140921 Fasting_God’s Purpose

Isaiah 58:6-12   “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? ⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’   If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, ¹⁰          if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. ¹¹         And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. ¹² And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.

Fasting is not normally a part of the modern Christian church. We have never made an emphasis on fasting in this church. Most Christians think of fasting as something that was done a long time ago and can’t imagine why it would be done today. In the days of Isaiah the people practiced ritual fasting that was not pleasing to God. They felt somehow the very act of going without food should impress God and would therefore earn them God’s favor. God’s reply to them tells us that fasting should have a purpose. Let’s look at some of the purposes found in the Bible for fasting. First of all…

Fasting allows us to minister to others. Verses 6-7 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

At first glance these two verses seem to simply call on us to use the resources that have been freed up by our fasting to take care of others. Since we’re not eating a meal we can give that to someone who needs it. But there’s more going on here than that. “To loose the bonds of wickedness” talks about a great deal more than simply contributing our resources. Fasting on our part will challenge the enemy and defeat him. Fasting allows us to focus on the needs of others around us rather than on ourselves. Fasting reminds us that we have a spiritual purpose. Of course, fasting does free up resources that we are not spending on ourselves. Food costs money and that money can be used to provide for the needs of others. That is a side effect of fasting. More importantly…

Fasting will add strength to prayer. Let’s look at how fasting was used by the returning Israelites as they traveled through a dangerous country. Turn with me to Ezra 8:21-23.  Listen while I read. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. ²² For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” ²³ So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Ezra was a priest who had gone to visit Jerusalem during the time of the return from captivity. Ezra had returned to Babylon to ask the king for more help in restoring the city of Jerusalem. There had been one group of exiles who had returned and began to rebuild the city. Ezra was now leading the second group and had to cross hundreds of miles of dangerous country. Ezra had told the king that God would take care of them on their journey. When he reached the river Ahava he knew that he was at the border of civilization. Once they crossed this river they would be in a dangerous country where armed bands of men roamed.

Ezra could have asked the king for soldiers to protect his group of settlers and the king would have gladly given them to him. However, Ezra did not want his people to depend upon the pagan world. Today we put too much dependence upon the world in our day-to-day lives. Our God is able to take us through anything that we confront! I believe the people were afraid and expressed their fears to Ezra. Now it was the time to put up or shut up. Ezra had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him, and the power of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.”

They didn’t just pray that day on the side of the river. They implored God! “Implored” is a much stronger term than “prayer”! Not only did they implore God they also fasted. We don’t know how long they spent there at the river but they humbled themselves before God, fasting and pleading for a safe journey. Praise God, Ezra could report, “and he listened to our entreaty.” Fasting had strengthened their prayer and had caused them to pray more intensely and repeatedly until they were sure of the answer. As God had promised Isaiah, “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’” And then God goes on to explain that this will be true if those who are fasting have met the conditions of freeing the captives, no longer accusing others, or speaking wickedly. God will answer our prayers if we fast with the right attitude.

Not only does fasting allow us to minister to others and strengthen our prayer…

Fasting helps our focus on God’s will. Turn with me to Acts 13:1-3. Listen while I read. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The church at Antioch was a powerhouse for God’s use. The church was reported to be very large in membership and was led by a group of prophets and teachers. A normal part of their life in Christ was worship and fasting. The church had been very effective in its local community and now they needed to begin to reach out. Jesus had said that his disciples would begin in Jerusalem and move out to the uttermost parts of the earth. There had really been no model for them to follow and they had to feel their way. Recall that in the beginning they had stayed in Jerusalem until God allowed serious persecution to scatter them. They seem to have forgotten, or not understood, the Great Commission. The “go onto all the world” just didn’t seem to have registered with them. Once they were scattered through persecution they shared their faith with others along the way. Now God was ready for them to begin a planned outreach.

It appears that fasting might have been a normal part of their worship in Antioch. That may well explain why they had such strength and positive leadership. Barnabas had come to town and was recognized as a spiritual leader right away. He then went out to search for Saul of Tarsus whom he remembered from several years before in Jerusalem. He was impressed by God that he needed Saul, who would later be called Paul, to help with the growth of the church. After their work was done in the church at Antioch God was ready now to move them on. So while they were worshiping and fasting they began to get a clearer focus on God’s purpose. It was God’s will that these two men be set apart for the work that he’d call them to do. We are not told how they knew what their work was or how organized they were. We do know that they left Antioch and planted churches across the territory that is now modern day Turkey. Obviously, worship and fasting helped them to know God’s will.

Not only does fasting allow us to minister to others and strengthen our prayer life.

