The Satisfied Life | Is Life Worth Living

ECCLESIASTES 1:1-3

This Book Encourages Us:

To Fear God, Keep His Commandments, And Enjoy Life.

Fear: HONOR.

Keep: OBEY.

The Book Of Ecclesiastes Is A Sermon.

There Is The Announcement Of A Theme,

The Theme Is: What Is The HIGHEST GOOD?

The Initial Standpoint: Based On Natural Reason.

The Quest: Where Does The Highest Good Leads Us.

When Conducted On The Ground Of Natural Experience, Observation, And Induction.

The Title: Ecclesiastes: A Preacher.

Who Was This Preacher-Author: Solomon.

THE BOOK OUTLINED:THE SEARCH FOR SIGNIFICANCE:

EXPLORATION:

IS EVERYTHING IN VAIN:

VANITY IN DOING:

VANITY IN HAVING:

EXHORTATION:

IS LIFE LIVED WELL:

USING LIFE FOR GOOD:

GOOD FROM GOD'S POINT OF VIEW.

ADVANCE KINGDOM, GLORY TO GOD.

SOURCE OF TRUE LIVING:

CONTENTS:

Under A Great Variety Of Evidences,

Taken From The Circumstances Of Human Life,

The Preacher Fully Proves:

The Total INABILITY Of All Outward Circumstances Of Nature To OBTAIN Happiness.

Words Of The Preacher, Son Of David, King In Jerusalem.

The Book Opens Very Properly With The Name.

Or Rather The Office And Connection Of The Author.

And The Significance Of His Sermon.

Find Solomon And You Find Wisdom.

HOW MUCH MORE THEN WITH JESUS.

In Whom Are Hid All The Treasures Of Wisdom And Knowledge. Colossians 2:3.

SUBJECT MATTER OF BOOK:

VANITY OF VANITIES, SAITH THE PREACHER, VANITY OF VANITIES; ALL IS VANITY.

The Contrast:

The Durable Riches VERSUS Righteousness In Christ.

The Opposite To THIS VANITY, Which Is Found In Christ.

WORD TRANSLATED: VANITY:

IT LOOKS AT THE NATURE OF MAN’S ACTIVITY “UNDER THE SUN”:

1) FLEETING: Which Has In View Being Vapor-Like.

2) MEANINGLESS: Which Focuses On The Cursed Condition Of The Universe.

3) INCOMPREHENSIBLE: Which Refers To The Mysteries Of God's Purposes.

SUMMARY OF BOOK:

The Only Hope Of The Good Life.

The Only Reasonable Response.

Is Faith And Obedience To Sovereign God.

He Precisely Works Out All Activities Under The Sun.

Each In Its Time According To His Perfect Plan.

Discloses Only As Much As His Perfect Wisdom Dictates.

God Holds All Mankind Accountable.

Be Careful: Take God And His Word Seriously.

If NOT, A Person Is Doomed To A Life Of VANITY.

SOLOMON’S CONCLUSION:

TO HONOR GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS.

DIVINE BLESSINGS ARE TO BE ENJOYED.

DIVINE JUDGMENT IS IMMINENT.

SOLOMON:
Who Had Riches As Plentiful As The Stones.

(1 Kings 10:27).

Who Had Wisdom As Large As The Sand Of The Sea.

(1 Kings 4:29).

Who Had All The Advantages, Could Experiment, Could Draw Conclusions.

(Ecclesiastes 1:16, 17).

For This Wise Man Himself Concludes:

To Fear God And Keep The Commandments Of God.

Therefore, He Pronounces All To Be Vanity,

It Must Be Meant Of All Worldly And Earthly Things;

1. The World Is NOT VAIN In Respect To:

Its Natural Being:

Whatsoever God Made Is, In Its Kind, Good.

(Genesis 1:31).

Solomon Did Not Mean The Works Of God Were Vain.

God The Creator:

He Makes His Ends Out Of All;

Creation Glorifies Him According To Divine Order.

Rational Mankind Is A Most Obvious Demonstration Of God's Infinite Being, Wisdom, And Power.

2. The World Is VAIN In Respect To:

The Sin And Folly Of Man:

Worldly Things Will NOT Perform The Way We Expect.

Our Great Expectation Is Happiness;

Our Great Folly: Is Not Found In Enjoyments Of This World.

All Worldly Enjoyments Are Leaky And Broken Cisterns.

Leaky And Broken Cisterns Cannot Hold This Living Water.

