Good Confession
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and thank you for your prayers and for taking care of the church while I was gone.
What blessing to have Brother Brent and Pastor Dave cover!
Again, thank you for all you do!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and that you are looking forward to the upcoming year!
A year of revival, transformation, and hopefully the trumpet will sound and Jesus will return.
Emotionally I am drained church because my little brother is fading away, but when I am emotionally drained, I love to rest in grace because I trust the Lord knows what he is doing in our lives.
We have come as far as Matthew 6:16, so let us open our Bibles there.
Read Matthew 6:16-18
Read Matthew 6:16-18
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Prayer
Prayer
Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of grace and that your promises are yes and amen! We have all come to hear from you, so Lord remove all the distractions, and through the power of the Holy Spirit set our hearts on you. In fact, we ask that you would remove everything in our lives that stop us from worshipping you whole heartedly. As we look at this text in Matthew, help us to not have anxiety or fear about fasting, but rather teach us what fasting is all about. And May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you My Rock and Redeemer. Come now we pray, and grant unto us nuggets of truth that will be life changing and that we can share with others. Make us more like Jesus today, than you did yesterday.
In Jesus Name, We Love You! Amen and Amen!
Review
Review
We are half way through the greatest sermon ever preached called the Sermon on the Mount.
It is crucial for us to remember the thesis statement of where we are at and that is:
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
It is clear that the Scribes and Pharisees had drifted into hypocrisy or what I might call external religion.
And that sad thing is that when the Pharisee’s came on the scene in history, they were actually a back to the Bible movement and they fell from grace church, because the left their first love.
And I think it is crucial to understand, if it happened to them, it can happen to us.
In this last section we looked at two spiritual disciplines that believers should practice and remember Jesus said not if you give or pray, but when you give and pray do this and not as the scribes and Pharisees.
So today, we close out this section with the last spiritual discipline which is personal by the way, on fasting.
What goes through your mind when you think of fasting?
Is it not eating food?
Is it fasting from your phone, TV, or computer?
Fasting from Dutch Bros?
Fasting from????
Well today, we are going to learn that the fasting that Jesus is talking about here is in regards to food. So let’s dive into our text:
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT, JESUS ASSUMES THAT HIS LISTENERS FAST.
That means you and me church, not just the Jews.
The word fast is mentioned 30xs in the NT and almost every time it is mentioned, it is mentioned with a positive connotation.
However, fasting is mentioned more that that in the OT 40xs+.
This means it is something that believers do.
But where is the command is the Scripture?
Well, if you study this topic out, there is actually no direct command given to the NT church.
However, there was a command given to the Jews and we see it here:
“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
To afflict your soul means to fast church, it means to humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and fast to draw near to God.
This command was prescribed to the Jewish people for the Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement was fulfilled in Christ church, but it does not negate the need for prescribed fasts.
But before we talk about fasting, I think crucial for us to look at the word fast in the original language:
Fast- nēsteuō-(nace-tyoo'-o)- to abstain from food.
And the same is true for the word in Hebrew.
So, your going to get into my food consumption Pastor John, no, I am not but the Lord is.
Church, lets face the fact: The culture we live in today is one of self-gratification, which means we live a culture that lack self-control.
This should not be true of believers because of:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
What is self-control?
Self-control- enkratiea- n. — the trait of resolutely controlling one’s own desires (which would produce actions); the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites.
Vines-the various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God;
If we are born again church, we have this power church.
The power to say no to our flesh and yes to the Spirits prompting.
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
The Word is clear about gluttony church, let look at what the Bible teaches us:
for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.
And look at what Paul writes about the indulgences of the flesh:
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
Gluttony comes in all shapes and sizes church, its not about weight because there are people who are skinny and struggle with gluttony.
Gluttony is a sin and a master that is cruel church.
Jesus has come to the set the captive frees.
MARSH-MELLOW TEST. PLAY VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy9614HQ
In the 1960s, a Stanford professor named Walter Mischel began conducting a series of important psychological studies.
