Fasting Breaks Enslavement by Shane Idleman

you [Music] Lord we come here tonight Lord some of us with a heavy heart Lord others with a broken heart Lord others with a cheerful heart but I pray that you'd begin to meet all of our needs tonight Lord bring healing to those who need healing and deliverance lord I also pray Lord for marriages tonight Lord strengthen marriages Lord begin to rebuild the home Lord called men back to you fathers back to you lord help us lead our families in the feared admonition of you and your word Lord but I pray tonight that people get a breakthrough Lord when your word goes out [Music] Lord I prayed to give my words clarity and direction Lord let me not go beyond what you want me to say Lord but your presence is welcome here Lord I pray that you would descend upon this place Lord just anoint the worship after the service Lord anoint your word to go forth and accomplish what you've said it to accomplish and we ask these things in Jesus name Amen amen welljust powerful worship thank you for that guys and the message tonight is not going to be an easy one I can already feel that just this week talking about this area what I'm going to do is stop teaching in Proverbs this week I think we'll pick up next week with proverbs 16 but I want to talk tonight about fasting and not just fasting but fasting the breaks enslavement because the the more I pastor and the more I talked to people the more it becomes evident that many people are bound by addictions and strongholds and things that they just have struggled with many years and they they Lord help me with these areas Lord I want this to to be done away with and I was just talking to a pastor friend of mine this week and he's part of a large denomination and overseeing certain districts and they said just the rise of even pornography is at an alarming rate I mean the it's almost like every man they counsel in pre marriage counseling is addicted to it it's it's just an epidemic people are not wanting to take the needed steps they're not wanting to get rid of a lot of these things and fasting well enslavement can mean anything right enslavement from you fill in the blank I mean we all obviously think of drugs and alcohol of course but you know there's food enslavement and there's all these different things that can enslave us and trap us and what happens really is or that I've explained this before the lust of the flesh and the filling of the Spirit are constantly at war with each other and what happens when the flesh begins to get victory it pulls us in the wrong direction and we become enslaved to it bondage of the will Martin Luther wrote a good book many years ago and entitled that the bondage of the will and an enslavement to our own our own selves if I may you could we can become our worst enemy basically and and what we wanted to do we talked about this a while ago is start launched a Daniel and if you don't know what that is there will be information the bulletin will be doing signups after afterwards and we don't want to get real caught up on rules and regulations the whole point of fasting is to fast from those things that are addicting from those things that are taking our energy and taking our our life from us because we have to remember that we only have so much hunger it's not like we're hungry 24/7 24/7 hunger we can either put our hunger towards the things of God or towards the things of the flesh and that's basically that fasting is your your fasting from the lust of the flesh and you're putting that in submission to your - - basically to your will you're saying flesh I'm I'm submitting these areas to God and you're no longer can kind of control me in these areas now of course a lot of this is going to make sense as I go but with that said I want to remind everybody to read your bulletins all the information you need to know is in the bulletin sometimes we don't get to the announcements or I forget a few things or we you know it's it's kind of hard to find where announcements really flow in our service and it's usually going to be at the end so if I miss something check your bulletins but I want to read a quick introduction to a story and then I'm going to get right into the message and this really brings it home some of you have heard this before actually heard James McDonald tell this story probably almost a year ago now and it's found in Thomas constants history it's called the three Edwards it describes the life of rain all the third he's a fourth century Duke and what now is Belgium now listen to this story because it's amazing you can research this you can find it the history of this as well grossly overweight Renauld was commonly called by his Latin name cross cracks across this how everyone pronounce it which means very extremely overweight after a violent quarrel Reynolds Reynolds younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him Edward captured Reynald but did not kill him instead he built a room around the newer castle have promised him that he could regain his title and his property as soon as he was able to leave the room now this would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near normal size and none of them was locked and nothing was barred the problem was Renault size to regain his freedom he needed to lose weight but Edward knew his older brother and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods and instead of dieting his way out of prison Renauld grew larger and larger when Duke Edward was accused of cruelty he had a ready answer he simply said my brother is not a prisoner he may leave so whenever he wills now Renault stayed in that room for 10 more years and was not released until after Edward had died in battle by then his health was so ruined that he died within a year a prisoner of his own appetite can you imagine that this isn't in this history in this volume that they actually built this castle this little room around this person with normal doors and windows he was free to leave whenever he could and that's what the story ends with a prisoner of his own appetite and you guys remember what I said months ago what what does our flesh say feed me so I can destroy you and that might might sound harsh but that