Series: The Purpose of the Church
1. Luke 14 – “The Cost of Discipleship”
2. Jeremiah 18 – “The Potter, The Clay, and The Church”
3. Today – Matt. 17:1-21 “A Call for God’s Anointing”
4. 9th – Eph 4 – The Internal Role of the Church – How we fit together
5. 16th – Acts 2 – The Church and The Community
FASTING – don’t run!
- Subject misunderstood – not taught by many (I didn’t until it came up in a verse by verse study of the Sermon on the Mount – which is when I changed my belief)
- Only for Biblical Times – I did too until hearing so many testimonies from Godly men
Testimony of Bill Bright: fasted for 40 days 2003
Bill Bright, founder of the famous Campus Crusade for Christ that you see on most of the college campuses in the US was a disbeliever of fasting for most of his life.
Billy Graham said this on Bright’s death: "He has carried a burden in his heart as few men that I’ve ever known - a burden for the evangelization of the world. He is a man whose sincerity and integrity and devotion to our Lord have been an inspiration and blessing to me since the early days of my ministry." His work in the colleges and teens all across the nations is way beyond what we will ever know.
Bright said this in part of his testimony:
“I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world.”
DEFINITION - ‘an abstention from food or some types of food for a period of time’
EXAMPLES AND PURPOSE OF FASTING (include…)
- Personal or Corporate Spiritual Renewal
- Victory in one’s life in seeking deliverance over a personal battle
- Deliverance to a Church seeking answers, deliverance, or understanding God’s will!
FASTING IS SPOKEN OF FREQUENTLY (in fact…)
- NIV: 29xs – 14 of which are NT/ NKJV: 21xs – 11 of which are NT
QUESTION CAUSING MUCH DEBATE: Did Jesus intend Fasting for NT Christians?
Matthew 9:15 (NIV)
15 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
1st Illustration: New Horizons
1. We have each felt Called to be a part of the Growth & Development of this Church!
2. Along the way, … many unmet needs have attacked us (from growth, visibility, awareness, finances, relationships, misunderstandings – on and on and on!
3. We have all at times asked so many questions that seem to go unanswered.
4. Though we’ve not understood, we’ve continued to fight the good fight in faith.
2nd Illustration: The Disciples
They too, as we will see, have an unmet need, an unanswered question with an unexpected reply.
MATTHEW 17:1-21
PRAYER
READ VERSES 1-5
- Can you imagine what it must have been like to be in the presence of God? That spiritual high! Vs. 6 says they ‘fell face down to the ground’
- When you sense God’s special blessing, you want to fall face down don’t you!
- Spiritually up on a Mountaintop in the presence of God! We’ve Been there!
BUT THEN WE HAVE TO COME DOWN OFF THE MOUNTAINTOP don’t we! Let’s face it – when we get going so does Satan!
They come off the mountain top to find … (explain)
READ VERSE 14-16
I. AN UNMET NEED
1. There was a NEED THE DISCIPLES COULD NOT MEET
2. READ MATT 10.1 - were enabled – had done exactly this many times before!
3. We Have TOO – READ ACTS 1.4b-5,8 - Church - Baptized in the Spirit
4. We too have been Equipped – READ EPH. 4.7
(a misunderstood verse) – READ 17-18 and explain
Who is Jesus speaking of? It was pretty intense…
- Mark account says they were “arguing”
- The Disciples? (…were being obedient and doing what had been done many times)
- The crowd and teachers of the law did not – they were the ones arguing
It only takes a few to spoil the good attitudes, teamwork, etc. of the dedicated.
Regardless of who Jesus was speaking of, … THEY DEFINITELY HAD…
II. AN UNANSWERED QUESTION
READ VERSE 19
1. Emphasize the question: “Let’s Consider this question”
- WHY COULDN’T WE DRIVE IT OUT?
- Why can’t we grow the church – Why doesn’t our well intended efforts work?
