A Balanced Ration For Spiritual Health

by Robert Waters

Introduction:

I. Many churches today are suffering from spiritual malnutrition.

A. The spiritual realm can be compared to the physical.
1. There are a number of nutrients that are essential, which
is to say illness and even death is certain if they are
not obtained.
2. Some of the nutrients are required in greater amounts
(especially at times) than others.

B. In feeding livestock, the rancher knows his animals.
1. He knows what they like, what they dislike, what is good
for them and what will actually harm them.
2. To simplify it we could say the rancher knows the ration
diet) that will make his animals healthy or sound.
3. It is his job to see that the ration is proper, complete,
not tampered with or changed, and that it gets consumed by
the animals.
4. He must be able to recognize by the symptoms of any
illness if that illness is due to any deficiency in the
ration and if it is make the proper correction.

II. This lesson is to 1) the evangelist (preacher); 2) Elders; and 3)
every Christian.

The purpose is to persuade or encourage each of us to work
harder at carrying out our individual responsibilities in
the church concerning the feeding of the soul.
Body
I. Those who are primarily responsible for feeding the flock
of Christ are elders.
Acts 20:28 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood. A. The elders at Ephesus were commanded to shepherd or feed
the flock.

B. Elders are to see that nothing profitable is held back from
the flock.

C. Their responsibility is to see that the whole flock receives a
balanced diet.

II. Preachers have a tremendous responsibility in preaching
especially where there are no elders.

A. Note Paul’s teaching:
1. “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly,
and from house to house” (Acts 20:20)
a. He further stated, “Wherefore I take you to record
this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the
counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26,27 ASV) b. The "whole council of God" (KJV) is the ration or
diet for those desiring to grow unto perfection.

2. Ro 10:13–15 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall
they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they
preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How
beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! a. Indeed, those who preach the gospel of peace and who
bring glad tidings of good things are doing a
wonderful work, but:
1) But what if a preachers does not tell the truth
and his preaching promotes division and strive?
2) What if he spends all his time and effort
preaching on things that do not edify the church?
a) He would not be providing the spiritual nutrition
that is needed.
b) Thus, he would are not doing his job.
b. There is much responsibility on the shoulders of those
who preach the gospel.
1) A man should not attempt to teach on important
Bible subjects until he is certain he understands
it.
2) One can later, after more study, realize that what
he has been teaching on some matter is error and
repent of it and get forgiveness, but he may never
be able to undo the harm that was done.
a) It is much harder to UNteach someone then it is to
teach them...
b) A man that does not have a love for truth and
the ability to ascertain it should stay out of
the pulpit.
c. If some preachers treated their own bodies
(nutritionally) like they do the flock where they
preach they would not live long.
1) Some would die quickly from poison while others
would just gradually starve to death.
2) The Lord needs preachers who will preach “The Whole
Council of God” and hold back nothing that is
profitable.

B. A church is not properly edified if it is not receiving a
balanced diet.
1. A balanced diet would include the teachings from the word
of God that are needed at a particular place at a
particular time.
a. Distributed over a period of time it would in essence
be “the whole council of God”.
b. Anything short of…is a deficiency, which will result in
illness.
2. If there are important subjects like: worldliness, plan
of salvation Christian responsibilities, the church’s
organization, work, and worship that are being neglected
there are going to be problems down the road.
3. Every preacher’s goal should be to preach the truth on
every subject that is in the word of God and dwell on the
things that are most needed.
4. Every elder’s goal should be to see that every member of
the flock receives the spiritual nutrition that he needs.
5. Every Christian’s goal should be to search out and receive
“the whole council of God” that he may grow to be healthy
and valuable to the chief shepherd in helping…to spread
the gospel.
[Any preacher, elder, or Christian that has a lesser goal
is either ill or dead already.]

C. There are some preachers that need to be spending
more time doing the work that they are paid to do.
1. Preaching the “whole council of God” necessitates a great
deal of study.
2. Unfortunately there are too many preachers who do it as a
profession – to make a living.
a. They saw they could make a living at it, went to college,
got a degree and then declared themselves to be a
preacher.
b. Some of the greatest gospel preachers of the past never
went to college.
1) They simply, after becoming a Christian, had a great
love for truth, realized their responsibilities and
began to study diligently and then to use the talents
God gave them.
2)Let us all strive to use any and every talents…

III. There was a time when it was profitable for many of the lessons
taught from the pulpit to be directed at the align sinner
because there were always a sizeable number present.

