Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week, we looked at Paul and Silas being put in Jail.

We also recognized that Paul penned his letter to the church in Philippi while he was in Jail.

It is our desire to follow the example of Paul as he follows Jesus.

We want to be Christlike

Paul knew his identity

He was a slave of Christ Jesus

He was concerned about others

He was Jesus focused

He said take on the attitude of Christ Jesus who humbled himself.

What if scripture offered us a tool to help accomplish these things?

I believe scripture does offer us a tool and in the Christian walk is a highly under utilized tool that could help us understand our identity, be concerned about others, be Jesus focused and take on the attitude of Christ Jesus.

Matthew

Jesus says whenever you fast

It is assumed that you fast

This is no longer a common practice with the majority of professing Christians

Jesus says whenever you fast.

He is not saying if you fast or if you want to fast, Jesus is saying when you fast.

What does fasting do?

Fast, Fasting.

Eating sparingly or abstaining from food altogether, either from necessity or desire.

In medical terms, fasting is the detoxification of the body through the restriction of food.

Spiritual fasting entails setting aside activities as well as reducing the intake of food and replacing these activities with the exercise of prayer and preoccupation with spiritual concerns.

Bass, C. B. (1988).

Fast, Fasting.

In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 780).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Two scriptures that really influenced my life to begin fasting was.

1 Corinthians

and

Galatians

What does fasting do?

What does fasting do?

Fasting teaches you your identity

Matthew 4:1

Jesus knew he was the son of God and did not need Satan’s stamp of approval to be the Son of God.

Fasting teaches you that you are not living by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Fasting allows you to see that life is more than food.

During a fast, you are praying this and thinking through this that God I am yours and I don’t live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Fasting teaches you your identity in Christ

Fasting brings humility

Ezra 8:21-

Scripture says to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Fasting is denying yourself of food.

It is a humbling of yourself.

Thinking of Jesus and others rather than constantly feeding your need and desires.

Struggling with selfishness then I encourage a Biblical fast to help with this.

If you don’t control your hangry emotions while you are fasting then you will miss Jesus in the middle of the fast.

This will teach you to control the hangry inside of you.

Fasting produces humility

Fasting causes you to be Jesus focused

Matthew 6:16-

They were fasting for the wrong reasons.

They were walking around with sad faces and hoping to get other people to notice them.

Matthew 6:5

You fast so that others notice what is that?

Selfishness and the very act of fasting is to deny self

He says you fast to get noticed then that is your reward that you are noticed.

Zechariah 7:

They were fasting for the wrong reason

Fasting is the act of denying yourself to focus on Jesus.

If you fast so that others see you fast for the wrong reason

Fasting is focusing on Jesus.

Anytime the belly aches or the hand reaches for food, I pray Jesus man does not live by bread alone but by every Word of God.

During lunch hour or time to eat you set that time aside to focus and worship on Jesus.

Luke 2:

Fasting can by a joyous time and not a somber day.

You can worship during fasting.

During lunch you deny yourself physical food and seek to fill up on Spiritual food.

Fasting teaches self-control

They were worship the Lord and fasting and the Holy Spirit speaks.

Fasting Causes you to be Jesus Focused

Fasting teaches self-control

1 Corinthians 9:

Galtians

It is amazing when you decide to fast how often your hand reaches for food.

When the hand reaches out, it is then that you discipline your body and bring it under strict control.

From mints to chocolate to crackers to others offering snacks to you, fasting teaches you to bring your body under strict control.

It is amazing that if you can gain control over your body for food how many other things in your life you can see that you have control over.

You start to gain control of your thoughts rather than your thoughts controlling you.

You start to become conscience of your speech and the things you let come out of your mouth.

Fasting Teaches you your identity

Fasting Brings Humility

Fasting Causes you to be Jesus Focused

Fasting Teaches Self-Control

There is so much more that fasting does and this is not an all inclusive list.

If I was to take two people up on stage and tell them that I have a $20.00 bill back in the sound room on the shelf there for them.

I told one person that you have to go out the side door around to the front and then come in and the other person can go straight back there and I said who would win.

The person who went straight there.

We want to be like Paul

Paul knew his identity

He was a slave of Christ Jesus

He was concerned about others

He was Jesus focused

He said take on the attitude of Christ Jesus who humbled himself.

This morning scripture has given us a tool to get there quicker.

Fasting is a tool that will cause us to know our identity, be concerned about others or humble ourselves, stay Jesus focused and have the attitude of Christ Jesus so why don’t we use this tool more often?