HOW TO YIELD EVERY PART OF MY LIFE TO CHRIST'S SUPREMACY-- AWAITING CHRIST'S RETURN

Listen to this brief glimpse from Early Church History as we jump into our study this morning of God's Word's New Testament portrait of the Early Church's Hunger for God.

About A.D. 133 Aristeides , a teacher of philosophy presented a defense of Christianity to Emperor Hadrian. From it we get a glimpse of what the early Christians were like and why the church grew the way it did—like wildfire—in those centuries.

Now the Christians, O King…have the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ himself engraved on their hearts, and they observe, looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. They do not covet men’s goods; and love their neighbors; they despise not the widow, and grieve not the orphan. He that hath distributeth liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof and rejoice over him, as if it were their own brother; for they call themselves brethren, not after the flesh, but after the spirit and in God…. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy, and they have not an abundance of necessities, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food. For Christ’s sake they are ready to lay down their lives. So it was spread abroad, “Behold how they love one another.” What shall we be known for? Let it be that we are willing to die for Christ and, even more, that we are willing to live for him in loving his people—and his enemies. The early Christians fasted so that they would have more to give to the needy, which means they did not have a lot stored up. O Lord, help us see Christ, be satisfied with Christ, and to show Christ as they did.

How do you know you need to fast as a born-again Christian? Jesus answers us in the text we have been studying for the past three weeks. In Mark 2:18-22 Jesus said His children would long for Him until His Return. So when do we need to fast? When we have lost the intense longing for Christ's Return!

Then Christ's words this morning are for you. Our text contains the most important words in the Bible on fasting. And these words can change your life if you understand them!

Mark 2:20-22. God's Word says we must be Mastered only by Christ and nothing else. The evidence of being brought under the power of something is that we need it to make it through our day. What do you need to make it through a day? That will be a list of the items that have cast their influential mastering power across your life. (NR1-31; 000806AM)

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