Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
Thank you ladies. I'm glad we don't have to fast from music. Aren't you glad? Actually an Amos. God says if the music that you sing is an honoring to me. Just don't sing it all. That's not the case here, and so I'm so thankful.
We have musicians who want the glory of God extolled. There's nothing worse than having Wonderful musicians, but bad theology. I hate that when I find that on the radio or someplace else. Well Charlie and the group are gone, and so that just gives me more time to preach.
And I'm glad you're here for the Sunday school hour this morning. As people come straggling in because of the daylight savings time thing let's make sure we greet them and have them come in and if they're late, they're late.
And Studying all week, I think I'm just stalling a little bit to try to get the tin out of my voice studied all week the topic of fasting and you know there are Fasting books galore. There are the fasting days of the week by every imaginable group in Christianity.
There are fasts for Lent. There are fasts for Good Friday. There's fasts for the Eucharist. I found some fasts that some of the Anglicans have and they fast the night before the nativity of our Lord the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Easter Day. Ascension Day. Pentecost Celebration of st. John the Baptist. St. Peter. St. James. St. Bartholomew. St. Matthew. St. Simon. St. Jude. St. Andrew. St. Thomas. By the way if these fast days fall on a Monday.
Then the fast day should be kept on the Saturday not the Monday. And boy the list is getting bigger as I look at Ember days. You ever fasted on an ember day. You've ever fasted on a row. Gatian day. It's not Rogaine day, that's Rogation day.
Eastern Orthodoxy fasts for Lent. Nativity fast which is 40 days. Apostles fast. It's a variable length. I guess depending on which apostle you might want to follow. There is fasting for the beheading of John the Baptist.
I found that interesting. There's a fasting for the exaltation of the crossed of the cross rather some Pentecostals have black Fasts. Daniel fasts. Partial fasts. Church of the Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.
Fast Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. And so you don't eat for two meals. You save the money that you would have spent for those two meals and then give it To the church. There's all kinds of fasting.
My favorite so-called Christian fast is called the bridegroom fast. And that's the first Monday Tuesday Wednesday of each month, but it's not my favorite because of what it's called. It's my favorite because who does it it's done by the International House of Prayer IHOP and I hop loves to fast and I just found that quite fascinating that they would fast all these fasts commended to and Commanded to the people who follow these groups and there's not one New Testament Epistle command that says you must fast.
What's going on why do we fast like we do. My favorite fasting story of all time was found in Zurich Switzerland March 9th 1522 a book printer named Christoph Froschauer was having a meal and at the meal they had smoked sausage and they Shared the smoked sausage and you said what's the big deal about that?
They weren't supposed to they weren't supposed to have any sausage consumption on the first Sunday in Lent. And it was the first Sunday of Lent and they ate a bunch of sausage. Zwingli was there masterminding the whole thing yet not eating the sausage and Then his next sermon was called concerning choice and Liberty respecting food.
And you know once you let the fasting cat out of the bag who knows what they'll do. And soon after that in Basel They began to eat pork on a day. No less than Palm Sunday the Gaul. As Wingley said in a word and this is my charge to BBC in a word if you fast do so.
If you do not wish to eat meat eat it not but leave Christians a free choice in the matter. Let's turn our Bibles to Matthew chapter 6 as we talk about this subject Fasting. We believe in sola scriptura along with Zwingli.
And so if the Bible commands it then we do it. If the Bible doesn't command it it is given to the Christian Conscience whether they're free to do it or whether they're not that is the issue. And Jesus of course in context in Matthew chapter 6 is annihilating the Pharisees and their Prostitution of righteousness somehow saying that it's okay on the external.
Who cares about the internal nature of being righteous as long as you're good with pomp and circumstance before God? Everything's fine. And of course, we know Jesus comes along and here is this new lawgiver and he wants internally driven righteousness.
Don't fast so people see you if you're going to fast fast so God sees you. Isn't that kind of a dumb moment? Everything you do religiously should be done before God. God is your audience when it comes to worship and Jesus said as he addresses these Hypocrites as Augustine called hypocrisy homage that pays vice to virtue.
He said in Matthew 6 16 whenever you fast. Do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they're fasting. Truly I say to you they have the reward in full.
But you when you fast anoint your head wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men. Let me repeat that so that your fasting will not be noticed by men. But by your father who is in secret and your father who sees what is done in secret will Reward you.
Jesus says there's a way to do spiritual things in a sinful fashion. And when we take our eyes off the Lord and do things to please other people Jesus says don't do that. That would be wrong. And so we had some true and false questions that spiraled out of this topic fasting.
We looked at the context. We looked at the passage and then we ask ourselves the question What are some true and false issues about fasting true and false number one? There is a time when fasting is Inappropriate.
There's a time when fasting is inappropriate. There's a time where you the Christian ought not to fast. We talked about how Jesus didn't have his disciples fast when he was there. He was the bridegroom.
There was a time of joy and celebration and I would you fast then. You can't just say beloved. What would Jesus do? Should I fast? WWJD. Jesus fasted in Matthew 4 on the Mount of Temptation. Therefore I will fast, you know, sometimes Jesus didn't fast.
