Amen
Okay, we're in Matthew chapter 17 look down at your Bibles at verse number 19
It says then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said why could not we cast him out and Jesus said unto him unto them
Because of your unbelief for verily I say unto you if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed
You shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you
Verse 21 how be it this kind goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting and I want to preach on the subject of
Fasting this evening and the title would be fasting the accessory discipline. That's what I'm gonna call the sermon tonight and
So we're gonna talk about fasting. I know this is not necessarily a popular topic, especially an independent fundamental Baptist churches
But it is a biblical topic. And so I want to cover it to see what the Bible says about it
We're gonna look at fasting from a biblical perspective
Now fasting is simply voluntary abstinence from food
And I think the reason why the Bible calls it fasting because you ever think about that as a why is abstinence from food
You know considered or called
fasting why is it described as a fast or as fasting and I think what it is is because of the fact that when you
Fasten something it's fixed. You are bringing it into subjection. You're fixing it you are
Fastening your physical body in order to restrain it from eating. Okay, and
Obviously, you know you as different people they'll say you can fast different types of things
But primarily in the Bible a fast is when you abstain from food. Okay, so you're restricting your body
You're restraining your body from eating for a specific purpose
It's like what the Bible says I keep under my body and bring it into subjection
By any means what I preach to others I myself should be a cast away now this evening
I'm gonna talk about the biblical
Concept of fasting but let me just say this is that fasting is not only a biblical concept
It's actually just a concept just in general. It's a health thing that you can do as well
Okay
Now obviously we understand that not everyone can fast because of the fact that there's different people, you know
For example, if they're they have diabetes or their their health is bad or their doctor does not recommend it
Then obviously they can't fast or if a mother is breastfeeding. They should never fast
Okay, so this is obviously not something that is subject to everyone
It's something that should be voluntary
But it is something that's that's it's it's healthy to do and in fact studies have shown that when people
abstain from food for a certain period of time it actually permits the body to go into a state of
Autophagy, which is when your body begins to recycle its damaged cells, okay
You know you begin to repair damaged cells things that maybe
Drugs or bad eating has done to your body your body can actually repair itself by fasting can lower inflammation
So if you have problems with inflammation fasting can help with that it can aid and weight loss
I mean, there's tons of benefits to abstaining from food that can help you it can give you mental acuity
Okay, it can clear clear your mind and and and help you with that
So obviously fasting is a health benefit just even aside from the spiritual aspect of fasting
Fasting in general is just good for you. Let me let me share this this story with you that my wife was telling me about
there's a CEO and
he
You know, he's a very successful guy
He has this business and he was the CEO of this company and he just fell into a really deep depression
Okay, and partly the reason for is because of the food that he was eating
He just loved junk food and would constantly eat junk food and constantly just you know
not eat well and it really caused him to go into a state of depression became very overweight and
And he just kind of hated life and he got to a point where he just felt like I don't want to live anymore
He's like, I don't want to live
I'm not happy about life. No matter how successful I am. I just feel like crap, you know
I just want to just kind of end my life
So he got to a point. He basically said well, I'm done with life
I'm just gonna crawl into my bed and
Starve myself until I die and he basically made a decision to just die now. That's a really random way to commit suicide
it was just like
You know jump off a bridge or you know die in your bed of starvation
I'll do that one instead, you know, but he basically lost the will to live and I'm not obviously I'm not mocking suicides
Obviously, it's a wicked thing and it's a sad thing when when people resort to that
but this individual that was the avenue that he decided to take so he crawls into bed and
He just lost the will to live and he lost his appetite and he just wasn't happy about life three days later
While he's still in bed
He wakes up and he has this renewed sense of desire for life
And he gets up he's like man
I feel great and then he starts getting all these ideas for his company and then he just kind of
Burst back into his company and just kind of revolutionizes it and really, you know when he began to study
Why that happened is because of the fact that his body fasted for those three days
Okay, so his body basically
You know just got rid of all those toxins and all the junk food and cleared his system and
It gave him a renewed sense of energy and hope and just made his body healthy
Okay
And so obviously fasting aside from the biblical aspect of it is good for you in the physical sense
It's good to fast obviously if you are capable of fasting
So this is not telling you hey if you want to be healthy go ahead and fast
You know your diabetic or your breastfeeding obviously this would not apply to women who breastfeed
You know, sorry ladies
You're just gonna have to pick pick and choose whatever you can from the sermon because this is obviously not gonna help you
Because I don't believe it's right. I mean, you know, medically speaking women who breastfeed should not fast at all
Okay, it's not good for them
Now another thing is that fasting in the Bible is actually accompanied with prayer
So it's not just a matter of discipline of fasting and abstaining from food
It's often accompanied with prayer
And in fact, it's actually a manner in which you can serve God with because the Bible says in Luke chapter 2 in
Verse 36 it says and there was one Anna a prophetess the daughter of Fenuel of the tribe of Asher
she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity and
She was a widow of about four score in four years which departed not from the temple but served God with
fastings and prayers
night and day and
She coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem
so we see the and a serve God by prayer and
Fasting now turn with me if you would to Matthew chapter number six
We're gonna come back to Matthew 17 at the end of the sermon
I'm explaining what that passage of Scripture is talking about regarding this kind going not out by by prayer and fasting
We'll come back to that at the end, but go to Matthew chapter 6 if you would
Let me give you a couple points about fasting. Okay, and I have to preach the sermon before next week
Okay, can't be preaching sermons like this on Thanksgiving or on Christmas, you know, that's kind of weird to do
You know, I mean like there's a pastor a couple years ago
who during the Christmas season preached a sermon called downsizing the temple or he made a couple videos called downsizing the temple and
It was supposed to be a long series, but only lasted about two or two or three
You know episodes and all of a sudden he just kind of fell off the wagon or something
You know, it's just like oh what happened? You're not downsizing the temple anymore, but it's this hyper spiritual
Oh, you know holier-than-thou attitude that says oh, I'm losing weight. So you need to lose weight just like me
Let me make a bunch of videos to show you how you can downsize the temple. It looks like his temple became a megachurch
And look I'm not downing on anybody who's trying to lose weight
Who you know goes on a diet or seeks to improve their health in that manner?
