YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

Photo taken by B Smith from the Kitchen Window

   248 - YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

   June 10, 1962

   Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

I Timothy 4: 7 - 11 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, an of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living god, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 11 These things command and teach.

Here we are told to refuse profane and old wives fables, and this is rather difficult to understand, but the word, fable, here is the word, myth, and it actually means tradition. In those days, a great deal of teaching was given by story. Today we could call it folk-lore--that is all tradition is--folk-lore. These were used by public speakers traveling from market-place to market-place, and in order to earn a living, they would give what we call lectures. People would stand for hours listening to these myths, to these traditions, to this folk-lore, and Paul wrote to Timothy telling him not to fall into the habit of the popular speaking method of that day.

1/ As you know, many in the church had fallen into this habit, and had fallen prey to this awful, awful habit, traditions, folk-lore and myths had taken the place of sound doctrine in the Bible. 

2/ But, to understand this fully--it is something that we would have a hard time understanding, because it is something that is much harder for a young man like Timothy, or any other preacher of that day, than it is for a young preacher now in our day. Today, we send a young man to Bible school or college and seminary. There were no schools then for young men to go to and prepare for the ministry. Now, when a young man goes to Bible School and College and Seminary, he has time to get quite a library together. He can get books by some of the greatest preachers of our day and days gone by.  Of course, we always recommend that young preachers get good libraries. But Timothy couldn’t do that. Timothy’s reading was limited. He had some of the Pauline Epistles, but he didn’t have other books--expositions on Paul’s writings by some other people, and so it would be a temptation for Timothy to follow the popular method of telling strange stories, or folk-lore, or leaning upon tradition to try to explain things.     

3/ But, you will find there are those who do not care to take time to study the Word--they try to study what everyone else has to say--they are interested in tradition and folklore, so they don’t spend much time in the Word of God, but Timothy is exhorted here--know what the Word of God teaches, and then proclaim it

4/ The word, refuse, is the word, shun. Then you will notice that you have the word, exercise twice--once in vs. 7 and once in vs. 8. In vs. 7 it is exercise thyself unto godliness, and in vs. 8 it says, for bodily exercise profiteth little. It actually should be bodily exercise is of small profit. It has some profit, but not a great deal of profit. 

5/ The word, exercise, is the word from which we get our word, gymnasium, or gymnastics, and it means exercise. Paul says that bodily exercise will do some good, but spiritual exercise unto godliness is the one that is important.

6/ You have heard President Kennedy, and if you have been listening to your radio, and your TV you know there has been much said about the physical culture of our young people, saying that our schools do not have the right kind of exercise. Our children are weaklings—and, so, the emphasis is being put on physical exercise for young people, and of course, this is good. But being a nation of people having strong bodies is not enough. We need a spiritual tone, and spirituality is far more important than physical strength. 

7/ Timothy was a weak individual. He was not a strong young man. He wasn’t a man who could go out and compete in many games and come out victorious. I Timothy 5: 23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities--thy many sicknesses. He had much trouble, and he was sick a good bit of the time. But still Paul says, it is not really important how strong you are physically, but how strong are you spiritually?  

8/ There are many churches that are interested in eating, and they can get the crowds out when they have a meal or have some good food prepared. Or, they can put out some real great athletics. They have a tremendous program for physical exercise or play but exercise would be fine in their place-but they have no part in trying to do away with the spiritual. The spiritual is still the most important.  

9/ Let me show you why Paul words it this way to a young, weak man by the name of Timothy. Psalms 22: 26 and here we read, The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek Him: and notice --- your heart will live for ever.  Your heart will live forever?  Your heart is speaking of the inward individual that is the most important, because that will live on forever and ever. 

Ignancy Jan Paderewski, the great pianist, who spent hours every day on a wrist machine, just to strengthen his wrists, and six hour a day in practice at the piano. He died and what happened? His hands were folded and they were cold and stiff, but the inward man lived on forever. It is better to train the inward person than to train the hands. Physical exercise does have benefit, but certainly it cannot be compared to exercise unto godliness, because that lasts forever and ever. Physical fitness can only be for a short season.

10/ You will notice the end of vs. 8 Godliness is profitable having promise in this life, and the life which is to come. Physical fitness will only be good for this life, but exercise unto godliness will be of advantage in this life, because we will be happier, we will certainly enjoy life more, and we will have benefits in the future life. Because there rewards that we can gain for the future life.

11/ God never condone a weak spiritual believer. There are no excuses for one who is weak spiritually. Notice, Ephesians 6: 10. We are told, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. That is godliness--being strong in the Lord.

