The Pain of Discipline Over the Pain of Regret (Video)

I've got a message. It's burning on my heart this morning. It's all week and the devil's been playing tricks in my mind Telling me that nobody's going to be interested in this topic or they're not going to want to hear this topic, but For some reason I feel compelled to share it with you and we are going into Matthew 6 Matthew chapter 6 verse 16 if you have your Bibles, if not, there's one in front of you Matthew chapter 6 verse 16 And i'm actually going to just read that one verse For the day and it's going to take me a little bit while to get there I'm going to explain why the title of the message is the pain of discipline over the pain of regret The pain of discipline over the pain of regret understand that you will feel one or the other, right? We either feel the pain of discipline Or we experience the the pain of regret. It's it's one of those two choices And all the areas we've been discussing In this last series on when you when you give When you pray and now we're getting into drum roll, please when you fast Oh That's gonna that's not really resonating well with us. Is it I like i'm okay with giving I do that I'm, okay with praying but now you're getting into my business shane But all these areas require discipline Anything anything if you're going to accomplish anything in life, it's going to require Discipline, is it not athletes contractors business owners foreman? Moms dads whatever anything in life that's worth having worth fighting for worth working toward requires discipline One of the things even though I wasn't raised with a with a father who was a christian One thing i'm very thankful for is that he instilled A lot of discipline into my life if we didn't have work to do that day in construction He would say go pull weeds until lunchtime And that's what I did and discipline and chore charts and and disciplining the body and the more I read in the bible The more I see this Aspect of discipline that is vitally important Paul actually said I disciplined my body and I bring it into subjection I I disciplined it. I I beat it is really the literal translation Is I beat my body black and blue and I bring it into subjection into my control versus my body controlling me now the danger with this type of topic is Many people can go On the to the extreme end of it and then it's all about works. It's all about haughtiness It's all about doing doing doing and we begin to worship discipline That's not where I want to go here I want to show you that the pain of discipline is far more valuable than the pain of regret Which we know just saying that doesn't sound right does it? But throughout scripture god disciplines us Then we discipline our bodies. He disciplines us. We discipline our bodies Psalm 94 12 blessed is the one You discipline the lord lord the one that you teach so blessed is the person that god disciplines And one of the the things that's ironic is when we discipline ourselves our bodies Then we're not going to be disciplined by god as much It's it's it's ironic circle there with god will discipline those he loves if we're going in a wrong way He disciplines us, but then we're supposed to discipline our bodies. Here's what i'm really trying to get at If you don't discipline your body if you don't control it if you don't bring it under subjection It becomes and it's not your slave Then you become its slave You become the slave of your body your appetites begin to control. You no longer have control of it it now Controls you and we know that's not healthy. It's not scriptural Jack, hayford said this You can't cast out the flesh and you cannot discipline a demon You'll get that in a little bit you can't cast out the flesh and discipline a demon now, I don't know what your thoughts are on demonic on theology in the demonic realm, but In a nutshell, you can't cast out the flesh flesh. Stop doing that. Well, it's going to keep doing that You have to discipline the flesh You have to and if there's a demonic stronghold working in your life, you can't discipline that You've got to go to the blood of christ through the power of the holy spirit And and and cause that demonic influence to leave your life Now for those who aren't charismatic you're conservative. Let me quote john mcarthur. How's that? We'll balance it out True faith is never seen as passive It is always obedient True faith is always marked with discipline if you see true faith you see discipline It it goes together. Uh, one of the things I started to do many years ago is read MacArthur study bible and jack hayford study bible and you can get both views and and and try to marry those those different views on on on the holy spirit and Different things but that was just a rabbit trail for you. Let me recap something I said last year Sounds like a long time ago, doesn't it? A few months ago. We cannot be filled with the spirit and always giving into fleshly desires. It makes us very weak spiritually The message of self-denial is not popular Anytime I speak on this topic anytime I am called Legalistic i'm called a moralist I'm called works-based And i'm simply reading what scripture says and teaching what the scriptures teach The problem is many of those people are convicted and don't like this aspect of self-denial and denying self That is the christian life. If you look at the life of jesus, did he not deny? self You know what self is right that right? Well, he actually didn't have sin in him But somehow he was tempted but didn't sin and it's it's a mystery there But denying self is part of the christian walk That's why it's not popular if I was going to tell everybody i'm going to talk about this We probably wouldn't have that many people here. I don't want to talk about discipline. Tell me about abundance Tell me about reaping not sowing see we like to reap right? But do you know reap the farmer has to work pretty hard before he reaps the benefit he has to Have you ever seen a farmer i'm talking about 100 years ago that kind of farmer? I guess many of you haven't because you're not that old nobody has but I remember my family came from the farms of oklahoma on my dad's side and Uh, they were days of 12 hour days sun blistered Faces necks. It's where that word reck neck comes from. I think I don't know but And and your your your palm, you know, just blisters on your feet blisters on your hand You worked hard you sowed into the soil to reap but somehow there's come into the church this this This this aspect that we don't need to to really talk about that anymore It's that was good for old testament times that was good for the early church fathers and but shane that's not for us today So it's not popular, but it is powerful