The Pain of Discipline Over the Pain of Regret by Shane Idleman

you I've got a message it's burning on my heart this morning it's all week and the devil has been playing tricks in my mind telling me that nobody's gonna be interested in this topic or they're not going to want to hear this topic but for some reason I feel compelled to share it with you and we are going into Matthew 6 Matthew chapter 6 verse 16 if you have your Bibles if not there's one in front of you Matthew chapter 6 verse 16 and I'm actually going to just read that one verse for the day and it's gonna take me a little bit while to get there I'm gonna explain why the title of the message is the pain of discipline over the pain of regret the pain of discipline over the pain of regret understand that you will feel one or the other right we either feel the pain of discipline or we experience the pain of regret it's one of those two choices and all the areas we've been discussing in this last series on when you when you give when you pray and now we're getting into drumroll please when you fast oh oh that's gonna that's not really resonating well with us is it I like I'm okay with giving I do that I'm okay with praying but now you're getting into my business shame but all these areas require discipline anything anything if you're going to accomplish anything in life it's going to require discipline is it not athletes contractors business owners foremen moms dads whatever that anything in life that's worth having worth fighting for it worth working toward requires discipline one of the things even though I wasn't raised with it with a father who was a Christian one thing I am very thankful for is that he instilled a lot of discipline into my life if we didn't have work to do that day in construction he would say go pull weeds until lunchtime and that's what I did and discipline in torch arts and and disciplining the body and the more I read in the Bible the more I see this axe aspect of discipline that is by the important Paul actually said I discipline my body and I bring it into subjection I discipline it I beat it is really the literal translation is I beat my body black and blue and I bring it into subjection into my control versus my body controlling me now the danger with this type of topic is many people can go on the to the extreme end of it and then it's all about works it's all about haughtiness it's all about doing doing doing and we begin to worship discipline that's not where I want to go here I want to show you that the pain of discipline is far more valuable than the pain of regret which we know just saying that doesn't sound right does it but throughout scripture God disciplines us then we discipline our bodies he disciplines us we discipline our bodies Psalm 94 12 blessed is the one you discipline the Lord Lord you the one that you teach so blessed is the person that God disciplines and then one of the things that's ironic is when we discipline ourselves our bodies then we're not going to be disciplined by God as much it's it's a it's ironic circle there with God with discipline those he loves if we're going in a wrong way he disciplines us but then we're supposed to discipline our bodies here's what I'm really trying to get out if you don't discipline your body if you don't control it if you don't bring it under subjection it becomes and it's not your slave then you become it's slave you become the slave of your body your appetites begin to control you no longer have control of it it now controls you and we know that's not healthy it's not scriptural Jack Hayford said this you can't cast out the flesh and you cannot discipline a demon you'll get that in a little bit you can't cast out the flesh and discipline a demon now I don't know what your thoughts are on demonic on theology and the demonic realm but in a nutshell you can't cast out the flesh flesh stop doing that well it's going to keep doing that you have to discipline the flesh you have to and if there's a demonic strongholds working in your life you can't discipline that you've got to go to the blood of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and and and and cause that demonic influence to leave your life now for those who aren't charismatic your conservative let me quote John MacArthur how's that well balance it out true faith is never seen as passive it is always obedient true faith is always marked with discipline if you see true faith you see discipline it goes together one of the things I started do many years ago is read MacArthur Study Bible and Jack Hayford Study Bible and you can get both views and and and try to marry those those different views on the Holy Spirit and different things but that was just a rabbit trail for you let me recap something I said last year sounds like a long time ago doesn't it few months ago we cannot be filled with the spirit and always giving in to fleshly desires it makes us very weak spiritually the message of self-denial is not popular any time I speak on this topic any time I am called legalistic I'm called the moralist I'm called works-based and I'm simply reading what scripture says and teaching what the Scriptures teach the problem is many of those people are convicted and don't like this aspect of self-denial and denying self that is the Christian life if you look at the life of Jesus did he not deny self you know itself is right that right well he actually didn't have sin in him but somehow he was tempted but didn't sin and it's it's it's a mystery there but denying self is part of the Christian walk that's why it's not popular if I was going to tell everybody I'm going to talk about this we probably wouldn't have that many people here I don't wanna talk about discipline tell me about abundance tell me about reaping not sowing see we like to reap right but do you know reap the farmer has to work pretty hard before he reaps the benefit he has to say have you ever seen a farmer I'm talking about years ago that kind of farmer I guess many of you haven't cuz you're not that old nobody has but I remember my family came from the farms of Oklahoma on my dad's side and they were days of 12-hour days Sun blistered faces necks it's where that word wrecked neck comes from I think I don't know but and and your your your palm you know just blisters on your feet blisters on your hand you worked hard you sewed into the soil to read but somehow there's coming to the church this this this this aspect that we don't need to to really talk about that anymore it's it's that was good for Old Testament times that was good for the early church fathers and but Shane that's not for us today so it's not popular