1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:14,000 Let's dive in. Good morning Bridgetown Church, 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,400 happy Valentine's Day weekend. This morning we're going to be 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:26,200 in the book of Matthew, chapter 6 and verse 16, and then I'm 7 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,600 going to have you hold your place in another portion of 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,240 Scripture, Isaiah chapter 58, and I'll cue you when when we're 9 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:38,680 going to go to both of those. OK, given that it's Valentine's 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,000 Day weekend, some of you need to hear this. 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:50,880 This weekend, you're not alone. Jesus loves you today more than 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,880 anybody ever will or ever could. He loves you today. 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,320 You'll never be alone when you're with Jesus. 14 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:05,080 So Matthew chapter 6, verse 16, I'll be reading out of the ESV 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,680 translation. This is the word of the Lord 16 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:15,400 Jesus speaking, he says, and when you fast, do not look 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,320 gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that 18 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:21,080 they're fasting may be seen by others. 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,360 Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 20 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,920 Verse 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your 21 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,920 face, that you're fasting may not be seen by others, but by 22 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,080 your father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in 23 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,080 secret will reward you. This is the word of the Lord. 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,040 Thanks be to God for his word. Let's pray. 25 00:01:46,960 --> 00:01:50,040 Father, thank you for this body. Thank you for this church that 26 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:51,920 you've established. Thank you for the kingship of 27 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,600 Jesus. I pray that you'd speak to me 28 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,920 and through me to your people. We love your Son Jesus, and we 29 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,560 pray that this morning we would be spiritually shaped and 30 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,920 conformed into his image. Whatever you have to speak to 31 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,280 each and every person here. Would you, would you speak to 32 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,880 them, Father? But we are not make us so. 33 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,000 We have not give us, but we know not teach us. 34 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:14,960 In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. 35 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,720 For you movie buffs out there, one of the most common 36 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,960 storytelling methods today in filmmaking is the montage. 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:27,880 You know what I'm talking about, right? 38 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,920 That's the training footage of the montage. 39 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,880 It's Disney and Marvel Comics secret formula. 40 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:36,480 You know what happens in the montage? 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,280 It's that moment where your protagonist, your hero of the 42 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:45,120 story, they have an awakening. Think about Spider Man, Toby 43 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,120 Maguire. Oh my gosh, I could shoot webs. 44 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:51,800 There's this moment of realization where the hero of 45 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,920 the story realizes they have these new found powers and 46 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:57,520 abilities. And the what what the filmmaker 47 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,440 does to signify the passage of time and all the training and 48 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:05,480 effort that this hero is putting into mastering this new found 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,520 ability is they've thrown the montage often incorporated by 50 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,040 cheesy music. This is a modern contemporary 51 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,080 filmmaking strategy. Here's a couple examples. 52 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:21,920 Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker learning the way 53 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,840 of the Force while doing backflips with Master Yoda. 54 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,400 What about Rocky? Rocky Balboa running around the 55 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:33,800 streets of fairly shadow boxing to a horn section? 56 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:40,400 That's like legendary, right? What about The Karate Kid waxing 57 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,600 on, waxing off, doing chores to beat those losers at Cobra Kai? 58 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:49,840 Right. Even Neo AKA Mr. Anderson in the 59 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,800 Matrix, learning jiu jitsu and how to stop bullets just by 60 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,960 bending reality. And all these examples, as silly 61 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,680 as they are, you have this main protagonist who understands 62 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,080 there's something more about my life than what I can perceive. 63 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,240 They have these newfound powers and abilities that they need to 64 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,920 train, that they need to master in order to achieve their full 65 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,200 potential. Have you guys ever wondered as a 66 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,880 Christian what your full potential is? 67 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,000 As in, who are you called to become? 68 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,720 What is the goal of all of this? What is the goal of the church 69 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,400 gathering the Bible, reading, the Scripture, memorization, the 70 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,080 praying together, the weeping together? 71 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,320 What's the goal of all of this? Well, Scripture has something to 72 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,800 say about that. Paul the apostle in in the 73 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,440 letter to Titus chapter 2, verse 11. 74 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,120 Paul says this. Listen up, for the grace of God 75 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:52,680 has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to 76 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,400 renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self 77 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,080 controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age. 78 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:04,720 Waiting for our blessed hope. The appearing of the glory of 79 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,120 our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us 80 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,880 to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to purify for 81 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:17,200 himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for 82 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,360 good works. Notice two things about this 83 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,440 text that Paul talks about. He says first that the grace of 84 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:30,120 God trains us for godliness, trains us for godliness. 85 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,600 You can think right now we're in the Winter Olympics season. 86 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,840 You look at all these athletes at the pinnacle, at the height 87 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,600 of their respected craft. They didn't get there by 88 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,520 accident. They didn't get there by luck. 89 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,240 Maybe the curling teams did, but every other sport, these 90 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,840 athletes, they haven't achieved the highest levels of their 91 00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:55,160 sport. They're just sitting around or 92 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,320 pure luck. What they've done is they've 93 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,920 trained hard at their craft and developed discipline. 94 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,960 I've read interviews, I've read excerpts about these athletes 95 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,840 that said, yeah, I had to miss my sister's wedding just to 96 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:09,200 train. I had to miss the birth of my 97 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,080 baby just to train because it meant something to them. 98 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,760 There's a saying in the athletic world that perfect practice 99 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,840 leads to perfect performance, that the time you put in 100 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:25,160 practice, the time you put in training, pays off when the 101 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,200 performance is actually called for. 102 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,760 My friends, it is much the same with disciples of Jesus. 103 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,920 We are called to train ourselves for righteousness. 104 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,640 The second thing to notice about Paul's letter to Timothy in this 105 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,040 portion of Scripture, he says that this training culminates in 106 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,960 a transformation, the goal of Christianity. 107 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,800 What is the full potential of the Christian here? 108 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:56,600 It is to become the people of God who are righteous and do 109 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:02,040 what is righteous. Paul says that Jesus redeemed a 110 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,960 people for his own possession. You belong to him so that you 111 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,360 are zealous for good works. What he wanted, what God wanted 112 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,800 from the beginning of time, the plan was a royal family, you 113 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:20,680 that belongs to King Jesus, renewed in his image, who thinks 114 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,600 like him, who acts like him, who loves like him. 115 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,360 That's the full potential of the Christian. 