Reasons for Fasting

Okay, well, morning folks. Lovely to see you. Please do have your Bibles open. I know that's only three verses today, but boy, this is going to pack a punch.

So please have your Bibles open. Remember that this is not just routine. This is not just something we do on a Sunday morning. This is about encountering the living God who has made himself known in his word.

So please have that open in front of you as we get into this topic today, these verses today. To try and get us into this, can I tell you about my favourite dad joke?

Had it a few weeks ago, summer holiday, in the car, up and down, down to Bath, back up to Edinburgh. Inevitably, the call comes from the back. Do you know the one of you who are a parent?

And I'm hungry. At which point, I know it's coming and I love to reply, hi, hungry. I'm dad. Which never goes down quite well.

But here's the thing you recognise, you realise along car journeys. One of the worst things imaginable for a child, where they cannot get their head around, is the thought of being hungry.

Can I suggest though, if you're like me, adults aren't much better. Yeah, watching the World Cup just a few weeks ago, it felt like every second advert was for McDonald's or Uber Eats or Domino's Pizza.

Our meals, they come microwavable ready. We talk about people, maybe you're one of these people, people who are foodies.

At work, I remember this in the office. We always look forward to our elevenses.

We've even invented a term that describes somebody who's both tired and hungry.

What do we call them? Hangry.

We don't do well as adults, do we, with the thought of being hungry.

Which is why what Jesus is going to say today in these verses, it might seem really odd.

Because in these verses, if you've got it there, come with me, you get the distinct impression that this whole idea of denying yourself food for spiritual purposes,

which is what fasting is at a functional level.

As you see Jesus here talking, he's saying, do you see it when you fast, not if you fast.

He's talking about fasting like it's a really good thing.

Problem is, it can be done for all the wrong reasons.

Which I don't know about you, but that doubly intrigues me.

And we're going to spend the rest of our time getting our teeth into why.

And before we get there, and because some of us will hear this, and this concept is totally alien to us.

Others of us will hear this, and we're suspicious.

Others of us will hear this, and we'll maybe think our minds will go to some of the similar sounding alternatives,

which are out there on the market.

It's worth us clarifying what Jesus isn't talking about here.

So on the one hand, in our increasingly health conscious culture,

we need to appreciate that this is not Jesus promoting some kind of bodily detox.

Right?

It's our world that we live in today.

It's true, isn't it, that we're growing more conscious of what we're putting into our bodies.

Didn't surprise me this read to week that, get this,

8 million more pints of non-alcoholic beer were poured in the UK this year than at this point last year.

But that's not what Jesus has in mind here.

And on the other hand, in our increasingly multicultural culture,

we need to appreciate that this is different from what our Muslim friends would do at Ramadan,

and our Catholic friends would do when they fast,

which, as I understand it, has as part of that practice,

this idea of trying to make amends for our wrongs.

Again, this is not what Jesus has in mind here.

And so, in the time that we have together,

as we try and enter the atmosphere of these verses in Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

I want to kind of frame this in terms of four distinct reasons why God's people fast,

as we get into this.

You with me?

Here's number one.

First reason.

This is all about feeling our need.

If you're a note taker, four things.

Here's the first one.

Feeling our need.

So, fasting, depriving yourself of food for the sake of spiritual purposes,

which we'll come on to see right at the top of that,

what's Jesus talking about?

He's talking about seeking the face of the Father, right?

Number one reason we do this,

it acutely reminds us of the creature-creator distinction.

And here's the thing.

It does not matter whether you're at the beginning of life,

or you're at the middle of life,

or that you're at the end of your life.

We are still wholly dependent beings.

We never stop being wholly dependent beings.

I think our problem,

this is where the slide background has come from,

our problem is that we run around every day

acting as if it's not true.

But on the other side to this than us,

we've got to understand that while we are needy and dependent,

our God is wholly other.

He is wholly other.

He is dependent on no one.

He is entirely self-sufficient.

Our God has no equal.

Him and the devil.

It's not like God has his nemesis.

Right?

This is not Messi versus Ronaldo.

This is not Luke versus Darth.

God and this is not two equals playing it out.

Our God is entirely other.

He has no equal.

He has no rival.

He is, to quote that TV show if you watch it,

he is in a league of his own.

And he is the provider.

He's the sustainer of all things.

See that breath you just took?

He gave you it.