but it is powerful and I remember a quote that Tom Landry said remember of the Dallas Cowboys many years ago I think I read this twenty years ago when I was in cells twenty-five years ago and how it even applies now he said the job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be the application I believe is even greater for the church the job of a pastor is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be most in this room want to be more for God do more for God we want to grow spiritually we Lord I want more of you and that's good as the deer pants after the brook is the Christian desires see when I desire more of God I do things to help fulfill that desire if I don't desire him what am I going to do anything to propel and and to fuel that relationship not not a thing so it's good to have that so so to get to where we want to be I'm going to have to tell you things that you don't want to hear and you don't want to do but the whole idea of coaching or pastoring many times is to pull out of you what God has already placed inside of you this is this is already in us so we have to pull it out to see the benefits and this message really the pain of discipline over the pain regret is I'm I'm actually gonna set the stage for fasting what Jesus talked about because jesus said when you fast when the bridegroom is here don't fast but when the bridegroom is taken away they will fast it's interesting if you ever noticed now we tend to say when you sin and if you fast but the Bible says when you fast and if you sin but we chant like when you sin like it's you're gonna sin when you sin you have an advocate to go to the Father and if you decide to fast but the New Testament talks about when you fast like you're going to do this and if you sin and what we like to twist that around so we can avoid this fasting aspect even a little bit more so I'm standing the stage for next week's message I'm gonna talk to those who want to be a lean mean fighting machine that's my goal is to get to that point because I can't go right into what Jesus was talking about in regard to fasting if we don't have the foundation laid because when you want to really fast you're there's gonna be a little bit of self discipline involved just a tiny bit right a lot the fasting is denying the self and self discipline what contractor is going to start to put the house together without the foundation laid I mean I did that one as a little boy I'd start making things and my dad would laugh and it would blow over in the wind right but you should really succeed in this area we have to lay the foundation so that's the point this morning lay the foundation make sure you're here next week because I'm going to talk about the benefits of spiritual benefits of fasting and how this can radically change your life and I don't just say that to say it I've seen it in my own life the countless biographies countless books countless articles early church fathers Christ in life of Christ and life of Peter and the life of David in the life of you can look at Samuel you can look at Israel you can look at Nehemiah you can look at Elijah you can look at Moses it was it's a powerful aspect it's a powerful tool that God has given us so let me give you a little scriptural support on the screen for this idea of the pain of discipline and the reason I love this type of message is because this type of message if you can grab hold of it it will make you a better husband it will make you a better wife it'll make you a better father it will make make you a better mother because when you control your appetites and said of your appetites controlling you you are more filled with the holy spirit you're set on fire for God you want to do more for God and I think the many times the reason people aren't filled with God's Spirit and aren't doing a lot for him don't have that passion is because they are being dragged around by their flesh instead of them dragging their flesh around see we're supposed to say oh yeah it's 6:00 a.m. and we're going to the prayer meeting I don't want you I don't care what you say flesh you're coming you're coming with me come on come on get it get in the car slam the door shut your yo yeah oh you want to stop by Krispy Kreme guess what we're not even gonna eat this morning how do you like that you don't want to worship and raise your hands and come to the altar you want to go home cuz you don't feel good kid in there stay in that car see you're dragging the flesh around you're telling it what what did she do what's the opposite of that it's it's dragging you around telling you what you should do controlling your life your choices allowing tons of mistakes to come in tons of regret because I didn't experience a pain of discipline I'm experiencing the pain of regret and as we all know which one is worse discipline discipline hurts doesn't it I don't want to do it for a little while but regret is long-term here's some support scriptural support romans 6:16 do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as a slave for obedience you are slaves of the one whom you obey either of sin resulting in death which is regret of obedience resulting in righteousness which is disciplining the body so it's interesting there either way we are slaves did you know that you're either a slave to righteousness and to Christ into the work of the Holy Spirit and wherever you move me Lord I am your slave I am your Doulos we translate now as it as a servant in some of the new translations but that word actually means slave so Lord I'm your I'm your slave a Holy Spirit what do you want me to do you want me to deny that you want I'm your slave or your slave to the flesh that's where people have cracked me up that don't know the Lord and they mock Christians how you worship God out there you you're just you're your slave to God well you're a slave to the sin that you're caught in you see your slave to something as well whatever you choose to obey becomes your master choose life that you may live 2nd Timothy 1:7 you know what let me just I wrote this down this morning I don't this morning the problem in in the church with many of us is the problem is not we have too much discipline it's we don't have enough we it's it's not hey we've talked about this enough we're doing good in this area we dropped the ball in this area I'm fingers pointing at myself as well this area of disciplining ourselves disciplining our bodies we don't have too much of it we don't have enough now let me throw out the big disclaimer right don't beat yourself up don't be sitting here going oh I can never measure up to what that guy's talking about why did I even come here