Prepare to Launch: Fasting

Intro:

we are continuing our series called Prepare to Launch. We are eagerly anticipating the ability to gather come September.

In order for that to happen, there is work to be done. Last week we talked about how everyone has a role to play in the church, and every role is important. It is going to take all of us to accomplish what God has called us to do.

This week, we are starting our 3 weeks of prayer and fasting. We have called prayer and fasting the spiritual work that needs to be done. The truth is that we need a work of God to make gathering together in September a reality. Even though everything we see tells us that gathering is not a possibility, we have confidence in our God to accomplish the impossible.

So how do prayer and fasting play into this? If you’ve been a part of church for a while, the idea of prayer and fasting is not new to you. For some of you, it might be. So for the next couple of weeks, myself and Pastor Darren will be unpacking fasting and prayer so that we are all on the same page, and we can all learn something new along the way.

I want to start with reading a passage out of 2 Chronicles 7. To set the stage for this passage, 2 Chronicles 7 is a retelling of the story in 1 Kings 9 but with a slightly different angle. See the Chronicles are really a retelling of the Old Testament. The audience it was written for is the Jewish exiles who have returned from Persia. At the end of 2 Kings, the southern kingdom has been carried off into captivity by the Babylonians. When Chronicles is written, the Persians have conquered the Babylonians and have allowed the Jewish exiles to come home. This is why 2 Chronicles leads so well into Ezra and Nehemiah, who are the priest and governor of Israel after the return. Why is this important? You will see why shortly.

2 Chronicles 7:11–16 CSB

So Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. Everything that had entered Solomon’s heart to do for the Lord’s temple and for his own palace succeeded. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple of sacrifice. If I shut the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on my people, and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. My eyes will now be open and my ears attentive to prayer from this place. And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there at all times.

In Deuteronomy, God tells the people of Israel 3 things:

If you obey my commands, you will be blessed

if you disobey and go after other gods, you will be spit out of the land

if you repent, I will restore you

In the stories of 1 and 2 Kings, we read how the people of Israel reject God, until God has had enough and exiles them.

the author of 2 Chronicles retells the story and lets these newly returned exiles know that there is hope, but there three things that they must do

humble themselves

pray and seek God’s face

turn from their evil ways

and what does God say he will do if they do these things? He will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land

Question 1: What are some areas in your life that could use some healing?

We believe that God heals. Not necessarily on our time or in the way we expect, but we know God heals. We also know that we do not have because we do not ask.

Is there healing in your life that we can join together with you in prayer and believe for?

Again there is no pressure, but our hosts would love to pray with you, along with the whole OneChurch body of believers.

this is all a huge lead up to fasting, because believe it or not, fasting actually accomplishes all three of these things. Watch this:

The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:29–31 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. It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must practice self-denial; it is a permanent statute.

in Mosaic law, which are the first 5 books of the bible and the foundation of all of scripture, this is the only place where fasting is actually commanded. In fact, where fasting is almost always regarding food and/or drink, the word used here is anah which means self-denial. That could mean food, sex, bathing, or even wearing shoes.

but the significance here is what fasting is associated with; the Day of Atonement was the day where the priest would offer the yearly sacrifice to cover the sins of the nation!! It was an act of repentance!

Fasting, or self-denial, was also an outward sign of humility. In the Ancient Near East, feasting was a sign of wealth and success, where fasting was a sign of humility and grief. We read many times in the Old Testament how God’s people would mourn their loved one by fasting. Aaron did when his sons died in Leviticus. David did it when he found out his first born with Bathsheba was going to die.

Fasting was also a way to focus on God. When you take eating out of your regular daily routine, the idea was to fill that alotted time to prayer and focus on God. Self-denial is the reminder that our strength and confidence don’t come from things, they come from God.

God said there were three things that needed to happen before he would forgive sins and heal the land. Humble themselves, pray and seek the face of God, and turn from their evil ways. The one instance where fasting is commanded in all of scripture checks all three of those boxes.

Question 2: Have you ever tried fasting? What is your longest fast? Did you do it for spiritual reasons or others?

I know I have tried intermittent fasting as a way to lose weight. I have done the occasional fast is connection to prayer, but I have to get better at it cause I get grumpy when I fast. It’s true.

I have a pastor friend who starts every year with a forty day fast. It is his way to get focused on what God has called him and his church to. As no surprise, his church is doing very well and I would dare say it may one of the most spiritually in tune churches I know.

Some of you may have noticed that most of the scripture and stories I’ve referred to are from the Old Testament, so what does the New Testament say?

Most of the talk of fasting occurs in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We read about how Jesus did a 40 day fast without food or water. Through the story, we see Jesus take on the devil as he tempts Jesus to sin. Jesus example not only shows how fasting reminds us how we need to rely on God, but it also shows how that reliance helps us overcome temptation and spiritual warfare.

Matthew 6:16–18 CSB

“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces 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.

Jesus not only taught the right way to fast, he taught it with the expectation that we would be fasting.

By the time we get to Acts and the early church, we read in chapter 13

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.

they were already fasting in this story, indicating that fast had become a regular part of the church life. The early church fathers went so far to say that we should be fasting twice a week.

Fasting became a sign of commitment and devotion to Christianity. It was not something that had to be commanded, it was just assumed that as a disciple, it would be a regular part of your life in Christ. It served as reminder to be remain disciplined, that we relied on God over anything else.

So what?

thanks for the history lesson, but what are we supposed to with all this information? Am I saying that you’re a bad Christian if you don’t fast? What if you can’t fast food for medical reasons, what then?

Here is the point I want to make and conclude with. Scripture tells us lots about the potential fasting has. When we position ourselves in a place of dependence on God, we pray differently. Sometimes more earnestly, sometimes more honestly, sometimes more openly. Fasting is meant to create in us a humble heart, a repentant heart, and heart that longs for God’s face.

Fasting can give your prayer life the extra little boost to really see change in the world around us. Fasting doesn’t send off a spiritual flare that gets God’s attention, but it does open us up to hear what God is speaking into our lives.

Our country, our province, our communities need us to stand in the gap and pray for change. Pray for fear to go away and be replaced by peace. Pray for healing and forgiveness. Our country, our people, need us to be the men and women of prayer God has called us to be. I invite you to consider,

Question 3: What could I give up for the next three weeks if it meant healing in our land?

Let’s pray.