Mormons, Muslims, and Me

I recently read a book that told a story of a young lady in a youth group who was longing for something deeper in her spiritual walk. Unfortunately, what was being offered to her at her church was a very surface level, fun driven youth ministry. As fate would have it, she began to date a young man who happened to be Mormon. This young man was one of the most intelligent students in her class and was very interested in spiritual matters. Many people do not realize it, but the Mormons offer daily Bible study classes before school. This young man met at his church with a few other of the faithful at 5:30 AM to study scripture and LDS doctrine before heading off to school. She had a choice: Another pizza party at her church, or look for someone to answer her deepest questions.

            In larger cities, outside of the Bible belt, it would not be a surprise to find a devout Muslim with his mat unrolled on the ground, facing east, praying. I did a google search on Muslim prayer times. The times of the prayers are coordinated with the sun, so the times depend on your coordinates, as well as the day of the year in which you should be praying. The chart gave the specific time, down to the minute, for each of the six prayer times. It amazes me, the amount of dedication it would take to pinpoint the exact minute, drop everything that you are doing, roll out a prayer mat, and begin praying in any type of weather condition.

            Then I look at myself. What am I doing? If I believe that the God of the Bible is the one true God, and that the Mormons and Muslims are incorrect in their theology, why do our devotional lives seem to be flipped? Why do we not have morning Bible studies to learn about the God who can be known? I realize that Jesus spoke against praying in order to be seen, but is there any doubt that a man kneeling on a mat in a public square is a Muslim? Could someone look at you, what you are carrying, watch your actions, and know what you believe? Based on your actions, appearance, and accessories, what would they say you believe in? For many, unfortunately, they might think you believe in God, but that it plays an insignificant role in your life.

            After discussions with our youth, I have found that many are frustrated with the recent court proceedings surrounding prayer in public schools. Teachers are being hamstrung in what they can do and say, but the students still have free reign. Students can say and do whatever they want about their faith. The ball is in your court. What will you do with it? Who among the Ferris Hillians will begin to attend a morning Bible study? Who will start a morning Bible study if one doesn’t exist? Who will be more proactive in their faith? Who will let their faith be known?

A Review of "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/6206

A Review of The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons

            I hated The Next Christians almost from the very beginning of the book, but please keep reading so I can explain how Lyons won me over!

I waited about three weeks to receive the book and was eagerly waiting to read it. I really wanted to enjoy the book, so I probably gave Mr. Lyons some wiggle room early on. As the early chapters of the book wore, the wiggle room disappeared and the book was left to fend for itself. It got to the point where I found myself getting more agitated as I read. The book was becoming that proverbially piece of sand in my nice, neat enclosed clam shell.

            I could probably point to a few areas that irritated me the most. 1) Lyons shared a story about a friend of his who was a very successful business man, who with the stroke of a pen could raise the GDP of countries, but was no longer calling himself a Christian because of the embarrassment it brought and the potential lack of business that it would bring. Personally, I have a hard time feeling sympathetic to a person who is ashamed to call himself a Christian if it will affect his bottom line. Mark 8:38 comes to mind. 2) The book had a very apologetic tone to it. And I do not mean “defending the faith” apologetic, I mean “I’m sorry Christianity is so terrible” apologetic. I read a book by Jim Henderson called Evangelism without the Additives which had the same tone. Henderson’s had a very negative opinion of almost every evangelistic technique opting for a very passive form of leading someone to Christ. His suggestion was to live your life, and hope someone asks you about God. In my experience that almost never happens. The Next Christians gave me that same feeling. 3) Lyons laid out his opinion of the trend of Christianity in America to a non-believing movie executive (looking to cash in on Christian dollars) with some very negative characteristics of different groups of Christians. His two main groups were “Separatists” and “Cultural.”