this morning I can't handle this I can't follow rules no it's not about that don't beat yourself up don't get caught in this works works worked because that is dead that's a dead end really what it is it's yielding to the work of the holy spirit so when there's something confronting me I say Lord I'm saying no I'm yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit helped me in this area because he matures me he grows me he grows you he aids us he comes along as a helper as a comforter as a as a sustainer so we don't put all this all this trust in flesh and effort and works we put our trust in the Holy Spirit but I've got to do something I mean I don't I really don't understand the other side of this equation where they say brother it's all up to the Holy Spirit okay why I've got about 45 scriptures here their challenge me then make no provision for the flesh okay throw that out the window flee sexual immorality wait a minute I thought the Holy Spirit was gonna take it from me I got to flee and run and get out of here make no provision let this mind be in you which was no I like this mind of being bitter and angry what do you mean put like this mind be I thought the Holy Spirit's gonna change me see so it's a polar because there's churches where it's all about brother it's works it's works it's works and discipline yourself and don't ever don't you you had a beer three months ago how could you you actually only smoked a cigarette six months ago info but how could you discipline discipline discipline discipline get on this altar you lame like a like here in the Marines right yeah I can't believe you and you just beat people up I can never measure up that's not the right idea but then this other side of just whatever whatever goes goes and Holy Spirit's gonna change me you know it there's there is and I don't know what the exact wording would be because it's not that we help the holy spirit right he helps us it's not that he needs us he could just do this in which you know but there's a there's a pattern there that Scripture calls us to to discipline the flesh first Timothy 1:7 for the Spirit God gave us the spirit that God gave you do you have the Holy Spirit residing in you it does not make you timid it gives you power love and self-discipline you yield to the spirit Titus 1:8 rather he must be hospitable now this is talking about leaders in the church elders and deacons if a person wants a position of some type of leadership in the church that could be children's ministry worship deacons elders I mean if you're in a position of spiritual authority this is actually qualifications for an elder I believe and deacons would fall into this as well but here's what he says he must be hospitable I mean you're a nice person you're welcoming you're you're joyful you're considerate you're not a you know humbug Scrooge you know that guy that won't fly in leadership I mean you just can't be Scrooge well I take care of the money no you have to be nice and hospitable one who loves what is good you have to love the truth and be willing to stake your reputation on that quite possibly your life in other countries you love what is truth what is good who is self-controlled what's the opposite of that right you're not controlling self self is controlling you so self controls up right holy and discipline there's that word again I can't we can't get away from it now if you think I'm reading this going I've met all these qualities for the last year I've never had to work on discipline I've always been self controlled that's not true that is not true when I was gonna tell you this story later but it fits now maybe my daughter remember this maybe three or four times a year I try to make healthy brownies and I'm gonna eat one little square a day right you know you got the dark chocolate organic dark chocolate couple teaspoons of honey some almond butter flax seed flour egg salt sodium baking but you know I already have the recipe down they even asked for avocado puree and it just makes it give it a texture I don't know but what I wouldn't you know it that whole thing is gone in that day that whole thing is gone I mean you're talking 1,500 calories and that my daughter just in December she goes dad you ate all the brownies again I know I food what is wrong with me but see I know I can't get every egg okay three months later like okay bet I can make healthy brownies this time I'll tell Morgan to hide them but there's something see out of sight out of mind got to know yourself that's why the Bible says make no provision to fulfill the lust of the flesh make no provision for the flesh that means don't plan ahead how to satisfy the flesh so I just don't let make that stuff anymore I've even tried two weeks ago you find it even says you know the the the whatever healthy cookies chocolate chip you know organic all-natural no this preserves it and that whole bag is gone within a day and a half the whole like Lord what is wrong with me I do that because you got to know if I haven't looked because they whisper sweet nothings around 11 o'clock at night I get up how does my body know to get up and if I if I fight doubt I get some water instead when you know it at 1:00 in the morning hey remember me doesn't it sound good with a big cup of milk you can go back to that does sound good I fall every single time I've never been able I've never been able to conquer that area when it comes to chocolate chocolate chip cookies brownie and they just I just can't do it so I haven't guessed I haven't learned in 48 years but that's one tiny self-control there's a self content is qualify me as an elder but that's it can open up doors we had to remove Shane he just you won't stop eating brownies you just won't stop eating brownies yeah you have to ask my daughter because she is it dad you ate all the brownies again I just remembered remembered some of these well that's why out of sight out of mind right John Wesley he founded the Methodist denomination I would not I don't think he'd be too pleased at the direction they've been going the last decade or two but he required fasting for all his leaders on Wednesdays and Fridays I believe it was and some people say us that was legalistic it's too hard they shouldn't require that and I don't know if it should be a requirement but his point was if you read his journal is that leaders he wants leaders that have learned to discipline their appetites rather than out rather than their appetites disciplining them and I know hundreds of pastors all over the United States a lot here and I can tell you who's disciplined and who's not by what they allow in their by their appetites are their