SERMON OUTLINE:
Question #1: What is fasting?
Question #2: Should Christian’s fast?
Question #3: What will fasting do for me?
Question #4: How should I fast
SERMON BODY:
Question: What do these people have in common?
• Moses the lawgiver,
• King David,
• Elijah the prophet,
• Queen Esther,
• The Jewish leader Ezra.
• The Jewish leader Nehemiah.
• The prophet Ezekiel.
• The prophet Joel.
• The prophet Daniel,
• John the Baptist’s disciples
• Anna the prophetess,
• The Apostle Paul,
• The Apostle Barnabus.
• The Roman Soldier Cornelius.
• Prophets & teachers in Antioch
• All of these people in the Bible have one thing in common.
• They all practiced a spiritual discipline that the Bible calls fasting.
• Fasting was an important part of their lives.
Ill:
• You may never have heard of this device,
• It is called, ‘woomera.’
• It was invented one night by an Aborigine,
• Who was sitting around a campfire,
• When he realised something. If he moved his arm in an arc,
• The tips of his fingers will have travelled a greater distance than his elbow.
• Yet they will have done it in the same amount of time.
• Scientifically, we would say, if velocity equals distance divided by time,
• Then the tips of his fingers must have moved more quicker than his elbow.
• The Aboriginal man took it a step further,
• He realised that if he could somehow extend the length of his arm,
• He would be able to throw his spear much more quickly and for a greater distance.
• And that was how he invented the ‘woomera.’
• A device to extend the length of the arm for the purpose of throwing spears.
TRANSITION: Now stay with me here; this has a point.
• The relationship between prayer and fasting.
• Is like the relationship between the ‘woomera’ and the spear.
• By itself, the spear is a very effective weapon,
• But when you combine it with the ‘woomera’, it becomes even more lethal.
• Likewise, the relationship between prayer and fasting.
• Is like the relationship between the ‘woomera’ and the spear.
• By itself, prayer is an effective weapon,
• But when you combine it with the ‘fasting’, it becomes even more powerful.
Question #1: What is fasting?
Answer #1:
• Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.
• Simply put, you skip a meal or two,
• And use time to pray & meditate.
Note: It is important to note that in the Bible fasts have a spiritual purpose.
• Fasting is not just missing lunch because you are too busy.
• Fasting is not just missing lunch because you want to lose weight,
• Fasting is a purposeful planned activity:
• We fast for the direct purpose of using that time for prayer & study.
(a).
• A fast can last anywhere from one meal to several days without food.
• We are given principles regarding fasting in the Bible,
• We are not given detailed instructions.
(b).
• There are different types of fasts mentioned in the Bible.
• The most typical is to go without any food,
• Some people will fast from both food and water.
• Although obviously you can only do this for a short time.
(c).
• There are partial fasts, where you will give up certain types of food for a period of time.
• Many people do this during lent.
• When they will give up sweets, or meat, or something else for the 40-day period.
(d).
• While the Bible primarily concentrates on fasting from food,
• People today will apply the principle of fasting to,
• Time away from watching the T.V. and other forms of media,
• Time away from computers or video games etc.
• Couples can fast from sexual intimacy.
• (1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 5).
• The apostle Paul tells couples not to deprive one another sexually,
• Except for brief periods devoted to prayer and fasting.
• In summary:
• You can fast from anything that is habitual in your life.
• It is good to fast from the things that are habitual in your life,
• Because it reminds you that you are not a slave to these things,
• But that you can get by without them.
Question #2: Should Christian’s fast?
• Should Christian’s fast?
• Or is this a Jewish, an Old Testament discipline?
Answer #2:
• The short answer is yes.
• And the long answer is Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!
• Scan through the Bible and everyone of any importance practiced fasting.
• e.g. Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, Paul, even Jesus,
• Just to name a few!
Notice: That when Jesus taught on fasting in Matthew chapter 6.
• Twice he said to his disciples (vs 16 & vs 17) “WHEN you fast,”
• And not “IF you fast.”
• Jesus took it for granted that his disciples would fast.
• And that is evidenced by the apostle Paul and the first Churches in the New Testament.
• i.e. Acts chapter 13 verses 2-3:
• “Prophets and teachers in Antioch were ministering to the Lord and fasting”.
• i.e. Acts chapter 14 verses 23:
• Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in the churches, having prayed with fasting.
• i.e. 2 Corinthians chapter 6verses 5:
• Paul lists “fasting’s” among the hardships he suffered as a mark of his apostleship.
• TRANSITION:
• So, in the both the Old and the New Testaments we see examples of both,
• Corporate and individual fasting.
Notice: As well as biblical examples of fasting, many great Christians also fasted.
• Many of the great saints of the church down through the ages.
• Practiced fasting as part of their regular spiritual discipline.
Quote: Hudson Taylor the great missionary and founder of China Inland Mission:
“In Shansi I found Chinese Christians who were accustomed to spend time in fasting and prayer. They recognized that this fasting, which so many dislike, which requires faith in God, since it makes one feel weak and poorly, is really a Divinely appointed means of grace. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to our work is our own imagined strength; and in fasting we learn what poor, weak creatures we are-dependent on a meal of meat for the little strength which we are so apt to lean upon."
• In summary:
• In the Bible and in Church history we have examples of believers fasting,
Question #3: What will Fasting do for me?
