The Christian's Secret Life - Fasting in Secret

Okay, Matthew, chapter 6, verse 16, and when you fast, now you want to catch that. Now remember, the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Mount, basically what our Lord is doing is He's describing kingdom people, Christians. And what He does in the first 18 verses of chapter 6 is He wants to give us a glimpse into the secret life of a true child of God. And what I find amazing is this, Jesus assumes His people, in secret, are going to pray, and they're going to fast, and they're going to give. Of all the things that He could have said, He says, if I'm really wanting to spell out what true Christianity is, here's three areas of the life, above all others that He could have mentioned, He says, you look at a man or a woman, in secret, away from the eyes of everybody who's watching, see what they do with the money? See how they pray? And He adds fasting in here. When you fast. And you talk like that, when you fast, assuming that you will, not that you might, He doesn't say if you fast, you might fast, perhaps, He doesn't say it like that, He says when. Do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. In other words, okay, from the very beginning, He's saying your righteousness better exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees. The scribes and the Pharisees, they basically, their religion was outward. They looked gloomy when they fasted. They disfigured their faces, that their fasting may be seen by others, truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head, wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others. Don't appear to be fasting to others. You want to appear to be fasting by the one that it matters. But by your Father who is in secret. That's who you want to be seen by, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. So, this is the Christian in secret, part five. And this is the last, fasting. The Christian in secret, part five, fasting. Fasting before your Father who sees in secret, that's the focus of today's sermon. So we need to ask these questions, fasting, what is it? Fasting, why is it so important to the Christian life? Do you know something? On Thursday when we pray, FBC, the Scottish Free Church had a breakaway group called the Free Church Continuing. And the man who is over that sent a letter to Jeff Thomas. And he basically said, we are not seeing people saved. He says in our churches, you might get a little bit of lateral movement, but we're not seeing anybody saved. We're at the particular Baptist chapel last Sunday, and I asked, when's the last time you actually used your baptistry? 1990s. And Jeff asked the question, what do you men think is the problem? And I said, you know, Jeff, I've thought about this question, and one of the things that I brought up is, I'm afraid that in a lot of the churches, they're not praying. And even fewer are they fasting. And you know, one of the pastors in that prayer meeting, he said, I don't know any Christians who fast. Well, here I am going to preach on this, and to have a pastor say that, when Jesus says these words. Now listen, when you think about fasting today, I'm talking Christian fasting. To have a pastor say, I don't know anybody. But you know what, all you have to do is go online. You can find all sorts of things on fasting, intermittent fasting for health reasons. We've got a health conscious world. Are people talking about fasting in that realm? Yes. But how much is fasting being talked about in the Christian realm? I would guarantee you, in this country, far more people are talking about intermittent fasting for health reasons than anybody's talking about it as it's being talked about here. What I'm concerned about, I'm not concerned about the health reasons. I'm concerned about this fasting. I want to know what God says about fasting. I want to know why it's important to the Christian. And I want you to feel this. So, what is fasting? You see, you might think you know right off, and perhaps you do. But it's always good to be convicted by Scripture. What is it? Okay, turn to Esther. If you can find that little book, it's right after Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Esther. We're just going to do a little bit of a Bible study right now before I really launch into preaching about this. Because I want to move through a number of verses here just to give us a biblical flavor about fasting. Oh, by the way, fasting is everywhere in your Bible. This is not like something Jesus brought up here in Matthew chapter 6 that just barely has any Old Testament representation or significance. Fasting is everywhere in the Old Testament. Fasting is in the New Testament. So Esther chapter 4 verse 16. Now you know the situation with Esther, right? Haman? Haman has had a decree made up to destroy the Jews. And you remember Mordecai says to Esther, you know, you've probably been raised up for this very thing, for this very hour. You need to go in there and plead for your people. And here's what she says. She says in Esther 4 verse 16. Now this is going to tell us something about fasting, so that's why I'm having you go here. She says, go gather all the Jews to be found in Susa and hold a fast on my behalf. There's fasting. And do not eat or drink. There it is. For three days, night or day, I and my young women will also fast as you do. So she says fast, don't eat or drink, and she says fast again. Then I will go to the king, though it's against the law, it's against the law to approach without being called, and if I perish, I perish. And you know, unless the golden scepter was extended, which it was. But that's fasting. She says, don't eat, don't drink. Fasting in this passage is not eating or drinking. Let's go to another one, 2 Samuel. Go back further into the Old Testament, 2 Samuel. That's before the kings and the chronicles, 2 Samuel. Now here, we're going to look at another situation that arose. This one concerning King David, 2 Samuel chapter 12. Now what's very significant about this is this is immediately after his sin with Bathsheba. You remember what happened when he called for Bathsheba and she came and he sent her home? She sent word back saying what? What did she say to David? I'm with child. I'm pregnant, David. Well, David sought to bring Uriah in off the battlefield and to have him go home so that it would look like he was his child, but Uriah never would go home. And so in the end, David had Uriah killed, but she still was pregnant. Now Uriah is dead. She's with child, and David brings her to himself. Basically marries her, but the child is born. Well, God said the child's going to die. And so, look what you have. 2 Samuel chapter 12 verse 16. