Fasting on SermonAudio

In Part 7 of the Revelation Unraveled series, Pastor Byron Chesney examines Christ's message to the church at Pergamos in Revelation 2:12–17. Although this church remained faithful to the name of Christ while living in a stronghold of spiritual darkness, it had begun tolerating false doctrine and sinful compromise within its fellowship. This message warns that a church can stand against persecution from the outside while being weakened by compromise on the inside, and calls believers to hold fast the faith, reject error, and repent whenever God's Word exposes sin.

This sermon examines Daniel's prayer in chapter nine as a model for believers facing difficult circumstances connected to sin. The speaker highlights how Daniel, upon realizing the end of the seventy-year captivity was near, turned to God with fasting and humility rather than passive resignation. Key themes include the importance of corporate confession, acknowledging God's righteousness while admitting human shame, and appealing to God's mercy and reputation for His own sake. The message emphasizes that prayer is an ordained means by which God accomplishes His will, urging listeners to actively seek God's face and pray for the glory of His name.

Samson lost his strength, his sight, and his freedom because of his own failure, but God was not finished with him. Even while he was blinded and pushing in the darkness, his hair began to grow again, reminding us that God can restore what the enemy thought was permanently destroyed. When Samson finally placed his hands upon the pillars, he was willing to give everything to see the enemy defeated one more time. This message challenges us to hold fast to truth, seek the anointing of God, and refuse to turn loose of what matters most.

This study explores Prince Emmanuel's final address to the city of Mansoul in John Bunyan's The Holy War, focusing on why God allows original sin to remain in the regenerate. Guided by Alexander Whyte's commentary, we see that Christ leaves these internal remnants not out of weakness, but in divine wisdom to foster genuine humility, keep faith active, and demonstrate His long-suffering mercy. Classic commentators like George Burder provide essential historical and doctrinal context for translating Bunyan's military metaphors into daily Christian experience, while John Owen's Indwelling Sin supplies the clinical theological framework distinguishing between sin reigning and sin dwelling. Complemented by the intimate, searching prayers of Philip Doddridge, the discussion ultimately encourages weary believers to maintain constant vigilance, refuse any truce with remaining corruption, and take heart in Emmanuel's ultimate command and promise: "Hold fast till I come."

The law could expose the problem, but it could not perfect the worshiper (vv 11-12) The better hope rests on the indestructible life of Christ (vv 13-17) The better hope gives sinners access to God (vv 18-19) Conclusion

Text: Esther 4:1–17 (Legacy Standard Bible) Title: If I Perish, I Perish: The Courage of the Called In Esther 4:1–17, the hidden machinery of divine providence intersects directly with human responsibility for the first time in the narrative. Faced with a royal decree of annihilation, the Jewish community is shaken out of decades of spiritual sleepwalking into public lament and fasting. Meanwhile, Queen Esther is confronted by Mordecai with a sobering reality: her position in the palace is neither a permanent hiding place nor an accidental privilege. This message explores the theological depth of God's unchanging covenant commitments, the danger of prioritizing comfort over obedience, and the nature of true faith that acts without a guarantee of survival. Rooted in careful textual exposition, this sermon calls believers to abandon self-preservation, step out of spiritual obscurity, and trust the character of God regardless of the cost.

Join us for Worship Service on Sunday's at 10:30am! 8/23/26 2pm service: Mark 2:18-22 "Fasting and Prayer for the Lost" by Rev. Larry Lynch OT: Leviticus 16:29-34 NT: Mark 2:18-22 #christreformedchurchminot Trinity Hymnal Published by Great Commission Publications CCLI#22311974,22311981