Separatists were characterized by three sets of people: Insiders; Culture Warriors; and Evangelizers. Insiders are those people who avoid any contact with the secular world if at all possible. These are home schooler, Christian t-shirt wearing, Christian music listening avoiders of the real world. They could be likened to a contemporary version of the Amish. They have no impact with the world because they don’t come into contact with the world. Culture Warriors are Christians looking for a fight. The example he gave were the “fanatical” Christians opposing the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama courthouse. Evangelizers are those who believe that the only call of Christianity is to win the lost to Christ and will drop the gospel on you at the drop of a hat, and they’ll bring the hat.

Cultural Christians were divided into two groups: Blenders; and Philanthropists. Blenders want to fit in with their friends. “Of the 84 percent who knew a Christian personally, only 15 percent thought their lifestyles were any different.” Philanthropists are known for doing good—soup kitchens, highway clean-up, volunteerism.

At this point I was ready to chuck the book. I wanted insight into how to reach the next generation of Christians. I did not want a study on how bad Lyons thought we were. That was until the movie executive asked, “Isn’t there anyone getting it right?” To which Lyons had an answer—an overwhelming “Yes!”

Lyons’ third group of Christians are the “Restorers.” In his own words, Restorers “don’t separate from the world or blend in; rather, they thoughtfully engage. Fully aware of the seachange under way, they are optimistic that God is on the move—doing something unique in our time.” Restorers take the best of both Separatist and Cultural movements and add the element of restoration.

When sin entered the world, everything was affected, not just our eternal destination. We now have to deal with pain, hunger, thirst, frustrations, disease, death loneliness, despair, and meaninglessness just to name a few. Could the gospel of Christ help restore some of these issues, or is it limited only to heaven or hell? Smoking or non-smoking? Lyons argues that it can, and does so in convincing fashion. No one has ever accused me of being a proponent of the social gospel, but I agree with Lyons that we can use secular agendas and means to obtain the end that Christ desires.

Lyons is a Liberty University graduate who left a vice president position at a Christian organization to launch a non-profit organization that was first commissioned to research the perceptions that 16-29 year olds have of Christianity. Through the success of his organization, and the discoveries that he has made, I believe Lyons is poised and ready to lead the Next Christians. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, despite my early objections—the grain of sand became a pearl. The book was well researched, and filled with anecdotal evidence. If you are interested in reaching the next generation, this is a must read.              

FTC Disclaimer: "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review" 

Passover

Passover

Exodus 11-12:30

            The next two weeks we will be discussing Passover. Now to hear a Southern Baptist talk about the Jewish feast of Passover is like listening to an ACC fan talk about college football; or a skinny guy talk about fried chicken. Wouldn’t it be better to listen to someone who knew from first hand experience what they were talking about? So we are privileged to have speakers from the Brit Ahm Messianic Jewish synagogue come next Wednesday to share with us about the Jewish Passover Feast called Seder. I wanted to teach tonight about the history of Passover, and how it affects us so we can listen intelligently next week.

            Exodus 11-12:30 ¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave. ² Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” ³ (Now the Lord had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s officials and the Egyptian people alike.)

 ⁴ Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. ⁵ All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. ⁶ Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. ⁷ But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. ⁸ All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!” Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.

 ⁹ Now the Lord had told Moses earlier, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country.

Exodus 12

 ¹ While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: ² “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. ³ Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. ⁴ If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. ⁵ The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

 ⁶ “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. ⁷ They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. ⁸ That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. ⁹ Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. ¹⁰ Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.

 ¹¹ “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. ¹² On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! ¹³ But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

 ¹⁴ “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. ¹⁵ For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.

 ¹⁷ “Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation. ¹⁸ The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month. ¹⁹ During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. ²⁰ During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.”

 ²¹ Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. ²² Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. ²³ For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

 ²⁴ “Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. ²⁵ When you enter the land the Lord has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. ²⁶ Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ ²⁷ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

 ²⁸ So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. ²⁹ And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.

