Fast More... and Less.

Lent is a time of 40 days (not counting Sundays) where the church gives up something in order to identify with Jesus’s 40 Days in the wilderness as well as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.

Lent is a time of preparation just as Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas… Lent prepares us for Easter

It is a time where we give up something …typically thought of as fasting… in order to practically deny the flesh as Christ calls us to.

So typically we talk about Fasting with Lent

Let’s touch quickly on the common understanding of Fasting and then we are going to jump in our text from today that actually gives us another look at fasting.

So Fasting is the denying of the flesh in order to experience a greater increase in spiritual growth

In scripture it talks about primarily food and water

Why?

Because those are the physical needs that we experience the most severly.

We are dependent on food and water and it also is something that pleases our senses.

So by giving up food and water in order to spend more time in obedience to Christ, we get to experience dying to self and a renewed focus on Jesus through prayer, reading the word, and meditation.

In today’s Christianity, we don’t encourage people to give up food that much.

I think it’s because we love food so much, and becuase people get offended so easily

So today we tell people to fast from their phones or from tv or from soda pop.... you know things like that.

Not saying that those things aren’t fasts… but they are not the level of intensity of denying flesh that you would have by giving up food, all together.

But normally and historically people didn’t give up eating for the full 40 days of lent. Except for Jesus

Normally people would give up a meal, or meat, or something that shows self denial

I know self denial is not something that is super popular in today’s culture, but it is super necessary for the believer

You and I are called to pick up our cross, to deny ourselves and follow Jesus

This isn’t a suggestion, its the calling of Christ himself.

What happens, typically during a fast is that someone chooses to give something up, but then they start learning how to adjust their day and then they don’t even miss it.

Then when the fast is over, they go back to doing it and say… good job me! I gave something up. I did a thing!

The end result of that fast is a testimony to someone’s power to distract themselves and their power to navigate a short term change in their lives.

Now let’s dive into our passage for today and see what the prophet Isaiah has to say about fasting to the people of Israel.

READ

PRAY

If you don’t feel convicted after that… then you are apparently doing all the things right!

So let’s just walk through what He’s talking about in this passage

Isaiah is calling out the people who are living in religion… that is by a set of rules, but are not actively in a relationship with the Lord

These people are claiming to seek God daily to know their ways but they are doing so in vain

Their piety is an exercise in self-righteousness

WE see in v2-3

They are fasting just to get a result from God.

The people were not just fasting to be obedient to God or to desire more of him but to display their religiousity

They show off just how good they are by spending their time demonstrating their holiness out in public

God calls them out and says that they fast yet they still seek their own pleasure and do nothing about the oppression that they are a part of.

he then goes through some of their sins

But I love how God says, as if they were a nation that did right and did not forsake the judgement of their God

he says they fast only to quarrel and fight and hit.

He’s saying… look you guys are living as though you’ve never sinned. You are looking down your nose at the poor and the needy. you are living a life of self righteousness and though you practice religiousity, you are doingit for your own pleasure

Then they go to God as though God owes them something

God I fasted? God I humbled myself!

If you are telling people about how you’ve humbled yourself, you’ve probably never humbled yourself… just sayin

Then God questions them

v 5 Is such the fast that I choose?

going on to say… Do I want you to just go around looking sad and bowing your head and making yourself look like you are so pious?

Are the outsides what matter to me??

Do you think it holds any weight with me that you are giving things up but then you are going around letting the world know just how bad you feel about things…

He says, “will you call this a fast? Will you call this a day that I accept?”

So basically you give something up but you only do so so that you will feel better about yourself. Then you go around blasting that you are so pious by broadcasting your fast to everyone. Then you have the audacity to say… yeah, that pleases the Lord

God isn’t now nor has he ever been pleased with you trying to check of boxes to earn his favor.

If you think that’s how you do relationship, try that with your spouse

Hey I did the dishes and we’ve gone out twice this year… You’re happy with me

Note that’s not a question just a statement… you’re happy!