A. But those days, for the most part, are over.
1. Today, our assemblies are almost entirely composed of
Christians who need edification from sermons that are
prepared for and directed to them.
2. There are flocks that are starving and they do not even
know it.
a. They have become like those Paul spoke of as “having
itching ears” (2Tim. 4:2-4).
b. What tickles their ears (or what they like to hear)is
for the preacher to blast away at the lost and to tell
the lost what they need to do to get right with God.
1) They do not want to receive exhortation or be
reproved or rebuked, as Timothy was commanded to
do – that’s for those not members of the Church of
Christ, they think.
2) I’m afraid that when brethren get they way they are
not even luke-warm-they are cold and dead
spiritually.

B. There are those that cut the flock’s ration short in effort
to preach to the non-members, but there are also those less
noble men that leave out things merely because some
member says he does not want to hear it.
1. It is too bad people are not more like dumb animals when
it comes to feeding time.
a. Animals will get out and find their own food if
possible.
1) After cattle mature, they need very little
supplemental feed.
b. Animals also like what is good for them.
1) When they need to be fed, the more complete the
ration is the better they like it.
i. If it is not good for them usually it does not
taste good and they just will not eat it.
2) Sadly, Christians can be just the opposite.
i. They sometimes become satisfied with a ration
that is not complete and murmur and complain
when it is.
2. A well nourished flock (healthy or sound) is one in
which each individual receives a regular balanced
ration from the word of God.
a. The responsibility is not entirely that of the elders
and the preacher.
1). Every individual is responsible for himself.
2). You are responsible to find your own spiritual
food.
3). If the preacher and the elders fail – well they
will give an account.
a) But if you don’t get your spiritual nutrition
somewhere you will die spiritually.
b) Thus, you are responsible for yourself.
b. Most feeding (most nutrition you get) aught to be at
home directly from the Bible.
c. The ration that will make you spiritually healthy has
already been formulated.
1) It is the “while council of God.”
2) It is found in the Bible and is there for the
taking – like manna from heaven.
3) If you have a love for truth, it will satisfy your
appetite yet keep you coming back for more.
d. On the other hand, if your appetite is not good you
have got a heart problem.
1) You need to have a talk with the Great Physician
about it.
2) Another symptom of a heart problem is when
someone has an apatite for truth but is unable
to digest some of it.
a) One that can digest spiritual food is one that
has an appetite for it and can make the proper
application to himself and obey.
b) Obedience to God is essential to a healthy
soul.
1 Pet. 1:22 - Seeing ye have purified your
souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit
unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that
ye love one another with a pure heart fervently;
Conclusion:
I. I want to make one more point in the comparison of feeding
livestock and the feeding the soul of the Christian.

A. If baby animals on the farm don’t develop an appetite and
eat the right foods they will die.
1. If they don’t get enough of the right foods they will not
grow well, and after a certain point the affects are
irreversible...
2. No rancher wants this type of an animal among his
breeding stock.
1) They are called culls.
2) They are worthless as breeding stock.
3) It cost more to keep them than they will ever be worth,
thus they are taken to slaughter.

B. One striking difference in the parallel of the physical
animal and the spiritual Christian is that a babe in Christ
that doesn’t “desire the sincere milk of the word” they he
may “grow thereby,” as Peter commanded, can repent and
still grow to be a healthy, mature Christian (1 Pet 2:2).
1. How is your spiritual health?
a. If it is poor, thank God that you can do something about
it no matter what your age, no matter how long you’ve
been a Christian.
2. If you are a Christian you are not going to be culled from
the flock because you didn’t mature – that will come at
the judgment.
a. It will be too late to do anything then.
b. But now you can do something.

II. Remember the T.V. commercial, “If you’ve got your health
you’ve got just about everything.”

A. If you have physical health and spiritual health you DO
have everything. You would have:
1. Peace of mind.
2. Happiness and
3. Hope of living in heaven eternally.

III. Invitation

A. If there be anyone present who would like to become a
Christian you can by believing, repenting, confessing
that Christ is the divine Son of God and being baptized.

B. If there be any Christian that would like to make a public
confession of any sin that is public we now give you that
opportunity and we will pray with you and for you.

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