Hungry Not Hangry: Loving the King More than His Gifts

Better Is One Day

Welcome (Joel Whitcomb)

Scripture Reading (Matthew 6:16-18)

Prayer of Praise (God is lawgiver), Holly Boutot

Blessed Assurance

I Will Glory in My Redeemer

Prayer of Confession (Envy & Jealousy), ______________

Great is thy Faithfulness

PBC Catechism #19

What do we believe about Jesus?

He is the second person of the Trinity, truly God, eternally begotten of the Father, not created. He became truly human, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and lived a full life without sin. His perfect life and death on the cross provide the only atonement that satisfies the righteous requirements of God for sinful people.

Pastoral Prayer (Bubba Jones)

SERMON

Preaching is different from most other forms of public speech.

When the self-help guru gives a motivational speech, you’ll likely hear about the changes he made to his actions or attitudes that changed his life.

When the saleswoman gives her pitch, you’ll likely hear how her product or company made her rich, or greatly improved her quality of life.

When the politician gives a campaign speech, you’ll likely hear him talk about how he is the one who can bring about the change we need.

In these and other types of public speech, the speaker presents himself or herself as an object to be followed.

That is not what should happen in a Christian pulpit. The preacher doesn’t stand here as the one who has figured it all out. We don’t stand here saying, “just follow me and you’ll fill in the blank.”

Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that preachers shouldn’t pursue faithfulness and holiness. I am just saying that even the best of us have not arrived.

The preacher does not stand here and say, “Follow me and all will be well.” He says, “let’s follow Christ together.” And then the preacher with confidence says, “this is the direction Christ would have us to go.” Not because the preacher is walking perfectly in that direction, but because he has labored to understand the text.

I begin that way this morning because in our study of Matthew’s gospel we have come to a text that I am far from mastering in my own life. I dare not say to you this morning, “follow me and all will be well.” I cannot even say “follow me as I follow Christ.” But I can say, “this is the direction Christ would have us to go. So let’s follow Him together.”

Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 6:16

Jesus is teaching His disciples about how to live faithfully as citizens of the kingdom of heaven while living in the kingdoms of this world

We’ve studied Jesus’ teaching on prayer. This morning we’ll examine what Jesus has to say about another spiritual discipline, the discipline of fasting.

This is not a discipline I have mastered, but I have labored to understand this text. So this morning I can say with confidence, “this is the direction Jesus would have us to go. So let’s follow Him together.”

Big idea: Jesus expects His followers to fast rightly.

Matthew 6:16-18—And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Two truths:

1) Jesus expects His followers to fast.

2) Jesus expects His followers to fast rightly.

Before we walk through those truths together, let’s answer a crucial question.

What does it mean to fast?

In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney defines fasting as...

“A Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.” [1]

Each of those words are important.

The fasting we’re talking about is for Christians.

You don’t have to be a Christian to temporarily abstain from food. Many other religions value fasting, and some religions require it. Many nonbelievers fast for health reasons. But the fasting we’re talking about is different.

Christians don’t fast to earn something (whether that’s God’s favor, or a better number on the scale).

If you’re not a Christian, fasting will do nothing to gain you favor with God. In fact, it may harm you!

EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL

One of our pastors will be at the white flag after the service

The fasting we’re talking about is voluntary.

This is not skipping food because you’re so busy you forgot to eat, or you’re stuck in traffic, or you slept in, or you got stuck in a long meeting, or you were pressured into it by a religious leader.

The type of fasting we’re talking about is a voluntary, conscious decision.

The fasting we’re talking about is abstinence from food.

I have heard many Christians say that fasting can be applied to all sorts of things, sort of like a choose-your-own-adventure novel. You can fast from chocolate, or red meat, or Facebook, or your smartphone, and whatever else you can imagine.

If that’s the way you think about fasting, you’re not alone...

Even a spiritual giant like Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote that fasting “must not only be confined to the question of food and drink; fasting should really be made to include abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special spiritual purpose. “[2]

Three problems with redefining fasting this way:

The word “fast” in the Greek is the word for eating with a prefix meaning “not” or “without.”

The word fast literally means “not eating.”

The Bible never does this.

Never. The Bible only refers to fasting as an abstinence from food.[3]

The closest we get to a fast from anything else other than food is in 1 Corinthians 7:5, where a husband and wife are told not to deprive one another from intimacy “except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer.”

Certainly there may be value in abstaining from other legitimate joys for a season, but the Bible never uses the word “fast” to describe anything other than an abstinence from food.

It undermines biblical fasting

What happens when we refer to fasting as an abstinence from other things? We end up abstaining from the other things and never abstaining from food.

