Kingdom Practice: Fasting | Making Room for Him | Pastor Trev Evans

Amen. All right, let's grab your Bibles.

Whether that's a paper Bible, electronic

Bible, on your cell phone, whatever it

is that you have. Come over. We get

ready to make our confession today.

Come on, say, "This is my Bible.

>> This is my

>> It is God's word.

>> It reveals to me.

>> It reveals to me

>> God's will.

>> Therefore,

>> therefore,

>> it's the final authority.

>> To which I submit

>> to which I submit

>> to settle all the issues

>> settle all the issues

>> of my life."

It's the standard

>> of my conduct

>> and the basis

>> of all my expectations.

>> Come on, shout it out. I am

>> I am

>> what it says I am.

>> I possess

>> what it says I possess.

>> It says I am.

>> And I can do

>> I can do

>> absolutely everything.

>> Absolutely everything

>> it says I can do.

>> I'm a believer.

>> Not a doubter.

>> I'm a doer.

>> Not just a hearer.

>> And my life. And my life,

>> my everyday life,

>> my everyday life

>> is the better

>> is the better.

>> After having heard

>> after heard

>> the word of faith,

>> the word of faith.

>> Faith comes by hearing.

>> Faith comes by hearing

>> and hearing

>> and hearing by

>> the word of God.

>> Let's rise.

>> You may be seated in the presence of the

Lord.

Amen.

Sound Ministry is the bomb. You hear me?

>> I just love them. All right. Today we're

going to be talking about the kingdom

practice of fasting.

>> It just went all the way down.

Carolina fans didn't even say nothing on

that. I thought y'all would still have a

little joy. We're talking about the

kingdom practice of fasting. We are

heading into our church fast beginning

February the 17th. And uh God has uh

given to us to talk about the kingdom

practice of fasting.

We're going to Matthew chapter 6 verse

Matthew 6:16

16. We'll get there in just a moment.

However, there are some scriptures in

the Bible, Jasper, that I find

disturbing.

I do. The scriptures bring you comfort

and they do. But there are some

scriptures that I just find downright

disturbing.

Like one of the scriptures it said where

he says

that they will come before him and they

will cry Lord Lord and he will say

depart from me for I never knew you.

>> Now these are not sinners. These are

people per se. These are people who did

works in the name of God.

>> He said have we not prophesied in your

name? Have we not casted out devils in

your name? And you mean to tell me we

going to do all that and get up here and

you still don't know us?

That's that that's one of those

scriptures that just bothers me.

>> I found another one in preparation for

for this lesson. It's found in Luke

Luke 2:7

chapter 2 verse 7. Now we read it all

the time. Bam. Around Christmas, but

this is a scripture that bothered me. It

says, "And she brought forth her son,

her firstborn son, and wrapped him in

swaddling clothes and laid him in a

manger." This is what bothers me. It

says because there was no room for him

in the end.

>> You mean to tell me that God will bring

and give us a gift

>> and we wouldn't have room for it?

>> You mean to tell me that he would come

down through 40 and two generations and

prepare a body not to redeem himself but

to redeem us and then when he gets here

there's no room. Jesus,

>> this grabbed my attention and this is

why I believe God has gathered us around

Matthew chapter 6:16 because because

today I want to talk about making more

room for him.

>> Making more room for him.

>> We are preparing, as I said, for our

church fast that begins February the

17th and it will run through April the

30th. It is our annual 40-day fast and

it is a time where we pull away uh from

a lot of the distractions that pull on

us so that we can draw closer in our

relationship with God.

>> We sung about having a closer walk with

Jesus.

>> April 3rd. What did I say?

>> Whoa. Hold on.

Somebody was counting like that is not

40 days.

And I know y'all you know I'm I'm a new

pastor. So that I'm not coming in

bringing nothing new. We doing 40 days.

>> There we go. The clap. There it is. A

February 17th

through April 3rd.

Bump your neighbor so they don't walk

out of here.

April 3rd.

No, I got to make this clear because I

told the Saints that turned down Tuesday

was the third Tuesday. And after the

third Tuesday, somebody pulled up on

somebody else on the fourth Tuesday and

tried to make them put their sandwich

down.

So I need us to hear

February 17th

>> through April 3rd. Okay, let's ride.

Fasting.

Fasting is the voluntary, catch this,

abstinence from food for a spiritual

purpose.

It is a way to humble ourselves to seek

God's presence and to align ourselves

with his will.

Fasting is an expected practice of the

believer.

>> Matthew chapter 6 verse 16.

Matthew 6:16

The it says first four four words are

what I want. It says moreover when you

fast. That's

>> right.

