R924 Three Spiritual Exercises

We all admit we need more exercise will today three spiritual exercises. What Dr. Wilton to talk about our Bible study. See, this is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton and his message on three spiritual exercises from the book of Matthew will help us tone our spiritual bodies as well as our physical bodies. We know God calls us to be caretakers of the physical body but we also know that if we don't work it out.

If we don't exercise our spiritual strength. It just atrophy's today as we study another were here for you to pray with you and encourage you, perhaps, is a concern, you need someone to pray about here at 866899 word that 866-899-9673 or online@tewonline.org now. Today's message with Dr. Don Wilton running about that it is possible to come. Even the church and feel following up. You know that you can sit and listen to him entire sermon and did not care anything of the sermon.

You know that you can come into a worship service as distracted and mixed up. Go through the entire time of praise and worship and believe in exactly the same condition.

It's like, you might as well not have even been spiritual doesn't even taste so good anymore and you becomes actually running down you gets me lethargic, and it begins so indifferent things become critical. I'm trying to read time I meet someone who's critical like criticize the church like criticize other people like criticize this by down in the dumps like discontented. I will guarantee you that I not getting the proper spiritual exercise. Your hands fogged up.

It's time that you get a life. It's time that you wake up because when these things happen to you and you grow weary in your spiritual well doing you in upon yourself, everything turns inward instead of outward and did you know that in Matthew chapter 6 where I want you to turn the that the Lord Jesus amongst many others gave us three spiritual exercises. I want to just list them for you and then I'm going to talk about the three spiritual exercises, yet they are number one giving number two praying. Number three fostering now. I've heard some people call fostering fasting. It's the same thing.

There are three spiritual exercises that Jesus spoke specifically about how folks watch list. We got a look at this together. I am convinced in my heart that what Jesus was saying here at this point is if you do not discipline yourself in regard to these spiritual exercises you are going to implode upon yourself spiritually.

You gotta be, grumpy Christian, you are going to be more inclined to fall into sin, you are going to be increasingly prone to justify your sin, you will become extremely upset when somebody else comes and tells you that you are swimming and God yes speaks to our hearts about three spiritual exercises that he read them to you. Matthew chapter 6 verse three when you give to the needy. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you go with me to verse five and when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by man I tell you the truth that I have received their reward in full. But when you pray going to a room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of the many words.

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you skip verse 16. When you Fost do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show man lay off Austin.

I tell you the truth I have received their reward in full. But when you Fost put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to man better you Fost thing, but only to your father who is unseen and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Yeah, they all I'm going to go somewhere where perhaps angels fear to tread. What is God have to say about spiritual exercise.

Now folks are church fathers called these disciplines. I've stayed clear of that word. Because of our young people with apologies to all young people moment they hear the word discipline. They think negatively, most positive word in the Bible. Discipline means that you do something out of a compulsion and a conviction because you know that it's good for you.

You know that you cannot do without it.

These spiritual exercises.

What kind of giving does God bless.

First of all, he blesses giving that genuine.

That's genuine. He says in Luke chapter 6 and verse 38, given the will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be pulled into your lap. He he says in second Corinthians 9 and verse six that who ever sows generously will reap generously.

You see folks watch this God blesses giving that is authentic and what he tells us to do as a spiritual exercise is to give genuinely, by the way what is the opposite reluctantly or ingeniously all all in a manner in which you are giving because you have to give what God is saying to us, should you need to the spiritual exercise. It is a discipline Lord I'm giving because I'm to be true. I'm doing it because I'm genuinely wanting to do it.

I want God to know that I'm giving genuinely number two. He blesses giving that a sacrificial you remember in second Samuel chapter 24 and verse 24. How can the king said will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.

Watch your folks we talking about spiritual exercises.

Watch me does you'll giving cost you if it doesn't cost you.

It's not a spiritual exercise.

It's not a spiritual discipline.

God will not bless you because God will not accept the tip. They run that by again if you'll giving is not sacrificial. God will not bless you because God will not accept a God doesn't need to be tipped and folks in America today we going to be so careful because we've adopted an attitude that we going to do, but we not going to give to the point at which it costs us. That's what makes me love and appreciate all men and women in uniform so much families all across America grieved when their sons and daughters are killed in the battlefield folks that is giving sacrificially.

Jesus said you want to give you got a black day I gave my very life and you want me to bless you giving I'm gonna blessed not only because it's genuine, but because it sacrificial, so does your giving question doesn't hurt side of me pasta.