12/ Now notice the I Timothy 4: 10 For, therefore, we both labour and suffer reproach, (why) because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.  And it should be, we labor and suffer to the point of exhaustion. It has the thought of agony in it.  We may not do this, but Paul does.  Again, the thought is, which is more important?  The physical which is soon over, even if it is 60, 70, or 80 or 90 years, and Paul said we are willing rather to suffer reproach and persecution.  We are willing to labor to the point where we fall over.  A man may live 100 years old, but if he doesn’t do anything for the Lord Jesus Christ, what value is there in it?  You have heard the saying--There is only one life, it will soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last. 

13/ Then notice, Who is the Saviour of all men, especially those who believe.  This is an odd portion of Scripture, isn’t it?  You will notice in your Scofield Bible that the word, Preserver is used instead of Saviour --- He is the Preserver of all men, especially of those that believe.  There is no question here of Christ’s work in salvation.  It is a character of God as creator, as preserver of all men.  Notice, Psalms 36: 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast, and He does just this. Then also you will remember, Matthew 5: 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Every good and perfect gift cometh from Him and all men whether saved or unsaved should look on God as the preserver of life. He is the one that has created this universe, who has set up its governing laws, so that life might be preserved. Not only on man, but upon beasts as well, but especially on the saved--He does care for us, we are His special jewels, we are part of His body.

14/ He preserves us not only in this life, but in the life to come, for we are to live with Him throughout all eternity.

15/ I Timothy 4: 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Timothy was probably from 38 to 40 years old at the time, and many of the other leaders of the church was much older than Timothy. Forty is pretty old when it comes to playing baseball or football, but it is young in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we can get out of this portion of Scripture is that it is said that Timothy is told not to let men push him around. Timothy was being despised, and it really says, do not allow anyone to despise you--let no one push you around as a boy.

16/ Then notice, Timothy was to be an example. He was to be a pattern of what the believer ought to be. Timothy wasn’t really a young man by worldly standards--but even with his young years he had spent much with the Word. He probably knew more about the Word than many folks because he had been raised with the Word of God.

17/ He was to be a pattern to those who believed. He was to be a model of the believer.  First of all, in the Word--in other words, but what he had to say, by what came out of his mouth, by his speech, and then in conversation. That means, not talk, but walk, or daily behavior. The way he walked in his daily life. Then in charity--that is, of course, in love.  How many people fail to show any love to their fellow men--how they can be critical and harsh and unlovely.

18/ In spirit. Now many folks say these two words do not belong in the original text. If they do, I am sure it means enthusiasm. This is a quality that is strangely lacking in the makeup of many Christians. You can have plenty of enthusiasm for the football game, or an election campaign, but don’t show any enthusiasm for the Lord or you will be called a fanatic, then you’ll be sorry. We should be enthusiastic for our work for Jesus Christ. Then in Faith, and I think the meaning here is faithfulness. We should be faithful in all that we do. Then in purity. That is in a moral sense--in other words, not just with our actions, but with our minds--have clean minds as well. Timothy was to be an example in all of these things. 

19/ Then in vs.13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. He tells him how to have this condition true in his life?  How things come out of his life? First of all, he says, while I am coming--in other words, while I keep on traveling, you want to be sure to give attendance to reading. And here it refers to public reading of the Scriptures in the assembly with comments. In other words, this is by preaching. Timothy is to keep on preaching the Word, making comments on it as he would read it. Then he is to exhort from the Word of God. That means to rebuke, and then in doctrine. Exhortation without doctrine is valueless--that is without teaching.

AMEN

Ref: 06/10/1962 / 248 - YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS / 04/01/2020

GOD AND THE WORM

299 - GOD AND THE WORM

June 27, 1965

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Romans 8: 30 - 34 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Last week we spent our time showing you that in Romans 8 the God-Head is for us--God the Holy Spirit, God the Father, God the Son, and of course, since all members of the Trinity are for us, no one dare be against us. What a wonderful position to be in, as a believer in Jesus Christ. If anything can cause you to say Hallelujah, this should.

1/ As I read this portion of Scripture, my mind automatically goes back to the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah 41: 11 - 14. Behold, all they that are incensed against thee, shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war with thee they shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

This verse tells us that God was for Israel, and of course, this was in a physical way. This is in an earthly way. And God said to Israel--Behold, all they that are incensed against thee, shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shall seek them, and shall not find them, even them that contend with thee:

God said to Israel, you will have enemies--you will have those who are incensed against thee, but what will happen to them? In the long run, they will be ashamed and confounded, they shall be as nothing, and those that strive with thee, they are sure to perish, and when you go to seek them, you will not find them. Certainly, Israel would have said physically here, as far as physical enemies are concerned. If God is with us (Israel), where are the folks who can be against us? They may have been against them, but they didn’t prevail.

