I.
Introduction
a.
Our goal this
year is to see you get more rooted in Christ as we grow together
b.
One way we are
doing this rooting is through sermons about questions found in the Bible.
II.
Body
a.
Growing Closer
a.
I noticed as I
have been typing up your clothespin papers over the last month that there is a
common theme among the answers for one question: Describe your spiritual
life. In it many of you…probably 95%
claim that you are saved (meaning you have made Jesus both your Savior
(forgiver of sins) and Lord (ruler of your life)). But of those around 85% said one other thing,
you want to grow closer to God. Now what
that means to you may mean something different from what it means to me.
b.
Growing closer to
God will always require decisions and sacrifice on your part. God has already sacrificed (his very son on
the cross) and made the decisions to have a closer relationship with you. But often we want to grow closer to God but
don’t recognize that requires more than a desire, but action.
c.
At times this
means stopping something that God has told us is a sin, or starting to do
something good, or giving up time doing something in order to spend time with
God.
d.
But it has to be
not just actions but right heart as well.
We have to want to grow closer to God, do some kind of action to grow
closer to him, and not just do the motions of the action but have a passion
while doing it. The heart of it is more
important than the action often times.
b.
Fasting
a.
In the Bible we
see various ways to grow closer to God, various actions, one of which is
something called fasting. That is the
giving up of something, usually food, for a period of time, in order to focus
our attention on something spiritual while talking our focus off the physical. It is something we do: stopping looking at
only the material world, slow down, and look at the spiritual, namely God and
our relationship with Him.
b.
But we are about
to see that it isn’t just the action, fasting, but the heart behind the action
too!
c.
Isaiah 58:2-5
a.
“For day after
day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation
that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager
for God to come near them. ‘Why have we
fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as
you please and exploit all your workers.
You’re asking ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other
with wicked fists. You cannot fast as
you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only
a day for a man to humble himself? Is it
only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day
acceptable to the Lord?””
b.
In this passage Israel
has been using the action of fasting to grow closer to God…right? Wrong!
They are using it to get something by forcing God into doing because
they are fasting.
c.
God tells them
that they aren’t doing it right though.
They are fasting, they are wearing clothes to show humility…but “Is this
the kind of fast I (God) have chosen?
d.
The answer is
no. God wants more in order for
relationship to grow than just going through the motions.
e.
He wants a
changed heart, one that is really approaching him for relationship, not just to
get something. It isn’t the motion, it
is the heart behind the motion.
d.
Isaiah 58:6-7
a.
“Is not this the
kind of fasting I have chosen; to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe
him, and not turn away from your won flesh and blood?”
b.
It isn’t the
motion (of fasting) it is the heart behind the motion (loving others and doing
more than just giving up something, but replacing it with good action)
III.
Conclusion
a.
If you want to
grow your relationship with God
a.
Decide to do
something
i.
Actually decide
you will sacrifice, you will do something, you will spend time on growing your
relationship with God
b.
Do it
i.
Follow through on
that decision, actually live it out, even if it is difficult, even if you
stumble form time to time, do it!
c.
Do it with right
heart
i.
You want to grow
in relationship with God? Why? Is it for selfish reasons or is it because
you want to actually have a relationship with God? Is it because you want to know him more or
because you want him to solve a problem?
b.
If you want to
grow your relationship with God…join us during lent as we read through John, we
are giving up time that we could be doing something else, reading 3 chapters a
week, and really listening to what they have to say, and if God speaks to us
through them we will make changes in our life.
But you have to be willing to dedicate yourself to that, if you are come
take a card and we will pray for you. We
start next Wednesday, so if you want more time to decide then come back next
Wednesday with your decision.
c.
Pray
No comments:
Post a Comment