Sermon Tone Analysis

Grow series: Fasting May 28, 2017; ICA East.

We are in the second week of a series called GROW…and we’re talking about SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

Remember I talked last week about Miracle Grow…the fertilizer, right?

What we want to happen during this series is we want to give you SPIRITUAL MIRACLE GROW.

We can’t apply it for you…you’ll have to do that.

But we want to talk about certain things that can help you GROW in your Spiritual Life.

When we moved into our house in Regency 21 a few years ago, the yard outside was pretty sad.

It was basically just a big weed box, with a dead tree stump in the front.

Not pretty at all.

Then about 2 years ago, we put in a garden.

And when we first put it in, it was perfect, because everything was the right size.

But you know the thing about plants is they don’t stay the same size.

They started growing, and now these plants that used to be just the perfect size are taking over our yard.

The other day the pembantu down the street said it looked like we were living in a “hutan.”

Plants don’t stop growing…unless what?

Unless they are dead, right?

And it’s the same with our spiritual lives as well….Overall when we look back over the years, there should be GROWTH happening.

There are different seasons to be sure…there’s winter when it seems like everything is dead, and there’s summer…and there’s fall and spring…but over the years, as you look back, we should all be able to say…I’m not the same.

I’ve GROWN.

More like Jesus.

That’s the goal as your pastor.

I want you to GROW HEALTHIER.

And so last week we talked about the most important spiritual fertilizer of all…PRAYER.

In fact, it’s so essential, you can’t live without it.

We talked about the prerequisites for effective prayer…a pure motive and a relationship with your Father…and then we talked about the PRACTICE of prayer.

Does anyone remember the acronym we used?

[P-Praise, R-Repent, A-Ask, Y-Yield]

The MIRACLE GROW we want to talk about today is FASTING.

Timely, right?

We just enjoyed a big meal together on Thursday, Take a look at our group photo from the #EpicMeal.

and now we’re going to talk about fasting.

It’s also timely because of course our neighbors just started Ramadan.

So it’s a good time to talk about FASTING.

What is Fasting?

What does it do for our Spiritual lives?

Now - right off the bat, I should say that FASTING is not a popular topic.

We should feel bad for Fasting…out of all the spiritual practices….poor

Fasting is the one everyone wants to FORGET ABOUT.

ESPECIALLY in a culture that has such delicious FOOD.

I think every culture has their “COMFORT FOODS”…right?

These are food that probably have a really high carb content…so they are not healthy, but they are usually warm and filling and delicious.

In America, comfort food is like a warm potato cheese casserole…something you bake in the oven.

Here…it might be a good Nasi Goreng.

Or what else? [Ask…]

We love our food.

So why would we want to take it away?

“Isn’t FASTING unnecessary Elis?

Can I just give money, or volunteer, or pray…..and KEEP MY NASI GORENG?”

It’s interesting because if you look at the teachings of Jesus about fasting, he doesn’t say “IF YOU FAST.”… and neither does he says “you MUST FAST.”

He simply says, “WHEN you fast.”

It is ASSUMED that his followers will fast.

It’s not even a command, because at that time it didn’t have to be commanded.

Jesus apparently had the assumption that his followers would fast.

Something has happened to the Church since Jesus’ day.

And it’s probably a result of what has happened to the culture at large.

Because we live in a modern time when—generally speaking—our whole goal is to fix any discomfort and fill any craving.

If you’re hungry…at least in Indonesia…you have 20 different “Kaki Lima” options within walking distance.

Food is E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E here.

If you’re in your car…you can just go through the drive through…you don’t even have to get out of your car.

All you have to do is push the button to roll down your window.

Remember the old way of rolling down the window?

(roll) Ya…that was too difficult.

Now we just do this (push the button)

You have a craving for Teran Bulan…..just call Go Jek and they will bring it right to you and you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas.

Are you too hot?

Turn on the AC….our

AC is practically going 24/7 at our house.

Where I grew up…it was are you too COLD?

…Just turn on the heater.

My car in America had HEATED seats.

I’ll tell you what…on cold mornings when you had to scrape the ice off your windows before going to work…Heated seats is AMAZING.

I watched a documentary the other day about SHOES…and the technology that goes into the rubber soles of your shoes to make sure that your feet feel NO discomfort when you are walking…you feel like you are walking on air.

The irony is that everything is so close now, and we have cars and motorcycles or bicycles…or those new things that you stand on and just kind of lean forward and they move you—we have so many transportation options now that we don’t really have to walk anymore.

But just in case you ever do have to walk anywhere…..don’t worry!

The amazing soles of your amazing shoes are going to help you survive.

Of course, I’m teasing a little bit.

And of course, there are still MANY people in the world who have never had these kind of comforts.

Indonesia is an interesting country because we have people who don’t have to walk anywhere if they don’t want to, yet they own shoes that cost 2jt…and we have people who don’t even own a bicycle walking around in bare feet.

It’s an interesting place.

But the point is that whether you have all the comforts in the world…or have none of them…everyone in general would agree that being comfortable is GOOD.

Having a full stomach, as opposed to an empty stomach is GOOD.

The idea that we should intentionally deprive ourselves of something as basic as food, is kind of a STRANGE idea in the context of the modern world where the whole goal is to fix any discomfort and fill any craving.

Living here in Indonesia, of course, fasting doesn’t seem so strange because we are surrounded by a religious culture that COMMANDS FASTING once a year.

So it seems a bit more routine here.

As Christians living in Indonesia, the topic of fasting might even perk up some guilt because we wonder if maybe we should be doing that.

There’s two errors people can make when it comes to fasting.

We can either think it’s strange and out of step with the modern culture so we just ignore it all together…or we put too much emphasis on it and we turn it into a command…something we have to do in order to be righteous before God.

So this morning, I want us to talk about FASTING.

I want to to talk about it’s PURPOSE…the Rewards that come with fasting…and the the actual PRACTICE of fasting.

Purpose, Rewards, Practice.

Let’s talk about it.

The scripture for this morning is a continuation of the passage we read last week about prayer.

Jesus talks about Prayer, and then immediately goes on to talk about fasting.

Its found in .

Let’s read it.

16 “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.

17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.

18 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.