When You Pray (recap)

Do you pray? How often? Have you made it into your tradition?

Jesus expects us to be prayers – people who communicate with our Father in Heaven. Let’s check out Matthew 6:5-15. I think it’s really easy to be ignorant of the power of prayer. To make it something that it isn’t – ‘lip service.’ Tradition. Something you just ‘do’ to ‘do.’ And that isn’t what prayer is suppose to be at all.

The early church was a praying church. In Acts 2:42 we read regarding the power of prayer. How can we pray with the same fervency and effectiveness today?

Let’s check out what Paul instructs Timothy in 1st Timothy 2:1. We see four things that should be focused on: petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving. Each one of these words has a different application: request of a King, humble worship,  pleas for people, and being thankful for blessings – good and bad.

We also know that prayer was part of the early churches assembling together. Check out these verses: 1st Timothy 2:8, Acts 20:36. We see prayer in private devotion. Let’s take for example the example of Jesus: Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Luke 5:16, and Luke 22:41. We can also see prayer by the examples of Paul: Ephesians 1:16, Philippians 1:4, and Colossians 1:9.

When thinking what we should pray, here are some suggestions. Give thanks for, Christ and salvation, the Word, our jobs, our food, our families. Request guidance for self–to have attributes that God wants us to have (humility, wisdom, patience, forgiveness), the church (local and universal), family (each role–father, mother, children), the government (ours and the worlds), in any other thing you want God to help you and others. Specify people and situations:

Enemies–Matthew 5:44

The sick–James 5:13

More workers in the kingdom–Matthew 9:38

That the gospel will go forth–2 Thessalonians 3:1

That our love may abound–Philippians 1:9

That God will open doors for the gospel–Colossians 4:3

Last, when we pray there will be great outcomes. These will be physical (James 5:15), spiritual (Philippians 4:6-7), and know that God hears our prayers (1 Peter 3:12).

When You Fast (recap)

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Mattew 6: 16-18

Out of giving, fasting, and praying; fasting is the most overlooked. Have you ever fasted? It’s sort of the forgotten discipline in our faith. Fasting is a very important part of our faith. Read Isaiah 58.

Why fasting?

The desire of food has always played a role in the decision-making of mankind. Let’s go back to the beginning. What was Eve tempted with? What did she tempt Adam with?

In Numbers 11 the Jews were complaining over the manna God had sent them. This was a flaky, bread-like substance that God placed on the ground for them to eat day after day as they were traveling from Egypt towards the Holy Land. They were complaining because they were sick of manna and wanted some meat!

The stomach is pretty much best described as an evil dictator. It controls us and makes us do things we generally wouldn’t do or wouldn’t want to do. Have you ever cheated on a diet? Have you ever stolen a piece of candy or food? Do you knowingly eat things that you shouldn’t? I do! The stomach is an evil dictator! It seems to MAKE me do it!

We must dethrone the dictator within.

Jesus expects all followers to fast and it’s a sacrifice. Fasting is a sacrifice. It’s dethroning the evil king. It’s hard, it’s not fun, and it’s not a good time (physically). It can hurt (hunger pains). It can drain you. But it’s a sacrifice. It is never convenient. It is a true sacrifice.

God tells us to seek first His Kingdom. Seeking his kingdom requires fasting. It requires giving up yourself to hear him. It’s almost like being quiet….though your stomach may be loud. Yet Job said that hearing from God was more important than food.

Our society thrives on junk food. Sadly enough, it also thrives on junk faith.

‘Our physical lives parallel our spiritual lives. We can become over nourished on a hefty diet of church programs and activities, religious structures, and traditions of men and yet be severely undernourished when it comes to deeper things of God.’ – Jentezen Franklin

Are you seeking first the kingdom of God? Are you willing to fast for your faith?

I’ll share with you a few people who did.

Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights, twice back-to-back, without food or water; the first, immediately before he received the tablets on the mountain with God. And the second, after coming down, seeing the Israelites practicing idolatry, and breaking the tablets in anger.

David used fasting as an act of humbling his soul.

The prophet Joel called for a fast to avert the judgment of God.

The people of Nineveh, in response to Jonah’s prophecy, fasted to avert the judgment of God.

Daniel fasted to show the Babylonian king that Yahew was the one true God.

The prophetess Anna, who proclaimed the baby Jesus to be the Messiah, prayed and fasted regularly in the Temple.

Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights while in the desert, being tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread and eat them, among other temptations.

Paul fasted for three days after he converted on the road to Damascus.

The church in Antioch were worshipping the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit told them to send Barnabas and Paul for work.

Paul and Barnabus appointed elders with prayer and fasting.

There are indications throughout New Testament as well as from the Didache that members of an Early Christian Church fasted regularly. The Bible is full of stories of fasting and the role it played in their faith. Every fast was ultimately for the purpose of solidifying faith.

Perhaps you need clarity for a decision you need to make. Fasting is exactly what God is wanting you to do. Maybe you need something in your life that you don’t have – again, fasting is exactly what God is asking you to do.

We must begin to desire God more than food and drink. Let us be filled with the bread of life instead of the refuse of religion.

When You Give (recap)

This past Sunday we started studying the three disciplines listed in Matthew 6, beginning with giving.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-4

We give to things we believe in.

Isn’t that true? Think for a moment about where your money goes. I’m not talking about basic bills, or mortgage or rent. Where does your money go? Do you give any of it away? I would argue that you are putting your money into things you believe in. Maybe things you like. A lot of times we believe in ourselves, though. We put our money into the greatest investment there is…US! We buy things. We often buy things we really don’t need.

Have you ever printed off the past 30 days of your checking account and line by line went through and categorized where your money goes? It is fascinating to do if you’ve never done it!

‘Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. (Malachi 3:8)

Are you robbing God? Let me ask you this: Do you believe in His power? Do you believe that God can manage your finances better than you can? Or do you believe in yourself?

The word ‘tithe’ is a translation from the Hebrew word ma’ser. This word literally means ‘a tenth part.’ Here’s some context for this word…

‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lords; it is holy to the Lord.’ (Leviticus 27:30)

The word ‘holy’ means ‘set apart.’ We see that God is asking to set apart a tenth for giving to Him.

Giving must be done with the right motives.

Often times what we give makes us believe we have stock in the church – we have a right to have things our way because after all, we GIVE. That’s why Paul says that the elders of the church are not to be driven by the love of money.

Did you know that the church offering is instructed to be put aside for the ministry, and overseen by the church leadership? Paul talks about this in 1^st Corinthians, where he says

‘On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. (Now Paul was encouraging them to take a weekly offering rather than just offerings when he was passing through). When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gifts to Jerusalem.’ (1^st Cor. 16:1-2)

Giving doesn’t mean that you’re buying stock in your church or ministry. It’s just about honoring God. And we must honor God with the right motives. The heart is everything. Jesus makes that so clear. It’s not just about the things we do as the motives behind it. We can do all the good in the world, but if we do them for what we can gain, they’re pretty worthless.

God must be honored. ‘Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce.’ Proverbs 3:9

And when God is honored, He honors us.

God Rewards Givers

In our passage today, Jesus talks about God rewarding us (rather than man) when we give with the right motives. How does God reward us? You’ll probably be familiar with this, but God really does take care of us. Shocker, right?! The truth of the matter is that God is faithful to his word.

‘Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’ Matthew 6:26

Are we not much more valuable to God? God promises to take care of us. Let’s check out this very clear verse…

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ”They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 2^nd Corinthians 9:6-9

Because we give to things we believe in. Do you believe God is faithful? Giving should be done with the right motives. Are your motives pure? God rewards givers. Are you getting your reward?

Q&A

10% was for the Jews – what should Christians give?

• If 10% is what God asked of them, and we have Jesus, I would say 10% is the minimum we should give. The more we can give, the better. Sowing bountiful reaps bountiful.

I want to give to a bunch of different things. Do I divide up my 10%?

• If we want to stay true to Scripture and the example of the early church, we should give our full 10% to our church. Why? Because we are to believe in our churches leadership and their ability to disperse funds appropriately. That’s what we see in Corinthians. Also, our initial responsibility is to our ministry here in Dassel. Everything else needs to come 2^nd, and above and beyond what we give to the Lords work here.

What if I whole-heartedly and honestly can’t afford giving 10%? My bills verses my income barely break me even!

• I know it sounds crazy and hard – but put it to the test. And be smart about it. Check your priorities – giving to the Lord verses _________.

Do I give before / after taxes?

• Really?

If everyone faithfully gave 10% of their income, how would that change our ministry and impact in Dassel?

• I’ll leave that to your imagination.