Will you fast with me?

1. The Hook

Walk to the front and say:

“How many of you have ever done something really hard and nobody knew about it? Maybe you worked overtime, you accomplished an amazing feat, helped someone financially, stayed up all night with a sick child, or did something sacrificial and never received a single thank you or a congratulatory remark.

Pause.

“Now let me ask another question. Have you ever found yourself wanting someone to notice? Maybe not because you’re prideful, but because sacrifice feels more meaningful when somebody sees it.”

Pause again.

There is a YouTube couple that Heather and I enjoy watching. The husband loves to run ultra marathons. If you’re not familiar with an ultra marathon, it is a race of one hundred miles. Most runners finish in somewhere around thirty hours.

One hundred miles.

Just saying that makes me tired.

Now imagine that you are the runner. You trained for an entire year. You sacrificed weekends. You woke up early. You ran in the rain, in the heat, and when your body hurt. Race day finally arrives, and somehow you do it. You run all one hundred miles.

But here’s the catch.

You ran the race completely alone.

There were no other runners. There were no spectators. There was no family waiting at the finish line. No medals. No pictures. No social media posts. You simply hit one hundred miles, looked around, and said, ‘Okay… I guess I’m done.’

Wouldn’t part of you feel like something was missing?

Why?

Because deep down, we all want our sacrifices to be seen.

Matthew 4:1–2 “1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

40 days of fasting. No food. I love at the end of verse 2 it says he was hungry…WELL DUH!!!!

Then it seems as though Satan steps on to the scene. He tempts Jesus when he was at his weakest. 3 times Jesus withstands the temptations with God’s True Words.

Then you read Matthew 4:11 “11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” and then you move into the next passage where Jesus just jumps into preaching.

There was no big celebration for him and his accomplishments. People werent waiting for him to come back from the wilderness and applaud him for the Spiritual journey he just took.

He came back and got to work preaching.

Then transition:

“Jesus understood fasting and he understood the purpose of it. That is also why he said and i am paraphrasing “if you are doing it for the applause you are doing it wrong.”

Then read the text: Matthew 6:16–18 “16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

2. The Context

Understand Chapter 6 and this area of Rightouesness

3. The Text

— Matthew 6:16 “16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

“When you fast” - Expectation that those listening would practice this ritual.

Matthew 9:14–15 “14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Jesus knew there would be a day when people would fast again.

Do not Look gloomy -

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 1096. γίνομαι gínomai

Spoken of persons or things which receive any new character or form.

Disfigure -

4. The Application

Purpose: Move from understanding to transformation.

Elements:

Show what this truth means for our lives today [Describe practical, real-life application]

Use stories or examples that make obedience concrete [Add modern illustration or testimony]

Appeal to both head and heart—conviction and hope [Write your emotional appeal or challenge]

5. The Invitation

Purpose: Unite the congregation around the shared call of God.

Elements:

Summarize the key truth in one simple, memorable sentence [Rephrase your main point or truth here]

End with a vision of what life looks like if we all live this truth together [Picture of kingdom life]

Invite response—repentance, baptism, prayer, encouragement [Describe call to action or invitation moment]