appetites controlling them and it really affects your spirituality it really affects your affects my preaching to a very very big degree when I when I given in this area William Penn who found in Pennsylvania he said no man is fit to command another who cannot command him self now we all struggle right I was convicted this many of you have talked to his story and when I did health seminar two years ago I was 240 pounds now I'm about 200 so I was convicted I thought you know I just keep giving and just eating too much of a good thing like I can I can I can gain weight on chicken breast and rice and pasta and potatoes and get back do I need or a second helping do I need chocolate doing and I just these appetites we were beginning to control more than I wanted them to control I said Lord I've got to get back to that place of controlling and people laugh sometimes I mean all their shame you can't do this well do you know how much of a struggle it is because if I give in for that potluck I give him for this dinner I give in for this lunch I give in for this get-together I give in for this men's breakfast heck let's have donuts in the morning at the coffee and that you just keep giving in then you begin to experience that that those bad choices so you have to hold that ground sometimes the pain a discipline or the pain of regret 1st Corinthians 9 26 NIV I do not I do not run like some someone running aimlessly I do not fight like a boxer beating the air no I strike a blow to my body and I make it my slave so that after I have preached to others i myself should not be disqualified for the price what is disqualified ineligible for an office because of an infringement so Paul is Paul's preaching this listen I he says I discipline my body make no provision for the flesh the flee sexual immorality do in do you come on Christians and then he just gives in to his appetite you know if you see me claim-jumper later today and I got a big L beer and a big piece of chocolate pie in a big steak what I mean your what is that what does that chant you just kind of you just qualified from your message today I know I preach it I don't live it I mean come on who's gonna live it it's easy to preach it but and and but but my disqualified means anybody can go against God and do whatever they want but disqualified they're ineligible and in God's eyes if they keep giving up to the appetites giving up to the appetites giving up to the appetites Paul saying listen stop begin to take control of your body and begin to discipline it and be let it become your slave versus the other way around or you won't be qualified to lead others so now that the stage is set okay the stage is set let's present the main attraction fasting is what Jesus is going to talk about not shame Jesus it's where we're at Matthew six Jesus saying this okay and you have to remember this in this area of fasting important doctrines are always attacked important doctrines are always attacked when I talk about the power the filling the anointing the unction of the Holy Spirit many say oh I see those guys on TV I don't want that okay well don't let a counterfeit sidetracked you from from going after the original from the real thing so the whole that's one reason why I think there's a big divide what's the Holy Spirit that people are weirdness it's because it's a very important doctrine I think it was Lena Raven and host said one hour of being anointed by the Spirit of God can change your entire life can set the course of something completely different or what about the the the doctrine of inerrancy of Scripture you don't think this is attacked holiness that's an important doctrine throughout all of the Bible come out from among to be separate live different my people are going to live different than the world but then what do people say especially they tell me this I get post or faith they go that's too extreme that's too extreme I can watch Desperate Housewives reruns and I can go to Fifty Shades of Grey and I'm gonna go watch Lady gaga do her thing I'm not gonna be like you Shane I've gotta stay don't can't do anything right it's attacked it's attacked holiness has attacked because important doctrine so fasting is has been attacked even recently the last couple of decades it used to be in the forefront of a lot of Christian Christian theology probably 50 60 years ago so when Jesus tells us to do something the outcome is good when Jesus tells you to do something the outcome is always going to be good okay so here's the first verse where we're gonna stop Matthew 6 16 jesus said moreover remember he just said when you pray when you give now he's saying when you fast so here's what you have you go home come to this conclusion on your own read the Bible on fasting I think there's 87 or 77 mentions throughout and to ask yourself does this not apply to us today so he's talking to his disciples when you fast do not be like the hypocrites with the sad countenance and I just remember thought of Luke is well I put this in here 535 in those days they will fast the bridegroom's here they're not fasting but when I'm taken away they will fast but going back to the hypocrites he said for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting surely I say to you that they have their reward so this is about motives is it not don't look like the hypocrite don't look like you're fasting let people don't let people know necessarily basically we shouldn't have a sad countenance we shouldn't have a sad appearance and this is where I'm gonna stay actually for a little bit on this sermon because I want to prepare you for fasting next week and I don't think the reason most people can't and the reason why I believe I truly believe it's a lot harder for us than at wes 2000 years ago is because when we start to fast we start to experience withdraws from nicotine caffeine sugar GMOs pesticides herbicides fungicides all these IDEs what about the hormones in beef and meat and all these oli believe it or not there are tons of chemicals in the food man man has altered the food completely so when you stop this you're actually going through withdrawals no different than getting off xanax or valium another withdrawals are a lot harder with those things but the body's going through withdraws just stop coffee for one day and you everybody's gonna get out of your way right so we we can't I've seen it we can't really fast until we begin to get in a position too fast because you okay Shane I'm motivated and I'm pumped up I'm starting tomorrow morning I'm not I'm gonna fast I'm gonna see what God wants to do and you can't get it two or three hours because of the caffeine headache