Sermon Series: ¡§Questioning the Faith¡¨
Sermon #12 ¡§Fasting and its Purpose¡¨
Text: Matthew 6:16-18
OPENING JOKE: ¡§FASTING Conference¡¨ In a Church bulletin the following words were printed: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."
QUESTION: There are many references to ¡¥fasting¡¦ in both the OT and NT. Why isn¡¦t there more emphasis on our fasting? Very little is said about fasting in our church, or on religious stations including the Catholic channel, except during the season of Lent. Is fasting important to a Christian¡¦s life?
Illustration: ¡§History of Fasting¡¨ Some have said that fasting is a type of ¡¥Phariseeism¡¦ or ¡¥self righteousness¡¦. But it is not true that only the Pharisees fasted.
Right through the Bible - in the Old and New Testament - fasting plays an important role in serving God. It also has been prominent in the church throughout its history.
John Wesley (Who is started the Methodist Church) even refused to ordain a minister who did not fast regularly.
Illustration: ¡§Protestant Fasting¡¨ In Protestantism, the continental Reformers criticized fasting as a purely external observance that can never gain a person salvation (which is true). The Swiss Reformation of the "Third Reformer" Huldrych Zwingli began with an ostentatious public sausage-eating during Lent.
On the other hand, churches of the Anglican Communion and some American Protestant denominations, such as the United Methodist Church, affected by liturgical renewal movements encourage fasting as part of both Lent and Advent, two penitential seasons of the Liturgical Year.
Most Protestants, however, consider fasting (usually accompanied by prayer) to be an important part of their personal spiritual experience, apart from any liturgical tradition. (wikipedia.com)
***Tonight my goal is to answer a few common questions about fasting and then take you to the Scripture where Jesus specifically refers to it and its purpose.
ľ What fasting is:
Strong¡¦s Concordance: The Greek word for fasting is ¡§Nesteuo¡¨ which means to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.
Biblical fasting is "denying ourselves food" with spiritual communication in mind.
How do we know this? Because fasting is always together with prayer in the Bible. You can find instances of prayer without fasting, but you cannot find someone who is properly fasting without prayer in the Scripture.
ľ What fasting is not:
- Physical Discipline
Basically this means that ¡¥fasting¡¦ is not ¡¥dieting¡¦. When we go on diets, we do so for physical reasons (i.e. lose weight, shape up, etc.). Dieting may be something many of us need (including me!), but this is not the proper purpose of fasting according to the Scripture.
However, many people are teaching this as a goal in fasting. ¡§Fasting for Health¡¨ has become very fashionable in many Christian circles today. Losing weight may be a pleasant side effect of regular fasting, but it is not the Bible¡¦s intended purpose for it.
Fasting is about spiritual health, not physical health. It¡¦s about learning to deny ourselves of something physical to strengthen our relationship with God, not reducing our waistline.
- A Coercion Tool
Fasting is not a way to win God¡¦s approval, or twist His arm. Twice in Scripture we see people trying to use fasting as a way to win God¡¦s approval when they were doing wrong, and God did not honor their fasts.
Acts 23:12 ¡§And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.¡¨
And we know God did not honor their fast, because it conflicted with His will. We see this in the Old Testament also.
Jeremiah 14:12 ¡§When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.¡¨
Fasting doesn¡¦t move God one iota, if we are trying to go against His perfect will.
- A Hypocritical Religious Exercise
In Jesus¡¦ day fasting was very important; in fact it had become overly important. The Pharisees were fasting twice a week. According to the Talmud (considered an authoritative record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories), they fasted on the 2nd and 5th days because Moses went onto Mount Sinai on the 5th day and returned on the 2nd day. At least this is what was written.
But another possible reason could be that the 2nd and 5th days of the week were both the ¡¥Market Days¡¦, where everyone from the countryside would come to town for trading. The Pharisees would allow their hair to be disheveled and their faces to look pitiful and cover themselves with old, dirty clothes. They would even put ashes on their head as a sign of humility.
It was blatant hypocrisy ¡V an attempt to win the approval of the people, rather than the approval of God.
ľ What types of fasting are observed in the Scripture:
- Typical Fast
This is where one does not eat food, but still drinks water or some other liquid. In most cases this was what was meant by ¡§fasting¡¨. David, when he pleaded for God to save the life of his unborn son, fasted from food for seven days (2 Samuel 12:15-20). Jesus, in the wilderness following His baptism, fasted from food for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11).
Most fasting today is done in this manner, which is why I say it is ¡¥typical¡¦ fasting.
- Total Fast
This is a total absence of both food and water. This can be very dangerous, and should not exceed three days. Fasts that go on for long periods of time are normally ¡¥food only¡¦ fasts. We see examples of the ¡¥3 day rule¡¦ in Scripture:
Esther 4:16 ¡§Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!¡¨
Ezra 10:6 ¡§Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.¡¨
Acts 9:9 ¡§And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.¡¨
- Particular Fast
This is a fast of a certain type of food. An example being Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego eating only vegetables and drinking only water when they were brought into Babylonian captivity (Daniel 1:15).
