Thoughts on Fasting - Is Fasting an Essential Element of a Local Church's Culture?

Fasting: An Essential Element of a Local Church’s Culture

I have recently been convicted that there are spiritual disciplines that we would do well to revive and revisit, which we often pay little or no attention to, both publicly in our local churches, and privately in our homes. One of those spiritual disciplines is the practice of fasting. As I have been reading, thinking, and talking about this subject I am picking up on two truths that are worth considering. I believe these two truths are worth visiting for inspiration and encouragement. I am convicted of the need of and interested in seeing growth in the spiritual discipline of fasting, personally and corporately for a couple of reasons that I would also like to lay out briefly.

Two Truths – Two Reasons

I would like to briefly outline two truths that relate to the practice of fasting, and two reasons why I am convinced fasting ought to be a central part of a local church’s culture.

Truth One:

The first truth that seems clear yet passed over comes from Scripture. The passage in mind is found in Matthew chapter six. Three ideas are assumed by Christ which he then expounds upon. One, Christians will give to the poor (V2), two, Christians will be given to prayer (V5), and three, Christians will be given to fasting (V16). The first truth is that Scripture, specifically Christ himself assumes that we will fast as part of our faith in practice. I had never really stopped to think about that before, but it is right there in plain sight. For me, this is one of those moments when Scripture is challenging me to do something differently than I had before. In the past I have fasted occasionally, yet I never saw it as something I should do consistently. There seems to be no reason why it should be any less part of a Christian’s life than giving or prayer according to Chris in this passage. So, I come to this text looking to be challenged, and indeed my current practice is being challenged from the perspective that I have not seen fasting as a constant and continued spiritual discipline, and I want to repent and grow in this practice.

Truth Two:

The second truth is that church history testifies to the importance of fasting. One particular area of church history that I have been interested in recently is Baptist history. I find myself a young preacher who with every passing month is more convinced that theologically I align on every major point of Baptist theology, from soteriology and baptism to church polity, even though I have been greatly influenced by Presbyterian and Anglican theologians. What I have found is numerous examples of prayer and fasting being essential in faith in practice in the writings of Baptist preachers of old. Specific examples concern the process of ordaining elders and deacons, as well as calling a pastor to a local church. In my own experience, this has been a practice that has been neglected and it seems fitting to revive such a practice.  

The following is an excerpt from the 17th century Baptist minister Benjamin Keach’s work called The Glory of a True Church, published in London in 1697. Keach writes, “A Church thus constituted ought forthwith to choose them a Pastor, Elder or Elders, and Deacons, (we reading of no other Officers, or Offices abiding in the Church) …and after in a day of solemn prayer and fasting, that they have elected them, (whether Pastor or Deacons) and they accepting the Office, must be ordained with prayer and laying on of hands…” Another example is provided in the work of the 18th century Baptist minister, Benjamin Griffith who migrated to America in 1710. Griffith, in his work titled A Short Treatise Concerning a True and Orderly Gospel Church, published in Philadelphia in 1743, wrote, “After having taken all due care to choose one for the work of the ministry…by setting apart a day of fasting and prayer, Acts 13:2-3, the whole church being present, he is to have the hands of the presbytery of that church…laid upon him.” Here we see very early examples in Baptist history of how fasting and prayer were employed in the occasion of ordaining elders and deacons. Personally, I think they had it right to approach such serious work by first covering it in prayer and attending it with a day of fasting to intentionally draw near to Christ in selecting local leaders and servants who will minister to the bride of Christ. There are many other examples from church history more broadly, yet these two brief examples are consistent with what I have found elsewhere. As it is right for the local church to learn from Scripture, it is right for the local church to learn from church history as well. In times of greater persecution, there has often been greater doctrinal clarity, and in our current time we can and ought to be taught and encouraged by the faithful witnesses who have gone before us.

Two Reasons:

Why should fasting become a central element of the local church’s culture?

Reason One:

For one, fasting is clearly communicated as a spiritual discipline that is relevant to and expected of followers of Christ. To see fasting as simply and optional element or an accessory to the Christian life is to miss the clear teaching of Scripture that just as prayer and giving are ongoing disciplines, so too is fasting. The goal of every Christian is to love the Word, and obey the Word, and to allow it to question and teach us so that our minds will continue to be renewed, and our worship will be in truth. Worship is an act of understanding. And an understanding of who God is and how we are to relate to Him comes from the His Word. I believe fasting can be a true form of worship because it is rooted in obedience through application, applying what we find in His Word. Faithfulness to the Word of God ought to be the center of every local church’s culture, which in turn produces true worship.

