This week we’ll discuss Fasting in our ongoing Matthew series. This completes the section of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is focusing on internal motives for spiritual practices.
Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday!
1. Read our text, Matthew 6:16–18.
See passage
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.””
This is the third teaching on the importance of tending to the internal motivations that drive your spiritual practices. Here Jesus is focused on the practice of fasting. Fasting, which is to purposefully refrain from food (or some other basic need) for a set period of time, has been a common practice for the people of God throughout the ages. In first century Judaism, the whole community would fast together in weekly rhythms, during certain annual holidays, and for other situational reasons. Though the specific purposes for fasting may vary (deliverance, direction, provision, renewal, etc.), Biblical fasting is a physical expression of a spiritual hunger for God.
Like all religious activity, this good spiritual practice can easily get commandeered and distorted for self-exalting purposes. Jesus again calls His disciples to turn away from the desire to practice these religious activities in order to gain the approval of others. Instead, He encourages His followers to fast in the context of their relationship with their Heavenly Father who sees the heart. Fasting is not to earn God’s love. Rather, it is an expression of a hunger to know and experience more of the Father’s power and love towards His children.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
Don’t use Spotify? Click the song title below to see song on YouTube.
CALL TO WORSHIP: From Psalm 36:7–9:
See passage
How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house,
and You give them drink from the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light do we see light.
Promises (Alvarado, Barnes, Bowe, Gaines, Marin, Moses)
CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:
God of everlasting love,
we confess that we have been unfaithful
to our covenant with You and with one another.
We have worshiped other gods: money, power, greed, and convenience.
We have served our own self-interest
instead of serving only You and Your people.
We have not loved our neighbor as You have commanded,
nor have we rightly loved ourselves.
Forgive us, gracious God,
and bring us back into the fullness
of our covenant with You and one another.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Psalm 103:8, 11–13
See passage
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.
PASSING THE PEACE
What is Passing the Peace?
(Click to Read)
(Click to Read)
When we’ve met as a large group on Sundays, we’ve always had a time of greeting one another after singing. Many churches call this time “passing the peace.” In some church traditions, one person will say to another, “The peace of Christ be with you” to which the other person responds, “And also with you.”
While potentially unfamiliar for some, we felt that “passing the peace” during greeting times at home could be a powerful act in this age marked by very little external peace. In Isaiah 9, Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. He wants His kingdom to be marked by this very peace! We want to “pass” to one another this peace that only Jesus can give, especially at a time like this.
It might feel a bit cheesy, but we encourage you to actually pray the peace of God over each other during our times. We encourage you to look into each other’s eyes as you say, “The peace of Christ be with you!” and have others respond with, “And also with you.” Be open-hearted to Jesus, asking Him to fill you with His peace.
SERMON & COMMUNION
We Are Hungry (Brad Kilman) / Set A Fire (Will Reagan)
BENEDICTION
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This life-transforming invitation to commune and converse with your heavenly Father lies at the heart of what Jesus came to provide for His followers. He came to reconcile us to God.This week in our ongoing Matthew series, we talk through “Jesus and Prayer” in Matthew 6:5–15. We’re getting into the Lord’s Prayer here toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
Want to get fired up on this passage? Here are four messages on the Lord’s Prayer from our Teach Us To Pray series in January of last year.
As for this Sunday, here’s how you can prepare:
1. Read our text, Matthew 6:5–15.
See passage
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray then like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This is Jesus’ second of three teachings on the internal motives of spiritual practices. In this teaching He focuses on the practice of prayer. The teaching assumes that prayer is a part of the daily life of disciples, and that was definitely the case for most people in the Jewish community. Not only would they pray corporately in their synagogues, but they would also stop as a community to pray three times a day from wherever they were. Some used these contexts to showcase their spirituality. Others were using prayer as a way to try to manipulate God to do what they wanted. Both of these distortions miss the point of prayer altogether. Jesus teaches that prayer is, at its very heart, relational communion between a beloved child of God and their Good Heavenly Father.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is teaching His followers a better way to commune with God. It’s not intended to be a mechanical formula, but more of a framework and a guide to help people talk with God in ways that are natural, honest, and healthy. This life-transforming invitation to commune and converse with your heavenly Father lies at the heart of what Jesus came to provide for His followers. He came to reconcile us to God.
2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:
Don’t use Spotify? Click the song title below to see song on YouTube.
CALL TO WORSHIP: From Revelation 15:3–4:
See passage
Great and amazing are Your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship You,
for Your righteous acts have been revealed.
Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber, John Bacchus Dykes) / Yes And Amen (Anthony Brown, Chris McClarney, Nate Moore)
CONFESSION OF SIN: Matthew 6:9–13:
See passage
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Psalm 103:8, 11–13
See passage
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does He remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.
Your Love Is Strong (Jon Foreman arr. Robbie Seay)
PASSING THE PEACE
What is Passing the Peace?
(Click to Read)
(Click to Read)
When we’ve met as a large group on Sundays, we’ve always had a time of greeting one another after singing. Many churches call this time “passing the peace.” In some church traditions, one person will say to another, “The peace of Christ be with you” to which the other person responds, “And also with you.”
While potentially unfamiliar for some, we felt that “passing the peace” during greeting times at home could be a powerful act in this age marked by very little external peace. In Isaiah 9, Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. He wants His kingdom to be marked by this very peace! We want to “pass” to one another this peace that only Jesus can give, especially at a time like this.
It might feel a bit cheesy, but we encourage you to actually pray the peace of God over each other during our times. We encourage you to look into each other’s eyes as you say, “The peace of Christ be with you!” and have others respond with, “And also with you.” Be open-hearted to Jesus, asking Him to fill you with His peace.
SERMON & COMMUNION
Good Good Father (Anthony Brown, Pat Barrett)
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him (Vined Y Adoremos) (Stewart Landon)