116 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:31,040 This training should culminate in transformation. 117 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,480 Christianity is about transformation, to be 118 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:41,840 transformed into Christ's likeness church as a redeemed 119 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,120 and a renewed image bearer. Theologically, the term, you may 120 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,360 have heard of it before. Theologically, the term is 121 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,200 called sanctification. We are called to be sanctified, 122 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,960 and all that term means is to be set apart, to be consecrated. 123 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:57,960 So what a Christian is when Christ redeems you, when he 124 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,720 calls you, makes you his own possession, that means you no 125 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,320 longer belong to the world, but you belong to him. 126 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,400 You're set apart for my service. You're now a member of my 127 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,680 family. The contemporary term for 128 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,040 sanctification within the last 50 to 75 years or so is 129 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,480 spiritual formation. Spiritual formation, It's a 130 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,680 contemporary term for an ancient practice. 131 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,200 The spirit is still the same spiritual formation. 132 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,720 Church is about becoming, becoming. 133 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,480 You and I are called to become somebody. 134 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,799 You see, humanity, if you think about it, your life, you're not 135 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:40,760 just physical. Humanity is composed of both 136 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:45,880 body and spirit, and both make one completed whole. 137 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:47,480 You cannot have one without the other. 138 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,080 Humanity is both body and spirit. 139 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:56,600 So for the question, both body and spirit must be mastered. 140 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,840 They must be disciplined for the sake of King Jesus. 141 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,200 So what spiritual formation is in the life of a believer? 142 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,200 It's becoming like Christ, both in body and spirit, where we 143 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,920 think like Jesus and live like Jesus. 144 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,640 Theologian and pastor John MacArthur used to say this, that 145 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:22,760 Christianity is simply becoming who you already are, becoming 146 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,240 who you already are. Christ looks at you and says, 147 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,760 righteous you. And I say not so Lord, I know 148 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,920 what I've done. He goes, I know, but you have my 149 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:34,320 righteousness and I'm training you. 150 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,440 I'm shaping you. I'm transforming you to agree 151 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,960 with that one day to be righteous. 152 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,800 Now this transformation that we're talking about, spiritual 153 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,240 transformation, it's brought about through the regular and 154 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,680 rhythmic practice of what we call spiritual discipline, 155 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,320 spiritual discipline. Now what are spiritual 156 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:54,600 disciplines? You may have heard that term 157 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:59,000 before these spiritual disciplines, the rhythmic bodily 158 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,640 practices in the life of the disciple of Jesus done in 159 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:07,080 submission to the Holy Spirit that train us for holiness. 160 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,240 There's a bunch of them listed throughout scripture. 161 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,960 Here's a couple examples. Memorization of scripture, 162 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:22,920 silence, solitude, church community, living in community. 163 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:27,200 These are all examples of spiritual disciplines that help 164 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:32,440 the disciple of Jesus become like Christ, to be a transformed 165 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,480 person. Now these spiritual disciplines, 166 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,480 just like those Olympic athletes, my friends, the hard 167 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,960 part about these spiritual disciplines is that is that they 168 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:47,640 require intentionality. They require the will, the 169 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:52,160 desire to want to be different, the desire to value our 170 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,920 spiritual life. You think about Matthew Chapter 171 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,880 7 when Jesus is giving his overview of what praying's like. 172 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,960 Remember he goes through somebody at the door and he says 173 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,280 pray like this. First ask, then seek, then 174 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,160 knock. What he's trying to do, and his 175 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,560 overview of prayer is show us that consistency and continuing 176 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:14,440 and willingness is the key to prayer. 177 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:18,920 If you ask and nobody opens, then seek. 178 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,880 If you seek and you cannot find, then kick the door down, knock 179 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,720 it, knock it. The idea in this spiritual 180 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:31,320 discipline of praying is to be consistent, relentless praying 181 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,440 in faith. These spiritual disciplines will 182 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,440 lead to that spiritual transformation that that Christ 183 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,800 has called us to, to partake in that person that Christ has 184 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,600 called us to become. Now make no mistake, my friends, 185 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:52,440 being spiritually disciplined, partaking in prayer, community, 186 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,080 group, multiply groups, silence and solitude, doing all these 187 00:11:56,080 --> 00:12:00,320 things does not merit your salvation, does not earn your 188 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,120 salvation, OK? What these spiritual disciplines 189 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,960 do in the life of a believer is they add depth to your faith. 190 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,040 They don't merit your faith. They add depth to your faith. 191 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,320 And what I want you to do from here on out, the rest of our 192 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:20,480 sermon, I want you to think about your faith in the analogy 193 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,280 of a garden, a garden that God has planted. 194 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,920 Your faith is the garden bed, the soil in which these 195 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,280 spiritual disciplines are planted in. 196 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:37,480 They do not replace the soil, but they grow. 197 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,280 They thrive in the soil of faith. 198 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,080 Spiritual disciplines do not merit or earn salvation. 199 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,120 Rather, believers already have that through Christ right now. 200 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,680 If you believe, if you have faith in the finished work of 201 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:54,160 Jesus, the gospel, you are his. But when we're talking about 202 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,240 depth, about this transformation, becoming 203 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,880 spiritual disciplines is like the seed, the water, the 204 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,080 fertilizer that will help your garden grow. 205 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:07,480 And so, so many Christians either they, they burn out, they 206 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,960 start really well, they burn out and they they leave, they quit. 207 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:20,320 People have a joyless faith. They, the worries of the day get 208 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,040 to them. We were constantly asking, how 209 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,160 can I deepen my relationship with Jesus? 210 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,560 How can I deepen it? How can I enjoy it? 211 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:31,680 How can I experience a deeper fellowship with Jesus? 212 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:33,400 My friends? The answer is spiritual 213 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,200 disciplines. Just as feeding and watering the 214 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:41,320 flowers in the garden will produce vibrant blooms, the 215 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,760 regular practice of these spiritual disciplines will bring 216 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:46,680 a vibrant vitality to your faith. 217 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:53,320 The depth that you desire is unlocked through the practice, 218 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,880 the rhythmic practice, the regular practice of spiritual 219 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,680 disciplines. So in Matthew chapter 6, our 220 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,280 text before us, Jesus after his beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5, 221 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:08,440 he gives us 3 core spiritual disciplines for you guys to go 222 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:09,800 home and study for your homework. 