Ill:
• You often find in a Bible or a book or a manuscript a star,
• It is to get your attention and at the bottom of the page or at the end of the chapter,
• It will lead you to a footnote or explanation.
• That star is called an asterisk.
• TRANSITION:
• Think of fasting as an asterisk,
• It will take you somewhere where you will be further enriched and informed.
Answer #2:
(a). Fasting can increase our hunger for God.
Ill:
• One of our translators on our recent trip to Moldova was a young guy called Darion.
• He was as skinny as a rake, but he was always, always eating.
• The guy had hollow legs,
• Whenever he saw food, it looked to me like he had to eat it!
Quote: John Piper writes in his book, A Hunger for God:
“If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast ‘This much, O God, I want you’”.
• Fasting reminds us that we can get by without most things in our lives for a time,
• But we cannot get by without God.
• The first and main purpose of fasting is to draw closer to God.
(2). Fasting can train our passions.
Ill:
• We are so used to giving ourselves whatever we want,
• We say, “I feel like a donut,”
• I can so easily go out and get a donut, they even sell them in garage stations now,
• You no longer need a bakery!
Quote: Richard Foster in his book on ‘Disciplines’ says that,
“Our stomach is like a spoiled child, and spoiled children do not need indulgence,
They need discipline”.
• We are not to be controlled by our stomachs,
• But instead, we are to be controlled by the Spirit of God.
• Fasting is part of our spiritual training, teaching us self-control.
Quote: 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 7-8:
New International Version:
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
New Living Translation:
"Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."
• Out of all the Spiritual Disciplines fasting is most like physical exercise.
• It is both physical and spiritual and it builds our faith muscles.
• So that we can withstand the bigger contests that come our way.
Ill:
• Michael Phelps on discipline
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/DAWqoTS6-n0
• And if we're going to win the race,
• We also have to discipline ourselves, bring our bodies into subjection.
• Notice that training habits always start small and then they build up.
(3). Fasting can help develop intensity in prayer.
Ill:
• When I was a teenager, and I wanted to play truant (wag or bunk off school).
• Sometimes I would pretend to be feeling ill.
• But I knew my mother would not fool for that one.
• Unless I suddenly went off my food,
• I would simply say, “I’m not hungry!”
• And my mother knew there was something wrong.
• TRANSITION:
• When we give up food, we mean business!
• Many people fast when they are desperate for God to answer their prayers.
• The greater the problem the greater our desire for God to work.
• We can demonstrate that desire that passion, that desperation by fasting as we pray.
Ill:
• But remember that fasting is not some kind of spiritual hunger strike.
• That compels God to do our bidding.
• The Israelites got this wrong in Isaiah 58 when they said:
“’Why have we fasted,
’and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?
• On the other side, fasting can bring a note of urgency to our praying.
• We are coming God and telling Him (and ourselves) how important this issue is to us.
Quote: Arthur Wallis writes:
“Fasting is calculated to bring a note of urgency and importunity into our praying, and to give force to our pleading in the court of heaven. The man who prays with fasting is giving heaven notice that he is truly in earnest… Not only so, but he is expressing his earnestness in a divinely appointed way. He is using a means that God has chosen to make his voice to be heard on high.”
(4). Fasting can help us stay humble.
Quote:
• Someone has said that; “Fasting really should be called slowing!”
• Fasting can humble us – it effects the ability to move and think fast,
• The ability to be productive, our physical strength is all reduced in fasting.
• “Fasting really should be called slowing!”
• Fasting can be an act of humility.
• Just as kneeling or bowing before God is an act of humility, so is fasting.
Ill:
• One of the most wicked men in Jewish history, King Ahab,
• Eventually humbled himself before God and demonstrated it by fasting:
• (1 Kings chapter 21 verses 27-29)
“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day.”
Ill:
• David, one of the most righteous kings also humbled himself through fasting.
• Psalm 35 verse 13:
• “Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting”.
(5). Fasting can be a sign of Repentance.
• Repentance is a decision to turn away from sin in our lives.
• But many people in the Bible fasted,
• When they became aware of the seriousness of their sin in their lives.
• While we would like our confession and repentance times to be a short as possible,
• Fasting takes time.
• This might lengthen our discomfort with our guilt,
• But it might also cause us to take more seriously our decision to turn from sin.
• When we fast in our repentance,
• It is not an attempt to punish ourselves for our past sin,
• We are not doing penances!
• Rather it is a commitment and preparation for our future righteousness.
• It is a sign that we are starting something new.
Question #4: How Should I Fast?
• PLAN WISELY BEFORE YOU FAST:
• I would suggest you start small.
• Fasting is a bit like physical exercise and requires that we train ourselves.
• No-one suddenly runs a marathon; you start by running around the block etc.
• Start by fasting for one meal a week or a month.
• Then increase it to two,
• Then after a period of time, maybe a 24hr fast.
• DETERMINE THE PURPOSE OF THE FAST.
• Is it to seek God, to seek direction, to pray for others?
• Always ask the question: Why are you fasting!
• PLAN FOR THE FAST:
• Set the time specifically, one meal or one day etc.
• Don’t plan to decide as you go – that doesn’t work so well.
• i.e. It is likely best not to be fasting if you have a job interview that day.
• i.e. Or you know you will have a very physical day ahead.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=aD2PwTJ3dCb9poUyw9sBUSEqtg53Iybv
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/D8DbdH4-1bI