But you know, you got to know what you're talking about
Obviously and be an example of those things if you're gonna tell other people to do it
Okay, make two or three episodes and all of a sudden, you know, you just decide to cut that series short
So anyways, let's talk about fasting this evening before next week where we have a feast day by the way
You know the Bible actually encourages eating more than not eating obviously
Bible likens the Bible to food
likens it to meet the meat of the word the milk of the word, you know, Jesus said, you know eat of my flesh
Obviously that's not referring to transubstantiation
It's it's a it's an analogy that he uses to say that we need to believe on Christ for salvation
And so obviously food is a very important aspect of the Christian life
So fasting is not necessarily that which is most essential. Okay number one
Let me start off by saying this is the Bible does not command Christians to fast
Does not command Christians to fast and the reason that's an important point to make is because in old IFP churches
They have this attitude where it's like well Christians have to fast and they'll often make this
You know corporal fast and where everyone has to fast and if you choose not to fast
even though it's supposed to be a voluntary discipline a
Voluntary act if you don't people look down on you for it like oh you're going to McDonald's
Oh, you know the next time I mean if I do that to someone it's because they're going to McDonald's
Not because they're eating. Okay
Cuz McDonald's sucks
But you know the the Bible doesn't command Christians to fast it encourages fasting
It will express the the discipline of fasting. It'll give you examples of fasting, but it does not come in
And I will say this is that in the Old Testament?
Fasting was commanded for the children of Israel one time a year for the Day of Atonement
Okay, let me read that to you Leviticus
1629 the Bible reads and this shall be a statute forever unto you
Then in the month the seventh month on the tenth day of the month ye shall afflict your souls
Now when the Bible says afflicting your soul, it's often synonymous with fasting
Okay
You'll see that throughout the Bible afflicting your souls and do not do no work at all
Whether it be one of your own country or of a stranger that sojourneth among you
For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you that ye may be clean from all your sins
Before the Lord ye shall be it shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you and you shall afflict your souls by a statute forever
So we see here that God actually commands his people to fast on that particular day now
It doesn't even say for how long and that's another thing you won't see in the Bible how long you should fast
You'll see extreme instances of people who fast for long periods of time such as Jesus Christ who fasted for 40 days
You know, you have Daniel fasted for 10 you have different examples in the Bible people fasting for long periods of time
But those are isolated incidents folks, you know
Jesus fasting for 40 days is not a template for us to fast for 40 days now
You can fast for 40 days
But let me say this if you choose to fast for 40 days, you better not tell a single soul about it
You said why would you say that well because of the fact that once you tell someone that you're fasting
For a spiritual reason you've lost your reward and I personally know someone
Who fasted for 40 days and went around the country telling everyone that he did
Doug Fisher of
What is it light?
Lemon Grove, what's the church called lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove? Okay, you know, he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights
He came to our church not here but our old church and telling everybody that he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights
He went around the country telling everybody who's fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Well, he got his reward
What is the reward that he got everyone like well you lasted for 40 days and for you fast
It's just like Jesus and this is what he said
I could have gone for longer but you know after a while your flesh begins to tell you
Yeah, why don't you go longer than your Savior with?
Kind of nonsense is that
Well
That was a waste and folks anybody who's ever fasted even for two days knows two days is a lot. I
Mean for some of us one meal is a lot
People start getting hangry and getting upset and just like feed me
Imagine 20 imagine 48 hours. Imagine seven days. Imagine 40 days, okay
You know and after a while, you know, and obviously I guarantee you this guy wasn't going around
Anointing his face
But we don't see an allotted amount of time you should fast why because it's a voluntary
Action that you should take or that you could take should I say and an example of this is like this
You know tithing is a command of God, but offerings are not
Offerings is something that you can voluntarily give that's why it doesn't give you an amount to give for the offering because it's based upon
Your estimation how much you want to give based upon what God places upon your heart to give
So that's the same thing with fasting, you know prayers a command the Bible says that we should pray pray without ceasing
That's a command
We should be praying and when we choose not to pray we're sinning because he didn't know it to do good and do it
And not to him it is sin
Bible commands is to pray but it doesn't command us to fast if we voluntarily choose to fast
We can do it for a however long we want it could be for a meal
It could be for three meals. It could be for a day. It doesn't matter. Okay?