How about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? Did he fast there? We can't just say what did Jesus do. Sometimes he fasted but you did you know Jesus was not known for being a faster. Matthew 11 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say behold the gluttonous man and a drunkard a friend of tax gathers and sinners.
There's a time when we ought not to fast if you want to fast and show yourself to other people. That would be a time not to fast if you want to have a fast so you can gain more love from God and earn More merit.
Would that be a good time to fast? Obviously not. Sometimes there's a time when we ought not to fast. We're gonna have several weddings here soon at the church. That's not a time for fasting. I Would be a time to fast but it's a time of joy somebody in your family gets saved.
It's a time of celebration and happiness enthusiasm. It's a time not to fast. Conversely number two true or false. We looked at last week. There's a time when fasting is Appropriate. There is a time to fast and we looked at some detail on this theme.
Fasting is the normal response that a Christian has. To trials to temptations to suffering to sorrow to trouble. Something goes on in your life. There's a death in the family and the response is not. I'd like to have a big meal.
The response is something is more important in my life than eating something that is normally good and right to do. I will set aside David fasted when Abner died. David even fasted on behalf of his enemies.
Psalm 35. Queen Esther for three days before she approaches the king before Haman is going to annihilate the Jews. She fasted there was trouble. The Jews are going to leave Babylon and go back to Jerusalem and Ezra chapter 8 they fasted trouble.
The response is fasting number three. Number three true or false. This is an easy one. You probably all know the answer this one. True or false most of the books on Christian fasting are worth the paper.
They're printed on. Here's a little hint. It's like when I was in college. I don't remember anything in college. I remember one class current economic issues and here's what the professor said don't buy insurance from celebrities.
That was it. It's good. Here's the little note. Forget Christian books on fasting most every one of them is horrible. It's like Christian diet books. It's pushing me back to Moses again and eating Ezekiel 4 9 bread or something.
I don't know what they do, but that's another topic. I have to stay close here watch out for fasting books. I'll give you a little bit of a fasting book from Jerome and He was talking in one of his books about how to pick a right kind of woman if you want to get married.
I was gonna say Joey and Jose listen. One Who mourned and fasted and who was squalid with dirt and Look for a girl who's almost blinded by weeping and make sure her life is as a fast. Jerome said no other kind of woman could give me pleasure, but whom I never saw eating food.
You need to run from those kind of books. Fasting for spiritual breakthrough. Forget it. Christian fasting a theological approach forget it. To love fasting the monastic experience forget it. Fasting is under the Lord run.
Fasting exploring a great spiritual practice. What can you write a whole book about when there's not a New Testament command for a local church? John Piper gives wise counsel regarding the discipline of fasting books.
Beware of books on fasting. You say give me a verse. Get your own verse. I'm just kidding. I'm just telling you as a pastor watch out because they're not very good. Can't believe I just said that number four.
Let's get going. We got to get to the text number four. After the Apostles died Fasting became a craze. The answer is true. After the Apostles came off the scene they left the scene. Fasting took off like the plagues of Egypt.
Everywhere there was fasting. Legalism springs in if you want to know does legalism add to things or subtract. If they subtract things the answer is both. But it tends to add things adding things to do and ways to be right with God.
Let me show you the best illustration. Turn to Matthew chapter 17. We're working towards one central passage for exposition in 1st Timothy, but as our as we're going there I want to clear up a couple of these other questions.
Matthew chapter 17. The Church Fathers so encouraged endorsed Commanded fasting that fasting started showing up in the Bible when it wasn't in the Bible it started getting added in to the text and I'll give you three illustrations of where the original text the oldest texts do not have the word fasting in but because of the culture because of the Church Fathers because of the fad of Fasting the word fasting got added into the Bible text.
Matthew 17 is the first illustration. I'll give you three. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said Matthew 17 19. Why could we not cast it out? He said to them because of the littleness of your faith.
But truly I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed you shall say to this mountain move from here to there. And it shall move and nothing shall be impossible to you. Verse 21. Not in the original not in the best.
But this kind does not go out except by prayer and what Fasting it started to get added in to the text. You probably have a little note in your Bible. It says this has been added our brackets around it.
Please go with me to mark chapter 9 and I'll show you the second illustration of how you have the Bible texts. Written in the first century now with all the copies and all the scribes adding things. Like Matthew or like Mark chapter 16 9 and 20 something else popped in and it was because of the culture.
Church didn't have any Mandatory fasting. So, how can you be holy if you don't have fast? Let's add it in mark 9 27, but Jesus took him by the hand and raised him and he got up. When he had come into the house Matthew 9 20, excuse me mark 9 28 his disciples began questioning him privately why could we not cast it out and he said to them this kind cannot come out by anything but prayer and Friends there's no and there's no and fasting New King James might have it.
King James might have it, but it's not in any good original text. And then the last one first Corinthians chapter 7 my point here again is this no New Testament command for the Christian to fast. He may fast she may fast in response to trial and choosing elders making decisions.
Whatever he or she might want to do it is up to their own conscience. But all of a sudden you start moving out into church history and people love to do external things. They love to measure their holiness like the Pharisees did in Matthew chapter 6.
How can I be holy? What's more difficult saying no to yourself crucifying your own desires are? Fasting for a day. It's much easier to just fast or not eat fish on a Friday or whatever. It might be as we talked about last week 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 5 talking about husbands and wives getting together.
