Introduction
A. Introduction
1. One day, my husband announced to the family that he was going to fast and pray. Ginny, our 5-year-old, had recently learned that fasting meant not eating. "No!" she shouted. "You can't fast! You'll die!" Her dad carefully explained that many men and women fasted in Bible times. Ginny paused a moment. Then, with a flash of insight and a note of warning, she proved her point. "And they all died," she said.
B. Fasting, I got this definition from a book I have on the Gospel of Matthew
1. Fasting means to abstain from food for some religious or spiritual purpose.
a. A study of the fasting practiced by Jesus and by the great leaders of the Bible reveals what God means by fasting
b. Very simply, fasting means being so consumed with a matter that it becomes more important than food
c. Therefore, the believer sets food aside in order to concentrate on seeking God about the matter
d. 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
e. Biblical fasting involves prayer, intense supplication before God
f. Note the words "when ye fast"
g. Jesus assumed believers fasted
(1) He expects them to fast
(2) He fasted and He taught fasting
(a) Jesus fasted 40 days and nights
(b) Probably to prepare for His ministry
i) Turn to Matthew 17:21
(c) The early believers fasted
Matthew 17:21 (NKJV)
"However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
(d) Turn to Acts 13:2 & 3
Acts 13:2-3 (NKJV)
As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." {3} Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
2. The benefits of fasting are enormous, but there are also dangers
a. We can fast for the wrong reasons
b. This is the point of the present passage
c. Christ counsels us on the wrong and the right motives for fasting
(1) Lets begin by turning to Matthew 6:16
II. Body.
A. The wrong way to fast
Matthew 6:16 (NKJV)
"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
1. Fasting as a hypocrite is wrong
a. Being hypocritical is a real danger when fasting
b. There are four reasons men fast, and all but one are false and hypocritical
(1) Men fast to gain a sense of God's approval and of self-approval
(2) Men fast to fulfill a religious act
(3) Men fast to gain religious recognition.
(4) Men fast to genuinely meet God for some special purpose
2. Fasting is not condemned by Christ
a. Fasting for any purpose other than to meet God is condemned
(1) Pride, arrogance, and seeking recognition from men is what is condemned by Christ
(a) Turn back to Matthew 6:2
Matthew 6:2 (NKJV)
"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
(b) Turn to Matthew 6:5
Matthew 6:5 (NKJV)
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
3. Fasting for recognition is wrong
a. It poses several serious dangers that must be guarded against with all diligence
(1) The danger of feeling super-spiritual
(a) Few believers follow a true fast
(b) Therefore when they really fast, they have to guard against a sense of super-spirituality and pride
(2) The danger of over-confidence
(a) The believer's confidence is to be in God, not in self
(b) After a genuine fast a believer usually feels spiritually confident, ready to go forth
(c) He must go forth depending upon the strength of Christ and not upon his own energy and effort.
(3) The danger of sharing one's fasting experience
(a) The believer has usually learned so much from being in God's presence that he is anxious to share it, especially with those closest to him
(b) The best advice is to hush: share nothing, not even with one's dearest friend
(4) The danger of changing one's appearance and the way one acts and behaves
(a) Any change whatsoever from one's normal behavior and routine attracts attention and ruins the whole benefit of the fast
(b) As Christ says, "they disfigure their face"
i) Turn to Matthew 23:5
Matthew 23:5 (NKJV)
"But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments
4. Fasting the wrong way has its reward
a. A person will receive human recognition and esteem, but the recognition of men is all he will ever receive
5. Some gain the control and discipline of their bodies through fasting, but they ruin themselves and their ministry through pride
a. They lose their reward
(1) Turn to Matthew 6:17-18
B. The right way to fast
Matthew 6:17-18 KJV)
"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, {18} "so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
1. As stated before, fasting means being so consumed with a matter that it becomes more important than food
a. Therefore, the believer sets food aside in order to concentrate on seeking God about the matter
b. 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
c. Biblical fasting involves prayer, intense supplication before God
(1) Fasting is a duty
(2) Every believer is expected to fast
(a) Christ said "When ye fast."
