TOPIC: AVOID GLUTTONY
MEMORISE:
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Proverbs 23:21
READ: ROMANS 6:12-14
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
MESSAGE:
Gluttons are people who love food and are enslaved to overeating such that they become the devil's prey. In Christianity, a fellow is either a soldier for Christ or prey to the devil. The flesh and the spirit are constantly at war (Galatians 5:17), and only soldiers - those who live a life of discipline - can win. Therefore, as a Christian, you should always be spiritually alert; if you're glutton, you'll likely be spiritually dead because you'll find it difficult to discipline yourself to fast. In Matthew 6:16, Jesus said, "...when ye fast..." He said when', not 'if, implying that every Christian is expected to fast. Also, there is a level of spiritual authority that can only be attained when fasting is added to prayer (Matthew 17:14-21).
Apart from the spiritual dangers of gluttony, gluttons also endanger their physical health. Proverbs 23:2 says that those who are controlled by their appetites should put a knife to their throats because they are trying to kill themselves.
God didn't design your body to eat too much food. You shouldn't eat until your stomach is overly filled. Overeating makes you weak and gives your body extra work in digesting the excess food. Years ago, some scientists performed an experiment with two groups of rats. They fed the first group excessively, and before long, they became very fat. They fed the second group with just the right amount of food they required. After a while, they injected both groups of rats with a disease. All the overfed rats died, while the rats in the second group survived. Your body is stronger and can fight diseases better when you eat moderately and correctly.
Christians who are really serious about their destiny don't eat every day. Despite my age, I still fast because I want to finish strong. In 1984, I was on a 40-day fast, lying weak on my prayer mat, when someone came in, saw me, and asked, "What else are you looking for in life that is making you fast this much?" That was many decades ago; look how far I have come since then.
Beloved, if you have surrendered your life to Christ, rest assured that God wants you to live an impactful and fulfilling life. You are a soldier for Christ, so you must exercise self-control with all things (1 Corinthians 9:25). To enjoy this life, you cannot be a glutton. Soldiers have a regulated diet and hence must exercise self-control with food for their own good.
KEY POINT:
Control your appetite so you can fulfil your destiny.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ECCLESIASTES 1-4
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 31: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
1 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Saviour to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
2 Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God’s name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.
3 To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown,
Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down;
He who is our Saviour, our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.
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