>> That that's what I want. Now you can

read the rest of it through verse 18

when you get home. But that's what I

want to just want to hang my hat on.

when you fast.

>> Jesus has an expectation for his

followers that he didn't put it if you

fast

>> because if we leave it up to us

>> and if it was left up to us, we would

never

>> Oh YEAH, WE WOULD NEVER FAST.

>> But Jesus has an expectation that his

followers would have a practice that

they would adopt in their lives called

fasting.

>> Why? Because fasting is the opportunity

for us to back up for all from all the

things that pull our attention away from

God.

>> Boy, we going to work today.

>> Yeah. See, notice he did not say if you

fast. Fasting is not an optional kingdom

practice.

>> It is an expectation of the king that we

say we serve.

>> Fasting is not about, catch this, is not

about earning God's favor or trying to

manipulate God. Amen.

>> No, I I already have his favor.

>> HE ALREADY DIED for me

>> when I WAS IN SIN. WHILE I WAS IN SIN,

HE SENT HIS SON TO die for me. I already

have the favor of God on my life. So,

I'm not trying to get in good standings

with God. Fasting is not for God. It's

for me.

>> Yeah. It's it's about it's about me

creating space in my life for God.

>> Amen. You know, my wife and I was just

talking about something that happened to

us uh about 10 years ago. Rather

traumatic and and it's it's amazing how

time can help you laugh over stuff that

you once cried about.

>> We woke up today, we talked about how 10

years ago in in 2016, somebody kicked

the door into our house

>> and uh took some stuff. And so then I

called, you know, I called one of my

construction friends over and he came

and he boarded up the house, you know,

because my wife said, "No, listen. we

ain't staying there tonight.

And I was like, if you put the board ON

THE BACK DOOR, BABE, WHY just let's just

all get in one room just together. She

said, I I can't help that.

I'm not staying here. I said, okay,

never mind. Don't say that. Save that

for marriage retreat. So, I said, "Okay,

we won't stay here." So, I we called one

of our good friends and we asked, I

said, "Hey, can we stay at your house?"

And she said she said, "Yeah." Yeah. So,

we went over for one night and uh we I

came back the next day to check on the

house and do you know them jokers kicked

the board down.

>> Now, Jeff, whatever hope I had of us

ever returning

was destroyed the second day.

So, I had to call my sis back and say,

"Hey, listen. We going to need a few

more days."

She said, "Hey, no problem.

So, I was cool that she let us to come

over. But bam, what got me this time was

when we went back, the same room that I

was in the first night

was different. We walked back in the

room and the closet that had things in

it the day before no longer had things

in it when I got back. All right.

>> I appreciated her letting us stay the

first night, but the second night said

to me

>> THAT I WAS WELCOME in a way that I

didn't think I was really going to be

welcome.

>> Not because she let me stay,

>> but because she made room for me,

>> talking.

IT'S SOMETHING. IT'S ONE THING TO ASK

GOD TO COME IN TO MY LIFE. It's one

thing to ASK HIM TO COME IN AND BE MY

SAVIOR, BUT WHEN YOU MAKE ROOM FOR HIM

TO BE LORD,

>> when you make room FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO

TELL TO TO TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR

ATTITUDE,

>> will you make room FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO

GET IN YOUR DECISION MAKING?

>> SEE, THERE'S SOME OF YOU RIGHT NOW WHO

ARE ABOUT TO MAKE LIFEALTERING

DECISIONS. AND I'M TELLING YOU AS YOUR

PASTOR, YOU NEED TO PUSH PAUSE FOR 40

DAYS.

>> YOU NEED TO PUSH PAUSE FOR 40 DAYS.

YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS OUT

OF YOUR FEELINGS. YOU NEED TO TAKE THE

RESIGNATION LETTER AND PUT IT UP.

>> WHY? WHY? BECAUSE YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE

DECISIONS and you haven't even made room

for God to clear his throat.

YOU'RE ABOUT YOU'RE ABOUT SOME OF US

THAT'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE SOME OF US

LIVE BY THE SAYING I rather ask for per

uh forgiveness than permission.

>> Oh God I done got OUT HERE. YEAH. SOME

OF YOU SAY YOU RATHER YOU RATHER ASK FOR

FORGI. YOU RATHER do something and then

ask God to forgive you rather than on

the front end ASK GOD SHOULD I do it?

And when we live like that, it says we

haven't made room for him.

>> That's right.

>> SOME OF US RESPOND to people before we

make room for God.

>> They say something to you. YOU DON'T

PAUSE. YOU DON'T HOLD UP. YOU DON'T WAIT

A MINUTE. YOU DON'T PRAY IN THE HOLY

GHOST. YOU DON'T SIT IN NO SILENCE. YOU

JUST FIRE OFF.