because of the the sugar overload that the sugar the body's screaming for more sugar it's screaming for more partially hydrogenated oils it's screaming for more sodium nitrates it's screaming for more MSG monosodium glutamate it's it's screaming for all these chemicals that were trying to clean our body from so that's why so many people fail at fasting do you know how many times I felt it fasting that's why and I still fell it fasting sometimes but five years ago I said okay Lord I'm gonna start Saturday so I'm gonna fast all day and then go to preach oh boy oh boy I've started with one mill then two mills and eventually now the body's trained I can go 24 hours water only it doesn't it doesn't feel much different but it took some time cleaning that stuff out of the system so because when it back then Jesus okay I'm gonna fast okay that just means I'm not having fish nuts and dates there's no chemical withdraw there might be a glucose withdraw from the sugars and different things in the dates of fructose it's actually a good healthy fruit or sugar for you but the body you everyone's withdrawing I've tried to help dozens of people with fasting couple of maybe one or two out of dozens and dozens and they just can't do it so I said you know what we need to take a different approach we need to get ready we need to get the body ready because then we get we get frustrated don't we I mean I've tried fasting before I was long as I went to seven days water only and about just the first couple days it just was very difficult then it then you have a breakthrough and then around day six or so I was cleaning the backyard cleaning the house and went on a job with with just water because the body is designed to fast God has created you to fast did you know that I believe that's how we were created what you do is when you eat when you consume something primarily carbohydrates fruit different things that is stored as quick energy it's called glycogen glucose it's stored in your muscle and in your liver about 1,500 to 2,000 calories but instead of using that we just consume and consume and consume and we put on extra storage so the body is meant to use that glucose and when the glucose is depleted guess what happens I start to starve no you don't all my muscle goes away no it doesn't it's actually preserved and and and human growth hormone HGH and different hormones good hormones are actually elevated when you begin to fast your body even your mind says okay now I'm gonna stop burning glucose and Garba hydrates that I have stored because the storage tank is empty now I'm going to go primarily into your fat reserves as fuel that's why you'll see the ketogenic diet keep ketones and a ketosis and these things it's your body now switching how God designed it to go into a very clean fuel source of fat and you can go days and weeks off that fuel source that's how the body was designed doing that also begins to clean and clear out areas plaque in the arteries a cancer for example cancer when you get a tumor do you know it sometimes the tumor can be good because it's a collection of the poisons in one central area if you fast there studies out there I can show you all kinds of studies where it'll begin to consume that because the body is so smart why is it so smart they'll say well we've evolved nah I say no God says we were created in His image wonderfully and wonderfully made right so the body actually goes and not attacks the liver and the heart and the kidney for fuel it goes after dead cells and diseased tissue for fuel so your body begins to consume the tumour and these dead tissues and these things it begins to clean house there's a cleaning that takes place so I believe what people will be a lot more healthy if we took care of this wonderful gift that God has given us and got us through the cleansing process that's what fasting does anytime says Jesus says do something for spiritual reasons it always has physical benefits now even though the thrust of this message is on physical benefits the spiritual benefit is what we're after correct that is the priority and that is the primary thing but that's why this message this first week is important because you most people just can't fast the reef or the reward is spiritual and physical closer intimacy with God and feeling better doesn't it doesn't go together I mean can you think about this can you really pray and seek God when you have a headache and my pants are too tight and my pop pop pop my buttons are popping I got a loose oh I don't feel very good ate too much and and you have this this sluggish lethargic body do you really think you can seek God to the same degree because that's how because when my body was sluggish and lethargic and 40 pounds over what it should be when that happens that means my flesh is the dominating controlling aspect of my life my flesh is controlling me and I'm full of that the appetites I've been giving into appetite so it's hard to seek God and deny the flesh when you've been feeding your body and and feeding the flesh all week long so they go hand in hand remember we are body soul and spirit I don't want going to get weird here don't worry but we our body right what we put into the body we have a soul our emotions our intellect it's what we put into our mind I could do a whole nother sermon on negative thinking bitterness anger resentment how that is toxic to your body so body soul and spirit they all work together so if those are off kilter body's off kilter mine's a mess or is a spiritual aspect going to be operating at full potential that's why the Bible says didn't I the flesh gluttony zas in starve it from time to time feed your mind with the things of God and then you'll be filled with the Holy Spirit it's a it's a strong three three three cord with strand there that can't easily be broken now trust me I wanted to delete this message all week because I know it ruffles feathers and I'm not here condemning I don't want people leaving here saying all pastors shaming it was it I want people knowing that I'm trying to help you my background is helping 30,000 people in in health and fitness and I saw amazing results physically so my thought is why can't why shouldn't the children of God benefit not only spiritually but be physically sound because when I feel good physically I want to go to the hospital homes I'm nicer to my children I'm nicer to my wife I'm nicer to the staff I'm nicer to all of you I live life more joyful because I'm filled with the spirit so see it permeates all areas of our lives and often when I pray for people I sense that they need to make changes I said and I don't know if it's it's it's God what