Reason Two:

Fasting is a beautiful time of drawing near to God in our weakness. Sometimes we are propped up by our material comforts, and only when they are removed can we see who we really are. Like a tea bag is placed in hot water, the heat releases what is naturally inside. In fasting we remove some of the comforts that prop us up, and we come to God in our weakness expecting to find and enjoy His strength. As one of my very good friends put it, “Giving up food is not a sacrifice but an exchange! -The small step of faith in foregoing a few loaves and fish is met with God’s multiplied faithfulness, and the reward is Him!” – Jonathan Kittle

We don’t fast to earn God’s favor, we fast to gain clarity and perspective. Much like we pray, not to manipulate God, but to gain clarity and perspective through adoration and supplication, in fasting we gain an opportunity to focus our adoration and mindful dependence. Christ is concerned with whether or not we are daily coming to Him, dependent upon Him for our contentment, and strength. A local church who has fasting as a central cultural element will be a church that has a mindful unity in dependence upon Christ. I truly believe this, and I look forward to seeing how Christ teaches and grows me in this area, and to seeing how you my friends are also growing in this sweetness with Christ. God bless!

Rob

Your Purpose & The Will of God

What If…

I can remember as a younger man wondering what my life would be like if I could just… There have been so many examples in my life of where I was in some ways just letting the days pass, hoping something more meaningful would present itself. Even though I finally have a sense of clarity, and feel like I can direct my energy and resources, the wondering has never stopped. Even today I think a lot about the future, what it will be like to be 40?, what it will be like to have teenagers in the house?, what it will be like to live on a small church pastor’s salary?, what it will be lie to finally have a Ph.D.?, to write a book…? Then I wonder, what in this is God’s will? How do I lock in and focus on that?

The Will of God

Today I had the opportunity to preach a sermon aimed at outlining how we can know the will of God. A point I made was that every believer should know the will of God. That is a big assertion, and one that requires a bit of unpacking, which I won’t really do here. But to summarize, while we cannot know the secret will of God, every believer can know the preceptive will of God, and this knowledge ought to be a daily guide. The preceptive will of God is based on the precepts laid out in Scripture, and they have a lot to do with the type of person we are becoming. The concept is that godly people do godly things… When we are presented with options for our life, we can get overwhelmed and feel like we really might mess this one up if we take the wrong path. What can we do? For one, we can ask ourselves whether or not this path will lead us into obedience, holiness or worship, where we glorify and enjoy God.

We can know God’s will, and it ought to be a guide for our daily lives.

This will look different in application, but in principle the truth is universal. God want’s all of us to walk in obedience, grow in holiness and worship and enjoy him. This is a simple summary of what knowing God’s will looks like, but the application for each of us as individuals requires intetnional reflection, prayer and intimacy with God’s word. God has a purpose beyond salvation for each of us, and while we sometimes just need to move in a godly direction, greater clarity can be found with intentional reflection, prayer, meditation, and biblical community. We can know God’s will, and it ought to be a guide for our daily lives.

Practical Steps

I have been thinking about practical steps that I could take to personally continue to gain clarity and focus, realizing the end of my life is coming, and I’ll never be 32 years old again. The last thing I want is to get to the end of my life, look back and see that while I was really busy, I missed the work I was built for and placed here to do in service to God. If man’s duty is obedience to God, then I want to be intentional in not missing the obedience that looks like action on purpose.

I decided to spend an hour every night reading, thinking, and praying about why God put me on this earth…

I remember reading in article last year in the Harvard Business Review essay collection On Managing Yourself that really made me think about what it looks like to seek God’s will and to have clarity in my own life. The article was written by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, and the title of the essay was “How Will You Measure Your Life?” Christensen shared his practical steps towards gaining clarity concerning God’s purpose for his life, which I found helpful and inspiring. He said,

“When I was a Rhodes scholar, I was in a very demanding academic program, trying to cram an extra year’s worth of work into my time at Oxford. I decided to spend an hour every night reading, thinking, and praying about why God put me on this earth. That was Avery challenging commitment to keep, because every hour I spent doing that, I wasn’t studying applied econometrics…but I stuck with it and ultimately figured out the purpose of my life.”