Now in the New Testament
We're not commanded like the children of Israel too fast because of the fact that Jesus Christ brought in a better Testament
The Bible tells us in Colossians 2 14 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us
Which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the cross and having spoiled
Principalities and powers he made a show of them openly
triumphing over them in it
Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or inspect of a holy day or of the new moon or of the
Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. We often
Apply that to you know Sabbath keepers, but this also applies to meats and drinks
We shouldn't be judged if we choose to eat or if we choose not to eat
That's based upon our own thing that we want to do, you know
And the reason I say this because I remember literally times when a fast was proclaimed in a church
for example and
You know, some people didn't want to partake in the fast
It's just like I don't want to fast and that's perfectly fine
But you know what? God forbid if someone some holier than thou in that church were to see someone
Going out to eat because they'd get called out they'd get you know, oh you're eating, huh?
But you know, we're supposed to be fasting today
You know just kind of condemning them and embarrassing them for fat for not eating or for eating should I say and
So it should never be to that extent now, why is the sermon called fasting an accessory discipline?
Well, let me liken it on to powerlifting. Okay
Weightlifting powerlifting. Okay, when you think of powerlifting you think of three essential workouts that are really necessary now ladies
You can tune out this this you could probably care less but you know
It'll make sense in just a bit. Okay
When you powerlift there's three essential workouts that you need which is the deadlift and then
You need the bench press and you need the squats
You cannot skip leg day
Never skip leg day, man. Those are the three essential workouts that you need in order to be strong
Okay, if you want to be a well-rounded strong person, those are the three main workouts that you need
Those are the ones those are the ones that in a sense you're commanded to do if you really want to get strong
Right, you guys understand what I'm saying? Don't look at me like that's the truth. Go look it up
Now there's other workouts that you can do
To assist you in your deadlift in your squat or in your bench press and those would be considered what accessories
Now here's the thing you could be strong without those things
You can be a very strong individual without ever touching those accessories those accessories just assist you in your lift
You understand
Now, how does that apply to fasting? Okay. Well, let me explain how it applies to fasting prayer is essential
Bible reading essential
Okay, church attendance essential and you can wrap around that soul winning in that church attendance as well
Okay, these are the essentials to the Christian life you understand and in fact, you know deadlifting squats and and bench presses
This is what these are. What's there? What's known as compound workouts. So in other words when you do them, it just works everything out
Works out your back your arms your chest your belly everything. Okay. It's a compound workout
Well, you know, the Bible is a compound spiritual workout, too
Because when you're reading it you're cleansing that which is inside but you're also learning to save others with it as well
So you not only benefit yourself you benefit others as well
In fact, the Bible tells us to give thyself holy unto it by doing so that shall both save thyself and them that hear thee
It's an overall spiritual workout to read the Word of God to learn the Bible
You not only save yourself from false doctrine you equip yourself to save others as well, right?
How about prayer prayer is a compound workout spiritual workout why because you pray for your personal needs
Right, but you also make supplication for the needs of others
Okay
Church attendance is a compound
Workout spiritual workout why because you come to hear the preaching of God's Word
Okay, so you're not a child tossed to and fro carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning
Craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but it's also a place where you're sent out
To go preach the gospel to pull them out of the fire
So you see how they these are well-rounded spiritual disciplines in our life
Well, there's other things in the Christian life that can be considered accessories
Things that will help you in your Christian life. They're not they're not commanded for you to do
But they're just accessories that will assist you in these areas. You know, it's commanded for us to give the tithe and
That will help us to have our hearts in the right place, right?
But you know what if you give an offering that'll just increase your desire to give to the things of God
That'll place your treasure in heaven
In fact, it'll give you a reward when you get to heaven when you actually give an offering and in like manner, you know
Fasting although not a command is like an accessory discipline that can assist you in your prayer life
Now here's the thing, you know, like bench pressing and deadlifts and and and squats
You could be a really strong person without those accessories and in like manner you could be a great Christian
without ever fasting once in your life
You can be an awesome great godly Christian to do great works for God
Just a powerful strong Christian with God's favor in your life and never fast once in your entire life
some of you like
Thank God, you know and it's true
you know, I'm not gonna tell you that fasting that's the way you can become a
Great Christian you need that element in your life to be a great Christian because it's not true
Now will it assist you? Yeah
Will it help accentuate those other disciplines? Absolutely
Will it help you in a specific area of your spiritual disciplines that are commanded for you to do? Absolutely
Do you have to do it to be a super Christian though? No, you don't it just assists you now
Anybody knows that you should do those accessories because if you're really serious if you really want to improve by leaps and bounds
You should you know, basically add those to your regime and in like manner, you know add fasting to your life
If you want to you know, excel in your Christian life a little further, okay, but you can still be a great Christian
without it
Now there although there's no you won't find commands too fast
There are commands given if you choose to fast
So there's no command that tells you thou shalt fast thou shalt abstain from food
But there is a command given if you choose to do so look at Matthew chapter 6 and verse 16
Moreover when ye fast
This is assuming that people are gonna practice this discipline of fasting, right?