>> And then we wonder why we have the

situations that we have.

It's because we haven't made room for

God, for his word, for his opinion, for

what he says,

>> for the people that he put in our lives.

>> Bump. Somebody say, "I need to make

room."

>> I need to make room. that this is why

fasting

>> is so critical

>> because fasting causes us to back up

from some of the things that cloud our

lives

>> and from some of the things that crowd

our lives

>> so that God can have room to speak where

he needs to speak.

>> Oh my God, this is good to me.

>> This fast, catch this. This fast is not

just about giving up something, but it's

about making room for God to show up.

>> It's about creating space for him to

speak and to move. And catch this, even

to transform us from the inside out.

>> Many of us want to grow in our

relationship with God.

>> We do. When we write prayer requests

down, that's probably one of the biggest

prayer requests that we have. Besides

financial strength, it is to grow closer

in my relationship with God.

>> Can I tell you that you and I cannot

cannot grow any more in our relationship

with God without disruption from our

norm

>> than we can grow physically w without

having discomfort in the gym.

>> Just two claps. I know

>> because I've been talking to you all

about getting in shape and what happens

is kid

I start out good.

I do. I start out real good, but then

I wish I could just put it on one thing

because so far I put it on cold and

tired

and pizzas went on sale

>> and I'm looking for the easy button to

my health.

But what I realize is there is no easy

button.

>> That if I am going to gain the health

that I desire, that there's going to

have to be a level of, catch this,

disruption,

>> discomfort,

>> and disconnection.

>> Amen. By the same token, spiritually,

when you and I get ready to go on a

fast,

we have to make a decision to allow the

fast to bring discomfort,

>> disruption, and disconnection.

>> See, this is what Write down Isaiah

Isaiah 58 · chapter mention

chapter 58. We're not going there, but

write down Isaiah 58. Because these

people in Isaiah 58, they started to

fast. They were doing a fast, but they

did not allow the fast that they were

doing to disrupt any it to disrupt their

routine. And God said, "Wait a minute.

You call this a fast,

>> but you still mistreating people.

>> You you call you CALL THIS A F I KNOW

YOU DOING THE OUTWARD STUFF, BUT YOU

CALL THIS A FAST, and you still

minimizing and talking down to people.

You called THIS A FAST, BUT YOU HAD NOT

DEVIATED FROM YOUR NORMAL PRACTICES. YOU

STILL YOU STILL working and serving

every day on THE SABBATH. SABBATH NO

SABBATH. YOU STILL DOING YOUR SAME

ROUTINE.

>> COME ON NOW.

>> God said THIS IS NOT A FAT. NOTHING HAS

BEEN DISRUPTED.

>> Come on now.

>> There is no discomfort

IN WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING.

>> YOU'RE STILL CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING

THAT YOU'VE BEEN CONNECTED TO. GOD SAID

THIS IS NOT A FAST.

And can I tell you, you and I have a

responsibility

to not to go through the motions

February 17th through April the 3.

GOD IS CALLING US TO PREPARE FOR THIS

SPE THIS INTENTIONAL TIME OF GROWTH.

>> Can I tell you growth will not just it

won't just happen.

>> I wish I didn't have to tell this but I

have to tell it. There has been times

where I went through the fast and I did

just that.

>> Right?

>> I went through the fast.

>> I did not allow any discomfort. I did

not allow any disruption. I did not

allow real disconnection.

And so consequently, I got out of it

what I put into it.

>> NO, I GOT OUT of it what I put into it.

There's a guy here at the church

and I'm not going to call his name cuz I

didn't get his permission. But when I

tell you he went on this fast last year,

he wasn't even a member of the church.

He just said, "I'm I'm I'mma do it."

Some I think one of the guys, one of the

line men had been nagging him.

Man, you need to be a part of this, man.

You need to be a part. He said, "All

right, man. Look, whatever. Just with a

pack. Is that what it is?" Okay. All

right. Give me one.

But when he got his pack and he read

through it,

>> he said, "You know what?" He said, "I'm

going to get I'm going to give myself to

this for 40 days."

This joker

came in to align men one night with his

journal. And to honest to God, I thought

Pastor Christie had been writing in it

because it HAD NOTES FROM WALL to wall.

>> He did not just go through

But he ALLOWED THE FAST TO disrupt his

routine.

>> HE ALLOWED THE FAST TO BRING SOME

DISCOMFORT INTO HIS LIFE. SEE, I KNOW

MANY OF US SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M not a

morning person. AND MAYBE YOU'RE NOT.

