What would this look like?
The person who's all body and spirit, no soul.
They got no soul is what I'm saying this morning.
What are we talking about?
Basically, this person, they're taking care of their body,
they're eating a healthy diet,
they're getting proper hydration and electrolytes,
they're getting proper physical activity and exercise,
and they're spiritually sound.
I mean, they're reading their Bible,
they're going to church, they're going soloing.
But you know what?
This is the person who doesn't have any kind of interpersonal
fellowship or pleasures or joys of the human experience.
What am I talking about?
I mean, look, there are people like this that are ascetic,
but they're not the type of ascetic that abuses their body,
'cause that type of ascetic's out there, right?
The one that beats themselves and starves themselves.
But then there's the other type of ascetic
that takes care of their body,
but it's like no fun allowed.
You know what I'm talking about?
No fun, no recreation, they don't want a fellowship.
Look what the Bible says in Acts chapter two.
This was in my notes, so I gotta find this one,
but this verse just popped into my head.
You know, the Bible says in verse 41,
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized,
"and the same day they were added unto them
"about 3,000 souls, and they continued steadfastly
"in the apostles' doctrine."
There's the spirit, and fellowship.
There's the soul, and in breaking of bread.
There's the soul, and in prayers.
There's the spirit.
Hey, these people have got a balance going on, don't they?
Yeah, we are in it for the doctrine,
but you know what, we're also in it for the fellowship.
Amen?
Why do we come to church?
Do we come to church just for the doctrine and the prayers?
Or do we also come to church for the fellowship
and the breaking of bread?
We come to church for our souls.
You know, we come for a spiritual recharge, amen?
I mean, we charge up the spirit,
and we get jacked in to the word of God and preaching
and singing the hymns and prayer.
And hey, that is a recharge for our spirit, right?
And when we go to the restaurant,
what are we recharging?
The body.
When we go home and eat that home-cooked meal,
that's the body that we're taking care of.
But you know, when I go to church,
I'm not just taking care of my spirit,
I'm taking care of my soul.
Why?
Because my soul has a desire for what?
Love, friendship, companionship,
relationship, right?
These are normal desires.
Man is not meant to be isolated or locked in a cage
or put on a desert island.
You'll go nuts.
You'll literally lose your mind.
Why?
Because your soul is just dying for what?
Friends, love, relationships.
That's normal.
Don't deprive yourself of your need to enjoy music,
to enjoy art, to enjoy good food.
You say, you know, well, why eat that meal?
You could eat something cheaper,
rice and beans for every meal, buddy.
Why do you need to eat that fancy meal?
You know what?
I'm not one of these that thinks
that we should live high on the hog,
and I believe in being frugal,
and I believe in being humble,
and you don't see me wearing fancy clothes
and eating filet mignons and doing all that,
but I'll tell you something.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying a fancy meal
every once in a while.
Why?
It's good for the soul.
Why?
Because it's fun, because you enjoy it.
And you know what it is?
It's good, clean, fun, okay?
You know what it is?
When you hop in your swimming pool,
go on a bicycle ride,
play a board game with your family,
you know what it is?
It's good, clean, fun, and it's good for your soul.
But there are people who are just like,
"Everything I do must only be perfecting
"the body or the spirit."
You're out of balance, buddy.
You're gonna crash and burn.
Why?
Because there's a major component in your life
that God created you to be
that you're just completely neglecting.
You're just, you don't even care about it.
Fellowship is important.
I mean, we come to church, we need bonding, right?
We need friends, we need, and look,
this is why most people are married or should get married.
Why?
Because of the fact that that's an important relationship
right there, right?
But we have other,
it's not just the husband-wife relationship.
We have brothers and sisters.
We have our relationship with our children.
We have a relationship with our parents.
These things all feed our soul, right?
They are all something that we crave,
not necessarily a spiritual craving
and not a carnal craving,
but rather just what?
The soul.