THIS IS WHY THEY ARE CONSIDERED VANITY.

WHAT CAUSES THE WHOLE WORLD TO BECOME VANITY?

WHEN WE BREAK THE DIVINE ORDER OF ENJOYMENT.

WHAT IS THIS DIVINE ORDER ?

HOW IS LIFE LIVED WELL ?

THE WHOLE WORLD IS VANITY:

1. BECAUSE ALL ITS GLORY DEPENDS MERELY UPON THE OPINION OF MANKIND.

Example: Gold And Silver:

Had Not Mankind DETERMINED Them An Excellency Far Beyond Their Natural Usefulness?

GOLD Was Of Little Value Beyond Natural Usefulness In The World Until Mankind Determined It To Be Of High Value.

Gold And Silver Became Prized Possessions.

Lusting For Gold And Silver Makes Us Needy.

IT IS NOTHING BUT CONCEIT

THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

THE RICHEST AND THE LEANEST

AS LONG AS BOTH HAVE THE NECESSITIES.

Mankind Tends Toward Coveting Possessions Of Others:

What Is Gold And Silver But Diversified Earth?

What Is A Diamond But A Hard Shiny Rock?

2. BECAUSE IT IS DECEITFUL.

Lying Vanity Betrays Both Our Hopes And Our Souls.

(a) It Betrays Our Hopes: Leaves Us Nothing But Disappointment, When It Promises Happiness.

(b) It Betrays The Soul: Guilt And Eternal Condemnation.

The World System Snares The Soul.

It Offers LOVE OF SELF

Which Is Inconsistent With The LOVE OF GOD.

The World System Is Satan's Temporary Domain.

Satan's Goal Is To Drag You To Hell With Him.

Because Of The Inclination To The Lusts Of The World:

It Is Almost Impossible:

To Moderate Our Affections Towards Them.

To Control Our Appetites And Desires.

3. BECAUSE IT OFFERS LURING COMFORTS BUT ALONG COME CERTAIN BURDENS.

(a) There Is A Great Deal Of Turmoil And Trouble In Getting The World's Comforts.

Nothing Can Be Acquired Without Sacrifice.

(b) Getting The World's Comforts Or Not, Still Mankind Is Disappointed In Its Reward.

The World Is Much Better In Show Than Substance;

The World Causes Us To Admire Things Before We Enjoy Them.

When We Enjoy These Things THEN We Discover The Disappointment In Them.

4. BECAUSE THE LONGER WE ENJOY ANY WORLDLY THING THE LESS SATISFYING IT BECOMES.

5. BECAUSE THE PLEASURE OF THE WORLD IS NOTHING BUT A TEDIOUS REPETITION OF THE SAME THINGS.

6. BECAUSE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD ARE INADEQUATE:

When We Have Great Need Of Support And Comfort.

When We Are Under The Conviction Of Our Guilt.

When We Are At The Hour Of Our Death.

7. BECAUSE THE WORLD IS UNSUITABLE TO SATISFY THE DESIRE FOR JOY AND HAPPINESS:

The Necessities Of The Soul Are Altogether Different.

Worldly Things Are NOT Able To Supply These Needs.

Worldly Things Are Wholly Unsuitable.

The Soul's Necessities Are Spiritual.

Worldly Things Can Not Reach Spiritual Heights.

8. BECAUSE OF ITS INCONSTANCY:

God's Providence Administers All Things In Perpetual Fluctuation.

It Is In Vain To Expect Happiness From What Is So Uncertain.

All Our Treasures Are Like Quicksilver,

Which Strangely Slips Between Our Fingers.

Which We Think We Hold It Securely.

9. BECAUSE IT IS UNSATISFACTORY:

Even Great Abundance Can Not Give Real Contentment.

The Whole World Offers Only Such Empty Things.

(1) Cannot Free Us From Cares And Crosses.

(2) We Still Desire Change.

If The Worldly Possessions Did Not Disappoint,

If The Worldly Possessions Did Not Frustrate Us,

Would Any One Think Of God ?

Would Any One Remember Heaven?

Would Any One Remember The Life To Come?

HOW FOOLISH:

To Lay Our Most Serious Cares Upon It.

To Give Up Peace And Purity Of Serving A Loving God.

To Lose Our Precious Souls.

To Fear Death That Only Deprives Us Of Fading Vanity.

To Be Discontent With Our Present State And Condition.

