Introduction:

Fasting: literally to not eat: (nestaya)-ne=not estio=to eat thus to not eat.

Who fasted?

Dan, Moses, Ezra, Nehemiah, John the Baptist, Jesus Esther, Paul, Peter, Samson, David, Church in Acts 13, Hannah, Samuel, Elijah, Johathon ans some 30 times in the New Testament used in some form.

Right motive

Reasons

I.                   Right Motive (Matthew 9:14-17)

A.       Right Spirit – #Matthew 9:14-17 – rather than looking for spiritual glory or earning something from God.

1.      Time of Jesus: during His time it was part of their society – to be seen by men – cover face with white stuff and put ashes on their heads.

a.       #Luke 18:12 fast twice a week – Pharisees

b.      Talmud – 2nd and 5th day – days Moses went up and down on Sinai to get the Law.

c.       Lord want an inward thing – look like you normally look, comb hair, anoint was for skin and smell-which is even a blessing today-fix yourself up!

2.      Secular: secular books mention loose weight, feeling better, looking younger, saving money, health, sleep, resting body, cleaning out system, lower bleed pressure and cholesterol, digesting better, mental capacities increased, revelations from God.

3.      Pagans: enter through food and mouth so stop eating when sensing demons – Buddha fasted although he didn’t show it.

B.       Scripture

1.      Only one fast commanded – Day of Atonement – General and National Fast Leviticus 16 – afflict your soul.  Jesus fulfilled on the cross, thus, no command.

2.      Sunrise to sunset – related to sin and repentance for sin.  NT never commands us to fast and nowhere else in the Old Testament is it commanded – personal, spontaneous, voluntary act as God leads you

3.      #Matthew 9:14 – is connected with mourning.  It will happen due to situations people find themselves in.

4.      The word “when” assumes we will need to and will be drawn to fasting.

5.      The Lord did not want them to fast like the Pharisees did #Matthew 9:14-17

6.      #Isaiah 58:3-13 – The Lord did not accept their fast

7.      #Zechariah 7:4-10 – God wants their heart before they fast.

II.                Reasons

A.       Fasting is hard, once you start all you can think about is eating, unless you have a motivation.

1.      A time of intense spiritual events

2.      Sunday mornings – no desire, thought or time for it, not important at the time until after church

Eating – to enjoy like the rest of the world – such a variety and taste

#Genesis 1:30 – I have given food and #1 Tim 4:3 – all things to enjoy if received with thanksgiving.

3.      Daniel 1-2 partial fast as he ate water and pulp, no delicacies of the king and his meat.

a.       Close to the Lord, to humble yourself before the Lord, to deny but not done in a vacuum there must be a reason: consumed with some spiritual priority – to the point that you must fast.

b.      Thus, length depends on the situation and the need – personal.

#1 Direction from the Lord / Dependence – humbly seeking after the Lord

#Ezra 8:21-23

1.      I need to fast before I make any decisions for my family

2.      Genesis 24 – the servant finding a bride for Isaac: Good point since you will be stuck with that person.

3.      #Esther 4:13-17 – Intense warfare

4.      Mourning over someone who has died.

#2 Sin Of Others & Our Own Sin

1.      #Daniel 9:3-4

2.      #Ps 35:13

–        we should fast and pray for other sinners, we don’t care for that much

–        if our child is lying sick we will fast as David did over his child then he ate when the child died, but we need to fast on behalf of others

3.      Ninevah – Jonah did not fast for them.  He got mad because God forgave them, instead he should have fasted for them.

#3 For God’s People

1.      #Nehemiah 1:1-4 – the wall; putting other people need before you own

2.      For others – we see to much on T.V. – people getting ripped apart – JFK Jr. is mor of a national tragedy for  long time – people are just bummed

3.      I must feel for others & intercede on their behalf.  Watch out!  God will use you to go fix the problem

4.      Is my walk with the Lord so strong that I fast for others & not myself?

#4 Preaching/Ministry/Leaders

1.      #Acts 13:1 I must fast to choose the right leaders, man looks at the outer appearance but God on the heart #1samuel 16:7

2.      Paul fasted often #2corinthians 6:5; 11:27 (he never told us to fast)

3.      Acts 13 – we must make sure we have the right leaders

4.      Do not quit!  Continue to press on!

#5 Spiritual Warfare #Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:14-28

1.      Always related to prayer in every case

2.      You can pray without fasting but you cannot fast without praying

3.      Shows earnest in prayer and seeking God

4.      We do not restel against flesh and blood #Ephesians 6:12; 2Corinthians 5:3-6