A Fast Sermon

Joel 1:14; Matthew 6

 

If you will listen fast I will preach fast.  Fasting will absolutely revolutionize your prayer life!  [hunger strike?]

 

Prayer can do anything that God can do, and God can do anything. Nothing lies outside the reach of prayer but that which lies outside the will of God.  The best prayers are those that God hears. 

Psalm 66:18

“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” 

 

God longs to hear and answer prayer…but once He hears a prayer, He checks it out to see if it is truly serious.  You don’t have to fast in order to be serious.  And you can fast and still not be truly serious.  But the believer who has a serious need fasts seriously and will really get a hold of God.  I’m serious!

Matthew 17:21

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

        [the disciples had a very serious situation of casting out a demon]

 

Here’s some things about prayer that I will call ‘ic’…

 

It is not the arithmetic of our prayers that counts—how many there are.

It is not the rhetoric of our prayer that counts—how eloquent it might be.

It is not the music of our prayers that counts—how sweet they are.

It is not the dynamic that counts—how long they are.

It is not the logic of our prayers—how argumentative they may be.

It doesn’t matter how methodic—how planned they are.

 

Two things make for powerful prayer: number one, faith; number two, fervency. And, fasting will help us in both of those areas: in faith, and in fervency.

 

Joel chapter 1, verse 14: “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly,”—that’s what we’re doing this week; we’re sanctifying a fast, we’re calling a solemn assembly— ”gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD” (Joel 1:14).

 

Joel chapter 2 and verse 12: “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” That means that God would change His mind.

vv. 15-16         “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that [nurse] suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.”

 

He’s speaking to the entire family of God, about something that takes precedent over the festivities of life, even over a marriage celebration.

v. 17                “Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach…”

 

Now we’re to Matthew chapter 6. And, let me show you what the Lord Jesus had to say in verse 16: “Moreover when ye fast…”—now, He did not say, “If you fast…”—“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. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 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” (Matthew 6:16–18).

 

Jesus assumed that His people would fast. And, He assumed that we would fast, just like He assumed we would give.

 

Verse 2, “Therefore when thou doest thine alms…” (Matthew 6:2)—and He tells us how to give.

 

He assumes, in verse 5, that we will pray: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are…” (Matthew 6:5).

 

And then, He says, in verse 16: “Moreover when ye fast…” (Matthew 6:16).

 

Now, in the modern church, we hear much about giving, and hear much about praying, but we don’t hear much about fasting. Leonard Ravenhill said, “The early church had its upper room; we have our supper room.” Nothing wrong with feasting, but certainly there’s something wrong with feasting, if we know nothing of fasting.

 

Matthew 9:15  “…the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”

It’s very clear that Jesus expected His people to fast.

 

Let’s think about fasting—the fasting that Joel told us to do; the fasting that Jesus expected us to do; the fasting that the leaders of the Church have done down through the centuries; and, the fasting that is so appropriate for us in these desperate days in which we live.

 

I. The Meaning of Fasting

 

First of all, what do we mean by fasting? Fasting means going without food, or certain entertainments and pleasures [think phone/internet/tv], for the purpose of seeking God—for a time of spiritual seeking after God. Now, fasting is not mere dieting. Some people do fast for health reasons, and I think that’s a good idea. Somebody said we live on half of what we eat; the doctor lives on the other half. But, that is not the fast that we are talking about. That is merely going hungry. Now, what we’re talking about now is bringing our hearts, and our lives, into such a burning focus—seeking the heart, the face of God—that we set aside food and other pleasures to seek God. In the Bible, God links fasting with spiritual purposes. We find such phrases as prayer and fasting, watching and fasting, worshipping and fasting.

 

II. The Motivation of Fasting

 

Why should we? If you fast to be seen of men, to boast about it, to brag about it, the only reward that you will have is that you may impress men.  That’s a wrong reason to fast.  Here’s another wrong reason:  Because I’m asking you to fast.  Don’t do it!  If you can’t think of a good reason to participate in fasting, then don’t.

