Practicing The Faith || Fasting

Jimmy Sourile

Practicing The Faith • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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If you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s word. Today’s reading is from Matthew 4:1-4 Pray with me as we read.

Matthew 4:1–4 (CSB)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

This is the Word of the Lord - please be seated.

In the month of February in the year of 1756. The British and the French were in a dreaded run up and acceleration towards the 7 years war. The British Isles were in danger of being invaded by the french - and they were unprepared to repel such an attack. Then, King George II did something remarkable - he called for and proclaimed a national day of Prayer and Fasting, to petition God to deliver the nation of Britain from the French.

John Wesley writes about the even in his journal. He wrote:

“The fast day was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the Restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquillity.” John Wesley

And surely enough - the crises was averted and the invasion did not come to pass. Miraculous was the word on the streets.

And not just in this circumstance. From the Revolutionary war, the Civil War, and the miracle of Dunkirk - prayer and fasting have been attributed to many miraculous victories throughout history.

We read about fasting all throughout the Bible - and yet for the large majority of Christians today - especially evangelical Christians - we just don’t know what to do with fasting. It seems too ascetic - to mystical - and too ritualistic.

It did to me for a long time. It seemed the only Christians i knew who practiced fasting were either those in the Catholic church who abstained from meat on fridays during lent out of religious adherence - or to prosperity Gospel word of Faith preachers who promised great financial and spiritual blessing to those who fasted.

Both of those extremes frustrated me and seemed wrong according to my understanding of scripture. One doing an action just purely out of ritual - and in high school where I encountered a lot of Catholic friends - my friends had no idea what and why they were doing what they were doing - they did it cause they had to. And the word of Faith prosperity preachers made it seem like they had unlocked some hidden spiritual cheat code to unlock the extra goodies from heaven - as if they were manipulating God. and so for many years I just tucked fasting away onto a shelf somewhere as something I knew was Biblical, but had no idea what to do with it.

Our culture is all about consuming. It’s all about self pleasure and self gratification. Do what feels good. If it feels good it is good. Follow your heart. Eat until you can’t stomach any more food. Consume the news. Consume the content. Consume Consume Consume.

Our culture may not have a lot of golden calves that we worship - but there are Golden Arches in almost every city.

It is normal if not common to be consuming something at all times nowadays. People wake up, and will put on the news or tv, or a podcast or music. They’ll eat, go to work - listening to something as they drive. At work, depending on the nature of the job, there is often background noise going on. Music in the ears, social media on the phone. We get home, and the screens go on, we eat, and go go to sleep with stuff coming at our minds.

Is there any wonder why Christians are just as distracted as nonChristians nowadays?

How are we to push back on some of these currents and forces vying for souls?

In a world built around consuming and content and comfort and pleasure - a practice of self denial in the most basic and physical sense, that of sustenance, food, can feel almost offensive and wrong.

We don’t even realize how desperate we are for God most of the time because we have so codled ourselves.

Theres a famous hymn that comes from Psalm 42 - and i don’t know if the words match the melody, it’s a happy sounding hymn

“As the deer paneth for the water so my soul longs after you!”

We know that, right? but the context of psalm 42 is a deer in the desert longing and desperate for God, panting and close to dying - and the life is nowhere to be found. That desperation though, leads us to search for God.

But we are often so comfortable, we don’t think of seeking God. Fasting can put us in a literal place of need and it feels wrong. And yet - it may be a discipline that will radically help us deny ourselves and focus more on Christ.

As John Wesley said

First, let fasting be done unto the Lord with our eye singly fixed on Him. Let our intention herein be this, and this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven.

John Wesley

Throughout Church history writers have written about the three great enemies of the Christian - The World, The Flesh, and the Devil. The discipline of fasting pushes back against all three in pretty dramatic ways. Today, we look at fasting - and like i mentioned on prayer last week - this is a brief overview - we could do a many week study on fasting - this is just to wet your appetite, pun intended, for this discipline.

This is one of the disciplines our community groups will study deeper too, so be sure to sign up for one in the back today.

So What is Fasting?

Fasting is going without food and drink for a specific time unto the Lord.

Or as John Piper has said

Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of a homesickness for God.

John Piper

Throughout the scriptures - fasting is abstaining specifically from food for a spiritual reason. And it gets rebuked time and time again when fasting is done in a hypocritical way - or out of ritualized habit. If it is done as a way to gain power or attract others it is not a Biblical Fast. Biblical fasting always centers on God and spiritual purposes.

