1 Dec 2009
=====================
WELCOME BACK. I AM PASTOR DOUG. WE NOW CONTINUE WITH PART 156 IN OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “PAUL’S LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS”
-----------------------------------------
When we closed our last session, we were in the middle of the exegesis of the word sleeplessness, as it pertains to the environment of discipleship.
As we noted, sleeplessness is an English word that is a translation of the Greek word a-g-r-u-p-n-i-a-i-s meaning to lose one’s normal sleep due to being focused on the details of what is going on in one’s spiritual life in general or with the one’s ministry.
Physical death provides the means for the human soul (and spirit of born again believers) to depart this world when the body dies.
Martyrs have placed and have had their humanity placed in harm’s way, resulting in their earthly departure in accordance with the plan of God.
The death of martyrs honors God and is a part of the plan of God for those who have been called to such a manner of departure.
There are times when believers place their humanity in harm’s way, but in ways that are not immediately life threatening, but can certainly take their toll on the health of the believer over a period of time.
Sleep deprivation is one of these ways.
If we sacrifice a good night’s sleep, we must make sure that it is being called for in the plan of God, and not being needlessly self-induced, or motivated by any form of human effort or works.
Job 7: 3, 4 speaks of there being appointed nights of tossing and turning in the plan of God. The tossing and turning reveals a desire to sleep, but the inability to do so in order to accomplish a divine objective.
Legitimate sleeplessness takes place in the spiritual realm when, on occasion, God wants to speak to us in the stillness of the night when there nothing or no one else to distract us.
Being alone with God is a necessary part of discipleship. For some of us, the ONLY time we have for God is when we have finished OUR day and want go to sleep.
Psalms 1:2 speak of meditating on the Word of God day and NIGHT.
Legitimate sleeplessness is when we have God inspired experiences in order to accomplish divine objectives.
Incidents of sleeplessness, however, are the exception and should not be the rule. When we are denying our humanity the regular rest that it needs, we are not being good stewards of the body that God gave us.
Illegitimate sleeplessness in the spiritual realm is taking place when we allow the cares and concerns of our earthly life to be such a distraction that we toss and turn all night seeking a solution based on human viewpoint to issues that are troubling us.
Sometimes there are NO Biblical solutions because we have chosen to involved ourselves in matters that we shouldn’t have in the first place.
We have all denied ourselves the opportunity to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding by trying to solve our problems with human solutions, or to search for Biblical answers that we should and would have already had stored up in our soul structure (Matthew 7:24, 25) , had we been more faithful to the intake of Bible doctrine.
God sends or allows such times to discipline us for not having done so and to encourage us to learn and/or apply His ways to solve the problems and to glorify Him.
The storms of life and the need for answers come rather we have prepared for them or not. The difference is that those who have prepared themselves already have the answers, and only need to make proper application.
God disciplines us with nights of appointed tossing and turning as the result of reaping the negative seeds that we have sown.
He appoints nights of tossing and turning to bring us to the end of our rope in order to remind us of who is in charge.
The sovereignty of God assures us that NOTHING can happen anywhere to anyone unless His direct will sends it or His permissive will allows it.
If you are following along with a Bible, please turn to 2 Corinthians 6:5 where we will resume our exegesis with the term HUNGER.
Hunger is an English translation of the Greek word n-e-s-t-e-i-a-i-s means to go without food, involuntary or voluntarily as in fasting. Paul does not elaborate here as to what part hunger or fasting plays in the realm of discipleship, be it involuntary or in order to fast.
The Pharisees and the scribes (Luke 5:33) raised this question when making a comparison to the disciples of John the Baptist who fasted, and the Lord’s disciples who, at that time, ate and drank.
Our Lord’s response was that because He was with them, there was no occasion for His disciples to perceive the need or purpose in fasting, but there would come a time that they would fast (Luke 5:35).
When our Lord came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He was confronted by a crowd who reported that the disciples, in His absence, were unable to heal a boy demonically possessed.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record the disciples later asking the Lord why they were unable to cast the demon out, but offer different versions of the Lord’s answer.
In Matthew, the Lord’s initial response was that they were lacking in sufficient faith (Matthew 17:20). In what we know as Matthew 17:21, the Gospel of Matthew has the Lord going on to say that this kind (of demon) does not go out except by prayer and fasting. However, this further statement is not found in early manuscripts.
In the Gospel of Mark, the Lord’s further explanation is also noted, but does not make reference to “fasting”, only to prayer (Mark 9:29).
In the Gospel of Luke, the raising of the question by the disciples is not recorded at all.
Under no circumstances is fasting or anything else to be considered to be an addition to the Biblical requirements for salvation.
One is as saved as he/she is ever going to be on the day he/she first believed the Gospel Message and as a result, was born again.
John 15:5 teaches that we can do NOTHING apart from God when it comes to producing divine good.
Some believers hold that fasting can contribute to focusing on spiritual issues. Others view fasting to be associated with times of sorrow or penance. Some believers view fasting to be an act of human effort and energy that has no bearing on spirituality at all.
Jesus taught that if one chose to fast, he/she should do so without any overt display (Matthew 6: 16-18).
Pastor Doug Laird
| 
