Hungering For God – What Did Fasting Look Like In Biblical Times

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LP-4 Hungering for God.docx Hungering for God: A Life of Prayer & Fasting

Matthew 6:11

Here are the plain truths we would all agree upon.

The Sermon of the Mount was given directly, and primarily to Christ’s disciples. Look at Matthew 5:1 with me for a moment. The crowds around may have listened, and we through the inspiration of the Bible can also now hear this message. But, the first responders were intended by Jesus to be His disciples. So, Matthew 5-7 was initially communicated directly to the Twelve, His first disciples.

In Matthew 6 Jesus expresses some expectations or desires of His disciples, not commands. Notice that Jesus never commands these disciplines or choices, He just states them as assumptions that these are things they would be doing. In other words, Jesus says this is what I expect you are already doing as my disciples.

What were those expectations?

JESUS ASSUMED HIS DISCIPLES WOULD GIVE, PRAY & FAST

Notice the way Jesus introduced these three areas of spiritual discipline:

Giving to the Poor: In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus assumes that they would be giving to the needy. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in giving to the poor and needy. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the giving of alms or gifts to the poor.
Matthew 6:1-4 (NKJV) “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Praying: In Matthew 6:5-14 Jesus assumes that they would be praying. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in staying closely connected to God the Father by prayer. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the praying.
Matthew 6:5-9 (NKJV) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Fasting: In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus assumes that they would be fasting. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in some form of fasting. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the fasting.
Matthew 6:16-18 (NKJV) “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. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 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.
So basically we can say that we are looking right in the middle of this teaching lesson with His first disciples. Jesus expresses some simple disciplines that He assumed they would be already doing, just as a part of their walk with God. Then, Jesus amplifies each discipline with further teaching, correctively showing what God desires in each of these disciplines.
GIVE TO THE POOR, PRAY, & FAST

Transcript

I would like to thank many of you. I know that many of you track with us as you know my hobby is that I go and speak on vacation days and time off and days off and stuff in different places. And this week I screamed over to the 110th Gideon Convention. And I have to confess, I didn’t know very much about the Gideons. Wow. It was an amazing convention. So, I spoke Thursday night and all-day Friday. In fact, on Friday, when Bonnie and I finished the last session, she said, we have been here in all of these different sessions and everything for fourteen hours today. I said, who counts, what a great way to spend your day off on Friday with the Gideons. But this is what I learned about the Gideons. I’ll give you the thumbnail. They’re the Bible in the drawer people, right? You know what I mean? In hotels. That’s what I always thought they were, the Bible in the drawer people, and everybody, you figure what they are. There are actually three hundred thousand of them. They’re in one hundred ninety countries and this convention was astounding because during the convention the president said, and we just placed our two billionth Bible. And everyone just got all excited. And I went. Placed? He, I said, you mean in a hotel? He says no, the primary ministry of the Gideons is giving out Bibles. He says, just listen and watch. And all of a sudden, they started showing videos of how they, these Gideons go to the hospitals, they go to the jails, they go to the police stations, the fire stations, they, every nurse at their capping ceremony, they’re there, they’re in America allowed to do such a thing, it’s astounding.

This place, it was held at Penn State. Penn State, as I was walking in, I was looking up, they have one of the bigger football arenas I’ve ever seen. It just looked like a skyscraper there. But right there, forty-eight thousand students, the Gideons were there, standing in the walkways of the town of College Station, passing out Bibles. And I watched them. They didn’t just hand them out. They would hand it out, but they’d hold it. And the person, they’d say, have you ever gotten one of these? And the person would say, no. And they’d keep holding it, and they’d say, can I show you what it is? And they’d say, it’s a New Testament. And most of those kids went, wow, what is that? In America. What is that? A Bible. And then they open it up, and the first, I don’t know, three or four or five pages are all these topics. Where to find help if you’re depressed, and if you’re fearful, and if you’re anxious, and if you’re suicidal, if you’ve been abused, if you are alone, and it’s just, and where to go in the Bible to find it. It’s interesting how you could tell the kids were on their way, and all of a sudden, their other foot would, instead of being ready to jump they’d, you could tell they’d stopped, and they said, wow, you mean that tells me where to go in there? I can find stuff in the Bible all by myself and they said that’s, you know, so then you knew you had them. Then they always open the back cover. That’s the front cover. The back cover is the plan of salvation, and they go as far as the person crossing the crosswalk will let them go and as soon as they can tell they’re not going to, they’ll say, here you go, take it with you. And so, I watched that.

Even when we went out to eat, we went out to eat and I, at our table, I saw as different waiters went by, they did the same thing. I think the guy, he was a magician, I don’t know how many of those he had in his pockets. I finally said, how have you, I said, you have talked to six people and handed out six Bibles? He said, I found out that I can fit, however many, and he says, and then I have to go reload. And I went, ah. So, the Gideons give out two hundred fifty thousand Bibles a day, hand out. A million every 4.2 days, somewhere in the world. And their convention, I went there to speak, and Bonnie, at the end, on Friday night after the fourteen-hour day, she said, cause you know how they end their convention? They always invite thirty or fifty pastors to come and see what’s going on. I was there as a speaker, but I’m also a pastor. So, they said, all of you pastors stand up or something. And so, I did. And they were all around the room. The Gideons all came and stood around. And the lady Gideons stood with the wives and the men Gideons, they don’t call them lady Gideons, I don’t know the lingo, but whatever. You know who I mean. The wives of the Gideons or something. But Bonnie had these women laying hands on her and praying for her, and I had this. And the guy that laid hands on me had just given his testimony. He had given out, handed out twenty-one thousand Bibles in Burkina Faso. And he said they did every college in one city. And every, they went right down the list. All that to say, thanks for praying, because I thought I was just going to speak, and I ended up getting blessed.

But opening your Bibles to Matthew 6. And usually, what’s very important to do, is to ask, you should ask, how did we get where we are today? And I’ll answer it for you. So, I know you’re asking that. So, here is my answer. We started at the beginning of the year looking at the implications of the great mission that Christ called us to. That’s Matthew 28. And Jesus said, in Matthew 28, He calls the disciples up after the resurrection to Galilee. They’re all standing around and He says, I want you to go into all the world and make disciples, and teach them to observe all things that I’ve commanded. That mission that Christ gave to them, was Him telling them and us, who are their descendants, we are their spiritual downstream great grandchildren, that we were left here on Earth to do, to be found by Christ doing what He expects and desires us to do. It’s interesting, Jesus doesn’t command us to do this. He expects and desires us to do it.

So, we’ve started there, and then we backed up to the Sermon on the Mount to see an example of how Jesus did this. How He discipled people. And we were going through that, and we got in the Sermon on the Mount to the middle. To the sixth chapter. And that’s where we got the Lord’s Prayer. And we have been tracking through this prayer because it shows an outline of all of the elements. It’s Jesus giving a model, a structure, for us to know that we are on track with what He desires and expects from us. Then I showed you right here in chapter 6 that the Lord’s Prayer is in very interesting company. When I meet someone, you can tell a lot about a person by who they keep company with, who their friends are. In fact, Psalm 1 says that we should be very cautious who we walk, and stand, and sit with in life. And you can read that, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. What’s scornful? Scornful are people that, when people can’t hear them, they’re mocking people. They’re scorning them in the distance. It says, don’t walk with them, don’t stand with them, don’t sit. Why? Because your company will corrupt you if you’re not careful. So, I’m not, I’m talking not about witnessing, but who you hang with. God says watch out.

What does the Lord’s Prayer hang with? Have you ever thought about? The first verse tells us it’s giving to the poor, or alms. You might have heard of charitable deeds, alms. That’s understandable. We’ve all heard of that. But right after the Lord’s Prayer is fasting. Now that’s the distant cousin. We are not frequently acquainted with the concept of fasting. Medically, yes. Socially, yes. There’s the hunger strikes people do, protesting social things. There’s the politically motivated, fasting Gandhi, all that kind of stuff. But for us, other than, losing weight, or for a wrestler. I remember when I used to wrestle, you had to weigh exactly your weight class, and so you’d just starve yourself, and then you’d binge eat afterward. But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about, what is this?

Why does God give us this model prayer and surround it with what He expects from us? Because what He expects from us is what He desires and what He’s looking for. So that reduced down, and I know I have a very short window. Remember for thirty-eight years I’ve been doing exactly what I’m doing this morning, and I know that you have ninety seconds, one hundred twenty seconds, before people start switching channels. They’re surfing. They’re thinking about other stuff, and you see them fidgeting, starting to write, whatever they do. And before you check out, those of you that check out, fasting is all about hungering for God. And fasting is almost a test for us to find out what we hunger for more than God. And I’m going to go through that with you this morning, but just so you know what I was talking about at lunch, you can say, oh, yeah, he’s talking about hungering for God. I caught it. I got it. So, you got it.

But what we’re going to look at is this. What did fasting look like in the Bible? If it’s not Gandhi stuff, if it’s not laying on beds of nails and being a hermit somewhere, what is Biblical fasting?

And what I’m showing you is that Biblical fasting is connected to our mission for life, Matthew 28. In order for us to go into all the world and make disciples, and to be disciples, and to show them how to follow Christ, Jesus laid down this framework, and so that’s what I would like to go through with you because in Matthew 6, and if you look at verse 9, you see the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer and right in the middle of those three expectations, verse 1 through 8 about you know giving to the poor, and then from verse 16 on about fasting, is this Lord’s Prayer. And Jesus has this, what we call the Lord’s Prayer, but actually Jesus said, I’m just expecting that you disciples are going to be praying and I’m going to give you a grid to make sure you have effective, effectual, targeted prayers that actually mirror what I want.

And the Lord’s Prayer is actually a pattern, it’s not a model to follow. It’s not actually a prayer that we were instructed to repeat, although it has been liturgized into society. Most people know this. In fact, when I’m asked to officiate a wedding where there are mostly unsaved people there and there’s a prayer, I often do this. It’s very interesting. Most of them are unchurched, non-churched, care less about church. But I say, for our meal, we’re all going to repeat the Lord’s Prayer. They do. It’s the last time, a lot of them, since the last time they said it, that they had any verses in their lives. But it’s a very well-known prayer. But that wasn’t the intention.