is biblical our flesh says feed me feed me not just food I'm talking anything anything less to the flesh less the eye private life keep feeding me so I can destroy you our worst enemy is within you can see Paul's struggle with this and when Paul would say the things that I want to do I don't do and those things I don't want to do I do Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of sin and death so we have to understand there are something inside of us that is warring against us so the necessity of fasting is great because we need it it's like one of those other spiritual disciplines that we don't like prayer we create from prayer and fasting and all these things we like all the easy stuff when it comes to hard difficult spiritual disciplines we don't want to have anything to do with it but let me remind everyone here that the greater the struggle the greater the blessing these things that are not easy are vitally important that's why they're not easy it's because it's called spiritual discipline and we understand this right in the physical realm we've got exercise we want to do all these things but when it comes to spirituality it doesn't matter it's no big deal there's a warfare there's a battle raging and that's what it says here he was a prisoner of his own appetite I believe many people are as well if we don't put these areas in check now you might say well Shane what are you talking about fasting I don't understand well you should have in your notes I got a lot of scripture references in there that you can go back to but in the Old Testament it was a way of afflicting the soul to cause the flesh pain that's not good but that's what it was for it was a way by which men would humble themselves fasting was a sign of humility fasting often directed towards securing guidance in the help of God let me say again fasting was often directed towards securing the guidance and help of God there's a lot of scripture references there too you can check in other words when somebody wanted God's guidance they would fast they would say I'm gonna remove these things from my life and seek God instead of consume them also some came to think that fasting would automatically gain man a hearing from God and against this the prophets declared that without right conduct fasting was in vain and we would see Jesus would talk about this a lot a lot of the Pharisees and Sadducees ate fast and fasted you know what was me look at me aren't I so spiritual and they missed the whole point because they want to be highly esteemed among men and Jesus said what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God it's always a condition of the heart what's going on in the heart now what happens in the New Testament and the New Testament Jesus assumed that his hearers would fast he assumed this but he taught them that when they did so look towards God not man now when they asked his disciples why they did not fast what was Jesus was his answer hey the bridegroom is here why do my disciples need to fast so there's not a time for mourning the bridegroom was there with them Jesus Christ there's not a time they need to seek God because they had God with them but there's no need to fast right that when Jesus was with them but Jesus never said no don't fast he never condemned it it's consistent throughout New Testament history there's other scripture references here to later people at fast especially look in the book of Acts leaders would fast when choosing missionaries they would fast when choosing elders Paul twice refers to fasting so if this is a spiritual discipline that's often overlooked why because it's not pleasant it's difficult have you ever done it before it's challenging it's hard what is what is fasting as a form of seeking and knocking and asking basically guy that wants to know how bad do you want it how bad do you want a relationship with me how bad do you want something are you willing to give up certain things and I'm amazed at the level that people don't want to do certain things let's say there there's a wayward daughter or a wayward son and they're in the the prodigal and the wayward you know you're the parents are praying when did they ever skipped a meal one of their ever given up this or giving up this instead of just seek God they'll just look to a five-minute devotional but that's about it so fasting is God saying how bad do you want and are you going to seek me with all of your heart are you gonna knock it's just basically fighting the flesh or you can be filled the spirit that's what fasting accomplishes it's starving the flesh and Oswald Chambers said what hinders me from hearing from God is not that I'm taking up with other things it's not that I will not hear God but I am not devoted in the right places in other words he's saying what hinders me from hearing from God is I'm not devoted in those areas I should be devoted in I'm doing all these other things so I'm not hearing the voice of God because the more we continually feed our flesh and feed our flesh and feed our flesh one of the other prevails we're either feet we're either being filled the flesh or filled the spirit that's what the Bible talks about being filled the spirit no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust so that constant battle within what dog wins the battle within we've got to starve that dog to death and that's what fasting does now fasting we have to understand is rewarded later we understand this in the natural right well if I'm going to invest in something stocks bonds later on down the line my retirement we all we understand all these things both but when it comes to spiritual things we don't realize a lot of times there's not immediate gratification there's not fasting is difficult it's challenging but the reward is later not necessarily right there so we have to look to the end result I'm gonna get to that in a minute now you might ask what our methods of fasting and this is what I wanted to get two methods of fasting and you might be surprised but I don't think of it just only as food some of you know me know that I look at fasting as starving the three areas of temptation because you can you can fast from food and still be doing all these other things