A fast sermon THE STORY Chapter 18 3/23/14

A fast sermon

THE STORY Chapter 18

3/23/14

SLIDE #1

I KIND OF TRICKED YOU THIS WEEK… I PROMISED A FAST SERMON, I DID NOT PROMISE A “QUICK” SERMON. Actually, today we are talking about fasting.

SLIDE #2

In Chapter 18 of THE STORY, we will start reading about Daniel and one of the first things we read is about Daniel fasting from all the wonderful royal foods.

Let’s back up just a little. Daniel and his friends were among the Jewish exiles to Babylon. They were young, strong perfect specimens of humanity so the king chose them to be among the young men he was training up as government leaders. This was a mixed bag to say the least.

Since Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah were prisoners, being part of the royal court was a great opportunity to improve their lives. Being Jewish in the royal household, however, presented some challenges. They were accustomed to Jewish clothes, a Jewish diet and Jewish worship. Back in Judah, virtually everyone was Jewish so it was easy. Now 500 miles away from home in Babylon, and especially in the royal court, they were in the minority. It was much harder to be Jewish in Babylon than in Judah.

Daniel was apparently willing to wear the clothes of Babylon. He was willing to learn the language and customs of Babylon. But he drew the line at the food. King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, no doubt, had the finest meats, and wines, and sweets available to Daniel and his friends. I suspect Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were looking forward to good steak and some fine wine. The king, however, had no reason, however, to follow Jewish dietary law, and Daniel had no intention of breaking Jewish dietary laws. You know there are a bunch of them. Daniel, therefore, asks for a simple diet of vegetables and water. After some negotiating, Daniel arranges for this simple diet for 10 days to prove that it isn’t going to make him sick. At the end of 10 days, Daniel and his friends looked better than the other young men in the king’s court did.

I think the important thing here is not what he ate or didn’t eat. The important thing is not the length of time. The important thing is not whether God wants us to be vegetarians. (Frankly, I hope not) The important part of this story is that Daniel did it for God. Daniel fasted from the king’s foods because he didn’t want them to come between him and his God. Daniel fasted from the king’s food because he wanted to be closer to God.

Honestly, that is the only valid reason for a religious fast: To be closer to God.

SLIDE #3

How does that work? Think about it. Our lives revolve around food. We break the day into morning, afternoon and evening, separated by what? Meals. When we are bored or nervous, what do we think?... I wonder what I have to eat around here? When we celebrate, we eat. When we grieve, we eat. When something good happens, we eat. When we get depressed, we eat. What else has such a hold on us, rightly or wrongly,… what else has such a hold on our lives besides food? Nothing.

Isn’t that what the snickers commercial says?

<<<<<< PLAY VIDEO               >>>>>>

SLIDE #1

Richard Foster says that our stomach is like a spoiled child, and spoiled children do not need indulgence, they need discipline. Even snickers commercials speak to the control that our stomachs have over our lives. We are not to be controlled by our stomachs, but controlled by the Spirit of God. Fasting is spiritual training in self-control.

SLIDE #2

+++Fasting, then, is a way of saying, “God, I want you even more than food. God I love you more than food. I want to depend on you even more than food. I want to turn to you even before I turn to food.”

SLIDE #3

+++Secondly, fasting defies our dependence on food. It disrupts the cycle of meals and opens up room for something else. It breaks through the routine of our lives and tills up fresh new soil in which we can grow closer to God and God can grow closer to us. Fasting breaks down the barriers created by our comfortable habits and provides, for God, a new route to our hearts. What if every time your stomach growled it was a call to prayer?

Richard Foster Writes, More than any other single Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately. … Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear—if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first, we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger then we know that we are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that healing is available through the power of Christ.

What are we slaves to? What are our bottom line passions? Fasting is a way of saying, “I want you more than anything God.” “I want you even more than food.” Fasting is a way of revealing to ourselves and confessing to God what is in our hearts. And the aim of fasting is that we come to rely less on food and more on God himself. [i]

SLIDE #4

+++Third, fasting opens up time. If you add up all the time it takes to grocery shop, prepare, eat, and clean up from meals you might have as much as 30 hours a week. What could you do with an extra 30 hours in a week? What if you dedicated them to prayer and reading scripture and doing the things that bring you closer to God? Where would you be in your spirituality if you increased your face time with God that much? Now I am not suggesting that we change our lifestyle here and stop eating. That would be a really bad idea. What I am saying is that occasionally it wouldn’t hurt us, and might actually help if, by fasting, we opened up some time and dedicated it to God.

SLIDE #5

Let me stop to define fasting. Fasting means to voluntarily lay aside any pleasurable and/or vital activity for a period of time in order to intensely pursue God.

Let’s take that apart…

It is voluntary… I am not going to tell you that you have to fast. I will tell you that you might grow closer to God if you do. However, just like your relationship with God, it is entirely voluntary.

It is a laying aside any pleasurable and/or vital activity …fasting is giving up something that is important to you. Customarily we fast from food, but technically one can lay aside anything that is important from TV to hobbies to social interaction to alcohol to sex.