How do you define what you go to Austin in your own heart laugh when you give the cost to something I'm up to about a dollar amount doesn't are you in your heart saying before crying him, Lord, I can do this because I'm going to have to deprive myself of something, but I know you want me to do so.

What kind giving does God blessing blesses responsible giving Luke chapter 16 verse 10 whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with very much does the question in my spiritual exercise, Lord, am I disciplined enough. Am I willing to go through an exercise that demonstrates my trustworthiness and he will ask you something you think God gave you what you have just because you excuse me, God never operated like this, not from before the foundation of the world. Everything he did was for others. My head is not clear, I'm not going to be able to lead property.

I'm not going to be able to think properly. I'm not going to be able to minister property.

I'm not going to be able to do what God has told me to do. Am I responsible.

That's what God is putting on my plate but he also blesses that which is trustworthy goes on in verse 10 of Luke chapter 16 he says whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with very much of folks. I don't believe in all of this, you know, you give $1000 in God's going to give you 2000 I believe in all that stuff.

That's a lot of junk I tell you what I do believe you sows sparingly. You gonna reap sparingly, I take what I do believe you spoke so generously you gonna reap generously.

I do believe it's more blessed to give than it is to receive and I also believe that God is looking for a few good people folks that he can trust. And God says if he can trust you with what you have here is going to trust you with a whole lot that you never thought you would ever have might be one of the reasons why you trundling on the ground is because God cannot trust you know why somebody yet met a man is such a miser you you squeak when you walk folks admit people you wouldn't give anything to anybody else. If somebody came and shook you to pieces you holding on and holding and booting up treasures upon the way Boston seed… And God said so. And when you open it up. I'm just going up already and so much you want it anymore spiritual discipline assignment. You need to stop playing a game with God. Some of you people are so busy buying homes. An extra closet traveling all over the place in your signed cans about the load. God demonstrative us well what kind giving does he blame his cheerful giving a love that one second Corinthians 97 cheerful giver. That's a tough one man. I think we should just going to the next one. Yesterday my wife when we went walking folks.

Now I'm going to just say this to you. I need some counseling. We were walking for a whole how I me know and I'm ready to turn hello man and my wife says no we going to go up that road over the signal would not we going to turn around.

We going home. I've done my duty. We got home she said we going up that road for a whole how I'm ready to go. She said that I got in behind her. Then I started looking like that and I'm right behind and we bulking up the road and I'm signing up done this for a whole hour and all of a sudden I looked around food notes. Such a beautiful day and I love my wife and you know some things are not worth dying for, and you know this is the basic my interest. She's got in and heart folks when I tell you I bought in behind mumbled a few times. She never had another squeak out of me.

I walk that extra 5332 miles finally got home do not always so glad I did see folks having a cheerful heart is a discipline is not what kind of giving. It is responsive, responsive giving is different to responsible giving responsive giving is a type of giving that responds to means there's a lost world out there, why do we give to a church because there is a lost balloon. Why do we give to the needy person because they have means that responsive giving eruption will be back with his great teaching. Dr. Wilton just a moment, but our prayer is that you would know were available for you, Dr. Don insisted I remind you this phone number 866899 word will connect with someone as Dr. Don would say happy to be your 2 AM friend at any time day or night, 866-899-9673 is a number to call for us here at The Encouraging Word. Or you can be as online as well@tewonline.org about today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. He blesses loving, giving, giving my friends that is not measured by the amount that I gave it's measured by the love which is in my heart there's the first discipline kind giving that God blesses going to do and not doing it. Looks plain why your head is so fogged up number two praying that God blesses a folks, I'm going to spend one minute on this in chapter 6 beginning at verse five. Jesus talks to us about the spiritual exercise: pray what kind of trying on the spray.

It is honest, what kind of prayer does God bless confessional prayer. What kind of praying does God raise heart filled prayer, spontaneous prayer. That's not repetitious warns us about don't say the same old phrase over and over again.

That's what God blesses.

Don't be like the pagans with a vein babblings meaningful pray purposefully pray.