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. Now if you drop down to verse 21, what happens is the child dies. Well, the servants are all perplexed by David's conduct here. They think, oh, if David is this wrapped up in the child, if he's fasting and he's laying there on the ground all night while the child was still alive, we're afraid to tell him the child's died because we don't know what he's going to do. And he does just the opposite of what they think. Then his servant said to him, what is the thing that you've done? You fasted, this is verse 21, you fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food. He said, while the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me. The child may live, but now he is dead. Why should I fast? Well, clearly, look what happens. You fasted, but when the child died, you arose and ate food. Well, clearly fasting here is the opposite of arising and eating food. It's the same thing that Esther said, fast and don't eat or drink for three days. This is fasting. Let me show you one more. Jonah, Jonah. So you go forward now into the prophets. And right there in the middle of the minor prophets, you've got Jonah, probably the most well-known of all the minor prophets, Jonah. Jonah 3 and verse 4. And you remember, Jonah had to go to Nineveh because he was supposed to go there as a prophet and warn them about God's coming judgment. And he didn't want to do it. So he tried to sail in the opposite direction. And God kept bringing him back to this reality. You need to go to Nineveh. And he does that. In Jonah 3 verse 4, Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey, and he called out, yet 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown. Jonah and the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast. They put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh. He arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, sat in ashes. He issued a proclamation published through Nineveh. By the decree of the king and his nobles, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water. So they called for this fast. Here you have the same reality. We know when we come to the New Testament, Jesus fasted for 40 days. And it says, after he was done fasting for 40 days, what does it say about him? He was hungry. What makes a person hungry? A person gets hungry when they don't eat. So whatever fasting is, it produced hunger. Not eating produces hunger. It's pretty obvious what we're dealing with when we're talking about fasting. Now here's a second question. How long is biblical fasting? Here's what's interesting. Jesus says, when you fast. You know something? I don't believe, I'm almost absolutely certain as I'm letting the entire New Testament run over my mind right now, that there isn't a single place in the New Testament where it says how long they fasted. Not a single place. Jesus simply said, when you fast. And he never said how long, he just said when. So there's no length prescribed. And in fact, you don't need to look at all these, but just listen to this. In Judges, you remember that situation, you remember where the man's concubine, he ended up cutting this woman up into 12 pieces and sending the parts all over? If you haven't read your Bible cover to cover, you might be shocked that that's actually in your Bible, but it is in your Bible. And basically what happened is Benjamin went to battle against the rest of Israel. And when Israel went out to do battle against Benjamin, Benjamin actually defeated Israel twice before Israel had victory. And after the second time, it says that they went out to battle, 18,000 men of the people of Israel were killed. And then all the people of Israel, the whole army went up and came to Bethel and wept. And they sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening. So basically what you have a picture of is this, battle fought, battles over, their mourning, they fast from that time all the way till evening. Here's another one. Daniel, when he was thrown into the lion's den, King Darius did not wanna see Daniel killed. Darius was provoked into signing this decree or formulating this decree that led to Daniel being thrown into the lion's den, but Darius wanted him spared. And scriptures basically says this, the King went to his palace and spent the night fasting while Daniel was in the lion's den, all night. So there's another example. The fasting, and we just saw it, David therefore sought God on behalf of the child and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. Esther, you remember what she had said? You go fast, don't eat, don't drink for how many days? Three, three days. Here's another one. In first Chronicles, all the valiant men arose, this is after Saul and Jonathan and Saul's sons were killed against the Philistines. It says the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh and they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days. Now, you do find in Scripture where Moses fasted for 40 days and you find where Jesus fasted for 40 days. We don't know whether Jesus drank, probably not. It doesn't specifically say. We know that Moses did neither eat or drink for 40 days. Now listen, when you get into the realm of 40 days of fasting, you got to believe that there's a supernatural element. And so I know people have fasted for 40 days, but they haven't gone without water for 40 days. That happens only supernaturally. So just you recognize that when Moses went up on that