Physically except for a certain kind of time and so Matthew 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 5 says do not deprive one another except with consent for a time very detailed that you may give yourselves to Fasting and prayer friends fasting is not in there, but it's in the New King James.
It's not in the NES. It's not in the best manuscripts. Give yourselves to fasting and prayer now you may fast. Certainly, this is a physical sexual fast, but you may fast with food as well, but this is not in the best texts.
Thankfully the Reformation comes by and says we want to have the Bible only. Whether traditions are good or bad or indifferent whether they're adding things or subtracting things. We don't care. We want the Bible and when the Reformation came along it was back to what does the Bible teach?
This is what I live by good advice by Martin Luther. Regarding fasting we do not therefore object to fasting itself. I don't object to it if you want to fast fine. But to the fact that it is represented as a necessary duty and that specific days have been fixed for its performance.
Luther said this I don't mind if you fast, but if somebody comes along and tells you you have to fast or you're sinning. Oh, that's the wrong thing to do. That's the wrong thing to do. You can't do that.
It's the cross of Christ that gives us the pleasure of God. Can you imagine if you said to yourselves I am pleasing in God's eyes. Because of Jesus Christ's death on Calvary and his resurrection plus if I don't eat these certain kinds of foods.
Silly, but that's what people do. Number five we're approaching first Timothy, but number five. Fasting will make your prayers more effective. Friends, this is a big one. Fasting will make your prayers more effective.
True or false. The answer is false. False. Augustine said do you wish your prayer to fly toward God give it two wings? Fasting and almsgiving. How can you get your prayer to God? You know I have I've been praying to God and he hasn't been answering my prayer.
And I want my loved one saved and all these other things and maybe I should fast that will make it more effective. Friends that is not true. Andrew Murray said prayer needs fasting for its full growth.
He's a good guy. It's a perfect guy now, but he doesn't believe that now. I can tell you that because he's in heaven starting 1916. He knows that you don't need to fast to have your prayers answered. Let me say these verses and you tell me what they say.
James 5 16 the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Is that true? The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much as long as there's fasting. Paul says in Colossians 4 12 we earnestly labor.
Our Paul says through at Paphos. He earnestly labors in his prayers and fasting. Hey, if you'd like not to fall into temptation you ought to watch and pray and fast. Therefore the Apostle said You choose these men to take care of the table and take care of the widows and take care of these other good deacon things and we want to devote ourselves to the Word of God and to Fasting.
Acts chapter 2 verse 42 they were continually devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching and a fellowship and of the breaking bread and a prayer and to Fasting no if you'd like. To fast so that you can think about praying more and every time your stomach growls you think about praying.
I'm fine with that. It's okay to do. But our prayers don't get answered because we fast our prayers if they're biblical and line up with the will of God get answered. Because we have what? We have who we have a mediator Christ Jesus.
He is the one who assures our prayers are heard by God and answered. Number six, so this is the last one for today. This is the text. I'm looking for. You're falling asleep so far. I don't think you are.
Boy, by the way last night was the hard one for turning the clocks ahead is it because I'm older or what? Boy. This is the time we should probably get those coming in. It's like the interesting with fall.
People will come you know a little bit early and they come for church. But at Sunday school, and I always say oh, I'm so glad you started to come to Sunday school. You can learn so much at Sunday school.
You're already gonna come on Sunday. You might as well come Sunday school. They say yes. Number six true or false. It is easy to fall into the trap of legalism and Asceticism when it comes to food. It's easy to fall into the trap of legalism and asceticism when it comes to food.
The answer is true associated with this Idea of saying no to food. It's easy to slip into this other idea that somehow food is bad. That somehow food makes me more acceptable to God. True some foods might be bad for you.
True some foods might not to be eaten daily. True. Some foods can be consumed too much. Except raw steaks tartar. Sushi that kind of stuff, but did you know it is the sign of the times? The sign of the end times when people come along and say don't eat certain kinds of foods.
Because of a religious reason when people say that you can know one thing for sure. It's the end times. It's the end times when people say I don't mean for diet your doctor says don't eat this and don't eat that.
I don't. I'm not talking about diet here. I'm talking about for spiritual purposes when you say to yourself Oh, there are people on TV now. And they're telling me what I can eat what I can't eat because this is pleasing to God, you know.
You are in the end days. Who said this? It's a little quiz. Let not any of our ministers set an evil example in the eating of flesh meat. Who said this God did not provide for the flesh of dead animals to compose the diet of men?
Who said this the more largely flesh composes the diet of teachers and pupils the less susceptible will the mind be to comprehend spiritual things. Who said this egg should not be placed upon your table.
They're an injury to your children. Context is not cholesterol here context is not egg beaters here. It's for spiritual purposes. All right. I'm gonna just try to step on everybody's toes. Here goes another one who said this.
Cheese is wholly unfit for food. Who said this spices butter cheese do their work of deranging the stomach and in feebling the intellect? Maybe that explains it. Who said this the Lord would bring his people into position where they will not touch or taste the flesh of dead animals?
They mean on the earth if they mean heaven. I would go along with that and then last quote who am I? How can those who are seeking to become pure and holy that they may have companionship of heavenly angels.