It’s important to note - Fasting is not the Same as Abstinence. Fasting =/= Abstinence

In Evangelicalism it has grown in popularity to fast from things and activities - such as a “Social media Fast.” While that is not a bad thing at all - technically that is different from fasting, it’s abstaining from something.

Fasting, Biblically, is abstaining from food and drink, other than water. and that’s what we are going to focus our study on today.

And we need to really focus on the Biblical view of fasting - as other religions and fad diets also utilize fasting - but what does the Scripture have to say about it, and what did Jesus and the apostles say about fasting? Can fasting be a tool to aid in our spiritual development and training towards godliness?

Fasting In The Old Testament

Lets start with looking at fasting in the Old Testament to set the stage for when Jesus comes on the scene.

We see fasting commanded of the Israelites in Leviticus 16:29-30

Leviticus 16:29–30 CSB

“This is to be a permanent statute for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month you are to practice self-denial and do no work, both the native and the alien who resides among you. Atonement will be made for you on this day to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

The word for self-denial is also one that can be translated fasting. this was the day of atonement and it was to prepare and set aside all of who they were toward the Lord and toward the atonement offered to them.

That this is a command from God is significant. Instantly by denying yourself, it becomes a day that is set a part - holy. And for those who have fasted, especially for a length of time, your body reminds you time and time again that’s its hungry - and so it can be obvious to know you are hungry.

We should see this command perhaps in the idea of purification - the Israelites giving themselves fully over to God.

We also see fasting in Judges 20, in perhaps one of the most brutal scenes in the Old Testament - seriously, Judges 19 and 20 are just brutal.

The cliff-note context is the town of Gibeah in Benjamin commited rape and murder against a woman who was a concubine of a Levite, and there was deep outrage from all of the rest of Israel. The rest of the tribes wanted justice and retribution, but Benjamin refused to send the men responsible out.

So there is a war that breaks out between benjamin and the rest of the Israelites. some four hundred thousand troops from israel go and march against the benjaminites - but the benjamintes seemed to have the upper hand, and the first day the Benjamintes slaughter twenty two thousand.

The next day the benjaminites kill another eighteen thousand.

Then we read in Judges 20:26-28

Judges 20:26–28 CSB

The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. Then the Israelites inquired of the Lord. In those days, the ark of the covenant of God was there, and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was serving before it. The Israelites asked, “Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites or should we stop?” The Lord answered, “Fight, because I will hand them over to you tomorrow.”

Here we see fasting as a sign of desperation, almost as an amplification of prayer - praying with their whole bodies and desperately petitioning God for help. Which - he grants. and eventually benjamin was routed and destroyed due to their evil.

In this example we see fasting as a demonstration of how desperate for God’s intervention the israelites were. They were seeking God fully through prayer, worship, and fasting.

We see Fasting as an example of intercession - in 2 Samuel 12 when David learns that the baby of Bathsheba is deathly ill - 2 Samuel 12:16 David pleads with God he fasted and laid prostrate.

2 Samuel 12:16 CSB

David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.

but when the baby dies - he begins eating again. and this is strange to the servants who associate fasting more with mourning. and we read in 2 Samuel 12:21-23

2 Samuel 12:21–23 (CSB)

His servants asked him, “Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.” He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let him live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

So the fasting from David was as a form of intercession and desperation. But ended as apparently, it’s implied, God revealed to david that he would see his Son again, but his son would not come back to life.

We see a call to corporate absolute fasting in Esther. In Esther - the jews are in Exile, and the evil Haman gets the king to sign a law that would lead to the extermination of the jews. Esther and Mordecai know that they have to act, but its a great risk to Esther.

So we read in Esther 4:15-17

Esther 4:15–17 CSB

Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had commanded him.

So all of the Jews didn’t eat OR DRINK for three days. and She went before the king and God gave favor to her and the jewish people are rescued and haman is executed.

A Corporate call on God for intercession through fasting.

And in our study of JOnah - when Jonah finally preaches the message of repentance to the king of nineveh - the ninevites, and their livestock all fast and repent, and GOd spares them.

So we see throughout the Old Testament some of the good examples of fasting, where people fast out of faith, toward God, and God seems to respond to the action.

but there are bad - in fact, as Clarence B Bass states:

In general, in the OT, fasting was abused. Instead of a sincere act of self-renunciation and submission to God, fasting became externalized as an empty ritual in which a pretense of piety was presented as a public image. Hence, the prophets cry out against the callousness of such hypocrisy. Jeremiah records Yahweh as saying, “Though they fast, I will not hear their cry” (14:12; see Is 58:1–10.)

Clarence B. Bass

And we pick these similar themes when Jesus enters the scene - let’s look at

Fasting In The New Testament

We read about fasting several times in the New Testament.