BUT, WHATEVER OUR OBSERVATIONS,

THE VANITY OF WORLDLY POSSESSIONS

SHOULD TEACH US:

TO ADMIRE AND ADORE

THE GOOD PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

Authentic Righteousness | Security

Matthew 6:19 Thru 34.

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Demonstrated By A Transformed Life.

We Have Talked About Worshiping The Right God The Wrong Way:

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

HE Explained To Them:

You Have Torn Down The DIVINE Standard.

You Have Reconstituted A HUMAN Standard.

Your Human Standard Is NOT Acceptable To God.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach Towards The Things Of Life.

They Have The Wrong Approach To What Defiles You.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Theology.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Worship.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Prayer.

They Have The Wrong Approach To Fasting.

JESUS SUMS UP OUR RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY:

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD,

SHOULD BE COMING FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

THE PREVIOUS 4 LESSONS HAVE FOCUSED ON AUTHENTICITY:

Jesus Is Warning Against

Doing Righteous Deeds So That Others Will See Them.

Which Is Hypocritical or Phony or Unauthentic.

Verses 19–34: 2 Underlying Questions Concerning Authenticity.

FIRST, WHAT IS YOUR TRUE MOTIVE ?

SECOND, WHY ARE YOU ANXIOUS ?

SO,

CONCERNING PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS: JESUS DISCUSSES POSSESSIONS AND MOTIVES.

HIS POINT: Wealth Is Not Evil, Itself.

HIS CONCERN: Prioritizing Material Things Over Godliness.

HIS SOLUTION: Build Up "Treasures" In Heaven;

HIS MEANING: Make Right Choices From Sincere Devotion To God.

A PERSON WILL

INVEST THEIR TREASURE:

(INCLUDING TIME, MONEY, AND EMOTION)

IN WHAT IS THEY CONSIDER

A PRIORITY OF THEIR HEART.

(MATTHEW 6:19–21).

HIS MESSAGE: You Can't Serve Both GOD and POSSESSIONS.

YOU MUST CHOOSE.

God And Possessions Are Two Different Masters.

If You Try, You'll End Up Resenting One And Loving The Other. (Matthew 6:22–24).

THEN, JESUS SPEAKS TO THOSE WITH LITTLE OR NO MONEY.

Live NOT In Anxiety Over The Basic Needs Of Life,

Even If One Don't Know How They Will Pay For Food And Clothing.

God The Father Feeds The Birds And Clothes The Lilies.

And His People Are Far More Valuable Than That.

He Tells Them Not To Live In Anxiety Over The Basic Needs Of Life,

Even If They Don't Know How They Will Pay For Food And Clothing.

God The Father Feeds The Birds And Clothes The Lilies,

And His People Are Far More Valuable Than That.

THE POINT: Worry Accomplishes Nothing.

THE CONCERN: Not Trusting God To Provide For All Our Needs.

THE SOLUTION: Let Tomorrow Worry About Tomorrow.

THE MEANING: Trust God For Today's Troubles.

(Matthew 6:25–34).

THE POINT OF LIFE:

TO PURSUE GOD'S KINGDOM | HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

AUTHENTIC SECURITY:

Do We Put Our Faith In The Lord.

OR Do We Trust Our Wealth And Resources,

TODAY'S KEY TAKEAWAY:

Authentic Righteousness Demands Authentic Faith.

We Will Never Be Able To Seek God’s Righteousness:

If We Are More Concerned With How Others Perceive Us.

If We Are More Concerned With Earthly Possessions,

If We Try To Obtain Our Own Rewards.

OUTLINE:

I. PURE MOTIVES (19–24).

FIRST, IF I DO THE RIGHT ACTIONS,

DOES IT REALLY MATTER,

WHAT MY MOTIVES ARE?

II. ANXIETY (25–32).

SECOND, CAN I TRUST GOD,

TO TAKE CARE OF MY NEEDS,

IF I DON’T TAKE CARE OF THEM MYSELF?

THIS STUDY DEALS WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:

How We Worship Him With Our Possessions.

How We Use Our Treasure For His Glory.

How We Serve Him With Our Attitudes.

How We Serve Him As Our Master.

GENERAL CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 6:

The Contrast Between.

The False: External Righteousness.

The Genuine: Internal Righteousness (Imputed To The Believer).

AUTHENTIC FAITH:

I. PURE MOTIVES (19–24).

So, The Pharisees Were Very Rich.