mountain and his face was shining and supernatural things were happening with the Lord Jesus Christ, he very supernaturally was being sustained in this 40-day fast, being driven by the Spirit. And so this is the longest fast that you find in Scripture. But again, what I'm going to say is this, when you fast, that's what Jesus said. What we do know is this, we don't know how long the folks in the New Testament fasted for, but we do know they fasted. Listen to this, the church in Antioch, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. I'll tell you this, what you find specifically in the early church is that they fasted when there were missions involved. And also this, Acts 14, when they had appointed elders in every church with prayer and fasting. You know what you find? When they're sending forth missionaries and when they're selecting elders, pastors in the churches, that is a time for fasting. Now, it doesn't specifically say that Jesus fasted when he appointed the twelve, but it does say that he went out on those mountains all night long, and I've got to believe he was fasting out there. It's very interesting when people are being appointed to certain mission endeavors or positions, that is a time when the church really ought to be seeking the Lord. I'll tell you this, if you get a bad officer in this church, it can divide the church, it can take this church in a direction you never anticipated it to go. Basically what we've heard about the chapel downtown, last time they had a pastor, 1935. You know what happened? They had two deacons, rogue deacons it sounds like, who basically prevented them from ever having, obviously they came and went, and then other things happened. Then you have this, Anna is found in Luke 2, she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Luke 5, Jesus specifically says, you remember that you basically had the question posed to Jesus, hey, why do the followers, why did the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees, why do they fast and your disciples don't fast? And he said, listen, they will fast. When will they fast? When the bridegroom is taken away. Has the bridegroom been taken away? Just what we saw in Psalm 68, he's ascended. Which means he's no longer down here. Not in physical manifestation, he has departed. And now we will fast. That's basically what scripture says. Matthew 6:16, when you fast. Matthew 6:17, when you fast. It's never prescribed how long, we just know. Jesus' assumption is, we are going to be a people who fast. But see, the question comes up, why? Why should we do this? I mean, what would be the motivation for doing this? Why is fasting so important in the Christian life? Well, let's read the text again. Matthew 6:16, if you're not there, jump back there. Matthew 6:16, when you fast. Of course, we've got the, you know, the negation here in the beginning. Don't be like the hypocrites. Don't disfigure your face. You don't have to let everybody know that you're fasting. You don't need to let anyone know you're fasting. I mean, I recognize if you're married and you're going to be fasting, you probably need to let some people in your family know. If we're going to have a church-wide fast, obviously we're communicating something about it. But the reality is, you don't need to let anybody know. Truly, I say to you, they've received their reward. But when you fast, here it is. Anoint your head, wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Now, there's absolutely no question about it. The Lord Jesus Christ is teaching us very specifically that fasting, when it is done in a manner that pleases our Heavenly Father, fasting is beneficial as a means to receive a reward from your Heavenly Father. That's just a reality here. Fasting is a way of tapping into the divine generosity. Lay it down. Reward. You see? You all see the term. That means that our Father in Heaven is going to render some kind of benefit to you for your fasting that He would not have given to you had you not fasted. Jesus is not teaching here, by any stretch of anybody's imagination here, you cannot deduce from this that Jesus is saying fasting doesn't matter when it comes to the reward. He's not saying God is sovereign, you're going to get the reward whether you fast or not. That is not what He's teaching here, and none of you would even claim that to be the case. Not based on these words. He specifically says, if you fast in secret to your Father who sees in secret, there is a reward for people who do exactly that. He renders some sort of benefit to us as a result of our having fasted in secret. Now just, all you have to do is look at that word reward. Listen, what kind of things can you get from God? I'll tell you this, things you can't get from anyone else. Anybody want that? Does anybody have a need here that you can't get from anybody but from God? See, this is who He's talking to. People who look at this in faith and say, yeah, yeah, yeah, I need that. Now, here's the thing. The reward. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus doesn't say what the reward is. Why not? Well, probably because this term ought to be taken in as broad, such broad, such wide strokes, such deep and bountiful terms that you know what? You don't want to ascribe any limits to it. Why doesn't Jesus put any limits on it? Because I suspect this. I suspect the reward that one guy gets is not like the reward some sister gets. They're different things. I mean, it's probably just as varied as it is vast. Look, does reward sound bad to anybody? Does that sound like a negative word? But listen, if I've got a pastor in this country telling me he doesn't know anybody who fasts, you know what that tells me? That tells me this country is riddled among professing Christians with unbelief over passages like that. They must ignore these passages. They must just downright not believe these passages. Because if you really believe these passages, you know what you're going to be doing? What are you going to be doing? You're going to be fasting in the secret place, obviously. When you fast, do not look gloomy. Here's the thing. Here's what I want you to notice. See, when you start thinking about reward, just think about the first part of this. When you fast, don't be like the gloomy hypocrites who disfigure their faces because their fasting may be seen by others. Now notice this. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. You know what I think? I think we should let Jesus define reward there and carry the meaning over to the second time he uses reward. See, what do you mean? I mean this. What does reward mean in verse 16? What does it mean right there? They have received their reward. You know what it means? They fasted to be seen by others and Jesus said they got what they were after. That's their reward. They got what they're after. If you let that definition go to the second time, you'd say what's the reward when we, the true Christian, goes into the secret place and prays to our Father who sees in secret. What's the reward? I would say it's just the same thing. It's what you're after. It's what you've gone to God for. They fasted to be seen and they got what they were after. The reward is precisely what they were after. So it makes total sense in the second part in verse 18 to take it the same way. Your Father who sees in secret will give you what you came to him for. You see, they got what they were after. The whole idea is if you actually go in the secret place and you fast before him, you're going to get what you're after. Don't make it mean something different. It's the same thing. Listen, so often we're so ready to say, oh, but you know, we can wrongly ask and brethren, I am telling you that Scripture does not primarily tell us that we don't get what we ask for because we ask for the wrong thing. Can we? Yes, we can. We can. But that is not what primarily is dealt with in Scripture. What primarily is dealt with in Scripture is the fact that we don't ask and we don't keep on asking. We don't keep on seeking and we don't keep on knocking and we don't keep on fasting. That's the real issue. That's what Scripture hits us with. It doesn't tell us that primarily we're constantly asking for the wrong thing. Brethren, do you realize who you are? You were born again. Old things have passed away. You're new creations, new desires. You have desires for good things. Ask for them and keep asking for them. And God loves to put Himself on display. Do you ever hear a spouse comes from the Lord? Children come from the Lord. Anybody want some of those things? I mean, look, the reality is a lot of times we're asking for things that we're asking for for ourselves. That doesn't mean you're just selfish and you shouldn't be praying that way. Brethren, only eternity is going to reveal the kind of reward that God's people have sought and found poured out on them by way of fasting. I've told you this before. I'm going to keep telling you this. Jonathan Edwards, very specifically, when he had Brainerd dying in his home, he said in that communication that they had before Brainerd died, he told Edwards that he had not experienced a time of fasting in his life that he could remember that God did not give him some kind of answer to. And you say, well, that's him. Okay, that is him. But you just tell me, who's this promise made to? This promise is made to Brainerd? This promise is made to all of God's people. And only eternity is going to tell. The people, think about this, your prayer's been heard. What prayer? Elizabeth, Zechariah, they wanted a child. Do we have anybody in the church that wants a child? I know of at least one sister praying for twins. Anybody want a husband or a wife? I mean, listen, the salvation souls, we're asking God for revival. We're asking God for a place for this church to be able to meet on a permanent basis. The people that have asked God for greater manifestations of his presence, for God drawing near, gracing his people with greater manifestations of his person, of his love, of his presence. People who want new revelation and manifestations of the cross. People who want an empowering of their spiritual gifts. Anybody have some stubborn sin in their life that they'd really like to have grace and you've been messing? You know, Jesus said, this kind does not go forth expect by prayer and fasting. Now listen, I know there's a textual issue there. The whole point is this, you got a demon, a kind of demon that is in this boy and the disciples say, Lord, why couldn't we cast him out? Because obviously his answer is, you didn't pray and you didn't fast that you ought to have prayed and fasted if you're going to try to deal with demonic powers of that kind. Now look, you can just go around with your head buried in the sand like the devil's not real, but the devil is real. And his demons are real and this spiritual battle is real. And what Jesus was teaching is there is a kind that is so resistant and reluctant to be moved and God's people have to take up prayer and they have to take up fasting if they're going to move these kind of spiritual powers. You may have some stubborn sin in your life and you can't get victory over it. What are you going to say? Based on verses like this, you're going to say fasting won't help me? Just case closed? Are you going to look at this and say, you know what? That's a reward I'm looking for. I need help in this area of my life. I need to go. Maybe some of you just plain need a greater burden for the lost. Maybe you need greater faith. Maybe you need greater love. I mean, listen, what is the reward? I'll tell you this, reward that you get from God is a good thing. Listen, what kind of reward has he already given to us? Scripture says if he has not spared his own son, but he offered him up, how will he not also give us anything? Everything. You see the argument? From the greater to the lesser. You got a guy that'll sacrifice his son for you and then you come for something that's only minusculely valuable compared to that? And what, is he going to refuse you the lesser thing after he's given you the greater thing? You see, that's the way Scripture argues. There's a reward to be