Take the life of God's creatures that they may consume the flesh. Who said it? Who said all those things in a religious context and again if you want to say I'm going on a diet I'm gonna try this. The doctor said that that is all fine and dandy.
But in a religious way, I will eat or not eat so God is more pleased with me. Taking away from the cross of Christ, I'll tell you who said this. Satan said it. Through the mouth of Ellen G. White the leader are the ex-leader of the Seventh-day Adventists.
Turn your Bible to first Timothy chapter 4. Demons talk through people and you know what demons do when they talk to people they say things that are anti Bible. And I thought it was good for the rest of our time this morning to address this topic about food.
So we think rightly about food because some people make the artificial jump of theological logic to say this. Fasting is somehow good. It's a nice response to it's a proper response to trouble and temptation and difficulty and sorrow and since it is.
Maybe there's something that I should do so I don't eat certain foods and certain foods are off-limits and certain foods. Maybe you know if I the Jews weren't supposed to eat Eagles. Maybe I'm not supposed to eat Eagles and if the Jews weren't supposed to eat who pose.
I'm not supposed to eat. Who pose. You think I'm saying the wrong word, but it's H o o p o e. We looked it up the other night. Didn't we daddy? We saw that what do we think about food? You say it's no big deal.
Yes, it is because people are gonna come along and they're gonna say to you just get your diet, right? And God will love you more and he'll be very pleased. Now if you want to be a vegetarian, it's fine.
But you don't become a vegetarian because you think it's biblical or scriptural. Say I don't want to eat pork fine, but it's not because it's biblical or scriptural. I don't want to eat scallops. It's fine, but not because it's.
Maybe we should do now that I'm thinking about it. I think we need to have a sausage party, but that will come later first Timothy chapter 4 pastoral epistle. Paul is writing to Timothy things that pastors need to know and you say you know what?
I don't want any of this negative kind of preaching. I don't like this kind of, you know false teacher addressing and everything else if you look at first Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 to 5. There is an exclamation point in verse 6.
That Paul says you better teach this to your people. I'm a bad shepherd if I don't teach this verse 6 in pointing out these things to the brethren you will be a what a Good servant if you don't point these things out, you're bad and you're not a servant either of Christ Jesus.
You're a servant of somebody else. Constantly nourished on the words of faith. People think they're spiritually nourished on food. Physically nourished sure, but not spiritually nourished here. They need to be nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
So it's good for me to teach you this. It's right for me to do it. I want to be a good steward. I'm. I hope you're pleased with the sermon. But I'm here to preach for Christ in his glory and I want you to know.
People will try to tell you don't eat certain foods. So you're pleasing to God first Timothy chapter 4 verse 1. This is a fast. This is. I Love to study the Bible for lots of reasons, but this is just Extraordinarily insightful in my mind for the days we live in first Timothy chapter 4 verse 1.
But the Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of hypocrisy of liar seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and Know the truth.
The church Paul says in first Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. It's the household of God. It's the church of the Living God. It's the pillar and support of the truth and along come the people these people then they say no.
You know what? We're gonna attack the pillars. We're gonna attack the truth and they're gonna say things in the end time that will make people not godly but ungodly. You say well, it's this kind of a hint.
He doesn't really expressly say this. He doesn't deliberately say it. It's kind of cloaked with shadows and enigmas and puzzles and maybe you could get it. If you had some kind of decoder ring, maybe if you had some kind of World War two enigma code spiritually.
You could figure this out. He's just alluding to it. He just maybe. It's just a possibility friends look at the text the spirit what explicitly says clearly explicitly. There's a spirit who's talking through these people and it's the unholy spirit.
So the Holy Spirit says there's something that you need to understand when people are going to talk about food. And there's not a doubt about it either. How he said it to whom he said it. We don't know but he clearly said it.
Nothing veiled about this nothing that needs to be deciphered. Just six years earlier Paul said be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock. Among the Holy Spirit who has made you overseers to shepherd the Church of God.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock. Paul says here there are going to be some people the Spirit of God says who are going to fall away from the faith.
What's the word fall away mean? Apostasize they're going to turn from the faith. Forget the redemptive truth of Christ alone and and the Atonement alone and substitution alone and grace alone and faith alone.
They're going to say with active apostasy rebellion. We don't like that. We don't want that. Why because if you believe that it will affect the way you live truth affects Principles that you have in your mind flesh themselves out and incarnate themselves in the way you live.
And these people actively rebelling against God say we don't want to do what you say we have our own religion. We do the things we want to do church or the guardian of the truth. We don't really care and What happens in the end times you see the text they pay attention to deceitful spirits.
They give heed. They give it a platform. They put them on TV. They have them as guest speakers in their pulpits. Anything to get a crowd I guess. Giving heed to seducing spirits not giving heed to the Holy Spirit and his word not giving heed to Paul and his apostolic preaching.
But giving heed to what? Doctrines of demons. Now friends get this this is not. Oh in the end times people will will learn a lot about demons demonology 101. Or demons are sneaky G demons are or you know all like in screw tape letters and demons.
You know are angels of light like Satan is and demons are all these kind of things. This is not teachings about demons. This is a doctrine taught by demons at the root of every heresy Satan lying. It doesn't come down and say you know here.