And that's baked into what we saw last week

as Jesus taught his disciples how to pray.

Did you pick that up?

Give us each day our daily bread.

Here's the point.

Fasting doesn't make us weak and dependent.

Fasting just reveals how weak and dependent

we've been all along.

I take it as good, friends, isn't it?

To feel our need at times.

Number one, it's about feeling our need.

Number two, it's about focusing on truth.

So according to the Bible, we're not just bodies.

We're just matter.

We are body and soul beings.

That really matters.

Body and soul.

So fasting is a way of reminding ourselves

that there's so much more to life

than just our physical needs.

Again, we've seen that already in Matthew's gospel

with Jesus' temptation back at chapter four.

Jesus is led, not by the devil,

he is led by the spirit into the wilderness.

Huge is symbolic.

But Jesus, what does he do there?

Jesus fasted.

So Jesus is there humbled by taking on human flesh.

And he, as it were,

humbles himself further

by entering that place of utter dependency,

doing what Adam and Israel before him

failed to do in terms of obedience

to the word of the Father.

And so his fasting is unique in a sense.

But he still sets us that pattern

as he responds to the devil by saying,

man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

So here's the thing.

See, when we deprive our bodies of food,

it is for the express purpose

of allowing our souls to feast on the word of God.

Will I say that again?

When we deprive ourselves of food,

it is for the express purpose

of feasting our souls on the word of God.

And you'll find all sorts of different people

through the Bible story

choosing to fast for different reasons.

But what's really interesting with all this stuff

is that there was one day in particular

in the Old Testament

that God told his people to fast.

This is great.

You with me?

One day in particular,

he commanded his people to fast.

This day that was central

to the lives of God's people

that we read about in Leviticus 16

called the Day of Atonement.

A day that happened once a year

featuring one man and two goats.

There's your formation.

Once a year, one man, two goats.

The man, the high priest,

he would go into, by himself,

into the holy place.

He would take goat number one

and he would kill the goat.

The goat being sacrificed

in the place of the people.

And then he would come out

and he would come out of the holy place

where he would meet goat number two

and he'd take his hands

and he'd place his hands on this goat,

symbolically confessing

all of the sins of the people

on this goat

and he would set it to run

as far away as possible

into the wilderness.

And God was teaching his people

in shadow form

that the effect of blood being shed

was that their sins were gone for good.

And isn't it interesting

that it's on this one day

that God calls his people

to fast.

It's almost as if God is saying,

you've got to stop what you're doing.

Have I got your attention?

You need to get this.

And a lot of friends down south

who got that text this week,

you know, everybody got the text

about the weather warning,

heat warning, right?

This is not advice.

You've got to get this.

And so here is God calling his people

to fast.

Put away your pots and pans for the day.

Right?

Pause your to-do list.

Because you've got to lift your eyes,

you've got to still your souls,

you've got to focus your minds

on this central thing

that's right at the heart

of what it means to be mine.

And what is God teaching his people

as they fast?

He's teaching them

that their greatest need

is forgiveness.

And because their greatest need

is forgiveness

and he's provided a way,

it opens up the possibility

to their greatest privilege,

which is fellowship.

And so the invitation is to come

and receive it all

by faith.

And friends,

everything that the day of atonement

symbolized in these two goats,

Jesus did through his work

on the cross.

In other words,

Jesus did both.

Isn't that amazing?

It's the gospel.

Jesus did,

through his work on the cross,

he did both.

We've got to understand

that on the cross,

Jesus is not twisting the arm

of a reluctant father.

What is the cross

but the display

of the beating heart

of the father

to win a people for himself,

to make a way for them

to be his

and to display his glory

to the watching world?

Because of what Jesus has done,

the greatest privilege is ours,

that we can be reconciled,

our sins forgiven,

united to him,

we can be reconciled.

We are reconciled

from the moment

we put our faith in him.

We are reconciled

to our creator.

And the greatest privilege

known to man

is opened up.

The privilege of calling

our creator God,

calling him

and knowing him

as our father.

Which when you think about it,

is that not the ultimate name drop?

To say that the creator

of all things,

I know him.

Personally,

I know him.

Do you know what?

He knows me.

It's the ultimate name drop.

Which takes us

to the third reason, friends,

that we fast.

And I recognize

we're going through this quickly,

but we'll get into the text

with this one.