And I remember a quote that tom landry said remember of the dallas cowboys, uh many years ago. I think I read this 20 years ago When I was in sales 25 years ago and how it even applies now He said the job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do In order to achieve what they've always wanted to be The application I believe is even greater for the church the job of a pastor Is to make men do what they don't want to do in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be Most in this room want to be more For god do more for god. We want to grow spiritually Lord, I want more of you and that's good as a deer pants after the brook as the christian Desires see when I desire more of god I do things to help fulfill that desire if I don't desire him What am I going to do anything to propel and and to to fuel that relationship? Not not a thing So it's good to have that. So so to to get to where we want to be i'm going to have to tell you Things that you don't want to hear and you don't want to do but the whole idea of coaching or pastoring many times Is to pull out of you what god has already placed inside of you This is this is already in us. So we have to pull it out to see the benefits And this message really the pain of discipline over the pain of regret Is i'm i'm actually going to set the stage for fasting what jesus talked about because jesus said when you fast When the bridegroom is here don't fast but when the bridegroom is taken away they will fast It's interesting if you ever notice now we tend to say when you sin and if you fast But the bible says when you fast and if you sin But we change like when when you sin like it's you're going to sin when you sin you have an advocate to go to the father And if you decide to fast But the new testament talks about when you fast like you're going to do this and if you sin And but we like to twist that around so we can avoid this fasting aspect even a little bit more So i'm setting the stage for next week's message. I'm going to talk to those who want to be a lean mean fighting machine That's my goal is to get to that point because I can't go right into what jesus was talking about In regard to fasting if we don't have the foundation laid Because when you want to really fast You're you're there's going to be a little bit of self-discipline involved just a tiny bit Right a lot The fasting is denying the self and self-discipline what contractor is going to start to put the house together without the foundation laid I mean I did that when I was a little boy i'd start making things and my dad would laugh and it would blow over In the wind right but to really succeed in this area. We have to lay the foundation So that's the point this morning lay the foundation make sure you're here Next week because i'm going to talk about the benefits the spiritual benefits of fasting and how this can radically Change your life and I don't just say that to say it i've seen it in my own life The countless biographies countless books countless articles early church fathers christ in the life of christ in the life of peter in the life of david in the life of of You can look at samuel. You can look at ezra. You can look at nehemiah. You can look at elisha You can look at moses It was it's a powerful aspect. It's a powerful tool that god has given us So let me give you a little scriptural support on the screen for this idea of the pain of discipline And the reason I love this type of message is because this type of message if you can grab hold of it It will make you a better husband It will make you a better wife. It will make you a better father It will make make you a better mother because when you control your appetites instead of your appetites controlling you You are more filled with the holy spirit You're set on fire for god You want to do more for god? And I think the many times the reason people aren't filled with god's spirit and aren't doing a lot for him Don't have that passion is because they are being dragged around by their flesh instead of them dragging their flesh around See, we're supposed to say. Oh, yeah, it's 6 00 a.m. And we're going to the prayer meeting I don't want to I don't care what you say flesh. You're coming. You're coming with me. Come on. Come on. Get it Get in the car Slam the door shut you're oh, yeah. Oh you want to stop by crispy cream? Guess what? We're not even going to eat this morning. How do you like that? You don't want to worship and raise your hands and come to the altar you want to go home because you don't feel good Get in there stay in that car. See you're dragging the flesh around you're telling you what you what it should do What's the opposite of that? It's it's dragging you around telling you what you should do controlling your life your choices allowing tons of mistakes to come in tons of regret Because I didn't experience the pain of discipline I'm experiencing the pain of regret and as we all know which one is worse Discipline discipline Hurts doesn't it? We don't want to do it for a little while but regret Is long term? Here's some support script scriptural support romans 6 16 Do you not know that when you present? yourselves to someone As a slave for obedience you are slaves of the one whom you obey Either of sin resulting in death, which is regret or of obedience resulting in righteousness, which is Disciplining the body. So it's interesting. They're either way. We are slaves Did you know that? You're either a slave to righteousness and to christ and to the work of the holy spirit and wherever you move me lord I am your slave. I am your doulas We translate now as a as a servant in some of the new translations, but that word actually means slave So lord, i'm your i'm your slave Holy spirit. What do you want me to do? You want me to deny that you want i'm your slave or you're a slave to the flesh That's what people that crack me up that don't know the lord and they mock christians How you worship? God out there you you're just you're you're you're slave to god. Well, you're a slave to the sin that you're caught in You see you're a slave to something as well Whatever you choose to obey becomes your master Choose life that you may live second timothy 1 7 You know, let me just I wrote this down this morning I don't early this morning The problem in in the church with many of us Is the problem is not we have too much discipline It's we don't have enough We it's it's not hey, we've talked about this enough. We're doing good in this area We we we drop the ball in this area i'm fingers pointing at myself as well This area of disciplining ourselves disciplining our bodies. We don't have too much of it We don't have enough Now, let me throw out the big