            Passover was named simply because the angel of death passed over the houses of the Jews and killed the first born males of the Egyptians, including their livestock. The Passover Feast is a celebration that was started the very first year after they left Egypt. The original Passover was so important that they literally changed their calendars because of it. It would be equivalent to America considering July 4^th to be the first day of their year because of their declared independence from England.

            The Passover celebration commemorates God’s deliverance of the Jewish nation from the oppression of the Egyptians but more importantly it foreshadowed how God would deliver all the nations from the oppression of sin. Let’s take a look at how He did that.

Reader #1 John 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

            The most important part of this passage is to note that Jesus was referred to as the Lamb of God, obviously, an allusion to the sacrificial lamb of the Passover story. It is also important to note that every other sin offering discussed in the Bible is said to be a covering for sin. If I were to make a dookie right here in the middle of the room, how many of you would be cool if I just covered it up with my hat? Or would you rather me remove the whole thing? That’s what Jesus did. He didn’t cover up our mess. He took it away.

Reader #2 1 Cor. 5:7 “Christ our Passover Lamb, Has been sacrificed for us.”

Reader #3 1 Pet. 1:19 “It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless, Lamb of God.”

            What made Jesus the Lamb of God? There are seven areas we are going to look at tonight:

            1) The Passover Lamb needed to be without blemish. If you read in the book of Malachi, you will find that God became very upset over the quality of animals that the Israelites were willing to offer up as a “sacrifice.” The law required that the animals be perfect, without spot or blemish, but they were offering lame and blind animals that were no good to anybody. It wasn’t even a sacrifice anymore. It was like they were trying to trick God. It would be like God saying, “I require a Ferrari to be satisfied,” and you bring Him a bicycle you found at the landfill.

            Jesus, however, was without blemish. He was fully human and fully God, so He faced every temptation we face but He did not succumb to it. He was totally and completely sin free. A bad thought never crossed His mind no matter how tired or frustrated He was. He never had an inappropriate thought. He never farted and blamed someone else. He was pure as the wind driven snow.

            2 +3) The Passover Lamb had to be male and young. Jesus, of course, was male and relatively young. He was said to be 33 at the time of His death. You might think that’s pretty old but it’s really not. I have t-shirts that I still wear that are older than most of you.

            4) The Passover Lamb had to be selected four days before the sacrifice so it could be thoroughly examined for defects. If the survival of you and your family from the angel of death was dependent on how perfect the lamb was, I’m sure you would be pay particular attention to it, looking for any minor flaw.

            Jesus’ entire ministry took place in the public’s eye so He could be thoroughly examined for sin. Think about it. Everywhere Jesus went, there was a crowd of people watching and criticizing His every action, and yet they could not find one area where He stumbled, or was flawed. Jesus was examined for 33 years. The lamb was examined for four days.

            5) The Passover Lamb had to be slain in public. I’m not 100% sure why. Maybe it was an act of community worship. They slaughtered their lambs between the days—or in other words after dark. Their days began at sunset and ended at sundown.

            Jesus was slain in public. Not only was the crucifixion sight in a well traveled part of town, He was also beaten, flogged, and forced to carry His cross through the town. The Romans wanted to make sure they made an example out of their criminals, so they killed them in very public places. In a modern example, you would expect to see people hanging from crosses in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

            Incidentally, by the time the Roman historian Josephus recorded his views on Judaism and Christianity, the Jews were slaying their Passover lambs at 3:00 PM, which is the exact time that Jesus died.

            6) Later in Exodus 12:46 more regulations about the Passover Lamb was revealed, the Passover Lamb was not to have any of its bones broken.

Reader #4 John 19:31-33 “It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs.”

        It may seem like a chance coincidence to you, but the fact that Jesus died before they had the opportunity to break His legs was prophesied 2,000 years earlier. That’s no coincidence.