The Lord’s Prayer is for us the single most vital prayer guide. For us to see, think of it in this context. There are a hundred and forty passages in the Old Testament that either capture someone praying or capture God instructing people about prayer. And the reason I know that is I have already confessed this before, but when I was in Bible college, I was twenty-one years old, and the Bible college speaker came and, he looked at us, he was ninety, I can’t believe they let him speak, he almost tipped over a couple times, he was blind, no less, they let him up and he felt like this, and found it, and he said, open your Bibles, and he quoted every passage he preached from and expounded through it word by word, and then quoted another one. And he was, after a while, he really got my attention, ninety seconds melted, and I was listening. And he looked out at us with unseeing eyes, but he knew we were out there. There were 7,200 of us. He could probably hear us breathing. And he said, you’re in a Bible college. If you’re ever going to teach the Bible, if you’re going to do it for the rest of your life, you ought to have read the Bible at least once for every year you are old. And I was sinking down in my chair. I thought, ooh, only read it once to go to camp. Real noble reason. I could go for a week to Camp Barakel, if, which costs a lot of money, if you just read the Bible through, and I did. And so, I thought, ooh, I’m really behind because I am going to teach it the rest of my life. And so that year, I caught up. It only takes seventy-two hours to read it. But what I did is I got, each one, each time I read the Bible through, which it was like about every three weeks. I look for something different each time. I got highlighters. And I remember I did a lot of different themes, but the one I’m talking about this morning is I took a blue highlighter, and actually that version of the Bible was the Douay. I actually, I read every version I could find. I read the Catholic Bible. And I still have it in my office with all, about a hundred others. And I marked and highlighted every time someone talked about prayer or prayed. And tabulated, and there are a hundred and forty passages where that happens. And I looked at what they prayed for, how long they prayed, how short they prayed, what situation they prayed, what words they prayed, etc., etc., etc. And I, by the way, not only that, I did all the names of God that way, all about eschatology, all about relationships, and all about everything. Salvation, sovereignty of God. All those topics went through each in a different Bible, but I thought, a hundred forty Old Testament passages and not one of them says this is how you’re supposed to pray. They’re just a record of the teaching and all. In the New Testament, by the way, there are ninety passages like that either capture prayers by individuals or teach principles. But right here, in front of us, in Matthew 6:9-13, we have the only time that God tells us the exact pattern He desires us to follow.

Jesus said, look at what it says in verse 9, “In this manner, therefore,” and in the word pray, the verb, He switches it from being a normal verb, where you just are talking, and He makes it a command. He says, I command you this way of praying. So that’s different. God desires for us to follow this pattern. It’s fine to learn how Paul or Moses prayed, and principles from Daniel and Ezra etc., or David. They’re useful. But this is the final word. Jesus said. My disciples, I want you to follow, not rotely repeating these words, but I want you to follow the pattern I’m showing you about how you approach God, what you approach Him about, what is the content that fits within this framework you worry about, but the framework is what I want. That’s very interesting.

So, what I thought we’d do is, we would stand together for the reading of our passage this morning, so you stand and I want you all to quote our passage with me. Okay? So just, the Lord’s Prayer is what we’re doing for those of you that are afraid. I did this at the Gideons, by the way. I didn’t tell them what they were doing. I said, okay, all of you stand and we’re going to all quote out loud, loud enough for everybody to hear, five verses. They were looking at each other. Some were pulling their little Gideon Testament out, getting ready, so they could track with me. And I said no, you all know this already. And they were counting on their fingers. What, John 3:16, what could he be doing? And I said, you’ll know when we start. And I said, use your big voices. And it was so neat, for all of them. Once I said, our, you could almost hear them all starting. Father. Which, because we know this. Let’s say this, inviting the Lord to teach us why this pattern is so important to Him.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

And let the Father teach us how that pattern can help us to focus our lives on the mission that You left us to accomplish. So that we would not try and fulfill our lives through a job, through a career, through a marriage, through all of our exploits and conquests, but we would find that You fulfill us when we follow the mission in life that You designed and called and gifted and shaped every part of our life around. And the more that we understand and focus and calibrate ourselves to Your wonderful, revealed will, the more fulfilling and wonderful life can be. It’s life as You intended it to be. Teach us more of that today. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. And you may be seated.

Basically, what I say is that the Lord’s Prayer is the final word on prayer. We have two hundred thirty different passages on prayer. This is the only one that God said, that’s what I want you not to say, but that’s what I want you to do. Jesus does not ask us to repeat after Me. Rather, He says, follow this guide I’m giving you. That’s why this is really the disciples’ prayer. The commentators say that. They say, it’s not the Lord’s Prayer, it’s the disciples Prayer. It’s for us. It’s the Lord’s Guide for how we’re to pray. And Jesus explains basically seven elements, and I’m just going to run you up to where we are.

Number one, He says, pause to focus on who you’re talking to. And by the way, I, you wonder what I speak on the road? I speak whatever I’m speaking here. I did last Sundays and the Sunday before and the Sunday before, and I told the Gideons, I said, do you want to focus for a moment? You you’re in front line ministry. When you are penetrating the college campuses, those Gideons, and some of them are like eighty years old. Their lives are built around campaigns to go to, they go to each college campus until they’re thrown off, and then they stand just off the public property line, and they continue, rain or shine, with that. I said, you talk about front-line, cutting-edge ministry, you’re there. How do you focus yourself so that God can most flow through you? You start by thinking about who we’re praying to.

First, we pause to focus on God and direct our prayer to the one who is the all-seeing, all knowing, and all present ruler of the universe. But Jesus adds a reminder that the one we pray to happens to be our Father. He’s not far away. He is loving, and He has revealed to us already, in His will, that no good thing will He withhold from us who walk uprightly. And if we really believe He’s all knowing and all powerful and everywhere present, everything that comes to our life, we don’t immediately deflect away. We often do, though. If we have a sickness or a job loss or some type of relational trouble, we…, have you ever thought about the content of our prayers? If you really analyzed and tried to summarize what most of us pray for, it is, Lord, help me right now in my situation to do well, to be safe, to pass that so I can get on, and also help me get a good job. And Lord, I’m looking for a good house, too. Don’t want one with problems. And it’s all around, we want everything to be good, as if we know what’s good. And so, we’re informing God what we want that’s good, and God is saying, but I’ve already told you no good thing which I withhold from you. Why is it that you think that horrible situation you’re in your family, or in your job, or in school, or with your neighbor, isn’t good? Who do you think sees things better, me or you? We’re, our lives, are like a little teabag. And the Lord puts us in hot water, at work, at school, in relationships, financially, whatever, health-wise, and dips us in and out of that hot water situation to see what comes out. What comes out, if it’s not Christ? Then the Lord says, do you see what’s coming out of you? Anxiety, and fear, and anger, and resentment, and bitterness, and jealousy, and rivalry. And He says, that’s not from Me. We need to work on that. I’m going to keep dunking you in that situation until something starts coming out correct. And we’re praying all the time, take it away. And the Lord says, hmm mmm. Now see, I’m your Father. I love you. I’m not far away. I know it’s best. I know that sickness is best. I know that job loss is best. I know that promotion is best. He says that I want you to focus on who it is, and we need to focus a bit more on who He is as we speak to Him, and so focusing on God is our entry point.

And secondly, the, Thy Kingdom Come is us renewing submission to God. And boy, we need to renew. We need to remind ourselves, that God wants to rule over all areas of our life, and we, do you see why this prayer is so vital? Can you imagine if all believers first said, You’re in control of what’s coming in my life, You’re so powerful, You’re knowing, You can see better than me, and You’re orchestrating what is good in Your infinite wisdom, and so I want to renew my submission to Your plan.

Can you imagine what would happen in the lives if more and more people were like that? To realize that, that a body of saints that grew every day and stopped and entrusted their lives and their thoughts and their choices to the God, who is their all-powerful, everywhere present, all knowing, everything Father, and they say, I trust You? How that would just change everything. That would calm anxious hearts. That would fill souls with peace and joy. Watching God at work. And add in that renewal of obedience. Saying, I want to respond correctly. I want to come out of my teabag what glorifies you. So put it in there. Fill me with Your Spirit. And with Your fruit. That’s what the fruit of the Spirit is. When we get dunked in the hot water of some situation, love is supposed to come out. Joy is supposed to come out. Is that what comes out? That’s why we say, Lord, I want you to renew my heart and my submission to You filling me. Think of that. What a group that would be on duty every day for God.

See, that’s what the early church did. That’s why this prayer was so important. They learned to pause, and in everything they knew about God, they focused on that. And their heart was so filled with awe and wonder at who He was, that they just would right on the spot bow and say, and I’m your servant, I’m your bondservant. That’s why that’s so frequent, that’s what Christians called themselves primarily. Servants, bondservants of God. Then, it’s amazing.

The third one is, Thy will be done. Boy, is that a puzzler. People think I’ve got to wait until I know the Lord’s will. That shows in our prayers. We say, Lord help, lead me to a good job in the future. How do you know God wants you to have a good job in the future? Lord, lead me to the perfect woman. Is there a perfect, the only perfect woman I know, her mother has already died. You know what I mean? That means there aren’t any. Perfect women. Certainly not perfect men. What does this Thy will be done thing?

You know, a lot of people are so puzzled by the will of God that they’re paralyzed. Because they’ve been told that the purpose of life is to have a fulfilling career. It’s not. It’s to please God. Not have a fulfilling career. Did you talk to the, a generation or two ago, they never heard of all this, that they want to have a fulfilling… they just worked, and they just went through life, and they operated on, look at this, obeying the revealed will of God. What is that? It’s here. You know what everybody wants? Something more than this. This is not enough. Show me whether I’m supposed to be an entomology major or not. Does God care? Not about entomology careers. He wants you. Now you might be an entomologist for His glory. Just like one of those Gideons. I thought they were all doctors and lawyers and stuff. They aren’t. I talked to one. I said, what do you do? He said, I dig those ditches that Comcast cable goes in. I said, really? You like it? Oh, he said, it’s so neat. He said, I found my Carhart’s can hold twelve testaments. And he said, when that coffee truck comes up, trying to sell the high-priced coffee to the poor, cold ditch diggers, he said, I come up and I say, has anybody ever given you one of these? And he says, some days I can get through all twelve. I said, aren’t you just hoping that you don’t have to be out in your Carhart’s digging in the winter? He said, no. He said, I’d probably never have as many people to share Christ with. And I thought, that’s an oddball. A modern, everybody’s trying to do something else and, be comfortable. He says, I want to work out in this. He was just one. I could go on. Who wants to talk about that? To obey God’s Word is to do His revealed will. Thy will be done means we know God has revealed His will. And by the way, we’re never asked to find God’s will. Just to do it. And He said, it’s not some mystery.