had. That's what we're getting. Anybody need greater fruitfulness? Anybody seeking spiritual guidance over anything? You're kind of wondering whether to go to the right, go to the left. You're asking God, direct my path. You need help. You need, anybody need help in their marriage? Anybody have wayward children that they're praying for? Somebody that they're, I mean, you want blessing upon your children. You want protection for your children. You want victory over the devil. You need somebody. I mean, you're just in a desperate situation. You need help. I mean, anybody just in a place where they want God to come? They need an answer. They need some kind of movement from God. They need to know that God is real. They need God to come into their life. They need something to happen. Anybody stalled? Anybody stagnant? Anybody lazy? Anybody gone to sleep? It's like, you need help? Capture this reality. Jesus is saying, get what he's saying. He is saying, a Christian can go without food and without drink and do it secretly. And there is something about that that is designed to release the generosity of God upon the one who is fasting. So as to result in a reward upon that person that would not be given to that person if they didn't fast. That is precisely what he's teaching. And you see it. I'm not making this up. You've got Bibles in your own hands and you see it right there. And so for a pastor to tell me this week that he doesn't know of a single Christian in this country, he doesn't know of a single Christian that fast. Now, you know what? That doesn't mean that there isn't Christians that he's exposed to that fast. They just do it in a secret place and they do it secretly and they're not broadcasting it. So he doesn't know about it. But you know what? When a pastor doesn't know about anybody, it certainly means that the churches are not called. You know, in Acts chapter 13, Acts chapter 14, those were certainly church-wide fasts. They were fasting. They were worshiping. And the Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul. That was a church-wide fast. You know what it tells me? When you have pastors that don't know, it means that their churches are not doing church-wide fasts. They're not fasting for things. They're not fasting against the enemy. They're not fasting for the advance of the gospel. One thing is for certain. Jesus is not teaching us here that seeking a reward is somehow carnal or somehow criminal or somehow unspiritual. He's not teaching us that we ought to be reluctant to want this. That's plain. We have a heavenly Father who does really delight to give to His children. And I'm going to say this, Romans 8:32 again, He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all. How will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Brothers and sisters, are you in the habit of fasting in secret? When you have a promise like this, if you don't fast, if you walk forth from this message today and you're not convinced you should be fasting, I would just say you're an unbeliever. You just plain can't believe this if you would go forth like that. Because I know something about the human race. We are desperately needy people. And with all the needs that you have, for you to be able to go forth and basically shrug this off, there's no other reason than you than you just are not a believer. You don't believe me. You don't believe what's being said here. That's the only thing I could think. Brothers and sisters, do we have anyone here who desperately needs anything from the living God? Does the word reward sound cheap to you? Not to me. I mean, brethren, you know one of the things you should do? Just go through the Scriptures and watch where fasting happens and then see what the outcome is. I'll tell you this. Anybody remember a certain king from the Northern Kingdom who was the husband of Jezebel and he was notoriously a wicked king? His name is Ahab. Can I tell you something? He fasted and he sought God's mercy and God specifically, Scripture tells us, God specifically saw his fasting and his humbling of himself and he showed Ahab mercy. Listen to this. Jehoshaphat, you remember this? A great horde of Ammonites and Moabites were coming against Israel. They were in Edom and they were coming for Israel. They were coming for the Southern Kingdom. Jehoshaphat called Judea, he called the Southern Kingdom to fast and guess what happened? Victory. They were against hordes. They were highly outnumbered and God gave them victory. See, this is the result of fasting. Ezra, you remember Ezra? Ezra went to Jerusalem when people were returning from Babylonia and he went there to teach the law. This is between Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. Ezra went. And you know one of the things that he said? He said, we did not want to ask the king for a military entourage to take us to Jerusalem because we had been boasting so much about our God. Last thing we wanted to do was ask for military help from the king. He says, I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way. Since we had told the king the hand of our God is for good on all who seek him and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. You know what it says? Ezra and those Jews that were getting ready to go, they fasted and God heard them and they were safe the whole way. No marauders got them. No thieves got them. And then Nehemiah, remember him? He fasted before he was a cupbearer for our exercise and he fasted because he had a burden about the walls being restored and Jerusalem being rebuilt. And guess what? He got favor with the king. How about this? We know Esther and Mordecai, the Jews fasted. God heard them. God heard them. God gave Esther favor before Ahasuerus and what happened? Haman's whole plot was turned on its head. The enemies of the Jews were routed. Remember Daniel? He fasted. Remember what happened when he fasted? Very archangel Gabriel himself was dispatched and he came to him and he said, Daniel, you're greatly beloved. Does anybody just need that? You need greater assurance. You just need God to speak in your ear and