TEXT: Mark 9:17-29
INTRO: Jesus’ disciples were able to do many miraculous things by the authority they had in His Name but when they came to this demon-possessed man they couldn’t set him free. Jesus told them the reason they couldn’t set him free was because some spiritual breakthroughs only come through prayer and fasting.
PROPOSITION: God expects fasting to be a regular part of the Believer’s life.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE: Why is fasting so important?
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: There are several reasons that fasting is important and in my estimation of Scripture, so critical in the life of the Believer.
I. FASTING IS A MEANS OF HUMBLING OURSELVES (why should we do it?)
A. TRUE HUMILITY GETS GOD’S ATTENTION
1.) 1 Pet 5:5-6 "be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
a- I believe this is one of the most important verses in the Bible
b- God resists or opposes those who do not walk in humility.
c- The only way to get any where with God is through true humility
2.) He gives grace to the humble
a- Fasting is a supernatural means of truly humbling ourselves
b- I’m sure we all would agree that it takes a lot of grace to make it through life.
c- Sometimes when our back is against the wall and life is extremely hard, we need an even greater measure of God’s grace.
d- That’s exactly what had happened in Ezra ch. 8 when Ezra called the people of God to a fast.
B. TRUE HUMILITY MOVES GOD TO ACTION.
We can learn a lot from Ezra’s example in Ezra 8
1.) Ezra realized their desperate need and he knew where to find the answer
a- He also knew that the only way to get God’s full attention and assistance was through true humility.
b- "then I proclaimed a fast...that we might humble ourselves before God." Ezra 8:21
2.) We don’t fast to get God’s attention like twisting someone’s arm until they scream out in pain and give us what we want
a- However, fasting (from a sincere heart) most definitely does get God’s attention!
3.) When we face hardship and attacks in our lives, instead of crying, whining and complaining to everyone
a- why not fast and see God work on our behalf like He did for Ezra and the Israelites?
C. TRUE HUMILITY IS THE PATHWAY TO GOD’S BLESSING
1 Pet 5:6 "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,"
1.) How many of you know that God’s way is always the best way?
a- yet so often, when we come into a difficult situation instead of humbling ourselves we cry, whine, complain, scheme and manipulate to try and change things.
2.) Ezra said that he could’ve cried to the king and whined to him for help
a- but that would’ve ruined their testimony
b- and they would’ve dishonored God
c- Ezra 8:22-23 "For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him. So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer."
II. FASTING IS EVIDENCE OF TRUE REPENTANCE (why true repentance?)
A. TRUE REPENTANCE GAINS GOD’S MERCY AND FORGIVENESS
1.) Joel 2:12 "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
a- God wants to see that we really mean business and that we’re not just playing games or acting out of sheer emotion
b- That we’re really serious about pleasing Him
c- Evidence of true repentance is the person who completely yields himself to God with fasting, weeping and mourning.
2.) Joel 2:13-14 "So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him-- a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?"
a- God requires true repentance, not a momentary display of emotion
b- Fasting is a supernatural means of true, heartfelt, lasting repentance.
c- He earnestly beckons us to come to Him with true repentance so He can demonstrate to us His mercy and forgiveness and grace
B. TRUE REPENTANCE GIVES US POWER OVER THE FLESH
1.) Jesus warns us to watch and pray because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
a- Many times we know we need to repent for our own sins and for the sins of our nation.
b- I Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
c- however, it’s in our head but not yet really in our heart
2.) Illustration: like the little boy standing up in the car..."I may be sitting down on the outside, but I’m still standing up on the inside."
3.) Fasting, in some supernatural way, takes it from our head to our heart - it breaks the power of the flesh
a- So the spirit becomes stronger than the flesh and the spirit wins out!
b- This kind (power over the flesh) cometh only by prayer and fasting
C. TRUE REPENTANCE BRINGS REVIVAL
1.) 2 Chr 7:14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
a- God is calling upon us (His people) to repent for our sins and for the sins of the nation
b- God is calling upon us to humble ourselves and to seek Him with all our heart
c- If healing is to come to our land it is up to us! God is just waiting for the church to truly humble herself and come to Him with true repentance.
d- This kind (revival) cometh only by prayer and fasting
2.) Dan 9:3 "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes."
a- was a righteous man, he wasn’t living a sinful life, yet he identified himself with the sins of his nation
b- he stood in the gap, humbled himself, repented and prayed with fasting for his people
c- Daniel knew a secret, "This kind cometh only by prayer and fasting"
d- God is looking for men and women of God today who will stand in the gap like Daniel - to fast and pray for his world.
III. FASTING IS THE KEY TO MANY SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGHS
A. FASTING IS A SPIRITUAL WEAPON THAT GOD EXPECTS US TO USE.
1.) We are in a very real spiritual battle and spiritual battles require spiritual weapons!
a- fasting is one of our spiritual weapons
b- However, it’s a weapon that too few Christians ever choose to use.
2.) Jesus said in Mt 6:16 17, "when you fast..." He didn’t say "IF" you fast!
a- if you’ll read the Bible you’ll find that fasting is assumed to be a natural part of the Believer’s life.
b- So why don’t most Believers regularly fast?
3.) Most Christians don’t fast because it doesn’t make a lot of sense to them
a- they think, "how is skipping meals going to help me in life? I’ll just get weak, tired, hungry and cranky....how is that going to help anybody?"
b- what they don’t realize is....
B. FASTING BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS AND STRONGHOLDS IN THE SPIRIT REALM
1.) Paul said in 2Cor 10:3&4 "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."
a- Look, God’s ways are higher than ours...if you wait to fast until you figure out exactly how all of this works, you’ll never do it.
b- Some people say, "well that’s just silly to think that by fasting anything is going to change."
c- Yes, and they thought Noah was silly for bldg and ark, they thought Abraham was silly for saying he would be the father of many nations, they thought Mary was silly for thinking her son was the Messiah....they were all just silly enough to believe and act on these things because God said it was so!
3.) the same God said, "this kind cometh only by prayer and fasting." And I’m just silly enough to believe that it’s true.
a- 1Cor 2:14 Paul tells us that we can’t understand spiritual things with our natural intellect.
b- If we try it will seem foolish to us!
CONCLUSION: We must be a people of prayer and fasting IF we are serious about seeing the miraculous in our lives, in our families, in our churches...our communities...our nation...and our world. JESUS did not say, "if you fast" He said, "when you fast". We must live like Him Who says we must deny ourself, take up our cross and follow Him.