They Taught That Riches Were A Sign Of God's Blessing.

And OF COURSE, They Were Rich.

Their Point Being God's Approves Of Their Teaching.

They Were Very Proud Of Their Wealth.

They Were Very Proud Of Their So-Called Spirituality.

Jesus Sets Out To Correct Their False Views Concerning Wealth.

Materialism Deals With The Problem Of Worldliness.

Worldliness Is An Attitude About Life.

IT IS ANY ATTITUDE THAT EXCLUDES THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

This Part Of Matthew:

Wealth, Possessions And Money Are Blessings From God.

POINT: OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THESE MATERIAL BLESSINGS.

WHAT THEN DOES GOD OPPOSE?

An Attitude That Excludes Christ From Our Material Possessions.

An Attitude Where Wealth Possesses And Obsesses Us.

Put No Trust In Extortion; Set No Vain Hopes On Robbery; If Riches Increase, Set Not Your Heart On Them. Psalm 62:10.

SO, YES IT DOES MATTER TO GOD ABOUT

ATTITUDES AND MOTIVES

TOWARD RECEIVING MATERIAL BLESSINGS.

A. POSSESSIONS SHOULD BE USED FOR GOD: 6:19,20.

LAY NOT Up For Yourselves Treasures Upon Earth,

Where Moth And Rust Destroy,

Where Thieves Break Through And Steal.

POINT:

ALL MATERIAL POSSESSIONS CAN PERISH OR BE STOLEN.

Earthly Wealth:

Something One Can Have Today And Lose Tomorrow.

Is Transitory And Passing.

Is Never Secure And Certain.

Earthly Wealth:

Should Be Used For Advancing God's Kingdom.

Should Be Used For The Glory Of God.

This is a positive command.

Christians are to be more concerned about spiritual and heavenly things than carnal and earthly things.

The great thrust of the Christian's life is to glorify God.

Christians are to employ their earthly treasures and money for spiritual ends.

Our material investments should be accumulating heavenly profits.

Money used for God down here on earth is actually put on deposit in heaven.

Every investment for Christ is eternally safe in the heavenly bank. I Timothy 6:17-19).

B. POSSESSIONS SHOULD BE:

A DEMONSTRATION OF COMMITMENT TO HIM: 6:21.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The Lord gives an explanation of what He means by treasure.

It deals with what a person desires most in life.

Where the aim of his life is, there is his heart.

If his aims are earthly, that is where his heart is set;

if they are heavenly, that is where his heart is.

What a man does tells what a man is.

Martin Luther said, Whatever your heart clings to and relies on is your God.

C. POSSESSIONS CAN:

DISTORT YOUR SPIRITUAL GOALS: 6:22,23.

The Light Of The Body Is The Eye:

If Therefore Your Eye Be Single,

The Whole Body Shall Be Full Of Light.

But If Your Eye Be Evil,

The Whole Body Shall Be Full Of Darkness.

If Therefore The Light That Is In Thee Be Darkness,

How Great Is That Darkness!

Possessions Can Distort Our Vision.

Possessions Can Distort Our View Of Life.

We Depend On Healthy Eyes To View Life.

We Depend On Spiritual Vision To View Our Relationship To God.

Possessions Have The Potential Of Causing Spiritual Eye Disease.

Your Vision Becomes Clear If You Lay Up Heavenly Treasures.

D. POSSESSIONS CAN:

BECOME YOUR MASTER: 6:24.

No Man Can Serve Two Masters:

For Either He Will Hate The One,

And Love The Other;

Or Else He Will Hold To The One, And Despise The Other.

You Cannot Serve God And Mammon.

There Must Be Exclusive Service.

The Two Masters In Context Are God And Mammon (riches).

These Two Masters Are So Different That You Cannot Love Both.

Both God And Possessions Make Demands Upon You.

Either One Demands All Your Service,

For You Are A Slave To Either;

And Each Has A Different Way Of Controlling Your Life.

You Cannot Serve God And Riches,

For What A Man Serves Is What He Really Loves.

A Choice To Put God First And Trust God For Whatever Material Blessings Come His Way,

Or Put Materialism First And God Will Be Left Out Of The Picture.

II. ANXIETY (25–32).

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS.

NOTE:

THIS PROMISE IS FOR THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM.

IT IS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO HIM.

IT IS SPECIFIC GRACE FOR HIS OWN.

REMEMBER:

SPECIFIC GRACE IS DIFFERENT FROM COMMON GRACE.