disclaimer, right? Don't beat yourself up Don't be sitting here going. Oh, I can never measure up to what that guy's talking about. Why did I even come here this morning? I can't handle this. I can't follow rules. No, it's not about that Don't beat yourself up don't get caught in this works works works because that is dead and that's a dead end Really what it is. It's yielding to the work of the holy spirit So when there's something confronting me I say lord i'm saying no i'm yielding to the work of the holy spirit Holy spirit help me in this area because he matures me. He grows me. He grows you He aids us he comes along as a helper as a comforter as a as a sustainer So we don't put all this all this trust in flesh And effort and works we put our trust in the holy spirit, but i've got to do something I mean, I don't I really don't understand the other side of this equation where they say brother. It's all up to the holy spirit Okay, well i've got about 45 scriptures here. They're challenged me then Make no provision for the flesh. Okay, throw that out the window Flee sexual immorality. Wait a minute. I thought the holy spirit was going to take it from me I flee I gotta flee and run and get out of here Make no provision let this mind be in you which no I like this mind of being bitter and angry What do you mean let this mind be I thought the holy spirit was going to change me See so it's a polar because there's churches where it's all about brother. It's works. It's works It's works and discipline yourself and don't ever don't you you had a beer three months ago How could you you accidentally smoked a cigarette six months ago and feel bad? How could you discipline discipline discipline discipline get on this altar you lame like a like you're in the marines, right? I can't believe you And you just beat people up. Oh, I can never measure up. That's not the right idea but then this other side of just Whatever whatever goes goes and holy spirit's going to change me You know There's there is and I don't know what the exact uh Wording would be because it's not that we help the holy spirit, right? He helps us It's not that he needs us. He could just do this and which you know But there's a there's a pattern there that scripture calls us to to discipline the flesh First timothy 1 7 for the spirit god gave us the spirit that god gave you Do you have the holy spirit residing in you? It does not make you timid. It gives you power love and self Discipline you yield to the spirit Titus 1 8 rather He must be hospitable now this is talking about leaders in the church elders and deacons if a person wants a position of Some type of leadership in the church that could be children's ministry worship Uh deacons elders. I mean if you're in a position of spiritual authority, this is actually qualifications for an elder, I believe And deacons would fall into this as well But here's what he says he must be hospitable. I mean you're you're a nice person you're welcoming you're you're joyful you're considerate You're not a you know humbug scrooge, you know that guy That won't fly in leadership. I mean you just can't be scrooge. Well, I take care of the money No, you have to be nice and hospitable One who loves what is good you have to love the truth and be willing to stake your reputation on that Quite possibly your life in other countries you love what is truth? What is good? Who is? Self-controlled What's the opposite of that? Right. You're not controlling self self is controlling you so self-controlled upright holy and Discipline, there's that word again How I can't we can't get away from it Now if you think i'm reading this going i've met all these qualities for the last year I've never had to work on discipline. I've always been self-controlled That's not true That is not true What I was going to tell you this story later, but it fits now Maybe my daughter remember this maybe three or four times a year I try to make healthy brownies And i'm going to eat one little square day, right? You know, you got the dark chocolate organic dark chocolate a couple teaspoons of honey some almond butter flax seed flour egg salt sodium baking I already have the recipe down They even ask for avocado puree and it just makes it gives it a texture. I don't know But what I wouldn't you know it that whole thing is gone in that day. That whole thing is gone I mean you're talking 1500 calories in that my daughter just in december. She goes dad. You ate all the brownies again I know like What is wrong with me? But see I know I can't get every okay three months later Like okay, I bet I can make healthy brownies this time I'll tell morgan to hide them but there's something see out of sight out of mind. You got to know yourself That's why the bible says make no provision to fulfill the lust of the flesh Make no provision for the flesh. That means don't plan ahead how to satisfy the flesh So I just don't make that stuff anymore I even tried two weeks ago. You find it even says, you know, the the whatever healthy cookies uh chocolate chip You know organic all natural know this preserve this and that whole bag is gone within a day and a half The whole like lord. What is wrong with me? I do Because you got to know if I haven't left because they whisper sweet nothings around 11 o'clock at night I get up. How does my body know to get up? And if I if I fight that I get some water instead wouldn't you know it at one in the morning? Hey, remember me doesn't that sound good with a big cup of milk? You can go back to sleep. Yeah, that does sound good I fall every single time i've never been able i've never been able to conquer That area when it comes to chocolate Chocolate chip cookies. I mean they just I just can't do it. So I haven't guess I haven't learned in 48 years But that's what i'm trying to self-control there's a self-control now that probably wouldn't disqualify me as a elder But that's it. It can open up doors We had to remove shane. He just he won't stop eating brownies He just won't stop eating brownies You have to ask my daughter because she's she's dad you ate all the brownies again I just remembered remembered some of these. Well, that's why out of sight out of mind, right? John, wesley, he founded the methodist Denomination, I would not I don't think he'd be too pleased at the direction. They've been going the last decade or two But he required fasting for all his leaders On wednesdays and fridays, I believe it was and some people say us that was legalistic. It's too hard They shouldn't require that and I don't know if it should be a requirement But his point was if you read his journal is that leaders he wants leaders that have learned to discipline their appetites Rather than rather than their