223 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,240 They're all connected, sandwiched together. 224 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,960 There's a formula that runs throughout Matthew chapter 6. 225 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,480 These are the three core disciplines that Jesus speaks 226 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,360 about. The first is giving, giving, The 227 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:30,720 second is praying, and then the third, the topic of our sermon 228 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:36,240 today is fasting, giving, praying, fasting. 229 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,120 We'll hit this a little bit later, but the formula for all 230 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,760 three of these in Matthew chapter 6 always starts with 231 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,240 this. Jesus says when you do these 232 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:56,480 things, not if, when you see he just got out off the topic of 233 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,640 being a city on a hill, a light in a dark place, the Beatitudes. 234 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,600 And then he transitions to the Matthew chapter 6 disciples, 235 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,160 those those people who follow me do these things for me. 236 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,840 When he do these things, when you gave, when you pray, when 237 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,720 you fast. So today we're going to be 238 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,080 talking about fasting. Why is sermon on fasting, Chris? 239 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:22,440 Well, one practically next week is Sikh week 7, seven days of 240 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,200 fasting. And I want to prepare the 241 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,880 church. You guys have a week, a week to 242 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:33,200 think about what to fast. I'm hoping that after our sermon 243 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,920 here today that you'll be willing to participate in the 244 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,520 church body with the church body and fasting. 245 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,560 What I want to do is clear up some confusion about fasting 246 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:48,320 because if you're honest like me, most of us aren't doing it. 247 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,960 Most of us aren't doing it. Most of us are like what in the 248 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,280 world is fasting? Is it just to lose some weight? 249 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,760 Has it just a detox? What is fasting biblically? 250 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,960 My hope is that this corporate fast that we're heading into 251 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:09,080 next week will kick start your own personal rhythm of fasting. 252 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,440 That's the desire that it wouldn't just be a week of 253 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,640 fasting, but that this would be the training wheels for you. 254 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,040 That one day we take those training wheels off and you 255 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,360 pedal into the sunset fasting the rest of your life. 256 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,160 That's what we want for you. We want spiritual discipline. 257 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:26,880 We want spiritual transformation. 258 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,520 We want you to enjoy the depth of your faith. 259 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:31,560 So today we're going to talk about fasting. 260 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,840 Now, what is fasting upfront? The biblical term in the Hebrew 261 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:41,000 for fasting means to abstain, to abstain from something. 262 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,920 It's most frequently associated with eating food. 263 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,000 The reason being the context of Scripture. 264 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,120 It's a Agricultural Society, right? 265 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,920 Food, wine and drink. Those are the most precious 266 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:57,520 things to these people back then. 267 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:02,440 Food, wine, drink and land. So when God tells Israel to 268 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:06,960 abstain from something, he uses this word Psalm, the word in 269 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,880 Hebrew most frequently used to to abstain from eating food. 270 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,000 But believer, I want you to understand something Now. 271 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:19,480 Food is just the starting point. Fasting can and should expand 272 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:21,640 beyond food. It should. 273 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,720 Now many of us don't know what to make about fasting. 274 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,520 It seems strange or mystical, like really one of those like 275 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:32,400 things that super Christians do. But not regular normal people, 276 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:37,280 right? It can be a taboo topic church 277 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,000 wide. I think specifically in the West 278 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,320 where we are the western end of Protestantism and the other 279 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:46,960 branches of Christianity, the Eastern Orthodox Catholicism. 280 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,800 They regularly fast. They have a big one upcoming, 281 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,200 it's called Lent, the days leading up to Easter. 282 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,680 Some of us have bad or ineffective experiences with 283 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,040 fasting. Maybe you tried it and it didn't 284 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,120 work like I tried fasting. It didn't work like it just 285 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:07,160 didn't. Well, bro, what? 286 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,240 What'd you what'd you fast for? Well, I really wanted a 287 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,480 girlfriend. I was how was it? 288 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,520 How was that can help you pursue righteousness. 289 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,360 Well, I really wanted this job and God didn't answer it. 290 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,920 Some of us have misconceptions about what fasting is. 291 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,680 Maybe we haven't had a biblical perspective on fasting and I 292 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:31,160 want to clear that up today biblically. 293 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,920 OK, so First things first, the biblical overview. 294 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,280 Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way ready. 295 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,400 There is actually no specific command or set formula for 296 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,040 fasting in Scripture. You will not find it. 297 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,640 There's one exception, the Day of Atonement in the Old 298 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,160 Testament, Leviticus chapter 16 or 17. 299 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:56,760 Yahweh in prescribing the Day of Atonement, what Israel is to do 300 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,040 as they approach the Tabernacle, the tent where the glory of God 301 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,720 dwells, He says on that day, you're going to set it apart as 302 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,000 sacred. How are we going to set it apart 303 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,040 as sacred? None of you are going to partake 304 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,600 in eating. None of you are going to partake 305 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,960 in intimacy. You're going to be, you're going 306 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:16,400 to abstain from all these things. 307 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,400 You're going to set it apart as sacred. 308 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,840 That's the only command in the Old Testament. 309 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:23,560 Yeah. Here's the interesting thing. 310 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:24,800 Ready. Interesting thing. 311 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:30,960 Scripture records consistently the people of God regularly 312 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,320 participating in fasting, extending beyond the Day of 313 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,080 Atonement. Right now our church is going 314 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,440 through second Samuel, the story of King David. 315 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:45,600 King David, this dude after man, this man after God's own heart, 316 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,200 he regularly fasts, like all the time. 317 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,680 Hey, I need some help. I need some wisdom from God. 318 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,320 Bring the ephod here. I just need to, I just need to 319 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,080 spend time with him. He regularly fasts. 320 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:02,000 So while we do not have a specific command on how to fast, 321 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:07,560 what the formula is for fasting, we do have frequent patterns of 322 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:09,320 fasting all throughout the scriptures. 323 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:12,880 So three big ideas to remember about these patterns. 324 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,360 One, fasting is practiced hand in hand with prayer. 325 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,160 Hand in hand with prayer. People in Scripture do not fast 326 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,480 merely to detox, merely to lose weight. 327 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,080 It's not merely the abstaining from something, but it's the 328 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,360 it's also the engaging in something. 