For a period of time… we aren’t talking about a lifestyle change here. Fasting is for a finite period of time to allow you to intensely pursue God.

Jesus fasted for forty days. Moses, on two separate occasions, fasted for forty days. Joshua fasted for forty days. Paul fasted for three days and then God healed his eyes. Peter fasted for three days. Daniel fasted for 10 days. The Bible teaches about half-day fasts and twenty-four-hour fasts. The entire nation of Israel fasted for three days. A fast is for a period of time.

SLIDE #6

There are a lot of misconceptions about fasting. So, Let me tell you what fasting is not.

·        I already said it is not mandatory.

·        But fasting is also not an oddity. Jesus says, when you fast… notice not if you fast, but Jesus took it for granted that we would fast. Remember all the people I mentioned earlier including New Testament people who fasted? Fasting is definitely Christian.

·        Fasting is also not for show. Jesus says, “When you fast do not do it to look dismal like the hypocrites.” What he is talking about is that the hypocrites would stop their personal hygiene practices in order to look pathetic. Then they would put ash on their faces in order to garner the attention of others saying, in essence, “Look at how holy I am.” Jesus says do not fast for show. Do it in private. Because it is between you and God. 

·        So if you are discovered does that ruin the fast? Of course not. There is a big difference between fasting in order to be seen and being seen fasting. It would be a really good idea, for instance, to tell whoever cooks at your house that you are fasting so you don’t create more problems at home than you have to. So first Fasting is not a show.

·        Also, fasting is not magic. It is not a spiritual hunger strike that compels God to do whatever we want. It is not like blowing out the birthday candles to get our wish. Fasting is not a prayer trick, but a prayer enhancer. Fasting can deepen and intensify our prayer time with God. It can focus and clarify your prayers as you enter into God’s presence, but fasting does not make magic.

·        Finally, fasting is not an end in itself but rather a means to a greater end; that of making room for and drawing close to God. Just fasting is fine, but it is not a spiritual discipline if it is not combined with prayer. To stop eating might have some health benefits, but it has no spiritual benefit if we don’t use the time and energy to connect to God.

If that is what fasting is not, then what is fasting?

First, how? That’s rather self evident. Stop eating. Except there is more to it than that.

There are two broad kinds of fasts

·                    Complete fasts where no solid food is consumed, only water or sometimes juices.

·                    Then there are partial fasts like Daniel’s fast in the book of Daniel. One might fast from meats, or sweets, or soda, or some other food. Or it might be for one meal a day. That is a kind of partial fast as well.

The important thing in deciding how to fast is to be smart about it. Most people can do a 24 hour fast with no problem. There are people, however, who have medical conditions (diabetes comes to mind) or take medicines that would make fasting unwise or even dangerous. Being prone to migraines for instance limits how long I can fast, so I will make sure that I eat at least one meal each day. Bottom line, if in doubt, check with your doctor.

Second how long? Again, that might be controlled by medical concerns, but what we are calling for is a 24 hours of fasting and prayer in whatever way you can do that. From 7am April 19^th to 7am April 20^th (Easter morning) You might want to institute weekly fasting for the rest of lent, or make it part of your regular spiritual life, but April 19-20 is our target for communal fasting and prayer.

Third, Why? I’ve already said an individual fast has one purpose, which is to get closer to God. A communal fast, however often has a focus. Our focus is revival. Praying for God to work powerfully in our church and community. For God to work powerfully in our lives and the lives of neighbors and friends, and for us to reach more people this Easter than last.

SLIDE 7

Over the next 3 weeks, we are asking everyone to pray for revival and specifically for 2-3 friends whom you will invite to worship on Easter Sunday

Also over the next three weeks, you will sign up for the prayer vigil on Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend.

SLIDE #8

Then, when they prayer vigil comes, we are asking you to fast and take your prayers to the streets. If you can, we are asking you to walk or drive down your street, around your block or all over town praying for revival- for God to work powerfully in the lives of each family as you pass their home. Make sure that you include the people you are inviting to worship. If you can’t get out walking or driving, do it in your imagination. Imagine their house or their faces, praying that God will work powerfully in the lives of each person. Of course, the church will be available for you to pray, but this year I want to encourage you to take your prayers to the streets.
The goal then, is that every family in town would receive prayers for revival during this 24-hour prayer vigil, asking God to work powerfully in their lives.

SLIDE #9

Then Easter Sunday morning, we will be praying for to reach more than 173 people with the Easter gospel. Is that clear? That’s the plan, and that’s why I am preaching on prayer and fasting today.

John Piper writes in his book, A Hunger for God,
If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast ‘I want you, O God’” (Pg 23)[ii]

Let’s take the rest of this lent to drink deeply.

To pray deeply

To study deeply

And to fast deeply.

To drink deeply from the well of God’s grace and God’s power. To be nourished and filled and draw close to God. AMEN

---

[i] Foster, Celebration Of Discipline

[ii] Piper, A Hunger for God