Introduction
1. Email Funny (top 10 women drivers)
Read Text: Isaiah 58:6-8
2. 9 Fasts in Scripture1
Here in these 3 verses, we see 9 different types of fasts…
I’m going to try to hit each one real quick…
Because some of you need to fast; but for different reasons…
I am indebted to Elmer Towns; who presented these 9 fasts to a group pastors in Ocala…
And inspired me to not only fast myself…
But also to call my church to fast for a special purpose…
Body
1. The Apostles Fast Matt 17:21 (to loose the bonds of wickedness)
A. Isaiah 58:6 says, “is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice?”…
The KJV says, “to loose the bands of wickedness”
B. The Apostles Fast is a fast to free yourself from the addiction to sin…
In Matthew 17:21, The apostles were faced with a boy under the control of an evil spirit…
But they were unable to help the boy…
When they asked why they couldn’t…
Jesus said, “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”
This boy was under the control of a sinful, evil spirit…
And just like him…
There are people today who are under the control of a sinful influence or an addiction…
Perhaps the addiction is alcohol or smoking…
Perhaps the addiction is pornography or sexual addiction…
Whatever the addiction is, you may have tried everything you can think of to break the hold of that addiction in your life…
Well…have you tried fasting?...
I believe that there are some people here this morning that need to do an apostle’s fast…
To loose the bands of wickedness…
To break the hold of addiction in your life.
2. The Ezra Fast: To Solve Problems
A. Isaiah 58:6 says “Is this not the fast to untie the cords of the yoke”?...
The KJV says, “to undo the heavy burdens”…
In Ezra 8:22, Ezra writes, “so we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”
Ezra and God’s people was faced with a very real problem…
So they went to the Lord in prayer and fasting…
And the Lord answered their prayer!
B. Perhaps some of you are facing a problem…
Maybe there is a problem in your family…
Or in your job…
And you are just not sure how to handle it…
You sense that you are under a heavy burden about something…
If you would like to seek divine guidance and direction…
Perhaps you should do an Ezra fast.
3. The Samuel Fast: To bring evangelism and revival
A. Isaiah 58:6 says, “is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to set the oppressed free?...
There are people who are under oppression…
But it isn’t poverty…
Or some authoritarian government that has them oppressed…
It is the power of sin that has them broken…
B. In 1 Samuel 7:6, God’s Word tells us that “when they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord””
Before we have a revival…
We often call people to prayer and preparation so that the Lord can do a mighty work amongst us…
But, I wonder, if we haven’t seen the incredible breakthrough of the Holy Spirit like we would like…
Could it be that we haven’t shown the Lord how serious we are about revival by fasting?...
In Jonah chapter 3, we see the whole nation of Nineveh from the King on down…
Prayed and fasted for 40 days…
In fact, the King actually issued a proclamation that not only were the PEOPLE going to fast…
But that the ANIMALS were going to fast too!!
When God saw how serious these people were about turning from their sinful life…
God spared them the punishment that He had commanded Jonah to prophesy to them.
4. The Elijah Fast: To Solve Emotional & Mental Problems
A. In Isaiah 58:6, God’s Word says: Is not this the kind of fast I have chosen: to break every yoke?...
In 1 Kings 19:8, it tells us that Elijah was struggling with being discouraged and depressed…
Jezebel had killed other prophets…
And because of what God did through Elijah when the prophets of baal were killed…
Jezebel vowed that Elijah was going to be killed in response…
Elijah, just after having a great spiritual victory over the prophets of baal…
Suddenly became very discouraged and depressed…
He ran and hid and prayed that he might die…
He then fell asleep…
And then an angel woke him up…
There was a cake of bread and a jar of water…
And when Elijah ate those…
God gave him the strength to travel over 200 miles without any other food or water…
And ultimately encouraged him…
Over the period of a 40 day fast.
B. Some of you might struggle with emotional or mental problems…
You struggle with depression and discouragement…
Perhaps you should do the Elijah fast for emotional or mental struggles…
And see if the Lord will encourage you…
And strengthen you…
Just like He did Elijah.