he's if it's just gifting me in this area because I don't have gifting for healing or prophetic words or any of that words I don't have any of that stuff just preaching and I just can tell sometimes when people are just that they need to make some changes because people come in there and we pray for panic attacks angry outbursts and anxiety right the Lord helped me with angry outburst panic attacks but stop going to Starbucks twice a day don't stop by the cigarette shop and don't go to the sugar factory right because those things isn't funny 100 years ago you thought to be you are cool if you smoked Charles Spurgeon big cigars that was cool that was saying nothing wrong with it now what do we know see so we can't discount wisdom of what we know today of how to take care of the body pray for my arthritis my joint pain in my heart problems okay but stop eating the foods that inflame it see there it has to be a matter of wisdom that comes in here yet it's at some point and I believe ninety percent the healing that I've seen over the years was a result of good stewardship people getting their body back right position with God now let me throw this out there before I lose someone no one is perfect right no one is perfect we go in the direction of wisdom and God does heal us miraculously even when we're rebelling in this area he heals us miraculously but the exception only goes to validate the rule God God says I don't I'm going to heal you despite what you don't know or what you might be doing to you but I'm going to heal you I'm going to occur okay I have a healing occur I don't want to put two in too much emphasis on the physical you see I'm saying here and it's all about getting the body it's all no but I believe that God commands us to be wise stewards of this wonderful gift that he's given us I've seen the difference you've seen the difference we know how it affects our spiritual life does it not does giving in to the bodily appetites affect our spiritual life a random example if all of you last night had six strong beers and you gave in to the less of the flesh how much would you want to worship God this morning the pain of regret will be lingering we'll be having a headache why how quick can I get out here I know you see so I'm trying to show you that bodily appetites how we give into the flesh more often than not affects our spiritual worship a this affects who we are and this is just maybe it's me but it's very hard sometimes you know if I'm at Walmart or amusement parks I don't know if you know the statistics but more than twelve million twelve million US children now are obese and I see at Walmart this little eight-year-old you know 60 70 pounds overweight and it just breaks my heart because it's not healthy it's not good and and for us to sit and say though this thing doesn't matter to God it's all about the spiritual things I think that is a lie from the pit of hell because the enemy uses our the the the the lusts of the flesh against us and we'll use it to destroy the body the enemy would like nothing more nothing more than me to never talk out this go stuff my face and get his drunk as much as I could die of a heart attack at 50 in this church dissolve that's he would love that so he works in the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life that this is a huge area because it's giving in to lust and I thought of parents and grandparents we create the environment for health in our homes Paul said in Romans make no provision for the flesh again we're going to talk about fasting so I'm setting the foundation make no provision for the flesh we can't negotiate this area and I don't know why I just put this down but parents you can start to make an example kids and grandparents you can make an example put the healthy things they're not junk food have created an environment your kids will scream the first couple days there's nothing to eat look at the frigerator there's cucumbers there's salary with peanut butter there's carrots there's apples there's oranges there's blueberries or raspberries there's all kinds of stuff protein powder that's healthy no there's not not let's see there's nothing to lust after there's no Captain Crunch I just read the back of one of those cereals the other day and Vaughn's and I cannot believe the garbage it is in there three different types of food colorings sodium carbonate or bicarbonate or something like that Sugar's at the very top and it's not good sugar it's refined sugar it's all high fructose corn syrup all these things that are very detrimental for the body see we know it we know it ask any doctor worth their salt or at least one that knows about nutrition but here's the cry right it goes out but it's too expensive well so is your hundred fifty dollars Starbucks habit and your nail appointments dad so is eating out 10 times a month not to mention new pairs of shoes and clothes just we have to have it every month see it's not too expensive it's about prioritizing I talked to a family four years ago about they were not doing good financially and they want some financial counseling and they say they wrote down they say they spent about $1,200 a month eating out nice excuse me rewind this a little bit 120 right no 1,200 well I can kind of tell you why you might be experiencing some financial difficulty well it's hard to make things it's expensive well that looks pretty expensive you give me you give me 1,200 no give me $600 and I can go and I can get you set up for a couple weeks on really good things that take help take care of the body and here's why this subject is important to me we talk about good stewardship of money don't we we talk a good stewardship of money here and there's there's churches all over there's well there's a church I can name a big church they did a whole blessed a series on on financial giving financial stewardship four-week series on finances money finances but why would it come to this topic do we not talk about it what kind of way to me I'd rather Stewart this correctly and kind of miss the money aspect then finance them Stewart the money okay and be dead and not able to steward that correctly because both it's all stewardship isn't it financial stewardship is important so is the temple of the Holy Spirit but if we went read that Scripture I won't convict you anymore but Paul says the body is the temple of the holy spirit what kind of temple should you be taking care of that the things that are vastly important so here's what happens those who don't want to fast are often in bondage to food or they don't see the benefit that's an Old Testament teaching they say so fasting cleans house when the flesh