The Cutting Edge.
Matthew 3:14-17, 4:1-4NIV
When we purchased our house 16 years ago. (It’s the longest we’ve ever lived in one house). We inherited some Bradford Pear Trees in the front yard. After a few years of living there, these trees begin to split, they looked really bad. Therefore I decided to chop them down. I used an old dull ax. I chopped all the trunk and branches into five feet pieces. After I finished chopping down that first tree, I got smart and called Justin Hawkins.
He and his crew brought a powerful chain saw. He did in 40 mins what it would have taken me at least two days to finish by myself.
Spiritually speaking, The question I want to ask you tonight is, Are you using a dull ax blade?
An experienced Woodsmen would tell you, “It’s better to sharpen your ax-head for an hour or two, before you go cutting in the woods.”
A sharpen ax blade means everything.
“If you’re dull, cold, lost momentum it could be time to pray and fast.” P.H
Before I go any farther, Remember, Jesus prepared for 30 years for a 3 year ministry. We can read about the beginning of His ministry:
Matthew 3:14-17NIV Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The ministry of Jesus begins in this fashion: His Obedience, to fulfill all righteousness. Remember, Obedience and passion work together. Baptism produced an open heaven. Jesus watched as the Holy Spirit came upon Him— Alighting on Him. A voice from heaven said, The Father speaks up—“This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.”
Now let’s go to the second part of this evenings text, but before we do, “If Jesus fasted before his ministry began how much more should we fast.”
Matthew 4:1-4NIV Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God…
Jesus answered the devil with the word. His created Word. The Word became flesh Jh.1.
Jesus was tempted in 3 areas, which represents every area of temptation possible.
The lust of the flesh. (Physical pleasure).
The lust of the eyes. (Craving for what we see).
The pride of life. (Proud of achievements and possessions).
1 John 2:16NLT For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
Many times we fall into temptation, because we’ve lost our edge.
Abraham Lincoln is known for making the statement, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.”
Ecclesiastes 10:10NLT Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.
The works of the flesh dull the blade, 1
The only way to keep our unruly members down, meaning the works of the flesh, is for our life to be well submitted to the Holy Spirit. Be in tune with Him. P.H
Luke's gospel tells us that after the fast, Luke 4:14NIV Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
The victory that Jesus won against the devil when he fasted 40 days established a pattern for you and me to follow.
A great scriptural reference—Daniel chapter 1, King Nebuchadnezzar was more impressed by Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah than any of other.
Daniel 1:8, Daniel and the other 3 Hebrews determined in their hearts not to partake of the Kings delicacies.
Daniel 1:12-15NLT “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” 14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.
Fasting and prayer makes you cutting edge.
Fasting dates back at least to the 5th century bc. It’s heavily used by Muslims, Buddhism, Scientology churches. Ask many doctors about fasting, and they will be the first to tell you fasting cleanses the body, (releasing toxins from the colon).
Throughout the gospels Jesus fasted and communed with His Father. Sight, smell and taste, couldn’t move Him.
Luke 4, gives the same history of Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights. However, it adds, After the fast, Luke 4:15-22NLT Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,?that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
What did the people in the synagogue say? “Is this not Joesph, the Carpenter’s son?” They became angry—Unbelief breeds angry.
True Fast, Isaiah 58:6-12NKJV “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens,?To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
Several contributions to fasting:
To loose the wicked.
To undo heavy burdens.
To let the oppressed go free.
Every yoke broken.
Share bread with the hungry.
Share your house with the poor.
Cover the naked.
Blessings upon blessings.
Isaiah 58:8-9TM Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.?Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’
Verses 10 through 12, Get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming, quit gossiping, be generous with those down and out.
Isaiah 58:10-12TM Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
“It’s time that we express to God that we want to be cutting edge.” P.H
Benediction.
