What makes Jesus different? Why is Jesus different? 1. Fasting had become a means of righteousness for the Pharisees. We operate the same way: if we do a righteous thing, if we become righteous people, then God will have to bless us and restore us! Fasting was part of the ritualistic system that would obligate God to answer them, accept them, and bless them. 2. Fasting is a means of grace. In the means of grace, there is a primary actor and there is a receiver. As sinners, our wiring tells us we are the actors and God is the receiver, but this is backwards. God is the actor, we are the receiver. The means of grace are God's means of gracing us. 3. How fasting works. Fasting has a place in the lives of believers; it's a means by which God draws our attention to what is missing. Fasting emphasizes what is missing. The second aspect of fasting is recognizing what will satisfy. Fasting causes us to recognize not only what is missing, but it prepares us to be filled by the only thing that will satisfy our purpose. Conclusion: The time to fast is when our longing for Christ exceeds his felt presence with us. * When you are battling sin. * When you are going through times of sorrow. * When you are going through times of persecution.
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