2/ But then we come to vs. 14 and we have one of the delicate ironies of Scripture, and this verse brings out so clearly the nothingness of man, and the wonderful power of God on his behalf. Notice what God said to the nation--your enemies will not prevail against you, they will be as nothing, then He says, Fear not, thou worm, Jacob, I will help thee. My, what a partnership! God and the worm. How much Israel lost because they didn’t recognize what they really were. They were worms. When men form a partnership, one man puts up money, another man puts up experience or some other simple division of their various assets, but when we form a partnership with God, He demands that we do it on His terms. We put up weakness, and He puts up strength. We put up sin and He puts up grace, or righteousness. We cast in our nothingness, and He answers with His all-ness. God and the worm. God says, let not anyone dare attack that partnership, but how loath the children of Israel were to accept their own bankruptcy, to have His fullness.

3/ Actually, the same is true today. You will notice that in the New Testament, as we studied last Wednesday night, God said, and by God we mean Jesus Christ, that the Gentiles were dogs, and finally the Jews became serpents and a generation of vipers, and here He calls them worms. They haven’t anything--nothing to offer. The partnership that is formed between the nation Israel and God is strictly all God. 

Today we are in a position where we haven’t anything to offer God, but He brings everything to us, for notice in these verses what He has to say. If God, be for us, who can be against us? He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all--how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect. It is God Who justifieth. It is God--we are not doing a thing here. It is all on God’s side. Take your position before God as a worm and allow Him to do everything for you.

4/ You will notice in the beginning of vs. 31--What shall we then say to these things? This, of course, is a question, and it follows after all these wonderful truths that have been revealed. You will notice in the rest of the chapter Paul sets forth solid answers that must be given to those things by the believer in Jesus Christ. First of all, God is for us. Then in vs. 32 is the second, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things. I do not believe we think enough of what it meant to God the Father to give His Son. Did you ever stop to think what a home is like when the one who is loved, the best in the home is taken away? I wonder what Heaven was like when the Lord Jesus Christ left and came down to this earth. He gave up everything He had and came down here to have nothing. 

I think you remember Calvin Coolidge who was president of our nation. While he was in office, his boy died. I think the boy was about 17. His son was in school and he was on the athletic field, and he had an accident. I think he stepped on a nail, or something, and blood poisoning set in and the doctors couldn’t save him. After that, Mr. Coolidge had no interest. He lost interest in practically everything, he did the work of his office as best he could, and I don’t think any president was more conscientious, but he lost interest, and when they asked him to run for the second term and he said, no. They asked him for his reason, and all he would say is, I do not choose to run. He wouldn’t say any more than that--he had lost all interest, and he told some folks in private that it was with the death of the boy, he lost interest in life. 

This is not true with God the Father, but I believe it must have been awful for the Father to give up His Son to come down to this earth. In the Gospel of John at least 40 times John quoted Jesus Christ as saying, “I did not come of Myself.” God the Father sent Him here, and He saw God the Son mistreated here on this earth, cast out, hated, finally killed. You will remember, all through HIs ministry, men tried to kill him.

5/ This is a picture of love.

6/ Just this past while back, I was thinking when love began in the Bible, when it was first mentioned in the Bible. You have heard of the law Theologians use called the law of first-mention. In other words, if you want to find the truth out about something, you go to the first time it is mentioned and you will find that it is usually in that same setting throughout the Bible. Love is first mentioned in Genesis 22: 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And so, how is love mentioned, how is it used in this portion of Scripture? God said, take now thy son, thy only son whom thou lovest, and of course, offer him up. This is the beginning of love in the Bible, and what is it? It is the love of a father for his son. It is the love of a father for a son whom the father was to offer up for a sacrifice. Of course, this is a picture of Calvary, of the cross, a beautiful picture of Calvary. Abraham is the only one in the Bible who stands as a type of a father offering up his son. God said to Abraham, take your son, the son that you love, your only son. Abraham had another son, Ishmael, but God said I don’t recognize him. Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest and offer him up--that is the beginning of love in the Bible.

7/ I want you to recognize the nails that were hammered through the Savior’s hands, were driven through the Father’s heart. The spear that rent the Savior's side, left its mark in the Father’s bosom. The Father suffered both with and in the Son.

8/ (This should be with God and the Worm) As I was thinking of the nation Israel, I thought of another Scripture about God with them. Jeremiah 20: 11 There we read, The Lord is with me as with a mighty terrible one. The best translation I can find of that passage, is THE LORD IS WITH ME AS A MIGHTY GIANT, WHO IS AFRAID? And I believe that is the meaning behind this Scripture. It is a picture of a little boy who has been bullied by the larger boys in the neighborhood, and he is terribly afraid. He is afraid to go out of the house. He is afraid to go out and play because he is constantly being hammered by the other boys. Then one day his father comes to him, and says, Son, let’s go down to the corner store. And to go to the corner store with his father meant he had to go by the bullies who were always there. But now he is not the least bit afraid to go. He walks down the street with his father, and his hand is held in his father’s hand, and he is not the least bit afraid. The neighborhood bullies were there--he sees the boys who have hit him, but he is not afraid, because he has someone who can protect him, someone who is greater, stronger, and mightier than all the bullies in the neighborhood, and that is the picture here. Jeremiah said, the Lord is with me as a mighty giant, and if God is for me, who can be against me? There is no bully who can stand against this giant.