BUT WHAT I'M ASKING YOU FOR 40 DAYS IS

TO ALLOW THE FAST TO DISRUPT YOUR LIFE.

>> NOW, I'M NOT SAYING EVERYBODY GOING TO

GET UP in the morning. I'm not saying

that.

And you maybe you don't. You work third

shift. You probably shouldn't.

But what I'm saying is don't use that as

an excuse to stay comfortable.

>> E even if you're going to even if you're

going to to do the fast and your your

time is in the evening,

don't don't because catch CATCH THIS.

YOUR FLESH IS always

>> going to look for a way

>> to stay comfortable.

OH, YOUR FLESH IS ALWAYS

>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WHEN I'M

ON THE fast and I get through eating and

you know what my flesh say? I need

something sweet. THERE YOU GO. I SAW

YOU. I SAW YOU. I NEED SOMETHING SWEET.

>> It's too many of us in here.

It's always going to find a way.

>> See, the first thing that our fast has

to do, it has to bring disruption.

>> Our fast has to bring disruption. Give

it to me. We make room when we allow the

fast to disrupt our routine. Catch this.

Fasting is a divine interruption

that breaks the flow of our normal

routine so that we can realign our focus

on God. Yes sir.

>> Yeah. Yeah. IT H THERE HAS TO BE AN

INTERRUPTION.

>> NO, it has to be an interruption.

Whatever it is I normally do, I have to

be open to God to bring disruption in my

life.

>> Amen.

>> See, because most of us want what God

has for us, but God does not bring it

most times without disruption.

>> Something has to be disturbed.

>> Something has TO BE ROCKED. SOMETHING

HAS TO BE SHAKEN FOR US TO GET WHAT WHAT

GOD HAS FOR us

>> away WITH THE THOUGHT THAT YOU AND I ARE

GOING TO BE ABLE TO GROW AND BECOME AND

ASCEND TO WHAT GOD HAS FOR US WITHOUT

DISRUPTION.

>> Can can I just THAT THAT'S WHY THAT'S

WHY MANY OF US HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET

BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRYING to get it

without disruption.

>> Yeah. NO, THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN

THE CHANGE THAT YOU DESIRE IS BECAUSE

YOU'RE TRYING TO YOU EXPECTING THE

CHANGE TO COME WITHOUT DISRUPTION.

>> NO, THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY THE

MARRIAGE IS STILL challenged because you

won't allow ANYBODY TO DISRUPT HOW YOU

RESPOND to her.

>> God said you can't keep talking THAT

HARD AND EXPECT me to heal her heart and

fix your marriage.

>> Oh, let me get back to my notes. I done

started meling there. IT HAS TO BE A

DISRUPTION. THERE HAS TO BE AN

INTERRUPTION of my routine.

>> Joel chapter 1 verse14.

Joel 1 · chapter mention

Write down Joel chapter 1 verse14.

Joel 1 · chapter mention

THE PROPHET TALKS to the children of

Israel. HE SAYS, "CONSECRATE A FAST." HE

SAYS, "CALL A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY. Gather

the elders and all the inhabitants of

the land to the house of the Lord YOUR

GOD AND CRY TO THE LORD." HE SAID,

"LISTEN, THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL."

>> AMEN. THIS IS NOT BUSINESS AS YOU CALL

EVERYBODY IN

BECAUSE NOW IT'S A TIME FOR US TO GATHER

AND CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD IN A

WAY TO DEMONSTRATE TO GOD THAT WE REALLY

need him.

>> See See, I DON'T WANT I DON'T WANT I

DON'T WANT THE ONLY thing that can

disrupt my life is trouble.

>> I DON'T KNOW. NO, I DON'T I DON'T WANT

NOW, TROUBLE HAS A MIGHTY WAY OF

DISRUPTING OUR LIVES,

>> BUT I DON'T WANT THE ONLY THING THAT CAN

GET MY ATTENTION to be trouble.

>> NO, I I WANT TO BE ABLE TO INTENTIONALLY

DISRUPT MY LIFE. I WANT GOD TO BE ABLE

TO GET MY ATTENTION WILLFULLY.

>> HALLELUJAH.

>> AMEN.

>> Sometimes people say, you know, God

brought this in my life to get my

attention. That's because you wouldn't

listen to him whisper to you

>> when HE SENT THAT FRIEND TO YOU AND

SAID, "NO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I don't think

you should get in this relationship

because it it it it doesn't look like

>> this going to work out for you."

>> Then you come to a women's gathering and

Pastor Tracy pulled you to the side and

said,

>> "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

And the Holy Ghost gives her something

that she would not have known any other

way. But you still wouldn't listen to

that. And then when it hits,

>> then you say, "God is trying to get

you." No, God know he was trying to use

your friend. And Pastor Tracy,

>> now

>> sometimes the only thing that gets that

disrupts us can be trouble.

