Growing Your Faith: Fasting Matthew 6:16-18

Text – “Proper Fasting” Matthew 6:16-18 [pg. 853]

Subject – Fasting

Compliment – Proper

Textual Idea – Proper Fasting

Textual Idea Sentence – Jesus told his disciples what is the proper way to fast.

Sermon Idea Sentence – Christians need to grow in their faith by learning how to properly fast for the purpose of Godliness.

Interrogative – What is the proper way to fast?

Transition w/ key word – Our Lord presents two examples illustrating the proper way to fast.

A negative example of fasting. Vs. 16 A positive example of fasting. Vs. 17-18

Introduction – Explain the joke going on between Cheryl and I for many years after we were first married about my eating habits. You know when you are first married, you are learning a lot about each other and their uniqueness about how they think, act, feel, and respond in different situations. It was no different for Cheryl and I as we were learning about each other. I’ve always been kind of schedule oriented and so I like a lot of structure, organization and plan. I used to do something that used to drive my wife crazy when we first got married. She would ask me if I was hungry because she wanted to know if she was going to need to make something for me to eat. I’m basically helpless to prepare food other than a sandwich or spaghetti but at that time, I didn’t even know how to make spaghetti! She’d ask me that question and then I’d do what she never could understand, I’d look at my watch and if it was around 9, noon, or 5, I’d be hungry. If it wasn’t in that time frame, I wasn’t hungry. This drove her nuts. She would always say, why don’t you let your stomach tell you whether you’re hungry instead of your watch? I never had a good answer to that question, in my mind if it was 9 noon or 5, you were supposed to be hungry. It was a habit and one that I’d grown accustomed to. I’ve always loved food and I’ve always loved to eat, I know that will come as a total shock and surprise to you but its true. I start feeling faint a lot of times about 3 or 4 hours after breakfast or lunch and am really looking forward to the next meal. Eating is a habit that I’ve gotten used to. For most of you, it is a habit that we not only need to observe in a healthy way of course, but it is so much a part of our routine, we don’t even think about it, we just do it. Now I recognize of course that there are many people who don’t eat 3 meals a day for a variety of reasons, like poverty or lack of time or whatever, but everyone must eat regularly to survive. It is how God created us and designed us that we need physical nourishment. Because regular food intake is such a part of who we are, what I’m about to talk about today will be for many of you present and even those who may be listening online, a foreign concept or idea. Most people, I think if you asked them, could not give you very many good reasons why someone would purposely do what is called fasting, or abstaining from feeding their body food for physical nourishment. But this is exactly what the Lord Jesus talks about in our passage today in Matthew 6:16-18. It is something the Lord not only assumes we will do, but he prescribes a proper method for doing so. Transition - In our study today of our “Growing your faith” series, we need to understand the spiritual discipline of Biblical fasting for the purpose of Godliness. Our Lord presents for us two examples of the proper way to fast.

Background - This passage of Scripture is in the middle of the most famous sermon ever preached, by the Lord Jesus Himself known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” In chapter 6 Jesus addresses spiritual and religious hypocrisy. In 6:1-2 He addressed the hypocrisy in the area of charitable giving or doing a charitable deed. Jesus assumed His disciples would do charitable deeds and give when He said in vs. 2 “When you give…” So the Lord outlined the proper way to give to avoid hypocrisy - play acting and pretending to be spiritual when in fact they are not. Down in vs. 5 Jesus said “When you pray…”- again assuming His disciples will engage in the spiritual discipline of prayer. He discussed the proper way to pray and not put on a show and use vain repetitions designed to impress people like the hypocrites were doing.

So here in vs. 16 Jesus again says: “When you fast” - Jesus assumed His disciples would engage in the spiritual discipline of fasting and it was common practice in Jesus’ day.

Many ancient pagan peoples believed that demons could enter the body through food. When they felt they were under demonic attack, they would fast to prevent more evil spirits from gaining access to their bodies. Most of the easter religions and cults have been committed to fasting for long periods of time during which they claim to receive mystical visions and insights. Today, fasting is promoted in some circles for the health benefits of it or as some dramatic weight loss program.

Honestly fasting is not a popular concept in Baptist circles and you may have never heard a sermon or can’t recall hearing a sermon on fasting. There seems to be a lot of fear and misunderstanding about fasting for the purpose of Godliness so I want to help us with that today. I want to help us understand the Lord’s instructions for fasting, teach us several Biblical reasons for fasting and finally by way of application, challenge us to commit to making fasting a part of our spiritual discipline to help us grow in our faith.

We need to define a Biblical definition of fasting: Don Witney in his book “Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life” says: “Fasting is Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.” He continues to explain saying “It is Christian, for fasting by a non-Christian obtains no eternal value because the discipline’s motives and purposes are to be God centered. It is voluntary in that fasting is not to be coerced. Fasting is more than the ultimate crash diet for the body; it is the abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.”