329 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:40,640 You're fasting from something, particularly food to feast on 330 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,920 something else. What is that thing that we're 331 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,240 feasting on? So fasting is practiced hand in 332 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,480 hand with prayer. Secondly, fasting was a 333 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,120 consistent spiritual discipline practice by the people of God. 334 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:54,960 The people of God did it in the Old Testament and the New 335 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,280 Testament, especially the early church. 336 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:03,760 We found documents, books from the early church period. 337 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:09,480 We're talking AD 100 to 200, books like the the the dead, OK, 338 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,400 which are liturgical, which show the, the, the people of the 339 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,440 church how to effectively host a church gathering. 340 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:18,440 Guess what part of it is fasting? 341 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,160 They they would fast twice a week. 342 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,760 Those who wanted to be baptized into the church. 343 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,560 I believe in Jesus now. Part of the rites of baptism 344 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,240 back then was fast before the baptism. 345 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,920 Fasting was a consistent spiritual discipline in the life 346 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,800 of the people of God. Lastly and most important, 347 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,440 fasting was a consistent spiritual discipline practice by 348 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:46,000 our Lord Jesus Himself, the Lord Jesus Himself. 349 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,520 Often you'd find in the gospel narrative, Jesus will go away by 350 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,840 himself to pray. You remember John chapter 4, 351 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,720 Jesus with the woman at the well, He spent hours with her 352 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,800 under the blazing hot sun, right? 353 00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,680 He never actually drinks any of the water in the well. 354 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,600 He just uses it as like a plot device to talk about something 355 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,240 deeper, right? He's probably hungry. 356 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,800 His disciples see that they say, has anybody got the master 357 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:18,720 something to eat? What did he say? 358 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,560 I have food to eat that you don't know of. 359 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,120 Don't worry about me. I, I, I don't need to eat right 360 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:29,320 now as the Master does. So the disciples should too. 361 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,240 So three things. Fasting is practice hand in hand 362 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,560 with prayer. It's a consistent practice of 363 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,760 the people of God, and it's a consistent practice of the Lord 364 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,040 Jesus himself. So here's where we're going for 365 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:44,880 the rest of our sermon. Here's the road map. 1. 366 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,560 We're going to talk about these patterns of fasting in the Old 367 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,240 Testament. We're going to give a proper 368 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,040 definition, a working definition of what fasting is so you can go 369 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,240 home with it. And then we're going to talk 370 00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:00,280 about motives for fasting and the posture of fasting. 371 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,840 So our first point, patterns of fasting. 372 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,200 Here's the first pattern in Scripture. 373 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:11,520 Fasting and mourning. Not where the sun rises, 374 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:13,280 Mourning, but mourning. Like you're crying. 375 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,200 You're grieving. Fasting and mourning. 376 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,120 This is the most prevalent use of fasting in all of the 377 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:21,880 scriptures. Mourning, grieving. 378 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,000 Sometimes it's even associated with repentance. 379 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,680 This is where somebody fasts. They refuse to eat, they abstain 380 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:33,840 from food because they're mourning. 381 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:35,480 They're grieving. They're cut to the core. 382 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,720 They're wearing their sorrow in their body. 383 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,560 Some of us here don't think that's that's OK to cry. 384 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:47,360 The Old Testament, these people that understand humanity is more 385 00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:49,800 than the body, it is also spiritual. 386 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,200 Both are connected. When somebody's sad, when 387 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,640 somebody's mourning, when somebody's grief, they wear it. 388 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,480 They fast and I refuse to eat. I'm hurting. 389 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,280 This is where the the the term sackcloth and ashes comes from. 390 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:06,880 They're repenting with ashes on their head and sackcloth. 391 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,160 You think about a funeral, a funeral today. 392 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,240 What's the proper attire for a funeral? 393 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,160 It's black. Black. 394 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,200 Why? Because this is a it's a hurtful 395 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,920 moment and I'm grieving and I'm wearing it in my body. 396 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,080 What's happened? I feel it in my body when I lose 397 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,920 somebody. Second Samuel, chapter 1. 398 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,600 David, you guys just went over this sermon a couple months ago. 399 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:40,000 Probably David and his men. They fast in mourning for Saul 400 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,960 and Jonathan. Remember, Saul and Jonathan are 401 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,440 killed in battle. What is David's response? 402 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:47,760 He doesn't even eat. He can't. 403 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:54,240 He's hurt, he's fasting. While they mourn the death of 404 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:58,000 his king and his beloved friend Jonathan, it's often tied to 405 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,120 repentance as well. First Samuel, Chapter 7. 406 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:06,000 We went over this last year. First Samuel Chapter 7 Israel as 407 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,480 a whole, they fast. What, because God condemns them 408 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:11,560 because they asked for a king Saul in the 1st place. 409 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,360 God sends sends Samuel to accuse Israel. 410 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:16,880 You've committed infidelity on me. 411 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,120 You want an earthly king, you've rejected me is those responses. 412 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:26,080 Oh Dang it, they fast. They refuse to eat because I'm 413 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,720 sorry. Fasting and Mourning pattern #2 414 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,920 Fasting and petition Fasting competition. 415 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,680 This is probably the most popularized association between 416 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,720 fasting and praying. Fasting competition. 417 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:47,800 This is where fasting is treated as instrumental, as a means of 418 00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:52,160 getting God's ear. It's a supplement to prayer and 419 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,840 tended to illicit God's help. God, would you look at my 420 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,760 current circumstance? I can't eat, I can't sleep. 421 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,280 I, I, I need you. You're fasting in hopes of 422 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:07,600 eliciting God's help to see you and your estate, praying that he 423 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,720 would move in your life. You think of Esther chapter 4 424 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,360 right before she needs to go into the king, into the King's 425 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:20,200 chambers to ask him to sign an edict to save her people from 426 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,440 extermination. Before she enters the palace, 427 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:29,680 she tells cousin Mordecai, tell Israel to hold a fast for me, to 428 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:32,080 petition for me for protection because I'm about to go into a 429 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:37,960 danger zone. Second Samuel chapter 12, I 430 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,640 don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't say what happens. 431 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:46,120 The second Samuel, chapter 12, you'll find David, he's going to 432 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:50,200 fast, he's going to plead, he's going to petition, he's going to 433 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,160 ask that God would save somebody near and dear to him who's sick. 434 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,800 And here's the worst part Ready. It doesn't happen. 435 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:04,120 Believer, Are you OK with when you fast, when you pray? 436 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,000 God really does answer your prayers, but are you OK when He 437 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,880 doesn't answer the way that you think you should? 438 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:20,840 That's spiritual discipline pattern #3 fasting and response. 