say you are greatly beloved. That's what he got. And he also got revelation of what was going to happen in the future. The people of Nineveh, we looked at that. They went to fasting. What'd they get? They got mercy. You can imagine. There's 100,000 Ninevites in glory now. Jesus says, when you fast, your father who sees in secret will reward you. Do you think you fast enough? That's a question. Seems each one of us can measure our desire for God's reward by the extent to which we fast. Do you really believe people who fast get rewards from the Father? Rewards that others who don't fast don't get? I mean, do you believe that? If you believe God's Word, certainly you believe that. Now look, let me just tell you this. There is bad fasting. You say, what do you mean? I mean, there is fasting that the Father takes no notice of. In fact, He finds repugnant. He finds distasteful. Bad fasting. You see it right here in Matthew 6:16. When you fast, don't be gloomy like the hypocrites. There's bad fasting. They fast and they don't get the reward. Why? Because their fasting doesn't please the Lord. They got nothing from God. They didn't fast to get God's reward, and so they don't get God's reward. They force themselves to go without food. All sorts of people will force themselves to go without food or they'll do all sorts of religious things. People do religious things like they did to be seen by others. People also do religious things because they think that they're somehow paying God. They're trying to build up merit. They think fasting gets me merit with God. That's not why we fast. It's not to get merit. These Pharisees, you know what they said? You remember the Pharisee and the tax collector? Pharisee said, I fast twice a week. I give alms of everything. You see, there's a very self-righteous way, the desire to have others admire your spirituality that doesn't go anywhere with God. We have other examples of bad fasting in the Scriptures. How about this? Jeremiah 14:10 Listen to this. Thus says the Lord concerning this people, they love to wander, though they fast, I will not hear their cry. Think about a person who wanders. They're just, they're wandering from God. You get people who's, when somebody's wandering, their back is towards God. What God sees is this, when this happens, you get people whose backs are to God, but they spin around and they look at Him just when they need something. He says, I don't hear those people. Or there's this, why have you fasted? That last one was in Jeremiah. This one's in Isaiah. Why have we fasted and you see it not? You see, Israel's asking this question. Lord, we fasted and you don't see it. You're not regarding it. You're not giving us anything. You're not rewarding us. Why have we humbled ourselves and you take no knowledge of it? And then God answers. Behold, in the day of your fast, you seek your own pleasure and you oppress all your workers. You see, they were just, they were selfish. Or here's another one, Zechariah. Say to all the people of the land and the priests, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth month, when you fasted in the seventh month, for these 70 years, was it for me that you fasted? You see, there's bad fasting. When people are very selfish, when they don't do it for the sake of God, did you really want me? That's the issue. You know what's very interesting about Zechariah? It actually reads this. Did you fast for me? For me. It actually says it twice. For me. Did you really want me? Did you really trust me? Was I really in all your thoughts in all of this? Or were you just being mechanically religious? Brethren, you know somebody can fast and they just, they go on with their day and they're just distracted by many things. That's not what you want to do when you fast. When you fast, you want to give your attention to the Lord. When you fast, brethren, you know what? Even when we glean things for ourselves from the Lord, brethren, we want it. I mean, one of the things, one of the reasons oftentimes that I greatly desire to see God give, you know what? I want to see God give twins to our sister because I want this church to rejoice in the Lord. And I want us to be able to recall that and go back to that. I would love to see God do a miracle in providing us with a building so we can go back to that over and over and say, look what God did. Look what God did. You see, when it's all about that, it's not just selfish. We just want to get it and then forget God. That's not doing it for him. Certainly there's a reward that has to do with us. Rewards are for us. You're going to fast because you're asking for something for you. But you want it not detached from God. It's not that you want it devoid of God. You want it separate from him. That's absolutely what worldliness is all about. It's when people are worldly who just, they want what they want and they do what they do and they give themselves to what they give themselves to in this life. With God not in the picture. The love for God not in the picture. God is saying, when you fasted, was it for me? Did you trust me? Were you looking to me? Or were you just gloating over how spiritually superior you appeared to be because you were fasting? Did you think you were offering me something? Did you fast just to build up your own merit? Or did you fast because you really needed me? Because you loved me? Because you wanted to be with me? You wanted to see me put my power on display? You wanted to see me arise? You wanted to see my attributes? Did you fast for me because you recognize this world is just full of broken cisterns and you had enough of drinking from them? And you're looking to me and you're looking to me for the satisfaction? Because you're looking for my son? You're looking... Is that really what it's all about? Did you fast for me? Did you fast because you know me? The fountain of living waters. Listen to this. Anna, she did not depart from the temple worshipping with fasting. Did you tie those two together? What is worship? Worship comes from the old English, worth Skype. Worship has to do with finding