In a broader view of fasting; Richard Foster defines it as “the voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. Foster’s definition would include various activities we do routinely like watch TV, listening to music, sleeping, sexual activity or using social media in a more modern take on it. You could fast from using Facebook; Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat - yet I don’t know that those would be as effective as fasting from food. Let’s look at Jesus’ examples on fasting:

I. A negative example of fasting - vs. 16

Explanation - Strictly speaking, the Bible only records one time when fasting was commanded which was on the Day of Atonement found in Leviticus 16:29 “This shall be a statue forever for you; in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls (literally humble yourselves in fasting) and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.” This was one day a year when the COI were to mourn and humble themselves for their sin by fasting and where the priest would make a special sacrifice for sin. The other fasting times were considered to be voluntary but the Bible records numerous times and references to people fasting. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, the religious leaders, fasted twice a week, typically on Monday and Thursday. Just like they had perverted giving and prayer in order to be seen by men as religious greats, they had done so with the spiritual discipline of fasting. Jesus called them out for having a “sad countenance and disfiguring their faces that may appear to men to be fasting.” These leaders claimed these two days were the days Moses made trips to the mountain to receive the law. They also happened to be the busiest days in the Jewish market place so they would have been assured of having the largest audience. They’d wear old clothes that were torn and dirty, they’d walk around with gloomy faces and would often mess up their hair, put ashes on their faces to make themselves look sickly and pale. The word “hypocrites” referred to a play actor who wore a mask to put on a show. That’s what these men were doing and Jesus saw right through it.

Illustrate - You remember when we were kids all the inventive ways we’d try to convince our parents we were sick and had to stay home from school? Laying in bed, holding your stomach complaining of a tummy ache, telling her you threw up, taking a wash rag and getting it hot and putting it on your forehead to try to manufacture a fever. Running the thermometer under hot water. Somehow mom always knew I was faking it. It was easy to spot when our kids tried these tricks too. The Lord saw these outward attempts at righteousness as faking it also.

Argumentation - Jesus said they had the reward they were looking for, the approval of men. This wasn’t a new problem as a matter of fact and the prophet Isaiah wrote about this kind of practice several hundred years before Jesus came on the scene. Read Is. 58:3-9 - The COI had forgotten the purpose of fasting. God sees through our religiosity & pretense knows who we are deep down. God isn’t concerned with us looking religious on the outside but He does care a great deal about the condition of our hearts. As this passage in Isaiah indicates, our outward practice must match and be consistent with the inner heart. Fasting with sin oozing out of our lives dishonors God and He is not fooled by it not is He impressed!

Application - Maybe you don’t fast to put on a show but I would ask what religious activity you engage in for show or for the sake of appearances. Maybe you just come to church on Sunday morning and think this somehow impresses God but you live like the devil all week. God isn’t impressed by that. Could be you’re trying to earn God’s favor - Share the ABC’s. For believers who’ve allowed sin to creep in, claim 1st John 1:9. Transition - We know the negative example is not where we want to be with fasting, but notice:

II. A positive example of fasting - vs. 17-18

Explanation - Vs. 17 “When you fast” again, Jesus assumes His disciples will fast. Go about your normal routine - take a shower, wash your face etc. Putting oil on your head was a way they washed their hair in those days to freshen up. They didn’t have all the hair care products to keep their hair shining and smelling fresh. The Lord is saying you ought to appear to others that nothing unusual is going on. Fasting from food or anything else is a spiritual activity between you and God. The idea behind fasting from food is that when your stomach is growling, it will remind you to pray. Food is a powerful thing and your body is quick to remind you it’s hungry and wants food. As I was practicing what I’m preaching earlier this week, my stomach wasn’t saying nice things to me because I was denying it food. Yet when it was grumbling I’d talk to the Lord about a burden I have and I interceded for some people going through a hard time. No-one around me knew what I was doing. Just me and the Lord.

Illustration - I know two men (Bill Sutton & Eddie Simmons) who fasted for 40 days. They didn’t start out intending to fast for 40 days but by they grace of God, they ended up doing just that like the Lord Jesus did. The whole time they were fasting, no one really knew that’s what they were doing. One of them wouldn’t eat at the Wednesday night suppers we had at church and the other fellow didn’t eat when I was staying with him when I was checking out my seminary. Both later shared with me how grateful they were to the Lord for the opportunity and experience they had in their walk with the Lord as it brought them into such close fellowship with God. It purged their systems of much impurities and made them godly men; but it was never on display for the world to see. One of them shared how he simply drank water or juice during his fast but he did not eat food for 40 days and nights.

Argumentation - Notice what Jesus promises in vs. 18 - God promises great reward for those who fast in secret. The spiritual blessings and fellowship with your Heavenly Father is profound for those who will fast not to be seen by God but to deepen their walk with the Lord and grow in their faith.

Application - Why should you take on the spiritual discipline of fasting? What are some Biblical reasons to fast? Don Whitney provides 7 kinds of fasts found in Scripture: (Not on study guide)

++1. A normal fast - Abstaining from a food but not water. When Jesus fasted for 40 days according to Matt. 4:2 he was hungry but not thirsty. We can conclude Jesus fasted from food.