            7) Finally, the blood of the lamb was placed on the door posts as a sign to God that the angel of death should pass over that house and move on to the next one. Likewise, Jesus’ blood on the doorposts of our lives is a sign that God’s wrath should pass over us onto someone else.

            You see God is so perfect and holy that He cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” Wages are something you have earned. What you have earned through your sin is death. As long as you haven’t sinned you have nothing to worry about. But if you have sinned, then death is your rightfully earned punishment. If that’s where the story ends there would be no hope, and I wouldn’t be here to share the message of hopelessness. I’m here to share the gospel, which means good news. Jesus took the sin that belonged to us, and suffered the penalty we deserved.

            So what do we do now? Well we certainly can’t fix it by sinning less now. And we can’t make it better by being truly sorry. If I murdered fifty people with a shovel, was arrested, and brought before a judge, and I said, “Your honor, I see the error of my ways. I am truly sorry for what I’ve done, and from this day forward I will try my best not to kill any more people.” What would we think about that Judge if he said, “Well, alright, but I better not see you in here again.” We would think he was a terrible judge. A crime was committed and a punishment needs to be given. The man would likely be sentenced to death. Theologically speaking, if this were a heavenly court room, Satan, also known as the accuser, would be the prosecuting attorney. God the Father would be the Judge, and Jesus would be the defense attorney. When the sentence is issued, Jesus would step up and say, “Your honor, I will take the punishment for this man’s crimes.” And because God the Father and Jesus are one, the Judge will agree to the arrangement, step down from His bench, and walk out of the courtroom to the gallows handcuffed and waiting to be executed.

            When Abraham led his only son Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him, Isaac said, “Hey dad, we have wood, we have fire, but we don’t have a sacrifice.” Abraham responds, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for the sacrifice.” God provided Himself as a sacrifice. What you need to do is accept that gift, and then live a life worthy of your calling. To many times people try to live a good life and then get saved. They’re hoping they can impress God somehow. We can never be good enough, but God loves us exactly where we are—even people who murder fifty others with shovels.              

A Review of Andy Stanley's "How Good is Good Enough"

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/5767

            The first time I read How Good is Good Enough? by Andy Stanley was about seven years ago. I, like many others, was given a copy of it from a friend with the following comment, “You really need to read this.” So I read it. I had about two hours to kill in a snow storm, and almost knocked out the entire book. To understand why I didn’t read the whole thing in two hours you have to understand how I read a book as captivating as How Good is Good Enough? I basically have to read the book twice as I go back and highlight all of the “good stuff.” In hindsight, I would have saved time (and a highlighter) had I just highlighted the passages that meant nothing to me.

            In my Christian experience I have heard one answer more than any other to the following question, “What must you do in order to go to heaven?” That answer is, “You have to be good enough.” Andy Stanley then takes the next step that so many of us have failed to take and asks, “How good is good enough?” Stanley walks us through the next several chapters answering and combating some of the most common fallacies of what it takes to earn a spot in heaven in a writing style almost as if it is just you and him over a cup of coffee. Stanley’s arguments are very thought out, extremely logical, and come accompanied with anecdotal examples to illustrate his points. He uses so much common sense that his arguments are impossible to defend.

            Christians and non-Christians alike will benefit from reading this book. The gospel of grace is clearly presented, while the gospel of works is very logically refuted. Unfortunately, many born again Christians have bought into the lie, that even if they have a right relationship with Jesus Christ they still need to score high enough on the report card of their life to make it in to Heaven. Stanley answers the spiritual question of both of these groups.

            This book is a must read. Witnessing to someone is as easy as handing them a copy of this book. There is a reason why many Christian bookstores sell this book in a multi-pack, and why they can be found in almost every pastor’s office. This is a book you will want to read again and again, as well a hand out. So I suggest you buy multiple copies.   