worth in God. See when we attribute value and preciousness and worth to God, that's what worship is all about. Worship with fasting. Do you know what it says to God when you say, I need you. I'm not going to eat. I'm not going to drink. Those are pretty essential. No, you know what? All you have to do is miss a meal or two and you start to see how much eating and drinking really control your life. But when a person says, no, I am not going to eat. I'm not going to drink because I need God. I need his help. I need him. I'm going into the secret place and I'm seeking him because I've got to have him. Acts, the church at Antioch, while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting. Isn't it amazing? Anna, worshipping with fasting. The church at Antioch, while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting. You see, it's a matter of worship. When you say no to many things, food and drink is what's behind fasting. But when you say no to the computer, you say no to the television, you know what? We even looked at this Wednesday night. When a man says no to his wife and intimacy for a season of prayer, that's what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7. You see, when people are saying no to certain things in life, certain things that they find enjoyable, certain things that they find valuable. When people say no to it, that they might have God and they might choose God. You think about it. I mean, we recognize that. We each recognize when people will make sacrifices to be with us. When people will make sacrifices on our behalf, what that tells us about their esteem for us. Well, God's in the same place. Don't think God's blind to how you make decisions in your life. He's not blind to it. And that God who sees you in secret, He knows. He knows. When you come in there and you're saying, I'm not eating and I'm not drinking. Now, Lord, you owe me. That's not it. This is not a merit deal. This is a matter of, Lord, I need you. I'm not going to eat or drink because I need you. And I know you have regard for this. You have regard for your people not eating and not drinking. I recognize that. And Lord, I want that reward. I need the Lord. I need the Lord when it comes to the city of Manchester. I desperately need the Lord when it comes to my daughter charity. I need the Lord just to figure out how to preach to you folks, how to lead you, how to pastor you. I need the Lord in my marriage. I need the Lord to help. I need the Lord to save. I need the Lord to empower the gospel as we're preaching it. I need the Lord to turn the hearts of these people that are coming under the sound of, if God's going to provide a building, brethren, anybody need a miracle? I mean, anybody have somebody that is close to them that they desperately want to see saved? Brethren, the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them. And then they will fast in those days. What in the world is he saying there? You know what he's saying to them? For one thing, isn't it amazing you got people fasting over? Isn't it amazing to be a follower of John and you're fasting when the bridegroom's there? You know what? Some people are so out of touch with reality. You know, if there's anything true, the disciples of the Pharisees, the disciples of John, they were out of touch with reality. When you're over there fasting and the bridegroom's actually among you. You know what those, when, can you imagine John saying, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Can you imagine if you were one of his disciples and you kept following John after he just said that? He's out of touch with reality. And Jesus is saying people that are in touch with reality, they feel this. Anybody feel this? Anybody feel like, anybody have this cry of their own heart like mine? I say, Lord, I don't like this. I don't like living by faith. And I don't think you should either. It's said we're going to live by faith, not by sight. You're going against scripture. No, I'm not. I don't think, I don't believe I am at all. You know what, right now, all we do is look through the glass darkly. Does anybody want more than that? Anybody want to be done with the types and the shadows? Anybody want to actually see through the veil? Anybody want to behold Him face to face? I don't know about you, but I'm not content with the little glimpses that we get right now. We may behold the glory of the Lord from the pages of the scripture, but you know what? Jesus full well knew Him being there with His people was different than when He left. And He knew they'd fast then. Why were they going to fast then? Because there was a discontent in the heart that they didn't have when He was sitting there at the wedding feast with them, turning water into wine. And they could look at Him, and they could hear Him, and they could touch Him. And John could lay there, and he could feel Him. You know what? There ought to be a discontent in you that says, I'm going to fast. Why? Because remember, there's a reward. What does that mean? What that probably means is that people who regularly fast, they have brighter glimpses and closer communion with Christ than people that don't do that. Churches that give themselves to fasting, I suspect you will see things happen in that church that don't happen in churches where they don't fast. Why? Because you would be negating the very reality of a reward. If you say, they're going to be just the same. There is a reward. Brethren, we need to recognize this. Anybody who just says, I want more, I want more. Now listen, I'm going to take you one last place before I wrap this message up. And it's found in Zechariah. And I want you to turn there. Zechariah chapter 7. We already looked at this verse, but there's more to be said. Zechariah chapter 7. Zechariah, this prophet, he looks forward to our time. And I want you to see what he says. Because this might be one of the most glorious things you will see in all the Bible concerning fasting. Zechariah chapter 7 verse 5. Say to all the people of the land and the priests, when you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these 