>> I don't want that to be the case.

I I I would much rather willfully during

this time

>> to disrupt my own life.

>> I would rather willfully during this

time I rather put put the put the

boundaries and the restrictions on my

own life

>> than to have circumstances.

>> That's what we say when people have

money issues. We tell them say, "Listen,

why don't you cut cut this out and cut

that out and cut this back? PUT THE

RESTRICTIONS ON YOURSELF

>> RATHER THAN THEM COMING TAKING

EVERYTHING AND SHUTTING IT OFF AND AIN'T

NO POWER. NOW YOU GOT TO CUT IT OFF."

>> NO, ALLAH, YOU BRING THE DISRUPTION.

>> That's what God said. GOD SAID, "YOU

BRING the interruption.

>> You shut some stuff down.

>> YOU CLOSE SOME THINGS DOWN. YOU BRING

THIS.

>> YES.

>> You don't need a prophet to tell you you

watch too much TV.

>> No, YOU YOU DON'T YOU DON'T NO, NO, NO.

YOU DON'T YOU DON'T NEED YOU DON'T NEED

A WORD FROM GOD. YOU ALREADY KNOW

>> THAT IS CAUSING YOU TO CUSS WHEN YOU

USED TO HAD THAT PROBLEM CUSSING.

>> Somebody say, "I need a disruption."

>> I need a disruption.

>> Yeah. I need to allow my fast to bring a

disruption IN MY LIFE. PSALM 42. Psalm

42 verse one and two. It says, "As the

deer pants for streams of water, so my

soul

pants for my God, my soul thirsts for

God, for the living God. When can I go

and meet with God?" Understand

something. Fasting creates a divine

interruption that awakens, catch this, a

deeper hunger and thirst for God.

Now, I'm going GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU THE

FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, that hunger is not

what's going to be getting your

attention.

>> It's going to be the be the craving for

everything that you've been normally

having.

>> Some of you are just like me. You can go

through the day, you can go through, you

don't even eat breakfast and you look

up, IT COULD BE 12 OR 1:00 BEFORE you

eat. But when you fast,

SO MUCH SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. YOU WAKE

UP WITH PANCAKES on your mind.

Waffle House. You don't even hardly go

to Waffle House. Waffle House. Cracker

Barrel.

The flesh will always cry out when you

get ready to disrupt the routine.

But I but when we fast it creates a

deeper hunger for the things of God

that when we allow our routine to be

disrupted. Catch this again. Let me let

me BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST WEEK.

>> The first week all of us are going to be

grabbing a hold of the horns of the

altar

>> asking God from for strength from on

high.

>> No. This is why I'm asking this is why

I'm asking everybody to get a fasting

buddy.

No, don't go through the fast by

yourself.

>> Connect with somebody that you can call

when your head gets thumping.

>> Connect with somebody and let them know,

"Hey, man, listen. I I just need some

prayer right now cuz it is challenging.

You and I need that."

>> Why? Because when we break our when we

break our routine, our flesh is going to

cry out.

>> No, let me let me just take the suspense

out OF IT FOR YOU. WHEN YOU GET READY TO

DISRUPT YOUR ROUTINE, YOUR FLESH IS

GOING TO cry out.

>> And I want us to be ready

>> because what is on the line is not that

hunger pain that you feeling now, but

your hunger and your thirst for God is

on the line.

>> You and I got to number one allow

fasting to bring a disruption. Number

two, we got to embrace discomfort.

>> Thank you for that one. Amen. You and I

have to embrace discomfort. This is not

going to be comfortable.

>> Amen.

>> NO. BAM. BAM. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE

COMFORTABLE. NOT JUST THE things that

I'm not doing.

>> Yeah.

>> But even the things that I need to start

doing,

>> there's some of you who will start

praying during the fast. And this is not

a knock on anybody

>> because you you you you're going to be

establishing a prayer life.

>> And getting up praying every day is

going to be new for you. And it's not

going to feel comfortable

because you're going to be like start

talking to God and it's going to be like

and the enemy is going to be so

faithful.

>> Who you talking to?

>> You're talking to who?

>> And then some of you who've BEEN FILLED

WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU NEED TO PRAY

MORE IN your heavenly language.

>> It's not going to be comfortable.

>> But can I tell you something? Most of

the things the most of the areas in

which we need to grow are not found

inside of our comfort zone.

>> No, no. There's a brother that wrote a a

poem years ago. It said, "There is no

growth inside my comfort zone."