appetites disciplining them And I know hundreds of pastors all over the united states a lot here And I can tell you who's disciplined and who's not by what they allow in their but their appetites are their appetites controlling them And it really affects your spirituality. It really affects your it affects my preaching to a very very big degree Uh when I when I give in in this area william pinn who founded pennsylvania He said no man is fit to command another who cannot command him self Now we all struggle right I was convicted this many of you i've talked to this story And when I did a health seminar Two years ago, I was 240 pounds. I'm about 200 so I was convicted. I felt you know I just keep giving and just eating too much of a good thing Like I can I can I can gain weight on chicken breast and rice and pasta and and potatoes And give but do I need a second helping do I need chocolate? Do I and I just these appetites were beginning to control more than I wanted them to control And I said lord i've got to get back to that place of of controlling And people laugh sometimes. I mean, oh, they're shane. He can't do this Well, do you know how much of a struggle it is? Because if I give in for that potluck I give in for this dinner I give in for this lunch I give in for this get together I give in for this men's breakfast heck let's have donuts in the morning at the coffee and you just keep giving in then you begin to experience that that that those bad choices So you have to hold that ground sometimes the pain of discipline or the pain of regret? First corinthians 9 26 Niv, I do not I do not run like some someone running aimlessly. I do not fight like a boxer beating the air No, I strike a blow to my body and I make it my slave So that after I have preached to others I myself should not be disqualified for the price What is disqualified ineligible for an office because of an infringement? So paul if paul's preaching this listen, I he says I discipline my body make no provision for the flesh Flee sexual morality do and do you come on christians and then he? Just gives in to his appetites You know if you see me at claim jumper later today And i've got a big l beer and a big piece of chocolate pie and a big steak. What I mean, you're what is that? What is that shit you just kind of you disqualify from your message today, I know I preach it I don't live it I mean, come on who's gonna live it? It's easy to preach it but and and but by disqualified means Anybody can go against god and do whatever they want but disqualified They're ineligible in in god's eyes if they keep giving up to the appetites giving up to the appetites giving up to the appetites Paul's saying listen stop begin to take control of your body And begin to discipline it and be let it become your slave versus the other way around or you won't be qualified to lead others So now that the stage is set. Okay, the stage is set. Let's present the main attraction Fasting is what jesus is going to talk about not shane. Jesus. It's where we're at. Matthew 6. Jesus is saying this. Okay And you have to remember this on this area of fasting important doctrines are always attacked Important doctrines are always attacked when I talk about the power the filling the anointing the unction of the holy spirit Many say I see those guys on tv. I don't want that. Okay. Well, don't let a counterfeit Sidetracked you from from going after the original from the real thing. So the whole that's one reason why I think there's a big divide What's the holy spirit that people are weird this it's because it's at a very important doctrine I think it was lana raven who said one hour of being anointed by the spirit of god can change your entire life can set the course of something completely different, but what about the the the doctrine of inerrancy of scripture You don't think this is attacked holiness That's an important doctrine throughout all of the bible come out from among to be separate live different My people are going to live different than the world But then what do people say, especially they tell me this I get posed for faith. They go that's too extreme That's too extreme I can watch desperate housewives reruns and I can go to 50 shades of gray and I and i'm going to go watch lady Gaga do her thing I'm, not gonna be like you shane. I'm gonna stay at home. Can't do anything Right. It's attacked. It's attacked holiness is attacked Because important doctrine so fasting is is has been attacked Even recently the last couple decades it used to be in the forefront of a lot of christian christian theology Uh, probably 50 60 years ago So when jesus tells us to do something the outcome is good When jesus tells you to do something the outcome is always going to be good Okay, so here's the first verse where we're going to stop Matthew 6 16 jesus said moreover. Remember he just said when you pray when you give now he's saying when you fast So here's what you have you go home come to this conclusion on your own read the bible On fasting, I think there's 87 or 77 mentions throughout And ask yourself does this not apply to us today? So he's talking to his disciples when you fast do not be like the hypocrites with the sad continents And I just Thought of luke as well. I put this in here 5 35 In those days, they will fast the bridegrooms here. They're not fasting. But when i'm taken away, they will fast But going back to the hypocrites. He said for they disfigure their faces That they may appear to men to be fasting as surely I say to you that they have their reward So this is about motives, is it not? Don't look like the hypocrite don't look like you're fasting let people don't let people know necessarily Basically, we shouldn't have a sad continence. We shouldn't have a sad appearance And this is where i'm going to stay actually for a little bit on this sermon Because I want to prepare you for fasting next week, and I don't think the reason most people can't And the reason why I believe I truly believe it's a lot harder for us than it was 2 000 years ago Is because when we start to fast we start to experience withdrawals From nicotine caffeine sugar gmos pesticides herbicides fungicides All these ides. What about the hormones? And beef and meat and all these all the believe it or not There are tons of chemicals in the food man man has altered the food completely So when you stop this you're actually going through withdrawals no difference than getting off xanax or valium and now the Withdrawals are a lot harder with those things, but the body's going through withdrawals Just stop coffee for one day And you everybody's going to get out of your way Right, so we we can't i've seen it we can't really fast Until we begin to get in