A Review of Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel"

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/4380
The 2005 re-print of the 1990 classic best seller, The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, comes complete with a foreword by Michael W. Smith, a testimony by the late Rich Mullins,  nineteen meditations for a personal spiritual retreat, and an updated chapter chronicling some of the opposition the author has received from his critics. Loaded with scripture, cited quotations, and anecdotes that will make you laugh, cry, and retreat into deep contemplation, The Ragamuffin Gospel is written like a well researched sermon intended for an audience of a handful of friends gathered at your house. 

            Grace—a word I thought I understood after walking with the Lord for over half of my life, three years of seminary, private study, and a career in the ministry, but Manning stretches all of our understanding of what it means to experience it. Manning writes the book from the dichotomous perspective of a former Franciscan priest and an alcoholic—someone who understands and can explain the most complex theological positions and make them understandable, and has experienced the depth of his own depravity with his addiction to alcohol. Manning argues that we each must come to grips with our own depravity before we can move on in much the same way an alcoholic cannot begin recovery until he or she admits the seriousness of their problem.

            Manning has received harsh criticism for his views on grace, and God’s love for us despite our depravity. One can understand his critic’s point of view if they only listen to half of his message. Their criticism is rooted in the fear that if God loves us exactly where we are (something we all teach the youngest of Sunday school students) what motivation do we have to grow and mature as a Christian, and what is the role of the pastor or other spiritual leader? Should we not be encouraging our flocks to live a godly life? Manning would say, “Yes, of course, but pretending to be something we are not isn’t helping anybody including yourself.” Once you understand the depth of your depravity, that God is still head over heels in love with you, and that you have done nothing to earn it and, therefore, can do nothing to maintain it, then and only then do you have the freedom to grow in Christ. Failures are no longer detrimental to your life, but mere stepping stones.

            So pastor, parishioner, or unbeliever, if you are feeling “bedraggled, beat-up, or burnt out;” if you sought Your Best Life Now but felt like you were left with nothing but hollow theology; if you truly want to grow your relationship with Christ, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Ragamuffin Gospel. If the Lord tarries, it is my belief that this book will go down in history as one of the great classics. Manning rises above the crowd of weak-kneed, ear tickling, applause loving preachers, with a self-deprecating humility that is much needed in today’s world. Thank you, Mr. Manning.           

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Why Does Fasting Take Forever?

Why Does Fasting Take Forever?

Sermon on the Mount Series: Matt. 6:16-18

            What’s the first thing you think of when you think of fasting? Most of you probably think of going all day, or even days at a time without eating. That is one type of fast. In fact, what’s the first meal of the day? Breakfast—break-fast. You are breaking your fast—not eating since dinner the day before.

            A fast is an avoidance of doing something for a specific period of time for spiritual reasons. There is really an infinite amount of ways that you can fast. The only thing that limits you is what you can think of. The common traditional Jewish fast was from sun up to sun down. Someone keeping this fast could rise early and eat breakfast, and then eat a late supper and still keep the guidelines of that particular fast. When Jesus went into the desert to fast, He did not keep the typical fast because He didn’t eat anything for forty days or forty nights.

            Who sets up the guidelines? That is between you and God. Two people might be fasting on the same day. One person might be fasting from midnight to midnight. Another might be only doing sun up to sun down. One might only drink water. Another might drink Gatorade or fruit juice. It all just depends on the restrictions you set on yourself. Now if you make a vow between you and God to only drink water, and you breakdown and drink a Powerade late in the afternoon, what have you just done? You broke your fast. Is it a sin to break your fast? I hope not, but in James 4:17 it says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” But in Romans 3:23 it says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Everybody has messed up. Shake yourself off and get back up and try it again. If you try to do something great and mess up, you are better off than the person who has never tried to do anything.