5. The Widow’s Fast: to provide for the physical needs of others.
A. Isaiah 58:7, Is this fast not to share your food with the hungry? And provide the poor with shelter?...and clothes for the naked?...
God’s word tells us to fast for the physical needs of others…
Perhaps we need to fast for those who are hungry…
We can fast…
And then take the food…
Or the money that we would have spent on that food that we would have eaten…
And donate it to those who are hungry and poor.
6. The Paul Fast: to make life-changing decisions…
A. Isaiah 58:8 says that after this fast that “your light will break forth like the down”…
Sometimes when we are struggling with a decision…
We will feel that we are stumbling along in the dark…
We aren’t sure what to do…
And then, suddenly, a light will come on…
And we will know what to do…
You see this in comic strips…
The character will be wondering what to do…
And then suddenly, in one frame,…
They will show that character with a light bulb over their head…
And you know that they have figured out what to do…
In Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”
This is what the birth of Jesus did for our world that we celebrate every year at Christmas.
B. In Acts 9:9, it tells us that Paul fasted for 3 days during that time when the Lord struck him blind on the road to Damascus…
And during that time, he was faced with a major decision…
Would he change everything?...
His livelihood…
His career…
His place in society?...
In order to serve Jesus Christ?...
C. Some of you might be facing major decisions…
Some of the major decisions that people face are…
Who to marry…
Where to live…
When to retire…
What to do for a career…
What type of medical treatment to pursue…
And if you find yourself facing a major life decision…
Perhaps you need to do the Paul Fast…
And ask the Lord to speak to you about your major decision.
And trust the Lord that the light will break forth like the dawn”
7. The Daniel Fast: For physical health and healing
A. Isaiah 58:8 says, when you fast that your healing will quickly appear”.
Daniel and his friends decided that they wouldn’t eat the kings food…
So their diet consisted of mainly vegetables and water…
And because of their special diet…
God enabled them to be stronger…
Smarter…
They were the cream of the crop in the king’s court.
The Daniel Fast is for those who want to seek the Lord about their physical health or healing…
Or about the physical health of someone they love…
B. Some of you have prayed for those that are ill…
But have you fasted as well?...
Fasting is a way for us to show God how serious we are about something…
We often pray and anoint people for healing…
And perhaps we come away disappointed that the Lord didn’t answer that prayer like we had hoped…
Now, I’m not saying that fasting will make God do whatever we want…
But it will certainly show God that we really mean business…
And when we fast for health or healing…
God responds to that…
And we find that we are healthier or that God has healed us…
8. The John the Baptist Fast: for your testimony.
A. Isaiah 58:8 says, that fasting will make “your righteousness go before you”…
In Luke 1:15, it tells us that John would drink no wine or strong drink…
And the power of his testimony prepared the way for Jesus to begin His earthly ministry….
B. Some of you feel like you have tried to reach others for the cause of Christ…
But you just haven’t been as effective as you would like…
You haven’t had the results that you want…
And certainly, I believe that we need to do our part…
And then leave the results to God…
We just need to be faithful…
But, I wonder if that part of us being faithful includes fasting?...
Are we really all that serious about reaching the lost?…
Do we REALLY want to reach those around our community that don’t know Christ?
I know that we have prayed…
And I know that a few of you have actually tried to share the Gospel message with lost people…
But; have you tried fasting?...
I see this fast as being important in this time leading up to Old Fashion Day…
We have great plans to reach people who don’t go to church with our ministry fair…
And with our Old Fashion Day…
But, if we really want to make our righteousness go before us…
If we really want to have power in our testimony…
Then we will fast.