and not not really being filt the Spirit of God let me explain starving the three areas of temptation first John 2:16 says for everything in the world everything in the world now this is a point of confusion for a lot of people what he's talking about here is not the world itself our house at cars vehicles necessarily the word is cosmos and it means the world's mindset the world's mindset is directly opposed to God so he's saying everything in the world the entire world's mindset is directly opposed to God these two forces are against each other and so he's saying whatever's in the world the cravings of sinful man the lust of the eye and the boasting of what he has and has done doesn't come from the father but it comes from the world so when I think of fasting I think of fasting and fighting against these three areas the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life and you remember isn't that isn't this the same three things that that Satan got Eve with when she saw that the the tree was pleasant to the eye good for food and desires to make one wise she took of it named the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye the pride of life so when I when I think of fasting I think of fasting from all three of these areas and what that looks like number one is you can you can take it Daniel fast and again we've got more information out there there there what I don't know if there's sign of still out in the lobby and we've got booklets you can you can take and you can be a part of this but basically the Daniel Fast is your it's from the Book of Daniel you're not eating any it's it's really close to vague vegan a vegan diet there's not meat there's not this there's not sugar and sweet I mean you just name it there's it's not in there unless it's God made God given food nuts fruits vegetables you know it's it's that it's you're just fasting on that only and this is a good reference point for people want something you can't just do no food only so we have the Daniel fasters water only of course there's juice fasting there's a lot of different things or there's a mixture and a lot of times you know I have to do a mixture with with kids you know having little kids it's hard for me when I was single it's very easy oh go on a two day fast was just juice I could lock myself up in the room not talk to anybody getting my bad mood to every other hour because of this you know stuff what's happening I could just go a lot nobody'd see me go on a long drive now with kids and trying to you know lead the church and marriage you know I've got a be careful high plan these things so we do you know there's a mixture of that what I we actually started on the 1st of January and it's challenging is just nothing there's no junk food no sweets no you name it coffee and sugar and so nothing it's just eating very healthy and it's hard cuz everywhere you go you can't no it's just it's just Ezekiel bread and in an organic soup or you know I don't know you fill in the blank just whatever is healthy god-given healthy food and a lot of times too like today I'm fast for most of the day just juice because around 11 o'clock I really want that and I get moody and I say Lord take this from me you know I don't want this I'm seeking you and then that that tends to leave and then I feel joy and peace over accomplishment being filled the Spirit of God that's what it does you use that hunger and then you point it towards God you take that irritability and you point it towards God Lord I'm starving I'm hungry I really desire this but I'm craving anymore would you fill me with your spirit I know this might sound weird to some people but trust me it's biblical because you're fighting that flesh you want to know how and I said this before and I get in trouble with it but if you want to see how addicted you are to something try going without it for a few days just wake up tomorrow and do not have your cup of coffee just try it it's difficult very difficult you start getting antsy and irritable and anxious and shaking and what's going on here addiction we're addicted to so many different things now there's winning yourself off and there's a lot of different ways to do that but we've got to starve these areas that are addictive because what happens is you begin to give it I begin to give certain areas to the flesh and it begins to just grow and grow and grow and then wants to pull this down and I don't have to sit name a whole bunch of things so you guys already know what they are cuz you've been convicted about it for years haven't you or is it just me just me okay yeah all you everybody else is good man I just everywhere we go there's chocolate no chocolate nothing so it's like it's just really hard but I feel so much better when I get past it and once you you fight those things that are they're addictive to me and when you begin to take away that sugar - there's there's loes there's just oh what's going on in the withdraws because we don't realize the pole that these things have on us now a whole nother subject I can teach on some other time is how far I mean back in Jesus's time it was mainly just God given food the delicacies were me two pastries and now we've got so much junk out there that we're just filling our body with tons of of junk if somebody's like sick or they or they or certain levels of cancer different things you can begin to starve that you begin to because a lot of times we're feeding our body what's killing us acidic States you know alkaline you can go into all that but if you begin to take away all these things that are destroying the body and begin to fill feed the body just healthy life giving food you'll see an enormous difference the problem is we don't struggle over eating too many carrots we struggle over eating too many Snickers bars right I mean at Thanksgiving I didn't need too much too much of the cut up apples that pumpkin pie was what was doing it why that flesh wants that addiction wants and you got to tell that flesh no because if you don't control your desires your desires will control you bottom line and then we're let around by our desires and because we're not putting them in check and I know some people don't like to get on this you know