Be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance
Now why are the hypocrites sad because it's sad not to eat sometimes
Am I the only one who thinks that I mean right
Sometimes you get
Hangry, you're upset a little moody
You know and then you go eat and then that dopamine spikes and you're like happy again, you know
God is good
Right, you know what I'm talking about all of you know what I'm talking about
Don't leave me up here on an island by myself, you know, it's true. Okay, you know
so
He says don't be like a hypocrites of a sad countenance
so the hypocrites that he's referring to are the Pharisees because we're the Pharisees are the ones who would fast twice in a week and
They're literally telling I fast twice in a week and all this. So what would they do? They would fast
And they're just like what's wrong I'm fasting, you know
They just want people to know that they're practicing the spiritual discipline is this hyper spiritual attitude, you know that
They want people to view their their spirituality to know that they're fasting
Now look if you're fasting for health reasons tell anybody be like, yeah, I feel like junk right now because I'm fasting
Yeah, I am upset right now because I'm not eating but if it's for a spiritual reason, you know
The Bible tells us here. Look what it says
Be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear into men to fast
Barely, I say unto you they have their reward. Okay now I
think that what this is actually saying is
that the Pharisees
Look like they're fasting but they're actually not even fasting at all
Because it says as the hypocrites
That they may appear into men to fast if you're fasting you don't have to try to appear like you're fasting
Just naturally you have to like focus on not looking like you're fast
I mean you understand what I'm saying, but when you're fasting it's like you got to focus on okay
I got to look alive alert awake enthusiastic. I got to make sure you know, these guys are like, okay
I got to look like I'm fasting here because I just I just had some meat and you know
And I told a bunch of people that I'm fasting but I'm really not
You know and they're doing it because they want to be seen of men
And God says they have the reward. What is the reward the praise of men?
And isn't this something that's notorious with the Pharisees that they wanted the praise of men more than praise of God
He says in verse 17, but thou when thou fastest anoint then thine head and wash thy face
What is he saying comb your hair?
Wash your face don't look like you just rolled out of bed. You know what I mean? Because you want to appear unto men to fast
That
Thou appeared not into men to fast but unto thy father which which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret
Shall reward thee openly. So there is a reward attached not necessarily to fasting
But there's a reward that is attached to prayer that is increased when you fast you understand
So it's not like well, I'm just gonna fast and not pray and therefore I'm gonna receive a reward
Now the reward comes by praying okay, and we'll get into that point in just a little bit
But it doesn't come to those who are fake fasting and what is fake fasting when you just tell everyone you're fasting without verbal
Verbalizing it you're showing by your sad countenance your unanointed face your unanointed head
You know your dirty face your long face your countenance
You just want to appear like you're fasting because you want the praise of men you want people to think that you are spiritual
Now go with me if you would to Luke chapter number five if you would look chapter number five
So prayer is an accessory
discipline
That's not commanded to do
but when you choose to do it, there are commands attached to it and
the reason there's a command attached to it is because of the fact that
There is a reward that you receive if you pray and fast
But that reward is made null and void if you choose to do it the wrong way
So there are stipulations to receive receiving a reward by prayer and fasting and you can actually
Forfeit that reward if you choose to be a hypocrite about it
So number one is that fasting is not commanded number two fasting is a natural response to grief and sorrow
So when you think of fasting you think okay, it's a spiritual discipline is attached to prayer, but there's people who yeah, they
Volunteer to fast they volunteer to abstain from food
But then there's other people who don't volunteer to do those things it just comes naturally to them because they're sad they're depressed, okay
And this comes as a matter because you know, they're depressed because maybe they lost a family member
They're going through some sort of
Financial. Whoa, they're experiencing some sort of trial or tribulation and it's so deep
it's so painful that they just lose their appetite and
You know science says that basically it's because of the fact that cortisol is raised and obviously cortisol when it's raised can cause you
To eat a lot, but that actually could cause you not to eat at all
That's why people who are sad and have anxiety and depression
Often struggle to eat because they're so consumed with their problems that they actually forget to eat and you know
I've been in that state before where you know
I'm
Overcome with much sorrow because a particular event that happened in my life and I just don't want to eat
It's not important to me
So basically eating physical food no longer becomes a priority to your life
You know
It's other things are important that you're thinking about and even if your body wants to eat
You're just kind of like I don't feel like doing that right now. I'm too sad. I'm crying. I'm I'm depressed
I'm just very sorrowful. Look at Luke chapter 5
Verse number 30 it says but their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples saying why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Look at these holier-than-thou guys Jesus is eating
with his disciples they're feasting and
Then this guy come these guys come over and they're like, why are you guys eating?
And Jesus answering said unto them they that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick
I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance they said unto him
Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees but thine eat and drink?
And he said unto them can he make the children of the bride chamber fast?
While the bridegroom is with them
But the days will come when the bridegroom shall shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days
So this isn't a marker for when fasting began in the new testament or something when Jesus is taken away because obviously the bridegroom
Is referring to Jesus?
What this is saying is that why are they going to fast if they're not mourning?