439 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,600 Fasting and response. And this is probably the most 440 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,840 underrated association with fasting. 441 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:32,600 It's a physical response to God divinely moving in your life. 442 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,560 It's like where God does something remarkable, like 443 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,520 something amazing, and you're like, I don't know how to 444 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,320 process this. So you stop eating. 445 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,520 You're feeling it in your body. Here's some examples. 446 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,760 Exodus chapter 34. Moses on the top of Mount Sinai, 447 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:51,760 God has just appeared before him. 448 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,240 Moses, his face is shining. He saw the glory of the Lord. 449 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,720 The Lord declared his goodness before him. 450 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,000 Moses, his response? He doesn't eat for 40 days. 451 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,280 It's almost like, what did I just partake in? 452 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,200 Oh my gosh. He's processing what happened to 453 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,080 him. Daniel, Daniel Chapter 9, after 454 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,240 he gets his visions of the future, these terrifying insane 455 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,080 visions, it says he was so strict and I can't eat. 456 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,160 God has moved divinely in their lives and it's like they're 457 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:26,160 responding like what do I do my friends, when it is clearly 458 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:28,440 evident that God is moving in your life. 459 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:30,840 The only proper response is worship. 460 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:37,280 Worship all of you worships, not just the spirit, the body as 461 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,760 well. What fasting is, my friends, 462 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:44,760 putting these three patterns together, a working definition. 463 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,040 Here's what here we go. Here's my definition of it. 464 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,720 Fasting is the intentional communion with God where we 465 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:56,440 abstain from physical, bodily comforts and devote ourselves to 466 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:00,240 prayer for the purpose of increasing the vitality of our 467 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,360 spiritual life. Say that again, Fasting is the 468 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,240 intentional communion with God where we abstain from physical 469 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:12,680 bodily comforts and devote ourselves to prayer for the 470 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,040 purpose of increasing the vitality of our spiritual life. 471 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:19,400 Doctor Tim Mackey of the Bible project succinctly puts it like 472 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:20,480 this. What is fasting? 473 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,720 Fasting is praying with your whole body, praying with your 474 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:27,240 whole body because you're a whole person. 475 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:32,120 You see the, the, the problem today is some most of us try to 476 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,200 live in categories of I have a spiritual life, then I have a 477 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,840 physical life. So on Sundays I help my 478 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:42,120 spiritual life, but every other day of the week it's about me 479 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,760 and and my my physical life. That's not true for the disciple 480 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,160 of Christ. Both body and spirit weight make 481 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,640 one completed whole. You must master both. 482 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,760 So what fasting is? It's praying with the whole 483 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:58,400 body. So coupled with prayer, we fast 484 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:03,160 to mourn with, seek out and respond to God. 485 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,640 So we physically submit ourselves in humility before the 486 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,920 Holy Spirit to acknowledge our total reliance on Him, this 487 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,640 posture of humility that we'll talk about in a little bit. 488 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:23,160 So when we fast, we abstain from regular body comforts like food 489 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:28,560 and remember that our life is more than just physical, it is 490 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,320 also spiritual and it is sacred. Your life is sacred, sacred 491 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,560 territory as a Christian. Why? 492 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,680 Because the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, dwells within 493 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,640 you. You are now the temple. 494 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,520 Remember last time I talked here, I gave a sermon on bearing 495 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,280 the name of Jesus, the name of God. 496 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,720 How Jesus says, see this temple, tear it down and in three days 497 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,840 I'll build it up again. He's talking about the temple of 498 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,080 his body. And then John chapter 17, he's 499 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,360 praised to the Father. He says I give them my name, 500 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:01,000 that believe in me. They now bear my name. 501 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,240 What that means is you are now the temple. 502 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,680 You are now the temple where that spirit dwells. 503 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:11,040 You are sacred. What fascinating is it's 504 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,680 devoting the moment as sacred and resets our priorities. 505 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:20,280 Research our priorities. Do you guys remember you couples 506 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,280 out there? Married couples? 507 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,720 Do you remember your first month together? 508 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,160 You were inseparable. You were inseparable. 509 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,400 It was the no, you hang up. No, you hang up. 510 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:37,000 No. OK, let's do it together. 511 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:43,160 OK, 1/2 He didn't do it. You hang up now, probably unlike 512 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,200 you're 15, you're like, please hang up, please hang up, you 513 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:52,200 know, but you remember what it was like in that moment, in 514 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,560 those first in that blossom of true love. 515 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,880 You guys are inseparable. Nothing would get in the way of 516 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,560 you being with your girl or you being with your guy. 517 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,440 That's it. That's what fasting is, this 518 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,680 inseparable moment where I'm choosing to be with him rather 519 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,880 than bodily pleasures. I could eat. 520 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,360 I could eat a double, double right now. 521 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,600 There's nothing against it. It's a good thing to eat. 522 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,960 It's a good thing to feast. But you know, right now I just 523 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:22,920 really want to spend some time with God where everything else 524 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:24,840 fades away. That's fasting. 525 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:27,880 It's like 2 young lovers in love. 526 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,680 So moving on, now that we know what fasting is, how we defined 527 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,160 it, let's talk about the motives of fasting. 528 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,360 And this is a biggie. Go ahead and turn the chapter 529 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:45,600 Isaiah chapter 58 for me. Isaiah 58, I'm going to be 530 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,120 reading out of the NIV translation just because I like 531 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,600 the flavor of it. I like the emphasis. 532 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,560 So IJ Isaiah chapter 58, verse one, we'll go through verse 10 533 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,680 as well. I'll tell us when to stop. 534 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,680 OK, This is the word of the Lord. 535 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,320 It says shout it aloud. Do not hold back. 536 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,360 Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their 537 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,960 rebellion, and to the descendants of Jacob their sin. 538 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,480 For day after day they seek me out. 539 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,200 They seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that 540 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,360 does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its 541 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,320 God. They asked me for just decisions 542 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:28,320 and seem eager for God to come near them. 543 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,560 So what's happening here? God sent his prophet Isaiah to 544 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,560 contend with his people Israel for their sin. 545 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,520 They had broken covenant with Him and rebelled against him, 546 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,680 but acted as if nothing is wrong now. 547 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,520 The audacity of Israel, God's chosen people, their nerve to 548 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,800 ask God to provide for them and care for them, all while 549 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,200 disobeying His law. This is why God Yahweh is so 550 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,560 upset with him. He's contending with them, so he 551 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,480 sends his messenger Isaiah to judge them. 552 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:02,000 Their relationship with Yahweh at the time became just empty 553 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,280 ritual. And what were they doing? 