Third reason that we fast

is simply to seek

the face

of the father.

You know,

there was a recent survey

done in the UK

that revealed that

30%

of men and women

in this country

feel like

they lack purpose.

And 25%

of young adults

feel that they lack

security and love.

not quite alarming,

actually.

Maybe that is

exactly where

you're at today.

But see,

for the Christian believer,

the bedrock

of our identity

is entirely

caught up

in that word

father.

United to Christ,

it is the birthright

of every single believer

to call him

that.

You know,

last week, friends,

my soul,

see if you just skim

your eyes back

to verse 8.

And at the end of the day,

honestly,

I'm just one sheep

telling you how

I fed on green grass.

Telling another sheep,

right.

My soul

was so

encouraged

by verse 8.

I needed to be reminded

of this,

of my father's

complete knowledge

and love for me.

Do you see that

when we pray?

Notice verse 8.

Because my mind

so often goes

like my phone

into predictive

text mode.

Right?

I read that

and I thought

it should say

my father knows

what I'm going to say

before I say it.

Right?

But see,

it's so much deeper

than that.

Right?

He's not in the business

of finishing

my sentences.

It's what old

couples do.

Isn't it?

Remember that song

in Frozen?

It's crazy how we

finish each other's

sandwiches.

That's not what

this is saying.

Do you see it?

So comprehensive

is his commitment

to his children.

He knows what I need

before I even ask.

Do you see that?

And it's amazing

to think

when I call

on him

at any time

of the day

like Derek read

earlier,

in Christ

drawn by the Spirit

to the throne

of the Father.

When I cry out

to him

because he loves me

I'll never get voicemail.

He loves us.

I always loved

that old Puritan

saying

to live often

in the smiles

of God.

In fact,

see if we did

a kind of heat map

for the word

Father

in the Sermon

of the Mount

it would go

really red

at this point.

Right?

See when you

take in

the first

18 verses

of chapter 6

heat map

the word

Father

it comes up

all the time

here.

Jesus is talking

about giving

and praying.

Craig did

such a good job

of taking us

through that

last few weeks.

Today we're

thinking about

fasting.

What connects

to these three

things is that

they are the

three great

Jewish religious

identifiers.

You want to know

somebody's really

into God?

Look for these

three things.

And Jesus

has deliberately

used that term

Father six

times already.

See if you're

counting.

And he's about

to use it

twice more

in our verses

here.

And here's

why.

Because if we

aren't secure

in his love

for us

and if we're

not living

from his

love for us

if we think

it's about us

living for his

love

do you know

what's going

to happen?

Our hearts

will go looking

for praise

in all sorts

of places.

Yeah?

Looking for

praise in all

sorts of

places.

And that's

what's going

on in chapter

six these

verses 16

17 18

do you see?

Jesus knows

that his

disciples are

living in a

world that's

full of

fake fasting.

Do you see

it?

Because what's

happened is

that the

Pharisees

who at the

end of the

day aren't

lovers of

God.

Jesus would

say they are

lovers of

self.

They've

taken this

command.

They've

taken this

instruction

to fast.

They've

taken something

that's meant

to be God

honoring and

they've twisted

it and they've

made it

something completely

self-serving.

That's what's

going on in

these verses.

I mean think

about it right?

If you want to

convince people

that you're a

really religious

person and

deadly serious

about it

let them see

you give.

That's not

difficult.

Let them

see you

pray.

Hear you

pray.

That's not

difficult.

Quite easy

actually.

But see if

that's the

game that

you're in.

Here's the

problem.

Think about

it that you've

got with

fasting.

Very

definition.

By very

very definition.

You can't

see it.

Yeah?

So what do

you do in

verse 16?

Well you

screw up your

face.

You hold

your tummy.

You groan.

You put a

little bit of

dirt under

your eyes.

I don't know

what you do.

But do you

know what

this is?

This is

tell me you're

fasting without

telling me you're

fasting.

Isn't it?

Tell me you're

fasting without

telling me you're

fasting.

This is what

you do.

And Jesus is

unmasking this

whole facade.

And he's

helping his

disciples see that

although the

world might sit

up and admire

that God's

not sitting

in heaven

applauding that.

And Jesus

says see when

you watch

somebody do

that know

that the

praise of

man is what

they're doing

it for and

also know

that that's

all they're

going to

get.