>> There's a level of discomfort that you

and I must embrace.

Oh, that is good to me. There's a level

of discomfort that you and I must

embrace.

When we make room, we make room when we

allow fasting to embrace discomfort.

Catch this. Discomfort and fasting is

not meant to harm you, but it is meant

to remind you of your dependence on God.

>> See, because we we LIVE IN A DAY NOW

WHERE WE can get anything we want,

whatever we want.

>> When you hungry, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO

LEAVE THE HOUSE. JUST PICK UP YOUR phone

and go to Uber Eats

>> and it's there in 25 minutes.

>> When you want TO W I REMEMBER BACK IN

THE DAY WHEN YOU wanted to watch a show,

you had to wait for it to come on again.

>> If you missed IT ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT 7

O'CLOCK, YOU HAD TO WAIT A WHOLE week

>> for next Thursday at 7 o'clock.

>> But now we live in a world where it's on

demand.

>> That we don't have to wait for anything.

And so what has happened is it has

removed the elements of discomfort out

of our lives.

>> SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN WE EXPERIENCE

DISCOMFORT, WE THINK IT'S ALL THE DEVIL.

>> WE THINK ALL DISCOMFORT IS THE DEVIL.

>> WE WE WE THINK THAT GOD CANNOT USE

DISCOMFORT EVER IN OUR LIVES.

THE BIBLE SAYS ONE PSALM 119:7 HE SAID

Psalms 119:7

THIS is a scripture you don't hear much.

He said it was good for me

>> that I've been afflicted.

>> No we like it's good for me that I got

my praise on. Now that's good.

I just heard the old saying in my head.

No pain.

>> That was all 80s and 70s and 60 babies

right there. Yeah. no pain.

>> Now, I'm not SAYING YOU SHOULD BE A

GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT.

>> BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS YOU CAN'T BE A

COWARD AND RUN AWAY from it when

discomfort comes.

>> There's a level of discomfort that you

and I have to embrace that if we're

going to grow in our relationship with

God, there's going there's going to be

things that God will step by and ask you

to do that are not comfortable.

There's some of you during this fast,

you need to shut down the negative

self-t talk.

>> No, you need to shut that negative

self-t talk down. And you have become

comfortable with that.

>> BUT GOD IS GOING TO CHALLENGE YOU DURING

THESE 40 DAYS. STOP CALLING YOURSELF

DUMB.

>> STOP CALLING YOURSELF STUPID.

>> STOP SAYING THAT YOU CANNOT DO WHAT IT

IS I'VE CALLED YOU TO DO. SHUT THAT

DOWN.

>> And catch this.

DECLARING THAT YOU ARE WELL AABLE

initially feels uncomfortable.

>> DECLARING THAT I CAN DO ALL THINGS

THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME FEELS

UNCOMFORTABLE.

>> DECLARING THAT I'M FEARFULLY AND

WONDERFULLY MADE

>> FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE.

>> BUT IF YOU AND I ARE GOING TO GROW AND

BECOME WHO IT IS GOD HAS CALLED US TO

BE, WE HAVE TO EMBRACE that discomfort.

Embrace the discomfort of hearing that

you are beautiful.

>> Embrace the discomfort in hearing that

you are more than what they called you.

>> Embrace the discomfort of the feeling

that that that that says, "God, I don't

have quite three nickels to rub

together,

>> but you said that you'll supply all of

my need. Yeah,

>> of that feel it don't even I don't feel

it

>> and it feels weird saying it.

>> But if I'm EVER GOING TO SEE IT, I HAVE

TO EMBRACE THE DISCOMFORT OF SAYING IT

WHILE I DON'T SEE IT.

>> SH. I have to be shaken to embrace

discomfort.

If this fast going to do what it needs

to do and gonna make the room that it

needs to make, number one, I got to let

it disrupt my routine.

>> Number two, I have to embrace the

discomfort that's going to come with

fasting. Amen.

>> Amen.

>> And number three, if I'm going to make

room for God to speak, for him to shift

me, for him to change me, for him to

transform me from the inside out,

>> I have to be willing to disconnect from

the distractions.

>> Beloved,

fasting is more than just the abstinence

of food.

It's a it's a part of it. That's part of

the definition. But another part of our

fasting is disconnecting from many of

the distractions that we have in our

lives.

>> If I am if I am just not eating certain

foods, but I'm still watching TV, still

on social media, still texting and

responding back to everything in the

comments.

If if if I'm doing that,

then I'm not I'm not embracing I'm not

going to see what it is God has for me.

>> I'm I'm not going to I'm not going to

receive the growth and the strength. Can

I tell you this week alone?

Can I just go just take five minutes?

