Sermon Nuggets Tues July 5 Why Fast?
Verses Verses: Matt 6:16-18
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Why Fast?
Previously last week we looked at some questions regarding fasting. What is it? Who should Fast? And What are other ways to Fast?
This week consider some other questions. Today and tomorrow I thought I’d share some thoughts on Why Fast-There may be more but I’ll give 5. The first two are:
1) To seek God intensely when there is a great or urgent need.
Ezra 8:22-23 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, "The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him." So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”
When Ezra was told he was going to be attacked he showed great faith in the Lord by not desiring to ask the King for protection but trusting in God. Now that attack was imminent, he called on the people to fast and pray to God for deliverance from his enemies and he did.
Anna the older woman at the temple ached to see the deliverance by God for her people. God granted her permission to see the Messiah before she was to die. She was moved to show that even food wasn’t as important as being in the presence of God.
It is common when situations call for special prayer that righteous people will fast and make urgent prayer more important that food.
2) To seek a deeper intimacy or forgiveness with God. Hunger for God is more important than hunger for food. To set some aside to be with family is important. To set times aside to be with your spouse allows for greater intimacy and sharing. It is also the case when an extended time to be with God and focus on his word, prayer, and thought will put us in a frame of mind to seek the things above instead of the things below.
Some of the times that have been most rewarding is when I have taken days aside to do little more than retreat to spend more time in prayer and allow myself to be quiet to let Him speak to me. By praying an fasting one has a desire to change and God desires to see our growth in faith in Him.
We mentioned already that the practice recorded in the Bible usually centered around fasts for sin. Some people recognized they were under judgment or pending judgment of God and were sincere in wanting even more than eating to get right with God. Repentance brings sorrow. For some it is a means to overcome sin by pleading and praying for spiritual freedom in a certain area in their life, and asking God to forgive and empower them in times of temptation.
You remember Nineveh was under judgment of God at the time of Jonah’s message, but they repented and wept and fasted and Gods blessing and forgiveness came to them. It came from the heart.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds July 6 Why Fast
Verses Acts 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Why Fast - continued
3. Fasting is observed for special anointing or seeking revival.
There are experiences in our lives when we do not feel like eating. Sometimes that happens at a death or tragedy or accident, or surgery, or awaiting news of a newborn baby. Many people do not feel like eating when your mind is not on food. Can you imagine that happening spiritually, where your attentions toward God are such that food does not really matter?
Certainly sorrow is a common illustration of fasting. People grief kept them from food and would draw them to call upon God for strength and for mercy, for peace and for presence.
Along with that praying was a concern or request as people poured out their heart to God like Hannah at the temple who wanted a child. Fasting is always associated with prayer and communion with God. But she wanted a special anointing in her personal request to God. AS it was with the church in Antioch, they fasting asking God fill and use Paul and Barnabas for their special task of sharing the gospel to the pagan gentiles.
Some like David Brainard would pled and cry for the souls of the Indians, as a missionary whose heart was so burdened for the lost that he would spend days in the woods fasting and praying before going to preach to them that he might be filled with the Spirit of God for revival. Was it any wonder that God rewarded them who sought him for spiritual reasons. The reward mentioned by Jesus is also a personal one. We fast for ourselves. Does this mean just in heaven or are there spiritual reward on earth? Certainly a closer walk with God affect and frees our spirit from earthly things.
In Exodus 24 Moses prayed and fasted for Israel that they might experience conviction and repentance, and openness to God. In Jesus ministry he prayed an fasted for his servants and for his disciples. People became so important to him that he went without food to present them before His Father in Heaven. Daniel in the OT. was able to interpret the Dream for King Nebachanezzar. He prayed and fasted that he might have the knowledge to reveal to the King his dream. Queen Esther prayed and fast as did Jews with her as she presented herself to the King thereby leaving open the possilbity of being killed. But she did not do so for herself, but for the salvation of the Jews.
4. Fasting was practices to bring deliverance to those in bondage, whether spiritual, emotional, or physical. Jesus told his disciples regarding the boy with a demon,
Matt 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
Greed is one of our basic human sins. Self control is meaningless unless it includes the control of our bodies and our passions. The beginning of self control is the control of our passion. For one who lets his bodily urges control him is one that will not live very victoriously. This is true with sexual control, emotional control, and even the desire for foods, healthy and unhealthy. It is no secret that our society has the greatest problem with over consumption of food, as well as pleasure, and selfish lusts. To the experience filled generation everything becomes a bore, they’ve seen it all, heard it all, bought it all, tried it all. But God is not a commodity to be bought to experienced for our pleasure, but His, and when we so no to the things that get in the way we may be surprised what true fulfillment really is.
5. Needing to Focus on the will and purpose of God.
With all the personal and worldly distractions it is easy to keep our focus off from God and put it on so many other things. It is in times of prayer and sometimes fasting that the will of God is seen more clearly, the Scriptures become more personal and the direction for doing the work of God more important.
. In praying and fasting it is the desire to have more of a change in my life and really mean it than trying to change God’s mind. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan he taught us an important lesson. Man does not eat by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We would do well to take our lunch times on occasions and pray and read the Bible instead of eat.