Fasting helps our focus on God’s will, and…

Fasting will strengthen our request for help. Jehoshaphat had begun his reign as king of Judah in alliance with Ahab even though Ahab was one of the wickedest kings that had ever reigned in Israel. After he had untangled himself from this relationship he set his heart to seek the Lord. Just as it looked as though he was going to be successful three armies allied themselves against him. Turn with me to 2 Chronicles 20:1-4. Listen while I read. After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. ² Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). ³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

When one army comes at a country they have some chance of confronting that enemy in battle. In Jehoshaphat’s case he had three armies coming at him and they were allied with each other. Any time God’s people are making progress our enemy, Satan, who roams the earth looking for those whom he can devour, immediately tries to put a stop to the progress. Satan had failed to destroy Jehoshaphat by allying him with Ahab. Now, the enemy uses a more direct approach. Judah is confronted by warfare. Jehoshaphat was afraid and approached the problem the right way. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah and the people gathered to seek help from the Lord. Then the king prayed for God’s direction. I love the way he concluded his prayer! “O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) Have you ever not known what to do? Follow Jehoshaphat’s plan and you will be successful. Fast and pray and then fix your eyes on God in Jesus Christ and he will provide an answer that will meet your need and change your world.

Not only does fasting allow us to minister to others and strengthen our prayer life.

Fasting helps our focus on God’s will, and fasting will strengthen our request for help. We may not think that what we do is important but…

Fasting may help change the course of history. Turn with me to Jonah 3:5. Jonah had been instructed to go to Nineveh and warn them that the city would be destroyed in 40 days! This was not what Jonah wanted to do because he knew what might result from such a message. So, after his excursion with the giant fish and his delayed journey to Nineveh, he did not tell them to repent or seek the Lord. He just told them that God was going to destroy them. Listen while I read what happened And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. Now let’s look at verse 10.  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah knew the Lord! He knew that if Nineveh, his hated enemy, would repent and turn from their evil way then God would lift this sentence of destruction. Our God is an awesome God. Without Jonah’s help the people of Nineveh turned to the Lord with fasting and prayer. One of history’s most successful revivals was the opposite of what the preacher wanted to happen! The destruction of Nineveh was put off for several more generations.

Not only does fasting allow us to minister to others and strengthen our prayer life.

Fasting helps our focus on God’s will, and fasting will strengthen our request for help. In fact, fasting and prayer may very well change the course of history. Now, should we fast? One thing for sure is…

Jesus expected us to fast. Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 9:14-15. John’s disciples had a question for Him. Listen while I read. Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

During Jesus’ ministry apparently there was not a time when He and His disciples fasted. When He was asked about it He simply said that those who are celebrating do not fast. His disciples were part of the wedding party but there would come a time soon when the party would be over! Jesus’ disciples stopped rejoicing when he was arrested, tried and crucified. Then it was time to fast.

Jesus doesn’t say, “then they might fast” He says, “then they will fast”. Jesus clearly expected His disciples to fast after He was gone. And we know that, at least in Antioch, the church did fast. Their fasting was not a result of sadness. In fact, it was out of a sense of joy that they worshiped and fasted. They put aside their food because they had something more serious to occupy their time. They needed to know the mind of the Lord! So they fasted and worshiped resulting in the Holy Spirit revealing God’s will for their missionary outreach.

Not only does fasting allow us to minister to others and strengthen our prayer life.

Fasting helps our focus on God’s will, and fasting will strengthen our request for help. In fact, fasting and prayer may very well change the course of history.

In Jesus’ day some people were fasting to get attention. They wanted to be seen by the people.

Fasting should not be for show. Turn with me to Matthew 6:16-18. Again we see a positive expectation by Jesus that his disciples would fast. Listen while I read. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“When you fast” don’t be a hypocrite! These hypocrites put on a show that they thought made them look more spiritual. God is not impressed with our display. When we fast we are told to avoid looking like we are fasting. The people that Jesus was calling, “hypocrite” were people who were fasting for the wrong reason. There was two things wrong with their fasting. First, they were pretending to have a love for God. Second, they really had a love for man’s praise.

Whatever they may have gotten in the way of being honored by others was all the reward they would ever receive. Jesus said, “they have received their reward.” There was nothing to look forward to in the future because they already had received whatever reward they would have.

When we pray in secret and when we fast in secret the God who sees in secret will reward us openly. Consider setting aside a meal, or three meals, and use that time and energy to seek the Lord. It may be that you would seek the Lord for someone else’s salvation. It may be that you would seek the Lord for direction. It may be that you would seek the Lord for the answer to a question. It may be, and should be, that you would seek the Lord just for His companionship!

There are several examples of fasting in the Bible. Moses fasted during the receiving of the law. God’s people often fasted when seeking an answer from the Lord. Jesus fasted at the beginning of His ministry. During Jesus’ ministry He stated that His disciples would fast when He was gone. We see examples in the book of Acts of the disciples fasting as a part of their worship and decision-making. I would like to encourage you to set aside a day each week or perhaps, in the beginning, a meal, each week, to fast asking especially for God to bring revival to our area and to bring people to salvation. Let’s focus on God’s will and His way. We should want to be “the repairer of the breach” and “the restorer of streets”. The Lord will guide us.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.