How can you do something we don’t know? We can’t. And so, what’s the will of God? It’s written down. We are not to go to God and beg Him to know His will because He’s already told us. That’s like telling someone what to do, and they said please tell me what to do. He said I did tell you what to do. I wrote it down for you. No. Tell me what to do. As if I have something different than what God’s already revealed. That I’m so special that God has only something for me. He says, I do have something for you. Obey Me, and as you obey Me, I fulfill My will through you. Remember the servant of Abraham that went looking for a wife for Isaac? Do you remember what he said? I, being in the way, the Lord led me. He didn’t sit in his tent and say, show me where to go find a wife for my master’s son. He just headed up. He says, I know that his relatives live up in Haran, I’m going to walk that way, God show me what to do. I’m going to do everything that… I’m going to just use common sense and everything You’ve given me. I don’t.

Did you know people in the Bible didn’t wait for angels to tell them what to do and God to write it in the sky? Or whisper it in their ear. Paul went this way, and as he was going that way, God said no, don’t go that way, go this way. He went that way no, keep going, but go a little left. And, but it was after they were obeying the revealed will of God. Everything that they knew, and that’s what is so lacking. As we respond to the truth God has given us, He leads us. We’re asked we are to ask God to search us and see if any part of our life is not obedient to what He has told us to do. But we learn to obey the revealed will of God and His Word because we love Him. And then, we learn to trust God’s provisions. That’s the give us this day. This is our shared confession. We need God to sustain us.

Back to chapter 6. And look at chapter 6, verse 1. What we see is Jesus assumed three things. And this gets me back to what I showed you. In chapter 6, Jesus assumed that there is this trio going on here. That they would be giving to the poor. Yeah, that’s something else I learned about the Gideons. They all pay for these Bibles themselves. They’re not distributing packets for the church. They are buying and giving out in the name of Jesus. And one of them told me, it’s amazing what you can learn on Thursday night and all-day Friday if you, I guess it was a long day though. One of them said his ministry is on the streets to panhandlers. Now you can tell he’s an older guy, who calls people panhandlers nowadays, but he says he’ll see a street person, he’ll pull out of his pocket one of those, and he says, I put a fiver in it. I took that to not be a nickel. I think he’s rich. Puts $5 bills in a Bible he already paid for, puts a $5 bill in it, and walks up to the street person they can see, because they’re Little Testament, so the bill’s bigger than the thing, and they say, inside this is what you want, but it’s put into something you need. And then, shows the help section. And then, and the street person will do anything to not offend them because they’ve already seen the end. They’re going to get their fiver. And in the back, he says, has anybody ever shared this with you? And that’s the plan of salvation. And then he says, but you don’t have to decide right on the spot. This is a gift. You can have the money. But what you need is in that Bible. Do you know why they do that? Why he does that? He believes that’s his act of giving to the poor. He gives to the poor.

Did you know that Jesus expected His disciples… I’m not, you say, how do you know that? Look at verse 1. “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them.” Look at verse 2. “When you do a charitable deed,” He doesn’t say if, He says when. That’s an assumption. That’s, Jesus assumed that they were, look at verse 3, “but when you do a charitable deed,” and so Jesus says, I assume, you know that I desire, the Old Testament is clear that God has a heart for the poor, for the oppressed, for the needy. He says, I assume you will too. And He just regulates it. He says, don’t blow your horn, just go through life. And the only reason I knew about all this is because the Gideons were coming to celebrate what they do, but they don’t brag. They do. They give.

And then look at verse 5. “And when you pray”, Jesus assumed they would pray. Look at verse 6, “But when you pray.” Look at verse 7, “And when you pray.” Verse 9, “and therefore, when you pray.” Jesus is assuming something. He assumes that they’re going to be giving to the poor and then He talks about prayer with the Lord’s Prayer but now look at verse 16. This is the distant cousin. This is the one we sometimes aren’t real well-versed in.

Look what it says in verse 18. Moreover, when you fast, Jesus didn’t tell them to fast. He never commanded anybody to fast. He assumed they were. Verse 17, “but when you fast.” Why? Why is all this going on?

Because Jesus knew that fasting is an indicator of our hunger for God, and it’s also a test to find out. Did you know if my wonderful wife has cooked all day, and I come home and I don’t eat anything, or I just pick up my food, she’ll say, how many luncheons were you at today, how many times did you go to the bakery or whatever? How come you don’t have an appetite? See, when we aren’t hungry, something else is filling that appetite. God says, if you are not hungering after Me, you need to figure out what it is you hunger after. What you hunger for more than Me. How’s your appetite this morning? And I’m not referring to our consumptive society in which we live, where more food is thrown out each day than half of the rest of the world has to even eat. Did you know that?

There’s, in Tulsa, we used to have this ministry that, that went into the dumpsters to take everything that, you know how they have to throw out all the day old stuff, and this store was kind to our food distribution ministry, and they would bring it to the dumpster and set it, and take their tray away while our people took the food and put it and hauled it off and they distribute it all through the areas that need it. And is anything really bad one day old, it’s amazing, but I’m glad for the laws. It probably helps someone, not starve or not die of something. But we aren’t talking about food distribution, but about hungering for God.

In the Old Testament, by the way, fasting was an urgent call for the people of God to get serious. That’s why it was commanded to the Israelites. Because they were so distracted. God forced them to have an annual fast. And He told them, I want you to get serious at least one day a year about Me. But He doesn’t command us to. He says, I expect. I live inside of all of you. I expect you’re going to get serious. And this is the tool.

Again, I remind you, I’m not talking about political or medicinal or social fasting. I’m not talking about, and there’s so many. Christians nowadays are in fads. There’s the new whatever diet, so we can eat Biblically. And also, they’re the fasting police. And they say, you’re not fasting enough, or you don’t fast right. This is not; I’m talking about spiritual fasting. Not medicinal for your cholesterol, not political as a statement, and not social because everybody else is doing it. This is what fasting is in the Bible, and we’ll go through it.

Ezra. You know where Ezra is? Go to Psalms, back up, about two books or four. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms. Go back from Psalms, just a few short books, and see if you hit Psalms, then you back up through Job, and you get to Ezra. There it is. It’s still there. Chapter 8. I want to show you, remember I, when I read through and I marked, by the way, you know who has the longest prayer in the Bible? Ezra. Isn’t that interesting? But we’re not talking about that.

We’re going to chapter 8. And he says, then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava. What was that for? That we might humble ourselves before God. Is it interesting that fasting is tied with humbling ourselves for God? God says, humble yourself in My sight, and I will lift you up. Clothe yourselves with humility. Fasting and humbling ourselves are quite connected in the Bible. So, look at verse 23. “So, we fasted and entreated God for this, and He answered our prayer.” And if you read in verse 22, they were wanting to know His protection and what He was doing. So, fasting is part of seeking God’s direction and protection. And keep going to chapter 10 of the same book. Ezra 10.

Fasting is a part of acknowledging sin. Ezra became so aware. By the way, you know who Ezra was. Ezra’s the one that went in with the 50,000 Jews that left Babylon and went back to the Promised Land, the Jerusalem. And so, they came back, and He walked them back around the Fertile Crescent down to re-inhabit Jerusalem after the Babylonians, seventy years had passed, and they were coming back in. And so, Ezra is there with those people that have spent their whole life in Babylon. Like saying, spending your whole life on Times Square and in Las Vegas, or in Atlantic City. It’s just a, not a real wholesome place. And so, when Ezra saw this, when he came there, halfway through the burst, he says he ate no bread and drank no water for he mourned because of the guilt of those in captivity. He was acknowledging sin before God.

Keep going to the next book. Ezra, you were in 10. Just turn the page to Nehemiah and chapter 1, verse 4. Look at what Nehemiah says. “So, it was when I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for many days. I was fasting and praying.” Notice how fasting and praying go together.

Now you don’t have to turn to this one, but Psalm 35. Again, David said, this is how I humble myself before the Lord. And that one is amazing.

In Joel, it’s the, how to renew your walk with the Lord. And it says, now therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart. So, if you really want to turn to me with all your heart, what does the Lord prescribe? If your doctor, that you loved and trusted, looked at you and said, if you want your heart to survive, do this. If you really trusted Him, you would probably listen. Someone greater than your doctor, God Himself says, turn to Me with all your heart. Guess what He adds? With fasting, weeping, and mourning, rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God.

So basically, what I’m saying is Biblical fasting is a reflection of a surrendered life. Now, before communion, here’s just, here’s an introduction to next time, okay? What, come on. There we go.

What is one thing we might all need to fast from? And I’m going to give some suggestions and see if any of these resonate with you. And we’ll deepen this in the days ahead. Might we need to fast from overloaded lives? One gifted writer recently described our society’s problems as overload. See if you can see what he meant, and then think with me where you show up on a diagnostic test that determines how much of this deadly condition called overload is in our lives.

Number one, he says we have choice overload. In ’75, there were 9,000 supermarket items on the shelves. Today, a Walmart’s flagship, the Supercenter has 142,000 different products. We’ve gone, in a short order, from 9,000 needed items to 142,000. We have choice overload. In fact, Alvin Toffler wrote, we are in fact racing toward over choice. I think we’re there. We have too many choices. That’s why people can’t do anything. They’re paralyzed. Too many choices. Here’s another one. Decision overload. This generation is facing never dreamed of before decisions, like whether or not to wait to have children. People couldn’t wait to have children. They just had children. They just, now we, how long am I going to wait? How much money do I have to have? How many school loans do I pay off before I have kids? Or, how about this? Moving to change jobs? You didn’t move to change jobs. You were desperately connected because you lived in one place your whole life and you just kept your job. How about whether both mom and dad should work outside the home? How about whether we should put grandma into the home or not? We have; those weren’t even choices in the old days. We were just overloaded. Too many decisions in too short a time is vintage overload.

