Rev. David Holwick O Grow Your Faith, #2
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 4, 2014
2 Chronicles 20:2-17
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I. The second least-favorite spiritual discipline.
A. It is hard to pick hymns for this topic.
1) Marilyn said if I could do better, have at it.
2) The least-favorite spiritual discipline -- mortification
of the flesh (whipping yourself).
B. Fasting has not been popular for a long time.
1) Catholics still have Lent but they are not nearly as
hard-core about it as they were in the past.
a) Most give up things like candy bars.
b) Mardi Gras celebrations get more attention.
2) We live in a culture that doesn't like limitations.
a) We want to indulge ourselves, have it all.
b) Denying yourself anything seems harsh and punitive.
C. It all depends on how serious you want to be with God.
1) Fasting is an excellent way to sharpen your focus on God.
2) Instead of feeding your face, you have to remind yourself
why you are not eating.
3) In preparation for this sermon, I fasted on Wednesday.
a) It took some getting used to - meals are one of the
main routines of life.
b) I found that it did make me more conscious of God
that day.
1> But I don't know if my prayers were better or
God's answers more clear.
2> That is a common problem - assessing spiritual
disciplines by results. Just leave that to God.
c) I would encourage you to fast one day a week throughout
this sermon series.
II. Fasting has a deeper heritage than you realize.
A. Early Americans had more fasts than feasts.
1) Days of Prayer, like we had this week, were usually
tied to a fast.
2) The typical trigger was an event like the one in
2 Chronicles 20 - an attack by enemies.
B. Fasting is found in the Old Testament and the New.
1) Early Jews made fasting one of the three pillars of
spirituality.
a) The other two were daily prayers and giving charity.
2) Christians often think Jesus was down on fasting.
a) His opponents were amazed that Jesus' disciples
did not fast but went to banquets all the time.
b) And Jesus had some harsh criticism for how the Jews
did their fasting.
1> They scrunched up their faces and made a big
show of it.
2> He said we should do it like that.
3) Why didn't the earliest Christians fast?
a) Because Jesus was with them. Matt 9:14-15
b) As Jesus put it, you shouldn't fast when the
bridegroom is with you.
c) But once he is gone, then you should fast.
1> Well, our bridegroom is gone.
2> Fasting is appropriate now, and Jesus assumes
his followers will do it.
III. Principles of fasting.
A. It is voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.
1) It must be God-centered.
2) It cannot be coerced.
3) It should not be done for show, or for personal pride.
B. It is not a fad diet but a spiritual discipline.
1) Rick Warren has a popular book out right now called
"The Daniel Plan."
a) It is based on Daniel's refusal to eat the king's
rich food, and stick to a bland diet.
b) Warren has turned it into a diet, but Daniel's
motivation was to distance himself from the pagans.
2) Losing weight should be the last thing on your mind.
a) (When you finish your fast you will probably over-
compensate with food anyway.)
C. It is not to earn God's favor.
1) We are acceptable to God because of Jesus, not our works.
a) In many religions, followers show their devotion to
God by doing harsh things.
b) In India, a holy man stared at the sun every day for
15 years until he went blind, another held his arms
over his head for 20 years, and another lay on
a bed of nails for 14 years. [1]
c) That kind of thing can gain the attention of people,
but it is not how a Christian approaches God.
2) Fasting has no benefit unless we come to God through
repentance and faith. Eph 2:1-10, Titus 3:5-7
IV. Purposes for fasting.
A. To dedicate yourself to God.
1) Jesus' fast in wilderness is one of most famous. Matt 4:1-11
a) It prepared him for direct onslaught from Satan.
b) He dedicated himself to his public ministry.
2) Ezra's communal fast before return to Israel. Ezra 8:23
3) Commissioning Paul and Barnabas as missionaries. Acts 13:3
B. To seek deliverance or protection.
1) One of the most common purposes.
2) Jehoshaphat's communal fast over invasion. 2 Chron 20:3-4
3) Esther's fast before she takes her life in her hands and
approaches King Xerxes without his permission. Esth 4:16
C. To seek guidance.
1) Many Christians will fast to get guidance on a decision.
a) When you are considering marriage, or a job change,
or a major step in life, consider fasting.
b) It can help you clarify God's will for your life.
2) Does fasting make it guaranteed?
a) Fasting does not ensure the certainty of clear guidance
from God.
b) However, it does make us more receptive to the One
who guides us.
D. To express grief or repentance.
1) Grief over death of King Saul. 1 Sam 31:13, 2 Sam 1:11-12
2) Nehemiah's anguish over destruction of Jerusalem's walls.
a) After he fasted, he got to work rebuilding.
3) Grief over sin, as the first step of repentance.
a) Grief over our sins.
b) Grief over the sins of others. 1 Sam 20:34
4) Fasting is a physical expression of humility.
a) Wicked King Ahab humbled himself before God with fasting
and had his judgment delayed. 1 Kings 21:27-29
b) Godly King David did the same thing. Ps 35:13
c) Fasting can be an expression of humility but does not
produce it automatically. cf. Luke 18:12
E. To express love and worship to God.
1) Fasting can be a positive act of devotion to God.
a) Anna in the temple. Acts 2:37
b) James Packer once wrote, "There's nothing magical
about fasting.