Perhaps the most negative example is that of the pharisees. there is one parable that Jesus shares about the righteous pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 let me read that really quick for us.

Luke 18:9–14 CSB

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Pharisees were known to fast twice a week - an like most actions in the pharisees, it became a religious thing.

And it wasn’t just the pharisees, but JOhn the Baptists disciples also fasted - and this led to some confusion between the disciples of John and the disciples of Jesus.

Let me read luke 5, 33-35 for us.

Luke 5:33–35 (CSB)

Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.” Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”

There was a rub - as Jesus disciples, while he was on earth, didn’t fast - they ate and drank! But he indicates that when he leaves, they will then fast again (or in our current time).

All that said, Fasting was common. And we see Jesus also fast in one extremely famous case, which we started our service with this morning, Matthew 4:1-4

Matthew 4:1–4 (CSB)

Jesus, right after his baptism, before the public launch of his three year public ministry, is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness.

That can seem strange there - but it goes on - to be tempted by the devil.

In preparation for the temptation - he fasted forty days and forty nights. That’s a long fast.

It seems funny to me that matthew includes the note that he was hungry - no duh, right? Some of us miss breakfast and we start grumbling. 40 days is a long time.

This period, most scholars i read look at, would be for JEsus to draw all the more close to the Father, seeking his will and his power. And I think it’s instructive then to look at the first temptation.

Satan says -”Hey you’re the son of God and your hungry, turn these stones to become bread.”

and jesus quote scripture back, man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Jesus is more desperate for the Word of God than he is for food, and he is demonstrating that fact by fasting before the temptation. Fasting had turned into feasting. Feasting on the word of God.

I’ve mentioned it before - but other scholars have noted how instead of seeing Jesus as destitute and weak here - we could perhaps instead see Jesus at the height of his authority - having spent over a month dwelling with God and relying soley on the father for sustenance. It’s from that place that he’s ready to kick some devil tail and begin his public ministry.

And later in the sermon on the mount he talks about fasting - and the words he uses to introduce it is fascinating Matthew 6:16-18

Matthew 6:16–18 CSB

“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

So Jesus has nothing against fasting - in fact he says “When” you fast - there’s an assumption there. His issue is with people who are hypocritical - who act one way, but insides are rotten.

Instead - by grace through faith, JEsus transforms us from the inside, and we then can use fasting as a way to partner with god in subduing the outside.

And his followers utilized fasting other times - one comes to mind as incredibly important to the state of church history. In Acts 13, the church was actively seeking God’s will for the mission field.

Acts 13:2–3 CSB

As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

Notice the link of worshiping the lord and fasting, and how that precedes the holy spirit speaking. Then they fast pray and laid hands on them - and sent them off.

So for the early church, fasting was a part of their discerning process, and their preparation and intercession process. It was a part of their worship and prayer lives.

Fasting For Today

What noteworthy, when we consider Fasting For Today, is it is almost completely absent from most evangelical believer’s lives, but that’s a recent loss

Throughout Church history, whether for lent, where the church would fast for 40 days, sunup to sundown, in preparation for resurrection Sunday.

Christians regularly practiced personal fasting, sometimes several times a week - John Wesley famously was struck at how some believers were only fasting once a weak - and was just shocked by that.

But through the years, and as protestants pushed back against the mystical and ascetic practices of some in the Catholic and Orthodox faiths - many are left in our churches without ever having participated in fasting unto the Lord.

There are many more who do intermittent fasting to lose weight in our churches then as a part of their worship. John Calvin, the reformer said this

Fasting is not approved by God, except for its end; it must be connected with something else, otherwise it is a vain thing. Men by private fastings, prepare themselves for the exercise of prayer, or they mortify their own flesh, or seek a remedy for some hidden vices.

John Calvin

The fact of the matter - is that fasting is a very meaningful, if difficult and uncomfortable discipline, for the life of the believer.

Looking back on the brief biblical study we’ve done, fasting can be part of preparation for repentance, it can be a part of petitioning, it can be part of drawing closer to God and worship, and it is a part of intercession.

It’s literally denying oneself - in order that we can focus, worship, and hear from God. It’s teaching the body to obey the soul - not to be slave to the stomach and the flesh.

It’s interesting, when we fast, what comes out of us. Typically when people first practice fasting - they’ll find themselves angry, irritated, or Hangry. Isn’t it interesting that anger comes out when we don’t give our body food? Perhaps that reveals that we are actually angry - and we are just coping through eating.

A lot of people have found disciplines like fasting especially helpful with dealing with sins of the flesh that deal with excess or passion. For many a man, who struggles with lust, and pornography, joining fasting with prayer seems to help discipline the body to obey the deeper self.

