:11,535 because he wants to appeal to 329 00:17:11,535 --> 00:17:17,520 somebody of the opposite sex, 330 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:23,128 that's probably not a good motive. 331 00:17:23,128 --> 00:17:25,553 Because what's that saying? 332 00:17:25,553 --> 00:17:27,941 He's putting all this effort into 333 00:17:27,941 --> 00:17:31,618 looking good, looking attractive, 334 00:17:31,618 --> 00:17:33,870 and he wants to attract a wife 335 00:17:33,870 --> 00:17:42,204 or a girlfriend based on that. 336 00:17:42,204 --> 00:17:46,602 That's just not a good motive. 337 00:17:46,602 --> 00:17:52,458 Because if a girl is primarily attracted to you 338 00:17:52,458 --> 00:17:54,874 for that reason, 339 00:17:54,874 --> 00:17:56,574 then you're going to end up with 340 00:17:56,574 --> 00:17:58,739 a pretty shallow girl. 341 00:17:58,739 --> 00:18:00,858 In other words, you're not focusing 342 00:18:00,858 --> 00:18:04,216 primarily on the thing that is calculated 343 00:18:04,216 --> 00:18:07,869 to attract the best of wives - an excellent wife. 344 00:18:07,869 --> 00:18:09,800 Because that certainly isn't going to be 345 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,971 the primary thing that she's going to be 346 00:18:11,971 --> 00:18:16,786 looking for in a guy. 347 00:18:16,786 --> 00:18:22,684 So, there's not any specific rule here. 348 00:18:22,684 --> 00:18:27,806 I heard Craig mention going to the gym on Sunday. 349 00:18:27,806 --> 00:18:31,488 I get into seasons where I go to the gym. 350 00:18:31,488 --> 00:18:33,352 It's seasons. 351 00:18:33,352 --> 00:18:35,289 And sometimes it's just simply because 352 00:18:35,289 --> 00:18:38,930 I feel like I'm getting out of shape. 353 00:18:38,930 --> 00:18:41,163 And then I've had other seasons 354 00:18:41,163 --> 00:18:43,176 where it's like, ok, I think 355 00:18:43,176 --> 00:18:44,665 I'm getting into that too much. 356 00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:48,507 I need to not do that anymore. 357 00:18:48,507 --> 00:18:50,739 But there's sometimes when I feel like 358 00:18:50,739 --> 00:18:55,755 I should do that. 359 00:18:55,755 --> 00:19:01,119 If you work out, and your mind is sharper, 360 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:02,691 that's good. 361 00:19:02,691 --> 00:19:04,657 If you work out and you feel better, 362 00:19:04,657 --> 00:19:06,141 that's good. 363 00:19:06,141 --> 00:19:07,765 How we feel is connected tightly 364 00:19:07,765 --> 00:19:09,189 to our spirituality. 365 00:19:09,189 --> 00:19:11,185 If we feel good, if we feel healthy. 366 00:19:11,185 --> 00:19:16,567 Obviously, being strong and being able to do things, 367 00:19:16,567 --> 00:19:19,167 if you let yourself entirely go 368 00:19:19,167 --> 00:19:20,946 and then you have to exert yourself 369 00:19:20,946 --> 00:19:22,398 or do something, 370 00:19:22,398 --> 00:19:26,188 you'll pull a muscle, you're just a mess. 371 00:19:26,188 --> 00:19:28,871 Trying to keep some degree of 372 00:19:28,871 --> 00:19:33,485 physical fitness so you can operate well, 373 00:19:33,485 --> 00:19:38,582 as you try to run this race before the Lord, 374 00:19:38,582 --> 00:19:41,266 that certainly would be desirable. 375 00:19:41,266 --> 00:19:42,807 But it all comes back to motive. 376 00:19:42,807 --> 00:19:47,329 What is it that we're really after? 377 00:19:47,329 --> 00:19:49,245 And you certainly don't want to be 378 00:19:49,245 --> 00:19:51,119 brought under the power of anything. 379 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:55,423 You don't want it to control you. 380 00:19:55,423 --> 00:20:01,872 Any other thoughts? 381 00:20:05,589 --> 00:20:07,100 (from the room) 382 00:20:07,100 --> 00:20:10,951 I'm just thinking, I remember how you said 383 00:20:10,951 --> 00:20:13,150 there were a lot of people out there 384 00:20:13,150 --> 00:20:16,425 that say show me in the Bible where it says that. 385 00:20:16,425 --> 00:20:20,297 And I ran across a lot of Christians - 386 00:20:20,297 --> 00:20:24,799 from a broad range, 387 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:28,497 and they would say, 388 00:20:28,497 --> 00:20:33,626 show me in the Bible where it says not to do that. 389 00:20:33,626 --> 00:20:38,491 And recently I came across a brother that was like that. 390 00:20:38,491 --> 00:20:42,257 He's real into working out 391 00:20:42,257 --> 00:20:46,259 and I told him it looks like this has become 392 00:20:46,259 --> 00:20:51,564 the priority, and this is not your priority anymore. 