>> I know God calling us right toward this

fast at this time.

watching somebody

put the Obama's faces

>> on the body

>> of an eight. Just just give me five

minutes and I'm going I'm going to move

on. Just give me five minutes. Okay,

clock is starting.

This is why fasting is so important.

>> Not that we don't we we we can speak up

and speak out and we should, but there's

a thin line.

>> There's a thin line between

responding appropriately

and then just going off and getting

getting lost in the in the news thread.

I was so tempted

>> to just start responding.

>> See, because what

was it? Maya Angelo who said, "When

someone shows you who they are,

>> that's right. Did she said it?" Ain't

that what she said? That was my Angelo.

That's what she said.

>> So, Doc, pray for me.

I'm not even so taken back by

>> what he said.

>> I mean, it's that's not shocking cuz we

know

>> what we're dealing with. Right.

>> I'm concerned at all of the people who

name the name of Jesus,

>> who are finding ways to do patchwork to

still prop him up

>> and saying he's a Christian.

That's where I just don't understand.

That's just that's about all I need to

just stop right there. Right.

>> That's my concern.

>> And I'm not lost.

>> This is why I think it's so necessary

>> for us to have times to disconnect.

>> See, because some some of us get too

involved and we start getting in

comments and we done lost our

Christlikkeness.

>> No. But when you get in the chat and you

start mfinging and ding and effing and

all that, you done went too far.

>> You doing just like they doing.

See, regardless of what they do,

>> you and I still, and this is not to be a

sucker. This is not to be a doormat,

>> right?

>> But you and I still have a

responsibility

>> to be Christlike.

>> AND CATCH THIS. YOU CAN STILL SPEAK UP.

>> That's right.

>> No, you can't. You can be clear and

speak directly.

>> That's right.

>> Without losing who you are in Christ.

>> I believe God is calling us to this fast

>> because understand something else.

God can do more when we turn to him.

when we turn our plate down and turn up

in praying

>> and turn up and see this week I'm

talking about making room

>> for him. Next week I'll talk about

filling the space with him.

>> But when we make room for him,

we can say it allows us to be able to

speak in a way and to speak through us.

And God can do more

>> when we humble ourselves and follow his

direction than we can in our own flesh.

>> See, BECAUSE YOU AND I, OUR FLESH WILL

HAVE US CLAPPING BACK,

>> RIGHT?

>> AND GUESS WHAT? YOU'LL FEEL good

>> for the moment,

>> but then our witness is lost.

>> And I'm not saying you don't speak up. I

said speak up,

>> right?

>> Be clear,

>> but don't lose your witness.

God is calling us to a time of fasting.

>> What fasting says is that you know what,

God, I don't control all of this.

>> And I'm yielding whatever control I have

to you.

>> I'm used to whenever I feel like eating,

I just eat.

>> Whenever I feel like whatever I feel

like doing, I just do it. Right?

>> But my time of fasting says, "You know

what, God? I'm I'm yielding all of this,

and I'm depending on you.

>> I'm depending on your strength. I'm

depending on your guidance. I'm

depending on you leading me. I'm

depending on you. You shifting me. I'm

depending on you transforming me. I

can't transform myself." So God, I

humble myself.

>> I turn down all these other voices.

>> I turn down my own voice.

I turn down my own way.

>> And God, whatever you want to bring into

my life, God, the discomfort,

>> the disruption,

>> God, the disconnection

>> from the things that are not like you,

>> the things that keep pulling me away

from you,

>> the things that KEEP DRAGGING ME AWAY.

GOD, I WANT TO GIVE THAT TO YOU.

>> During these 40 DAYS, I'M ASKING SOME OF

YOU, THOSE OF YOU WHO are not single,

I'm asking you to put sex up for 40

days.

Boy, it's quiet in here now. YOU SEE

THAT? GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY.

>> NO, I'm asking YOU TO MAKE THE

COMMITMENT.

>> You're not married.

>> IT'S STILL CALLED FORNICATION IN

SCRIPTURE.

>> SO, I'M ASKING YOU TO disconnect

>> from what is distracting you.

No, some of you, SOME OF YOU, SOME OF

SOME OF some of us drink.

>> That's how you, you know, that's how you

kind of calm down. I'm asking you to get

to disconnect from it for 40 days.

>> 40 days.

>> Some of you smoke, you know, and I ain't

I ain't judging you. I'm just asking you

to give God 40 days. Amen.

>> I'm just ask you to allow the Holy

Spirit to disrupt your routine

>> to go through the discomfort

>> to disconnect from the distractions.

>> Come on now.