You

however

because you're

secure in the

Father's love

seek him in

secret.

You know

the big

invitation about

fasting here

is that no one

should know that

you're fasting.

You see it?

Seek him in

secret.

He might be

unseen to you

but make no

mistake that what

you're doing and

seeking him is

not unseen to

him.

Why do you

do it?

You don't do

it because you

want the

praise of

man.

Why do you

do it?

Because I

want him.

Which takes

us to the

fourth reason

that we

fast.

Why do we

fast?

Because friends

we are longing

for home.

Because fast

forward a few

chapters into

chapter 9 of

verse 14.

Turn there if

you want.

I'll put some

verses on the

screen.

the Pharisees

in this scene

they come to

Jesus and

they say

why don't

your disciples

fast?

And it's

almost as if

they never

quite get over

this.

John's

disciples come

to why don't

your disciples

fast?

And again

my mind in

predictive text

mode.

Jesus could

have said

they're not

fasting because

they're doing

exactly what I

told them to

do a few

chapters ago.

Why can't

you see them

fasting?

Because I

told them that

they shouldn't

let anyone

see that

they're fasting.

He could

have said

that.

But that's

not what

Jesus says.

His disciples

aren't fasting.

Why?

Because the

groom is

here.

and he's

picked his

metaphor

splendidly.

The Bible

is,

friends,

one great

story about

God and

his pursuing

love for

his people.

So much

so that

the only

way I

take it,

that the

metaphor that

God gives

us and runs

right through

scripture is

that of a

groom and

a bride.

And here

is Jesus

saying,

I am

that great

groom.

I've come

on a

mission.

I've come

to save

my bride.

And I'm

with them

now.

Do you

know what?

One day

my disciples

will fast.

And it will

be the day

that I go.

And then

they'll fast

because they

are waiting

for my

return.

But not

now.

I'll come

on to see

this in a

few weeks.

Not now.

I've never

been to a

wedding celebration

where we're

going there

and the

master's

ceremony

stands up

and says,

this is a

very solemn

occasion.

Yeah?

No, it's

party time.

And that's

what Jesus

is saying.

I am

here.

The groom

is here.

But one

day they

will fast.

And this

is what is

particularly,

friends, if I

can put it

like this,

this is

particularly

what is

New Testament

about fasting.

We're not

Old Testament

Israel,

right?

God doesn't

command us

to fast.

No, here

is Jesus

here encouraging

us to fast

as a way

of reorientating

ourselves to

the goodness

of the

gospel.

Now, we

always, every

night in our

house we find

it at

dinner time.

Kids, tea's

ready.

And there

they come,

right?

And no, no,

no, we need

to wait because

one of the

six of us

isn't at this

table yet.

Wait, wait,

wait, right?

And you

feel like

William Wallace

in that

brave

part of him,

hold, hold.

Waiting doesn't

come naturally.

Did you know

that feeling

when maybe you

did it as a

kid, you

got to wait?

There's

something of

that in what

Jesus is

saying here

about fasting.

Because in

holding ourselves,

in that moment

of salivating

for what's

about to

come, we're

reminded that

we long not

for the dinner

that we'll eat

in a few

hours.

That's way

too short-sighted.

Friends, we

are longing

when we

fast for the

wedding feast

of the Lamb

and the

fellowship we'll

enjoy with

him forever

when our

groom returns.

If you're

looking for

something good

to read,

one of the

best books

I've read

over the

last year

was all

about this

book by

a guy

called Chris

Davis in

America and

it's called

Bright Hope

for Tomorrow.

Clearly

taken it from

that hymn.

But I love

this, how

anticipating Jesus'

return gives

strength for

today.

Wonderful book.

Let me just give

you one line

from it.

He puts it

like this.

We fast

because Jesus,

our bridegroom,

is not here.

And no matter

how tasty the

wedding reception

spread may be,

life is not

complete until we

are in the

presence of

the one who

loves us.

And so since we

begin to wrap

this up today,

our time is

marching on,

here's two

quick bits of

advice as we

seek to

perhaps put

what Jesus

is saying

here into

practice.

These will be

real, real

quick and we

can talk about

these afterwards

if you want.

Here's number

one, friends,

know your

body.

