Why we NEED to fast.

START – focus is on the “Why we need to fast.”

Because it is an act of Praise!! Acts and Old woman at temple.

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Turn in your Bibles this morning to if you will. I want to read with you a passage that we dove into a few weeks ago, to set the stage for where we are going today.

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You may remember that not long ago I preached out of this Psalm, about

the power of praise as a weapon.

We see here in verse 6 that the praise that is in the mouth of Gods people is like that of a double-edged sword. It is a tool that separates bone from sinew (), and in it is a tool that is of the Spirit, it is as the Word of God.

– praise began with – p.310 Tennent

Praise is a weapon that has helped me to overcome the dark times – the times I have been misguided – the times I have went left or right because of anger, or doubt, or fear.

It is praise that overcame the enemy, when I could not.

You see, praise is so powerful because it puts God in His proper place. Praise lifts God above all things. Praise exalts God. And that praise causes us to see two things with a Clearer Vision:

1) That God IS God, and He is in control, all the time.

2) That we are not God, and thereby we must depend entirely upon Him for everything.

Throughout Scripture we can see how that Truth has helped Gods people for generation after generation – but for now, I want to settle in on where this brings us today – because we are going to a place that many of us have never been, because we have not understood it Biblically – and that ignorance has prevented us from believing that it was necessary. So let me first begin to show the need of

WHY we must go to this place called fasting.

CS Lewis stated that man has “as much of God as he wants.”

What about you?

Do you have as much of God as you want?

Are you fulfilled each day by the time you spend in the Presence of God?

Are you grasping all of Gods Truth and overcoming every doubt and fear that you have?

Are you confident in your salvation and steadfast in a life of Holiness?

Are you pressing onward toward the goal – by His strength, and not your own?

Are you assured that Jesus has died for each and every sin that you ever committed, or will commit, and thereby live every moment of every day, resting in His everlasting arms?

Are you so absolutely certain of the grace of God, that every morning when you wake up you spend your first few minutes in awe of just how truly amazing His grace really is?

And do you spend your evening moments laying out your day before The Lord, and reflecting on the awesome power you have obtained as you sit in the quiet, and as you walk in a healthy fear His greatness?

Is the New Covenant that has been given for you by His Blood, and His Body, a wonder that blows your mind and challenges you to live an even greater life of love tomorrow?

So I ask, do you have all of God that you need?

OR,

Do you merely, have only enough of God, that you have all that you want?

Pause

Consider this if you will.

We live in a world that bombards us with advertising that tells us “Be all that YOU can be” or “Have it YOUR way” or “You deserve it – so go and get it now.” We live in a day when any 12 year old can sing the jingle “It’s your money – and you need it now – call – (sing) JG Wentworth 877 (let audience finish) “cash now”.

But is it not the case, in light of all the “we can have what we want, when we want it, mantra” that we often find ourselves waking up and wishing we were someone else in someplace else?

Is it not true that our burdens override us, and our emotions run us from one point of exhaustion, to another point of exhaustion?

Is it not the case that it is only when we have come undone and find ourselves hanging on by a thread, that we fall to our faces before God and ask Him into the fight so that we can live our lives with some semblance of sanity?

And is it not the case that we do all of this because the flesh is not a pushover. WE live in a life that could be described as semi-chaotic because our desires are not always to live for the Lord – but rather we live to meet our own needs, and our wants, in our own way. (We call this idolatry in any other sermon!!!!!)

Pause

The will of man is a powerful thing – and if that will is not under submission to Christ – then it runs us up and down, and hither and tither, by every whim that hurts our feelings or challenges our own desire to be important.

Think about this:

Are these things not true of us?

And how then do we manage?

How do we console ourselves and live life to satisfy the flesh that wars against us?

I will give you the answer in 1 word – STUFF – (spell it) “S- T -U -F- F.” It is our things. It is our entertainment. It is our food. It is our relationships that are done to serve ourselves – not to serve others.

IT IS OUR STUFF. (again – idolatry in any other sermon)

We get just enough of God – and then we add all the other stuff that makes us feel as if we are satisfied. . . . for the moment – until the next thing happens, and then we get just enough of God – only as much as we want – and then we get more stuff.

Pause

Three times in the New Testament we are told to look to the Old Testament and to learn from the examples that were set before us so that we will not give into temptation and fall.