What a great example of practical action in seeking God’s will. If anyone could say they were too busy to stop and reflect, it would be a Rhodes scholar cramming an extra year of study at Oxford! What if we all took time to stop, think, and pray about where we are headed? Everyone of us is heading towards something. It can feel like walking with your eyes closed, you feel motion, but the direction is uncertain, and the very next step is all we can think about. What if we at least knew we were heading in the right direction? I think we can. I think we can have confidence in our direction, and in part that confidence can come from being intentional about the type of person we are becoming, and second, being intentional to think, pray and seek God’s guidance. I want to be intentional, and with the start of a new year, I would like to set aside a little time each week to reflect on this topic. I think it will be worth it.

I really liked the way Christensen ended his Harvard Business Review Essay, and I think it is worth ending on: “Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success.”

Rob Lewis

Christensen, Clayton M. “How Will You Measure Your Life?” in HBR’s 10 Must Reads: On Managing Yourself. Harvard Business Review Press, Boston. 2010.

My Story-Part One: God's Grace

Goals:

There is something to having a goal that drives a person. I can remember specific goals in different phases of my life. I think some people are naturally more driven than others, some simply more competitive. There is room for all types in this world, but there is something to be said for having a goal and how goals guide personal growth. I can look back in my life and see clear evidence of the difference having goals made in my life. As well, I can clearly see how my current goals are driving me right now. I thought I would write on the topic tonight in hopes that it may be of value or help someone that currently feels stuck where they are. I think a person's ability to lead others is directly related to how well they lead themselves. And it has been my conviction for years, that part of our ministry ought to be natural growth from demonstrating excellence in our work and personal lives, which in turn glorifies God. While knowing this is true, my personal story has been filled with grace, and my life continues to be sustained by grace. My story is one of chaos, only by the grace of God salvaged, not because I had goals, but because of what he had planned. But it is interesting seeing how God takes even the goals we set, and either changes them, or uses them for his glory. Here is a look into how he has done that with my story, showing me grace the entire way:

Where I Began:

I grew up in Bacliff Texas, a small town south of Houston, near the coast that is known for poverty and crime. My family lived in an old beat up trailer that had rotten particle board floors that were constantly giving way and opening up the the world below. I can still remember the smell of the soggy particle wood as it would break and crumble. There was no central heat or A.C., and I shared a room with my two sisters, one older and one younger. We had a box fan that was hung in our only bedroom window, which would draw in the wet, hot, south Texas air at night. I will save the details of all the crazy times growing up, but I'll just say I was told by my first grade teacher that I couldn't go to second grade because no teacher wanted me. I know she was just telling me the truth, but I can remember feeling like I just wished I could change. I would try so hard to be good, but my temper and overall lack of self-control saw me getting in fights, talking back to my teacher, destroying the classroom in a rage, or stealing from my teacher and classmates pretty much everyday. 

When I was nine years old, my parents got a divorce, and it was really wild times. My Mom would end up in Michigan, and we would stay down in Houston. The crazy thing was that when my Dad was going back and forth between Houston and Detroit he ended up getting a job up there at a small engine repair shop. He did a house call one day and when he was leaving the lady asked him if he had a Bible. My Dad lied to her and told her that he did in fact have a Bible. He left the lady's house and felt convicted. He ended up going back the next day and telling her that he actually didn't have a Bible. She gave him an old cheap, black leather KJV. Little did he know, but that would be the beginning of our world completely changing, and little did I know, but my Dad was about to become someone drastically different, nearly overnight. 

Maybe I will write a book one day that no one will read, and in it I will include more of the details from that crazy time in life, but what would happen next would be the beginning of a new life for our family of four as my Dad somehow managed to raise us three kids by himself with pretty much nothing. I would become a Christian later that year, and was baptized in December at a homeless shelter in Friendswood Texas called Son Light Mission. The change I saw in my father was incredible, and I wanted to know Jesus for myself. I too was changed, and often I reflect on those early years, they were simply wonderful, even though we had nothing, and there was certainly pain and sorrow that filled our hearts, Jesus was enough, and his grace changed everything...