a position to fast because you okay shane i'm motivated i'm pumped up i'm starting tomorrow morning I'm not i'm gonna fast i'm gonna see what god wants to do and you can't get it two or three hours because of the caffeine headache Because of the the sugar overload that the sugar the body's screaming for more sugar It's screaming for more partially hydrogenated oils. It's screaming for more sodium nitrates It's screaming for more msg monosodium glutamate It's it's screaming for all these chemicals that we're trying to clean our body from So that's why so many people fail at fasting. Do you know how many times I failed at fasting? That's why and I still fell at fasting sometimes but five years ago. I said, okay lord i'm going to start saturdays I'm going to fast all day and then go to preach. Oh boy. Oh boy I've started with one mil then two mils and eventually now now the body's trained. I can go 24 hours water only doesn't it? Doesn't feel much different, but it took some time cleaning that stuff out of the system So because when it back then jesus, okay, i'm gonna fast Okay, that just means i'm not having fish nuts and dates There's no chemical withdrawal. There might be a glucose Withdrawal from the sugars and different things and the dates of fructose. It's actually a good healthy fruit or sugar for you But the body you everyone's withdrawing I've tried to help dozens of people with fasting a couple maybe one or two out of Dozens and dozens and they just can't do it. So I said, you know what? We need to take a different approach. We need to get ready We need to get the body ready because then we get we get frustrated don't we? I mean i've tried fasting before as long as I went to seven days water only and I about just The first couple days it just was very difficult then then you have a breakthrough and then around day six or so I was cleaning the backyard cleaning the house and went on a jog With with just water because the body is designed to fast God has created you to fast. Did you know that I believe that's how we were created What you do is when you eat when you consume something primarily carbohydrates fruit different things that is stored as quick energy It's called glycogen glucose. It's stored in your muscle and in your liver about 1500 to 2000 calories But instead of using that we just consume and consume and consume and we put on extra storage So the body is meant to use that glucose and when the glucose is depleted guess what happens? I start to starve. No, you don't All my muscle goes away. No, it doesn't it's actually preserved and and and human growth hormone hgh and different hormones Good hormones are actually elevated when you begin to fast your body even your mind says, okay Now i'm going to stop burning glucose and carbohydrates that I have stored because the storage tank is empty Now i'm going to go primarily Into your fat reserves of fuel. That's why you'll see the ketogenic diet ketones and Ketosis and these things it's your body now switching How god designed it to go into a very clean fuel source of fat And you can go days and weeks off that fuel source. That's how the body was designed Doing that also begins to clean and clear out areas plaque in the arteries a cancer For example cancer when you get a tumor Do you know sometimes a tumor can be good because it's a collection of the poisons in one central area If you fast there's studies out there I can show you all kinds of studies where it'll begin to consume that because the body is so smart Why is it so smart? They'll say well we've evolved now. I say no god says we were created in his image wonderfully and wonderfully made Right. So the body actually goes and not attacks the liver and the heart and the kidney for fuel It goes after dead cells and diseased tissue for fuel So your body begins to consume the the tumor and these dead tissues and these things it begins to clean house There's a cleaning that takes place So I believe what people will be a lot more healthy if we took care of this wonderful gift that god has given us And got us through the cleansing process That's what fasting does anytime says jesus says do something for spiritual reasons. It always has physical benefits Now even though the thrust of this message is on physical benefits The spiritual benefit is what we're after correct? That is the priority and that is the primary thing But that's why this message this first week is important because you most people just can't fast The refo the reward is spiritual and physical closer intimacy with god and feeling better Doesn't it doesn't go together? I mean, can you think about this? Can you really pray and seek god? When you have a headache And my pants are too tight And my pop pop pop pop my buttons are popping I got a loose oh I don't feel very good ate too much and and you have this this sluggish lethargic body Do you really think you can seek god? to the same degree Because that's how because when my body was sluggish and lethargic And 40 pounds over what it should be When when that happens, that means my flesh is the dominating controlling aspect of my life My flesh is controlling me and i'm full of the appetites. I've been giving into appetite. So it's hard to seek god And deny the flesh when you've been feeding your body and and feeding the flesh all week long so they go hand in hand Remember we are body soul and spirit. I'm not going to get weird here. Don't worry, but we are body right what we put into the body We have a soul our emotions our intellect. It's what we put into our mind. I could do a whole nother sermon On negative thinking bitterness anger resentment how that is toxic to your body So body soul and spirit they all work together So if those are off kilter body's off kilter mind's a mess Is the spiritual aspect going to be operating at full potential? That's why the bible says deny the flesh Gluttony is a sin starve it from time to time feed your mind with the things of god And then you'll be filled with the holy spirit. It's a it's a strong three three three cord Strand there that can't easily be broken Now trust me. I wanted to delete this message all week because I know it ruffles feathers and i'm not here condemning I don't want people leaving here saying oh pastor shane I want people knowing that i'm trying to help you My background is helping 30 000 people in in health and fitness and I saw amazing results Physically, so my thought is why can't why shouldn't the children of god? Benefit not only spiritually but be physically sound because when I feel good physically I want to go to hospital homes I'm nicer to my children. I'm nicer to my wife. I'm nicer to the staff. I'm nicer to all of you I live life more Joy filled