The Call to Fasting & Fellowship

Introduction

Greeting: "Welcome, church! It's always an honor to worship with God's people. May the peace of Christ be with you all this evening. If you're new here, we extend a warm welcome and hope you feel at home with us."

Transition: "My teaching tonight is focused on fasting. We will explore the call to fast, the motivations for fasting, and the practical ways we as a church will practice fasting together."

Testimony

Story 1: "About 5 years ago, as many of you know, we have a tradition of doing 21 days of fasting and prayer. I remember honestly how horrible it was because I like following rules and all I cared about primarily was doing the fast right and not breaking it. I would say it left a bitter taste in my mouth because I wasn’t excited or transformed by the experience at all."

Story 2: "This March, we called for a fast and prayer, and this time it transformed my life. It changed my week-to-week life, and I want to share with you the mindset shifts that were necessary for its fruitfulness."

The Call to Fast

Scripture:

Matthew 6:16-18:

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Explanation: Jesus expects His disciples to fast privately and not for public show.

Matthew 9:14-15:

"Then John's disciples came and asked him, 'How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?' Jesus answered, 'How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.'"

Explanation: John’s disciples and the Pharisees fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. Jesus responded by saying that He is the bridegroom and the time for fasting is after He leaves.

Transition: "This leaves us with a question: why does Jesus expect His disciples to fast?"

The Motivations for Fasting

Repentance and Returning to God:

Joel 2:12-13:

"'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.'"

Context: The prophet Joel calls the people of Israel to repent for their sins and return to God with sincere hearts before the Day of the Lord, emphasizing fasting as part of their repentance.

Seeking God's Guidance and Protection:

Ezra 8:21-23:

"There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, 'The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.' So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer."

Context: Ezra called for a fast to seek God's protection for the journey back to Jerusalem, demonstrating reliance on God’s protection.

Understanding rom God:

Daniel 9:3:

"So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes."

Context: Daniel fasted and prayed to understand the prophecy about the desolation of Jerusalem.

Seeking God's Direction in Leadership:

Acts 14:23:

"Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Context: Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed when appointing elders in the new churches, seeking God’s direction for leadership.

Following Early Church Practices:

The Didache:

"But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays, but fast on Wednesdays and Fridays."

Explanation: The Didache distinguishes Christian fasting days from Jewish practices, instructing Christians to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Hybrid Church Fasting

Why: "We live in a time where our attention and energy are given away to things that drain us rather than empower us. We want to draw near to God and one another weekly. The purpose of our weekly fast will be to draw near to God, turn off social media, and connect with our community."

Transition: "What will this look like practically in our hybrid church?"

The Practical Next Steps

When: Every Friday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Where: Hybrid Church

How:

No food if able, but water is fine.No personal social media and entertainment. Instead, replace them with podcasts, teachings, books, spiritual documentaries, and spiritual movies.Make individual time to pray, read scripture, reflect, and have solitude with God if able.Come to a corporate time with God to reflect, pray, read, and be still before God from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at church.We will break bread together after 7:00 PM as a church.

Conclusion

"This weekly fast is a choice that lies at everyone’s feet. You are not forced or required, but we encourage you because we believe it will be beneficial for your life and ministry. May we see you all next Friday at church. Let's pray."

Closing Prayer: [Offer a prayer to close the sermon, asking for God's guidance and blessings on the upcoming fast and the congregation's spiritual growth.]