Sunday Recap & Day of Fasting

SERMON RECAP

August 13, 2023 || Genesis 5:1-6:8 || Walt Alexander

MAIN POINT: Death reigns—but the good & glorious purposes of God remain for his people.

  1. The good purposes of mankind still continues.

  2. The offer of fellowship with God still stands.

  3. The promise of God still endures.

Day of prayer & fasting

Last Sunday, we noted how Lamech hoped in God. He named his son Noah, which sounds similar to comfort. And then, he said, “Out of the ground, this one shall bring us relief from our work & from the painful toil of our hands” (Genesis 5:29).

In the world under the shadow of the fall, Lamech refused to turn to anyone else but the Lord.

I want us to be like Lamech.

Right now, our church is afflicted by disease & I believe God is calling together to cry out to him. Greg Johnson is battling stomach cancer. Janet Hamm has just completed her third bout with breast cancer. Sara Jaquish is battling leukemia. Jenna Barbee is battling inflammatory breast cancer & is being seen at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas this week.

I want us to hope in God through this season of cancer.

For this reason, we are having a Day of Prayer & Fasting on Wednesday, August 15.

WHY SHOULD WE FAST

We should fast because we do not hunger for God as we ought.

We allow him to be tucked into the margins of our lives. We find it easy to spent hours on social media but struggle to spend a few minutes in prayer. We carve out plenty of time for work and sports but find little time for God. We do not hunger for God as we ought.

When we fast, we are saying to the Lord, I want to hunger for you more. I want to know you more. I want to be satisfied in you alone.

In addition, throughout the story of the Bible & church history, the people have regularly set aside days & seasons too fast together. That’s why we are fasting right now as a church together.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE FAST

In a word: Pray!

If you begin fasting at dinnertime on Tuesday & continue until dinnertime on Wednesday, take all the times you would normally eat to pray. And, whenever you experience hunger pains during those 24 hours, take time to pray.

Below are some things to pray for:

  • Pray for wisdom, guidance, & clarify for Jenna & John Barbee this week in their meetings with doctors at MD Anderson.

  • Pray for strength & perseverance for Greg Johnson as he recovers from a chemo treatment last week & prepares for his next treatment on September 1.

  • Pray for strength & help for Sarah Jaquish as she struggles with the ongoing symptoms of leukemia & other health concerns.

  • Pray for a clear scan for Janet Hamm in October & for the cancer to not return.

  • Pray for full healing for each of these individuals & for them to be able to serve you with all their heart, soul, mind, & strength!