because i'm filled with the spirit So see it permeates all areas of our lives And often when I pray for people I sense that they need to make changes I said and I I don't know if it's it's it's god what he's if If it's just gifted me in this area because I don't have gifting for healing or prophetic words or any of that words I don't have any of that stuff just preaching and I I just can tell sometimes when people are Just that they need to make some changes Because people come in and we pray for panic attacks angry outbursts and anxiety, right? Lord help me with angry outbursts panic attacks, but stop going to starbucks twice a day Don't stop by the cigarette shop and don't go to the sugar factory Right because those things Isn't it funny 100 years ago? You thought to be you were cool if you smoked charles spurgeon Big cigars That was cool. That was saying nothing wrong with it. Now. What do we know? See so we can't discount wisdom of what we know today of how to take care of the body Pray for my arthritis my joint pain and my heart problems. Okay, but stop eating the foods that inflame it See there has to be a matter of wisdom that comes in here yet At some point and I believe 90 percent of the healing that i've seen over the years was a result of good stewardship People getting their body back in right position with god Now, let me throw this out there before I lose someone. No one is perfect, right? No one is perfect. We go in the direction of wisdom and god does heal us miraculously Even when we're rebelling in this area he heals us miraculously, but the exception only goes to validate the rule God god says I don't i'm going to heal you despite What you don't know or what you might be doing to you, but i'm going to heal you i'm going to occur Have a healing occur. I don't want to put too Too much emphasis on the physical you see i'm saying here. It's all about getting the body It's all no, but I believe that god commands us to be wise stewards of this wonderful gift that he's given us I've seen the difference you've seen the difference. We know how it affects our spiritual life Does it not does giving into the bodily appetites affect our spiritual life Random example if all of you last night had six strong beers And you gave in to the lust of the flesh how much would you want to worship god this morning The pain of regret will be lingering We'll be having a headache. Well, how quick can I get out of here? I don't you see so i'm trying to show you that bodily appetites How we give into the flesh more often than not affects our spiritual worship. It affects who we are And this is just maybe it's me, but it's very hard sometimes, you know, if i'm at walmart or amusement parks I don't know if you know the statistics but more than 12 million 12 million u.s. Children now are obese And I see at walmart this little eight-year-old, you know 60 70 pounds overweight and it just breaks my heart because it's not healthy. It's not good And and for us to to sit and say this thing doesn't matter to god. It's all about the spiritual things. I think that is a lie from the pit of hell because the enemy uses The the the lust of the flesh against us and will use it to destroy the body The enemy would like nothing more nothing more than me to never talk about this Go stuff my face and get as drunk as much as I could die of a heart attack at 50 in this church Dissolve That's he would love that so he works in the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life This is a huge area because it's giving in to lusts And I thought of parents and grandparents we create the environment for health in our homes Paul said in romans make no provision for the flesh again. We're going to talk about fasting. So i'm setting the foundation Make no provision for the flesh. We can't negotiate this area And I don't know why I just put this down but parents you can start to make an example Kids and grandparents you can make an example put the healthy things there not junk food Have created an environment your kids will scream the first couple days. There's nothing to eat. There's nothing there is look in the refrigerator There's cucumbers There's celery with peanut butter. There's carrots. There's apples. There's oranges. There's blueberries. There's raspberries There's all kinds of stuff protein powder that's healthy. No, there's nothing. No, let's see. There's nothing to lust after there's no captain crunch I just read the back of one of those cereals the other day in vons. I cannot believe the garbage that is in there Three different types of food colorings sodium carbonate or bicarbonate or something like that sugars at the very top and it's not good sugar It's refined sugar. It's all high fructose corn syrup all these things that are very detrimental for the body See, we know it. We know it ask any doctor worth their salt or at least one that knows about nutrition But here's the cry right it goes out But it's too expensive Well, so is your 150 starbucks habit? and your nail appointments Dad, so is eating out 10 times a month not to mention new pairs of shoes and clothes Just we have to have it every month. See it's not too expensive. It's about prioritizing I talked to a family four years ago about They were not doing good financially And they want some financial counseling And they wrote down they say they spent about twelve hundred dollars a month eating out And I said, excuse me Rewind this a little bit 120 right? No 1200 Well, I can kind of tell you why you might be experiencing some financial difficulty Well, it's hard to make things. It's expensive. Well, that looks pretty expensive. You give me you give me 1200 No, give me 600 and I can go and I can get you set up for a couple weeks On really good things that take help take care of the body And here's why this subject is important to me. We talk about good stewardship of money, don't we? We talk about good stewardship of money here and there's there's churches all over Uh, there's there's a church I can name a big church They did a whole blessed series on on financial giving financial stewardship four-week series on finances money finances But why when it comes to this topic Do we not talk about it? What kind of what? to me I'd rather steward this correctly And and kind of miss the money aspect then finance them steward the money. Okay And be dead And not able to steward that correctly Because both it's all stewardship, isn't it financial stewardship is important. So is the temple of the holy spirit Boy, if we went read that scripture, I won't convict you anymore But paul says the body is the temple of the holy spirit. What kind of temple should you be? Taking care of that the things that are vastly important So