Skip a lot of crazy stories and fast forward, to my teen years. I raced motocross seriously during my teen years, and it pretty much consumed my life. It absolutely became an idol, and something I had to walk away from for a time in my late teens, but I won't go into all the stories with that part of my life right now, but it was such a blessing to get to ride professionally for different ministries in my late teens and early twenties. But my point is I am thankful for the sport because it is my earliest memory of setting and working towards goals. I remember wining my first state championship and the feeling of all the hard work paying off. I remember being so thankful to travel all over the U.S. and Canada riding a dirt bike for a living, seeing places I only dreamed of from my room in our beat up trailer in Bacliff. But before I go into all of that, I want to tell about my unique school experience, which set the stage for where I am now. 

Schools Part One:

I was taken out of school after the fifth grade, partially because my Dad didn't want us in the chaos anymore, and partially so that I could ride everyday. Looking back now it seems absolutely crazy! I didn't really do school work for years, as my dad was not really equipped to teach us, so we read a lot of books, but never did anything else with the state. My dad was convinced that everything we needed was in a book. I laugh now because I think he was right! My home is consumed with books, I sit right now surrounded by books, and I have more books on the way! I would read encyclopedias and the Bible as my main form of education growing up. Every year my dad would take my sisters and I to the homeschool store and let us pick out one book each. It was usually a math book. Perhaps my Dad would look at the price and decide if that was the best book or not for that year. I don’t really know. He did a great job trying to get us what we needed, honestly. Then we would take our three books up to the counter and my Dad would pull a small wad of cash out of his right front pocket and separate a few small bills from the wad, and complete the transaction.

I remember hating math at times because it was so hard trying to teach myself algebra and trigonometry. My step Mom moved in when I was fifteen, and she would check in on me with my school work. She was the first person I met that either knew how or was willing to help me with my school work. She thought me how to do basic algebra, for which I was very grateful! My grandpa on my dad's side would help from time to time, but I probably wasn't the best student, because I wouldn't get it and he would be frustrated with me, and I would be frustrated with him, so most of the time I just tried to figure it out on my own. But when it came time to graduate high school, I had a problem. I had not done any state required work, and pretty much had no choice but to get my G.E.D. I would ride my bicycle nearly twenty miles one way to the Barnes & Noble off highway 45 near Baybrook Mall. I would take notes in a spiral note pad, since I didn't have the money to buy the books. That became a regular routine, and I actually got a job at bike shop not far away from Barnes & Noble, so I rode my bike a minimum of 40 miles a day, rain or shine both to work and to study at Barnes & Noble. (I didn't get a car or my driver's license until I turned 18.)

I finally borrowed $100 from my grandpa on my step Mom's side to go take the G.E.D. and made arrangements to go down to College of the Mainland. That was a long ride on 146 from Bacliff to the COM in Texas City, but I wanted to be done with school! I found out that they had a free class you could take to get ready for the G.E.D., and so I signed up. My step Mom took me in her car the first day, so that was nice, but I rode my bike down there the other days. It was pretty funny, in that class it was mostly middle aged people, and kids who got kicked out of high school and then me, riding my bike there from Bacliff. I quickly made friends with the teacher, and started helping her teach the adults. I stopped going after about four days or so because I wasn't learning anything, and the ride there was adding about two hours a day to my ride to work, which was in Webster. Long story short, I sat for the test and passed that bad boy, I got a near perfect score in reading comprehension in the 99th percentile, but squeezed by on the math section barely above average with a 58th percentile. I didn't care, it was spring of 2003 and I was finished with school...

Get Out of Bacliff Part One:

I had set a goal, to get out of school and never look back. So at seventeen I was a free man! My next goal? Get out of Bacliff. There were really few options for me even with my freshly minted G.E.D. graciously awarded by the state of Texas. For whatever reason, I had no interest in going to college and the only thing I knew was dirt bikes, but I was poor, and no where near fast enough to make it racing as a professional, and that year was the same year that I had actually given it up to get my heart and mind right with God, as well as finish school. Looking back now, part of me wishes I would have started school right away, and then I just reflect on all the good years, and the things I learned along the way, I wouldn't change a thing. It would be six years later before I would start college. 