I'm just so conscious that as your pastor I know that that for many of us medically speaking this

might not be something for all sorts of reasons that we're able to do and I don't want you feeling

like you are missing out or in other words maybe or maybe other people you're a shift doctor at work

or you're in something where concentration is something you really need to have because of the

level of responsibility that's on you and again the name of the game is wisdom or maybe honestly just

eating is a big struggle so so conscious of that maybe eating is a big struggle whoever you are

here's my bit of advice just practically speaking speak to a doctor before you do anything

speak to a friend but if that's practically speaking maybe spiritually speaking remember

god knows how you are framed and he loves you unconditionally in christ never doubt that

but otherwise there may be here thinking where would I even start with something like this

again what I would say to you friends is don't try and go from zero to hero

start small could you maybe miss a meal could you go for a few hours without food whatever it is

friends know your body again we do this together don't we so we help one another with this stuff

know your body which takes me really quickly to the second bit of advice which is really simply have a plan

if we don't eat food if we go without food and all we can think about is how hungry we are

then can I perhaps suggest that we've missed the point of what Jesus is talking about here

our focus should be less on what we're saying no to and more on the better yes that we're saying yes to

so when we feel that pang when we feel that hunger what truth are we going to take our souls to in God's

words could you have a psalm for the morning and you just read a verse every half an hour or something

like that what are you going to pray about what are you going to lay and spread out before your father

there's something really specific that's in your mind that this is a way of just concentrating

and focusing on the Lord and laying it before him are you at the start of a new season of life

is there a big decision that you're facing in your life you think I just want to

I just want to throw this before the father who loves me

friends fasting is all about seeking the face of the father if you take one thing from this would it be

that that's what it's about you know just as we close I want to bring us back to the heart of that question

that we've seen over the last few weeks remember we said these three things are connected and Craig did a

wonderful job at bringing out the big question that's right at the heart of this not so much in what you do

it's in why you do it what was that big question remember he put it last week

whose praise are we living for whose praise are we living for whose smile drives us

and who at the end of the day are the only eyes in the room that we're seeking you know just as we

close let me just leave you with this you know I'm just finished reading the autobiography of one of my

favorite ever actors I was born in 85 look at my age so that makes me a kind of 90s kid you know

my favorite actor and this is why I loved it when his autobiography came out and it was 99p on kindle

um Will Smith still love Will Smith

Independence Day I think one of the first films that I really like whoa what a film and then

Men in Black and then Any of the State I Am Legend and then getting into Fresh Prince and the guy sings as

well this guy wasn't just at the height of his career when I was growing up he was in everything

and I'm watching it

I'm loving this guy so I'm reading this book and I'm really interested to see what

why he did it all here is what is fascinating about what he writes about why he did what he did

right he was in everything here's what he writes I didn't want to leave space between my tv show

the next movie and my next record because I didn't want to give people an opportunity to fall in love

with The Rock during my absence right so The Rock Dwayne Johnson the another actor who's trying to make

his way as well big deal I didn't want to miss a thing because I did not want people's praise to go to

him I wanted it for myself is that not really interesting about what drives people

why did he keep doing it because he didn't want people to fall in love with someone else

and is that not exactly the heart of the human condition is that not exactly what the Pharisees

are doing here whose praise do we want we want people's praise and see the minute it goes off of us

we will do anything to get it back and his book Will Smith is essentially his story of him saying

it exhausted me friends what an exhausting way to live and yet how different the Christian

here is the invitation from Jesus to live for the audience of one

and to bask in his fatherly care and his fatherly love for us see right at the end when Jesus says

the father will reward you

puzzling myself all week as to what that means can I give you my best shot

friends see knowing him better in his love for me

that's reward enough

let's pray

oh our father we thank you so much that we have the privilege to call you father

lord we are so aware of how our hearts go searching for praise in all the wrong places

and it's our prayer lord that whatever's going on in our lives today that your spirit would draw us back

to your knowledge of and care of and affection for us because we are united to your son

father simply there is no one we'd rather seek and but father I pray pastorally that wherever this is landed in our lives

father thank you that your spirit is so much more of a better pastor than I can ever be

and I pray that he would be moving amongst us this morning bringing that sense of challenge and comfort

and encouragement to our souls

lord we thank you

that we do not have to perform

to get your love

father thank you that we just place our faith in Jesus

the one as Derek read at the start

who loved us and gave himself

for us

so father be with us as we finish our time together

we pray all of these things and Jesus is worthy and in his wonderful name

Amen