How about this? Food overload. The Surgeon General reports that Americans are overweight today more than at any time in history. But at the same time, 40,000 children die every day from starvation. And preventable disease. So, we’re living in an overindulgent, gorging themselves, people say, I’m going to the all you can eat buffet. Do you want to eat all you can? Is that wise? Is that godly? I would show you, but we don’t have time. If you can trust the, the government, they show the advancement of obesity and diabetes. And it used to be, just in some states that eat too much fried everything. Now it’s everywhere. It’s unbelievable.

How about hurry overload? Haste is a modern ailment. It’s fashionably American. Our lives are non-stop. We live at a breathless pace. We walk fast, talk fast, eat fast, and then excuse ourselves saying, Ha! I got to run! And we think it’s positive. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn accusingly said in the last century, “Hastiness and superficiality, these are the psychic diseases of the 20th century…” Yet, that’s just how it is. No, that’s how we allow it and choose it to be.

Here’s the last one. Possession overload. We have more things per person than any other nation has had in history. Our closets are full, our storage spaces used up, our cars won’t fit in the garages anymore, having first imprisoned ourselves with debt, possessions take over our houses and occupy our time. This begins to sound like an invasion. Everything I own begins to own me. And why would I want more? Jesus said the care of things would make our hearts grow cold. It’s working. And one of the biggest impediments of today’s debt and stuff, and we have to take care of it.

That introduces us to the neglected spiritual discipline. Isn’t it amazing that perhaps the greatest tool to grow intimate with God and dispel spiritual apathy is so neglected? Not even talked about? Isn’t it tragic that what may be the key to seeing wayward children and grandchildren come back to God is so neglected? Isn’t it hard to believe that God described a way to see Him move upon the oppressed and the afflicted in a liberating way, that we neglect it? Because we’re overloaded with decisions and choices and food and hurry and possessions. Probably we don’t think about fasting, hear about fasting. Or practice fasting because we are indulging ourselves. And we do that in America like no nation has ever done in the history of our planet. We consume more than anyone ever dreamed was possible. And it’s our right. It might be their right. I’m not sure it’s ours as those who belong to the Lord.

It’s time for communion. I invite the men. You can start going to get ready, and I’ll just read this while you’re getting it ready, the elders and deacons. Today we look back and forward. The Lord’s Supper is a look back. We remember the work of Christ on the cross two thousand years ago. We note in our hearts that Christ died, Christ rose, Christ ascended to the right hand of God. He took my penalty on Himself. That’s what salvation is. My sins are on Him, and if you don’t know your sins are on Christ, then His arms are still open. To you, but we who know Christ know He imputed is righteousness to us. He dealt with our guilt. He took away the shackles of our sin, and Satan was defeated, and our destiny in Hell was blotted out of the future for all of us who have come to Christ. So that’s the Lord’s Supper.

What’s fasting? Do you remember about a month ago I told you that Jesus said when the bridegroom is gone, that’s when He ascends to Heaven, He said, then My disciples will fast. What we’ll see next time is that the early churches love for Christ’s return was so tied to their life, fasting from anything that distracted them from Him. Because Biblical fasting, on the other hand, looks ahead. And on the basis of the past work of Christ, longs for His return. And we love Him so much, and long for His coming, that we express our loving, longing delight by declaring as we fast, that nothing but God can satisfy our heart’s desires. Career can’t. Marriage can’t. Money certainly can’t. Amusements never will. Only Christ can. Let’s bow before Him in prayer before we worship Him at His table.

Dear Father, I pray that You, through Your Spirit, would stir our hearts to ever deepening hunger for You, our God. And that we would begin systematically looking through our lives to see what we’re overloaded with. And pleasure overload, and distraction overload, and amusement overload, and materialism overload are so deadening, they make us cold. And I pray at this communion that every believer here will begin the process of crying out to You to repent of the overloaded lives that we so often allow to come to pass by neglect, or by active choices. Lord, thank You for Your body that was made our sin. And as we hold this bread, may we worship Your wondrous gift of the sacrifice of Your place on the cross that You took our punishment and gave Your life. And so, we worship You by giving ours back to You. Thank You for the bread, in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

 