Fasting has been helpful for me in several instances - when i was fighting depression and anxiety - i would practice fasting to help remind my body and myself the truth of God’s promises, rather than what my body was telling me. I found a lot of peace in it. I’ve also practiced fasting when being faced with hard decisions - and i desperately need God’s word and wisdom.

And it’s incredibly difficult, but i have found it to be good. and I find that God is closer than I expected. I’ve experienced his peace. I believe I’ve heard his voice. and the more i practice it - the more i realize that I want more of God - he’s just so good.

Fasting removes from us the distractions and can remind us of our hunger for God. And it’s beautiful - when done with the biblical view of fasting unto God as worship.

Which brings us to our So What?

So What?

Before I even get into the tangibles of fasting - i know that there is for some huge hang ups with the concept of fasting. For some of us, we’ve struggled with disordered eating. So the concept of going without food maybe brings back to mind some battles that we wage. For others - we have literally medical issues that make going without food deadly.

My friends, fasting does not save you - God will meet you where you are at, and he sees you. And this is where perhaps practicing abstinence can step in. Instead of going without food - which can be impossible or unwise for you - practice denying yourself from other comforts, social media, tv, etc. And if you are one who has struggled with disordered eating issues and you haven’t, consider a professional to walk through that journey with you and seek to find healing. I know that you may hear me talking about fasting as a discipline, and feel all sorts of emotions because of your story - remember that Christ came to restore all things - and there will be a day where full healing comes to you.

for all of us, fasting, especially for long periods, can be dangerous and you should seek medical counsel before a long fast.

That said - as we train ourselves in Godliness, as we pray, as we seek to deny ourselves and pick up our cross - I believe that fasting can be an incredible discipline when done unto the Lord that can grow in us a love for Jesus.

How To Practice Fasting

If you heard this, and perhaps you’ve never done a fast, or maybe it’s been awhile, and you want to join in, but you want to know how - let’s go over that.

Remember - first, check your heart - what’s your desire in it? If it’s anything but God - confess that mixed motive. It’s not a fad diet - it’s not a cool thing - and in fact, we should do it in secret (unless we are doing a corporate fast.)

So you’ve checked your heart, you desire God and to worship him, and to seek him - and you want to get started, how?

I’d recommend starting with a 24 hour fast. The traditional fast is from sundown to sundown the next day - so for example monday - tuesday. Monday evening, you’d eat an early supper, then begin your fast as the sun sets. You would abstain from eating breakfast, and lunch, and then break your fast after sunset on tuesday. Consider during the times you would usually be eating, to go pray. Everytime your stomach growls, may it be a reminder to pray - remind yourself that while your hungry for food - your truly hungry for God.

You’ll notice things in your body that you usually don’t. You may experience thoughts and emotions that are less than pleasant as the hunger exposes your soul - pray about those things. when we practice this regularly - you’ll find theres more and more of God to explore during these times.

Some can’t jump into a full 24 hour - start with just one meal. Perhaps fast from lunch, and instead of eating for 30 mins on break - devote yourselves to prayer.

When we think of fasting, traditionally it’s going without food and drink, except water. Please - when you first start practing - dont forget to drink water! While the body can go weeks without food - you can only go days without water. In fact - drink more water than usual when you fast.

I find it helpful to journal during a fast - especially if I’m fasting for a specific reason. IT can help order my thoughts, as I seek to hear God.

If you want help to get started - I’m more than happy to help, and our groups will study this deeper this next month.

But i can’t help but wonder what would happen if our community started praying, and fasting regularly after God. What if we, as a community fasted unto God for worship, and direction. I wonder what would happen when we realize just how hungry we are for God and his kingdom. I wonder how he’d speak to us. I wonder what actions we’d be moved to take. I wonder what strongholds of Satan and sin that would be torn down.

Andrew Murray said it this way:

Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.

Andrew Murray

We need to realize just how desperate we are. We need to realize tat the entertainment and comforts we spend money on shape us more than we realize. We need to remind our bodies, our spirits, and souls who is the author of Life. We need to reawaken our hunger of God.

Are you hungry for God? Do you want to feast on him? Than fasting is a practice for you. I invite you, brother, sister - to hunger after God through prayer and fasting.

Last week I invited you to practice fixed hour prayer into your lives - today, if you are able, I’d invite you to practice fasting this week. Perhaps a 24 hour fast - perhaps just a meal - okay - but step into the hunger for God with your whole self.

And remember - We fast as worship toward God. We are desperate for him. He is the source of Life.