But any survey of any one book in the Old Testament is proof that the people that God called out and set to be His own – lived their lives to have just enough of God as they wanted, and then set their sights to fulfill their desires by any means they felt necessary. And they did it at a tremendous cost of life and livelihood. (idolatry)

They were beaten into submission – they were killed in battle after battle – their sons and daughters were taken into slavery, and the peoples were driven into other lands, and their identities wiped away as they were coerced into assimilation of every other people around them.

And the tears that fell - were innumerable.

So as we come to this place called fasting, I suggest to you that all that has just been said, is why we need to go to this placed called fasting.

And I ask you to hang with me this morning as we go through this time of instruction – and to hear what the Bible says to us about why we need to fast. There will be much more we will learn in the future – but I ask you to consider the Word of Truth regarding this practice, knowing full well that this is not a subject that has been given its due consideration – and I realize that this is a personal and unnerving subject – mainly because the teachers of Scripture have said far too little, for far too long (myself included) – and so our defenses go up – and our excuses run rampant. So we can continue as we always have; with just enough of God.

In 1748, Gilbert Tennent spoke very clearly on this matter of our wrestling with the validity of fasting and he said, “Fasting is among the most useful means, for it has a noble tendency to keep the body in subjection to the mind. But this duty is so contrary to people’s keen appetites that they can scarcely be brought to believe in it, and it is still more difficult for them to practice it . . .” (Gilbert Tennent, 1748, found in Sanctify the Congregation by ROR, p.314).

In other words – people so much love the things they love – their food – their entertainment – their stuff – that the only thing they dislike more than hearing about fasting – is to actually fast.

Let me begin to address fasting by first defining or describing what it is, then explain what fasting does, and bring us back to addressing why we need to fast. And finally, close with why this message has come at this time.

WHAT FASTING IS:

The Oxford dictionary defines fasting as “To abstain from food as a religious observance”. But I want to share a small part of the best definition, slash description, that I have ever read. It comes from a sermon delivered by Thomas Thacher in 1678.

Of fasting, Thacher said:

The very idea of a fast speaks of abstinence,( that is, to go without). A fast is a time of extraordinary worship and seeking of Gods face which includes denial of self and the use of ordinary and even necessary things for a special season, and for a particular reason, as We solemnly proclaim that we seek mercy and grace from God in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and sorrows . . . and We solemnly engage and bind ourselves to reform the evil of our ways and to walk before God in new obedience according to His Word for all time to come.” (Thacher, Thomas. A fast of Gods choosing plainly opened, as found in Sanctify the congregation, by ROR p. 56).

There are two themes that you find in Scripture about fasting that Thacher brings to the forefront in his description. And they are directly connected. (one is self denial – the other is worship).

The first of those themes is that of self denial.

In the book of Leviticus, chapter 16, and 23, and in Numbers chapter 29, you will find what is known as “The Day of Atonement”. We will go into this deeper at another time – but for now, we need to understand that this was the only fast required by God in the OT. And this was the one day in the whole year that the priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of the people.

And it was on this day, that the people were told – “hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves”. . . and they were instructed to do no work. And again, immediately following, God repeats Himself and says to the people, “you must not do any work and you must deny yourselves, and anyone who does not follow this instruction is to be cut off from the people, and “I will destroy them” ().

The Hebrew for “deny yourself” means “to afflict one’s soul.”

It is the picture of a person who is recognizing how little they are apart from God.

It is the essence of being humbled in heart because I know that apart from the Lord and His work, and His grace, and His gift, I am, and I have, nothing.

Ultimately it is the picture of repentance. The turning away from self and turning to God.

You may remember that in the past I have stated that “repentance is the highest form of worship.”

You find this language used by David in and in when he talks of being humbled.

**Repentance is the highest form of worship.

Writing on self-denial, John Calvin said:

“If we are not our own, but the Lords, it is clear to what purpose all our deeds must be directed. We are not our own, therefore, neither our reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are not our own, therefore, we should not seek what is only expedient to the flesh. We are not our own, therefore, let us forget ourselves and our own interests as far as possible.

We are Gods own; to Him, therefore, let us live and die. We are Gods own; therefore, let His wisdom and His will dominate all our actions. We are Gods own; therefore, let every part of our existence be directed towards Him as our only / legitimate / goal” (“The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, as found in “Devotional Classics”, edited by Richard Foster & Smith, p.137, 2005).

So what is fasting?

Fasting – is self-denial of the obvious and necessary things of this world so that we see how little we have without God.

And that brings us to the second theme found in Scripture on fasting, as we look at what fasting does.

