Fasting For Spiritual Breakthrough
Text: Matt. 6:16-18
Introduction
1. Illustration: Richard Foster writes in his book A Celebration of Discipline, “In a culture where the landscape is dotted with shrines to the Golden Arches and an assortment of Pizza Temples, fasting seems out of place, out of step with the times. In fact, fasting has been in general disrepute both in and outside the church for many years. For example, in my research I could not find a single book published on the subject of Christian fasting from 1861 to 1954, a period of nearly one hundred years.”
2. What is fasting?
a. Very simply, fasting means being so consumed with a matter that it becomes more important than food.
b. Therefore, the believer sets food aside in order to concentrate on seeking God about the matter.
c. Biblical fasting means more than just abstaining from food; it means to abstain from food in order to concentrate upon God and His answer to a particular matter.
3. However, like with anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to fast.
4. Let’s look at what Jesus has to say about fasting. Read Matt. 6:16-18
Proposition: True fasting turns our attention off ourselves and onto God.
Transition: First, let us look at...
I. The Wrong Way to Fast (16)
A. Do Not Be Like the Hypocrites
1. The first thing that we must notice is that Jesus assumed we would fast, because He says "when you fast..."
a. He doesn’t says "if you fast," but "when you fast."
b. He assumed that fasting would be a regular part of the life of His disciples.
2. This is a reasonable assumption on His part because it was a regular part of the Jewish way of life.
a. All Jews were required by Mosaic Law to fast on the Day of Atonement.
b. During at least the dry seasons, many of the most pious people fasted two particular days a week. —Bible Background Commentary
3. Various kinds of fasts were commonly practiced throughout much of Israel’s history, always as a symbol of some deeper meaning than simply abstaining from food.
a. Normal fast. A person abstained from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water — usually to prepare for some significant event.
b. Partial fast. Sometimes people entered into a partial restriction of diet, but not total abstention. For a three-week period of mourning, Daniel ate no meat or drank no wine, and he applied no lotion to his body (Dan. 10:3).
c. Absolute fast. During a relatively short, urgent period of time, people could abstain from all food and water to discern God’s leading. Notice that this kind of fast was only for a short time, because it was very dangerous to go without water. It is not recommended except for extreme circumstances.
d. Private and corporate fasts. Fasting is usually a private affair, but at times the people of God came together for corporate or public fasts, such as on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:37), in times of national emergency (2 Chron. 20:1 – 4), or for seeking God’s guidance in prayer (Ezra 8:21 – 23). (Wilkins, NIV Application Commentary, New Testament: Matthew, 281).
4. However, Jesus tells us that there is a right way and a wrong way to fast. Here He tells us not to "be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting."
a. Jewish fasting required abstinence not only from food but also from other pleasures, which would include the usual practice of anointing one’s head with oil to prevent dry skin; avoiding all these practices made fasting obvious. —Bible Background Commentary
b. These hypocrites would deliberately make themselves look like they were suffering so that everyone would know that they were fasting.
c. "Disfigure" (aphanizo) here indicates making one’s face unrecognizable from a normal perspective, with the intent to publicize the physical hardships endured while fasting.
d. During the fasting period they might disfigure their face by remaining ungroomed or perhaps by sprinkling ashes on their head and face as a sign of contrition.
e. This was a deceptive way of letting others know of their extensive efforts to increase their personal holiness.
5. Fasting could have great spiritual value, but some hypocrites, such as the Pharisees, had turned it into a way to gain public approval.
a. During a fast, they made themselves look pale and disheveled so people would admire them.
b. The Pharisees negated the purpose of their fasting by making sure others knew that they were fasting.
6. Fasting the wrong way has its reward. A person will receive human recognition and esteem, but the recognition of men is all he will ever receive. Jesus says "Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."
a. Public recognition would be their only reward.
b. They would gain the praise and admiration of men, but that would be all that they would receive.
c. They would receive no reward from God in this life or the next.