>> Some of you see see watch watch me get

the other half of the sanctuary. Watch

this. Some of you have gossip buddies

and all y'all do is get on the phone and

y'all cut people down. I'M ASKING YOU TO

PULL AWAY FROM it for 40 days.

>> You heard that?

Why?

Because we're making room for him.

>> We want to make room for him.

>> We want to hear what he has to say.

>> We want him to move in our lives the way

he wants to move.

>> Oh yeah.

>> We really want to be transformed.

>> Allow it to disrupt you. Allow the fast

to disrupt your routine.

>> Amen.

You really want to shift in this season.

You want a closer walk with him. Embrace

the discomfort.

>> Amen.

>> That comes through this fast.

>> If you want to go to the next level and

embrace and become and do everything

that God has called you to be, do and

become.

>> You tired of where you are. Disconnect

from the distractions.

>> I promise you

>> that GOD IS FAITHFUL.

WOO! I PROMISE you

>> that God is faithful.

>> You will not be the same.

>> NO, YOU WILL NOT be the same.

>> You will be changed. Growing people,

>> oh, growing people,

>> you allow it to disrupt your routine.

You embrace that discomfort. You don't

fight it.

you actually disconnect from those

distractions,

be it things or people.

>> Come on now.

>> I promise you

that God will shift your life.

>> I'm talking about from the inside.

>> I'm not talking I'm not talking about

stuff from the outside. Now, he may do

some stuff on the outside. I'm talking

about him changing you on the inside.

>> I'm talking about him taking that heart

of stone

>> where you always RESPONDING TO PEOPLE IN

A HARD WAY.

>> That's right. that God will soften that

heart and give you a heart of flesh.

>> Where you've had spurts OF ANGER AND

YOU'RE LASHING OUT AT PEOPLE, GOD WILL

GIVE YOU a spirit of calm

>> where your flesh has been out of

control.

>> God will give you control back

>> in those areas.

>> What God is, he's not asking you to do

the work. He's asking you to make room

for him

>> so he can do the work.

>> Let's pray.

Father, in Jesus name, we thank you for

this opportunity that you've given us

around your word.

Father, I thank you because you are

calling us into this season of

alignment.

And Lord, admittedly on the outside, it

does it's not thrilling.

Lord, there's a part of us

that wants what you have for us.

And Lord, there's another part of us

that is going to be fighting us to stay

in our own way.

Father God, we're asking you right now

to help us.

Lord, we humbly ask you to help us

for the areas, Lord, that you are

started speaking to our lives where we

need to allow you to disrupt our

routine.

Father, help us

to embrace the discomfort

of not eating all the things that we

love and enjoy eating.

Help us, Lord, to embrace the discomfort

of of the new practices

or maybe starting practices again,

of reading our word,

of praying,

of sitting in solitude.

Lord, those things are not comfortable.

But Lord, help us to embrace the

discomfort.

Lord, we ask you to help us

as we

disconnect

from the distractions of our lives.

Father, help us.

Thank you for your Holy Spirit to give

us the strength. And Lord, you don't

give us all of the strength from the

beginning,

but Lord, we pray as the as you taught

the disciples to pray, give us this day

our daily bread. Give us this day of

strength. And Father, may we be

dependent upon you

for all 40 days.

We thank you, Lord,

that you are not a man that you should

lie.

If you said it, you'll do it. If you

spoke it, you will bring it to pass. And

we thank you for what you're going to do

in us during this time as we make room

for you.

We thank you for how you're going to

shift us. We thank you for how what are

you creating on the inside of us. We

thank you that we don't have to do it by

ourselves.

Father, we just take this moment

and lift ourselves before you. and the

things that that pull on us. Father, we

just take this moment

and lift it before you

right here in the presence of God. I'm

asking us

whatever it is that you know that you

need to disconnect from, will you just

take a moment, you and God, e church, in

this moment, you and God, lift that up

to God.

the routine that needs to be disrupted

just to end this moment. The discomfort

that you have to embrace.

Ask him for his help.

Ask him for his strength.

Father, that's what we

that's our prayer

is that we will make room for you.

Holy Spirit, we thank you that you shine

your pin light in our hearts and in our

minds. And Lord, you don't shine it to

condemn us. You shine it to make us

aware of it so that we can we don't hide

it, Lord, but we'll offer it to you and

ask you, Lord, for your help and your

strength. Thank you for being willing to

give us what we need. Thank you for

being willing to give us the strength

and the boldness and the courage to face

and to deal with whatever it is that you

are bringing before us.

Father, we thank you that we're not

doing it alone.

Holy Spirit, we give you access.

We give you access

and we thank you for the work that you

are doing in us.

And we thank you that you will complete

it.

And we honor you for it now in Jesus

name.