the shame that's too much dish you're not trusting on God you're not doing this oh absolutely but I like the old saying I work as if it's all up to me and I pray as if it's all up to God see we forget there's a marriage there what do you do with all the verses that say do not be conformed to this world make no provision for the flesh abstain from fleshly desires that sounds like I have a certain responsibility to do something I don't know it's practical application and when you begin to you know it's funny what I noticed is in talking to the people when you begin to fast all lusts in general tend to decrease if somebody has an issue with pornography and you can get them on a good fast even that will have to bow at the foot of the cross because you're killing the flesh you're starving the flesh in all areas so think about that I mean the power of fasting do you know that Jesus Christ himself fasted how many days 40 days why would he have to fast and then the enemy comes in sure the Son of God turned this stone into bread man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God take him to high pinnacle show them all these things look that all this can be yours look it throw yourself down unless you count - your foot upon a stone and the angels will lift you up come on show off God show off Jesus show us who you are you will not tempt the Lord that God try going 40 days and you can turn that stone into bread there's power in that and then the Bible record something very interesting and Jesus coming out of the wilderness was filled with the Spirit of God what well actually he was filled the Spirit of God going into the wilderness after his baptism but he came out in the power of that spirit because he overcame all three of those temptations so he goes in fill with the Spirit of God comes out still filled the Spirit of God now he begins his ministry so if Jesus fasted Moses fasted Daniel fasted Paul fasted we think we're just gonna skate through it's no big deal I'm if you want some certain breakthroughs in your life think about this spiritual discipline of fasting now the other thing we've talked about the cravings of lust of the flesh what about the lust of the eyes do you know you can fast from spending and purchasing Oh try it sometime it's hard I'm on my way to Cole's do I need this or do I want it well I think we all know the answer that I'll just turn right around my wife hey I'm gonna go them all today with the kids do we need it or do we want it fasting see what you're doing is you're telling the flesh no you don't control me I control you and then what's another way too fast right here the boasting of what he or she has done see you can you can fast from food and just be as prideful and arrogant as ever before and what's the point see it's every the whole man has to fast and bow to the foot of the cross how do you take a boasting fast I don't know stop thinking more highly of ourselves than we should you look at some Facebook pages oh my lord we need a humility check on Facebook I'm doing this and I'm doing that and aren't I so great and I love my husband he's brought me flowers and he vacuumed and now we're going down they were on our third vacation we just love everything about life and Arnie it whoa trying to create this image of what we are not interesting enough I'm not going to beat up on this because I often do but all three of these you realize how they're tied to the media there's nothing wrong with the media fast trust me it will it'll blow your mind how much of a difference that makes in your life as if January 1st I haven't been going on any news reports anymore I don't hear about shootings I don't wanna hear about killings I don't wanna hear about you know it's just too much right now I'm fasting from all of that it's okay to turn off the TV for 30 days and say I'm just gonna get my work Shane that's hard and boring yeah but wait till the breakthrough comes god says how bad do you want it how bad do you want to get to know me because I'll be honest with you it's not usually sometimes until an hour into my prayer time and worshiping that I begin to feel his presence strongly so strongly sometimes I have to lay on the floor stand up and just worship Him turn on the worship music an hour into it I don't say that arrogantly I say that dependently I meet him more today than ever before but that breaks through sometimes it does like you do you sit down you turn on worship and you're just in his presence and you know it wasn't that wonderful you know sometimes you got to press through you got a fight you got a struggle this doesn't feel good I'm tired I'm bored I've got stuff to do and you just press in you fight the flesh because you have to bring the flesh into submission it will not submit on its own didn't Paul say that I bring my body in I discipline my body and bring it into subjection and I'm gonna get to that in a minute but I want to talk about something I'm gonna make a statement let me qualify it because some of you are gonna want to get up out of the room and say the chains getting heretical but I'm not it's just a good statement sometimes faith is not enough now is faith enough when it comes to salvation absolutely it's faith enough when it comes to trusting God absolutely without faith it's impossible to please God but did you know that James says faith without works is dead Martin Luther when he split from the Roman Catholic Church had a problem with that scripture because it seemed to promote work but it's not promoting works at saying genuine faith is backed by genuine works if I have faith in god i have to have works so faith without the byproduct is not genuine faith and jesus said something in Matthew 17:20 however this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting now guess what some of your Bibles it's not in there I believe it's NIV ESV again remember they come from different manuscripts we're going to talk about when we get to the book of Matthew and that's we're going to talk about where the you have what's called the majority text in the manuscript that we have a majority of from like the third fourth century and then we have earlier texts that the King James comes from and these sometimes there's