NOTES

Do you remember a teacher, or coach, that was so special and encouraging to you? Do you member how much they meant to you? Do you remember how you rose to their expectations of you as they coached or taught you? What type of response do we have to someone we love, respect, and deeply admire? Usually, when they express their expectations or desires, we do everything to try to meet their expectations, right? That experience that many of us have had have shared is really a key to understanding our passage of Scripture this morning in Matthew 6:11. We are looking at the Lord’s Prayer’s seven petitions, and have arrived at the middle, or fourth. The words are simple: “Give us this day our daily bread”. The meaning is also simple, but the message Christ conveys in both the context of this petition to the entire prayer, and the entire prayer to the context in the Sermon on the Mount is profound. Watch what I mean. POINT ONE: JESUS SHARES HIS EXPECTATIONS OF HIS FIRST DISCIPLES IN MATTHEW 5-7 Here are the plain truths we would all agree upon. The Sermon of the Mount was given directly, and primarily to Christ’s disciples. Look at Matthew 5:1 with me for a moment. The crowds around may have listened, and we through the inspiration of the Bible can also now hear this message. But, the first responders were intended by Jesus to be His disciples. So, Matthew 5-7 was initially communicated directly to the Twelve, His first disciples. In Matthew 6 Jesus expresses some expectations or desires of His disciples, not commands. Notice that Jesus never commands these disciplines or choices, He just states them as assumptions that these are things they would be doing. In other words, Jesus says this is what I expect you are already doing as my disciples. What were those expectations? JESUS ASSUMED HIS DISCIPLES WOULD GIVE, PRAY & FAST 2 Notice the way Jesus introduced these three areas of spiritual discipline: Giving to the Poor: In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus assumes that they would be giving to the needy. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in giving to the poor and needy. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the giving of alms or gifts to the poor. Matthew 6:1-4 (NKJV) “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. Praying: In Matthew 6:5-14 Jesus assumes that they would be praying. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in staying closely connected to God the Father by prayer. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the praying. Matthew 6:5-9 (NKJV) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Fasting: In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus assumes that they would be fasting. It was His expectation that any disciple of His would be concerned and engaged in some form of fasting. Follow along as I read His words, and notice how He describes the fasting. Matthew 6:16-18 (NKJV) “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. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 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. So basically we can say that we are looking right in the middle of this teaching lesson with His first disciples. Jesus expresses some simple disciplines that He assumed they would be already doing, just as a part of their walk with God. Then, Jesus amplifies each discipline with further teaching, correctively showing what God desires in each of these disciplines. GIVE TO THE POOR, PRAY, & FAST Those seem to be so unconnected, yet in the mind of God they are not. This middle petition about God supplying our needs on a daily basis, actually ties into perhaps one of the most neglected topics among all of the spiritual disciplines that believers have practiced over the centuries. So first, we can say with much confidence from the text of Scriptures that Jesus 3 assumed that His first disciples would be giving to the poor, praying to their father, and fasting. Now Pause for a moment. ARE WE GIVING, PRAYING & FASTING We love the Lord today, don’t we? We see Him as our Master, Savior, Lord, and King, right? We want to please Him, and do what he assumes and expects us to do, right? Compassionate Giving: Jesus just assumed those first disciples would be concerned enough about the poor (even though there were so many laws in the Old Testament that mandated how the poor were to be taken care of nationally, by the harvesting rules, the responsibilities of families, the forgiving of debts, and so on: yet Jesus assumed that disciples would have a heart of compassion that prompted them to give (secretly He added) to the poor and needy. I think we should each pause and examine our own heart and look to see if we have this type of compassion that draws us to give secretly to the poor and needy. Regular Praying: Jesus assumed that prayer was just a part of the fabric of every day life. So Jesus just added a pattern to those daily prayers, directed then towards God as Father, and laid out areas that would keep them in step with His plan. I think we should each pause and examine our own heart and look to see if we have this type of need for God as our Father that draws us to pray, following the pattern Jesus clearly asked us to follow. Fasting: Jesus assumed that fasting was just a part of the fabric of every day life. So Jesus just added a few reminders about directing fasting to God in secret. I think we should each pause and examine our own heart and look to see if we have considered what type of hungering after God in fasting we should practice. Jesus says that these are His expectations that they would be, as a part of everyday life, involved in giving to the poor and needy, praying, and fasting. Just like that He lays down His assumptions about their lives. These were His expectations, and to the extent that they loved and wanted to please Him, they would give, pray, and fast. So, Jesus assumed His first disciples would give, pray, and fast. What an interesting set of expectations dropped right here in the middle of this great, three chapter long message from Jesus. POINT TWO: JESUS SHARES HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR HIS FUTURE DISCIPLES IN MATTHEW 9 Now, let’s move to a second truth. As we turn onward to Matthew 9 we come to a startling prediction from Christ Jesus about His disciples in the future. This passage contains what may be the single most important words in the Bible on fasting. And these words can change your life if you understand them! After Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to Heaven, His future 4 disciples will fast: Matthew 9:14-17 (NKJV) Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9 introduces a spiritual concept that is foreign to most believers in Christ’s church today, called fasting. Now, if Jesus expected His future disciples after His ascension to fast, the question is: do we see them doing that in the New Testament? The answer is yes. Turn with me to Acts 13. POINT THREE: THE EARLY CHURCH PRACTICED FASTING IN ACTS 13-14 As we open to Acts 13 we are more than a decade into the church after Christ’s departure He promised. Jesus said when He the Bridegroom was gone they would fast. We see this portrayed in Acts 13. But what is amazing is the place that fasting had in the life of the church. Follow along with me as we read these verses: Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV) Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Just some observations on where we’ve come. The church at Antioch is the first beachhead in the invasion of the Gospel out into the pagan world. This church was the place where Barnabas mentored Paul, and this church became the missionary and discipleship hub for the Gentile world. Paul was sent out from here on his missionary journeys, and this church was so effective it is the place where the term Christian was first coined (Acts 11:26). Several observations: We are more than a decade after the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven. As you turn to Acts 11:25 you can see the key to the success of this church, they were deeply and closely taught God’s Word: Acts 11:25-26a (NKJV) Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. Next, they were very effective church, so many pagans were saved that the city took notice and gave them a name that stuck: Acts 11:26b (NKJV) And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. 5 We are looking at one of the healthiest, most in step with the Spirit churches of the New Testament. We are looking at the place where evangelism and discipleship were deeply practiced. So in this blueprint for an effective, missions minded, evangelistic and discipleship oriented church, what do we see as the norm? Fasting. Look back how it is just mentioned. Like Matthew 6, and like Matthew 9, it is almost assumed that people who are devoted to the Lord and involved in ministry would fast. Fasting is hungering for God. We fast to cultivate a hunger that grows stronger and stronger, until we hunger the most for Our Great God. So, what does this fasting look like when we see it portrayed in Scriptures? Here is a brief overview of: GRACE PROMPTED NEW TESTAMENT FASTING First, Biblical fasting was part of SEEKING THE GUIDANCE OF THE LORD in Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Second, Biblical fasting was part of SENDING OUT MISSIONARIES in Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Biblical fasting was part of APPOINTING SPIRITUAL LEADERS in Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Biblical fasting was part of THE REGULAR LIFE OF SPIRITUAL MINISTRY in Paul’s account of his life in 2 Corinthians 11:27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— Biblical fasting was part of A NORMAL LIFE AS A CHRISTIAN in Matthew 6:16 “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. Biblical fasting was part of WORSHIPING THE LORD in Luke 2:36-37 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Biblical fasting was part of CHRIST’S PREPARATION FOR FACING THE DEVIL’S TEMPTATIONS in Luke 4:2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. WHEN DID YOU LAST PRACTICE A BIBLICAL FAST? 6 Pause and think. When was the last time you fasted? Not for medical reasons, not for weight loss, not because you were too busy to make a meal, no, when was the last time you practiced the Biblical Discipline of Fasting. Jesus commended fasting as part of an amazing two-part set of tools: prayer & fasting. Those two go together. Jesus said some things won’t happened without BOTH tools So, may I ask you some other questions? Would you like to revitalize your spiritual life? Would you like to heighten your awareness of God? Would you like to experience God in such a deep and intimate way that you find yourself absolutely satisfied and contented in a way God’s Word calls perfect peace? 7 Today we are looking at the Lord’s Prayer. As we look at it we are examining each of the seven petitions or phrases that make up this model prayer. This prayer allows us to look at each of the elements of our Christian lives. This prayer can become the vital link between our head where we know truth, and our lives where we live truth. A PRAYERFUL, SPIRITUAL CHECKLIST Jesus distilled down a checklist for each of us who follow Him. During the years of the space program sending astronauts to the moon, there were elaborate pre-launch checklists that had to be followed so the launch was successful. Much like a pilot goes over his check list before take off every flight, just to make sure they have done everything needed for a safe flight, so we followers of Christ need to take a moment to be sure we are ready to fly through all of the storms of life. Here are those seven areas Jesus left for us to check. They can be expressed as prayer requests, asking God to conform us to His plans for us. They flow like this: FOCUS ME: This is when I pause to reaffirm my focus on God the Father, as my All-Powerful, Always-Loving, All-Knowing, and Always Present God of the Universe. Focus my heart, my mind, my emotions, and my responses to whatever comes today through this truth. The Almighty God of the Universe, sitting upon the Throne of Heaven is my Father. CONTROL ME: This is when I consciously surrender to God, by inviting Him to take over my life again today. I offer to Him the priority spot in my life. He gets first place in my plans. I will seek Him before everything else. I will seek His Word to feed my soul. I will seek His Truth to guide my thoughts. I will seek His Peace to guard my anxious heart. I seek Him, and right here, before I fly out into my day, I ask Him to Control Me. Of all the places that we can stumble, this second petition is the most strategic area. If we do not get this point, we are like a car with the drive shaft disconnected, or the transmission shot. The motor is revving, the power source is fully functional, but we are going nowhere. The connection between the engine of our life and our daily journey through life is right here. 8 GUIDE ME: This is my setting for the day. Each time I face a choice, I pause and invite God to guide me, lead me, and show me what will please Him. This is staying in step with His Spirit. This is asking to be filled so I never peddle through life on flat tires. All that help from my Father comes each time I stop and ask for His filling to Guide me. SUPPLY ME: This transforms all my personal prayer requests into requesting from my Father what is best. I want His choices not my own, His plans not mine. This means that I can bolding know that anything my Father wants me to do, he will provide for. My Father is never late, rarely early, and always on time. He wants me to increase my faith by asking, seeking, knocking, and waiting. CLEANSE ME: This is when I do a quick inventory to see if there are any un-confessed and un-forsaken sins in my life. Also, I apply God’s call for me to be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving everyone around me. If there is anyone I am holding a hurt, grudge, or un-forgiving spirit towards, I cry out for cleansing. There is constant torment for me from my Father (Mt. 18: ) for as long as I cling to my hurt, any bitterness, and all unforgiving ways. This cry to my Father to Cleanse me is the only way the grace-empowered engine of my life will continue to run. PROTECT ME: This is my pause for checking my gear. My helmet is when I’m holding onto the truths of my salvation. My breastplate is maintaining the personal integrity of denying ungodliness any place in my life. My