554 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:05,840 Well, here's what they are doing. 555 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:12,199 Ready verse 3, Israel responds to God and says, why have we 556 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:15,120 fasted? They say, and you haven't seen 557 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,280 it. Why have we humbled ourselves? 558 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:23,040 And you have not noticed Israel's response to God's 559 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:27,400 judgement by accusing him of being unjust and ignoring our 560 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:33,880 fasting. They say, well, you, God, 561 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:38,040 Yahweh, look, we're doing all the assignments, we're checking 562 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:40,199 all the boxes. I'm, I've been fasting and 563 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:44,719 you're not providing, you're the problem. 564 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,360 You, you are unjust. You don't, you're not living up 565 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,120 to your word. You've broken covenant with me. 566 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,120 Israel points to the their spiritual disciplines, their 567 00:34:55,120 --> 00:35:00,840 works, their performance as the mechanism that elicits God's 568 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,280 favor. And it became just empty ritual. 569 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:08,360 My friends, it is never appropriate to point to our 570 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,760 performance as the basis of our righteousness. 571 00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:15,160 Your righteousness cannot be merited or earned. 572 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,680 It can only be gifted. It's a gift. 573 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:24,600 God is never in anyone's debt. He's never in my debt. 574 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:29,440 He's never in your debt. Your salvation is his gift to 575 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,200 you. Just because He loves you today 576 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:37,920 you are in debt to Him. Grace abounding, mercy 577 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:39,960 abounding. That's his gift to you. 578 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,440 So here's God's response to Israel's contention. 579 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,560 Continuing on verse 3, God says, yeah, on the day of your 580 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:53,200 fasting, you do as you please and you exploit all your 581 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,040 workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling 582 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:59,280 and strife and in striking each other with wicked fists. 583 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,360 You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be 584 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,800 heard on high. Is this the kind of fast that 585 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,480 I've chosen? Only a day for people to humble 586 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,360 themselves? Is it only for bowing 1's head 587 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,840 like a Reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? 588 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:18,000 Is that what you call a fast? One day acceptable to the Lord? 589 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:23,120 Stop there. God exposes Israel's false 590 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:27,720 fasting, their empty practice. It doesn't produce righteousness 591 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:29,960 and it doesn't dispense grace to others. 592 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:34,560 Israel had fooled themselves into thinking that a spiritual 593 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,640 discipline, one day of ritual fasting, would make up for a 594 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:42,240 lifetime of disobedience. So what are we to say about 595 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:44,320 this? Well, let's look at some motives 596 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,960 of false fasting. Looking at Israel's example, 597 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:49,520 here's some motives of false fasting. 598 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:51,400 For those of us that say, well, I tried fasting, it didn't 599 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:54,360 really work, make sure you're not on this list. 600 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:59,200 Number one first motive of false fasting is it self-centered. 601 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:03,400 Verse 3 on the day you're fasting, you do as you please. 602 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,640 I tried fasting for and it didn't work. 603 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:12,920 Fasting that understand this my friends, fasting does not move 604 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,080 the hand of God or bend his divine will to our desires. 605 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,160 Rather, what fasting does is it moves us into a position of 606 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,600 humility and conforms our will to his. 607 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:29,400 Where my desires are yours. See, fasting is not a megaphone, 608 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:33,160 my friends, where I'm screaming louder so God can hear me. 609 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,840 You think if God is sovereign, if he knows all things, He knows 610 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:38,160 what you need before you even ask it. 611 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:41,960 So why do you need a fast, right? 612 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,680 It's not about getting him to hear you because he could hear 613 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,800 you. He can hear faith the size of a 614 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,560 mustard seed. He says I can hear you. 615 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:53,520 Fasting doesn't bend His will to mine. 616 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:57,240 It bends my will to His where I want His wants, I want His 617 00:37:57,240 --> 00:37:59,080 desires. Again, that spiritual 618 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:03,400 transformation. It's a hearing aid that tunes my 619 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:07,520 ears to hear His will for my life rather than the other way 620 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,320 around. The second motive of false 621 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:12,080 fasting. It oppresses others. 622 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,680 It oppresses others. The third, it produces arguments 623 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:19,680 and quarreling. Their fasting is producing 624 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,200 arguments and quarreling. Here's a question When you fast 625 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:28,240 food, when you go without eating, are you harsh with 626 00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:31,560 people around you? Are you grumpy? 627 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:36,120 Is it like a Snickers commercial? 628 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:38,760 You're not you. When you're hungry, you're 629 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:42,560 grumpy. We like to Casey mentioned this 630 00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:44,240 a couple sermons ago, but we like to talk. 631 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:46,680 We like to say don't talk to me until I've had my coffee. 632 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:50,240 You don't understand. I just didn't have my coffee. 633 00:38:50,240 --> 00:38:52,160 No, you just might be a prickly person. 634 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,040 You probably want to change that. 635 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,240 Fasting that produces arguments and quarreling is no fasting at 636 00:38:59,240 --> 00:39:00,440 all. It's supposed to dispense grace 637 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:01,560 to others. It's not about you. 638 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:04,680 So here's what effective fasting is. 639 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:06,120 Here's what true fasting looks like. 640 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:12,200 God continues on in verse 6 He says, is this not the fasting 641 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,920 that I have chosen to loose the chains of injustice and to untie 642 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,960 the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break 643 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,320 every yoke? Is it not to share your food 644 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,480 with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer the shelter? 645 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,400 When you see the naked, to clothe them and not to turn away 646 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,400 from your own flesh and blood. Then your light will break forth 647 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:33,480 like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear. 648 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,800 Then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the 649 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:40,000 Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord 650 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:42,280 will answer. You will cry for help and he 651 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:46,600 will say, here am I. God tells Israel what true 652 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:50,080 fasting is composed of. It produces righteousness and 653 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:56,280 God's pleased with it. True fasting is motivated by 654 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:02,600 serving and providing for other people wanting to play a part in 655 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,560 God's plan of redemption and will for my life. 656 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,160 Wanting to provide for other people. 657 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:12,400 You think about it, if you're properly fasting, you're fasting 658 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:14,720 food for yourself. So I'm not going to go buy that 659 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:18,200 $10 Mcdouble meal or whatever from McDonald's. 660 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,600 I'm going to fast my lunch. What that means is you have 10 661 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:26,680 extra dollars to go bust somebody, right? 