a few discrepancies but we look at early church fathers writings in the first century for second century and much of that's confirmed now we don't have to worry because these aren't doctrinal discrepancies these aren't like Jesus is this and no it's just these you know they're the majority text say this verse isn't in there these this Texas yes it is however however this kind has not come out except by prayer and fasting I think it's pretty safe to assume Jesus said it if he didn't it's pretty consistent with his ministry I mean it's not like you know we have to lose sleep over these things and when people are copying the manuscripts again I'm going to get into this in the in our math you study I don't want to have time tonight but if your Bible doesn't say that that's why in some of the later manuscripts this this verse was omitted you'll probably have a note in your Bible that'll say something to that if it is in there but jesus said however this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting and this is a story of when the disciples couldn't get this demonic man in right relationship with God they couldn't cast out the demons nothing was happening that this this but this young man was just was just full of demonic oppression and there's nothing that could be done Jesus whoa you have little faith and then he comes on the scene of course Jesus can do whatever he wants he casts out these the this demonic influence and they said they said Jesus what happened here and he said these kind this kind this stronghold something of this magnitude does not come out easily your faith is not enough in that sense this is going to come out by prayer and fasting and spiritual warfare and I think that's a message for some of us today that some of these things aren't just gonna get better overnight we're gonna have to spend some time in the prayer closet we're gonna have to tie time time pressing and fasting and because it's a struggle and we have to use that that spiritual weapon of fasting and on our side some of these things that we want some of these things the family members that we're praying for when is the last time you gave up a meal for a family member for a while why is it that difficult I mean we have to eat that bad hey I'm preaching myself because it is hard very hard but that's what that's what fasting does the next point there in your notes if you're considering it fast and I would highly consider it we've got packets that we can help you with but you're gonna have to how do we talk about or how do we survive the fast because I'll be honest with you nine times out of 10 guess what happens a day or two later I'll forget that that's too hard lack of commitment gyms are full across our landscape for the next month the new year's resolution number one New Year's resolution usually is to lose weight they're gonna be packed but what about spiritual disciplines why do they always fail why do we beat ourselves up I couldn't I couldn't maintain this I couldn't finish I just gave up here's why if you can remember these things this will help you get through this surviving the fast number one you have to have a plan you have to have a plan you might say well shame that sounds so Elementary yeah but nope many people don't they don't have a plan here's what happens I'll tell you what's happening right now in this room as I'm speaking many of you are saying that sounds great that sounds like a good idea we're gonna go get stuffed tonight and we're gonna start tomorrow sounds easy until it actually is time to do it see I'm just gonna have juice tomorrow oh it sounds great right now eggs and bacon and hash browns in the morning you're gonna be like wow my lord and then you know what happened we got a rough day today lot going on let me start Monday oh come on it's just me the plays these games I remember one time I started a no coffee fast and oh that kids were up all night only those nights are sick when they're about five or six times some organ ice mmm it's gonna be a hard day we were up all night I'll just go get Starbucks and you know and then about 10 10 days later it's like we better get back on the fast and well it's too difficult it's too hard without the plan we plan to fail basically now all the stuffs from corporate America I know plan to fail fail to plan all this stuff but God's Word you should have a plan so what I usually do is I write it down so I have exactly what I'm doing with my prayer requests and I revisit this often so when it gets tough actually I've got to check where I put check marks in my room right now my office you know check check check check check like 12 days through this or whatever it is so I can revisit it often here's my plan here's my prayer request you've got to stay focused on what you're doing why are you doing it you have to revisit that often you have to have a plan so every morning when I get up and I just look at that the prayer requests lord I know you're gonna work in these areas scriptures all these different things also you gotta let family members know you have to tell people I said I don't want to tell them because the Bible says well it's okay to tell somebody it's the whole thing about about fasting and private is to not be arrogant about it I'm so spiritual I'm so holy and fasting look at me that's what Jesus was addressing what's wrong today brother I'm just fasting I'm so so I'm on my 10th they have no food and I earn it you know you're just telling everybody that's not saying hey spouse I'm gonna start this I need your help because out of sight out of mind I don't want Twinkies I don't want ding-dongs I don't want anything in our house nothing out of sight out of mind so that's you have to have a plan for these things next thing be prepared that's what I said earlier it's very easy to say no right now I bet I bet I could get 90% of this room to agree to a fast tomorrow right now nice full belly sounds great not yeah it sounds that's a good idea Shane I want to do that but then there's a disconnect when it comes to the practical application so you have to be prepared to be forewarned is to be forearmed listen to be forewarned is to be forearmed the enemy is going to come in and he's gonna look