This is exactly what the children of Israel were doing in the passage and this is exactly what we do with God

We offer him whatever we think to be a sacrifice (when really its something that we could do without or learn to do without anyway) and then when we do it we go around blasting it everywhere… Yeah I can’t have that I’m fasting.... sitting at a restaurant leaning over to tell the table next to you…

Then after we’ve milked it for all its worth, or in truth, totally forgot about it… we come back to the Lord and say… There, you’re happy with me.

When starting in verse 6 God tells the people what he prefers

Loose the bonds of wickedness, let the oppressed go free and break every yoke.

No not talking about Eggs. God isn’t telling the people that he only wants them eating scrambled eggs

But he’s telling his people that it is better and fits the mission of God to put your faith into practice

If you’ve never read James… do it

James makes a point that if you hear and don’t do… your faith is worthless

It’s the exact same thing God is telling his people here… Sure your religion sounds great… but if you just get full of the warm fuzzies and everything you do is to amplify how good you feel in God and it doesn’t actually change the environment around you… then what good is it.

What good is it to fast and read your word if you’re not doing anything about it. If it doesn’t motivate you to pray for someone besides yourself, if you’re not being reconciled to people, if you’re not serving people, if you’re not feeding the hungry, if you’re not befreinding the lonely, welcoming the stranger…

Isn’t that better? Isn’t that what God prefers? Not saying that the works save you

Here is the caviat

It is always right to do right by people. But that’s not what saves you

THe promises of GOd are for the people of God. If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior… I don’t care how long you’ve gone to church… THat needs to be of utmost importance.

Don’t leave here today without bringing your brokenness to the Lord and submitting to him as Lord and Savior.

Once you are one of the people of God and you have believed in Christ unto salvation by Grace alone through Faith alone… then its time to get up and do something.

So I titled this sermon Fast more… and less

Here’s what I mean

This Lent season I want you to dedicate yourself to a fast of 2 types.

First, because I know that Christians especially us protestants, are still weary of fasting because maybe its just never been a part of your upbringing

But secondly I know that Christians, I’m sure no one here, are just as worldly as those outside the faith when it comes to demanding our own way.

We want our own comfort, pleasure, and ease just as much as the world does and we will let you know about it… don’t believe me? Ask any church worship leader about the conflict between hymns and contemporary music and you will hear just how demanding and self-seeking we can be. (not singling you out.. this is about us)

So I want you to dedicate to giving something up for 40 days that you will notice.

Don’t give up being a millionaire or if you only drink Coke don’t give up pepsi.

GIve up something that will allow you to feel the physical loss of something and allow that to point you, not to how awesome you are for doing God this favor, but allow it to point you to the fact that we don’t live by bread alone, but by everyword of God

Allow your flesh’s denial to focus you on Jesus. Spend the time that you would be using to do whatever it is … to be with the Lord

Here is the 2nd part.

Add something into your life this Lenten season that is going to benefit others and not yourself.

Find a way to serve, to pray for, to feed, to clothe, to welcome the stranger, to visit the shut-ins

Add something into your life that is not for your benefit but is specifically for the benefit of someone else.

When Jesus came down here to die for your sins… it wasn’t for his benefit. He didn’t gain anything from that because he lacked nothing

And listen I already know the excuse in your heart and minds

I’m too busy. Where and when will I be able to add anything else into my schedule?

I didn’t say it would be easy and I also didn’t say that you may not have to make some sacrifice

That’s what this lenten season is about. Experiencing sacrifice to prepare our hearts to fiently understand what kind of sacrifice the Lord made for us

If you don’t have enough room in your schedule that you are able to do the things that God is calling you to do… then it’s not God’s calling that’s off, it’s your priorities.

So this lenten season…

I’m not telling you to do more stuff to show others how spiritual you are…I’m saying be the hands and feet of Jesus

Pick up your cross and follow him.

Fast more. Meaning do more for others

And less. Meaning do less for yourself

We are going to close in a time of reflection

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