(b) He expects us to fast
(3) But, there are problems and we will discuss these problems further a little later
2. Fasting is to be done without notice
a. The believer is to fast before God, not before men
b. There is to be no change in appearance or behavior to indicate that he is fasting
(1) Think about it
(2) Why should there be?
(3) Why should anyone know that a person is seeking God in a very special way?
(4) The matter is God's affair, not man's affair.
(5) It is between the person and God, not the person and other people.
3. What is fasting?
a. It is to "appear not unto men...but unto thy Father"
b. It is to come into God's presence for a very, very special session of prayer
c. Fasting is to be to God alone
(1) The believer is to fast to God alone
(2) God is the object of his fast
(3) He needs to meet God in a very, very special way
(4) In meeting God all alone, the believer is demonstrating his dependency upon God and His provision
4. The Scribes and Pharisees, others in our time who follow the doctrine of the Pharisees fast before men
a. A genuine believer fasts before God
b. God does not say when nor how often we should fast, but He does tell us how to fast
c. We must take every precaution to fast exactly as He says: before God, in secret, without any public show or show whatsoever
d. No one is to see or know.
(1) Fasting the right way has its reward
(a) God shall reward us openly
(b) How much greater is His reward than the recognition of men
(c) God's acceptance and eternal reward is enough for genuine believer
C. There are at least four times when the believer should fast
1. There are times when the believer feels a special pull, an urge, a call within his heart to get alone with God
a. This is God's Spirit moving within his heart
b. When this happens, nothing, not food, not responsibility, should keep him from getting all alone with God
c. He should fast as soon as possible
2. There are times when special needs arise
a. The needs may concern the believer's own life or the life of friends, society, the world, or some ministry or mission
(1) Again, nothing should keep the believer from spending a very special time in God's presence when facing such dire needs
3. There are times when the believer needs to humble his soul before God
a. At such times he learns not only humility, but dependence upon God
4. There are times when the believer needs a very special power from God
a. The Lord promised such power if the believer prayed and fasted
D. Why are believers to fast?
1. There are excellent benefits to fasting, and God wants His people to reap these benefits
a. Fasting keeps the believer in the presence of God
b. He is fasting in order to seek God's presence for a very special purpose; he remains in God's presence until he feels God has or is going to meet his need
2. Fasting humbles the believer's soul before God
a. It says that God is the most important thing in all the world to him
3. Fasting teaches the believer his dependency upon God
a. He is seeking God, and in so doing he is demonstrating his conviction that he is dependent upon God
b. Fasting demonstrates to God (by action) a real seriousness
(1) Still God Knows the heart
c. Fasting teaches the believer to control and discipline his life
(1) He does without in order to gain a greater substance
d. Fasting keeps the believer from being enslaved by habit
(1) He lays aside all substances; in so doing, he breaks the hold of anything that might have him chained
E. There are considerations each believer must take into account
1. Some cannot fast by not eating
a. Some have physical problems that make abstaining from food dangerous
b. In such a case perhaps a health care professional could advise some one on how to observe a fast and still maintain a careful diet
(1) Turn to 1 Corinthians
2. Fasting is not just abstaining from food
1 Corinthians :5 NKJV)
Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
a. Here Paul is talking about sexual love
(1) Do not cheat your spouse of the love they need and desire except by consent so that you might give yourself to fasting and prayer
(2) Here is the one exception to keeping your fast a secret from every one else
(a) We have to tell our families what we are doing so that the family will not question why mommy or daddy are not at the table at dinner
(b) And so that our spouse is aware that our attention is on God and we are not angry or annoyed with them
b. There are other distractions in our world today that should be avoided during a true fast
(1) Television
(2) The Internet
(3) Telephones
(4) Games
(5) Hobbies
(6) Work
(7) And other pursuits
(8) After all our concentration should be on God and the reason for our fast
3. For those who cannot abstain from food there may be alternatives
a. Abstaining from sexual love
(1) Television
(2) The Internet
(3) Telephones
(4) Games
(5) Hobbies
(6) Work
(7) And other pursuits
b. The theme song of a fast should be, Just A Closer Walk with Thee.”
