The New Covenant - Fasting
The New Covenant • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsUnderstanding what part fasting plays under the New Covenant
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction
Introduction
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Body
Body
A General Introduction to Fasting
A General Introduction to Fasting
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.
Tell about how Eagles fast
What Is Fasting?
What Is Fasting?
To abstain from food; To eat very little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline. -Dictionary.com
But fasting under the New Covenant really means ‘dying’. It’s an act of crucifying the flesh so that we can grow stronger spiritually.
What Fasting Is Not
What Fasting Is Not
A diet
Missing meals because we were too rushed to eat.
A hunger strike to get God to do what we want. Fasting does not change God, but changes us.
Why Fast?
Why Fast?
We are commanded to
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Because we want more of God
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
The flesh is in charge and it wants to stay in charge.
One reason fasting is so difficult starting out.
If you don’t believe this, don’t feed it for three days. You will find out that it very much wishes to remain in charge!
Fasting breaks the power of your flesh and gives strength and power spiritually.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, And exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, And to smite with the fist of wickedness: Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, To make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, And to let the oppressed go free, And that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, And thine health shall spring forth speedily: And thy righteousness shall go before thee; The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, The putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, And satisfy the afflicted soul; Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, And thy darkness be as the noonday:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, And satisfy thy soul in drought, And make fat thy bones: And thou shalt be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, From doing thy pleasure on my holy day; And call the sabbath a delight, The holy of the Lord, honourable; And shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, Nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, And feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
They were angry that their sacrificial act was not accepted by God
They thought themselves worthy of some reward from God in return for the awesome act of service they performed for God.
When they did not receive anything from God whatsoever, not even recognition, they were offended.
Hypocrisy is a funny thing:
Why God did not accept them
They did not fast aright — to God. First and foremost we fast to please God and see His will done.
They stopped eating, but they still satisfied their lusts as much as ever
The physical act of not eating was fulfilled, but the spiritual and internal qualities of the fast were not present.
God shows them what an acceptable fast is
It’s not to show everyone how much you’re suffering. Although it is performed in the physical (cessation of eating), the real act, as well as the results, are all in the spiritual
To minister to the needs of others in the midst of your own needs!
The expected results of the fast
V. 8-14
Practical Effects of Fasting
Practical Effects of Fasting
First three days
First two weeks
The rest
Conclusion
Conclusion
As with everything else under the New Covenant, the physical act of fasting itself is not as important as our motives for fasting.
Fasting is a spiritual exercise that will produce spiritual fruit and spiritual results.