 

Is there a good reason to fast?

You probably have a good reason - something personal about which to seriously get a hold of God.  That’s private.  And most fasting should be private, between you and God.

 

But the church has good reason to hold a corporate fast.  We need revival!

 

Things to Avoid when Fasting:

 

1. Exhibitionism

It’s very hard to fast and not tell others that you’re fasting. It’s not wrong to let others know that you’re fasting. Your family may need to know why you aren’t eating.  As a matter of fact, Joel said, we are to sanctify a fast, set aside a fast, call a solemn assembly. We just shouldn’t do it to be seen of men. Avoid being an exhibitionist about it.

 

2. Legalism

Don’t get the idea that, if you fast, you can get God indebted to you, that somehow you can buy a blessing from God. Or, on the other hand, God is so cruel, God is so vengeful, that God will not do anything for you until He sees you suffer. Avoid legalism. Fasting lays hold of God’s grace; but, remember, you cannot buy a blessing.

 

3. Ritualism

You can fast as a ritual. The Pharisees did. But, God did not hear their prayers. As a matter of fact, their prayers were an abomination. And yet, they fasted as a ritual. I’ll tell you, because of exhibitionism and legalism, ritualism came right on the heels of those things.

 

4. Asceticism

What is asceticism? That is just simply turning ourselves into a religious recluses, or pious monks. Being extreme, abusing our bodies—being ascetic—that we can do penance and earn the pleasures of God. Jesus was not that way. As a mater of fact, they accused Jesus of being a glutton. Jesus attended parties. Jesus was easy to be with. Little children wanted to come and sit on His lap. Jesus was not a pale, sanctimonious, religious recluse. Avoid asceticism.

 

5. Egotism

The Lord Jesus told about a man who went into the temple and prayed, and he said he prayed thus, with himself: “Lord, I fast twice a week. What a good boy am I!” Now, he didn’t say the last part, but that’s what he meant. “Lord, you ought to be so proud of me.”

 

Real fasting brings us to God; it centers on the Lord.

“Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned … did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?” (Zechariah 7:5).

 

What is the purpose of fasting? It is to bring us to God—to seek the face of God.

 

Meaning, motive…

 

III. The Ministry of Fasting

A. Fasting Strengthens your Prayer Life

The one thing that fasting will do is that it will strengthen your prayer life. Ezra chapter 8, verses 21 through 23. Ezra said, “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance…So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us” (Ezra 8:21–23).

 

Now, when the Bible says, “He was intreated of us,” that means, “He answered our prayer.”

 

When we fast and pray, we add a dimension to our prayers. Heaven bends an ear, when we pray with fasting. Why is that? When we fast and pray, we’re giving notice to Heaven that we are in earnest.

 

“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12).

 

Our prayers are easily uttered and soon forgotten, and many of us could not remember what we prayed for earlier this morning. Because, we rattled off little prayers, and we did not pray with fasting, and concentration—with all of our heart.

 

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

 

Now, why does fasting strengthen prayer? Because, fasting brings faith into focus. Fasting is like a string tied around your finger. Every time you see it, you say, “Why did I put that there? Oh yeah, I was supposed to do thus and such.” And, fasting is like a spiritual string tied around your finger. When you fast, you get hunger pangs. And, you begin to head toward the refrigerator, or the pantry, and you say, “Wait a minute. I can’t do that, I’m fasting.  That’s my flesh trying to get all the attention, when I’m making my spirit a priority.” And you turn your heart to God, and you pray. It just simply brings your faith into focus.

 

B. Fasting Subdues Self

So, what does fasting do? Number one: it strengthens prayer. Number two: it subdues self. This is very important. Many of us probably do not realize what slaves we are to the flesh and to our self-nature. And, if you see what a slave you are to the refrigerator or your phone, for example, just fast. We’ve been taught to pamper ourselves. Many of us will be shocked at our slavery.