662 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:29,640 You think less about yourself and more about those around you. 663 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:33,520 You provide food, clothing and shelter to strangers because I'm 664 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,720 fasting for myself. But that doesn't mean I'm 665 00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:38,840 fasting from serving you. I'm actually have more time to 666 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:45,000 serve you. Jesus, when the multitudes are 667 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,680 crashing around him, the disciples tell him, Lord, send 668 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:49,480 them away. It's late, let's go get some 669 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:50,240 sleep. Send them away. 670 00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:54,240 Tell them to go get some food. What is his response? 671 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,240 No, you guys feed them. I am tired, but you. 672 00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:02,680 Let's feed them, denying myself, providing for others. 673 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:06,640 And here's the reward of that fasting righteousness, that 674 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:09,320 transformation. We're talking about grace, joy, 675 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:15,520 adapt to your faith. It also, it says here, enables 676 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:19,320 you to resist sin. If you can discipline your body 677 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:24,160 through not eating, when it craves sugar, when it craves 678 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:27,760 protein, if you can discipline your body and say I know I crave 679 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:29,600 that right now, but Nope, you're not going to get it. 680 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,840 That makes it easier to withstand sin, to withstand some 681 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,200 temptation. It lifts the yoke. 682 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,040 Isaiah says the yoke of oppression on you, the 683 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,240 temptations that you struggle with. 684 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:44,680 So those of you struggle with temptation right now, consider 685 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:47,040 fasting. Consider fasting. 686 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:49,880 It's a whole body experience that helps you break that yoke 687 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:53,640 of oppression. Lastly, God will respond to your 688 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:56,880 prayers with this type of fasting and you will be 689 00:41:56,880 --> 00:42:00,880 satisfied with His answer because your will is His will. 690 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:05,960 You're bent to His will. The last thing we'll talk about 691 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,960 is the posture of fasting. Go back to Matthew chapter 6. 692 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:11,680 Without opening scripture that we talked about. 693 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,080 This is Jesus speaking now as He carries this fasting tradition, 694 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:17,560 this fasting rhythm into the New Testament. 695 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,960 Jesus shows us what true fasting looks like and it's devotion to 696 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:25,760 God and He gives us some outline principles for what fasting 697 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:28,480 should look like in the lives of his disciples. 698 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,360 Are you ready? Here's what fasting should look 699 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:34,440 like in a Christian. It should look like nothing. 700 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:38,040 Here's what it should look like, look like nothing. 701 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:40,520 It shouldn't look like you're doing it at all. 702 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:44,960 It should be a regular rhythmic practice in our lives. 703 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:49,680 And it shouldn't be about us where we say, Oh, I can't, I 704 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:51,520 can't stand today. I'm, I don't have a lot of 705 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:55,760 energy because you know, I'm, I'm fasting, fasting. 706 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:58,280 I'm specifically praying for this new job that lined up and 707 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:02,040 fasting for it. God says don't do that. 708 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:07,040 Jesus says don't do that. So first thing he starts off 709 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:10,120 with when you fast, it's not if, it's when. 710 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:13,640 Again, fasting is an assumed spiritual discipline in Jesus 711 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:17,040 and his disciples. He was a faithful Jew who had a 712 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,240 rhythm of fasting. He read the Old Testament. 713 00:43:19,240 --> 00:43:20,720 He knew all about it. That appointed to him. 714 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,880 You think about 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism. 715 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:29,840 Jesus fast for 40 days as he's tempted by Satan. 716 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:31,720 What does he respond to Satan with? 717 00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:38,080 Man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that 718 00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,360 comes from the mouth of God. Do you know what he's doing 719 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:42,000 there? He's giving a statement about 720 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:46,520 what it means to be truly human. You're more than physical, 721 00:43:46,520 --> 00:43:49,800 you're also spiritual. You're not going to live by 722 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:52,840 physical things alone. You must be spiritually 723 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:57,480 disciplined. Secondly, do not look gloomy 724 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,120 like the hypocrites for they love to disfigure their faces 725 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,840 for attention. When you fast. 726 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:06,200 Don't do it for attention. It should look like same old 727 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:09,880 you. So go put some makeup on, go do 728 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:11,400 your hair, get out of your sweats. 729 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:18,080 Men shower, right? Avoid the praise of man, because 730 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,040 that's a trap, my friends. Jesus had a habit. 731 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:23,320 He says. I avoid all praise of man 732 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:24,600 because I know what's in the heart of man. 733 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,600 One day you'll love me, one day you'll hate me. 734 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:33,240 Avoid the praise of man. Doing things just to look holy. 735 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:34,840 Jesus says. I assure you, if that's your 736 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:36,800 goal, you'll probably get it. You'll get an attaboy. 737 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,720 Oh my gosh, He's so holy. Look at that. 738 00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:41,440 He's like been fasting for like a week. 739 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:43,120 Oh my gosh, I wish I could do that. 740 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:49,320 Jesus says that's the extent of your reward as a ceiling is just 741 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:51,680 that random person that you'll never meet again that thinks 742 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:58,040 you're cool instead disciples. He says when you fast do it in 743 00:44:58,040 --> 00:45:02,600 secret between you and the Lord, because then your reward is 744 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,640 deeper than the attaboys. Then the Oh my gosh, they're 745 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,880 nice. It's the righteousness, it's the 746 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:11,040 gift of God. It's communion, it's 747 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:13,680 transformation, it's treasure in heaven. 748 00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:16,480 That's what true fasting is motivated by. 749 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:20,760 I've talked about this before, looking at your faith like a 750 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,320 treasure chest that like I talked about earlier, God has 751 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:28,200 gifted you this gift of grace. You have this treasure chest. 752 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:33,720 It's yours. It's up to you and me if we want 753 00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:37,080 to open it or not and to see how rich we are. 754 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,760 When you are partaking of the spiritual disciplines, you are 755 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:44,680 opening that treasure chest of faith and you are seeing all the 756 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:46,280 grace that God has bestowed upon you. 757 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:48,880 You're blessed. Oh my gosh, she loves me this 758 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:52,160 much. Oh my gosh, grace abounding. 759 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:54,840 It's inexhaustible. That's what spiritual 760 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:57,440 disciplines allow you to do. Open that treasure chest to 761 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:00,200 explore the depths of the love that God has for you. 762 00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:04,280 So as we end, I'll invite the worship team back up. 763 00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:07,560 Let's review. Here's some meditations for you. 764 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:11,640 What is fasting? Remember, it's the intentional 765 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:15,000 communion with God where we abstain from physical, bodily 766 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:18,400 comforts and devote ourselves to prayer for the purpose of 767 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:25,040 increasing our spiritual life. Christian, some of you feel like 768 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:30,000 God has been ignoring you lately, like he's absent, like 769 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:31,960 you've been praying. But it seems like your prayers 770 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:33,920 are hitting the ceiling. They're not going beyond that. 771 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:40,600 I want you to know that maybe, if you think about it, maybe he 772 00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:45,880 has been moving in your life. Could it be that you and I are 773 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:49,280 just far too preoccupied with worldly things to hear? 774 00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:54,440 Could it be that we're far too preoccupied with physical things 775 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:57,560 to experience what He's trying to do in our lives? 