During his experiments, Mischel and his team tested hundreds of children — most of them around the ages of 4 and 5 years old — and revealed what is now believed to be one of the most important characteristics for success in health, work, and life.
The children who were willing to delay gratification and waited to receive the second marshmallow ended up having higher SAT scores, lower levels of substance abuse, lower likelihood of obesity, better responses to stress, better social skills as reported by their parents, and generally better scores in a range of other life measures. (You can see the followup studies here, here, and here.)
The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years and over and over again, the group who waited patiently for the second marshmallow succeed in whatever capacity they were measuring. In other words, this series of experiments proved that the ability to delay gratification was critical for success in life.
Church, I am convinced more now than ever that we see what we see in our culture because a lack of Jesus, which means a lack of self-control.
Fasting is about self-control church, it is about denying our flesh and seeking God.
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Notice that Jesus called out the hypocrites here once again and this goes right back to out thesis statement in:
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The hypocrites wanted call attention to their fasting and they would put on a gloomy face, and neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men.
They would wear old clothes, sometimes purposely torn and soiled, dishevel their hair, cover themselves with dirt and ashes, and even use makeup in order to look pale and sickly.
Hypocrites comes from a Greek word for the mask used by actors to portray a certain character or mood.
When the heart is not right, fasting is a mockery.
Those whom Jesus condemned for fasting in order to be seen by men were clearly self-righteous hypocrites and they did it to be scene by men, just like in giving and praying. They have their reward which is the accolades of men.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
The Pharisees fasted twice a week church and they did it on the 2/5 days of the week. Which would be Monday and Friday.
They claimed those days were chosen because they were the days Moses made the two separate trips to receive the tablets of law from God on Mount Sinai.
But those two days also happened to be the major Jewish market days, when cities and towns were crowded with farmers, merchants, and shoppers. They were, therefore, the two days where public fasting would have the largest audiences.
In 1973, there was a war called the Yom Kippor War
Israel’s neighbors Syria and Egypt knew that that the Fasted on the Day of Atonement.
When Israel fasted there was no communication, no buses, everything shut down.
For 20 hours in 1973 Syria and Egypt attacked Israel while they were fasting because everything was shut down
They attempted to over take the country and they failed.
2 days later, God gave them the victory!!!
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Clean yourself like normal church and fast.
And you Father who see you in secret will reward you openly.
What a bargin!
If we pray, give, and fast our heavenly Father promises us that he will reward us.
Because he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
When and why should we fast?
Some of the reasons for fasting:
War, or threat of it - Philistine war at Mizpah. 1 Sam.7
Sickness - David’s son.
3. Mourning - Men of Jabesh-Gilead for 7 days over Saul’s death.
4. Safety in Travel - Ezra 8:21-23, when Israel was out of captivity. Fasted for themselves, their lil ones, & their possessions.
5. Repentance - Ezra & the people from the captivity. Neh.9:1-3
6.Impending danger - Esther & Mordecai before she went to the king.
7.Calamities - Burning of the Temple, Jer.52:12,13
8. God’s favor- Ester 4:16
9. For wisdom, direction, and for spiritual edifications church.
This is not a comprehensive list but I think it is crucial that we remember that even J Jesus and Moses fated for 40 days and 40 nights.
Paul fasted, Daniel fasted so they could all draw close to the Lord and receive revelation, direction, and answer to prayer.
Fasting and prayer go together church!
We are called to do them together...
So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Clearly there are spiritual benefits to fasting, but there is also health benefits:
Fasting is a challenge church, and I want you to know that I have not arrived. However, it is clear that Jesus would like us to fast as the Spirit leads. So seek the Lord while he may be found and declare a fast as the Holy Spirit gives utterance.
Prayer
Prayer
Lord, thank you for speaking to us today and please Lord forgive us for our lack of self-control. Please teach us how to fast and give us the strength and ability to do so. May we see you working over this next week and may you graciously open doors for us to share the gospel by word and deed.
In Jesus Name! Amen
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’
The Lord Bless You!
Your Mission Starts Now!