2. Like the disciples, we have felt screaming “WHY?”
3. The disciples are stunned. God has blessed their work before! WHY NOT NOW?
4. We too have been blessed – Yet we keep taking 2 steps forward – one backwards.
TRANSISTION: While I imagine they may have been a little hesitant to ask the question (just as we have at times), I imagine they were stunned with the answer. It truly was…
III. AN ENEXPECTED REPLY
Here, the NIV leaves out Vs. 21 but then uses it in the Mark account. In trying to write an explanation of this, I looked at 14 different translations: 4 did not show verse 21, 10 did. (a good proof that not all translations say the same thing [as some have tried to say])
Matthew 17:20-21 (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
Verse 21 explains Verse 20. On it’s on, verse 20…
- Gives the “name it claim it theory” which we KNOW IS NOT truth.
- It would say that YOU know better than GOD (why should we dare presume to know better what is best)
Jesus says ‘nothing happens without faith’. And YES, faith can move a mountain – IF IT IS IN LINE WITH GOD’S WILL.
But then Jesus adds a REPLY that is UNEXPECTED:
‘HOWEVER, THIS KIND OF DEVILISH HOLD DOES NOT GO AWAY WITHOUT A COMPLETE DEPENDENCY ON GOD’! Why? Because you become a threat to satan!
What is He saying? Here it is – Write it down – Pray over it – Talk about it – Ask God’s insight on it – BUT here it is – the POINT OF THE MESSAGE:
GODLY PRAYER, WITH FASTING, RELEASES BREAKTHROUGH SPIRITUAL POWER!
SUMMARY
Why? Honestly, I don’t know, but then there is a lot of our faith that doesn’t make sense.
For example, I don’t profess to understand PRAYER but I know it works! WHY does God move in answer to prayer?
WHY does he require us to pray when he already knows our hearts? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I KNOW IT WORKS!
What did Jesus himself do when led into wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil? He entered into a prolonged season of PRAYER AND FASTING (AND THEN) – Luke records He ‘returned in the POWER OF THEH SPIRIT’.
May I Share a Few Thoughts for Consideration?
1. FASTING REMINDS US OF OUR HUMANITY. We come before God in a sense of helplessness – NOT as a handicap but a head start making us completely dependent on Him.
2. FASTING HUMBLES US. There is a self-denial involved. We DENY the physical appetite of our body for a time – to humble ourselves before God. Then we REPLACE that food with prayer, Bible study, worship or something else that draws you to God.
3. FASTING SHOWS OUR DESIRE TO BE WITHIN GOD’S WILL. When fasting, our seeking God through self sacrifice says that God and HIS WILL is more important than the daily routine of finding food.
Every since beginning this series, I have sensed God’s call for a Day of FASTING and PRAYER. I would like to CHALLENGE OUR CHURCH BODY IN THIS WAY:
1. Spend time in prayer asking God if this is His desire for you.
2. Listen again to this message via website (hard copies available if you prefer)
3. Next Sunday, those who are so led will sign a Call for an Anointing!
4. The date will be announced. Together we will fast and pray seeking God’s anointing on our church, its family, and its ministries.
Some, because of health or age may not be able. Some may feel they are not ready. I challenge those to commit to spending the day in prayer for the church and for those in fast.
Those that sign up will receive Bible studies and Prayer Guides for help to use during that day. A page on the web site will also be made to encourage your day of worship.
Timothy, called by God to Pastor and Lead the Church received the letters of 1st & 2nd Timothy from Paul to encourage, advise, and help him in that battle! Paul described the growth of God’s Church this way:
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV)
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Together, let’s make a stand! In the last few months, we have seen more visitors, more children, more activity than in the past several months. As exciting as this is, it also tells me SATAN IS COMING BECAUSE WE ARE A THREAT TO HIM.
GODLY PRAYER, WITH FASTING, RELEASES BREAKTHROUGH SPIRITUAL POWER!