They're not sorrowful
They have Jesus right there in the flesh
I mean what a great time to be alive
Right to have God in the flesh you're with him for three years
You're eating with him. You're sleeping in the same areas and you're doing ministry with him. You're conversing with him
I mean, it's a that's a wonderful thing
That's literally a once in a lifetime experience
Literally, right
I mean good night. What a time to be born
To be born and it's just like hey when you turn 20, you're going to be with God in the flesh for three years
That's what a wonderful thing
So there's no room for
Mourning or sorrow because you have you have the source of joy
in your presence
But Jesus is saying but when the bridegroom is taken then it's going to be a time to fast because at that point
My disciples are going to be sad. They're going to be mournful
They are going to you know, be of a sad countenance and that's exactly what happened
A lot of them became sad and mournful and I would assume that many of many of them fasted not voluntarily
But just as a natural response to grief and sorrow
Now this happens when people lose a child they lose a family member
You know, they go through some sort of grief or or sorrow. They just don't want to eat
They just kind of go days without eating go with if you would to
Go to second samuel chapter 12 second samuel chapter number 12
Or sometimes it happens because of some
Sudden fear that comes upon you
You know, basically some people have fast not voluntarily, but they fast
Naturally because some event has taken place in their life. That's actually far more important
Or has is calling their attention far greater than food
Which if you think about it is a big deal
Because I guarantee you half of the crowd in here if not more are thinking about what are we going to eat after service
They're like man, i'm hungry. What are we all this talk about food, you know, i'm like i'm not even talking about food
I'm talking about fasting. Yeah, but it's associated with like not eating, you know
Food is important to people
I mean something we do every single day
We eat every single day and we know we let's just be honest. We eat to live but some people live to eat
They enjoy what they eat
Like it's just like this is what I want. I want to party in my mouth and you know, and so it's constantly on their mind
So think about this for that to be such an important aspect of their life
How much grief or sorrow has to come upon them for them to just completely forget about eating?
To the point, it's just like it's not important to me. I'm not hungry
Why don't you eat? I'm not hungry. I don't feel like eating i'm just so overcome with sorrow and grief
And that is a state that people can be in sometimes
Okay
Uh, I think of let me read to you from first kings during second samuel. I'm gonna read to you from first kings 21 verse 25
It says but there was none like unto ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the side of the lord
Whom jezebel his wife stirred up
And he did very abominably in following idols according to all the things as did the amorites whom the lord cast out before the children
of israel
And it came to pass when ahab heard those words referring to the preaching
The condemnation about what was going to happen to him
That he rent his clothes. This doesn't mean like he got a tuxedo or something rent means like he tore his clothes
He rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went
softly
So when a grief comes upon you some sort of
Event that just destroys your life or you get some really bad news, you know what causes you to do walk softly
Why because it humbles you
And when you're humbled, you're not that hungry anymore because it's not that important. It's just like god's gonna kill me
Why do I care about raising canes if god's gonna kill me tomorrow?
Why do I care about eating if god's gonna kill me?
You know if death is around the corner food would no longer be an important aspect to you anymore
And the word of the lord came to elijah the tish by saying see seeest thou how ahab humbled himself before me
Because he humbled himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days
But in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house and we'll get into what uh fasting can do
But this is one instance here
Let's read from second samuel chapter 12
And verse 15 it says and nathan departed unto his house
And the lord struck the child that yourrias wife bare into david and it was very sick
And david therefore besought god for the child
And david fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth. So what's going on here?
Of course, david committed adultery with bathsheba. He committed his grievous sin
Nathan is sent unto david to proclaim judgment upon him and he basically said like, you know, the child is going to die
So he strikes the child with with a sickness that is unto death
And this is very grievous for david
Why because it's not the baby's fault
It's not the baby's fault. It's not the child's fault, you know, it's david's fault and he knows that it's his fault
So what it causes him to do is to fast it's not like well, you know what? I think i'm gonna fast now
I think i'm gonna go without some meals. No, this is a natural fast
That's a result of his grief because he knows he's about to lose his son
And anybody who's a parent knows the grief that can come upon you if you ever lose a child
It's grievous
I mean, i'm sure every parent in here has thought about
Like man if I ever lose my child i'd like lose it I lose it
Because they mean so much to us you understand especially when you think about an infant who is just you know, just a baby
You know, it's it's very grievous. So this is what happened to him
He fasted he went in lay all night upon the earth by the way another aspect of this grief is sleeplessness
Sleep is another thing that's important to people
Right, right like don't mess with my sleeve. I want a sleeve don't bother me when i'm asleep
But there's times in the bible and even today where people can be so grieved over a specific event
That they actually lose sleep. They can't sleep. They stay up all night
Thinking about problems or whatever it may be
Goes on to say in verse 17 and the elders of his house arose and went to him and to raise him up from the earth
But he would not
Neither did he eat bread with them and it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died
And the servants of david feared to tell him that the child was dead for they said behold while the child was yet alive
We spake unto him and he would not hearken into our voice
How will he then vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?
But when david saw that his servants whispered david perceived that the child was dead
Therefore david said unto his servants is the child dead and they said he is dead
Then david arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself
And changed his apparel and came into the house of the lord and worshipped and he came to his own house
And when he required they set bread before him and he did eat now, obviously david is built a little different, right?