belt that holds everything together is the truth from God that I believe. This prepares me to be able to wield my shield of faith that quenches demonic darts of despair, hopelessness, and pangs of overpowering lusts. Each of those are quenched by believing truth from God. Then I make sure my feet are protected from the punctures that life can bring. Finally I check my sword, the arsenal of verses I have personally learned as lethal weapons when my prowling, roaring adversary pounces on my seeking to devour me with anxiety, fear, distraction, materialism, or lust. I ask for my Father to Protect me by taking, holding, and using everything he gave me in Christ to use through life. 9 EMPTY ME: This is my conscious time of checking for those ticks of pride that creep in un-noticed as I go through the woods and fields of life. They start biting into me saying that I am important, and I am vital. My way is to be fought for, my pleasures and conveniences are more important than serving God. I must stop and look for these dangerous ways and say Empty me my Father of any pride and self-seeking. It is Your glory, not mine, that I live for today. THIS PRAYER OVERVIEWS THE ESSENTIALS If we step back we can see that the Lord’s Prayer mirrors our spiritual lives: At salvation, I was born again into God’s family (Jn. 1:12), so now I can now truly say: Our Father who art in Heaven, I will hallow Thy Name. John 1:12 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: When I surrender to God each day, and learn to seek Him first as I go through life (Mt. 6:33), then I can truly say: Thy Kingdom come in my life. When I want to present myself back to God as His servant to do His will (Jn. 6:38), I can now truly say: Thy will be done on earth in my life as it is done in Heaven. When I realize that I don’t live, move, or have my being even a moment physically apart from His Omnipotence, because I need His daily sustenance (Mt. 4:4; Jn. 15:5), I can now truly say also the same about my spiritual life: Give me this day my daily bread. When I hear my dying Savior hoarsely cry from the Cross ‘Father forgive them’ (Lk. 23:34), I can now truly say: Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. When I realize that I have been set free (Jn. 8:31-32), I can now truly say: Lead me away from temptations, and deliver me from the evil one. When I echo my Savior as He walked to the Cross (Jn. 5:23,30; 12:28), I can now truly say that is what I live for, that is what I want, and what I seek for. God gets the glory, for of You, through You, and To You is EVERYTHING! So I can now truly say: Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. John 5:23, 30 (NKJV) that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 12:28 (NKJV) Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 10 THE SIMPLE PLAN: BECOME & MAKE So Jesus told them the Gospel truths, they told others those Gospel truths, and today those Gospel truths we were told, we are to live out and pass on. Kind of a very simple plan. Not a lot to remember: just pass on to others what you received. Now, go back to our face2face graphic. Not a lot to remember: just pass on to others what you received. So, what were those Gospel truths they were to pass on? Jesus said, the simple Gospel truths I taught you, that you heard me say and watched me do: that is what you are to write down in the Gospels, and that is what you are to teach them to observe. So what were those truths? We can call them the: SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY USEFUL BELIEVERS These elements are blended, connected, and displayed from the pages of Scripture in the lives of those who followed and served the Lord. I like to say that the lives of highly useful or effective believers are marked by ongoing right choices, which can be cultivated into spiritual habits. These are actually the 7 Gospel truths that become habits that mark the lives of those who are highly effective for God. These are the foundational truths of Christ’s ministry and are reflected throughout the Book of Acts & the Epistles. These are the truths that sharpen us as believers, that focus our lives on what matters to God, and what opens our lives to His power and blessings. Here they are: 11 1. Jesus taught the disciples how to be: Saved. 2. Jesus taught the disciples how to be: Word-Fed. 3. Jesus taught the disciples how to: Stay Connected to God 4. Jesus taught the disciples how to: Stay Surrendered. 5. Jesus taught the disciples how to: Seek Spirit-Fullness 6. Jesus taught the disciples how to: Live as God’s Steward. 7. Jesus taught the disciples to: Expect Spiritual Warfare. THE LORD’S PRAYER REFLECTS ALL SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY USEFUL BELIEVERS These are the truths that sharpen us as believers. This is the framework for a daily prayer that keeps my day focused on what matters to God. This prayer can open our lives each time we ask, to His power and blessings. “OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME”: That is only possible because I’m Saved. So God wants me every day through prayer to understand more about all Christ did for in through my Salvation. So, knowing what salvation is, assured that the work of grace has begun, and knowing how to share that faith is foundational. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Focus me back upon who you are as the God of my salvation. “THY KINGDOM COME”: 12 That is only possible when I’m Consecrated. So God wants me every day through prayer to Cultivating Spirit-Surrendered & Consecrated Living: Paul capped his monumental doctrinal letter with a plea for regular, ongoing choices of surrender (Rom. 12:1-2): because we must keep presenting our bodies and seeking the renewing of our minds. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Control me as my Master. “THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”: That is only possible when I’m: Spirit-Filled. The only ones that can know God’s plan, and will each day for their lives are those who are Seeking Spirit-Fullness. When Jesus described salvation it included an overflowing river of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37- 39); because we can only be useful to God when we allow Him to overflow our lives. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Lead me in doing what pleases You. “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD”: That is only possible when I’m: Word-Fed. The more I understand how much I need You God, the more I will do what You told me is the only way to survive. I need to Seek Nourishment from the Scriptures. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Supply me with everything I need to do Your will. “FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US”: That is only possible when I’m: Connected. Christ’s teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong reminder for me to Stay Connected to God. Our prayer life always reflects how much we need, trust, and love our Lord. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Cleanse me from anything that displeases 13 You. “LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL”: That is only possible when I’m: Watchful. We must learn to resist Satan’s neutralizing attempts by Expecting Spiritual Warfare. Satan’s wants to neutralize all our attempts to be: Serving in Christ’s Church, Soulwinning as a lifestyle, maintaining Simplicity prompted usefulness & and experiencing the power of Scriptural Meditation. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Protect me from getting devoured by the Devil. “FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY: FOREVER”: That is only possible when I’m: Invested in Heaven. I need to soberly remember that we are each given a lifetime that can be invested or not invested, for the Lord. God each time I pray I’m asking You to: Empty me so You get all of the credit from my life. THE PRAYER THAT CHANGES ME The seven simple steps, or lessons we are to live by, are found in the natural phrase divisions of this prayer: God, focus me on who You are; I NEED You to help me focus; As I see You, control me each day. I NEED You to bring me under Your control; I seek You to lead me through all the myriads of choices life presents each day. I NEED Your leadership; Then I will trust that You will supply me with whatever I need to accomplish Your will. I NEED what only YOU can supply; Cleanse me so I stay in close touch with You and Your plan. I NEED Your cleansing; Protect me from everything that seeks to keep me from You. I NEED Your protection; Empty me so You get all the glory and honor for my life. I NEED You to empty me so I can be filled with You! 14 15 GOD’S PATHWAY TO ALWAYS STAYING ON OUR MISSION When I got saved You FOCUSED Me: on Who You are as God v.9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. God wants me to constantly remind myself of just Who it is I am talking to. He is my Creator that knows me completely (John 1:1-3). He is the One who holds together everything in the Universe (Col. 1:15-16). He holds in His Hand my life’s breath (Daniel 5:23). Because of Who you are CONTROL Me: because You are God. v. 10a Your kingdom come. God wants to rule over every dimension of my life; and for me to surrender to that rule. I am to seek out His rule each day, FIRST of all (Matthew 6:33). LEAD Me: so I Do Your Will with my life. v. 10b Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. God wants me to be like Christ. We are most Christ-like when we have the same attitude Jesus had while on Earth. SUPPLY Me: so I can see Your Hand in my life. v. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. God wants me to need Him on a daily and soon moment-by-moment basis. He wants me to ask for what I need for today. One of the great curses on the church is the false teaching that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. The Bible actually says God wants us weak so He can be strong; poor so His riches are needed; and dependent so He can meet our needs constantly. 16 CLEANSE Me: so I keep Your Blessing on my life. v. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. God wants me to never forget how many of my sins He has forgiven; and how impossible my debt to Him really was; so that I am never hard-hearted to others, and lose His blessings. Ephesians 4:32 sums up our chosen attitude towards God and all others. PROTECT Me: so I don’t lose Your Power in my life. v. 13a And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. God wants you to seek and find His constant protection from all your spiritual enemies. The devil prowls like a dangerous predator I Peter 5:8-9, by humility we vigilantly resist him. You can only resist the devil by submission to God (James 4:7-10). EMPTY Me: so You get all the credit for my life. v. 13b For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen God wants me to keep the spotlight of my life upon Him. Life is not about me but Him. Look at the words again. We could distill down the whole prayer to: Our Father, Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy Will: so give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us; For Thine is EVERYTHING! 17 Christ’s Teaching Lord ’s Prayer Seven Churches Ephesus (Saved) Understanding Salvation: Jesus came to save (Mt. 1:21). So, knowing what salvation is, assured that the work of grace has begun, and knowing how to share that faith is foundational. God, focus me on who You are; I NEED You to help me focus; Ephesus, the careless church, left their first love. Christ said to them and us, “Come back to Me! ” To Love Jesus Most (Ephesus, Rev. 2:1 -7); Ephesus (2:1 –7): Remember that Jesus is jealous of your love, so lay hold of your first love for Christ. Spiritual Neutrality: v. 15 “I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Spiritual Neutrality is when we stop aggressively resisting the world. Living the Christian life is resisting the pressure of the world. The world is everything that is not focused upon glorifying God. Anything that is not glorifying Him is pushing us away from His Glory. (Word -Fed) Seeking Nourishment from the Scriptures : Some of Christ’s first words are about the “daily bread” we need from God’s Word (Mt. 4:4); and because all our minds are being fed something, we all should be asked: “What is feeding yours?” As I see You, control me each day. I NEED You to bring me under Your control; Smyrna, the crowned church, suffered persecution. Christ said to them and us, “Be faithful to the end! ” Smyrnan Christians purified by persecution, faithful at all costs to the Lord. Smyrna (2:8 –11): Hope in Jesus through life until Spiritual SelfSufficiency: v. 17a Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing ’ —Spiritual Self-Sufficiency is when we think we are making it on our own, and don ’t need the Lord ’s power, guidance, and presence. We stop “seeking first” the 18 the end and trust Christ through your suffering. Kingdom of God in our lives and thus began to slowly drift from His righteousness in our lives. (Spirit -Filled) Seeking Spirit -Filled Living: When Jesus described salvation it included an overflowing river of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37 -39); because we can only be useful to God when we allow Him to overflow our lives. I seek You to lead me through all the myriads of choices life presents each day. I NEED Your leadership; Pergamos, the compromising church, tolerated evil. Christ said to them and us, “Separate yourselves! ” To Separate from Sin (Pergamos, Rev. 2:12 -17); Rest in the security that comes from clinging only to Jesus; and conform to Christ, not the world. Spiritual Insensitivity: v. 17b and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — Spiritual Insensitivity is when we lose our spiritual sight, and no longer see ourselves as God ’s Word explains we are. (Consecrated) Cultivating Spirit – Surrendered & Consecrated Living: Paul capped his monumental doctrinal letter with a plea for regular, ongoing choices of surrender (Rom. 12:1 – 2): because we must keep presenting our bodies and seeking the renewing of our minds. Then I will trust that You will supply me with whatever I need to accomplish Your will. I NEED what only YOU can supply; Thyatira, the corrupted church, joined the world. Christ said to them and us, “Un -Friend the world! ” To Un – Friend Worldliness (Thyatira, Rev. 2:18 -29); Fear the chastening love of Jesus so He will not have to discipline sin in the church. Spiritual Wastefulness: v. 18a