            What’s the purpose of a fast? The purpose of a fast is to get your mind focused on God and not on yourself. We cater to the wants, desires, and needs of our bodies so much and many times ignore our mind and soul. This becomes glaringly obvious when you do a food fast. Here’s a tip: I’m not a doctor but your body doesn’t need about 90% of the junk we are putting into it. There are special fasts called cleansing fasts where you only drink water allowing your body to get rid of all of the sugars and other junk stored in us. So going without food for a day won’t kill us, (Jesus managed to hold off for forty days somehow. It’s says He was hungry afterwards so it must not have been his divinity side taking over.) but when we miss a meal we’re like, “I’m going to die!” How many of you have ever said, “I’m starving to death”? For a designated period of time, you deny your body and feed your mind and soul.

            Now that’s just a food fast. There are other fasts designed to clear the junk out, too, but they’re designed to cleanse the junk out of your head. In January, K-Love was promoting listening to nothing but Christian music for a month. Barbara Unruh, the worship leader here, and I had a discussion before about listening to talk radio. We both like to listen to politically conservative talk radio shows like Glenn Beck, but we both agreed that after listening to it for a couple of hours we feel like throwing something, and that we have no hope, whereas, a couple of hours listening to Christian music puts us in a positive, lighter mood. Why is that? It’s because there’s trash, just like the sugars, and the fats going into our bodies, going into our brains and it affects us negatively. The reason why pornography is so dangerous and so addictive is because when it is viewed the brain releases a chemical into the body which is as addictive as heroin. That chemical is affecting the body, but the images you viewed are now stored in your brain forever. How do you beat your addiction to pornography? You have a pornography fast. Stop viewing it, which will stop the chemical flow. The problem is that the images stored in your brain occasionally are recalled which releases that chemical again. You can’t get rid of the images, but you can delude them with positive images until they’re hardly ever recalled again.

            Here are some other fasts that you can participate in.

Sex Fast: Every one of you non-married students listening to me should be participating in a sex fast right now. Remember a fast is the avoidance of something for a specific period of time, for a spiritual purpose. That specific period of time should be until your wedding night, and the spiritual purpose is to focus on God’s calling on your life, and keeping yourself and your future spouse pure. Men, you will be held accountable for how well you do at keeping your spouse pure (Eph 5). You could be feeding your spiritual lives with each other, rather than feeding your physical side, sinning against God in the process. It’s good to not have pre-marital sex for secular reasons (like not getting pregnant or diseases) but it is better to not have pre-marital sex for spiritual reasons. It’s not a fast, and you don’t get any “spiritual credit” if you are out looking to have sex but just haven’t stumbled upon it yet.

Media Fast: There have been people who stopped watching, and reading the newspapers didn’t get on the internet, listen to the radio, or watch TV. What did they do instead? Read the Bible, prayed, and spent time with their families.

Cell Phone Fast: Turn off your cell phone for a specific period of time. Pastor Brian says the silence of the cell phone is a spiritual discipline.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Fast: Take whatever R-PB Cups you have and give them to your youth pastor.

Soda Fast: I was inspired by Josh to cut down my soda intake. He didn’t drink soda for over a year and lost like 30 pounds. I was in the process of drinking way to much soda everyday and gaining weight every time I stepped on a scale. So after a few months of trying to quit drinking, and failing miserably I finally stopped the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and have lost around 5 pounds since Christmas.

Reading Fast: I failed miserably at this for reasons beyond my control, but I found myself finding time to read everything but the Bible. If I was sitting at the table for five minutes I would read the newspaper but not the Bible. I vowed to read nothing but the Bible for a few months.

Shower Fast: Don’t bathe for a month or two. Sitting by yourself at lunch and on the bus will give you all kinds of free time.

Beauty Fast: Pick out some hair or beauty products that you use, stop using it for a period of time, and take the money you would have spent on it and put it towards a mission project. Do you think God would ignore that?

            Let’s get into what Jesus had to say about fasting: Matt 6:16-18, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

            I was going to wear some old clothes to make a visual image for you and act like I was fasting, but all of my old clothes that I would wear to make myself look disheveled would be clothes that I would normally wear anyways. I was concerned that no one would even notice. Then I became frustrated that you all think I dress like a disheveled slob.