The dude is just built different
Okay, because if it were me i'd still be grieving i'd be grieving probably even more
Which obviously david later on with the son absalom when he died he grieved even after his death
He grieved when his son forsook him, but he also grieved exceedingly when he was put to death
Okay
But here he understands well, you know, and we'll see later on he says I shall go to him
But he should not return them to me
So he understood and he worshipped the lord. He as joe said did not charge god foolishly
For that which took place because the child died. Okay. He understood it was because of his sin
But the point that i'm trying to make here is that grief and sorrow can often cause natural fasting where you just don't want to eat
Okay
Go with me if you would to
Go to james chapter four james chapter four
James chapter number four
Now here's a big thing
Okay, obviously I mentioned all the health benefits in the beginning of fasting
But this next point is not only just the health benefit, but it actually because it's a health benefit will assist you spiritually as well
You said I don't know about that. Well understand that we're mind body and spirit folks
All of those things are attached one to another
Understand so if you want to have a good spiritual life, you got to have a good physical healthy life as well
Because they're all attached you need it all in order to function properly and perform at maximum performance as a christian
The next one is this fasting in the bible is done to accentuate humility. Okay
Now, what does that mean? Well?
When you are fasting you're hungry
And when you're hungry and you go without eating for a while you become what weak
Right become weak. You just become very kind of
Just become weak. I don't know how to explain it. You know, you just become kind of vulnerable
Well vulnerability leads to humility
Because when you're vulnerable you recognize man, you know
God can actually like destroy my life or god if you wanted to can make me go without food forever
I can die like this, you know god holds my life in his hands
You you come to grips with your frailty
Because you know sometimes christians or people especially in america
They think they got it all down packed
Got their bootstrapped and you know, they got their their business or they they're they're working and they're providing
And they're doing all these things and they can often think to themselves or by my hand have I gotten these things
whereas when you fast
You know
It actually accentuates humility because it helps you to come to grips with your own frailty and even mortality sometimes
Because you recognize i'm not as strong as I thought I was
I'm not as fortified or as strong as I thought it was and here's the important thing about this. Okay?
If you are a prideful person if you can if you could if you're so, you know
If you can admit that you're prideful and recognize your need for humility fasting is a great way to get to that point
Why because humility
Basically invites the grace of god into your life
Look at james 4 verse 6 says
But he giveth more grace
Wherefore he saith god resisted the proud but giveth grace
Unto the humble submit yourselves therefore to god resist the devil and he will flee from you
Draw nigh to god and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your hands
You sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded now it's humility in the bible commanded of god for us
Yeah, it is, right
God commands us to be humble
Right. God commands us to read the bible. He commands us to pray he commands us to be humble
But you know what can accentuate that humility is fasting
It can help place you in a place where you need
Basically, it comes it brings you to grips with your own frailty and helps you to be humble
Okay, the bible says in psalm 35 turn with me if you would to
Go to second chronicles chapter 20
Psalm 35 verse 13 says but as for me
When they were sick my clothing was sackcloth. I humbled my soul with fasting
And my prayer returned into mine own bosom
We live in a very fast paced world
and when you fast
Time actually goes by a lot slower
if you've ever fasted for a long period of time, it's just like
five hours
Two hours is like five hours
It's like when is tomorrow gonna come?
You're just like man
This is hard. Now. Let me give you some practical advice regarding fasting. Okay?
If you want to make this a spiritual discipline in your life
Don't don't do a cold turkey if you've never done in your life and you eat a lot of junk food
Because you will last for about an hour
Now if you were not fasting if you were not fasting
You would withhold yourself from eating junk food
four hours three hours
But because mentally, you know, you're fasting
Your body's going to tell you you want junk food like right now
So in order to kind of ease your way into fasting you gotta first kind of get rid of like other stuff first
Okay, like sugar and all that stuff because that will not help you when you fast cold turkey
So if you really want to fast where you just like you just go without food
And and it's just water and that's what you're doing
You kind of have to ease your way into that especially if you're accustomed to eating a lot of junk food
Okay
If you're into energy drinks and coffee and coca-cola
and cupcakes and and you know, uh fries and what else what else we got pizza and
Come on, what what?
What?
Jack in a box
Gross
You can't fast
You don't know how to fast my bro
You know, i'm just saying like junk food in general. You kind of have to like
Cut through that layer of junk food first because if not, that's gonna pull at you
You understand but once you've gotten to that point
You know then practice fasting for a meal
You know, some people eat three meals a day
Maybe you can you can not eat breakfast and then eat at lunch
You know practice in that manner and you know if you want to do two or three
But what i'm saying is to set yourself up for success
You know, don't do a cold turkey now if you're like i'm gonna do a cold turkey or I have at it whatever
i'm, just saying if you if you wanna if you want to set yourself up for success and not fail miserably and just be like
And then because here's what happens is people like fast
And they do it for like two meals and then they just binge eat
For the next meal and then they go in deep into sin like deep
Then they go to jack in a box
Then they do jack in a box and mcdonald's things that they would never thought that they would do before
Because of the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet
You understand
Look at second chronicles 20 verse 1 it says and it came to pass after this also that the children of moab and the children
of ammon
And with them others beside the ammonites came against jehoshaphat to battle
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 has on tamar which is in engedi and jehoshaphat fear
And look what it says and set himself to seek the lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all judah
So this is obviously showing us that he does not fast in times past because now
Fear is kind of motivating him to just proclaim a fast not just for himself
But for the whole land we see this when jonah goes to Nineveh and the ruler there proclaims a fast throughout all the land
For everyone to be in sackcloth. I mean he even made the animals go into sackcloth and ashes, right?