9/ I want you to notice the words, He that spared not His own Son. These are words that are very important for us to notice. Many do not seem to know that God is righteous and holy and that He must punish sin. They think they can live about as they please in this world, and somehow God will spare them and not send them to hell, but this verse shows the folly of all that. 

Have you ever noticed this phrase, spared not? In the Bible. Turn to II Peter 2: 4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; The fact that God spared not His angels that sinned tells us that He will not spare because of the excellency in any of His creatures. Angels greatly excel us in strength and beauty, but when they sinned judgement was immediately pronounced upon them, so don’t think because of excellency, because of beauty, because of strength, because you are in a favored position to God that you will be spared when you sin, for, you won’t. Sin brings damnation, and that’s all it can bring. One may be a great man of the world--a king, a President a Statesman, an industrialist, a scientist, but none of these things will cause God to spare in the day of judgment, for these great men are sinners, and sin must be judged.

10/ II Peter 2: 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; We have the same expression--spared not--there it speaks of the sinners who lived before the flood of Noah’s day--how many perished in that flood, I cannot determine, but one thing is certain, a great number of souls lost their lives at that time. But now the important lesson for us to see is because there were many that did not cause the Lord to spare them. You might say--look at the great number who are not saved--that does not matter--numbers will not cause God to deter judgment upon sin.

11/ Then in the 6th vs. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; He mentions the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although Peter does not use the same expression--spare not--the thought is still the same. None of these great cities were spared excepting Lot and his two daughters. Sin swept them all away.

12/ Here in Romans 8: 32 we read the same thing--He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Sin is such a terrible thing that before a single sin could be forgiven, or a single sinner pardoned, and made righteous, Christ had to die on the cross to pay for that sin, and to die in the place of the sinner.

13/ But notice the rest of Romans 8: 32. But delivered Him up for us all. Now you notice the expression delivered Him up. That means there was a time when God gave the Lord Jesus Christ up--delivered Him over. Gave Him up to something. Notice, the verse doesn’t say God gave Him to us, but it says God delivered Him up for us. And I think if we try, we can find out what the Lord Jesus Christ was delivered up to, then we can understand this verse. There was a time when the Lord Jesus Christ was delivered up to suffering.

14/ Let us study the Garden of Gethsemane experience, I think we ought to read this story and understand it. I don’t care how many times you’ve read it--I think every time you read it you will find something you did not notice before. Luke 22: 53. When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 

Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was facing something that made Him tremble, or we could say, that made Him shudder, that might be a better word, and He cried out, Father, isn’t there some other way? Must it be that I drink this cup?

Luke 22: 42 - 44. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Then He went back to His disciples and He came back into the Garden and fell on His face--flat on His face--and He prayed again. But there was no answer from Heaven to that prayer. That is the point I want you to see. There was no answer from Heaven to that prayer. Three times He did this and He was so weakened that an angel came and strengthened Him. He didn’t have the strength to see it through physically. So, God sent an angel to strengthen Him, but there was no answer from Heaven. Then He comes out of the Garden and in Luke 22: 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

He met Judas and Judas had a company of soldiers with the Scribes and Pharisees and the priests, and they were armed with staves. They were armed to take Him. Jesus Christ said, When I was daily in the temple with you, you stretched forth no hand against Me, but this is your hour. Notice, these next five words--the power of darkness. That is where Jesus Christ was handed over to the power of darkness. From that moment, He had no word of help from Heaven. On the cross He said, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Remember, it wasn’t the men that took Him—it was the powers of darkness that took Him and held Him. 

Up to this time an angel had helped Him, but from this time on He has no help. No angel helped Him at Calvary, no angel helped Him when He was in the hands of His tormentors. They slapped His face, they spit upon Him. You have to be close to a man’s face to spit in his face, and they pulled the hair from His face while they were slapping Him. They blind-folded Him and bound Him.

15/ It would be just as if you were walking through a path in the woods, and there sprang out of the bush a mad man with a weapon in His hand coming toward you. You can imagine how you would be startled. That is exactly the picture you have here.

16/ Notice the wording of this verse. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? It doesn’t say, He shall freely give us all things--it says how can He help but give us all things. How is it possible if God has done this in giving His Son that He would withhold anything from us? It is impossible for Him to withhold anything from us, because He gave His Son for us--He gave us all that He had--He gave His all.

17/ Then notice the word, freely. It is a Greek word DOE--RAY--ON and it means without a cause, without a price. ...how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

John 15: 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Ref: 06/27/1965/ 299 - GOD AND THE WORM / 3/29/2020