++2. A partial fast - A limitation of the diet but not abstinence from all food. Daniel 1:12 records Daniel asked if he and his friends could have only vegetables and water as a test for the King’s Steward to see they would be healthy not eating the Kings meat & drinking his wine to show God’s favor was upon them.

++3. An absolute fast - Avoidance of all food or liquid including water. Esther 4:16 records the Jews and Esther engaged in this kind of fast for 3 days as she prepared to go tell the king about the plot to kill the Jews.

++4. A supernatural fast - 3 examples from Scripture where people fasted 40 days and 40 nights w/o food and in some cases water. Moses Deut. 9:9, Elijah 1st Kings 19:8 & Jesus in Matt. 4:2

++5. A private fast - The type we’ve been talking about here in Matt.6:16-18.

++6. A congregational fast - Example in Joel 2:15-18 to sanctify the congregation before God.

++7. A National fast - The entire realm of the King of Ninevah fasted in broken repentance at Jonah’s message in Jonah 3:5-10

These are examples of different kinds of fasts found in Scripture. Let me share with you

10 different Biblical purposes you might undertake a fast before God. If there is no Spiritual purpose, it is useless to fast (unless needed for a medical test.)

++1. To strengthen prayer - It is the foremost effective tool to enhance and intensify your prayer life regarding some urgent matter you need to bring before the Lord. It is not a tool to manipulate God, but to demonstrate to the Father the seriousness with which we are bringing our petition to God. It is a practical expression of our heart and what we verbalize to God.

++2. To seek God’s guidance - When facing a life changing decision or determining God’s will for a particular course of action.

++3. To express grief - Both in cases of a death or to express grief over our sins. God has promised in 1st John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. However that doesn't mean that confession of sin is a light and easy thing, a simple mouthing of a verbal ritual. Christ is dishonored when we take a frivolous approach to confession of sin that does not appreciate how much our sin cost Him. We do not have to abuse ourselves and beat ourselves up spiritually. Fasting in confession of sin helps express to God our sorrow when words alone don’t seem adequate to express our sadness we’ve grieved the heart of God. It could also be to express grief over the sins of others as Jonathan did in response to how his father King Saul was treating David (1st Sam.20:34).

++4. To seek deliverance or protection - This was one of the most common reasons to fast in Bible times to seek salvation, deliverance or protection from enemies or circumstances. King Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast in all of Judah when he learned a vast army was coming against him in 2nd Chron. 20:3-4.

++5. To express repentance & return to God - The COI did this in 1st Sam.7:6 confessing they had sinned against God in worshipping idols to demonstrate a change in their heart attitude.

++6. To humble oneself before God - We saw in our Matt. 6 text the Pharisees fasted but had no humility. Fasting in and of itself is not humility but it can be an expression of humility. David humbled himself before the Lord with fasting according to Ps. 35:13.

++7. To express concern for the work of God - Nehemiah fasted, wept and prayed when he learned the walls of Jerusalem were broken down in Neh.1:3-4 as he prepared to go ask the King to let him leave to go build the walls of Jerusalem.

++8. To minister to the needs of others - Is. 58:6-7 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen; to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and to bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked that you cover him, and not hide yourself from you own flesh?”

++9. To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God - Jesus fasted and prayed in overcoming the direct temptation of Satan himself in Matt.4:2 in anticipation of Satan’s attacks. If you sense you’ll be in a situation where you will wrestle with temptation. Fasting can help you lean more heavily on the Lord than you otherwise would.

++10. To express love and worship of God - Luke 2 there is an unforgettable woman whose entire 84 year life is flashed before us in 3 quick verses. Luke 2:37 says “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

Fasting must always have a spiritual purpose, a God centered purpose, not a self-centered one for the Lord to bless our fast. Thoughts of food must prompt thoughts for God. They must not distract us, but instead remind us of our purpose. Rather than focusing the mind on food, we should use the desire to eat as a reminder to pray and consider our purpose.

These are examples of purposes to fast and for us live Godly lives, many of these purposes will become part of our lives so when Jesus said “When you fast” we know that fasting is something He expects we need in our lives. So when you fast, do it for the eyes of your Heavenly Father only.

God Encounter - Fasting is not a way to manipulate God; but God promises to bless those who seek His face and His grace with Biblical fasting.

Monday Morning Challenge -

++1. Will you confess & repent of any fear of fasting?

++2. Will you fast as the HS leads you? (Medical counsel if ness).

++3. Will you plan a fast of dedication now as an expression of your love of God? Pick a day this week - Liberality in how.

Close - 4965 Lincoln Proclaims National Fast Day

Abraham Lincoln wrote an address to the nation during the Civil War that was at least as important as the Gettysburg Address. It was his proclamation for a national fast-day, by which he did designate and set apart Thursday the 30th day of April 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer.

Lincoln wrote: “It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. “The awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people. “Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity, too proud to pray to the God that made us. “It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” (153 yrs later we need a national fast!) National day of prayer May 5th. Our country is desperate.