What is it fear?
Okay
Fear can cause you to fast
Because again, it's causing you to focus on that which is most important and not worry about
Uh the menial things of this world, okay?
Go to daniel chapter 9
and
Number four fasting is done to produce mental acuity
So one thing you'll notice is that if you ever fast for a long period of time for a day
Your your your mental health actually improves exceedingly become very clear in your mind
Okay, and the reason for that is because when you eat
You know all the the the the blood cells they rush to your stomach to go digest the food
That's why on thanksgiving
We're all gonna knock out afterwards
You know, it's not because there's tryptophan in the in the turkey by the way, you know, it used to be like a myth
It's like oh there's tryptophan in the turkey. So everyone's getting high off of the turkey
I mean there might be like small amounts of tryptophan, but you would have to eat like, uh, uh,
Uh in order an amount of turkey to even feel any effects of tryptophan
The reason people fall asleep is not because they're they're stoned. Okay
It's because they ate a lot
It's because it's turkey and ham and mashed potatoes
and cranberry sauce
and marshmallow candy yams
And what else gravy?
And let's pray i'm just kidding, you know, and just all that good stuff
And you're just eating eating eating and then you're just like then you go sit on the couch
Watching charlie brown christmas and fall asleep
Because you're so full
What was I talking about
Mental acuity, okay
So the reason for it is because the blood cells they go to your stomach and they're digesting the food
And so it leaves your you know, not all of it, but it leaves some
For your it doesn't leave much for your brain and therefore you you get tired. Okay
Whereas when you fast all those blood cells stay right there
Obviously, they're all over your body, but particularly in your mind and then therefore you receive this clarity
You're able to make you're able to think clearly, okay
and
It's good that when you are feeling like man, my mind is a little foggy
I don't feel like I can focus right then you should fast for a little bit
Obviously if you meet those requirements of physically fasting because it's good for your brain now
There's churches that will tell you if you want the deep truths of god
You know, you gotta fast you gotta do the the daniel fast or something
As if like not eating is attached to like the holy spirit being able to like teach me something from the bible or something
Like oh you're not eating something. Okay. Now i'm going to give you the real deep truths of the word of god
That's not what it is at all. Look at daniel chapter 9 verse 1
In the first year of darius the son of ahazurus of the seed of meads
Which was made king over the realm of the caldians in the first year of his reign
I darius understood by books the number of years
I daniel, excuse me understood by books the number of the years where of the word of the lord came to jeremiah
The prophet that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of jerusalem and I set my face unto the lord god
to seek by prayer and supplication
with fasting and sackcloth and ashes
So in order for him to understand the prophecy of the prophet jeremiah
He prays he makes supplication and the bible says that he fasts
This doesn't open him to a realm of spiritual understanding what it is it gives his mind more mental clarity
Okay
That's what it is
It gives his mind clarity to actually focus
On what he's reading
So here's some practical advice for us as christians
If you if you're ever reading the bible, you know, you're doing your devotions and you have a hard time focusing
Have you ever been there or it's just like I just read the entire chapter. I don't even know what I read
That I I can't pay attention to what i'm reading. Well, it's probably because your mind is foggy
Either that or you got issues that you're dealing with at that time
I'm, not saying you got issues, but i'm saying like there's problems you're dealing with
That you can't get your mind off of right?
But if you don't have problems, you don't have issues, but your mind is just foggy
It maybe would be good for you to fast for a day for a meal in order to give you
Give your mind that mental clarity that it needs to focus on god's word
So what daniel is doing here is that he's fasting in order for him to seek the lord
at his maximum potential
You understand so his mind is clear. He can read god's word. He can he can study the prophecy of jeremiah
And understand what it's saying, okay
And so, you know and obviously
This isn't for everyone but it does assist with that. Remember it's an accessory discipline
Look you can eat mcdonald's every single day and still understand the word of god
Better than some unsaved dude like john macarthur
Who's not even saved that guy probably had maybe he has a good diet. I don't know
But the guy's not safe so he can't understand god's word
So he could be the healthiest dude alive
But the guy's unsaved he does not have the holy spirit of truth dwelling within him therefore he's not gonna understand jack squat
He's not gonna understand anything the guy who's pre-diabetic
But he's saved and he reads the word of god will understand the word of god more than he can
Okay, obviously that's an extreme example
But i'm just saying you know a person who is saved who has a bad diet will still understand the word of god more
Than an unsafe person
Who you know has his ducks in order is a carnivore
Or whatever or zonkito, you know, and they they they've got all kinds of mental clarity, but if they're not even saved
It doesn't do them any good
Better to have both but if you if you have to choose one, obviously just being saved
And eating like junk will still you can still understand the word of god better than most people
Who are healthy but they're not even saved or they don't even believe in god's word
That's that's true. Okay, go to act chapter 13
So daniel understands the prophecy because he fasted and he coupled prayer and supplication
with fasting, okay
But not only that, you know sometimes fasting because it gives you mental acuity can actually assist you in making good decisions
You understand
Some people have a hard time making good decisions
Especially if it's a major decision that they have to make
And it requires prayer supplication and maybe even fasting not because it just catapults you into the spiritual
Mindset but just because it gives you mental clarity and acuity. It helps you to think clearly. Okay, look at acts 13 verse 1
Now they were in the church
That was at anioc certain prophets and teachers as barnabas and simian. It was called niger and lucius of syrene and mania
