.the real reward.
17 December 2008my past couple sermons were about practicing righteousness in secret and not before other people. this was for the mini-series within the sermon on the mount which included verses in matthew chapter 6 about giving to the needy, praying and fasting. whether we are making food for the homeless, praying with other people, or fasting for a decision in our lives, we are not to advertise that to others, for God knows our hearts and will reward us with deeper intimacy with Him. it’s important to note that Jesus says “when” you do these things, not “if” you do these, so it’s naturally expected of a maturing believer to make these three a regular part of our lifestyle.
i was pleased with the response from my teaching on fasting. a few people communicated with me the next day that they were convicted and were already fasting! fasting seems to be so misunderstood and many Christians are not active in this spiritual discipline. after all, there are many that practice eastern religions that fast regularly, so what’s the deal? in the bible, people fasted for a number of reasons, some of which include mourning sin or death, seeking God’s direction, ordaining leaders, and asking God for physical healing or protection. fasts are a great way to detoxify the body. but the real connection with fasting occurs when we put God at the center of all that we do and sincerely communicate that we care more about God than about ourselves. and for those that were there, i didn’t have time to get into the specifics of how to fast and the different kinds of fasting. if anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me.
i asked my home group to come up with a video for the central verse of one of these sermons—matthew 6:1 “beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” they did a great job, and of course had lots of fun while doing it. click –here- for the video.
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