Sep6
Matthew 4:2………Ready
2 After fasting (3521-To abstinence from food and drink as a spiritual discipline. Usually in combination with prayer.) for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Expresses a critical need for food, that Jesus was near the point of starvation.)(For Expository Notes see Companion Book)
Continued From Book
“Warns how Satan attacks us at our weakest moments. Times when we’re weary, vulnerable, and least prepared to resist.” ⇒ Satan often tempts us when were tired and stressed. When were worn out or going through a crises. That’s when Satan shows up. Satan doesn’t come to Jesus when things are rosy and great. But comes to Jesus when He is in the wilderness. So to the devil doesn’t come to us when things are going good, but when were tired. lonely, and down. Times when were physically and emotionally spent. The devil will attack when your going through breakup, when your going through a health crises, when you lose your job, when your marriage is falling apart. It’s times like these that we are more prone to make bad decisions; drink, eat, cheat, snap at family and friends. Fatigue can cause us to make bad choices, doing and saying things we will later regret. Satan also attacks us at our point of need. When he finds us weak (Jesus was fasting) and when he finds us in dire need (Jesus was hungry.) This is the same time Satan will come to tempt us as well. Satan takes every possible advantage of us, that he may, by any means, defeat us.
“Teaches the importance of being prepared for temptation through prayer and communion with God.” ⇒ Temptations usually come without warning. You may be ordered to submit a false report at work. You may be offered confidential information today that will be public knowledge tomorrow. An unlocked door may offer a sudden opportunity to take something that isn’t yours. The pressure to join in gossiping about a co-worker may arise suddenly during lunch break. The best preparation is to imagine possible scenarios in advance, and in prayer, plan how to respond to them, perhaps even write them down along with the responses you commit to God.
Additional Notes & Applications
Reminds believers even though were Spirit filled and walking with God, doesn’t mean that somehow we will be numb from temptation and sinful desires. The devil will come after you, even on your best day. There’s still going to be hunger, cravings, and desires, even more so for those who are truly living for God. [Note: Praying, fasting, and walking in the Spirit does not prevent temptation, but it will strengthen us to overcome it.]
Warns how Satan tempts us not only when were weak and vulnerable. But when we’re seeking to do something meaningful for God. Jesus was fasting in preparation for His public ministry. So to Satan will tempt us when we’re seeking to do something important for God. Maybe you plan on going to church more, praying more, reading the bible more. Or maybe you plan on starting a church, ministry, or missionary work. That’s the time Satan will attack us the most. He doesn’t want us growing in holiness and sanctification. He doesn’t want us teaching or witnessing for Christ.
Teaches how our weaknesses can also be our spiritual strength as well. Even though Jesus was at His weakest, physically speaking, after 40 days without food. But even at His weakest, He made short work of the devil’s best stuff. The enemy may prey upon what he perceives as our weakness, when it is that very thing God is in the process of using to become our spiritual strength. (cf. 2-Corn. 12:10)
Warns of the high stakes of temptation. If Jesus would have lost this battle in the wilderness it would have been all over. No Salvation for mankind! So too for us, the stakes may not be as high for us as it was for Jesus, but just as damaging and destructive. Giving into the temptation of stealing may cause us to lose our jobs and being arrested. Giving into the temptation of drinking can cause us to lose our spouse and family.
Teaches though it might seem harsh and unfair to tempt a person with food, who had just fasted for forty days; Yet God the Father allowed it because He knew Jesus could endure it. Which goes to show how God will never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to resist. (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13)
Teaches that if Jesus, the Son of God needed prayer and fasting before He preached One sermon, before He healed anyone, before He called any disciples. How much more do you and I need it in the work God has called us to! (Don’t be so arrogant to think that your spiritually strong enough to go into ministry or into battle with Satan and win without proper preparation!) [Note: Vulnerability to temptations often intensify when put on the spot, or when were weak and unprepared.]