9. The Esther Fast: for protection from the evil one.
A. Isaiah 58:8 says that through fasting…
“the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard”…
now, I’m not a military man…
I’ve never spent time in the military like a number of you have…
But I can imagine the importance of having a rear guard…
As you are going along on some mission…
If you just have all your resources focused up front…
Then you are in danger from attack from the rear…
Isaiah tells us that when we fast…
The glory of the Lord will be our rear guard…
B. Esther was challenged to come before the king on behalf of her people…the Jews…
Now, you would think that this would be a slam dunk…
Because the king happened to be her husband…
But; in those days, if even the king’s wife tried to come and see the king without being summoned…
She could lose her life…
In Esther 4:16, she says, “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
And if you were to study this story…
You would find that the Lord honored Esther’s fast…
And God provided a great deliverance…
C. Sometimes, as we go on about our lives…
I wonder if we tend to forget about the spiritual side of things?...
We are certainly aware of the physical side…
Life and breath and health and strength…
Work and leisure…
But we really are in a SPIRITUAL battle…
And in the battle…there are two sides…
The side of Righteousness…
Led by Jesus Christ…
And the side of evil and sin…
Led by satan…
As Christians become more in tuned with the spiritual side of things…
You might begin to sense that satan is battling for your soul…
You begin to realize that you are under attack…
Spiritually speaking…
And if you do, then perhaps you need to not only pray…
But also to fast…
And when you fast, ask Jesus Christ…
The King of kings…
And the Lord of lords…
To be your rear guard!!!
Conclusion
1. Well, those are 9 different fasts found in Isaiah 58:6-8…
To be honest, I haven’t always given proper attention to fasting in my spiritual walk with Christ…
It humbles me to admit that to you..
But I also profess to you that that is going to change…
I have determined that I will show God that I am serious about the ministry of Belleview Church of the Nazarene…
I am serious about reaching people who don’t yet know Christ…
I am serious about our Church NOT just ministering to the long-time saint…
But also making a serious endeavor to reach the lost…
2. And with these thoughts in mind…I would ask you to commit to 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting with me…
I would like us all to begin praying and fasting for our Ministry Fair and Old Fashion Day.
I would like us to begin praying and fasting about the testimony of our church in our community…
I would like for us to begin praying and fasting for our church to be a place of revival and winning the lost…
40 days is the time that Nineveh fasted…
40 days is the time that Jesus fasted in the wilderness…
and I would like for us to fast for 40 days leading up to Old Fashion Day…
that puts day 1 on Wednesday, September 13th…this coming Wedneday…
that will give you some time to think about what you are fasting about…
that will give you some time to pray about what the Lord would have you to do in the area of fasting…and prayer…
3. Now, before you get all scared, thinking, “I can’t fast for 40 days”…
I want you to realize that there are all kinds of ways to fast…
A. There is a normal fast, where you go without food…
And drink only water or juice for a certain period of time…
It could be just a day…
It could be 3 days…
Or even longer…
B. There is the Wesley Fast…
John Wesley would fast by eating only bread and drinking only water…
C. There is the modified fast…
Like Daniel and his friends ate…
Just fruit and vegetables…
D. Some people will fast from things that occupy time…
And then devote that time to prayer…
Fasting things like television…
Video games…
Computer time…
Or reading the newspaper every day…
Something that you do every day that occupies a portion of time…
And you feel led to give up and devote that time to prayer for a period of time…
E. Some people will fast just 1 meal a day…
And devote that time to prayer…
Others might fast their dessert…
Or soft drinks…
Or they might give up watching the evening news and spending that time in prayer.
4. now, I would like to seek a commitment from you…
I would like to get a number of you who will agree to fast in some form or fashion during the 40 days leading up to Old Fashion Day.
Ushers, pass out 3X5 cards…
You don’t have to sign these…
But, if you are willing to fast in some way, I want you to write it down…
It will make it more serious on your part…
And it will help me to get an accurate count of how many people in our church are willing to fast in some way about our church’s ministry.
All you have to write is, “Pastor, by God’s grace, I will pray AND fast for our church during this 40 days of prayer and fasting”.
(or some such thing)
(pray for God’s leading as we fill out these cards and make a commitment to fast)
1 I received this outline from Elmer Towns in a handout during a conference. www.elmertowns.com