I am listen. He comes down, and he uses pawns and people to teach through. People to look nice people that can wear a suit and dress and tie and all these other kind of things not all the same Time, but they wear those things separately and individually.
Christ atonement and substitutionary death needs no addition. That's the book of Colossians. You don't add anything you don't add visions touch not taste not here is the gospel. But the gospel has rough edges and people want to contour it a little bit because it's hard to say I'll follow Christ.
It's a difficult narrow path and so people want something easier and might not be that easy to say no to food. But it's a lot easier than picking up your cross denying yourself following Christ to be sick of yourself allegiance only to Christ.
And so what happens? Satan uses these people to influence other and I just call it DUI is what I call it. It's doctrine under the influence of Satan. You ever ask yourself the question How could smart people buy into things that are so stupid?
How could this person say something about you know, if you don't eat cheese God loves you more. You're smart. You've been educated. You probably been to Yale or Harvard or these other places. How could somebody so smart be so theologically stupid?
Answer is there's a spiritual warfare going on and it's affecting people all these speculations of all these weird things. The spirit of truth the Holy Spirit isn't driving them. But the spirit of falsehood is and there's a human cause look at the text dupes and pawns and talking heads and puppets for the puppet master right here verse 2 with Language that is meant to shock you and to inscribe in your brain.
So you never forget it these demon doctrines. Doctrines taught by demons come through a mouthpiece. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron as Hypocrisy is deliberate.
So too is this teaching deliberate falsehood? People that say you have to eat certain foods to be right with God and forbid marriage aren't just oh. They're kind of deceived and maybe they should be on the local radio station having some show.
They know for sure they deliberately do it. They know the truth and they deliberately teach the opposite. They aren't caught up in this they are fully and completely Comprehending this and then they endorse it.
This is just like Satan back in the garden in Genesis chapter 3 using some snake to deceive. And look at the passage here. I mean, this is just so Vivid especially for those of you that love operating room illustrations.
Here we go by means of Hypocrisy of liars liars seared. It's a medical term Cauterized in their own conscience as with a branding iron. Their conscience is seared as with some kind of internal branding iron.
Their mind is cauterized. It's the first time I was in an operating room and I said to myself. Well, this should be interesting and I sold Cauterizing branding units and basically if you ever wonder why if you open someone up with a scalpel Why doesn't blood go flying everywhere sometimes it does but there's certain kind of Vessels and they bleed a little bit and could shoot out.
So you take this particular Cautery unit cauterizing searing unit and with electrical current RF frequency radio frequency. You touch this pencil this kind of little Instrument to the blood and it sears it it cauterizes it it burns.
It is what it does and it stops the bleeding. Otherwise, you'd have to suture everyone and all that so you can just stop some of these smaller bleeders like that. And all of a sudden I'm watching it the first time this machine that I'm selling and I'm watching them cauterize our sear these things.
And there's a delay in this and the delay is this. Smell something is it lunchtime, you know some barbecue and I'm thinking I'm smelling human tissue being burned. It's like a piece of meat. Human meat on the barbecue and the thing about this conscience that becomes seared and cauterized and black.
It just becomes unresponsive it becomes so it's unfeeling. It's like, you know, you put a bunch of lidocaine and a bunch of novocaine and you just dead and everything. And it's alive, but you just don't feel anything anymore.
These people's minds because of their own sin their own pride their own glory have a mind that's full of Spiritual lidocaine and they become anesthetized and they know what they're doing. You want to talk about a mark of the beast?
This is the internal mark of the beast cauterized on their consciences and they go around saying don't eat that food. Because it's gonna make you more pleasing to God. That is a demon doctrine from Satan.
They know better hypocritical lie speakers if you notice the if you notice the passage Hypocrisy of liars. It's not just one. That's just one in the era there's a bunch of them. Perry said this is a good classical word for liars on a large scale if Paul's goal in first Timothy chapter 1 verse 5 is to preach having a good conscience.
Of course, these other people will come along and say you know what? I got a bad conscience and out of this bad conscience is gonna flow things that are exactly opposite to what God says. You would take this brand back in the New Testament times and you could either brand a criminal with it.
You could brand a disobedient slave with it. You could brand a defeated soldier with it or you could brand some kind of religious Cult person with it and lots of times you would brand it right on their forehead.
So everyone would know defeated owned by another right on the brow and People like this who say, you know, forget what God's Word says. You do what we say? We know how to please God. You should see this big huge brand on their forehead that says I'm a false teacher and I'll take You to hell if I can.
Paul loves the church. Paul doesn't say well, we're gonna be a church, you know designed to represent. What's the truth? We don't attack error. That's not what the Christian pastor says. Our Christian pastor does.
Look at what they teach. He gives two examples of what these hairy heretics teach probably more going on at Ephesus. But here are two common things. Verse three they forbid marriage and they advocate abstaining from foods.
This is some kind of gross satanic. Ugly doctrine. When I was a kid, my mom used to buy me. Once in a while these things called ugly fruit. Have you ever seen an ugly fruit? It's kind of this weird Grapefruit looking thing.