            The point Jesus was making is to have your fast between you and God. Don’t go around telling everyone, or displaying how miserable you are about it. If you do, you are already getting your reward you were seeking—the attention of man. But if you want to be blessed by God, fast in accordance to the vow you set with Him, and use your free time to focus on Him. My rule of thumb with food fasting is that every time my stomach growls I say a prayer, and the half hour set aside for meals is used for prayer and Bible reading.

            All fasting is meaningless unless it is accompanied by prayer, and Bible reading. Prayer is useless unless you have someone to pray to. Praying to anything other than the creator God of this universe is useless. And for those prayers to be effective, you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God loves you very much, but when you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you are now considered a child of God. And as children of God, He has a greater desire to answer our prayers than people he doesn’t have a relationship with. In the same way that I am more willing to grant a request made by Carrie, Juliette, and Caleb, than I am by some stranger. 

                   

              

The Model Prayer

The Model Prayer

Sermon on the Mount Series: Matt 6:5-15

            We are continuing in our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, asking the question, “Can anyone live out the requirements Jesus laid out in today’s society?” The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ longest continual teaching recorded in scripture, and is found in Matthew chapters 5-7. Matthew was a Jew writing to Jews with the goal of presenting Jesus as the Messiah. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, as the King of kings, is laying out the rules of His kingdom—not only for life in Heaven, but for life on earth. In particular Jesus was calling out the Pharisees, who were a group of people that were very religious and very legalistic. He was saying, “You think you’re all that, but you ain’t.” In chapter 5, Jesus said “Your view of theology isn’t right.” Later in chapter 6 He says, “Your view of the material world isn’t right.” And right now in He is saying, “Your religious practices aren’t right.” In particular Jesus focuses on three religious practices: giving; fasting; and praying. Last time we discussed how we are to give in such a way that our left hand does not know what our right hand is doing.

            Of these three prayer is the most important. Prayer is communion with God. Paul said to pray without stopping. That’s a long prayer. How many of you would run out of things to say after a few minutes. Some of us would run out faster than others. I’ve seen people talk on the phone without ceasing. Every time I drive now I watch the other drivers and see who is talking on their phones. Women are always on the phone. I’m convinced that some people think their cars won’t run if they aren’t talking on their phones—like the batteries are somehow connected and feeding off of each other. I had two friends in Atlanta who both had really long commutes at the same time. They would talk with each other on the way, but as soon as it hit 6:59 they’d hang up, because that’s when the free minutes were over. They were communing with each other—building each other up in a godly way before heading off into their secular jobs.

            I’m probably like most of you. I’m going to run out of things to say really quick. But Paul says to pray without ceasing. He must have meant something else. When I first met Rebekah, she’s all I thought about. I thought about her night and day. She was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing I thought about at night. I even dreamed about her. I couldn’t wait to get home from work so I could call her, because she wouldn’t call me. That’s what she said, “I don’t call guys.” Hmmm. And then one day my phone rang, and it was her. My heart skipped several beats because it showed me that she also was thinking about me. But guess what? I still remember the first time God spoke back to me in prayer. My heart skipped several beats then, too. For the same reason—He thought enough of me to talk to me.

            Maybe that is what Paul meant when he said to pray without ceasing. Get your mind focused on one thing—God, and concentrate on Him and His attributes all day long. That’s why memorizing Bible passages has been so effective for me, it forces me to focus on God and His word all day and not on whether the Indians will have a bullpen this year, or what a politician said the day before. Focus on God. Concentrate on Him. Tell Him how your day is going and the things that are concerning you. Even if He knows what you are going to say, He still would like to hear it. Don’t be like the old married man—his wife said, “You don’t say I love you anymore.” He replied, “I told you I loved you on our wedding day. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”

            Giving, fasting, and praying. Of those three, prayer is the most important because it is constant communion with God. We can’t give like we are supposed to if we aren’t praying. And fasting is totally useless without prayer. The whole idea of fasting is to gather your focus on God and pray for specific concerns in your life. Fasting without prayer is like taking a shower with a raincoat on. Of those three, giving, fasting, and praying, praying is the only one where Jesus gives us instructions on how to pray. In giving: “Don’t do this, don’t do that.” In fasting: “Don’t do this, don’t do that.” In praying: “Don’t do this, don’t do that, instead do this.”