The Scripture teaches that they did this so that they wouldn¡¦t be tempted into heathenism by the king¡¦s delicacies.
Jesus taught about fasting in His greatest recorded message, The Sermon on the Mount. As we search the Scriptures concerning the true purpose and plan for Christian fasting, it is obvious that we should look at what Christ had to say on the subject.
I. It is expected
a. Matthew 6:16 ¡§¡Kwhen you fast¡K¡¨
b. Notice He did not say ¡¥if¡¦ you fast
i. Christ spoke as if fasting were going to be a natural part of our spiritual life
ii. This surprises some who believe that fasting is not mentioned by Christ as a spiritual discipline
c. He did not give us a ¡¥set¡¦ amount of times to fast, just like we don¡¦t have a ¡¥set¡¦ amount of times to take the Lord¡¦s Supper (He just said, ¡§As often as you do it¡K)
i. He just implied that we would fast
ii. And like the Lord¡¦s Supper, each time we fast, it should be for a spiritual purpose
d. Some might argue that fasting is not ¡¥essential¡¦ to salvation
i. And they are correct, it is not¡Kno external work is
ii. But it is an expected component of our spiritual growth process
e. Quote: When we deny fasting, we are cutting off a wonderful practice that can enhance our fellowship with God
II. It is personal
a. Matthew 6:17-18a ¡§But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting¡K¡¨
b. I said earlier how the Pharisees would make a ¡¥to do¡¦ about their times of fasting
i. But Jesus said that the only one we should be looking to impress is God
ii. Not the other religious people around us
c. When ¡¥religion¡¦ is our purpose for fasting and being ¡¥more religious¡¦ is our goal, our heart is in the wrong place
i. Religion is what we do before people ¡V and God is not interested in that
ii. True Godliness is not about religion, but about a relationship with God
iii. A relationship that is strengthened through personal time together
d. Quote: Fasting creates private time, where we deny ourselves of the world¡¦s pleasures, and foster our relationship with God
i. It can be done during our lunch break at work, where we deny ourselves lunch to read God¡¦s Word or pray
ii. It can be done at home alone, where we have a quiet time, and we could choose to sit and watch TV and eat Rocky Road ice cream, or go to a private area and get real with God
iii. Fasting is about time spent with you and God ¡V not about showing off for anyone else
iv. If you flaunt it, your purposes are clearly askew
III. It is rewarded
a. Matthew 6:18b ¡§¡Kyour Father who sees in secret will reward you openly¡¨
b. How does God reward fasting?
i. We know He does not allow it to twist His arm
ii. And if we were to fast in such a way, He would not even honor it
c. God rewards the faithful with spiritual blessings such as ¡¥peace¡¦, ¡¥joy¡¦, ¡¥hope¡¦ and a ¡¥clear conscience¡¦
i. These are all things that this world can not produce
ii. The Pharisees received the earthly reward of men¡¦s respect
iii. And Jesus said that this reward is the only one they would receive for their fasting
d. Quote: Christians who fast properly are rewarded with God¡¦s approval, having went through a process of self-denial so that they might draw closer to Him
Conclusion: Fasting is not an Old Testament practice, it is not a Catholic practice and it is not a customary practice¡KFasting is a biblical practice that should be observed by all Christians.
So when should I fast? How often should I fast? How long should it last? These are all questions that are left up to each of us individually according to God¡¦s Word.
But here are some Biblical examples we could all follow:
Repentance (as seen during Paul¡¦s conversion in Acts 9)
Seeking God¡¦s Direction (as noted in II Chronicles 20 where Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout the land to seek God¡¦s direction)
Mourning (I Samuel 31 and II Samuel 1:12 David and the people fasted because of the death of King Saul)
Ordination to Ministry (We see in Acts 13 that fasting was a part of Paul and Barnabus¡¦ call to missionary work)
Sickness (Psalm 35:13 David declared ¡§But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom¡¨)
John Calvin speaks about the Christian fast in his writings and says one should fast for basically three reasons:
1. To avoid being controlled by the flesh (your sinful nature);
2. For prayer and meditation;
3. As part of repentance and confession of sins.
There are, of course, many reasons one may feel the need to fast.
***I want to end with a serious thought.
One man in Scripture who fasted regularly was King David. Even though we know that his life was marked by a terrible sin, he is still referred to as the man ¡¥who was after God¡¦s own heart¡¦. (1 Sam 13:14)
Fasting is a way that we can, in the way of David, seek after God¡¦s heart.
QUOTE: Wesleyan preacher William Bramwell wrote in 1809 that the reason many do not live in the power of their salvation is because ¡¥there is too much sleep, too much meat and drink, too little fasting and self-denial, too much taking part in the world ... and too little self-examination and prayer.
Closing charge: I encourage you to begin to have a time of fasting. If you wish to fast, start by skipping one meal, and later to abstain from food for 24 hours (supper to supper). If you are not very healthy you could also fast by just abstaining from rich foods and sweets. All the people I know who practice it will testify to its value.
Let¡¦s begin tonight to pray and see how God wants us to add this important discipline into our lives