I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; Spiritual Wastefulness is when we abandon Christ as our investment counselor and start investing our time and money in “get rich quick for earth ” schemes, and stop investing in Heaven. (Connected) Living in Connection to God: Christ’s teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong Cleanse me so I stay in close touch with You and Your plan. I NEED Your cleansing; Sardis, the feeble church, wasn’t on guard. Christ said to them and us, “Wake up before it is too late! ” To Overflow with Spiritual Neglect: v. 18b and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; Spiritual Neglect is 19 reminder (Mt. 6:9 -13). Our prayer life always reflects how much we need, trust, and lov e our Lord. His Spirit (Sardis, Rev. 3:1 -6); when we drop out of God ’s work force, and begin to not get dressed for work any more. Jesus often told us to dress ourselves with His character, His power, and His armor. (Invested) Understanding Life as a Stewardship: Christ’s parables so often pointed at an accounting, or stewardship of our lives (Mt. 25:21,23). We all need to soberly remember that we are each given a lifetime that can be invested or not invested, for the Lord. Protect me from everything that seeks to keep me from You. I NEED Your protection; Philadelphia, the faithful church, was pleasing to God. Christ said to them and us, “Keep on keeping on!” Philadelphian Christians, sound in doctrine, zealous in ministry, outreaching the world and deeply in love with the Lord Jesus Christ! Spiritual Blindness: v. 18c and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Spiritual Blindness is just that: blindness to things of God. We no longer see Him in His Word. We stop noticing His Hand in our lives, and don ’t reach up and grasp that Hand extended to us, to hold onto, and follow Him through life. We begin to stumble along, acting more and more like lost people who do not know, cannot see, and do not follow the Lord. (Watchful) Expecting Spiritual Warfare: Jesus went right from Baptism to the Wilderness of Temptation (Mt. 3:16 -4:10); and so do most believers. The only difference is that He was prepared. Jesus told us the way to survive is to “watch & pray” (Mt. 25:13; Empty me so You get all the glory and honor for my life. I NEED You to empty me so I can be filled with You! Laodicea, the foolish church, needed nothing. Christ said to them and us, “Watch out, you ’re making me sick; and I will vomit you out of my mouth unless you repent and see that you need Me! ” To Live Crucified (Laodicea, Rev. Spiritual Laxity: v. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Spiritual Laxity is when we drop our guard about un -confessed sins in our lives. We forget how horrible sin always is to Jesus. Our sin cost Christ His very life, 20 26:41). We must learn to resist Satan’s neutralizing attempts at our desires to be: Serving in Christ’s Church, Soul-winning as a lifestyle, maintaining Simplicity prompted usefulness & and experiencing the power of Scriptural Meditation. 3:14-22). His intimate fellowship with the Father, and made Him feel the wrath of God in our place. Get rid of sin, don’t sweep it under the rug. 21 SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY USEFUL BELIEVERS These elements are blended, connected, and displayed from the pages of Scripture in the lives of those who followed and served the Lord. I like to say that the lives of highly useful or effective believers are marked by ongoing right choices, which can be cultivated into spiritual habits. These are actually the 7 Gospel truths that become habits that mark the lives of those who are highly effective for God. These are the foundational truths of Christ’s ministry and are reflected throughout the Book of Acts & the Epistles. These are the truths that sharpen us as believers, that focus our lives on what matters to God, and what opens our lives to His power and blessings. Here they are: (Saved) Understanding Salvation: Jesus came to save (Mt. 1:21). So, knowing what salvation is, assured that the work of grace has begun, and knowing how to share that faith is foundational. (Word-Fed) Seeking Nourishment from the Scriptures: Some of Christ’s first words are about the “daily bread” we need from God’s Word (Mt. 4:4); and because all our minds are being fed something, we all should be asked: “What is feeding yours?” (Spirit-Filled) Seeking Spirit-Filled Living: When Jesus described salvation it included an overflowing river of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37-39); because we can only be useful to God when we allow Him to overflow our lives. (Consecrated) Cultivating Spirit-Surrendered & Consecrated Living: Paul capped his monumental doctrinal letter with a plea for regular, ongoing choices of surrender (Rom. 12:1-2): because we must keep presenting our bodies and seeking the renewing of our minds. (Connected) Living in Connection to God: Christ’s teaching on the necessity and His example of personal prayer habits is a strong reminder (Mt. 6:9-13). Our prayer life always reflects how much we need, trust, and love our Lord. (Invested) Understanding Life as a Stewardship: Christ’s parables so often pointed at an accounting, or stewardship of our lives (Mt. 25:21,23). We all need to soberly remember that we are each given a lifetime that can be invested or not invested, for the Lord. (Watchful) Expecting Spiritual Warfare: Jesus went right from Baptism to the Wilderness of Temptation (Mt. 3:16-4:10); and so do most believers. The only difference is that He was prepared. Jesus told us the way to survive is to “watch & pray” (Mt. 25:13; 26:41). We must learn to resist Satan’s neutralizing attempts at our desires to be: Serving in Christ’s 22 Church, Soul-winning as a lifestyle, maintaining Simplicity prompted usefulness & and experiencing the power of Scriptural Meditation. Why should we pray? The more we examine this precious opportunity given to us by God, the more we are drawn into deeper and deeper connection to the Almighty King of the Universe. Prayer is what Jesus modeled so clearly from the pages of the Gospels. Prayer was what surrounded all of the major events recorded from Christ’s life. Prayer is what we are to do or we will faint Jesus said. Pray or faint, pray or miss out, pray of LIVE LIFE DELIBERATELY For most of us, we struggle with really knowing what it is that we are supposed to do for the Lord. That is why the prayer that Jesus commanded in Matthew 6 is so important. As you turn there, may I remind you of one of the simplest and yet most profound spiritual exercises that Jesus prescribed for us? The Lord’s Prayer was an exercise designed to keep each of us in step with God’s plan for our lives. Remember that simple prayer that changes me? Matthew 6:5-15 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.[b]7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 23 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.[c] 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. THE PRAYER OF A TRUE DISCIPLE Focus me back upon who you are as God; Control me as my Master; Lead me in doing what pleases You; Supply me with whatever I need to do Your will; Cleanse & protect me from anything that displeases You; Empty me so You get all of the credit from my life. Please stand with me, and invite God to rule over every moment of our days through that prayer Christ left us to pray! Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. LP Sermons: 120603, 110306, 140629, 090823 At Christ’s most trying hour He turned to His disciples and told them to “watch and pray”. As we open to Luke today, I’d like to walk you through an observation Luke makes of Christ’s life. More than any other of the Gospel writers, Luke notes that Jesus prayed, prayed, and prayed. In fact Luke notes that But the greatest argument for the priority of prayer is the fact that our Lord was a Man of prayer. Luke shows more of Christ’s prayers than any other of the Gospels. Luke records seven times Christ prays: He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21), before He chose the Twelve (Luke 6:12), when the crowds increased (Luke 5:16), before He asked the 24 Twelve for their confession of faith (Luke 9:18), and at His Transfiguration (Luke 9:29), at Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46), and on the Cross (Luke 23:34). 25 TEACH DISCIPLES WHAT CHRIST TAUGHT We have just traced what Christ actually taught about what it meant to be a disciple. Next, we need to know: what did Jesus teach disciples they need to do, to be properly observing all that He commanded them? BASIC-1: UNDERSTANDING SALVATION First Jesus explains what it means to be saved. He used His very first words in public ministry (Mt. 4:17-19) to say “repent”, but here in Matthew 5:1-4 He begins to enlarge upon salvation and talks about the elements of coming to God as an absolutely helpless beggar (“poor in spirit”) with contrition or sorrow for sin (“mourn”). Then Christ ends the sermon with those stern warnings that a decision is not enough, saying all the right things without a life-transformation is deadly. That is Mat. 7:13-29. So Jesus opens and closes this message for “disciples” in Matthew 5-7 with the Plan of Salvation. So the first element disciples need to know, understand, and be taught is what it really means to be saved: · In Mat. 4:17-19 and 5:1-5 Jesus said: repent, come helplessly seeking mercy, sorrowing over personal sinfulness, humbly to follow Him. · In Mat. 7:13-29 Jesus said: make sure you have entered the right gate, are on the right road, and have come to obey the right Lord, or great will be your disastrous ending apart from Him. BASIC-2: DAILY NOURISHMENT FROM THE SCRIPTURES Next, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explains to His disciples the vital place that the Word of God has in the life of a disciple for: nurture of our spiritual lives, protection of our spiritual lives, and directions for lives of pleasing God. In chapter 4 Jesus stated that we need to “live” by feeding upon every part of God’s Word. Then Jesus showed the way we are to use God’s Word as our weapon in spiritual warfare. Starting in Matthew 5:6 and extending all the way to Matthew 6:4 were elements of what God expects to see growing in the lives of true disciples: 1. spiritual hunger and thirst (5:6), 26 2. mercy (5:7), purity (5:8), 3. peacemakers (5:9), 4. bold witnesses (5:10-12), 5. filled with good works (5:13-16), 6. understanding God’s Word is Divine (5:17-20), 7. with heart change (5:21-32), 8. truthful words (5:33-37), 9. love (5:38-48), and 10.generosity (6:1-4). BASIC-3: LIVING IN CONNECTION TO GOD Jesus then goes on to explain how central prayer is to be in the life of a believer (6:5-15). He explains the role of fasting, since He later ties that to prayer (6:16-18), and then explains the faith our Heaven Father desires that prevents anxiety (6:25-32, 34). Finally Jesus ties together self examination and confrontation (7:1-6) with the needed persistence of prayer (7:7-12). BASIC-4: CULTIVATING SURRENDERED & CONSECRATED LIVING Jesus ties together surrender to His will, and consecration to holiness twice. First in two individual sections on pure “eyes” (6:22-23) and surrendering to one “master” (6:24) the twin concepts of surrender and consecration are explained. Then in one verse (6:33) Jesus combines surrender into the call to “seek” God’s rule over our lives; and consecration as we “seek” God’s righteousness in our lives. BASIC-5: SEEKING SPIRIT-FILLED LIVING Jesus taught that: the Spirit of God is to energize us to a lifestyle of worship (Jn. 4:21-24); the Spirit of God gives us an overflowing life of joy (John 7:37-38); the Spirit of God reveals Christ more and more to us (John 16:13-15). So, in just a simple look, we can see these “basics” that Jesus Christ taught to those who were His disciples. They are still the framework for us today. They also are seen enlarged and 27 explained, all the way through the Epistles as those closest to Christ understand the command to “make disciples” meant. Supply me with whatever I need to do Your will; Cleanse & protect me from anything that displeases You; Empty me so You get all of the credit from my life. 1. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS THE VITAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SALVATION & THE REST OF LIFE This connection was taught by Paul in Colossians 2:6. Note with them what Paul said: Colossians 2:6 (NKJV) As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, The same way God saved us is how we are to follow Christ through life. We hear the Gospel from God’s Word, we believe the truth and respond in faith, and God transforms us. That is the pathway of salvation, and the pathway of each day of our life as believers. Taking God at His Word and seeing Him at work in us. That is simple, clear, and easily explained in Scripture. 2. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS COMPLETELY TIED TO GOD’S WORD Turn to the Romans Road, one of the simplest explanations of salvation, and look at the final stop in Romans 10:13 (see also v. 5,8,11). Romans 10:13,17 (NKJV) For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We are saved by hearing, and responding to the truth of the Word of God. The Gospel flows only from God’s Word, and no where else. Only by believing the Gospel contained in God’s Word the Bible can a person be saved. 28 Only by believing the Gospel contained in God’s Word the Bible can a person be saved. That means: 3. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS GOD IMPLANTING HIS WORD INSIDE US Move onward to James 1:21, from what may be the earliest book of the New Testament written by James who was the Pastor of the First Church of Jerusalem. Here is how he explained salvation to his congregation while Paul was still being trained. James 1:21 (NKJV) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Again we see that receiving God’s Word, believing God’s Word, and acting upon God’s Word are all tied to our salvation. We hear truth from God. We believe that truth from God. We respond to that truth from God God transforms us. One of the greatest confirmations of our salvation is seeing this happen each day. That is exactly what we see the Apostles teaching as they planted and established churches in the First Century. Now move onward to 1 Peter 1:22 to 2:3 and see how Peter describes this exact same process when he explains the relationship between salvation and our daily walk in Christ. Peter reminds us that both are tied to God’s Word. 4. FOLLOWING CHRIST STARTS A LIFE OF BELIEVING & OBEYING GOD’S WORD Peter is near the end of his life, and after walking with Jesus, serving as an Apostle for over 30 years this is his summary of salvation for all the rest of the ages of Christ’s Church. 