LOGICAL REASONS FOR NOT WORRYING:

THE LORD TOLD US NOT TO WORRY.

Worry About Material Things Is Sin, For God Has Promised To Meet The Needs Of His People (Phil. 4:19).

Worry Is Futile And Useless For It Never Solved Any Problem At All.

We Are To Take Their Concerns About Material Things To God And Leave Them There For God To Handle (Phil. 4:6, 7).

The Lord Is Not Condemning Foresight;

He Is Condemning A Worrying Foresight As Though It Were Our Responsibility To Provide And Not His.

THE LOGIC OF CREATION:

Since God Gave Us Life, Certainly He Can Provide Us With Food.

The Giver Of The Gift Of Life Will See To It.

THE LOGIC OF THE ANIMAL WORLD:

The Example Of The Animal World: In Particular The Bird World.

Birds Have No Way Of Storing Food But God Provides For Them.

He Sees To It That Their Life Is Sustained.

NOTE:

Do Not Think This Teaches That We Can Be Lazy.

Do Not Think This Teaches To Sit Around And Expect Bread To Fall.

Do We See Birds Perched Waiting For Food To Come To Them.

They Search For It Diligently.

Mankind Must Work, Trusting God To Provide For His Needs.

THE LOGIC OF MAN'S INABILITY TO EXTEND LIFE:

Life Is Planned And God Has An Appointed Hour For His Death.

God Will Provide For His Own Until That Moment Of Death.

THE LOGIC OF VEGETATION:

Consider The Lilies Of The Field, How They Grow;

They Toil Not, Neither Do They Spin:

God Is Interested In A Lone Flower

How Much More Will He Care For His Own Family.

THE LOGIC OF PRIORITY:

But Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God, And His Righteousness; And All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You.

IT IS PERFECTLY LOGICAL:

If The Christian Puts God First,

Then God Will Be Pleased,

And He Will Meet The Believer's Material Needs.

(II Chron. 16:9: Them That Honor Me I Will Honor.

THE LOGIC OF DAILY SUFFICIENCY:

Take Therefore No Thought For The Morrow:

For The Morrow Shall Take Thought For The Things Of Itself.

Sufficient Unto The Day Is The Evil Thereof.

The Final Argument Is That Of The Burden Of A Day.

In Itself A Day's Burden Is Heavy Enough.

WHY DOUBLE THE BURDEN BY WORRYING ABOUT TOMORROW?

Add Worry Of Tomorrow To Today Will Double The Burden.

NOTE:

There May Be Greater Sins Than Worry,

But Few Are More Disabling.

Worry Occupies The Mind

It Keeps From Being Useful In Areas That Should Be Occupied.

Worry Prevents Joy And Happiness.

It Is Useless And Accomplishes Nothing.

BE CAREFUL TO REMEMBER:

If You Have Experienced Saving Faith And STOP Growing:

A Person Is Going To Face Defeat By The Enemy.

A Person Will Be Prone To Worry.

If You Have Experienced Saving Faith And CONTINUE Growing:

The Lord Will Bless Anyone Who Chooses To WALK BY FAITH.

The Lord Will Bless Anyone Who Chooses To DO GOD'S WILL.

FAITH TRUST THE GOD WHO CONTROLS CIRCUMSTANCES.

That Is How One Can MASTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

NOT LET THE CIRCUMSTANCES MASTER YOU.

TRUST IN YOUR SOVEREIGN LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER

TO MEET YOUR NEEDS.

Authentic Righteousness | Fasting

Matthew 6:16 Thru 18.

PRACTICING AUTHENTIC RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Demonstrated By A Transformed Life.

We Have Talked About Worshiping The Right God The Wrong Way:

The Substandard Worship Of God Is Clear From Chapter 6:

THEIR ATTITUDE AND MOTIVES

TOWARD THEIR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

WAS INADEQUATE.

JESUS REESTABLISHED GOD'S VIEW

ON BEING AUTHENTIC.

The Apostate Form Of Judaism Existed Even Before Jesus,

It Exists Without Christ For Centuries And Even Today.

The TRUE Religion Of The Old Testament Was Fulfilled In Christ Jesus.

The Judaism That Rejects Christ Is A False Religion.

JESUS CAME AND SET A CORRECT STANDARD.

JESUS CAME TO SET A DIVINE STANDARD.

HE Says To Them:

I Am NOT Come To Destroy The Law And The Prophets.