B. Selfishness
1. Illustration: John Piper, in A Hunger for God, comments, "if the reward you aim at in fasting is the admiration of others, that is what you will get, and that will be all you get. In other words, the danger of hypocrisy is that it is so successful. It aims at the praise of men, and it succeeds. But that’s all."
2. If we are going to spend a week of prayer and fasting simply so that others will know how spiritual we are, then we are wasting our time.
a. It won’t cause you to be more spiritual.
b. It won’t bring you closer to God.
c. It won’t bring you an answer to prayer.
d. All it will do is make you hungry!
3. If we are going to spend a week of prayer and fasting so that we will receive the praise of others, then we are wasting our time. That kind of fasting is like decafe coffee: it won’t
a. Wake you up
b. Shake you up
c. Take you up
4. To fast for the wrong reasons only leads to spiritual pride.
a. Lk. 18:10-14 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ’God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
b. The reason that fasting is so powerful is that in it we humble ourselves before God.
c. However, if we take out the humility of it, we take out the power of it!
Transition: However, there is also...
II. The Right Way to Fast (17-18)
A. Your Father Who Sees In Secret
1. Jesus’ disciples are to have a different approach, because fasting is to be a heart issue between God and the individual. (Wilkins, 282).
2. Jesus gives us some pointers on the proper way to fast.
3. First, He expects us to fast for He says, "But you, when you fast..."
a. Fasting is a duty. Every believer is expected to fast. Christ said "When you fast."
b. Jesus fasted
c. The apostles fasted
d. Paul fasted
e. Church leaders fasted
f. Husband and wives are expected to fast
4. However, the second thing He says is, "anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting..."
a. Self-anointing with olive oil was a regular custom, omitted only in times of mourning and fasting. - New International Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM
b. Jesus did not tell His disciples that they should put on an appearance of joy, but that they should behave normally.
c. They shouldn’t put on a show for people, but that they should act natural.
5. Fasting is to be done without notice. The believer is to fast before God, not before men.
a. There is to be no change in appearance or behavior to indicate that he is fasting.
b. Think about it. Why should there be? Why should anyone know that a person is seeking God in a very special way?
c. The matter is God’s affair, not man’s affair. It is between the person and God, not the person and other people.
6. Next, Jesus says, we are to fast "to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
a. The believer is to fast to God alone. God is the object of his fast.
b. He needs to meet God in a very, very special way. In meeting God all alone, the believer is demonstrating his dependency upon God and His provision.
c. He wanted people to adopt spiritual disciplines for the right reasons, not from a selfish desire for praise.
d. As with the other disciplines, the reward would come from God, not from people.
7. Fasting the right way has its reward: God shall reward us openly.
a. How much greater is His reward than the recognition of men!
b. God’s acceptance and eternal reward is enough for genuine believers.
B. Reward From God
1. Illustration: "Bear up the hands that hang down, by faith and prayer; support the tottering knees. Have you any days of fasting and prayer? Storm the throne of grace and persevere therein, and mercy will come down."
Wesley, John
2. There is tremendous power in prayer and fasting, but only if we do it God’s way. We cannot do it:
a. Man’s way
b. World’s way
c. Hypocrites way
3. We have to do it the way the Jesus instructed us. We have to:
a. Humble ourselves
b. Submit ourselves
c. Resist ourselves
4. If we do it the hypocrites way nothing will happen, but if we do it God’s way heaven will come down!
5. Do you want to see:
a. People saved and filled with the Holy Spirit? Fast and pray!
b. People healed? Fast and pray!
c. Revival? Fast and pray!
d. Blessings in your finances? Fast and pray!
Transition: If we fast God’s way, we will receive God’s blessings!
Conclusion
1. Jesus expects us to fast and pray, but He also expects us to do it His way and not our way.
2. If we fast and pray God’s way, heaven will come down.
3. If we fast and pray God’s way, we will receive God’s blessings.
4. Let us humble ourselves before God in fasting and prayer.