is restrained anxiety fear unbelief doubt lust jealousy bitterness and anger are all minimized did you know that because they are fleshly outbursts often when you starve the flesh the things that come out of the flesh are also minimized and I'm gonna tell you a medical myth that's been around for a long time they say that fasting is bad for you fasting is bad for you it's actually very healthy for you it's actually very beneficial for you be careful when getting advice from those who profit from the advice I just read somewhere I'm not going to say a lot of names but when major research comes out on things in our in our country for the meat industry dairy industry sugars you know diabetes you know major publications major articles you can find out who they're sponsored by coca-cola McDonald's Nabisco this year around Nestle they're paying millions into university grants for the universities and the studies to come out and tell us certain things now if that doesn't rub you the wrong way I don't know what to tell you so we look at these studies and go I mean oh wow I can have six cup of coffee that's not bad who paid for this Oh Starbucks did and I did some numbers if all of us fast it's not gonna happen so don't worry about it but if everybody in America and I haven't said not even ever a 50% of people fasted one day were cost of food industry three billion dollars in one day so you have the medical industry the food industry what they call Big Pharma right Pharma you think pharmacies want you to get over your diabetes or they want to give you insulin do you think they want to help you with your blood pressure or sell the statins I mean this is not this is wisdom folks wisdom the wisdom of God God God's ways can help in all these areas I'm not minimizing that I'm saying just be careful be careful it's your body you can say no here's what we're going to do I remember many oppression say this our [Music] yeah after remember for the second service not to say it my wife remember some doctor he had a foreign accent brought my little six year old six month in there so we need to give her this shot this shot this shot this shot this shot DTaP influenza hepatitis B episode 9 you don't mm-hm well no no you don't but by finding a new pediatrician have you researched this do you know anything about you have affects the body you know at this age you don't really need these things yet they don't know much at all not saying they're bad that's it's just educate they're very educated in the things of the world here's a pill to fix this we go that here's a pill to get your blood pressure down how about fasting eating correctly has it ever dawned on you I mean it's in the pill has toxic effects when we take certain medicines it has a toxic effects what and this I get fired up on this because type 1 diabetes is insulin you don't have an insulin you need to get it or you will probably die type 2 is diet related type 2 is we created this disease doctors will say it's a progressive disease you might get blind you might have to lose a limb I'm gonna get you on more insulin more you're actually feeding the very thing that's destroying you you're getting too many carbohydrates too much insulin so your cells are being overloaded what happened it happens now it's called insulin resistant they're resistant to the insulin so let's go get more insulin why am doctor why am i gaining 20 pounds 30 pounds let's just what happens we have diabetes do you know them there's a book out there and I hate recommending books who people say Shane he talked about evolution that you're right it's secular books even secular books the complete guide on fasting shows how this doctor eradicate type 2 diabetes by fasting by removing the thing that's causing it so what what kind of pastor would I be if I knew all this but never shared it well honestly what would I know I can i've seen people reverse every you go and your doctor i have got high blood pressure they give you medication right blood thinner to thin the blood so the heart works I can get you to thin your blood by losing 40 pounds increasing garlic intake and plant-based foods a little bit of raw this and Ron I can help you get to that there's God well how God's design God's design starve the flesh and be filled with the spirit when you start the flesh it's a spiritual benefit but guess what just for kicks I'm going to actually give you physical benefits I'm gonna clean the arteries I'm gonna remove tumors Alzheimer's all those things can be because you're pulling the toxins most disease is created by what we consume in the house is never clean because we never fast why do you think everybody's getting the flu because it's going around or because our body is so sick and so toxic that it cannot fight these things that's why I know people that fast often they don't get the flu and cold very often very very rarely they very rarely do they get these things because the body's cleaning itself and I know it's hard I'm a fellow I could be sitting in that front pew boy this flesh sure is hard it is the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and don't we often give in to the regret more often than not I do you know why did I just do that why what happened so be encouraged I'm not here beating up I'm trying to show you how important this is there was something I want to mention Oh many of you know about chemotherapy I've know people that are taking it right now and we've had family members obviously passed away of cancer and friends and what is what does chemotherapy do it's the goal is to stop slow stop or slow the growth of cancer cells correct that's the whole point it's a it's a it's a I'll be careful here it's a medication that kills the cancer cells but it also kills the healthy cells and it's not a very reliable thing that happens but the body has a natural god-given way to do this fasting actually goes after the diseased tissue and the diseased cells and allows the living ones to flourish it you look at how God created us all right I'm closing up here but again I want to get to get this point across that we are body soul and spirit the Spirit is of the priority what what does paul says you know bodily exercise profits a little but spiritual and this godliness is is good but I just I've seen such a big connection body soul and spirit all three knee cleansing Roberts 1430 a heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones so not only what we're taking in here but we're taking in here the mental diet as well and please hear my heart it's just to help it is to help you I'm not beating up I'm not judging I actually wrote down the difference here in case