Title: When you fast / Matthew 9:14-15
Those who believe in Jesus have joy like a house of feasting every day. But there are times when this joy disappears. What can we do at this time? The Lord says fasting. Today, while sharing fasting, we will look at how to fast during the Holy Week when the Lord was deprived of us.
1. Fasting is abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.
“When you fast, grease your head and wash your face. So do not reveal to men what you are fasting, so that your Father who is invisible may see it. Then your Father who sees even hidden things will repay you.” (Matthew 6:17-18) Jesus taught us how to fast. When you fast, there is no need to criticize others for not fasting. There is no reason to fast and judge others. Fasting is for God.
Judaism fasted on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and was required to fast once a year, on the Day of Atonement. John the Baptist and his disciples also fasted regularly. Fasting is different from fasting struggles, fasting resistance, or dieting or fasting for health purposes. Fasting is when a believer boils food for a certain period of time for the purpose of spiritual refinement and training.
In 1508 in London, Thomas Caratwright said, "True fasting requires inward virtue as well as outward physical training." Fasting is doing diet control training and spiritual self-denial at the same time.
Fasting is discipline, self-denial. There are only four people in the Bible who abstained from eating and drinking and fasted except for Jesus. Moses, Ezra, Esther, and Paul.
2. Fasting must continue.
Fasting is an eternal ordinance (Leviticus 16:29-31). Jesus also fasted, and fasting is necessary even when demons are expelled. Fasting was essential in the work of the early church. Fasting after being deprived of faith was natural.
Fasting should not be made hastily and hastily. It's not about hesitating and hesitating to make a decision. It is necessary to think deeply in advance, and to clarify the purpose and reason for fasting.
What is the purpose of fasting? Since ancient times, believers have been able to have a closer relationship with God through fasting.
Why is fasting necessary?
Fasting turns away the wrath of God. Mizpah fast crusade (1 Samuel 7:5-6), the fast crusade in the square in front of the floodgates (Nehemiah 9:1-3), and the fast and repentance movement in Nineveh (Jon 3). This can be seen in examples such as
Fasting is also an auxiliary means of killing greed. John the Baptist also practiced fasting, and Anna also fasted day and night to serve the Lord. Paul also fasted frequently.
Fasting maintains spiritual power. A man of the 4th century, Asterius, emptied his stomach to deepen his spiritual thinking, and John Lighthut gained strength in his preaching by fasting all day on Sundays. Physical dullness leads to spiritual malnutrition. Jehoshaphat declared a fast for all the people during the war (2 Chron 20:2-3), and Esther urgently demanded a three-day fast from all the people before the crisis of national annihilation.
Fasting has many benefits.
Fasting gives you spiritual freedom. Cutting off food to devote yourself to prayer leads to spiritual freedom and deep communion with God.
Through fasting, we can receive God's guidance. When you do not know what to do, imitate the church of Antioch. “As they worshiped the Lord and were fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them.”
Fasting brings us into intimate fellowship with God and brings God's guidance, direction, and purpose to fulfillment. Fasting afflicts one's soul. To trouble the soul is to humble oneself in humility, to deny oneself. It is to descend from the position of fame, status, and face, and to lower human dignity.
Fasting has the power to encourage faith. Wesley said that fasting is a way to gain faith. Fasting becomes the strength to overcome the devil. When the disciples asked, “Why did we not cast out demons?” (Mark 9:28), Jesus said, “This kind cannot be cast out by any means except by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:28). 29) replied. After fasting for forty days, Jesus overcame the devil's temptation and returned from the wilderness with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Florence Hoskin, who had been lame for seven years, prayed one day in 1844. “God who healed my soul, there is no reason not to heal my body.” And he heard the word of the Lord. “Get up and go to church. I will heal you there.” When I got out of bed and went to the entrance, the devil stood and stopped me, saying, “Eat breakfast and go.” But the girl cried. "no. Devil, you have tempted me so many times.” Soon after, the girl went to church and was able to walk around it without crutches.
3. Now is the time to fast.
Didake, a book of lessons for the Twelve Disciples, tells us to fast on Wednesday and Friday, and Catholics say not to eat meat on Friday. Wesley said that Methodists should fast on Wednesday and Friday. Paul often fasted (2 Corinthians 11:27).
When do we fast? Jesus' answer to this is when the bridegroom is lost. In other words, it is time to fast when Jesus is taken away. The time when the Lord was taken away was the week of suffering. When Jesus is taken away, we lose our joy. You will lose your peace. You will lose hope. In this case, we must fast. When we look at our circumstances today, we feel that it is time to fast.
The difficult realities of our families, churches, and nations are calling us to fast. They are struggling with water shortages due to the spring drought. The World Cup, presidential elections, and local elections await. As numerous gates show, this country is sickening with injustice and lies.
And it is said that a massive arrest fever is taking place in the border area between China and North Korea after North Korean defectors have gone into exile.
Families are disintegrating as sex crimes and divorce rates continue to rise. Tensions between the United States and North Korea continue to escalate, leading to a nuclear war. The world around us is full of unsettling things.
In the church, around the end of April, we are going to select 6 elders, ordained deacons, and kwonsa. There is a vision trip. There are exterior and interior repairs to the church building. We start evangelism small groups from April.
And this week is the week of suffering when Jesus died on the cross for us. In times like these, we need to fast and pray personally, as a family, as a nation, and as a church. Please join us in our morning fast this week.