1 Peter 1:22-2:3 (NKJV) Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 2:1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 29 Note how simply and clearly Peter also links God’s work of salvation in us, to His Word. Salvation is regeneration by the Holy Spirit using God’s Word: (v. 22 purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit). Salvation is the new birth of coming alive through the power of God’s Word (v. 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God). Salvation is eternal because the Gospel in God’s Word is eternal: (v. 25 the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you). Then Peter gives the essence of our new life in Christ. 5. THE LIFE OF FOLLOWING CHRIST IS FED BY GOD’S WORD Born again believers are only fed with God’s Word: (v. 2a as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word). Born again believers can only grow by God’s Word: (v. 2b that you may grow thereby). Born again believers can taste God’s grace in God’s Word: (v. 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious). So Paul, James & Peter all agree about the connection of God’s Word to salvation, and the vital role that God’s Word has to our continued new walk. The final link comes from the greatest authority of them all: our Jesus Christ. Please turn with me to Matthew 4:4. Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Jesus actually quotes these words in Matthew 4:4 from Deuteronomy 8:3; and lays out the vital need for our spiritual lives to be fed as consistently as our physical bodies. In Deuteronomy 8 where Jesus quotes this verse from the context is about manna, the food God sent to feed Israel’s 603,000 families each day so they survived the 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness of Sinai. Jesus says God’s Word is necessary for spiritual life as vitally as bread was for their survival. So we could apply Mt. 4:4 by saying that: 6. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS HUNGERING AFTER GOD’S WORD Jesus compared God’s Word to food (“man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word of God”). Jesus said we are not really living if we only feed our physical bodies and not our spiritual dimension. Jesus said we need to eat every day; and our spiritual lives are to be as consistent a part of our daily plans as eating. Jesus goes on to compare salvation to food. Those who eat of Him are saved. Look 30 onward at John 6. Jesus said He was the bread of God (Jn. 6:35), those who ate Him live forever. Jesus says salvation is eating and drinking Him by faith through receiving His Word. John 6:35 (NKJV) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. Then He said that what we eat are His words. Look at this amazing passage. John 6:63-68 (NKJV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Now turn onward to John 8:31,37,43,51 (NKJV): v. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [Three elements: believers are those who abide/remain in Christ’s words; believers know/experience the truth of Christ’s words; believers are set free through believing/acting upon the truth of Christ’s words.] v. 37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. [Three elements: Christ’s word remains in true believers; true believers desire to hear Christ’s words; true believers stand on the truth of Christ’s words within them.] v. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” 51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” [Three elements: believers know Christ’s words are true; believers hear/respond to Christ’s words; believers are eternally saved by clinging to Christ as truth.] That is why the early church taught that hearing & believing God’s Word leads us to salvation, and to partaking of Christ. As only physical food enters our body and nourishes it, to sustain our lives: so our souls are only fed by God’s Word entering into our minds. How did we believe on Christ? Through His Word. How did we receive Christ? Through His Word. How do we obey Christ? Through His Word. How do we follow Christ? Through His Word. 31 How do we please Christ? Through His Word. How do we know Christ better and better? Through His Word. 7. FOLLOWING CHRIST IS THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE That is the simple truth. The place of God’s Word in your mind today dictates your spiritual health. Everything is contained in God’s Word: our food and drink, our map for life, the light to guide us, the sword to protect us, the exercises to strengthen us, and the revelation of God’s character to grow us. John 7:37-38 we go through life overflowing with a life that is not our own, it is Christ’s life through His Spirit overflowing us and splashing onto all the events and people of our life. One of the most afflicted Old Testament saints was Jeremiah. He was called the weeping prophet for a purpose. Jeremiah’s testimony of how he made it through a lifetime of pain, sorrow, loneliness, and discouragement is our closing thought. Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV) Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. TEACHING THEM WHY OUR LIFE IS ONLY FED BY GOD’S WORD 1. Connection Between Salvation & The Rest Of Life (Col. 2:6) 2. Salvation is Completely Tied to God’s Word (Rom. 10:17) 3. Salvation is God Implanting His Word Inside Us (James 1:21) 4. Salvation Starts a Life of Believing & Obeying God’s Word (1 Peter 1:22-23) 5. The Essence of a Believer’s Life is God’s Word (Mt.4:4) 6. Jesus Said, “Eat God’s Word to Live” (John 6:63) 7. God’s Word Becomes the Most Vital Element of the Life of the Believer (Jer. 15:16) THE DISCIPLINE OF DISCIPLE-MAKING: “DISCIPLES: FOLLOW CHRIST & MAKE DISCIPLES” For us on this side of the Cross, what Christ said is so simple: Disciples Follow Christ & Make Disciples. That’s it. Everything else is tied to that simple statement: worshipping God, Biblical ministry, and glorifying God all flow from God’s purpose to show the world that 32 He is a Savior, Who so loved the world that He sent His Beloved Son to be the Savior of the world. How did they “make disciples”? What is the process that we are to follow, that they followed? That is what we find in the rest of the New Testament. Throughout all the centuries since the Great Commission, we have had the Scripture record of what Christ did in the Four Gospels; and we have had the explanation by those closest to Him, and sent by Him, actually doing and recording what they did in obedience to His call. DISCIPLE-MAKING IN THE EPISTLES Here is a quick summary of what Jesus told the Apostles to do, and how they obeyed. 1. In Matthew 28:18-20 Christ explains that “making disciples” means: those who follow of Christ. Or, a truly saved church. 2. In Acts 1:8 Luke explains that “making disciples” means: those who share the Gospel. Or, a truly evangelistic church. 3. In Acts 6:4 the Apostles explain that “making disciples” means: those who are stuck to prayer. Or, a truly praying church. 4. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul explains that “making disciples” means: those who surrender to God. Or, a truly consecrated church. 5. In 1 Cor. 10:31 Paul explains that “making disciples” means: those who want to feel the weight (glory) of God on everything they do. Or, a truly glorifying God church. 6. In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul explains that “making disciples” means: those who explain how to follow Christ to others. Or, a truly discipling church. 7. In 1 Peter 2:2 Peter explains that “making disciples” means: those who are actually using God’s Word. Or, a truly healthy church. So, the simple lessons we see that Christ gave, and we are to pass on are lessons about: salvation, witnessing, praying, surrendering to God, glorifying God, training others, and staying healthy through the Word of God. I actually teach these as seven simple sessions with any believer wanting to get started in the right direction. 33 DISCIPLESHIP LESSONS IN THE BASICS 1. SAVED: Salvation, Assurance, Confession & Soul winning: Mark the Romans Road starting in Romans 3:10; and discuss 1 John 1:9; John 10. 2. SCRIPTURE-FED: Devotional Bible Study Methods: Summary, Lessons & Application from Mt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16. 3. SPIRIT-FILLED: Daily Spirit-Filled Living: Galatians 5: 16-23; Ephesians 4:22- 5:18; Colossians 3:1-17; Romans 8 4. SURRENDER-ORIENTED: Sacrifice, Surrender & Consecration: Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1-2; Mt. 6:33; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 6:7-8. 5. SPIRIT-WARFARE TRAINED: Lifelong disciplines of Scripture Memory & Meditation for Spiritual Warfare: Joshua 1:8-9; Eph. 6:10-17; 1 Peter 5:6-9. 6. STEWARDSHIP DRIVEN: Stewardship of Time, Treasures & Talents in Christ’s Church: Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Cor. 5:10. 7. SUPPLICATION-SENSITIVE: Lifelong Disciplines of Prayer & Following God’s Will: Prov. 3:5-6; 1 Th. 5:17 DISCIPLESHIP LESSONS Assurance Salvation, Confession & Soul winning Romans 3:10 Road mark and discuss 1 John 1:9; John 10 Devotional Bible Study Summary, Lessons & Application Mt. 4:4; Jer words found Daily Spirit-Filled Living: Galatians 5:16-; Ephesians 4:22-5:18; Colossians 3:1-17; Romans 8 Sacrifice, Surrender, Consecration Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1-2; Mt. 6:33 Seeking; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 6:7-8 Sowing Lifelong discipline of Scripture Memory & Meditation Joshua 1:8-9; Stewardship of Time, Treasures & Talents in Christ’s Church: Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 3; 2 Cor. 5 Lifelong Disciplines of Prayer, Finding God’s Will & Spiritual Warfare Eph 6; Prov. 3:5-6 34 CHRIST THE CENTER OF SALVATION: come to me to have life; remission of sins in His Name Luke 24:46-48 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. John 5:40 (NKJV) But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. Jn 14.6 CHRIST THE CENTER OF DEVOTIONS: they speak of Me jn 5.39; feed on Bread come down; Luke 24:27, 32, 44-45 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. John 6:63 (NKJV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. CHRIST THE CENTER OF PRAYERS: John 14:13 (NKJV) And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. CHRIST THE CENTER OF EVANGELIZATION: Mark 16:15 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen 35 How did they “make disciples”? What is the process that we are to follow, that they followed? That is what we find in the rest of the New Testament. Throughout all the centuries since the Great Commission, we have had the Scripture record of what Christ did in the Four Gospels; and we have had the explanation by those closest to Him, and sent by Him, actually doing and recording what they did in obedience to His call. So, the simple lessons we see that Christ gave, and we are to pass on are lessons about: salvation, witnessing, praying, surrendering to God, glorifying God, training others, and staying healthy through the Word of God. I actually teach these as seven simple sessions with any believer wanting to get started in the right direction. BE SURE TODAY If you are religious, and morally good, you still may not be genuinely born-again. It is possible to have emotional and intellectual faith. If you have fears and doubts in your heart and mind, about your salvation, that is not God’s will. Why not stop everything today, and make sure you don’t miss Heaven by 18 inches? There is no formula given in God’s Word that each person must recite or follow. God looks at our hearts and knows the true desire of our hearts. He has said that no one that comes by faith seeking Christ’s sacrifice for their sins will ever be denied. So if that is your heart’s desire, if you want the sacrifice of Jesus to take the penalty of your sins, if you want His complete cleansing and forgiveness—He is here today waiting to respond to your call. Here is a prayer you can pray, a prayer that calls on the Lord expressing your desire to transfer your trust to Christ alone for your eternal salvation. This prayer1 can be the link that will connect you to God. And if you pray it in faith, God will receive you. Please bow with me. 1 Erwin W. Lutzer, One Minute After You Die. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1997, pp. 141-143. 36 The best known verse from the Bible in America is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. But the way Jesus explained what that verse meant is in the relatively unknown verses that precede it. Here is what Jesus said—just before John 3:16. 14“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15“that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. What does the Brazen Serpent point at? The great similarity between their condition 3500 years ago and ours today! 1. We share a similar deadly infection. ALL sinners WILL DIE. 2. We share a similar offer of a cure. Christ IS the ONLY CURE 3. We share a similar choice. GOD’S WAY is the only way. Looking at the Bronze serpent was such a wonderful portrait of our salvation. Think of these powerful truths: 1. SALVATION IS SO SIMPLE. The simplicity of the remedy—the bitten had only to look up in faith, LOOK AT JESUS 2. SALVATION IS SO IMMEDIATELY POWERFUL. The antidote for the snake venom is amazing in its immediateness and its completeness. ASK JESUS TO SAVE YOU 3. SALVATION IS SO EXCLUSIVE. The bronze serpent was the only and also the all-sufficient remedy for the deadly wound of the serpent. Christ’s blood has the power to allow us to experience Him daily: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16). In the Greek, the word “communion” is koinonia, or fellowship. “It is the blood that unites us into perfect fellowship. In the book of Acts, this is seen by the use of the term ‘brethren’ over forty times. ‘It describes those who share a common heritage, like citizens of the same country, though it 37 carries the additional force of brethren born of the same Spirit, when applied to Christians.’ [Acts 1:16; 6:3; 9:17; etc.] In brief, disciples must have devoted Christian friends to follow, and this can only be facilitated by being together over a period of time.”[4]

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