I need I'm not attacking I'm offering solutions that's the difference somebody who's judging and attacking you is judging and attacking how could you I'm trying to help and offer solutions that's the difference it might come across the same way and here's why I'm maybe maybe the fear of man is on these sermons like this because people inevitably whether it's radio they hear it or internet or YouTube or hear they'll shake Pastor Shane says I'm fat and doesn't like me and it doesn't want to be around me where does that come from let's see that's not true that's not true that's the enemy planting seeds of doubt and lying to you I would never ask my I love all groups of people I want to help all groups of people I was called LED britches I was called a you know overweight I was I struggle with that most of my I know I know so so if somebody's been free of something right they feel better they're on fire for God I've been there I know I can help you don't you think they're gonna get a little excited don't you think they're gonna want to help you come out of that and I see so many people hurting in this area yes God can heal but you got to get off the addiction all these things that were addicted to Lord heal me of this okay but get rid of the addiction as well clean the house and a mental fast and a stomach fast go hand-in-hand right fasting the body fasting the mind here's where I'm getting to I'm gonna close I said that five minutes ago here's the first step before I get in next week's sermon you're not gonna want to miss next week I'm just telling you that right now schedule everything around Church the first step that we're gonna start this week I'm ahead of you on this so I know that but it took me five years of getting ready is get the body ready this is the first step for next week get the body ready fall forward get back on track begin today or tomorrow start cleaning house cleaning things out that you know because you can't fast and not deal with the addictions just just try sugar for the day I've tried I want to rip somebody's head off just no sugar for the whole day you will turn into a monster you like where did that come from is that in here and me Phil is that in me oh you like leave me alone don't talk to me I'm in one of what happened that withdrawals because the flesh craves the thing that is destroying you you can link most disease whatever you're addicted to is eventually wanting to destroy you lung cancer liver cancer food diabetes see what you're addicted to is destroying you same with me the things I want will eventually destroy me so you have to clean house in this area so that's the first step I'm not going to say anything else other than get the body ready if you want you can go to our website and search for what does the Bible say health what does the Bible say I spent an hour and 20 minutes talking about this on a Saturday so get it ready get ready for next week fall forward you're not gonna do things perfectly begin to wean off if you're on caffeine go to half go to half go to half go to half go to half sugar go to half go to half go to half junk go to hell get rid of the stuff start to wean off of it I mean you can go cold turkey if you want good luck right and here's what I tell people in this situation pray for heaven but expect hell because you're getting the body that you think the enemy wants us he wants us sick and depraved in this area so next week we'll talk about the spiritual benefits lean mean machine medical supervision I do recommend it but they will not be supportive many times so tell them here's what I'd like you to do monitor they can monitor for example if you're on blood pressure medication fasting and cleaning house automatically lowers your blood pressure so if it's automatically lowering your brush blood pressure also was taking medication that lowers it then you get into an unhealthy level and the blood pressure is actually too low so I do recommend medical supervision and finding those who can monitor you closely all right disclaimer and in powerful point here that we need to take home when we do these things God doesn't love us more you got it right he loves you it's not about loving God he doesn't love you more but let me tell you this as God is my witness I love him more just during worship hearing the kids singing Amazing Grace and full service and 20 years ago I was on a highway to hell this church shouldn't even be here and I look at what God just honors his word and you have little kids singing but where were they being if Westside Christian and I'm not saying Shane I'm saying the Holy Spirit did it so you God doesn't love you more but I love him so much more when I'm fasting and praying when that when the bodily appetites are in controlled and said them I love him more because I'm more filled with the spirit that's why many people are upset at God they're not in church they're distant because the flesh like a corpse your flesh is dragging you around come on come on come on and you're not dragging it around so I want to be careful you don't please God but you will love him more i fumble and I fall off him but get back up and prepare for warfare Robert Marie McShane II I love this guy from Scotland 100 a couple hundred years ago he said a holy minister a holy pastor is an awful weapon in the hands of God but I want to take that home a holy member a holy Christian is an awesome weapon in the hand of God if you want to see God I mean I should bring this I have a little illustration there's a little sledgehammer and I've got a huge 25 pound sledgehammer that's the difference with prayer you can you're gonna break down some strongholds but when you bring in fasting when you bring in killing the flesh being filled the spirit now your prayer is targeted now you're focused and we're going into spiritual warfare next week we sing a song this morning early at 6 a.m. when I see that cross I see freedom how glory is how wonderful my Savior scars victorious my chains are gone my debt is paid see this doesn't have to be difficult and hopeless because victories already been won when God says no temptation has overtaken you but what is common demand and I will provide a way of escape that you may be able to bear it you can take him at his word on that we are set free so don't go back in bondage fight the good fight fight for your families fight for your own health fight for the spiritual things

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 4,410

Rating: 4.909091 out of 5

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

Id: UvHNZcTVyh8

Length: 59min 20sec (3560 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 22 2018