No wonder John Stott wrote that “some of us live our Christian lives as if [Jesus’ teaching on fasting has] been torn out of our Bibles.”[4]

Could it be that fasting is so rarely practiced because we have so quickly explained away its meaning and significance?

Even if you disagree with me and prefer to stick with a broader definition of fasting, we cannot deny that the fasting Jesus had in mind here is an abstinence from food.

The fasting we’re talking about is done for spiritual purposes.

It’s not about weight loss or physical health. There might be certain health benefits associated with fasting, but the fasting we’re talking about is not concerned with things like weight loss. This is about something far greater. It’s a spiritual discipline done for spiritual purposes.

Now that we’ve established what we mean by fasting, let’s look at the text.

1. Jesus expects His followers to FAST.

Years ago when I was a student pastor, I led our students to fast from one meal for one day. The idea was that we would skip a meal and donate the money we would have spent on lunch to help children in extreme poverty. Now I’m not sure how effective that effort was as a ministry to the poor, but what surprised me was the anger I received from some parents. The day after I announced the initiative, my inbox was flooded with emails about the physical and psychological dangers of missing a meal.

That type of thinking is actually quite common in the well-fed West. Perhaps already you’ve come up with a host of objections to the spiritual discipline of fasting.

But notice what Jesus does. Jesus assumes that His followers will fast.

v. 16—And when you fast…

v. 17—But when you fast…

Jesus doesn’t say if you fast. He says when. Why? Because Jesus expects His followers to fast.

If that doesn’t convince you, consider verses 2-7...

Jesus uses the same language to talk about giving and praying. He repeatedly says, “when you give” and “when you pray.”

Nobody tries to explain away Jesus’ teaching on giving and praying.

Why then would we do so when He says, “when you fast”?

Or look in your Bibles at...

Matthew 9:14-15—Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Notice Jesus says His followers (that means you, Christian) will fast.

There is a time for feasting and enjoying God’s gifts. But there’s also a time to fast.

When Jesus returns and we are physically in His presence (like His disciples were) it’s all feasting and no fasting. But as we wait for His return, there are times when we should fast.

Jesus’ disciples took Jesus at His Word.

While it seems they didn’t fast during His earthly ministry, after Jesus ascended into heaven they did fast.

Acts 13:2-3—While 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 fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 14:23—And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Fasting was so valued by the early church that apparently some scribes added references to fasting into the Scriptures when they were copying manuscripts.

For example, in Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29 your ESV Bibles will likely include a footnote indicating that some manuscripts include the phrase “prayer and fasting,” while the earliest manuscripts only refer to prayer.

Throughout church history, fasting was practiced and encouraged by Bible teachers like Tertullian, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, George Whitefield, and more.

Follower of Jesus: are you living like you believe that Jesus expects you to fast?

If yes, praise God. Continue. Maybe even encourage others like me who are weak in this area and help us to grow.

If not, why not?

Health reasons?

Some of you have physical challenges that would make fasting difficult or even dangerous.

If you’re not sure, ask your doctor.

Consider asking your doctor if a modified fast is a possibility for you. Perhaps you could fast for a shorter period of time, or fast from certain foods.

While health concerns would be a legitimate reason for some of us not to fast, I would imagine that most of us don’t fast for other reasons...

Ignorance?

Maybe you’ve never heard any of this before.

If you’re a new Christian, it’s okay. You’re going to learn things as you grow.

If you’ve been a Christian for a long time, ask yourself why you didn’t know this. Have you studied God’s Word as you should?

Fear?

Because Jesus has called you to do this, you can trust that He will equip you to do this

Doesn’t mean it will be easy.

The first time I remember attempting a fast I was a teenager and I told myself I was going to fast for a day and then I remember my mom saying, “Let’s go to McDonald’s for dinner!” Naturally I broke my fast.

Laziness?

Is your failure to fast indicative of your general outlook towards following Jesus? Do you lack urgency in your pursuit of holiness?

Confess and ask God to change your heart

Disobedience?

Maybe none of this is new to you, but you just don’t care.

Maybe this is just one of many areas where your life doesn’t look like a follower of Jesus.

Examine yourself!

Some other reason?

Talk to the Lord and a brother or sister about it.

One of our pastors will be at the white flag after the service

Consider fasting before we study Matthew 9

Consider fasting before the Lord’s Supper

It’s not enough that we fast…

2. Jesus expects His followers to fast RIGHTLY.

This whole passage is all about the fact that mere fasting isn’t enough. The hypocrites are doing that, and Jesus clearly isn’t pleased. He wants us to fast rightly.

Jesus tells us how not to fast in verse 16, how to fast in verses 17-18a, and why we should fast in verse 18b. Let’s examine each of these.

