Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More
Text: Luke 5:33-35
Fasting is a common practice among religious people. Fasting has also gained popularity in health and fitness, outside of religious circles. Generally, fasting lasts between 12 and 24 hours. It can be missing a meal or two for the purpose of dedicating that time to seeking the LORD. Some fasts last days, for instance, there are several three-day fasts recorded in scripture.
Have you ever fasted? When was the last time you fasted to get an answer from the LORD? Not for health reasons, but spiritual reasons. My goal this morning is to explain this scripture and encourage you to fast and pray. Prayer is so closely connected to fasting that they’re often spoken of as one event. Paul said whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. Fasting is a part of that eating and drinking.
Insinuation about holiness
- There is a question about fasting here. It’s more of an accusation, but the LORD Jesus answers the question. The disciples of Jesus Christ were obviously not participating in the regularly scheduled fasts like other religious people.
- Even by people far from God, fasting is understood to be a normal and necessary part of your relationship with God.
- Why don’t church-going Americans understand this? When did we start pretending that Christianity is what we do and not what God says it is? The people asking Jesus this question have a clear understanding of fasting as it relates to someone’s spiritual life.
- Jesus would say, in another context, WHEN you fast… It wasn’t even a question of IF you fast, but WHEN you do this.
Identity of Jesus Christ
- Fasting is an act of seeking out the grace of God for something particular.
- It’s also described as afflicting your soul, which shows an honest search is being made.
- It’s also described as humbling your soul.
- All of these things lead to a greater opportunity for the LORD to make himself known in your life and in particular ways you need Him to make himself known.
- So here’s what Jesus Christ answers. When people fast and seek the LORD, they’re trying to get more of God’s presence in their lives. But I’m right here with my disciples now. And to those following me, I’m present with them therefore this is a time of rejoicing, not fasting. The divine husband is with them.
- This is no time to fast, it’s a time to feast.
- The man prophesied about for centuries is here! The Messiah is here! God’s man is here! This is a time to rejoice, not fast.
- The real question for those asking Jesus is why would my disciples fast right now? There is a time coming when they will, but not now.
Instruction to fast
- The LORD answers that now is not the time to fast, but there is coming a day when it will be. And we are in that day. Jesus Christ is not here now. So the time to fast is now.
- Fasting is a time to literally make your meat the word of God.
- It’s time to consider adding a level of seriousness to your prayers with fasting. Maybe the LORD is taking your prayers as seriously as you are and that’s why you’ve lost to temptation in so many areas of your life?
- The great revivals, spiritual awakenings, and general movements of God in biblical history were accompanied by fasting.
- 1 Samuel 7 Israel fasts after putting away their relics and religious images and served the living God.
- 2 Samuel 12 David fasts for the LORD to be gracious to him and save his baby, but the LORD doesn’t and David ends his fast.
- 1 Kings 21 Ahab fasts and humbles himself before God and God responds in mercy.
- 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast to seek a way from the LORD
- Ezra 8 Ezra proclaims a fast to seek help from the LORD
- Nehemiah needed help rebuilding.
- Esther needed to undo an unchangeable policy to kill all the Jews.
- Daniel desperately needed understanding.
- The Ninevites needed God to grant them repentence.
- The early Christians needed direction for leadership and preaching.
- Isaiah 58 is great for explaining fasting. God is calling the oppressors to fast. He charges sinners with prayer and fasting in order to consume the blessings on their lusts. He says you’re fasting and prayer is to continue to hurt and oppress other people. But let me tell you about my fast.
- …to loose the bands of wickedness – wickedness has a hold on your life like a noose and you want that broken? The more you try to pull away the tighter that noose gets. Fasting is the answer.
- …to undo the heavy burdens – Maybe you’re bound with unrealistic guilt and you’re carrying around things you shouldn’t be carrying around. Fasting is the answer.
- …to let the oppressed go free and ye break every yoke?
- Self-sacrifice so that others may benefit. You’re so self-absorbed that every religious act you perform is for the purpose of your own pleasure. Have you ever sacrificed for someone else?
- Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
- And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
- Fasting for other people is probably why Jesus says what he does about the devil-possessed boy when the disciples asked why couldn’t we cast out the devil? He said that it only comes out by prayer and fasting.
I don’t need to convince you that fasting is a part of your relationship with God. What I’d like to do this morning is encourage you to get serious enough about your relationship with God to fast and pray about things you need answers to and help with.