That was very ugly obviously, but it kind of tasted better than a grapefruit. Does anybody know ugly fruit? Some do okay as doctrine and principles bear fruit in life. These demons begin to teach about things that bear ugly gross fruit and here's what happens.
Does God say marriage is good. Sure forbid marriage. God say we can eat anything we want abstain from food. These are lies and there's just enough truth in here that you go. Oh, yeah, it might might be true.
This week there was a lady in Florida arrested for trying to put in some kind of bleaching material inside little baby jars full of baby food. And she got caught on video trying to tamper with these things and she said oh I just trying to mix my kids formula while I was in the store.
Something's worse than poison. It's spiritual poison coming from people that say they're Christians, but they know they're not. And they say God said this is good. No, it's not good. You need some more rules.
Contaminating children of God. So probably what's happening here is they say What we want to do is we want to go back to creation. Remember before the fall didn't really eat any meat. Then maybe we shouldn't eat any meat now.
Let's go back maybe to the end times. We're in marriage. There's no there's no marriage. What'd I just say in heaven? There's no marriage what I say in marriage. There's no marriage. But you knew what I was talking about in heaven.
There's no marriage. So we ought not to eat. Let's just redo all this. We don't know what they were doing, but they were forbidding marriage. I said who would do that as scenes. I found out did that it's not that big a deal.
Gnostics, hey bodies really bad spiritual things are good. And how am I gonna get married and do something with my body and it's all bad. The end critites preached against marriage. Tertullian basically said you want to be as you want to be pleasing to God then you not not to be married.
How about the Roman Catholic Church Council of Trent you think this falls underneath first Timothy chapter 4? Who so ever shall say that the marriage state is to be preferred to the state of virginity or celibacy and that it is not Better and more blessed to remain in virginity or celibacy than to be joined in marriage.
Let him be accursed and that strike you as odd, you know what that strike me strikes me as a Demon speaking through a person and look at the other string to this two-string guitar. Forget marriage or be celibate instead be a virgin instead be something besides marriage or something better than marriage here abstain from meats.
Abstain from food. Saturnius Marcion and the Incarnate's both said for marriage isn't as good. Don't eat animal food. Like somehow Jesus hasn't freed us from the law. That's why I said with these diet books the first time you think when you see some kind of you know diet book from Christians.
Then you need to say to yourself. Well the last big guidebook from Christians. They didn't believe in the Trinity minor detail. But that's all right. It works. We're pragmatist and the other thing is you ought to say they're gonna bring me back to Moses.
They have to because there's no New Testament Restrictions on food by the way, which I say a hearty. Amen to all right. Let me really push the envelope. Show me a real Christian. Who says they need to avoid certain kinds of meats and restrict their diet?
And I'll show you someone who's a Christian who's a weak Christian. I'll show you someone who's a weak Christian of course. Is there anything wrong with being a weak immature Christian. No, unless you've been a Christian for 20 years, then you want not to be.
You know you look at your children. You go. Oh, they're just immature. Is there anything wrong with that. No unless they should be mature by now. They're 30 years old and Still living at home not paying rent.
There's a problem. I Ought not to say these kind of things. Eat certain foods. Don't eat certain foods now except the one who is a weak in faith. But not the for the purpose of passing judgment. One person has faith that he may eat all things.
But he who is weak eats vegetables only. The mature say God made it all. We eat it all. The immature says. Oh, I better not do that. I probably can't touch those foods. But what's the solution to all this.
The solution is creation. The solution is Genesis. And take a look at the passage now back in first Timothy chapter 4. What is a solution to help the Christian Church, so we don't get caught up into. I can't believe you know.
You know those guys over there. I can't believe he's a new deacon. He likes to eat beef. I mean it by the way, and I laugh about it too, and I'm promoting the laughter. But you live in the heartbed of a society that has certain restrictions on food.
And they think that pleases God. And we're right in the middle of all this stuff about giving up something for God on a certain day of the week. It's even more than that. You know I'm gonna give up Xbox on Friday afternoons for God because he suffered.
I should suffer friends. I Have twofold way a twofold purpose here. One is I want to teach you the text, and I don't want you to ever think. Somehow fasting could be beneficial in response to a crisis and therefore not eating certain food would even be better.
I don't want you to go there, but I also want you to say this. There's a bigger doctrine of demons. That's going around and that is what you do pleases God. You say I can get baptized. I can get catechized.
I can get the last rites and something if I do it God can be pleased. That works-based. Righteousness is damning. It's from Satan, and you live around people who need to be liberated by the truth. You need to be the b24 bombers who are called the what by the way I?
Think if I got my mind right it's the liberators the liberators with the truth. To tell people the truth and if somebody tells you I gave up something for Lent you ought to be telling yourself. I hope I get led to talk to this person.
No you should be saying they need the truth. They need the truth, and you know the truth. It's demonic because it takes away from the cross. Now they might not say oh, I think you've got to do works to get to heaven although the system believes it.
But they will say I've got to eat certain kinds of food or not eat certain kinds of food. And you know to yourself you say that is my entree in no pun intended to teach the truth. My I say this while I'm pushing the envelope.
If you don't tell your friends and loved ones the truth you don't love them. People go. Oh said loving you're bashing this group. You're not bashing that group well. They thought Jesus bashed. They thought John the Baptist bashed.
