Why Fast and What Can We Expect
Why Fast, and What Can We Expect?
Pastor Jim Langlois
Why Fast? (Remember – testimonies from Kim & Pat)
Because Jesus did, and He told us how, He said we would, and He said we should!
Jesus did:
Matthew 4:2 (NKJV)
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Luke 4:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
He told us how:
Matthew 6:16-18 (NKJV)
16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
He said we would:
Matthew 9:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
He said we should:
Matthew 17:20-21 (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jentzen Franklin’s Book - Pg 25
If Jesus could have accomplished all He came to do without fasting, why would He fast?
My question:
If we could accomplish all that God wants us to do without fasting, why would Jesus teach us how and why?
3522 νηστεύω [nesteuo /nace·tyoo·o/] v. From 3523; TDNT 4:924; TDNTA 632; GK 3764; 21 occurrences; AV translates as “fast” 21 times. 1 to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink: either entirely, if the fast lasted but a single day, or from customary and choice nourishment, if it continued several days.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament – One who is empty!
People who fasted… Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Ezra, King of Nineveh, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Barnabus, Jesus, and the Disciples.
What Can We Expect?
John 16:12-13 (NKJV)
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Luke 5:33-39 (NKJV)
33 Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”
34 And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
36 Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
39 And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”
We Can Expect New Wine!
If we are not renewed we become old and crusty – we then reject the new, thinking we are more spiritual – I remember the old days! The old days – now they were the days!
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
§ The Word never changes but there is always something more to learn – through His faithfulness and compassion – which is new every morning - we are the ones who change!
§ Growth is a process not a destination. You can not teach old dogs new tricks. Heaven help us if we become old dogs in the spirit!
§ Fasting will help us stay young and pliable in the spirit – so God can pour new wine into us!
§ Fasting can help us be New Creatures in Christ everyday!
§ We empty ourselves, and humble ourselves, to stay freshly oiled vessels of God so He can fill us with new wine daily!
§ So we can grow and He can begin to tell us the things we were not able to bear in the past.
§ So He by the Spirit can tell us of things to come!
What is the New Wine?
Devils cast out and people healed:
Matthew 17:21 (NKJV)
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Open Rewards from God:
Matthew 6:18 (NKJV)
18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Help and guidance from God:
2 Chronicles 20:1-4 (NKJV) 1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
Matthew 6:33-34 (NKJV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Daniel 9:3 (NKJV)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
Daniel 9:3 (NCV)
3 Then I turned to the Lord God and prayed and asked him for help. I did not eat any food. To show my sadness, I put on rough cloth and sat in ashes.
Ministry to God:
Acts 13:2 (NKJV)
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Humility:
Psalm 69:10 (NKJV)
10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach.
Jentzen Franlkin Pg 82
The discipline of fasting will humble you, remind you of your dependency on God, and bring you back to your first love. It causes the roots of your relationship with Jesus to go deeper.
Repentance:
Jonah 3:5-10 (NKJV)
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Healing in Marriage:
1 Corinthians 7:5 (NKJV)
5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Worship & Service to God:
Luke 2:37 (NKJV)
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
Spiritual Strength to Resist Temptation
Luke 4:8 (NKJV)
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
Breakthrough:
Isaiah 58:6-12 (NKJV)
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
1. To loose the bands of wickedness
2. Undo heavy burdens
3. Let the oppressed go free
4. Break every yoke
5. To share your bread and home
6. To Cover the Naked
7. Healing
8. Righteousness
9. Glory
10. Answers
11. Light
12. Guidance
13. Satisfaction
14. Strength
15. Repair
16. Restoration
The Daniel fast:
3 weeks…
Daniel 10:2-14 (NKJV)
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,
5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands.
11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.
12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”
What can we expect?
1. Devils cast out and people healed
2. Help and guidance from God
3. Ministry to God
4. Humility
5. Repentance
6. To seek god first
7. Healing in Marriage
8. Worship & Service to God
9. Spiritual Strength to Resist Temptation
10. Breakthrough
11. Loved ones to come to the Lord
12. Prosperity
13. The blessings of the Lord
14. Spiritual growth and intimacy with Jesus
15. To loose the bands of wickedness
16. Undo heavy burdens
17. Let the oppressed go free
18. Break every yoke
19. To Cover the Naked
20. Healing
21. Righteousness
22. Glory
23. Answers
24. Light
25. Guidance
26. Satisfaction
27. Strength
28. Repair
29. Restoration
In addition, we can expect corporately:
Wisdom, help, strength, protection and victory from God!
§ Read the End Times-Dispatch
§ Read Jentzen Franklin’s Book
§ Enter into prayer
§ Decide what type fast you will do
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v v: verb
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
TDNTA Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume
GK Goodrick-Kohlenberger
AV Authorized Version