Manium which had been brought up with herod the tetrarch and saul
And as they ministered to the lord and fasted the holy ghost said separate me barnabas and saul for the work were unto
I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them. They sent them away
So they being sent forth by the holy ghost departed into salutia
And from thence they sailed to cyprus. So obviously this is a big deal. They're making a big decision. They're appointing leaders
They're appointing
missionaries
And so they they see it as an important thing
So therefore they're going to not only pray
But they're going to couple that with an accessory discipline such as fasting to make sure that they have good mental judgment when picking leaders
understand
Look at chapter 14 if you would chapter 14
The bible says in verse 21 and when they had preached the gospel to that city and atop many they returned again to lystra into
Iconium and anayoch confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith
And that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of god
And when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting
They commended them to the lord on whom they believed now, obviously they could have done this without fasting
Just point leaders based upon their qualifications based upon their judgment
But they use this accessory discipline
Of fasting to kind of assist in that area to just make it a little make that judgment a little better you understand
Go to matthew 17 and we're done here because i'm hungry
By the way, you know before jesus really started his ministry he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights as he's going
Spiritual battle with satan you understand
And so, you know, obviously he's the son of god
So that's why he did 40 days and 40 nights and that is an isolated incident
But it goes to show you that it's obviously coupled with prayer in order to assist in that area
Now in matthew 17, we run into this very interesting unique story of someone being demon possessed
And the disciples although they had authority over demons and these devils were not able to cast them out
And jesus says in verse 21, how be it this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting it's pretty interesting statement now
Don't misunderstand what this is saying because we can't necessarily
Apply this particular situation to ourselves because we don't cast out devils
This isn't a charismatic pentecostal church folks where we slap you on the forehead. We might slap you on the forehead
You know to cast you out
But not to cast out a demon out of you or something like that you understand
This is obviously something that was isolating unique to the apostles who were given
The spiritual authority to be able to cast out devils and demons
But it's applicable for us because of the fact that when he says how be it this kind goeth not out
But by prayer and fasting he's not saying hey if you want to cast out some crazy demons if you want to get like legion
Out you don't only need prayer you need fasting as well
It's not what it's saying at all because look what it says in verse 19
Then came the disciples to jesus apart and said why could we not cast him out?
Notice he didn't say because you didn't pray and fast
That's not what he said, right?
He didn't say because you just guys just love food too much
You guys can't seem to go without a meal
And therefore you couldn't cast out this devil
No, he said and jesus said unto them because of your unbelief
For verily I say unto you if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed
Ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place
And it shall remove
And nothing shall be impossible unto you
So the main factor that we see here the problem the reason they couldn't cast out the devil was not because they didn't fast
It's because of their own belief
They lacked faith
Okay, you said what does fasting have to do with it then?
Well, if fasting is an accessory discipline to prayer
Think about this in order to increase our faith. We have to pray
But in order to pray to increase our faith an accessory discipline that helps with that is fasting
So you pray to increase your faith, but in order to pray with intensity and seriousness and severity
To increase our faith. It's good to add that accessory discipline of fasting in order to
Help us pray more for us to have more faith
That's what it is. Because if that wasn't the case, then you know, he would have told them you should have fasted
Should have just fasted if you would have fasted you would have been able to cast out that demon
But that's not what he says because of your unbelief
so the last thing is this folks is that
Fasting helps assist you in your prayer life so you can increase your faith if you're lacking faith
Whether it's because you lack faith in god that he can provide for you. You're lacking faith to to to
Stand for truth or whatever it may be that that you need to step out in faith in
Maybe you need to increase your prayer life a little bit to increase your faith and one thing that helps boost that
is fasting
Fast for a meal fast for two meals fast for three if you obviously are physically capable of doing so
But I do want to emphasize this
You don't have to do it to be a great christian
So this isn't a sermon condemning if you walk away and say that was a great sermon
But I probably will never fast ever in my entire life
You know
I'm going to jack in the box or you know, i'm gonna i'm gonna keep doing what I do
That's on you. I mean, it's not you can still be a great christian
You can still win souls to christ
You can still earn a ton of rewards at the judgment seat of christ. You can read your bible understand the deep things of god
You know, you can understand end times bible prophecy and still pull out great truths from it
You can still
Live a holy acceptable life unto the lord
All the days of your life if you choose not to fast
but
If you want to just add a little bit to that
That accessory discipline does help
It does help. Let's pray father. We thank you so much for this day. Thank you for
The concept of fasting lord and of course the most important element of these two is is prayer
And that's a non-negotiable
Prayer bible reading and church attendance is they're non-negotiables in the christian life
These other accessories you provide for us just kind of accentuate
uh those
The results of those disciplines lord and I pray you help us to to apply them to our lives lord
And never have this fair say goal holier than thou hyper spiritual attitude regarding the accessories of the christian life
In jesus name we pray. Amen