WHAT FASTING DOES:

Do you remember that long list of STUFF that was discussed previously?

Do you remember what all that stuff was for?

Wasn’t all that stuff seen as a way we can feel contentment?

Wasn’t all that stuff a way we satisfied the flesh so that we might have some peace?

But is it not the case that if we addressed all that “stuff” in any other sermon we would be in agreement that we were discussing the things of idolatry? Things that were used and worshipped to give us satisfaction and fulfillment apart from God?

Turn with me to Matthew Chapter 6.

I want to show you an order here that we need to see so we understand what fasting does with a clearer vision.

In Matthew Chapter 6 we are in what is commonly known as “the sermon on the mount.” A passage held in high regard by any follower of Christ. It is in this sermon that Jesus speaks to a multitude and turns the thinking of the worldly man upside down, and we see what expectation Jesus had for His followers.

First, we see in chapter 6 verse 2 that Jesus assumes that His followers WILL give to the needy. Look at how Jesus speaks here, and He says:

“WHEN you give to the needy. . . “

Are we in agreement that Jesus speaks with an assurance that His followers WILL give?

Next, we see in verse 5 that Jesus assumes His followers WILL pray. Look at how Jesus speaks here, when He says:

“And WHEN you pray . . . “

Are we in agreement that Jesus speaks with an assurance that His followers WILL pray?

Now let’s look at verse 16.

See what Jesus says to His followers – and He says:

“WHEN you fast . . .”

Is there any doubt in your mind that Jesus had an assurance, or an expectation that His followers would fast?

PAUSE

Now lets look at the passages that directly follow Jesus’s instruction on fasting – again, we will dig in deeper here at another time – but ultimately Jesus is teaching His disciples that fasting MUST be done with the right motive. And that right motive will be met with Godly rewards. Any fasting done as a desire to seek attention from men – well, it has already got all the reward it ever will.

But see what follows here in verses 19-24 of Chapter 6!

Directly after Christ speaks to fasting – the practice of denying oneself – He addresses where to store up your treasures.

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Do you see what fasting does?

Fasting shows you that there is only 1 Master!

Fasting denies your stuff the right to control you –

Fasting denies your stuff the right to lead you -

Fasting denies your stuff the right to give you contentment, or to meet your needs.

Fasting does what it does because as Jesus says in verse 33 – “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything you need will be given you!”

Because verse 32 says that:

the PAGANS run after all the stuff! That is why they are called pagans – because they live their lives covered in idolatry as they pursue all the stuff!

THIS IS WHAT FASTING DOES – It shows us that all we need to be filled, is to come to God empty and to seek the Bread of Life and to seek the Living water, to have our every need met!

There is only One Master!

Listen, I submit to you that because we are made in the image of God we have a connection in the body and the soul. They are not two separate entities that live apart from one another – but rather they are intimately connected.

This is an important truth if we are to reconcile how our emotions run us so wildly and why fasting is called a “discipline” of the Christian faith.

How often have you lost your appetite because you were stressed or because you were overwhelmed with sorrow. Something has happened that you have no control over and so your emotions go into high gear and you run to the shopping mall, or you bury yourself in sports, or you have no desire to eat on one extreme, and on the other extreme you stuff yourself with everything you can get your hands on.

IS THIS NOT A LACK OF DISCIPLINE?

But with fasting – I submit to you that you reverse the roles of how the body and soul work. By fasting – by exercising discipline in seeking God to care for your needs, you bring the body under the auspices of the soul. In other words, you so much desire God to have His way in whatever the event is in your life, that you surrender it to God and ask nothing to fill the space that is a “void” except Him and Him alone.

PAUSE

What is fasting?

Fasting is self-denial of the obvious and necessary things of this world so that we see how little we have without God.

What does fasting do?

Fasting shows us that all we need to be filled is to come to God empty and to seek the Bread of Life and to seek the Living water, to have our every need met! Fasting shows us that there is clearly only 1 True God and Master who we must depend on.

That brings us to WHY WE NEED TO FAST.

WHY WE NEED TO FAST.

We are people who live in a fallen world. We easily fall prey to the flesh and we succumb to pride.

We are easily exalted in our own eyes when we are full with what the world gives us – and we fail to seek the greatest gift of all – because we do not have the desire to seek The Lord Jesus as the only giver of life as we slumber and sleep in our storage sheds filled with stuff, and buffet lines that dish out more than enough.

We need to fast because of what fasting IS.