at for opportune times you know what the biggest Durell are fast and seeking God usually is or getting off a schedule is is things come into our life that were not expecting bad news or the days not going we're always a planning on that while I'll just start my fast tomorrow I'll just he looks for these opportune times he knows he's not gonna get us right now hello everybody I was fasting where I see God okay sounds great but when it comes to doing it to be forewarned is to be forearmed know that he's gonna look for difficult he's gonna look for those times and come in and try to pull you away then because that's what happens it's easy to say it t actually the day's going easy and then you know we get invited somewhere or it's somebody's birthday and we got to have a piece of cake that's so that's my life - gotta have a piece of cake and ice cream can't just go there and say no I'm on a fast yeah I can yep yep I sure can hey thanks I so appreciate just can't tonight I'm on a special you know Who am I gonna offend stomach yeah so you got to be prepared for these things also on have unrealistic expectations unrealistic expectations set something that's realistic that way you can follow it that's why Martin Luther said where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is tested listen every time you feel that battle raging up and you feel it where that battle rages that's where the loyalty of the soldier is tested do you know one of the big concerns in the churches in America is there's no the faith is not being tested you go to the underground Church in Iran Iraq China those are those are true Christians I mean there you got you're either a Christian or you're not gonna be part of this group in America we've got all kinds of people coming to church there's no battle fighting there's no rate wars raging there's nothing it's good people that's what they do they come to church that's why this is important where the battle rages it's there that the loyalty of the soldiers tested that's where you'll be tested on those points of where the battle is it's easy right now but when those things start to happen that's where the real the real the rubber meets the road continued motivation when it comes to fasting you've got to be continually motivated go online listen to this message again listen this message again listen to other messages read certain things you've got to keep feeding that motivation and one of the things that's helped me if you look in your bulletin I think it's in there it's called the cost of addiction I don't know if if I sent it to Elizabeth in time might not know okay my fault the cost of addiction well if you wanted I can send it to you but it gives what what addiction does eight different things of how it ruins our relationship with God ruins are they shoot with our families all these things that it does and if we just if we if you look at what it's doing to you that out of motivation should help you get through it so you gotta have constant motivation and this is the best if you're hungry go read this and we do have a little differently there because when they would fast Jesus's time it would take a little while to go catch the game the fish get the sticks on the you know barbecue get it lit get everything I mean you here two hours you see lunch now will drive through Del Taco and ITA's were driving with the steering wheel and texting in the other hand oh I see people do it all the time I'm scared to drive anymore especially young guys if you're under 30 should not have a cell phone your car so I look at the Wrights green light nine times out of ten when somebody's not going it's because they're texting I'm getting off track here accountability - you need accountability let people know let them know these areas of weakness and they can help you through it and finally I have to mention this is falling forward you will blow it from time to time you've got to fall forward you can't get so discouraged most people do you know that quit addictions whether it's alcohol they've stumbled quite a few times but they get so sick and tired of being sick and tired falling forward getting back up and falling back into God's arms of forgiveness I'm not giving you license to do something I'm giving you encouragement to fall forward if that does happen because what happens if we blow it we either go in there towards God or in the wrong direction so you forget it I'm giving up it's too late now when I used to work with weight loss clients all the time they would blow it all the time I did long if you don't know my story but I lost 70 pounds over a course of a year gained a little bit of that backwards alright but during that time I would blow it all the time but you would get back on track do good for a few days oh man I'd do it's about this that's the Christian walk isn't it is your what you fall back a little bit but you get back up you fall back you get back up it's pressing for three points to consider and I'll be drawing this to close pretty soon number one unbridled passions are perversions they cannot they should not be coddled they should be crucified let me say they get unbridled passions are perversions what the enemy does is he takes a good thing and perverts it and then it becomes a bad thing so that's what the flesh is set to do first Peter 2:11 beloved I urge you I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against the soul that's a strong word the new American commentary says in your bulletins the depth of the struggle in which believers are engaged is explained by the words which war against your soul obviously the desires of the flesh that emerging believers are quite strong if they are described in terms of warfare it's an enemy that attempts to conquer believers so you see that you see the challenge here see the Bible a lot of times we think the Bible just turn the other cheek love everybody and all life will be great the Bible talks about Christians being farmers working hard diligent athletes and soldiers warriors so when we look at Christianity as a battlefield not a playground things change a little bit now I am forewarn now I'm prepared for the unsalted unsalted the enemy the next verse or the next point here drawing