70 years, was it for me that you fasted? Now, get this. The Israelites were deported to Babylon. Jeremiah had prophesied and said that they would be there 70 years. Let's happen. But now the 70 years is done. And these Jews that had been deported, they said, well, while we were in the deportation, why we were exodus away from Jerusalem and away from Israel. We fasted. We fasted in the fifth month. We fasted in the seventh month. We're also going to find out that they fasted in the fourth month and they fasted in the tenth month. And what they're asking the prophet is, does God want us to continue to fast like we did then, now that we've actually come back? That's the question on the table. Now, this is where God says, well, when you fasted, was it for me that you fasted? In other words, you all are wondering whether you should keep this thing going as to whether I'm going to be pleased with it, if you keep it going. But I want you to know I never was pleased with it because you didn't fast for me. Whatever you were fasting for, it wasn't for him. Now, here's what is so glorious. The prophet now looks to the gospel age, to our age. And here's what he says. Zechariah 8. Go to Zechariah 8. Thus says verse 19. Zechariah 8 and verse 19. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore, love, truth, and peace. Thus says the Lord of hosts. And notice, I'm going to convince you here that this is exactly talking about our time. Thus says the Lord of hosts, peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another saying, let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. I myself am going. Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts. Brethren, this is the Gentiles pouring in, the riches of the nations pouring in to the true Zion, the true Jerusalem. And he says, they're going to come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts. In those days, ten men from the nations, that's us, the Gentiles, ten men of the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew saying, let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you. And if there's any doubts at all about what this is speaking about, just go to the next chapter. Go to Zechariah 9 verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation. Is he humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Here's our humble, glorious Savior riding to Jerusalem with hosannas ringing out everywhere. You know what he's saying? The age has dawned. That age in the past where you weren't seeking me, when you sought to fast in the fourth month, in the fifth month, in the seventh month, in the tenth month. You didn't fast for me. But now the prophet is looking forward and he sees the Christ coming and riding in on the foal of a donkey. He sees this age when nine men are going to, ten men. He sees the nations. He says, you're going up. You've got this God. You're going to Him. We're coming with you. And here's what it says. It says that those seasons are going to be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Don't you love that? The fast shall be cheerful feasts. Christian, get your eyes off the joys and the glories of this world and behold that secret place. There's a feast for fasters. That's what's being said here. Oh, that God will once again make His people hungry for such a feast as is being described here that can't be eaten with mouth and teeth in your head. These are spiritual realities. Brethren, I've got to believe this. I've got to believe that this United Kingdom, based on the things I'm seeing, I'm hearing reports, come from an entire denomination. They are not seeing converts. There's lateral movement. What's that? That's not the kingdom of Christ increasing. That is simply people from one church moving to another church. That is, all that is, that doesn't take anything from the devil. All that is one church's gain is another church's loss. Brethren, do you know what we need? We need God to arise. This kind. You've got to believe that the United Kingdom is somehow entrenched in the power of forces that are keeping this people blind. What do we need? We need the reward of the Father. We need God to arise. There is one stronger than the strong man. What we need is Him to arise and once again bind that strong man and to release the prisoners. Brethren, what we find is we are in an age when there is going to be gladness and there is going to be feasting in those times of fasting. If you really want to learn something about fasting, this is one of the most glorious places. Jesus says, Christian, to the secret place. And go there with fasting. And go there with expectation. Because there's a reward. And I just ask you, do you want it? I hope every one of you want it. I hope every one of you are hungry for this. Anybody want just fresh revelations of the glory of the cross and the blood that was shed? Brethren, what do you think? I just ask you what you will think. What do you think? Who is going to see more of God? Who is going to experience more of God? Who's going to experience more of the supernatural? Who's going to experience more of the power of God? People who fast or people who don't. Father, I pray that you would just apply your word. Our Lord Jesus teaches this. It's not something that I've made up. There is a reward for those that go into the secret place to be seen by their father who sees in secret. And I pray, Lord, you'd make us a fasting church. I pray, Lord, that you would unleash the bounty that comes through fasting. We see that you've designed it as a means to tapping your generosity. And I pray, Lord, that you would so move upon us to make us the kind of people that are effectual fasters in this kingdom and in this race to the death. Lord, I pray, actually a race when death releases us to life and life more abundant and joy unspeakable. Lord, we pray for your help, for your sustaining. Lord, quicken us. Move us to fast. Give us a longing in our hearts for you over food and over all the other things that this world has to offer. I pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.