Fortify || Faith and Fitness
Judges 13:3-13 New King James Version
3 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” 6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, and said, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born.” 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!” 11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, “Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?” And He said, “I am.” 12 Manoah said, “Now let Your words come to pass! What will be the boy’s rule of life, and his work?” 13 So the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.
Holy Spirit Desires to FORTIFY Your Fitness through Faith
Jeremiah 1:18-19 New King James Version
18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
Fortify - Misbar (H4013)
Fortification, Fortress, Fortified City, Stronghold
Men of God, God Wants to FORTIFY You
A FORTIFIED man is a FORTIFIED marriage
FORTIFIED marriages are FORTIFIED households [Fortress]
FORTIFIED households are FORTIFIED cities
When a church is full of FORTIFIED men it becomes a stronghold
Today You Will Begin to FORTIFY as Holy Spirit Leads You into Health in Following 5 Areas
The Iron Pillar of Spiritual Health [Psalm 1:1-3]
The Iron Pillar of Physical Health [Proverbs 3:7-8]
The Iron Pillar of Financial Health [Proverbs 3:9-10]
The Iron Pillar of Mental Health [Matthew 11:28-30]
The Iron Pillar of Interpersonal Health [John 13:34-35]
What Does it Mean to Fortify Fitness through Faith?
Trusting God’s Leadership in Our Physical Lives
Faith - Emun (H529)
Faithfulness, Trusting
Faith in Holy Spirit’s Leadership will Produce FaithFULLness in our Submission to His Leadership
We put our faith in Him, and He works through that faith in us
Ephesians 2:8-9 New King James Version
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Philippians 2:13 New King James Version
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Men of God, This Weekend is about RAISING the Standard and LIGHTENING the Load
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
If you will put your faith in God’s ability, and respond faithfully to His leadership, Holy Spirit will begin to supernaturally FORTIFY you today
Yokes become easy and burdens become light in His presence and under His leadership
Holy Spirit Can FORTIFY You from the Inside Out, or You Can Become Fleshly From the Outside In
Let’s Examine the Call, Life, and Fall of Samson [Judges 13-16]
The Call of Samson [What will be the boy’s rule of life?]
He was to be a NAZARITE [Numbers 6:1-21]
Close intimacy with God [set apart unto the Lord]
Food restrictions [fruit of the vine, alcohol, and unclean foods]
Physical restrictions [could not cut his hair, could not touch dead things, etc.]
He was to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines
The Life of Samson
Fleshly [Judges 14:1-3, & 7, Judges 15:18, Judges 16:1 & 4]
Your FLESH IS, SELFISH
You’re fleshly when your desire is to please yourself, more than God
Full of hidden compromises
The vineyard of Timnah [Judges 14:5-6]
Honey in a dead lion [Judges 14:8-9]
Prostitute in Gaza [Judges 16:1-3]
Full of the Grace and Faithfulness of God [Judges 14:4&19; 15:14-15]
Just because God shows up, doesn’t mean He wanted you there
Just because God can use it, does NOT mean He approves of it
God is NEVER looking for perfection, only increasing yieldedness
The Fall of Samson [Samson and Delilah]
Lack of a FORTIFIED FAITH
No personal relationship with God
Consecration apart from communion will lead to compromise
FORTIFYING, begins with your faith [spiritual life]
Lack of FORTIFIED FITNESS
UNRESTRAINED eating
SPORADIC physical effort
TERRIBLE sleep rhythms
Holy Spirit Desires to FORTIFY Your Fitness and Faith
FORTIFIED Fitness Begins With, and Flows From, a FORTIFIED Faith
1 Timothy 4:8 New King James Version
8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Proverbs 3:7-8 New King James Version
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.
You Cannot Fortify Apart From Faith [Trust and FaithFULLness] In Jesus Christ
Matthew 7:24-27 New King James Version
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
3 Ways to FORTIFY Your Faith
1. Receive Jesus as Your Personal Lord and Savior
You’re not inviting Jesus into your life, you’re surrendering your life to Jesus
You exchange your way, truth, and life for His
This is where you receive the gift of FAITH [Ephesians 2:8-9]
2. Daily Secret Place [ABC’s]
Adoration [Psalm 100:4]
“Praise and Thank You” || Password into Presence
Bible [Palm 119:105, 2 Timothy 3:16-17]
Conversation [Matthew 6:5-14]
3. Weekly Corporate Encounters
Hebrews 10:24-25 New King James Version
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Only Once Your Faith is FORTIFIED, Can Your Fitness Be Truly FORTIFIED
1 Corinthians 6:20 New King James Version
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Your Physical Body is Should Be a Weapon, Not a Burden
You were created to run with purpose, to endure hardship, and to carry vision across generations
When we neglect our physical health, we sabotage our purpose [Samson]
No matter what your physical condition, God wants to be just as GLORIFIED in your body as He is in His local church
Man of God your physical vitality [no matter its baseline] exists to glorify God
Man of God your sleep rhythms, exercise disciplines, and diet all exist to honor God
Are You Glorifying God in Your BODY and in Your Spirit?
3 Ways to FORTIFY Your Fitness through Faith
1. Sleep FaithFULLy || Wake up on, and with PURPOSE
Proverbs 10:5 New King James Version
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
Proverbs 6:9-11 New King James Version
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
Ask Holy Spirit what your morning routine should look like and set an alarm early enough to obey faithfully
Wake up at the same time every day
2. Eat FaithFULLy || Food is Fuel
1 Corinthians 10:31 New King James Version
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Ask Holy Spirit what your diet should look like [Alcohol, processed foods, caffeine, etc]
Ask Holy Spirit how you should steward your diet [tracking, intermittent fasting, partial fasting]
Is your diet fueling your FORTIFICATION or FLESH?
3. Exercise FaithFULLy || Walk, Jog, Resistance Train, etc.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 New King James Version
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Ask Holy Spirit what your exercise rhythms should look like
Give Yourself GRACE [Progress over Perfection]
Let’s Get PRACTICAL
1. Create a Personal Health Plan
Proverbs 4:20-22 New King James Version
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
2. Steward Your Health Plan
Do it on PURPOSE
MEASURE it
EVALUATE it
3. Seek Brothers in Arms
Who is passionate about this?
Who is doing this already?
Who is around me?