He says Sherry if you want to be blessed. There are some disciplines you've got to have giving prying cousin. Third one fostering some you say what is that that means doing without food for) of time with the purpose of being drawn into the heart of God. This has nothing to do with diet. Nothing, absolutely nothing. It has nothing to do with losing weight, although obviously when you don't eat you will lose weight but folks, the Bible tells us that one of the greatest spiritual exercises. Is this thing called fostering going without food for one meal for a day over seven days or like Jesus for 40 days. That's what fostering this spiritual fostering and care in this particular passage in Matthew chapter 6 in verse 16 Jesus said when you forest. He wasn't saying if you forest everyday and clean. Jesus understood that this spiritual discipline is part of the Christian life. It's not an addendum, and so the question that I lost myself was women's when what kind of fostering does God bless me show you what the Bible teaches number one during times of sorrow can read about it.

For example, in second Samuel chapter 12 in verse 16. When David's child was ill and he was sorrowful and grieving. He prayed when Noah died in second Samuel three in verse 35. The Bible says that the king fasted and prayed that folks watch this is that anybody today that you are sorrowful you grieving you lost a loved one in all God says do have a forest that might be just for one meal might be just one day. But when you forest God is going to do something for you and your sorrow that you cannot do for yourself, often have people say to me pasta. What can I do.

My heart is broken. Here it is forest number two during times of opposition. That's right. During times of opposition.

If you go, for example, I'm just giving you one of many. Psalm 35 verse 13 David said listen when my enemy began to oppose me. I put on sackcloth and humbled myself fostering some folks watch this is that anybody who's facing opposition of any kind. Today I don't know where it's coming from. Maybe a person may be at work. Maybe a husband is being difficult to your wife, your best friend.

But you facing opposition your Christian person you know it. Bible says you want God to bless you. When you facing opposition forest watch what God does. How about during times of danger in second Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat, the Bible says he was facing an incredible danger.

There was an alarming coming at him. His generals reported to him and he knew that everybody was going to get massacred, noting that he called a forest and God won the victory for the combat during times of penitence. I love what you read about in first Kings 21 in verse 27 because King Ahab. The Bible says when God's man. Elijah came to him and told him about what he had done wrong in the side of God that King Ahab is close and he fostered what David when David committed adultery when he lied to God's preacher and when he deceived everybody. And when he did what he did and God revealed that to him and he was repentant anyway and enter a time of great sorrow and sadness.

He fostered anybody who's committed adultery. Anyone you have been unfaithful to your wife, your husband you monster to forgive you and your boss God to forgive you. Have you fostered you got a good anyone. Yes, and against God. Times of penitence Bible says Foss.

Jesus said when you forest now what he was telling us in chapter 6 is all a little stuff about what to do and all the other passengers.

But when do you fostering times of sorrow and opposition in danger and payment to number five you fostering times of conviction, Daniel chapter 9, or the Bible tells us very clearly. Then Daniel understood from the descriptors what God was going to do any came under conviction and he fostered a folks evidently what the Bible says is when God gets a hold of me and converts is me and my Becky is about what God is going to do. I need a forest brings about fostering and staying brings about which God has put in our hearts. It's the final. But there's one more fostering is blessed by the Lord himself during times of great spiritual anticipation. You know, if you go, for example, to the church at Antioch in the book of acts chapter 13 and verse two. The Bible says while they were worshiping the Lord and fostering that the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them so often they had fostered and prayed. They placed their hands on them and sent them all.

Someone said to me the other day pasta. How would you typify your church today do not say to them, hungry, interesting, I see a great hunger in this congregation, folks.

It's a good thing. It's a spiritual thing. There is an anticipation that you consult your doctor. Folks you not just fall out of bed one day and suddenly decide to go without food. Don't do that.

Start slowly, say on Tuesday I'm gonna forest I'm just going to foster the lunchtime. And when you do go into her room and just have a conversation with the Lord for that.

You see folks you can pray without fostering but you cannot fostered without pray we run that by again. You can pray without fostering but you cannot fostered without pray anticipate what God is going to do what about the Lord Jesus did you know that Jesus went into the wilderness and he fostered for 14 days and nights before he went out preaching. That's anticipation.

Now my friends, these are spiritual discipline. They are spiritual exercises for the most part we don't want to hear about God is instructing us to do these things, God gives us these instructions helps us to grow. He actually gives us the power to fill out these instructions operated you open your heart now is her pastor's been teaching the pulpit now is coming the studio with perhaps the most important question of the day. Are you ready would you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that Jesus loves that he died on today. I repeat myself and I can face my sin and I give him a call. Jesus and I pray a man if you prayed that prayer from your heart you giving your life to Christ, welcome you to the family of brother and sister in Christ, it's getting gauge together because we are connected together for ever as believers in Christ.

But if you give your life to Christ. Let us walk with you.

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