 

Did you know, in the Bible, that pride and eating too much are linked together? We often talk about the wickedness of ancient Sodom, and we say, “Sodom was so wicked because of the Sodomites—the homosexuals—in that city.” But, here is what God says about Sodom in Ezekiel …

“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her…” (Ezekiel 16:49). Now, obviously, God says, in other places, that the sin of Sodom was also homosexuality. But, many times, those of us who are full of pride, and gluttony, and laziness look judgmentally upon sexual deviants and feel superior.

 

Fasting helps us to remember we are sinners and Jesus is our Savior…

“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God…lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God…” (Deuteronomy 8:11–14).

 

C. Fasting Holds back the Judgment of God

Fasting strengthens prayer; fasting subdues self; and, fasting will hold back the judgment of God.

Look what happened when Jonah preached in Nineveh. Jonah chapter 3, verse 5: “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). And, in verse 10: “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (Jonah 3:10).

 

Did you know that God had rather show mercy to America than judge America? Don’t get the idea that God wants to judge.

 

“At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them” (Jeremiah 18:7–8).

 

When man changes his mind toward sin, God changes His mind toward judgment. Now, what we need in America today are some people who will pray with fasting and prayer, and stand in the gap for America.

 

D. Fasting Stops Enemies

“It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.” Now, this was a league of nations—wicked, vile, ungodly, pagan, heathen nations—that came against good King Jehoshaphat and his people. “Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the LORD…”—I love that phrase: “He set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD” (2 Chronicles 20:4).

 

Verse 22: “And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (2 Chronicles 20:22).

 

They did not overcome these armies with greater armaments, with swifter horses, with stronger shields—they did not have that. But, they had Almighty God.

 

We’ve got a secret weapon—it comes with fasting and prayer.

 

E. Fasting Brings Wisdom and Guidance

“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)

 

If you have a great decision that you need to make, you need to fast and pray.

 

F. Fasting will Shatter Strongholds

Six years ago I preached here on fasting from Isaiah 58.

“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?” (Isaiah 58:16).

 

We have some people that are oppressed. There are people in the congregation who are bound with invisible bonds of fear, and bitterness, resentment, and habits, and perversion, and lust, and pornography. They’re bound, and we need to fast and pray to set the captives free.

 

Meaning, motive, ministry…

 

IV. The Methods of Fasting

I’m glad the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how to do it.  We would turn it into a legalistic ritual.  Let it be whatever the Holy Spirit lays on your heart.  I can only make some practical suggestions:

 

You can miss a meal to fast. You can miss several meals for a full day or more.  You can shut off the phone and the TV. You can go without marital relations to fast. [Some may say, “In that case I’m an accomplished expert!”]  If you have to eat for medical reasons, consider a minimal bland diet just to get through.  “I may have to eat but I don’t have to enjoy it!”

 

Do it whenever and however God leads you.  The main thing is, take time to pray while you aren’t occupied eating, watching TV, or scrolling on your phone.  You’ll notice that it will be more real and focused, because since you won’t be feeding the flesh, your spirit will be in the driver’s seat!

 

But as for this church wide fast I have a suggestion of when to do it:  It should be focused on this coming month as today is the last day of this month, and I have said we had a big breakfast and now we want to start.  Well, once in a while my wife edits my sermons a bit, and it’s a real help.  And she has helped me rethink this a bit where I want to challenge you to do some fasting next weekend, leading into next Sunday.  [This is a change from the original plan of starting now]  Maybe you will just do something entry level like missing supper on Saturday and skipping breakfast on Sunday, and coming to the house of God really in the Spirit, asking Him to really meet with us and revive us.  Or, maybe you will fast all day Saturday if God so leads.  Everyone will be different when it comes to food.  But when it comes to technology, I would challenge you with a minimum of 24 hours.  Do it as a family and hold each other accountable.

 

Remember, let’s only do this if we are serious about sincerely seeking God and revival.  Don’t do a single thing if you don’t see the need for revival and aren’t on board…and I believe God will agree with you and perhaps He will not do a single thing either.

 

God is looking for a group who will agree together that we want more!

Matthew 18:19

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Psalm 85:6

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?