Matthew 6:16-18
Righteous Fasting
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Pray
Intro
√ Righteous works ~ fasting
In our study last week we examined the unrighteous works of the Pharisees as it related to prayer, we said that their prayers were…
…empty prayers!
Well, this morning we’re going to be looking at what Jesus has to say about…
…empty tummy’s!
That is fasting!
Like prayer, we find that Jesus has a lot to say about the spiritual discipline of fasting.
Fruitless fasting
Fruitful fasting
Functional fasting
It’s an important subject (even as we head into Thanksgiving week!)…
…because God has ordained fasting as a powerful weapon in our spiritual arsenal.
So, let’s look to God’s Word and see what Jesus has to say about fasting.
Fruitless Fasting (vs. 16)
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√ Fruitless Fasting
Jesus picked His words well as He describes the theatric way in which the Pharisees fasted. He calls them…
“Hypocrites”
That is, they were just acting religious!
Ex. Hypocrite
The word comes to us from the classic Greek stage where an actor would literally have two masks (faces), a smiling one and a sad one, to use as props.
The word hypocrite literally means…
…”two faced”.
While that may serve a stage actor well, to be two faced in the important (eternal) matters of life is fruitless!
√ Acting
The problem with the way in which the Pharisees fasted is the same as the way they…
Gave (Matt. 6:1-4)
Prayed (Matt. 6:5-15)
…it was all a show, an act, to gain the attention and applause of men, not God!
Jesus describes their acting in vs. 16…
“…with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.”
That is, whenever they fasted (twice a week), they made sure that everyone knew that they were fasting by trying to look as miserable as possible.
They hoped that other people would see them and think of them as being really spiritual because they suffered so much for their faith!
Jesus tells us that kind of fasting doesn’t do any good, it’s fruitless because…
…God isn’t watching.
Ex. Kids try this technique on their parents all the time!
Just as acting doesn’t (or shouldn’t) influence a parent’s decision…
…so this kind of fasting does not influence God one bit!
What kind of fasting does influence God? Jesus tells us how our fasting can be fruitful in these next verses.
Fruitful Fasting (vs. 17-18)
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√ Fruitful Fasting
Jesus tells His disciples that fruitful fasting, that is, fasting that has spiritual benefits…
…is done in such a way that only God sees.
Jesus says…
Wash your face
Anoint your head
…so that other people wouldn’t even know you’re fasting.
But, God will notice and He will reward you!
Ap. Instructions for 2005
Putting the Lord’s instructions into context with our generation and society means that when we fast we should make a point of…
Looking our best!
We ought to freshly showered, shaved, brushed, combed, deodorized, and smelling good! (Sounds like my dog when she comes home from Pretty Pet!)
Further more, we ought not to…
Call attention to ourselves by informing everyone that we’re fasting.
Move about like a zombie so that people notice we’re lacking energy from lack of food.
Because, Jesus tells us that we’re fasting to gain the attention of God…
…not men!
Functional Fasting
√ Functional Fasting
We can’t really move into the Lord’s next set of instructions without dealing with the question of whether or not Christians…
…you and me, should ever fast.
I find that many Christians have no idea what the Bible has to say about fasting.
What the benefits of fasting are.
When we should fast.
How we should fast.
So, I’d like to look at what the Bible has to say about fasting, or you could call it…
…functional fasting!
√ Context of prayer
The first observation we want to make about fasting is that the Lord’s instructions follow immediately after His instructions on prayer.
I don’t think that’s an accident!
Rather, I believe that Jesus wants us to see fasting in the context of effective prayer.
Ex. Demon possessed boy
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” ~ Matt. 17:21
That is, in the serious matters of life it is often beneficial to combine the spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting.
Why?
Because when we set aside a time to fast we find that our attention to prayer is more…
Focused
Faithful
It’s not so much that fasting makes our prayers more effective…
…so much as when we fast we pray effectively more often!
Ex. Prayer and fasting
If you have a need that you want to bring before the Lord in prayer you’ll find that typically you’ll pray about it on the way to work, or just before you drop off to sleep.
But, if you’re really serious about it and feel led to fast then you’ll spend your…
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
…time praying!
Those prayers are unhindered by the distractions of life because you’ve set yourself apart to spending quality time with the Lord…
…praying effectively!
Ex. City of Nineveh saved from judgment by prayer and fasting, how much more will God hear the prayers of His people!
So, the first reason that we might chose to fast is that fasting helps us to pray more effectively.
√ Jesus’ example
The second practical reason that we should consider fasting is that Jesus did!
At the beginning of His ministry Jesus first went to the desert where He fasted for 40 days.