here's what happens those who don't want to fast are often in bondage to food or they don't see the benefit That's an old testament teaching they say So fasting cleans house when the flesh is restrained Anxiety fear unbelief doubt lust jealousy bitterness and anger are all minimized Did you know that? Because they are fleshly outbursts often When you starve the flesh the things that come out of the flesh are also Minimized and i'm going to tell you a medical myth that's been around for a long time. They say that fasting is bad for you Fasting is bad for you It's actually very healthy for you. It's actually very beneficial for you Be careful when getting advice from those who profit from the advice I just read somewhere i'm not going to say a lot of names But when major research comes out on things in our in our country for the meat industry dairy industry Sugars, you know diabetes, you know major publications major articles. You can find out who they're sponsored by coca-cola McDonald's nabisco Is he around? Nestle They're paying millions into university grants for the universities and the studies to come out and tell us certain things Now if that doesn't rub you the wrong way I Don't know what to tell you So we look at these studies and go. I mean, oh, wow, I can have six cup of coffee. That's not bad who paid for this? Oh starbucks, dude And I did some numbers If all of us fasted it's not gonna happen. So don't worry about it But if everybody in america and I even said not even everybody 50 percent of people fasted one day would cost the food industry 3 billion dollars in one day So you have the medical industry the food industry what they call big pharma right pharma you think the pharmacies want you to get over Your diabetes or they want to give you insulin. Do you think they want to help you with your blood pressure or sell the statins? I mean this is not this is Wisdom folks wisdom the wisdom of god god god's ways can help in all these areas. I'm not minimizing that I'm saying just be careful be careful. It's your body. You can say no. Here's what we're going to do I remember many I probably shouldn't say this. I already Yeah, I have to remember for the second service not to say it my wife remember some doctor he had a foreign accent Brought my little six-year-old six month in there Said we need to give her This shot this shot this shot this shot this shot d-tap influenza Hepatitis b. I said no you don't Well, no, I said no you don't Bye-bye find a new pediatrician Have you researched this do you know anything about you how it affects the body, you know at this age You don't really need these things yet. They don't know much at all Not saying they're bad. Not it's just educate. They're very educated in the things of the world. Here's a pill to fix this We go. Here's a pill to get your blood pressure down. How about fasting eating correctly? Has it ever dawned on you? I mean it's in the pill has toxic effects When we take certain medicines, it has a toxic effect and this I get fired up on this because type 1 diabetes Is insulin you don't have insulin you need to get it or you will probably die type 2 is diet related Type 2 is we created this disease doctors will say it's a progressive disease. You might get blind. You might have to lose a limb I'm going to get you on more insulin more you're actually feeding the very thing that's destroying you You're getting too many carbohydrates too much insulin. So your cells are being overloaded what happens now? It's called insulin resistant They're resistant to the insulin, so let's go get more insulin Why i'm doctor why am I gaining 20 pounds 30 pounds that's just what happens when you have diabetes Do you know there's a book out there and I hate recommending books to people say shame he talked about evolution Right. It's secular books even secular books the complete guide on fasting shows how this doctor eradicates type 2 diabetes by fasting By removing the thing that's causing it So what what kind of pastor would I be if I knew all this but never shared it What Honestly, what would I know I can i've seen people reverse every you go in your doctor. I have got high blood pressure They give you medication right blood thinner to thin the blood so the heart works less I can get you to thin your blood By losing 40 pounds increasing garlic intake and and plant-based foods a little bit of raw this and raw I can help you get to that. There's god Well how god's design god's design starve the flesh and be filled with the spirit when you start the flesh It's a spiritual benefit, but guess what just for kicks i'm going to actually give you physical benefits I'm going to clean the arteries i'm going to remove tumors Alzheimer's all those things can be because you're pulling the toxins Most disease is created by what we consume and the house is never cleaned because we never fast Why do you think everybody's getting the flu because it's going around? Or because our body is so sick and so toxic that it cannot fight these things That's why I know people that fast often. They don't get the flu and cold very often very rarely They very rarely do they get these things? Because the body's cleaning itself and I know it's hard i'm a fellow I could be sitting in that front pew Boy, this flesh sure is hard. It is the pain of discipline or the pain of regret And don't we often give into the regret more often than not? I do You go, why did I just do that? Why what happened so be encouraged i'm not here beating up i'm trying to show you How important this is? There was something I want to mention. Um Oh many of you know about chemotherapy. I know people that are taking it right now and We've had family members obviously passed away of cancer and friends And what is what does chemotherapy do it's the goal is to stop slow Stop or slow the growth of cancer cells, correct? That's the whole point. It's a it's a it's a I'll be careful here. It's a medication That that kills the cancer cells But it also kills the healthy cells And it's not a very reliable. Um Thing that that happens But the body has a natural god-given way to do this Fasting actually goes after the disease tissue and the disease cells and allows the living ones to flourish You look at how god created us All right. I'm closing up here But again, I want to get to get this point across That we are body soul and spirit. The spirit is the priority. What what does paul says? You know bodily exercise profits a little bit spiritualness godliness is good But I just i've seen such a big connection body soul and spirit all three need cleansing Proverbs 14 30 a heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones So not only what we're taking in here, but we're taking