Fasting more than anything allows us the discipline and reverence for God. A disciplined person can do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, undisciplined persons cannot act when emergencies come. This isn’t just for food, but a disciplined life knows how to say no to sex, to television, to music, to pleasures for time and devote self to prayer and to meditation and re-evaluation of priorities in one’s life. We need to have the ability to do without things for awhile.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs July 7-Where to Fast
Verses- Matt 6: 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Where to Fast
That seems like a funny question. Yet Jesus does address it. The Pharisees would answer by going out in public and the streets and steps to the temple where crowds would gather in great numbers coming in and going out. Jesus is pointing out the hypocrites who love to practice piety so as to get the admiration of others. That is as far as their reward goes.
Certainly there were times when a Holy Fast was declared. There were national fasts.
While teaching in Russia on a short term mission experience I found it interesting that the church would fast every Thursday before the communion service to be held on Sunday. Following their Thursday night church service people would eat at the church breaking their fast. Sometimes a church calls for a fast. Sometimes to participate as a group helps encourage one another to community prayer and devotion.
Jesus gives us our first and most important reason not to fast: Do not fast if you are doing so to be noticed by men. Jesus said that those who look somber and try to make others feel sympathy for them or respect for them because they are fasting are just hypocrites. They are play actors. They are not doing it for God or even for themselves they are doing it to gain attention by other people. Men might praise you, but God will not.
He is telling them to fast in secret. Don’t broadcast it. Do it at home or go by yourself when you are not eating to spend private time with Jesus.
I was eating lunch with other pastors. On was not eating. I asked him if he was feeling alright. He answered, “Yes, I am fasting today.”
I thought to myself if I was fasting I probably wouldn’t pick a day when I am to have a lunch appointment or plan to be with others during a meal. But I needed to see a friend who humbly and quietly participated in a fast without seeking to bring attention to himself, or guilt others.
There are some who teach a person can fast for a few days to get whatever they want from their deep pocketed god. They will say, “Fast a few days and ask for a boat, and God will provide. Fast for a few days and you’ll receive money to cover your debts. Fast for a few days and God will give you the job you want.”
I don’t find this in Scripture. While fasting may make us ready to know God’s will and pray accordingly, it will never be the means to manipulate God into conforming to our will and wants. If you fast as though you are seeking to get your wishes it is like blowing out the candles on a Birthday cake hoping your wish will come true, you will soon be disappointed in God and disillusioned with the idea of fasting.
The best place to fast is in private. I may be in your home, it may be on a retreat, it maybe carrying out the regular activities of the day, but at lunch or dinner time seek to get away by yourself for prayer and private meditation.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri July 8 How to Fast
Verses- Verses: Matt 6:16-18
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
How to Fast
Jesus said, don’t, be like the hypocrites all disheveled and acting as if they are in pain. Anoint your head and wash your face. Some would mess up their hair and put ashes on it, even whiten their faces to look more pale. that is sin. Jesus said, Instead let your fast be private between you and God. Anoint your head, brush your hair and get ready for the day. Oil is like hair cream. Look presentable, clean and dress appropriately for each day. Don’t go around being proud of being humble. Don’t be proud in your giving in your prayer nor in your fasting. And it is definitely wrong to fast thinking you are better than others who don’t.
I think of Luther’s criticism against monks when he was in the Catholic Church. He wrote when they would not eat meat, “I really dare say that in what they termed fasting in the papacy, I never saw a genuine fast. How can I call it a fast if someone prepares a lunch of expensive fish, with the choicest spices, more and better than for two or three others meals and washing it down with stronger drink, and spends an hour or three at filling the stomach until it is stuffed? Yet that’s the usual thing even among the very strictest of monks. Therefore I say that never in my whole life, have I seen a facet in the entire papacy that was really a Christian fast.”
We are not to advertise ourselves, but discipline ourselves, not seeking reputation but humility and concern, In other words Jesus showed the How is an attitude that is right with God.
When Jesus was lead by the Spirit, he went into the dessert. Perhaps if there is time you feel you’d like to spend with God I will encourage you to do so and consider fasting. If you have a medial problem seek the doctors advice first. Never fast if you are on certain medicine, or have diet related medical problems as diabetes, hypoglycemia, blood pressure problems, nutrition deficiency or things like that. Nor should small children, pregnant women, ill, and elderly fast. There is no command that we fast, but to pray sincerely before the Lord. It is for spiritual purposes, and personal purposes. Are you wrong if you don’t? No. I think you might be missing out on a part of devotion that God has for you to learn significant lessons in your life and possibly for others.
If you consider trying to fast, maybe you would want to start by skipping meals and using those times for special prayer. If two meals during the daylight hours every time your stomach reminds you that it wants food, pray. You’ll probably play more that day than any others. Maybe you wish to liquid fast for day, or use fruit, or even sometimes go with all food or drink, not in the 100 degree weather however. The importance is more in the motive than in the methods.
John Westly shared that during his fast days he would read large portions of Scriptures, nap, pray, look up certain verses on subject and petition the Lord concerning problems. He would sing hymns and listen to music, He would memorize passage and would wait until the Word would speak to him. He would often preach and people would say it was as if the voice of God was speaking to them through Mr. Westly for he preached with a spiritual power that was sensed to be greater on such days.
The passage is about alms giving, prayer and fasting. It relates to private devotion and service, prayer and intercession it is reward from God who knows our hearts. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. What he is really concerned about is our priorities, Food helps us evaluate that.
Pastor Dale