How not to fast

v. 16—And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

This is likely a reference to the Pharisees who fasted twice a week, and often did so in order to be seen by others.

One commentator writes that they would sometimes wear old clothes that were purposely torn and soiled, dishevel their hair, cover themselves with dirt and ashes, or even use makeup to make themselves look pale and sickly.[5]

Jesus says don’t do that! If you fast for the praise of men, that’s all you’ll get.

Today most of us likely wouldn’t go to all the trouble the Pharisees did to make it look like we’ve been fasting.

We’d be far more subtle. Like by posting a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #fastingforJesus or something like that.

Or by letting people know every time you interact with someone, “sorry I’m a little grumpy today. I’m fasting for Jesus.”

Whether you’re fasting, praying, or giving, the goal is not the applause of men.

How to fast

v. 17-18a— But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.

Anointing your head with oil and washing your face was just basic personal hygiene in Jesus’ day.

He’s not telling us to do anything out of the ordinary. You don’t have to literally pour oil on your face to fast rightly. You just need to do the normal things you do. Take a shower, put on deodorant, get dressed, act normal. When you fast the goal is to look and behave in such a way that you don’t draw any extra attention to yourself.

This is perhaps the hardest part about fasting rightly. I don’t know about you, but when I miss a meal I get hangry. You can’t do that. Fasting rightly means doing everything in your power to not draw attention to yourself.

So when you fast, fight your sin!

But be careful. Because fasting will often expose sin in your heart that you didn’t realize was there...

One commentator writes, “we use ‘food and other good things’ to cover up the sins inside us. If pride or sensuality, if ‘anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear—if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first, we will rationalize that our anger is due to our fasting.’ But eventually we will realize that the anger is ours, and that knowledge can lead us to seek healing in Christ.”[6]

Or, as David Mathis writes, “Only as we voluntarily embrace the pain of an empty stomach do we see how much we’ve allowed our belly to be our god.”[7]

Before we conclude with Jesus’ words on why to fast, let me suggest a few additional practical tips on how to fast.

A. Start Small

If you have medical conditions that would make fasting difficult, talk with your doctor before you get started.

If you’ve never fasted before, start with a meal, or perhaps a day.

If, like me, you sometimes feel dizzy, weak, or shaky when you go too long without eating, consider trying a juice fast. In a normal fast you will still drink water, but in a juice fast you allow yourself juice (like maybe a V8) to provide nutrients and sugar to your body.

B. Plan your fast

I’ve begun many fasts in my life. And finished far fewer. One problem is that I didn’t adequately plan what I would do during the fast.

Don’t start a fast on the day of Fellowship Group when there’s a bunch of snacks around. Or when you know there’s a birthday party in the office.

C. Pray!!!

John MacArthur writes, “You can pray without fasting, but you cannot fast biblically without praying.”[8]

Be intentional about what you’ll be praying for when you fast

Don’t test God by saying you’re going to fast until you get an answer or anything like that. God doesn’t promise to give you answers when you fast. Just fast and pray, and then eat again when your fast is complete.

The most successful fast I ever had (which isn’t saying much) occurred when I was desperate for God's help. Let fasting help

John Piper—fasting is "the hungry handmaiden of prayer.”[9]

Let desperation in prayer drive you to fasting. And let fasting fuel your desperation in prayer.

Why we should fast

v. 18b—And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

What we want is the reward of the Father!

What is the reward we receive from the Father?

Is it like the reward of a paycheck after a hard week of work? Do we fast and then receive a blessing from God like health, wealth, peace of mind, or something else?

I think the reward is more like what my daughter experienced last weekend when she joined me to run a few errands. I asked the kids who wanted to join me and Phoebe said yes. We were running errands, working on a project for Holly for Mother’s Day. What was the reward that Phoebe received? Exactly what she wanted: time with her Father!

So too with fasting. The reward we receive is more of God! We draw nearer to Him!

We fast from food so we might feast on God.

Or as John Piper writes, “The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18–20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable.” [10]

Careful: we must not think that the pathway to holiness always means fasting and never feasting.

Two ways for my kids to dishonor me on Christmas.

One is to say, “Oh father, I don’t need this presents. All I want is you!” And then refuse to open their gifts or play with them.

Another is to open the presents then ignore me for the rest of the day!

We can show glory to God by rightly enjoying His gifts! Sometimes it’s okay to feat!

Our problem is that we rarely if ever stop feasting. We rarely turn away from the gifts to grow in our hunger for God.

My prayer is, that with God’s help, we will grow in our hunger for God together. This is the direction Jesus would have us to go. So let’s follow Him together.”

Christ Is Enough

Benediction (1 Peter 1:13)