-fasting-Meaning: A spiritual discipline in which one voluntarily abstains from food & drink for a specific period of time in order to draw closer to God. Fasting is not just for losing weight or to feed our vanity; fasting is a means to focus on prayer so as to get closer to God. Fasting also teaches us to totally depend on God, not on our human strength. Fasting helps increase our “Spiritual Senses”. Tunes us into better hearing God’s voice. Fasting draws us closer to God, and deepens our intimacy with God the Father. Fasts can be of different lengths of time; a day, a week, several weeks. There are different types of fasts; food fasts, or water fasts. Fasting isn’t limited to food. Fasting can include; Media fasts….television, newspapers, movies, books, magazines, internet. Technology fasts….cell phones, computers, tablets. Social fasts…sex, dating, going out, and anything else that distracts from God. (Note: Fasting is not on what we are taking a break from. It is all about who we are focusing on and clinging to.) Fasting helps us to find and maintain balance in our lives. Fasting exposes how easily we can let the nonessentials of life become center place. In other words fasting trains us to control our disordered appetites. Then slowly bringing those elements back into our life in healthy doses. Fasting is entering into a place of self-denial. We deny our appetites so that we can lean into the things that truly feed and nourish us. It may seem at first glance that fasting is counter-intuitive in depriving yourself when your about to go into a great battle. But fasting can produce greater mental clarity of mind & spirit, with deeper depths of contemplation. Fasting is not on what we are taking a break from. It is all about who we are focusing on and clinging too. You don’t fast to impress God or to earn God’s favor. You don’t fast as some sort of self-punishment. Fasting is not some kind of spiritual hunger strike in twisting God’s arm in giving you what you want. Fasting is not to lose weight or to show how much more spiritual you are than others.-(Matt. 6:16-18) Fasting is always about growing closer to God. Have you ever tried fasting for an extended time? If so, for what purpose? [Note: When it comes to fasting remember to get medical clearance first. You might not be in the right condition for a 40 day fast. Remember Jesus was young and healthy, He was about 30 years old, He had a blue colored job, He walked long distances over rocky terrain, so we can assume He was in good shape. Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts. If you’re planning an extended fast, or if you are pregnant, nursing, diabetic, or have other medical conditions, talk to your doctor before starting your fast. And if you’ve never fasted before, start with just a one or two meal fast. But start somewhere. Remember if God thought it was good enough for every Israelite to fast for one whole day each year on the Day of Atonement, how much more does He expect us to practice it in some form!]
-forty-Meaning: There is no reason to doubt that Jesus really did literally fast for forty days and forty nights as the text clearly says. The number 40 in scripture often symbolizes a time of testing and probation. Israel wondered in the desert for forty years before entering the promised land. Rain fell for forty days during the flood. Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days while receiving the Law. Elijah was in the wilderness for forty days while fleeing for his life. The spies spent forty days spying out Canaan. So the number forty is a number usually associated with testing. (cf. Gen. 7:4-17, 8:6, Ex. 24:18, 34:28, Numb. 13:25, Deut. 9:9-18) In any case, Jesus spent a long time in the desert. Jesus had probably used this time for praying and meditating on God’s word.
Note: Satan knows our vulnerable spots and weakest points, and will use them against us. The devil is smart and cunning, and will find where you are open to attack. If not your appetite, then your attitude, if not your attitude, then your aspirations. Every Christian has a besetting sin. This is the sin that you easily succumb too or the weakest towards. For some that weakness may be a taste for liquor, illegal substance, beautiful girl, prideful heart, big ego, short temper, lack of patience, desire for power and success. If we are wise we will know our weaknesses, our spiritual Achilles’ heel, and fortify ourselves against temptations in those areas.
Note: This verse here is a clear indication of Jesus’ humanity. Though Jesus was divine, He was also human as well. Therefore it was perfectly human to be tempted. Because Jesus was fully human, He experienced everything we experience. He possessed flesh and blood….. He grew….. He asked questions….. He increased in wisdom…He prayed…. He was tempted…. He learned obedience…….He hungered…. He thirsted….. He was weary…. He slept… He loved…….. and Jesus wept. (cf. John 4:6, 11:35, 19:28, Luke 8:23, Mark 3:5, 11:15-18, Heb. 4;15)
REASONS FOR FASTING…..
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We fast to grow closer to God (Fasting increases our “Spiritual senses” keeps us “In tune” to God)
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We fast to seek God’s guidance & direction
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We fast to give greater passion to our prayers & supplications (If your not praying, your just dieting!)
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We fast as a sign of mourning & grief over our sins and the sins of others (Or over tragedy, defeat, and loss)
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We fast to seek God’s deliverance & protection over our enemies and circumstances
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We fast as an expression of repentance and recommitment to God
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We fast for spiritual strength over temptation and to stay dedicated to God
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We fast as a sign of humility before God
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We fast to express or love & worship of God
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We fast to stay spiritually alert, makes a person more in tune with the Holy Spirit
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We fast because Jesus fasted & practiced it (If your a true believer you’ll following Jesus’ teaching and example)
(For more Applications get the whole Book)
(All material is copyrighted and may be used for preaching, teaching, and instructing. And not for publication in any form without the written permission of the author.)
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