closer to God always requires spiritual disciplines can we remember that drawing closer to God always always shave always require spiritual disciplines there's no such thing as drawing closer to God without spiritual disciplines we don't drive down the road on our way to schooners listening to Howard Stern drawing closer to God it just in how you know even get me started but people think that they're just you cannot draw closer to God without spiritual disk prayer fasting worship petitioning God reading his word fellowship these things propel us toward God we think we can go to the gym I know it see guys go to the gym six days a week they're all worrying they're good they understand that part of discipline but when it comes to spiritual discipline we somehow lose our mind it doesn't matter it doesn't apply to me I didn't get through by osmosis well look at the versatile Court earlier first Corinthians 9:27 Paul says I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest when I have preached to others i myself will become disqualified another translation says I discipline my body like an athlete training to do what it should the English standard version I discipline my body and keep it under control this is one of the most overlooked secrets of the Christian faith out there we are supposed to discipline our body and if you look that up in the original do you know what it means Paul saying I know I beat my body black and blue I bring it under subjection I bring it under control I discipline my body why because when I preach to others carry os-- it means to proclaim to publish when I preach to others I will become disqualified what has disqualified me ineligible for service so Paul saying I have to beat my body black and blue not in some weird thing but just springing into submission because it does not go easy it's not an easy struggle he says I discipline my body I have to that's the only way it's going to be brought under control see where does it roll the Holy Spirit come in there well the Holy Spirit as I often say sanctification is God's job but obedience is ours they're married as we submit and surrender and do certain things were filled the Spirit of God then we can accomplish these things so that's what Paul saying there drawing closer to God always requires spiritual disciplines you've got to I've got to discipline our bodies and I think that's overlooked because a lot of people don't understand that that is a vital element of the Christian faith do you realize that that's a fruit of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit love joy peace contentment long-suffering gentleness kindness and self-control discipline that's a byproduct if somebody filled the spirit so we're not supposed to run around as Christians Oh whoa am I all these addictions are pulling me different ways my addictions are control my desires are in control I can't stop eating I can't stop consuming I'm just tossed to and fro no you discipline your body you state you say here and no further as a believer you have that authority you have that power in Romans five six and seven Paul spends a lot of times on saying you are dead to sin you're dead to it well why is it still alive in me because whatever you choose to obey becomes your master I mean Roman says you're dead to sin you're dead to it and often thought why is it so alive in me the powers dead the influence is not so how does it influence through the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life that's all you're ever gonna have to worry about you ever want to know if the devil's coming after you those three areas whatever my flesh goes after that's ungodly whatever my eyes desire that's not godly and the arrogance of my soul that'll take me down take you down every single time and the reason these things are so challenging it's so that we can be aware of them won't be to the man who's not aware and prepared for the enemy's attack actually that's one of my responsibilities as a pastor is to preach the word in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine so we have to teach these difficult things the last thing you must avoid rules without a relationship obedience without brokenness and ritual without humility see many people go on a fast but they just become moody irritable angry people on a great you're on a fast why are you so Moody and irritable and angry and why are you so proud about it we can go on a we can go on a fast and get very prideful oh and so spiritual I'm this and that so he's saying listen don't even bother if you had time to read alright well you got time to read Isaiah 58 and I might try real quick this this is sometimes this this is taking off context but look what God's saying in Isaiah 58 I'll read it real quick from the New King James God's saying through the prophet Isaiah cry aloud and spare not lift up your voice like a trumpet tell my people their transgressions there's a new one God's telling the prophet Isaiah go and tell the people their sins against me now when we come out and do that from the pulpit we're called narrow-minded legalistic and arrogant we're called the church's unloving but God says listen go tell the people my transgressions why so break through can take place so repentance can take place that's the whole point of it it's not to upset for the point or too upset to upset it's upset to see lives changed so that's what God's saying here go tell the people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins yet they seek me daily God's saying go tell them about all their sins in abomination because what they're doing they're still coming and seeking me as if there's nothing wrong then they delight to know my ways if they're as a nation that does righteousness and they're as a nation that did not forsake my ordinances but they have they asked of me of justice they take delight in approaching God they say well why have we fasted and you have not seen why have we afflicted our souls and you've taken no notice in fact in the day of your fast you find pleasure you exploit all your Labor's and indeed you fast for strife and debate and to strike with the fist those of wickedness you will not fast as you do this day to make your voice heard