Turn with me to Luke chapter 2 and let’s pick it up at verse 36.

Jesus is in the Temple and Simeon has confessed that he is ready to die because he has met the promise of God – and then Luke shares these words with us and he writes:

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I want you to see what fasting is – so you will understand why we need to fast.

You can look at Nehemiah chapter 9 and Acts chapter 13 as a couple of places, along with several others, to verify the point I am making here – the heart and soul of why we, as New Testament Christians, should fast.

FASTING IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP.

FASTING IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP THAT GOES BEYOND SINGING SONGS AND PRAYING ON FULL STOMACHS.

FASTING, IN AND OF ITSELF IS// PRAISE!!

Remember where we began today in !!!!

Praise is a weapon, and fasting is praise that says God is all that I need!

Fasting sets me to seek God because I see how much I need Him!

Is that not the glory of God? The praise of His people!

Fasting is Praise. Praise that does what prayer alone cannot.

One way I want to present this to you is in the context of James chapter 4 versus 1-3. It reads – You cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask.

I submit to you that it could well read this way:

You do not have because you do not “fast.” And when you “ask,” (not fasting) you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get ------ ON YOUR PLEASURES.

Fasting is praise that sets God in the heights of heaven and that causes us to see our lowly position anytime we try to live apart form Him and His goodness.

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This brings us to the point of why today is the day that we have studied fasting.

In the Book Ezra we learn of a prophet who God calls to go to Jerusalem to build the walls and to restore the temple. Ezra was in Babylon – he was there as the people who were carried off into exile after Gods judgement fell on the Israelites. Those who were quick to follow idols and chase after everything but God in their times of distress and hardship.

Ezra has already told the king of the magnificence and faithfulness of God and the king of Babylon has told him to go back to Jerusalem and to take the Temple artifacts with him, so he could restore the Temple.

But now Ezra finds himself having to travel 700 miles in lands that were filled with bandits and thieves, and he also realizes he has a cargo that is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

But Ezra believes that to ask the king for an armed escort would discredit God and it would appear as if he never really believed that his God was what he claimed God to be.

So in Chapter 8 we read:

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And here is where we find ourselves in this season.

There is before us an opportunity as a people of God to move. To continue in ministry to be sure – but it will be done from a different place, and we will be taking very valuable cargo along with us. We will be moving our children, and our spouses, and our brothers and sisters, and trusting God to protect and teach. We will be changing the norms of our routines and days. We will be needing God to do what only He can do to reconcile people, and to bring His children together in one family under one roof.

Like Ezra, there are sure to be challenges, and there are sure to be things to celebrate.

So today I am inviting you to give God all glory and Honor and Praise and join in a corporate fast as a church family. As a united people.

So how do you do that?

Next Saturday beginning at sundown – until Sunday evening at sundown - I appeal to you to fast from stuff.

If you do not have an issue of health that will prevent you from doing so, I ask you to fast from all food. And to only drink water. If, like me you cannot do that, then I invite you to fast from food as much as is possible.

I also invite you to fast from T.V. – from the internet – and from your phones.

I am asking you to set aside anything that typically consumes your time, or is used to give you comfort that is not God.

Next Saturday beginning at sundown until Sunday evening at sundown.

When hunger pains come – use it to focus on God and His will for you, your family, and your greater church family.

When you feel you must see the game or catch up on the news – use that time to seek God and to worship Him and hear what He has for you.

Then next Sunday evening we will meet at 6:30 pm at the Pleasant Hill building and ask anyone who wants to, to share their ideas, their concerns, their heart as God has guided them concerning this ministry and what lies before us.

We will meet here next Sunday morning as well. I am not sure what it will look like but we will do things differently as we are fasting together – and if you do not fast – you are still welcome and encouraged to be with us. No one will be asking you if you are or if you aren’t.

One last point – concerning children – Parents you decide how to work that out in your home. There are children who can understand some of what this means – but I do not suggest making the little ones follow in fasting because they do not understand – but that is for the parents to decide.

Fasting is praise and praise is a weapon. Take hold of it to accomplish what God has laid before you.

says that fasting – true Biblical fasting - breaks the strongholds and sets the captives free!

I want you to ask yourself; Do you have all of God that you need – or do you only have as much as you want?

You need to recognize that I have never said you MUST fast. I have not made this an imperative. Nor have I suggested that you should fast if this is harmful to your health. We know that there are conditions that could harm the body physically, so do with that what your conscience allows