I Am Come To: Reaffirm Them.

I Am Come To: Reassert True Righteousness.

I Am Come To: Re-Establish God's Established Standard.

I Am Come To: Explain God Sees Even Covert Action Of Hypocrisy.

SO: In Chapter 6: Jesus Tells Them:

They Have The Wrong Approach To:

The Things Of Life.

What Defiles You.

Theology.

Worship.

PRAYER.

So What Is The RIGHT Approach To God ?

OUR WORSHIP TOWARD GOD

SHOULD COME FROM THE DEPTHS OF A PURE HEART.

DO NOT BE PHONY:

In Your Giving: In Your Praying: In Your Fasting:

So, Jesus Really Unmasks Hypocrisy.

PREVIOUSLY: 

THE PROPER MOTIVE IN PRAYER.

THE PROPER ATTITUDE IN PRAYER.

TODAY: THE PROPER PURPOSE OF FASTING.

KEY TAKEAWAY:

JESUS WANTS US TO FAST AND PRAY SO WE FOCUS ON HIM.

OUTLINE:

IN THIS PASSAGE WE WILL SEE THAT

1) JESUS ASSUMES THAT WE WILL FAST.

2) JESUS WARNS US AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

3) JESUS ADMONISHES US TO HEARTFELT FASTING.

I. JESUS ASSUMES THAT WE WILL FAST (VS. 16A)

Matthew 6:16:

Moreover Every Time That You Fast,

Do Not Be Like The Hypocrites.

NOTICE THAT JESUS SAYS TO THE DISCIPLES:

WHEN YOU FAST, DO NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES.

He Clearly Presupposes That They Will Fast,

Even If Not Until A Later Time,

The Bible Clearly Shows That Jesus’ Followers Did Indeed Fast After His Resurrection And Ascension.

For Example:

Acts 13:1-3:

Now In The Church That Was Antioch,

There Were Certain Prophets And Teachers:

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.”

Then, Having Fasted And Prayed, And Laid Hands On Them, They Sent Them Away.

PROPER FASTING:

TELLING GOD THAT YOUR PRIORITY

AT THAT MOMENT

IS TO BE ALONE WITH HIM.

A COUPLE OF PURPOSES FOR OUR FASTING:

First: Fasting Helps Us To Seek The Lord’s Guidance.

Second: Fasting For Setting Apart Certain People For Ministry.

A Part Of Committing Men To Service For The Lord.

A Part Of Appointing Elders To A Local Church.

A Part Of Setting Men Apart For Ministry.

No Doubt Involves Praying,

No Doubt Asking For God’s Empowerment And Protection,

No Doubt Before Embarking On Ministry Opportunity.

IT IS THE EXAMPLE THE APOSTLES HAVE LEFT US.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5:

Instructions For Married Couples During Fast.

Do Not Deprive One Another Except With Consent For A Time,

That You May Give Yourselves To Fasting And Prayer;

And Come Together Again So That Satan Does Not Tempt You Because Of Your Lack Of Self-Control.

Fasting Can Involve Abstaining From More Than Just Food.

Married Couples Might Wish To Abstain From Marital Relations.

This Text Stresses That Both Parties Consent In This Case.

We Tend To Think Of Fasting As Going Without Food.

But We Can Fast From Anything.

Another Example:

Corinthians 6:4-5:

Paul’s Description Of His Sufferings As An Apostle:

But In All Things We Commend Ourselves As Ministers Of God:

In Much Patience, In Tribulations, In Needs, In Distresses,

In Stripes, In Imprisonments, In Tumults, In Labors, In Sleeplessness, In Fastings.

Fasting Was Simply One Of The Things A True Apostle Did ! !

Fasting Is Mentioned Separately From Times Of Hunger And Thirst.

Fasting Is Different Because It Is An Active Choice.

Based On His Teaching In The Sermon On The Mount:

Jesus Assumed Fasting Would Be A Common Practice,

Just As Praying And Giving Would Be Common Practice For Them.

BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU AND ME?

We Should:

Include Fasting As Spiritual Discipline In Our Lives.

Be Careful About The Way We Do It.

Jesus Teaches In This Passage :

WRONG FASTING.

TRUE FASTING.

II. JESUS WARNS US AGAINST HYPOCRITICAL FASTING (VS. 16)

Hypocritical Fasting Is Described: Its Goal And Its Reward.

1. THE GOAL OF HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

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.