in here the mental diet as well And please hear my heart. It's just to help it is to help you. I'm not beating up I'm, not judging. I actually wrote down the difference here in case I need. Oh, i'm not attacking I'm offering solutions That's the difference Someone who's judging and attacking you is judging and attacking. How could you i'm trying to help and offer solutions? That's the difference it might come across the same way and here's why i'm i guess maybe maybe the fear of man Uh on these sermons like this because people inevitably whether it's radio they hear it or internet or youtube or here they'll shake pastor shane says i'm fat and doesn't like me and doesn't want to be around my Where does that come from? That see that's not true. That's not true. That's the enemy planting seeds of doubt And lying to you that I would never ask my I love all groups of people. I want to help all groups of people I was called led britches. I was called Uh, uh, you know overweight I was I struggled with the most of my I know I know see so So if somebody's been free of something, right, they feel better. They're on fire for god. I've been there I know I can help you. Don't you think they're going to get a little excited? Don't you think they're going to want to help you come out of that? And I see so many people hurting in this area Yes, god can heal but you got to get off the addiction All these things that we're addicted to lord heal me of this. Okay, but get rid of the addiction as well clean the house And a mental fast and a stomach fast go hand in hand, right? Fasting the body fasting the mind. Here's where i'm getting to i'm going to close. I said that five minutes ago I know Here's the first step before I get in next week's sermon. You're not going to want to miss next week I'm, just telling you that right now schedule everything around church The first step that we're going to start this week. I'm i'm ahead of you on this so I know that But it took me five years of getting ready is get the body ready This is the first step for next week get the body ready fall forward get back on track begin today or tomorrow start cleaning house Cleaning things out that you know, because you can't fast and not deal with the addictions Just just try sugar for the day. I've i've tried it. I want to rip somebody's head off Just no sugar for the whole day. You will turn into a monster. You're like, where did that come from? Is that in here in me phil? Is that in me? Oh, you like leave me alone. Don't talk to me I mean one of what happened the withdrawals because the flesh craves the thing that is destroying you You can link most disease. Whatever you're addicted to is eventually wanting to destroy you lung cancer Liver cancer food diabetes see what you're addicted to is destroying you Same with me the things I want will eventually destroy me So you have to clean house in this area, so that's the first step i'm not going to Say anything else other than get the body ready. If you want you can go to our website And search for what does the bible say health? What does the bible say? I spent an hour and 20 minutes talking about this on a saturday So get it ready get ready for next week fall forward You're not going to do things perfectly begin to wean off If you're on caffeine go to half go to half go to half go to half go to half Sugar go to half go to half go to half junk go to have get rid of the stuff start to wean off of it I mean you can go cold turkey if you want. Good luck Right and here's what I tell people in this situation pray for heaven, but expect hell Because you're getting the body do you think the enemy wants this He wants us sick and depraved in this area So next week we'll talk about the spiritual benefits lean mean fighting machine Medical supervision I do recommend it, but they will not be supportive many times So tell them Uh, here's what i'd like you to do monitor. They can monitor for example if you're on blood pressure medication fasting and cleaning house automatically Lowers your blood pressure. So if it's automatically lowering your blood pressure You're also taking medication that lowers it then you get into an unhealthy level and the blood pressure is actually too low So I do recommend medical supervision and finding those who can monitor you closely All right disclaimer and empowerful point here that we need to take home when we do these things god doesn't love us more You got it, right? He loves you. It's not about loving god He doesn't love you more. But let me tell you this as god is my witness. I love him more just during worship hearing the kids sing amazing grace and Full service and 20 years ago. I was on a highway to hell This church shouldn't even be here and then look at what god just honors his word and you have little kids singing Where would they be? If west side christian, and i'm not saying shane i'm saying the holy spirit did it So you god doesn't love you more, but I love him so much more when i'm fasting and praying When that when the bodily appetites are in Controlled and said i love him more because i'm more filled with the spirit That's why many people are upset at god. They're not in church They're distant because the flesh like a corpse your flesh is dragging you around. Come on Come on Come on And you're not dragging it around So I want to be careful you don't please god, but you will love him more I fumble and I fall often but get back and prepare for warfare robert murray mcshaney I love this guy from scotland a hundred a couple hundred years ago He said a holy minister a holy pastor is an awful weapon in the hands of god But I want to take that home a holy member a holy christian Is an awesome weapon in the hand of god if you want to see god I mean I should bring this I have a little illustration There's a little sledgehammer and i've got a huge 25 pound sledgehammer That's the difference with prayer you can you're going to break down some strongholds, but when you bring in fasting when you bring in Killing the flesh being filled with spirit. Now your prayer is targeted now you're focused And we're going into spiritual warfare next week We sang a song this morning early at 6 00 a.m. When I see that cross I see freedom How glorious how wonderful my savior scars victorious? My chains are gone. My debt is paid You see this doesn't have to be difficult And hopeless because victory has already been won When god says no temptation has overtaken you But what is common to man and I will provide a way of escape that you may be able to bear it You can take him at his word on that We are set free. So don't go back in bondage Fight the good fight Fight for your families fight for your own health fight for spiritual things You