Remember the context?
Matt. 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matt. 4:2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
The motivation of the Holy Spirit to send Jesus into the wilderness was to meet and beat Satan where Adam had failed…
Saying “no” to the temptation of the Devil.
Note that the Devil doesn’t begin tempting Jesus until after the Lord had fasted for 40 days!
We could assume that was the Devil’s strategy…
…wait till Jesus is really hungry and then tempt Him.
Or, we might see it as Jesus’ strategy to prepare Himself to face the Devil’s temptation!
I think the Biblical position is that God is in control of every situation, and conflict, not the Devil!
That is, Jesus went into the desert to do battle with the Devil on the Satan’s home turf…
…but it was fought at God’s discretion!
Ex. Just like the Cross
Satan believed that he was winning in his struggle against God and that he would keep Jesus from reclaiming the earth by sending Him to the Cross.
The reality is that the Cross was God’s plan all along and Satan played right into God’s trap!
I’m convinced that Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness after He had fasted for 40 days was entered into with that same wisdom.
So, as we look at the example of Jesus’ fasting I believe we have another practical benefit of fasting (functional fasting) demonstrated for us.
That is…
…how to strengthen ourselves against temptation!
Ap. Disarming our flesh
Some of the greatest temptations we face deal with saying “no” to our fleshly desires.
Ex. Jesus saying “no” to the Devil’s suggestion to turn rocks into bread when He was hungry
In our own lives we deal with temptations to…
Over eat
Engage in sexual immorality
Drink to drunkenness
Do drugs
Fixate on how our body looks
In all of these temptations the Devil is appealing to the lust of our flesh.
How do we conquer that lust?
Stop feeding it!
Ex. Two sled dogs – the one you feed is the direction you’ll be pulled!
So, in a very practical, yet spiritual way, when we fast we gain the strength to say “no” to our flesh.
Ap. Saying “no”
Learning to say “no” to our stomach, a real need, gives us the strength and discipline we need to say “no” to sexual temptations…
…a perceived need.
That is, food is necessary to live, sex is not! (as much as some may protest to the contrary!)
J
Therefore, if you struggle with sexual temptation you may want to offer the Lord a day of fasting.
Use the time that you would have spent eating to pray for God’s strength against sexual temptation!
What you’ll find is that having fasted you’ll be ready like Jesus was when Satan brings his attack!
√ Jesus’ instructions
Did you notice that in our text this morning that Jesus said…
“When you fast” ~ Vs. 16 & 17!
The implication is clear, Jesus anticipated a time when His disciples would fast!
When might that be?
During the time between His return to Heaven and His return to Earth!
Matt. 9:15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
That’s now!
√ The practice of the Church
We find that the early Church fasted as part of their spiritual discipline, accompanied by prayer.
Paul & Barnabus commissioned on their 1st missionary journey ~ Acts 13:3
Commissioning elders in the churches that Paul & Barnabus founded ~ Acts 14:23
Paul’s regular practice ~ 2 Cor. 6:5
So, we find the early Church leaders doing what Jesus said they would do…
…fasting after He had returned to Heaven.
Ap. Fasting today
If you’ve fasted before you already know the powerful spiritual weapon that it can be in your life.
If you’ve never fasted before I hope that you’ll consider the Biblical examples we’ve looked at this morning and prayerfully consider trying.
Remember, Jesus and His disciples fasted!
So, how’s it work?
Ex. Types of fasts
Total fasting and limited fasting:
Total fasting ~ going without any food for a set period of time. I wouldn’t recommend trying to go more than a day unless you are sure that the Lord is leading you to do so.
Jesus practiced this kind of fasting as recorded in Matthew 4.
Limited fasting ~ giving up a meal, or something special, like chocolate for a period of time.
Daniel practiced this kind of fasting.
In both types of fasting you want to use the time that you would have been eating to pray.
Specific fasting:
Normally when a person fasts it is for a specific reason, or to bring a specific request to the Lord in prayer.
Daniel prayed and fasted for understanding of the visions he received and for the benefit of his people.
No excuses:
Some people will say that they can’t fast because of a medical problem (like diabetes).
But, even a diabetic can do a limited fast and chose to sacrifice something special to the Lord.
Daniel gave us the rich foods of the king and ate only vegetables for a time.
So, while we don’t want to make fasting a law, as the Pharisees did…
…neither do we want to ignore the Lord’s instructions and example and never fast!
Close
√ Fruitful fasting
Be open to how the Lord might lead you to pray and fast! You may be surprised how He chooses to bless your faithfulness and sacrifice as you set time aside to fast.