As Jesus Describes The Hypocrites:

They Would Go Around With A Sad Countenance,

They Would Disfigure Their Faces,

They Would Appear To Be Fasting To Others.

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN: WOULD DISFIGURE THEIR FACES?

To Render Invisible Or Unrecognizable, Of One’s Face,

To Disfigure With Ashes,

By Leaving The Hair And Beard Unattended,

By Coloring The Face To Look Pale,

AS THOUGH FASTING.

Instead Of Trying Merely To Look Sad:

They Should Be Truly Saddened By Their Spiritual Bankruptcy,

They Should Have Repented Of Their Sinful Pride.

They Should Have Remembered Scripture About True Fasting.

EXAMPLE:

Isaiah 58: IN THIS CONTEXT

God Was Angry With The Jews Attitude About Fasting:

They Asked God:

Why Have We Fasted And You Have Not Seen.

Why Have We Afflicted Our Souls And You Take No Notice.

THEIR WRONG FASTING:

God Responded:

In The Day Of Your Fast YOU Find Pleasure,

In The Day Of Your Fast YOU Exploit All Your Laborers.

Indeed You Fast For Strife And Debate,

And To Strike With The Fist Of Wickedness.

You Will Not Fast As You Do This Day,

To Make Your Voice Heard On High.

HIS TRUE FASTING:

A Fast That I Have Chosen,

A Day For A Man To Afflict His Soul?

Is It To Bow Down His Head Like A Bulrush,

And To Spread Out Sackcloth And Ashes?

Would You Call This A Fast ?

Would You Call This An Acceptable Day To The Lord?

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?

Is It Not To Share Your Bread With The Hungry,

To Bring To Your House The Poor Who Are Cast Out;

2. THE REWARD OF HYPOCRITICAL FASTING.

Matthew 6:16:

I Say To You, They Have Their Reward.

IN CONTEXT THIS MEANS THE REWARD WAS RECEIVED IN FULL.

The Point:

Hypocrites Aim At Impressing Others With Their SPIRITUALITY.

Hypocrites Are Selfish And Expects A Reward From God And Man.

But There Will Be NO REWARD FROM GOD.

Hypocrites Receive Only A Temporal Reward From Man.

III. JESUS ADMONISHES US TO HEARTFELT FASTING.

True Fasting Is Described: Its Goal And Its Reward.

1. THE GOAL OF TRUE FASTING.

Matthew 6:17-18:

When You Fast, Anoint Your Head And Wash Your Face,

So That You Do Not Appear To Others To Be Fasting.

But To Your Father Who Is In The Secret Place.

The Goal Of True Fasting Is:

To Fellowship With God.

To Be Concerned With What HE Thinks.

To Bring Glory To HIM Rather Than Ourselves.

To Be Faithful To Our GOD.

To Desire Pleasing HIM Rather Than Mankind,

KNOW AND REMEMBER THIS:

GOD LOOKS

NOT MERELY ON OUTWARD APPEARANCE

BUT UPON THE HEART.

EXAMPLE: Prophet Samuel Thought David's Brother Looked More Like A King Than David.

1 Samuel:

But The Lord Said To Samuel,

Do Not Look At His Appearance Or At The Height Of His Stature, Because I Have Refused Him.

For The Lord Does Not See As Man Sees.

For Man Looks At The Outward Appearance,

But The Lord Looks At The Heart.

THIS IS A LESSON THE HYPOCRITES HAD CLEARLY FORGOTTEN,

BUT ONE WHICH WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET.

WHEN WE FAST TO BE SEEN BY GOD RATHER THAN OTHERS,

HE SEES WHAT THEY CANNOT SEE.

HE SEES WHAT IS IN OUR HEARTS.

2. THE REWARD OF TRUE FASTING.

Matthew 6:18b:

And Your Father Who Sees In Secret Will Reward You Openly.

WHAT REWARD DOES JESUS HAVE IN MIND?

IN CONTEXT IT IS ON FUTURE, HEAVENLY REWARDS.

EXAMPLE:

Matthew 5:12:

Rejoice And Be Exceedingly Glad,

For Great Is Your Reward In Heaven,

For So They Persecuted The Prophets Who Were Before You.

Jesus Says Immediately Following His Teaching On Fasting:

As We Fast, Remember That We Are Seeking Heavenly Treasure.

JESUS WANTS US TO FAST AND PRAY SO WE FOCUS ON HIM.