6:16-18: Fasting

“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; (Matthew 6:17).”

I.              Introduction

a. Christ transitions from prayer to fasting

b.This is the third pillar of the Jewish religion

                                                          i.      Fasting

c.  This passage contains three verses on fasting

d.                        Christ once again uses the hypocrite as an illustration

II.        Fasting

a. Notice, Christ did not say “if you fast” but “when you fast”

                                                          i.      The early church fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays

b.Fasting is not dieting

c.  Eating sparingly or abstaining from foods (Merriem-Webster Online Dictionary)

d.                        Fasting is when ones excludes something, normally a meal, and replaces that time period with prayer and reading the Bible

                                                          i.      This is done for a spiritual reason or purpose

III.  Types of fasting

a. Individually, as a couple, or  corporately

                                                          i.      Individually is where one person fasts by themselves

1.Moses on Sinai (Exodus 24:18; 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 18; 10:10)

2.Hannah fasts for a son (1 Samuel 1:7-8)

3.Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness (Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2)

                                                      ii.      Couples fasting

a. I Corinthians 7:4-5 “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

                                                  iii.      Corporate fasting is when two or more people join together in a fast

1.All of Ninevah fasts (Jonah 3:5)

2. 

b.The Normal Fast: No food is eaten, but water is drank (Matthew 4:1-2; Luke 4:2)

c.  The Absolute Fast: Abstaining from both food and water (Deuteronomy 9:9 & 18; Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9; Acts 27:33; Ezra10:6).

                                                          i.      .Today, it is advisable to drink water due to modern toxins & pollutions in the body.which need flushed.

                                                      ii.      The Partial Fast: Diet is restricted, rather than total abstinence from food

(Daniel 1:15; 10:2-3; I Kings 17).

d.                        No food…just water

e. Juice fast

IV.   Fast all day with a small meal in the evening…just enough to survive

V.         The Hypocrite (Matt. 6:16-18; Lu. 18:10-14)

a. He makes it appear as if he is fasting

                                                          i.      He walks around

                                                      ii.      He makes himself appear miserable

                                                  iii.      He does whatever he can to draw the attention of man

VI.   Godly Fasting

a. Anoint thy head

                                                          i.      Make it look like you have been eating and that your healthy and everything is normal

                                                      ii.      Wash thy face

1.Make sure there is no reflection of a burden to seek God’s face

2.Make sure there is nothing that would draw the attention of man

a. The fast is between the individual and God (Matt. 9:14 & 15)

VII.         The Reward

a. The hypocrite gains his reward the moment man pays him attention (Matt. 6:16)

b.The man who seeks after God will find him (Deu. 4:29; Pr. 8:17; Jer. 29:13)

c.  To deny the flesh of its natural desires may cause us to be more "in tune" to hear the voice of the Lord (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25, etc.), but it also places us in a realm more easily prone to the attack of the enemy. It was when Jesus had been fasting for 40 days that He was faced with the greatest Satanic attack (Matthew 4:1-3; Luke 4:1-2).

d.                        Fasting is an extremely valuable and important facet of the Christian life; but it is not an infallible means of "getting what we want" from God.  (Jeremiah 14:12 "When they fast, I will not hear their cry ...") Example: II Samuel 12:15-23 (David's son died anyway.) Obedience is better than sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22).

VIII.   Purpose of Fasting

a. Part of the purpose of fasting is to bring your dependency back to God

                                                          i.      II Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

                                                      ii.      Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

b.Grow closer to God

c.  To know God’s will (Acts 10:1-3)

d.                        Become more empowered by the Holy Ghost (Matt. 17:21; Mark 9:29)

                                                          i.      The secret of power and divine direction in the early church was the fact that fastings accompanied their prayers (Acts 13:2, Acts 14:23).

e. Be transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost (Philippians 2:5)

f.    Be more anointed by the Holy Ghost

g.  Power over the enemy (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:29)

h.                        At the death of a loved one (I Samuel 31:13; II Samuel 1:12)

i.    In repentance (II Samuel 12:21-23; Jonah 3:5)

j.     In times of fear (I Samuel 7:6)

k.To seek forgiveness (I Kings 21:27-29) For protection (II Chronicles 20:3)

l.    For spiritual guidance (Ezra 8:21-23; Judges 20:26-28; II Chronicles 20:3)

m.                   In times of affliction (Nehemiah 1:4)

n.                        In confession (Nehemiah 9:1)

o.                        In supplication (Esther 4:3)

p.                        For deliverance from disaster (Joel 1:14)

IX.   Life Application

a. Read/Study Biblical passages on fasting

b.Pray

                                                          i.      Fasting should be accompanied closely with prayer and reading the Bible (I Samuel 1:6-8, 17-18;  Nehemiah 1:4;  Nehemiah 9: 1-3; Joel 2:12;  Jonah 3:8; Luke 2:37;  Acts 9:9 & 11;  Acts 10:30;  Acts 13:2;  Acts 14:23; I Corinthians 7:5)

c.  Determine/Set a time of fasting and keep it

                                                          i.      This is a covenant that the individual made with God (Deut. 23:21 & 22; Ecc.5:4 & 5)

                                                      ii.      If it seems difficult, begin by setting aside one meal and fast

                                                  iii.      Scripture no where specifies a time period on a fast

1.David fasted for one day (II Samuel 3:35)

2.The early church fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays

3.Three Days and Three nights (Ester 4:16; Acts 9:9, 17-19

4.Cornelius fasted for four days (Acts 10:10 & 31)

5.Seven Days (I Samuel 31:13; II Samuel 12:16-23)

6.Fourteen Days (Acts 27:22 & 34)

7.Twenty-One Days (Daniel 10:3013)

8.Moses & Jesus fasted for forty days and nights (Exodus 24:18; Matthew 4:1-4)

d.                        Read biographies of great men/women of God who fasted (IE John Hyde)

e. Read books on prayer (IE E.M. Bounds)

f.    Read/Learn about the different types of fasts available (IE juice fast, food fast, etc)