393 00:20:51,564 --> 00:20:53,598 Seeking the Lord is not. 394 00:20:53,598 --> 00:20:56,214 And he said tell me in the Bible where it says 395 00:20:56,214 --> 00:20:58,738 I can't work out. 396 00:20:58,738 --> 00:21:00,629 Tim: You could say, 397 00:21:00,629 --> 00:21:03,065 Paul said that he wouldn't be brought 398 00:21:03,065 --> 00:21:05,351 under the power of anything. 399 00:21:05,351 --> 00:21:06,669 And it's got to do with 400 00:21:06,669 --> 00:21:10,872 is this helpful? 401 00:21:10,872 --> 00:21:15,001 And 1 Timothy 4:8 is a text 402 00:21:15,001 --> 00:21:19,019 that I recognize that what's being said here 403 00:21:19,019 --> 00:21:21,255 is that there's different translations, 404 00:21:21,255 --> 00:21:23,027 but I'll tell you, no matter what translation 405 00:21:23,027 --> 00:21:26,534 you have, the truth that comes across is this: 406 00:21:26,534 --> 00:21:36,963 The benefits of godliness - they benefit in everything. 407 00:21:36,963 --> 00:21:39,629 Do you recognize that? 408 00:21:39,629 --> 00:21:42,757 Do you all recognize this? 409 00:21:42,757 --> 00:21:47,714 If you become - if you can even quantify it - 410 00:21:47,714 --> 00:21:51,006 10% more godly than you are now. 411 00:21:51,006 --> 00:21:54,573 It benefits you in everything. 412 00:21:54,573 --> 00:21:57,592 If you become 10% stronger, 413 00:21:57,592 --> 00:22:02,724 it's got a little value. 414 00:22:02,724 --> 00:22:04,527 And that's the truth. 415 00:22:04,527 --> 00:22:06,645 That's what Paul's saying to Timothy. 416 00:22:06,645 --> 00:22:09,024 Timothy's a young man. 417 00:22:09,024 --> 00:22:10,774 Why do you think he'd talk to him 418 00:22:10,774 --> 00:22:13,654 about physical exercise? 419 00:22:13,654 --> 00:22:15,070 This isn't new today. 420 00:22:15,070 --> 00:22:16,520 There were sports back then. 421 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,501 Young people were young people back then. 422 00:22:19,501 --> 00:22:22,271 There's nothing new under the sun. 423 00:22:22,271 --> 00:22:24,828 Don't think well, we've got gyms today. 424 00:22:24,828 --> 00:22:27,390 They had what they had back then. 425 00:22:27,390 --> 00:22:29,393 They had Olympics back then. 426 00:22:29,393 --> 00:22:31,501 They had sports back then. 427 00:22:31,501 --> 00:22:33,023 Paul talks about wrestling, 428 00:22:33,023 --> 00:22:34,596 he talks about boxing, 429 00:22:34,596 --> 00:22:36,245 he talks about running. 430 00:22:36,245 --> 00:22:44,409 There clearly were sports back then. 431 00:22:44,409 --> 00:22:49,682 You'd hate to look back on your life 432 00:22:49,682 --> 00:22:52,313 and have spent, literally, when you add up 433 00:22:52,313 --> 00:22:54,299 all the time that you were in the gym, 434 00:22:54,299 --> 00:22:58,140 it amounts to days and weeks and months 435 00:22:58,140 --> 00:23:00,347 of your life, 436 00:23:00,347 --> 00:23:01,954 and now you're old and decrepit 437 00:23:01,954 --> 00:23:08,996 and you have nothing to show for all of that. 438 00:23:08,996 --> 00:23:11,219 It seems like what we want to do, 439 00:23:11,219 --> 00:23:15,496 is we want to maintain a level of physical exercise 440 00:23:15,496 --> 00:23:18,490 that's going to help us run spiritually 441 00:23:18,490 --> 00:23:20,490 as fast as we can. 442 00:23:20,490 --> 00:23:22,532 And if it's more than that, 443 00:23:22,532 --> 00:23:24,704 it's probably excess. 444 00:23:24,704 --> 00:23:29,145 Unless, of course, you do have a place in life 445 00:23:29,145 --> 00:23:31,923 or some kind of position in life. 446 00:23:31,923 --> 00:23:35,043 Some kind of employment in life 447 00:23:35,043 --> 00:23:38,399 where if your employer 448 00:23:38,399 --> 00:23:44,168 expects - like Zach's does. 449 00:23:44,168 --> 00:23:47,808 Zach's employer expects him to be able to 450 00:23:47,808 --> 00:23:51,980 take a half or a third of a grand piano 451 00:23:51,980 --> 00:23:57,511 and lift the thing. 452 00:23:57,511 --> 00:24:02,937 If Evan is working for the fire department, 453 00:24:02,937 --> 00:24:07,880 they don't expect him to be gorging himself 454 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,268 on Big Macs all the time, 455 00:24:10,268 --> 00:24:11,920 and not working out. 456 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,650 Same thing for Chip in the military. 457 00:24:14,650 --> 00:24:17,279 They expect something. 458 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:19,654 So where you've got that kind of commitment, 459 00:24:19,654 --> 00:24:28,124 obviously, you need to be faithful to the employer.