776 00:46:58,280 --> 00:47:03,600 Fasting is a chance to pause your routine, to clear that 777 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:06,640 garden that you had, that garden of faith, to clear it of weeds. 778 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:10,520 That way you can see the vibrant blooms in your garden that God 779 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:18,360 has already planted there. Now fasting, admittedly, it's 780 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:20,560 very hard. It's very hard. 781 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:23,760 Why? Because it's anti me and it's so 782 00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:28,680 countercultural. Our bodies consistently, they 783 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:32,640 crave more. We're very blessed to be in the 784 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:35,120 country that we're in, to have the jobs that we have, to be 785 00:47:35,120 --> 00:47:37,520 where we live. We're very blessed in comparison 786 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:41,480 to the rest of the world. We struggle with the concept of 787 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:45,040 giving things up because for us, it's always more and more and 788 00:47:45,040 --> 00:47:52,120 more and more and more. It's hard, but let me maybe give 789 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,800 you an example that you've been doing fasting. 790 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:58,400 You just didn't know it. Men, you know how to fast. 791 00:47:59,720 --> 00:48:04,960 When the game is on, nobody can bother you. 792 00:48:06,480 --> 00:48:11,400 When you sneak away to play nine holes, you're in your sacred 793 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:14,120 space. It's a break from your daily 794 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:18,120 routine. Women, you also know how to fast 795 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:23,160 when you leave the kids at home with dad for yourself, care, 796 00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:28,840 shopping and spa day. You need it, right to reset 797 00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:33,000 these sacred moments, these reset moments. 798 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:36,200 That's the spirit of fasting. That's what fasting does in the 799 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:38,440 life of a believer. It becomes a sacred moment 800 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:41,760 between you and God where you pray with him, where you commune 801 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:45,680 with him, and it allows you to reset and to prioritize things 802 00:48:45,680 --> 00:48:46,880 that are most important in your life. 803 00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:56,240 The question is, do you value your spiritual life as 804 00:48:56,240 --> 00:49:01,080 extraordinary? Are you willing to put in the 805 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:04,600 effort to fast physical comforts and invest the time in a 806 00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,960 training your spiritual life? Are you willing to put in the 807 00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:11,680 work now? Practical applications. 808 00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:14,440 Here's some different types of fasting for you to consider for 809 00:49:14,440 --> 00:49:16,760 next week. I want you to spend this 810 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:18,720 upcoming week thinking about this message. 811 00:49:18,720 --> 00:49:22,040 Go listen to the podcast, go over your notes. 812 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:25,480 Go read the scripture, please. Here's some practical 813 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:27,640 applications to think about fasting for next week. 814 00:49:28,400 --> 00:49:30,240 Fasting. Remember, this is an umbrella 815 00:49:30,240 --> 00:49:31,680 term. It starts at food, but it 816 00:49:31,680 --> 00:49:35,400 includes so much more. Whatever bodily, physical 817 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:38,400 comfort brings you joy in your daily routine, consider fasting. 818 00:49:38,880 --> 00:49:43,680 Fasting it, breaking from it. You can fast from food, from 819 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:47,880 drink, from hobbies, entertainment. 820 00:49:49,280 --> 00:49:50,640 These things aren't bad in themselves. 821 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,160 These are good things. But too much of a good thing can 822 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,760 become a God thing, right? And it can take your heart and 823 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:59,880 choke out your joy, your experience of Jesus. 1st 824 00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:05,440 Corinthians 7 Paul even commends married couples fast from sex, 825 00:50:05,720 --> 00:50:09,440 fast from intimacy to devote yourselves to prayer. 826 00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:12,400 Intimacy with your spouse is a great thing. 827 00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,080 God blesses it. But there's times Paul says 828 00:50:15,080 --> 00:50:18,000 where both man and wife they should devote themselves to 829 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:20,920 prayer. Maybe consider fasting that this 830 00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:23,920 is what we're talking about the it's an umbrella catch all term. 831 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,920 There is no formula for fasting. There are patterns and I hope 832 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:30,840 that you understand those patterns after this message. 833 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:35,400 There's no time frame either. It's a personal choice between 834 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,200 you and the Lord. It could be partial, could be 835 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:40,440 total. You can skip one meal. 836 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:43,600 We can skip a day. Up to you and the Lord. 837 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:47,240 Whatever it takes to foster your communion with God, do prayer 838 00:50:47,240 --> 00:50:54,040 and train for spiritual formation, do it the last fast. 839 00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:59,320 As we enter into a time of communion, the last fast that 840 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:04,320 Jesus partakes in before he goes to the cross is the upper room 841 00:51:04,320 --> 00:51:05,920 with his boys. Luke chapter 22. 842 00:51:06,800 --> 00:51:09,480 Luke chapter 22. Jesus says he's preparing for 843 00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:14,480 the fast over feast, the last night of his life here on earth 844 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:18,080 before he's crucified. He tells his boys, I have 845 00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:22,360 earnestly desired to eat this Passover meal with you since 846 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:24,840 3:00 or so years ago when I called you to myself. 847 00:51:24,840 --> 00:51:29,680 I've been waiting for this meal. So Jesus takes the bread, he 848 00:51:29,680 --> 00:51:32,880 blesses it, He breaks it, but he doesn't eat of it. 849 00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:38,720 He passes it to his boys. Jesus then takes the cup of 850 00:51:38,720 --> 00:51:41,360 wine. He pours a cup for them, but he 851 00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:44,400 doesn't drink of it. He passes it to his boys. 852 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:48,800 And his command is take, eat, drink. 853 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:53,080 This is my body broken for you. This is my blood poured out for 854 00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:56,920 you. I will not eat or drink of it 855 00:51:57,600 --> 00:51:59,080 until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom. 856 00:52:00,680 --> 00:52:03,680 And what is he cry on the cross right before he says it is 857 00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:06,720 finished? I thirst. 858 00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:10,760 I told you boys at that moment they would have remembered. 859 00:52:10,760 --> 00:52:15,800 He, he said he wouldn't drink. Why does he have to say I thirst 860 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,560 because I told him I won't eat and drink till it's done. 861 00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:23,920 The ceremony's done, atonement has been made, the Kingdom has 862 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:26,840 come. When Jesus was crucified, it was 863 00:52:26,840 --> 00:52:29,360 not a murder. It was the coronation of a king. 864 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:34,280 The Kingdom has come and he's signifying by drinking, breaking 865 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:37,520 the fast. The kingdom's here and it's now 866 00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:40,280 yours. That's what communion 867 00:52:40,280 --> 00:52:42,080 represents. As we move into a time of 868 00:52:42,080 --> 00:52:47,280 worship, as I call you guys up to partake of the cup and the 869 00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:52,360 bread, we remember the broken body of Jesus on our behalf. 870 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:57,000 His shed blood on our behalf. Why does he do this? 871 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:04,400 To redeem and renew you and I sinners, and make us his royal 872 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:07,760 family, his sons and daughters. You see, here's the gospel 873 00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:10,480 message. Jesus lives the perfect life 874 00:53:10,480 --> 00:53:14,160 that you and I should have lived and then dies the death that I 875 00:53:14,160 --> 00:53:16,760 deserve, like he did everything I've ever done. 876 00:53:18,040 --> 00:53:21,440 And three days later, after he's crucified on the cross, he rises 877 00:53:21,440 --> 00:53:23,560 again from the dead. And he says, young man, young 878 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:27,880 woman, old man, old woman, I've beaten your sin for you. 879 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:34,160 Come to me. Come experience me. 880 00:53:34,920 --> 00:53:36,560 I want you. I want you to be that 881 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:38,480 transformed person from my possession. 882 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:43,040 We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us 883 00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:45,200 in person every Sunday at 10:30 AM. 884 00:53:45,600 --> 00:53:47,600 For more information and updates, visit 885 00:53:47,600 --> 00:53:50,240 wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll 886 00:53:50,240 --> 00:53:51,080 see you next week.