on high it is a fast that I have chosen a day for man to afflict his soul it is to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread out sackcloth and ashes would you call this a fast and acceptable day to the Lord and then he goes on to say is this not the fast that I have chosen here's what God says go and loose the bonds of wickedness go in and do the heavy burdens go and let the oppressed go go free let every yoke be broken share your bread with the hungry and bring your house the poor into them when you see the naked clothe them and do not hide yourself from your own flesh in other words he's saying get rid of all these aterial motives all this arrogance all this stuff of you think you're pleasing me but you're doing all these things that are so ungodly remove these things from your life and then he says then your light will break forth like the morning then your healing will break forth speedily and your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard then you will call on the Lord and I will answer you shall cry and I will say Here I am that's the true fast with the right heart and the right motives now fortunately we reap what we sow even though fasting is difficult let me encourage you that there will become an immediate sense of joy once you begin to break through the struggles there's a sense of joy there you don't have to fight for hours and hours and hours but there's also delayed gratification to which we don't we know little about and our push to microwave button we don't understand delayed gratification let me read that story again just the ending Renauld stayed in that bedroom for 10 years and wasn't released until after Edward died in battle by then his health was so ruined that he died within a year a prisoner of his own appetite I'm going to close with the quick quick story crystal you guys could come up if you want and many of you have heard this before in Ashton it's it's been told different ways but I think it really brings a point home here tonight some of you've heard the story it's it's been said different ways and I can relate as a father with a little boy from which some of you can as well to but it's a story of this little boy who is to build this hook this fort up on top of a little hill in his backyard and he kept pushing this this big barrel up the hill this it was gonna be the foundation and just kept pushing it up and his dad was watching him out the window and it just kept falling down the hill and he would just use all his strength and push this this barrel back up the hill and it fall back down and then he turned around and tried to push it up this way and it was just almost knocked him back down and he just kept using all his strength everything he could and after 15 minutes he broke down and started crying he can't do any more his dad comes outside and says get up get up you didn't use all your strength because yes I did dad I push with all mine because no you didn't you didn't use all your strength push and the boy said daddy I can't you're making me feel but I've tried as hard as I can and the dad said no you didn't son you didn't ask me you didn't ask me for that help the son could have asked the father and that's a perfect parallel to this many of you you're trying stuff in your own strength in your own flesh our flesh apart from God will never succeed he is our strength he is our fortress we look to him and him alone so stop thinking my strength I can't keep doing this I keep blowing I keep yes that's right give it to God tonight turn it over to him allow him to take that addiction in that pain all those things we'll give it to him say Lord I can't do this in my own strength I need you to push and do this for me that's the whole point of this entire message is to get you back and relying on God 1 number one to see our need for a savior see our need for that and to turn to him and on that note if you know if there's somebody here tonight that doesn't know that you're not right relationship with God during worship cry out to him it's not the eloquence of your prayer that matters it's a brokenness of your heart to say lord I need you to forgive me of my sin I need Christ I'm turning to you tonight or those who have been fighting addictions and fighting addictions and you just you're basically ready to say forget it I'm just made this way God says no you're not I can take that away or I can help you get through it see sometimes he doesn't just remove things like that for some people they've got a fight alcoholism for the rest of their life for others God took it away whatever it is sometimes he's there with us during that struggle during our battle but he wants us to look to him and fully surrender everything say Lord I can't do this anymore you know those are the most healthy words you could ever say that's what turn my life around 1999 I was just on the couch just weeping saying Lord I can't do this anymore there's almost like you say it's about time it's about time they'll get out of the way let me take over because that's what you do you surrender all you break and you say Lord Here I am take me take my situation take my addiction Lord Jesus said all your heavy-laden all who are heavy laden come to me and I will carry that yoke I will carry that bird Lord I just give you this message tonight Lord strengthen us Lord all of us that want to fight the addictions fight the flesh Lord I pray that those who want to fast Lord will start out strong and they will finish strong Lord have us remember this message Lord that you'll be our strength you'll be our encouragement Lord but I do pray as we begin to fast that breakthroughs will happen we'll see answers to prayer healings Lord deliverance of certain things financial doors will open Lord because we're seeking you but we pray heaven down on this area of our lives Lord we want to fight the flesh and we want to win Lord we just ask that you would bring strength in this area of weakness we pray this in Jesus name Amen

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 34,073

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Shane Idleman

Id: 5XE7_V6c5vg

Length: 54min 46sec (3286 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 12 2013