Eroded Bodily Health, Part 2

The point: Have your conscience bound by the principles of Paul's directives to Timothy regarding physical care.

Calvin's commentary on 1 Timothy 5:23 suggests Timothy's water-only habit was to avoid appearing addicted to wine, but Paul urged wine as a remedy for frequent ailments, illustrating the balance between self-discipline and health.

Perhaps a desire to clarify the preceding exhortation, keep thyself pure, verse 22, prompted the apostle to warn Timothy against practicing self-discipline at the expense of his health. Apparently, Timothy drank only water in case others should think he was addicted to wine. And that would be contrary to the standard of chapter 3 and verse 2. But in view of Timothy's...

10:22 - 10:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Soberly consider the wise counsel and general consensus of proven guides on what is necessary to be an effective preacher, especially regarding physical condition.

Blakey's quote from 'For the Work of the Ministry' argues for a connection between good health and good preaching, noting that while delicate health might impress for certain truths, overall influence is feeble without vigor.

it engaged the whole of a man's redeemed humanity and the whole of that humanity brought to its most intense and vigorous exercise and therefore they knew the necessity of physical conditioning listen to blakey in his wonderful work that i trust will see a reprint in our day called for the work of the ministry by wg blakey and on page 83 this is the blakey this is the council of blakey now it remains to say a few words on physical preparation for preaching the present generation is much more disposed

14:44 - 15:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Soberly consider the wise counsel and general consensus of proven guides on what is necessary to be an effective preacher, especially regarding physical condition.

Beecher's quote explains that an invalid cannot sustain a cheerful ministry, viewing life sadly and producing 'moaning and drowsy hymns,' illustrating how poor health negatively impacts ministerial effectiveness and congregational experience.

you might sober people about the reality of death but you certainly won't be a good advertisement of the joy and the health to the bones and life to the flesh that godliness brings in its train it is impossible says mr beecher for an invalid to sustain a cheerful and hopeful ministry among his people an invalid looks with a sad eye upon human life he may be sympathetic but is almost always with the shadows that are in the world he will give out moaning and drowsy hymns he will make prayers that are almost piteous it may not be a minister's fault if he be afflicted and ill and it may not be a m...

16:10 - 16:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: it is very certain that do attention to physical exercise is any sensual condition now listen to that Listen to his words of sustained, vigorous preaching, sustained, vigorous preaching.

Beecher's quote describes powerful speakers like Whitefield as men of large physical development, strong digestion, and great lung capacity, emphasizing that physical vitality underlies effective, vigorous preaching.

Listen to his words of sustained, vigorous preaching, sustained, vigorous preaching. The command to be strong in the Lord includes strength of body as well as strength of soul. A whole Saturday spent in the study and particularly a whole Saturday night is not favorable to that physical vigor, which usually underlies good preaching. The speakers that move the crowd, says Beecher, men after the pattern of Whitefield,

18:52 - 19:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Listen to warnings about health and spare yourself, your people, and the people of God the grief of being cut off from usefulness due to neglecting physical faculties.

Porter quotes Timothy Dwight, President of Yale, who observed that students rarely heed warnings about health until they break down themselves, illustrating the common human tendency to neglect preventative care.

Genesis 49 and verse 24. And then when we turn to a man like Porter, who taught pastoral theology and homiletics at Andover Newton back when it had something worth teaching, he also addresses this issue, and this is just a sampling, brethren, of dozens of quotes I could have marshaled from the old masters. He has a section on suggestion for the preservation of the, and he said, Now I'm not a novice in human affairs as to expect that any counsels I give by way of premonition that is trying to warn you ahead of time

20:23 - 21:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Listen to warnings about health and spare yourself, your people, and the people of God the grief of being cut off from usefulness due to neglecting physical faculties.

Mention of a man from 'Cardiokinetics' who works with ministers and executives on physical breakdown, serving as an example of resources available for biblical care of the body.

There was a man who attended our conference a couple of years ago who is now part of an outfit called Cardiokinetics. And it's been my joy to work with Mr. Hollinger in trying to come up with a statement of a biblical theology of the care of the body, of the care of the body, of the care of the body, and this whole outfit operates with a view to helping men in the ministry and executives and others who are breaking down physically or fear they may if they don't do something. And he has some wonderful material and I am not here to promote their outfit, but I'll leave this down on the table if a...

22:38 - 23:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Listen to warnings about health and spare yourself, your people, and the people of God the grief of being cut off from usefulness due to neglecting physical faculties.

Spurgeon's quote from his lectures to students highlights how sedentary habits, poor ventilation, and lack of exercise contribute to despondency and despair, arguing that fresh air and walks are crucial for mental and physical health.

And this statement in here on a synopsis of the biblical view of the care of the body, has some excellent material in terms of the wise counsel of the proven guides. Listen briefly to these two quotes from Spurgeon. In his lectures to his students, Spurgeon said, Don't you...

23:19 - 23:39 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That's what I love about Spurgeon. He had this element of coming to grips with the fact that grace doesn't war with nature. Next to grace in the soul, fresh oxygen in the lungs is the best thing for preaching.

Spurgeon's advice to students with narrower chests to use dumbbells to expand lung capacity illustrates his practical understanding of physical conditioning for effective voice use in preaching, even before scientific studies.

Spurgeon quotes an American preacher who said the best preparation for preaching is a good night's rest and a good breakfast on the Lord's day morning. In his lectures to my students, when he spoke to me, he said, speaking on the use of the voice, he says, to you men of narrower chests, the reason we have the dumbbells in the basement of the college is that you might use them and expand your lung capacity. He said, pump iron.

25:13 - 25:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: That's what I love about Spurgeon. He had this element of coming to grips with the fact that grace doesn't war with nature. Next to grace in the soul, fresh oxygen in the lungs is the best thing for preaching.

Wesley's diary entry attributes his vigor at age 82 and 85 to God's power, prayers, and 'constant exercise and change of air,' serving as a powerful example of a long and fruitful ministry sustained by physical care.

Only one iron is wood. They were wooden dumbbells, but he recognized back then, long before there was any scientific study of these matters, that a man could increase his lung capacity by stretching his sternum, by doing exercise, that would expand his capacity for the use of his lungs. And I could go on and quote Wesley, who himself, this will be my last quote, Wesley said, today I entered my 82nd year and I find myself as strong to labor and as fit for any exercise of body or mind as I was 40 years ago. To what did he attribute this?

25:40 - 26:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is a constant discipline to have a handle on my physical constitution and reigning in its aberrations, its love of ease, its native affinity to become a couch potato. And it's so easy to become one in the name of the …

Martin likens himself to a 'club fighter' who must always stay in shape because he never knows when he'll be called upon for an intense bout, illustrating the need for ministers to maintain consistent physical readiness for unexpected demands of ministry.

I'll close with this analogy. When I've talked with ministers about this I say well you know I liken myself to a club fighter. Now you know what a club fighter is? He's a guy that he knows and everybody knows he's never, never, never going to be the immediate undercard in a title fight.

32:00 - 32:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Challenge your conscience to be influenced by the word of God regarding physical care and act accordingly, rather than relying on exceptions or others' examples.

The example of Winston Churchill, who didn't exercise but drank and smoked, is used to counter the argument that some great men neglected health, challenging listeners to consider what more he might have accomplished and to follow biblical principles, not exceptions.

that which pertains to our physical culture. But someone says, ah, yes, but so-and-so who was a great preacher never exercised. All right, fair enough. Winston Churchill didn't exercise.

34:48 - 35:02 Read in full sermon