A. New Testament examples (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 11:27-30)
B. A command (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)
II. A spiritual activity
A. An act of grace (2 Corinthians 8:1-2, 6-7)
B. An act of fellowship (Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 8:3-5; Philippians 1:5-7)
C. Giving with purpose and joy (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
D. Giving liberally/sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8:3-5, 12; 9:6)
1. The apostles (Mark 1:18, 20; Luke 5:27-28)
2. The widow (Mark 12:41-44)
3. Barnabas (Acts 4:36-37)
A. The glory due to His name (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 12, 13)
B. Worship in the beauty of holiness (John 4:24; 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Peter 3:3-6; 1 Timothy 2:8-10)
II. The power of the LORD (29:3-9)
A. “The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty”
B. Powerful in creation (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26)
C. Powerful in commandments (Exodus 19:18-19; 20:1-18)
D. Powerful in conversion (Romans 10:17; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
III. The peace of the LORD (29:10-11)
A. He is sovereign as the “King forever” (1 Timothy 1:17)
B. He gives His people strength (1 Peter 5:10)
C. He gives His people peace (Philippians 4:6-7)
A. The Passover (Exodus 12)
B. Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
C. The bitter waters of Marah (Exodus 15:22-27)
II. Examples of healing
A. King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-6)
B. The waters of Jericho (2 Kings 2:19-22)
C. Jesus healed many (Matthew 4:23)
D. Healing was a part of the Spirit’s work in confirming the truth in the first century (Mark 16:17-18; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; James 1:25)
III. The worst sickness of all
A. Sin (Psalm 38:3; Isaiah 1:4-6; Romans 6:23)
B. The Great Physician alone can heal (Mark 2:17; 1 Peter 2:21-25)
A. “Go” to grow! (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15)
B. “Make disciples” (Matthew 28:19)
C. “Preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16; James 1:21; Acts 8:4; 2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 8:5; Acts 8:12; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 4:5; John 5:39; Luke 24:44; Acts 8:35; 2 Peter 3:2; John 17:20)
II. Results
A. “Baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16a; Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 36-38; 16:15, 32-33)
B. Not all will accept (Mark 16:16b; Acts 17:32; 26:28)
C. It is not our duty to force faith, but to give others the opportunity to trust and obey (Romans 10:13-17)
D. After baptism, continued obedience (Matthew 28:20; 1 John 1:7; Galatians 5:24-25)
A. “My life, my joy, my all” (Colossians 3:1-4; Luke 9:23; Matthew 5:10-12; Mark 12:29-30)
B. “He is my strength…” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
C. “When I am sad to Him I go” (2 Corinthians 7:4; Philippians 4:4)
II. The continual friendship and blessing of being in Christ
A. “My Friend in trials sore” (Romans 8:35-39)
B. “I go to Him for blessings” (3 John 2; James 4:3; Ephesians 1:3; Luke 9:25; Acts 14:17)
III. Jesus is our guide and protector
A. “He’s so true to me” (2 Thessalonians 3:3; John 14:15; 1 Peter 5:8)
B. “Following Him I know I’m right” (Matthew 7:13-14)
IV. Christ is our trustworthy Friend
A. “I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when life’s fleeting days shall end” (Ephesians 1:11-12; Hebrews 6:13-18)
B. “Eternal life, eternal joy” (Mark 10:29-30; 2 Timothy 2:11-13)
A. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7)
B. Other reasons for fasting can be observed
1. War (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6)
2. Danger (Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16)
3. Illness (2 Samuel 12:16-23)
4. Death (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12)
5. Forgiveness (1 Kings 21:17-29; Jonah 3:4-10; Nehemiah 9:1-3)
C. Lengths (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 31:13)
II. New Testament
A. Improper reasons (Luke 18:12; Matthew 6:16)
B. Reasons for proper fasts in the New Testament
1. Ministry (Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 11:23-28)
2. Sending out missionaries (Acts 13:1-3)
3. Appointment of elders (Acts 14:21-23)
III. What about today?
A. Jesus’ expectation (Matthew 6:16-17)
B. First century examples (Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; 2 Cor. 6:4-10; 11:23-28)
A. He is our light, salvation, and stronghold (Ps. 27:1; 28:8)
B. His people will always have enemies (Ps. 27:2-3; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3)
II. God is our strength
A. We must intently seek Him with perseverance (Ps. 27:4)
B. He will protect us in times of trouble (Ps. 27:5; Jas. 4:7-8)
C. Assurance of present and future deliverance (Psalm 27:6)
III. Yet, we experience lingering fear
A. Distractions of negativity (Ps. 27:7-9; Matthew 14:22-30)
B. Fear and doubt diminish faith, but God is there (Psalm 27:10; Matthew 14:31-33)
IV. God is our guide
A. We must be willing to learn and follow (Psalm 27:11-12)
B. Faith can get us through difficulties (Psalm 27:13)
C. Wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14)
A. In worship and in life (John 4:21-24; Colossians 3:16-17; Psalm 46:1-3)
1. He dwells with the church (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Matthew 18:18-20)
2. He dwells with the individual Christian (1 Cor. 6:17-20; Hebrews 13:5)
B. But what if we neglect His presence? (Ezekiel 8:16-18; 10:18-19; 2 Peter 3:9; Hebrews 10:26-27)
II. The-LORD-Is-There in the future
A. No fear in death for the Christian (Revelation 21:2-4)
B. Great terror for those not in His body (Revelation 21:5-8)
C. The great separation (Revelation 22:14-15)
A. “There is, beyond the azure blue, a God concealed from human sight” (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20)
B. “He tinted skies with heav’nly hue and framed the worlds with His great might” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3)
II. Specific revelation
A. “There was, a long, long time ago, a God whose voice the prophets heard” (2 Peter 1:16-21)
B. “He is the God that we should know” (John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:9; John 14:6)
C. “Who speaks from His inspired word” (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
III. The creation of man
A. “Secure is life from mortal mind; God holds the germ within His hand” (Genesis 2:7; 1:26-28)
B. “Though men may search they cannot find, for God alone does understand” (Job 38:4-7; Deuteronomy 29:29)
IV. The sacrifice of the Son
A. “Our God, whose Son upon a tree, a life was willing there to give” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
B. “That He from sin might set man free, and evermore with Him could live” (Romans 6:16-18; Ephesians 3:10-11; Matthew 25:34)
A. Our standing in God’s presence (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:23; 6:23)
B. God is willing to wipe the slate clean (1 John 1:9)
C. God will “remember them no more” (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12)
II. The condition of God’s forgiveness
A. Repent, acknowledging wrongdoing (Acts 2:38; 8:22; 1 John 1:9)
B. Be faithful (1 John 1:7)
C. We must forgive to be forgiven (Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35)
III. The need for self-forgiveness
A. A Christian is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
B. There is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1)
C. Leave the “old man” behind! (Romans 6:3-7; Ephesians 4:20-24)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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