They thought Stephen bashed, and they killed them all and. What do I do? I know it's not personal confession in the pulpit although once in a while I will say it if I'm not careful. I I fear man more than I fear God.
I want them to like me. I want them to be friendly with me and sometimes. They're in my own family. I just don't want to you know. Do anything a. I don't love God if I don't say something and be I don't love them.
Oh go right on to hell eat your fish on Friday. See you later be warm be filled. Would you like some more tartar sauce? That is wrong. Why are you here in New England? Why do you know the truth? Why do you know justification my faith alone taught by Romans chapter 3 4 5 why do you know that?
Because we're good theologians. We have the best speakers in town. No, you know it because you've got people around you who are dying Literally and they need to know the truth. And our job isn't to save our job is to preach.
And so Paul says look creation. Solve the problem with creation was the last time you read Genesis chapter 1 2 3. Solve the problem with creation. And first Timothy chapter 4 verse 3 says. They they tell us not to do these things which God has what?
Created. God created them. They must be what? Good. As he originally created them, they're good. Anything that God does is good. Don't fall into this trap, you know people say well, you know, I'm a homosexual.
God don't make no junk and all that stuff. We're talking pre-fall here. There are berries now that have poison in them in other words. But God when his original creation everything he made was good and at the end of it all he said it was not just good.
It was what? Very good. Now you tell me what he made both food and marriage as good as very good. A false teacher comes along and says Not the best what ought you to do if he's in your pulpit you ought to fire him without severance pay.
Or you should turn the TV off. I talked to somebody the other day they're really struggling. I said do you have a pastor? Do you go to church? No, I watch Daystar morning star evening star God channel.
I don't know what they said. I just watched that all day long. I thought no wonder you're in such a horrible condition. Because you just turn it on. Okay, feed me teach me. One of the things I've noticed even in my own life those early on they get saved.
They want to read all the cult books. They want to see how many you know. How soon does it take us to find an error when Benny Benny Hinn teaches you know? I won because I found an error in four seconds, and it took you six.
As time goes on you just ought to be saying to yourself. I don't need to watch that anymore. That is stupid. It's not helpful. It's funny. It's fun. It's a good discernment once in a while. Maybe they're kids.
I don't know how you want to do it, but you ought to wean yourself off of that. Be fed with the good stuff for me for 29 years. I drank self-idolatry and what the world was teaching. I don't need any more of it.
And when people say forbid marriage God created marriage. Genesis 2 for this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife. Tell me that's not good. How about Genesis chapter 9 after the flood.
Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you. What does that include? Everything. How about Jesus in Mark chapter 7 he declared how many foods clean? All foods clean. Thankfully cults that come along and say no sex and no food.
They don't last very long, but then they're. You know it's fed to the next group. Look at verse 4. He reaffirms and confirms. What verse 3 was talking about. If there's anything not clear Paul says let me just bring it back down again.
And tell you the right thing. It doesn't say everything's good. Everything created by God is good for everything created by God. Speaking of marriage speaking of food is good. And in case we don't get the converse.
He tells us explicitly. Nothing is to be rejected. I want to know why you pray before you eat if it is received with gratitude. So glad pretty bread. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 today. Food it's a gift of God.
Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes eating and drinking. It's the gift of God. Chapter 8 Ecclesiastes. Which God has given him. Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes, which God has given you. You eat with Thanksgiving. You say it's very good.
God made this false teachers forbid what God says is good. Side note aren't you glad God gave you tongue and God gave you smelling olfactory senses. How great is food? That God would just let you enjoy.
Why do you enjoy the food that you do. Well the answer should be so you go. God gave me a tongue and a nose and a and. You know taste buds. Chemo reception glands or whatever they call them. We've got some doctors here, right?
I found out this week just so I sometimes it's middle of the night. And I think I can't wait to get up in the morning to have a cup of coffee. The smell of a cup of coffee and just drink it and say to the glory.
I found out this week in coffee 103 separable. Volatile compounds have been isolated and chemically identified it is estimated at at least 150 substances contribute. Contributing to the flavor of coffee will be discovered.
It's good to drink coffee. If you receive it with Thanksgiving. It's good to eat these foods. God you gave me bitter and sweet and sour and all these things. God I honor you. I worship you whether you eat or drink or whatever you do you do all to what?
To the glory of God now. You're gonna make me sit over here and eat a bunch of food that I'm not supposed to eat and vegetables and these other things. Vegetables only that's what I was talking about and to say I can't eat these things.
Friends, that's a weak faith at best. Demonic faith at worst. Colossians chapter 2. Do not handle do not taste do not touch. Which all refer to things destined to perish with the using in accordance with the commandments and teaching of men.
These are matters which listen to be sure. Have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion, it sounds right. It's just so good to say God you suffered your son suffered therefore. I'll suffer. Where's Jack O 'Leary?
Can I tell the story I told it before. I'm gonna suffer for you God. If you think food and marriage aren't good. It's as insane as an unbelieving Jack O 'Leary when he was how old. How old were you when this happened.
You don't even know what I'm gonna say do you. Jack sneaks out of the house, you know, hey mom. Can I go out to Ash Wednesday service? Yeah. Yeah go out. He goes out and does everything but Ash Wednesday service and carouses and does whatever he did.