Anyways, at seventeen, I had given my bikes back to the local shop that had been helping me, and I knew that racing wasn't likely going to be my way out, but I had always felt that God would somehow us dirt bikes in my life to serve him, and that is what happened. Dirt bikes would end up being my ticket out of Bacliff, and eventually what brought me to Oklahoma, but it wouldn't be through racing, it would be through freestyle. It would start with the youth group that I was a member of at the Rock church in Friendswood, and in the parking lot of the Greens-Point Mall in Houston, at a Festival Con-Dios in the fall of 2003...

Insight From Jonah - It Is Never Too Late...No Matter How Far You Have Gone

This morning I preached on the second chapter of Jonah, and I was really encouraged as I studied, prayed and prepared this message last week. I was encouraged because as I prayed and wrestled with the Scripture, it became clear that God's mercy was demonstrated, even while Jonah was being humbled during his disobedience, and it became apparent that like Jonah, we too must be humbled privately before God if we are to be effective in public ministry. One key take away I spent time on this morning is the fact that Jonah was hardened and was slow to repent, yet when he did pray, God was quick to respond. No matter how long you have been walking away, no matter how far you have drifted, no matter how great the rebellion, it is never too late to pray. And just like Jonah, our need for grace, our personal experience of grace is what qualifies us to preach the gospel of grace...as the attention statement below highlights, Christ chose those to preach mercy who had felt most mercy...

A man came up to me after the service and asked me to pray with him. He was concerned that his being divorced might keep him from serving God. I could see in his eyes and feel it in his grip that he was hurting and genuinely wanted to serve God. Before I prayed with him I looked him in the eye and told him that there was nothing in his past that could keep God from loving him or using him. The gospel is for believers... 

Below is a copy of my sermon notes, for a look behind the scenes if you will...although there is nothing terribly exciting back there but messy handwriting and poor spelling, but perhaps it will be of some use to someone. I pray that I will continue to rest in the gospel, as one who has benefited from the gospel, so that I might be an example of the message I preach. And may God be glorified in foolish and weak vessels like us, and As Dr. Loyd Jones said once, "Those who have truly had an encounter with God walk with a limp."

Jonah

 Chapter 2 – Humbled by God

Opening Statement: Good morning! This morning we will look at the famous story of Jonah in the whale. This story is often told in light hearted ways, casting the plot in a pleasant light. But this is hardly the case. The only reason Jonah and the whale should be painted on the walls of our house is to remind us of how we too are refugees running from the call of God. Jonah, a man used by God…I want you to imagine with me a man running from God who once walked with God. God told him exactly what he was to go and do. His reply was an absolute act of rebellion. He ran as far as he could from the call. What an image of both sin of commission and omission. He let remain undone that which he knew should be done, namely preaching to Nineveh, thus committing sin of omission. And his running was plain sin of commission. He was thrown overboard and was on his way to dying a cold lonely death… when even the whale was sent as an act of mercy. Do you get that… the very whale was God’s mercy on Jonah!  He was about to drown. But what we see is God humbles Jonah and only after he humbles him is Jonah ready to go do public ministry…What a rich lesson for us today. This will be our focus this morning.

Major Doctrine: God will use us publically only after he has humbled us privately.

Attention: Christ chose those to preach mercy who had felt most mercy, as Peter and Paul, that they might be examples of what they taught. – Richard Sibbes

Narrative Introduction: Jonah and the Whale…

Focus Text: Jonah 2 - *(Actual Passage on Screen for Following Along “ESV”)

Start: Be reminded that we are all like Jonah, running, humbled, saved by grace alone, and then fit to preach mercy having felt it ourselves.

Focus: We will make three stops this morning:

1. God deals with us privately: 

   1. The man…Jonah the individual running from his call.

   2. The Whale… The whale was God’s mercy, and a time of private encounter with God

2. God humbles us in addressing our disobedience:

   1. Jonah was running from God, but God did not let him get away.

   2. Jonah had a change of heart when God almost killed him. That’s what it took for Jonah, what will it take for you and me?

3. Being humbled by God allows us to be examples of the gospel we preach:

   1. Life from death principle throughout Scripture – (Dr, Loyd Jones)

   2. Jacob, David, Jonah, Peter, Paul…

   3. You and I…We are fit to preach mercy only after we have felt God’s mercy

   4. Jonah had public success only after having been humbled privately… 

Emotional Focus: God will do whatever it takes to get our attention, but our being humbled by God is not something to be ashamed of, but something we must personally experience before we will ever be used by God.