It's just one way of telling God that your priority
at that moment is to be alone with him." [2]
2) Fasting can be a means of worshipping God.
a) It shows our stomach is not our God. Phil 3:19
b) Fasting in preparation for Lord's Supper.
c) Fasting is almost always tied to prayer.
V. Practice of fasting.
A. Do it with the right attitude.
1) Don't be legalistic about it.
a) The Bible doesn't have hard and fast rules about how
to fast.
b) Seek medical counsel if necessary.
c) Don't go overboard.
2) Identify the strong needs in your life and take them to God.
a) You should never fast for the sake of fasting.
b) Establish a spiritual focus first.
B. Fasting doesn't have to be total, or limited to food.
1) Daniel fasted from exotic foods and lotions. Dan 10:3
2) During his Lent, Celeste fasted from television movies.
a) She says it really enhanced her devotions.
b) I have heard of Christians who have fasted from
Facebook, or the internet, or fantasy sports.
c) If anything has gotten more of your attention than
God, consider shunning it for a while and see what
happens.
C. It's not about you, it's about God.
1) Jehoshaphat was reassured, the battle was not his but God's.
2) Fasting can remind us that we answer to a higher power.
3) Humbly submit to him today.
=========================================================================
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
This sermon was adapted from the article "Fasting: The Misunderstood
Discipline," Don Whitney, Disciple Journal #67, Jan/Feb 1992, pages 10-16.
[see outline summary below]
[1] The examples were taken from “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” by
Rev. Greg Allen, “Fasting Without Fanfare,” Kerux Sermon #25808.
[2] Packer’s quote comes from Rev. Jeff Olive’s sermon, “Disciplines:
Fasting,” http://www.marvinumc.com, Kerux Sermon #25312.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
=========================================================================
"Fasting: The Misunderstood Discipline," Don Whitney, Disciple Journal #67,
Jan/Feb 1992, pages 10-16.
I. Overview on fasting.
A. It is considered extreme and rarely practiced in the West.
B. Christians rarely mention it.
C. Fasting goes against our culture of self-indulgence.
II. Principles of fasting.
A. It is voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.
1) It must be God-centered.
2) It cannot be coerced.
3) It is not a diet but spiritual.
B. It is expected in the Bible.
1) Jesus assumed his disciples would do it. Matt 6:16-17
a) Same expression used for giving and praying. Matt 6:2-7
2) When questioned on his disciples lack of fasting, Jesus
explained that it was because he was still with them.
a) After his removal, then they will fast. Matt 9:14-15
C. It is not to earn God's favor.
1) We are acceptable to God because of Jesus, not our works.
2) Fasting has no benefit unless we come to God through
repentance and faith. Eph 2:1-10, Titus 3:5-7
III. Purposes for fasting.
A. To strengthen prayer.
1) Ezra's communal fast before return to Israel. Ezra 8:23
2) Other biblical examples: Neh 1:4, Dan 9:3
3) Commissioning of Paul and Barnabas. Acts 13:3
B. To seek God's guidance.
1) Preparation for war against Benjamin. Judg 20:28
2) Paul's appointing of church leaders. Acts 14:23
a) Fasting does not ensure the certainty of clear guidance
from God.
b) However, it does make us more receptive to the One
who guides us.
C. To express grief.
1) Death of King Saul. 1 Sam 31:13, 2 Sam 1:11-12
2) Grief over our sins.
3) Grief over the sins of others. 1 Sam 20:34
D. To seek deliverance or protection.
1) One of the most common purposes.
2) Jehoshaphat's communal fast over invasion. 2 Chron 20:3-4
3) Esther's fast. Esth 4:16
E. To express repentance and a return to God.
1) Similar to fasting over sin.
2) It can signify commitment to obedience. 1 Sam 7:6, Joel 2:12
a) It is in vain without repentance.
b) It cannot be used to "balance" sin.
F. To humble yourself before God.
1) Fasting is a physical expression of humility.
2) Wicked King Ahab humbled himself before God with fasting
and had his judgment delayed. 1 Kings 21:27-29
3) Godly King David did the same thing. Ps 35:13
4) Fasting can be an expression of humility but does not
produce it automatically. cf. Luke 18:12
G. To express concern for the work of God.
1) Nehemiah's fast for his concern over Jerusalem's lack of
walls.
2) After his fast, he went to work to rebuild the walls.
H. To overcome temptation and dedicate yourself to God.
1) Jesus' fast in wilderness is one of most famous. Matt 4:1-11
a) It prepared him for direct onslaught from Satan.
b) He dedicated himself to his public ministry.
2) (Specific lengths of time are never commanded for fasting.)
I. To express love and worship to God.
1) Fasting can be a positive act of devotion to God.
a) Anna in the temple. Acts 2:37
2) Fasting can be a means of worshipping God.
a) It shows our stomach is not our God. Phil 3:19
b) Fasting in preparation for Lord's Supper.
3) Seek to crave God more than food.
IV. Practice of fasting.
A. Jesus expects us to fast.
1) It should not be legalistic.
2) Seek medical counsel if necessary.
B. Identify the strong needs in your life and take them to God.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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