            Let’s read today’s passage: “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
      may your name be kept holy.
   May your Kingdom come soon.
   May your will be done on earth,
      as it is in heaven.
   Give us today the food we need,
   and forgive us our sins,
      as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
   And don’t let us yield to temptation,
      but rescue us from the evil one.

 If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

            The prayer Jesus taught is sometimes referred to as The Lord’s Prayer, or even The Disciples’ Prayer because in the Gospel of Luke it was the disciples who asked to be taught how to pray. Many of you probably have it memorized. I had to memorize it growing up as a Methodist because we said it every service. And then I had to memorize it in German when I was in seminary. The problem is that for many of us, it is just that—a memorized prayer, something Jesus had warned about in verse 7, “do not use vain repetitions….” It is just something we say that no longer has meaning behind it.

            The Lord’s Prayer was never meant to be something we memorize and utter every once in a while. It was meant to be a model. It was meant to be a basic outline, to help you commune with God in a more fruitful manner. It is a skeleton that we are to flesh out into a real conversation with a real God. Imagine if you had a boyfriend or a girlfriend who would speak to you only once a week (if you were lucky) and only said the same memorized 60 word paragraph week after week. “Hey Becky, who lives on

Stewart St

. Amazing is your smile. I liked it when we went out and got some food, and or watched a movie. Please forgive me if I said or did anything wrong. I think you are neat.” How many of you would be excited about that conversation? Jesus, in a display of divinity was able to boil down every perfect prayer, and every aspect of a perfect prayer into a 60+ word model.

            Let’s break it down. “Our Father in Heaven” We have a Father/ son or a Father/ daughter relationship with God. That right there is awesome. Some of you might be thinking, “Big deal. My dad’s a jack-wagon.” Yeah, but everything that is wrong with your earthly father is more than made up for by your heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. “may your name be kept holy.” We have a deity/ worshiper relationship with God and there needs to be a level of reverence that is maintained. “May Your kingdom come soon.” We have a sovereign/ subject relationship with God. He is our king and we should desire that His kingdom be established soon. “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We have a master/ servant relationship with God. He is like our boss, and we are his employees. We do His bidding. Our response should be “Yes, Lord” before we even hear His request. “Give us today the food we need,” We have a benefactor/ beneficiary relationship with God. He supplies us with everything we need to survive. He wants us to depend on Him for everything. The apostle Paul said in Philippians, “I have learned to be content in all circumstances.” Don’t worry about tomorrow. God will give you enough to get through today. “And forgive us our sins,” We have a savior/ sinner relationship. Only God can cleanse us from our sin. “As we have forgiven those who sin against us” We have a teacher/ apprentice relationship. God wants us to do to others what He has done for us, to us, and in us. In case you missed His point, He says it again in verses 14 and 15, “If you don’t forgive others, God will not forgive you. “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Another common translation is “Lead us not into temptation….” We have a guide/ follower relationship. Just like if we all were taking a guided tour of an active volcano, we would be sure to follow the path of our tour guide.      

            But this is only a model. Once you understand the parts of the prayer you have to fill in the particular details of your life into the conversation. That’s how you make it a living prayer instead of a memorized passage. You can’t have a growing relationship without meaningful dialogue. You can’t have meaningful dialogue if you never say anything, or when you do it is something some else wrote for you.