He would do whatever unbelievers do and he's going home. He's realized it's Ash Wednesday. I got to get home and prove it. True, we robbed God from his glory. When he says enjoy everything I've given you the greatest gift salvation.
I've given you all these other gifts to marriage children food. Enjoy yourself. Life is hard. Ecclesiastes says so the small little things food spouse kids. Enjoy yourself tomorrow's gonna be full of problems.
So eat and drink to the glory of God and say God you're a great God. Otherwise, it's the appearance of wisdom and self-made religion and self abasement abasement and severe treatment of the body. But listen, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Things that are anti sanctification made up in a sinful brain cannot make you say no to sin and yes to righteousness. McLaren said there's only one thing that will put the collar on the neck of the animal within us and That is the power of the indwelling Christ.
Any extra rules that we come from? Prove that they think the power of the gospel isn't enough. So we tell them the power of the gospel and then we rejoice in the power of the gospel. We're not mean because we do it.
We are servants of God. I'm not mean when I teach these things. I've been told by God to teach these things because I want to be a good servant and Paul says in 1st Timothy if you look at verse 7 have nothing to do with these worldly fables fit for only old women.
Ungodly sinful old women. I just want to talk some silly story. On the other hand discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness if you want discipline make it not with food. Now sometimes you might say I'm not gonna eat desserts because I'm gonna I'm king over desserts.
I don't mind any of that. You're not more pleasing to God because you do that because you're pleasing in Christ. For the bodily discipline verse 8. Only have a little profit but godliness is profitable for all things.
Why it holds a promise for the present life and also for the life to come? Can you trust me verse 9? It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance of the congregation. And so what will we do verse 10 for it for it is for this.
We labor it's elders and pastors and strive and you by implication do as well because we have our fix. We have fixed our hope on The dead pagan God of those doctrines of demons people know the Living God who is the Savior of all men specifically those believers preach prescribe teach these things.
If they go on to say, you know what? We're not gonna listen to you because you're just a kid verse 12. Let no one look down on your youthfulness. In summary if you'd like to fast fast but fast because.
You're no longer under obligation of the Day of Atonement. You're no longer under obligation for any kind of exile fast and Isaiah or Ezra or anyplace else you fast because there's an emergency In your life, and you know, there's something more important than where can I get my next bite of food?
And as you fast you become hungry and say to yourself this hunger will spur me on to pray God as I pray to you. I know you won't answer my prayers more because I fast you answer my prayers because you're my father I'm your child and Christ is my priest and mediator.
And then when it comes to regular everyday living. Don't let anybody ever tell you you can't eat certain foods for spiritual reasons because if they do. At best they're a weakened faith at worst. It's the doctrine of demons.
Isn't this the most fascinating book in the world and isn't it the most glorious to be a Christian free from the law? Free from all these impingements and free to worship Christ the one who Paid for everything let's pray a father we come to you today thankful for your word.
We come to you with hearts that are heavy for our family members who get caught up in this. We would acknowledge that we're not better from those who are caught it up it caught up in it. We're not better than any of these other people who are caught up in the fast and work righteousness.
Frankly father we acknowledge this morning that we were the best at works righteousness. And we excelled in that and we put all our trust in what we could do. What was done to us where we went to church and how we created salvation our minds, but you rescued us.
You saved us you brought us to the truth and now we want to hear these truths. And so Lord we'd ask that you'd help us to be certainly loving certainly tender certainly gentle as you have commanded we'd like to be faithful as well, and we want to tell people about Jesus Christ and Exclaim that he's a great Savior.
He's such a great Savior. No one ever has to come again with an offering of don't touch don't taste. We're thankful at this church that you've made marriage. And we would like you to protect marriage in America in Massachusetts that you undo things so that what you have designed in creation a man and a woman Would be affirmed again and Lord.
We are thankful that you've given us all kinds of foods to enjoy and Lord short of dietary restrictions for health. We just are thankful and I pray for all the people today as they have lunch and maybe those in Spiritual turmoil who are fasting their next meal.
I pray that it would be one of Thankfulness joy enjoyment that you give good gifts and you're a father who loves to please and love to shower us with blessings and that the Taste of meat and french fries salad, whatever we have.
It's just redounds to your glory. You're a good God a creative God a wonderful God. From rutabaga to rhubarb you make all these wonderful things for us. We didn't have to have any taste buds. We would just be given the hunger drive and yet we'd eat it now we can eat to your glory and father.
We're thankful that you've given us a mind like Christ as we think about him and how he would eat for your glory and he would confirm Marriage and he would deny anyone who'd say abstain from certain foods and how he declared all foods clean and Lord.
We realize we're insufficient for these things and inadequate and so we're thankful that you've given us your Spirit of God and by grace and Power through the Spirit of God we can accomplish these things.
I pray for every member here who knows someone who's caught up in Legalistic don't touch certain kinds of foods that you'd give them a perfect opportunity To gently and firmly. Yes. Tell people about the sufficiency of Christ Jesus the Lord the only Savior the one who was not only priest But also sacrifices the sacrifice who was raised from the dead in his name.
We pray.