To Fast or not to Fast

Krista Wilson • Feb 16, 2022

Notes from Pastor Lance Shumake's message on Zechariah 7:


Our passage this week (Zechariah 7) comes right in the middle of Jerusalem's temple rebuilding project. In the passage, there is a delegation that comes from the city of Bethel. People have come back from the exile and settled there. They have heard that the temple is being rebuilt and that there are prophets again. They have questions that they want answered. 


In the Old Testament, there was a commandment to fast on the day of atonement. After the fall of Jerusalem, they developed four specific fasts to commemorate what happened.


The delegation from Bethel asked a question specifically about the fast on the 18th day of the fifth month when the temple was destroyed. Now that the temple was being rebuilt, they wanted to know if they still needed to fast. 


The question was to fast or not to fast. 


Fasting is a form of self denial. God points out that you can do something to deny yourself, but still do it for selfish gain. This gives us a chance to examine our own hearts and gives us three warnings...


(1) Make sure you aren’t serving for the wrong reasons.


It is so easy for us all to serve for the wrong reasons; we need to watch our hearts! We can even attend worship services for the wrong reasons. Every Sunday we get to gather with God's people to be reminded of who we are in Christ. There are so many blessings that come to us when we are serving and engaging with God's people, but it is so easy to make everything about us.


Why do we gather? Because our God is so great he is worthy of our praise! When we make it about Him, He pours into us!



(2) Make sure we aren’t mourning the consequences more than the sin. 


Our God Is a good father and he disciplines his children that he loves. When we step out of bounds he wants to draw us back near to him!



(3) Make sure we aren’t seeking new experiences over Gods word


We need to be reminded of these truths that are timeless. His Word is all we need! 


Amos 5:21-24 says, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."


The answer is not to stop serving, it is to align our hearts.


The fasting God desires…

  • Seek justice
  • Show kindness and mercy
  • Give compassion to those in need


His goal for us is to follow Him and align our hearts to Jesus. He is reminding us of God's character, who He is. All of this is only a response because God has decided to show these desires to us.


The prophet Isaiah said the same thing, “Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)


There are two responses to this...


(1) Refuse 


(2) Repent 


Jesus Christ took this away for us! When you repent and turn away from your sins, Jesus is there with welcoming arms!


When you've done stuff for the wrong reasons, when you've run far from him, when you didn't trust Him... the answer is to REPENT. To turn back to Him and receive his kindness, his compassion, and his love. 


We can approach the throne of grace with confidence -- not because we've done this right, we've messed it up -- because Jesus was perfect and he gave us His obedience and righteousness. He made a way when there was no way.

Jesus is Much More Better

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Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:12-21 Adam ruined it for everyone —sin came into the world through Adam —death came into the world through sin —death spread to all men because all sinned “God has always dealt with mankind through a head and representative. The whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of what has happened because of Adam, and what has happened and will yet happen because of Christ.” —Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Jesus is the true and better Adam “Cranfield explains, ‘That one single misdeed should be answered by judgment, this is perfectly understandable: that the accumulated sins and guilt of all the ages should be answered by God’s free gift, this is the miracle of miracles, utterly beyond human comprehension.’ The final word from God could have been “Condemned, on the basis of many trespasses.” Instead, it is “Justified, through the gift of Jesus’ righteousness.” That is why Paul declares that the gift is “much more” or “much better” than the result of Adam’s trespass.” —Daniel M. Doriani, Romans Through Jesus grace abounds and grace reigns Discipleship Questions: What are some reasons we might not like the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? What can help us embrace the idea that we all sinned when Adam sinned? How does that idea set us up for the good news about Jesus and what He accomplished? How does the truth from this passage build our assurance of our salvation? In what ways is what Jesus did much more powerful and better than what Adam brought us? How have you experienced the reign of grace in your life despite the reign of sin and death in the world? How can we experience the reign of grace through Jesus in everyday life?

No Fear of Judgment

08 May, 2024
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:6-11 God has already done the work needed to save us He took the initiative “God has addressed the cause of the offense… Although he is the offended party, God has removed the offense. God has extended “the olive branch.” -Jay Smith He justified us He reconciled us Reconciliation is an objective event that God accomplished by removing the barrier of sin that separated himself from humanity. This result is independent of humanity’s response although it formed the basis for an individual’s subjective appropriation.” Jay Smith Appropriate: “To set apart for or assign to a particular recipient.” Christians need not fear judgment day 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?

The Joy of Justification

29 Apr, 2024
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sermon text: Romans 5:1-5 We find joy in the blessings brought by justification —peace with God —access to God’s grace Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. —hope of the glory of God “Christian hope is not uncertain, like our ordinary everyday hopes about the weather or our health; it is a joyful and confident expectation which rests on the promises of God, as we saw in the case of Abraham. And the object of our hope is the glory of God (2), namely his radiant splendor which will in the end be fully displayed. —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans We can even find joy in our sufferings “Various kinds of sufferings will come to us, but we can rejoice in them when we recognize that they serve a purpose: to develop our Christian character. In verses 3b–4 Paul shows how a godly response to suffering can initiate a series of virtues, culminating, strikingly, in hope. Note, however, that Paul is not saying that we should rejoice because of suffering. Evil things are still just that—evil—and we never should be happy about them. But by looking beyond the suffering to its divinely intended end, we still can rejoice in the midst of them.” —Douglas J. Moo, Encountering the Book of Romans —suffering produces endurance “ We know this, especially from the experience of God’s people in every generation. Suffering produces perseverance ( hypomonē , endurance). We could not learn endurance without suffering, because without suffering there would be nothing to endure.” —John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans —endurance builds character —character gives us confident hope Discipleship Questions: How does it change your outlook on life to know that you have peace with God? In what ways have you experienced the greatness of access to God’s grace? How does future certainty bring us lasting hope? Describe a time when you experienced joy in the midst of suffering. How has God used suffering to grow your faith and mature you? What are some ways you have experienced God’s love being poured into your heart?
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