An Appropriate Time for Fasting

Saturday, January 31, 2015
Matthew 9:9-17 KJV 

9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Jesus had just healed a paralytic in His own city. Who did Jesus see after that? What was the man doing? What did Jesus say to him? How did the man respond? (v.9)
2) Who came and sat next to Jesus, as he was eating? (v.10)
3) What did the pharisees ask Jesus' disciples after they witnessed this? (v.11)
4) How did Jesus respond after He heard what the Pharisees asked His disciples? (v.12-13)
5) What did John the Baptist's disciples ask Jesus' disciples? (v.14)
6) What was our Lord's response to them? (v.15-17)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) If you fast, when and why do you fast?
8) Have you been baptized (filled) with the Holy Spirit? If so, do you fellowship at a Spirit-led church?

LIFE LESSONS
9) Fasting is often used by believers to draw closer to the Lord and to hear Him more clearly.
10) Spirit-filled believers are generally not  comfortable in, or accepted by, church fellowships that are laden by religious tradition.