0:00:00.605,0:00:05.093 Our church is designating this week 0:00:05.093,0:00:09.004 as just a week where 0:00:09.004,0:00:11.714 we are going to give ourselves 0:00:11.714,0:00:15.726 to seeking the Lord in a special way. 0:00:15.726,0:00:20.178 Often times, we call it a [br]week of prayer and fasting. 0:00:20.178,0:00:22.678 Not that everybody in [br]the whole church fasts 0:00:22.678,0:00:24.358 for an entire eight days. 0:00:24.358,0:00:26.442 But during that time, what we want to do 0:00:26.442,0:00:32.602 is encourage the folks in[br]the church to fast. 0:00:32.602,0:00:37.175 Meals, days, and often times, 0:00:37.175,0:00:40.175 when I am encouraging [br]the church and others, 0:00:40.175,0:00:42.175 we're encouraging the church 0:00:42.175,0:00:43.816 to give ourselves to this, 0:00:43.816,0:00:50.474 inevitably, somebody asks - 0:00:50.474,0:00:52.953 (You asked, right?) 0:00:52.953,0:00:57.500 Inevitably, somebody asks: 0:00:57.500,0:01:00.354 What about fasting? 0:01:00.354,0:01:05.909 How often? 0:01:05.921,0:01:09.200 (Incomplete thought) 0:01:09.200,0:01:11.310 This is not useless at all - 0:01:11.310,0:01:13.729 I mean laying hold on [br]the Lord like this is not. 0:01:13.729,0:01:16.599 He has heard our prayers [br]again and again and again. 0:01:16.599,0:01:18.997 We do this, not out of ritual, 0:01:18.997,0:01:21.847 not out of just tradition. 0:01:21.847,0:01:25.236 We do this because we [br]lay hold upon the Lord 0:01:25.236,0:01:27.886 in a special way and the Lord answers. 0:01:27.886,0:01:29.362 The Lord has blessed us 0:01:29.362,0:01:32.362 with so many answers to [br]our prayers through the years. 0:01:32.362,0:01:34.531 He is a God who hears prayer 0:01:34.531,0:01:37.071 and He has vindicated Himself 0:01:37.071,0:01:41.891 as that kind of God repeatedly. 0:01:41.891,0:01:45.967 We talk about fasting. 0:01:45.967,0:01:50.984 I get questions on a [br]pretty much quarterly basis. 0:01:50.984,0:01:55.561 Every three months, we [br]try to set aside a week 0:01:55.561,0:01:57.456 where we give ourselves 0:01:57.456,0:02:02.786 to some very special praying, [br]fasting, seeking the Lord. 0:02:02.786,0:02:08.691 When I use the term fast, [br]questions come up. 0:02:08.692,0:02:10.000 What is it? 0:02:10.000,0:02:12.840 What do we fast from? [br] 0:02:12.840,0:02:14.500 How often? 0:02:14.500,0:02:18.629 Are you talking about [br]fasting for an entire week? 0:02:18.629,0:02:20.896 What are you talking about here? 0:02:20.896,0:02:23.498 How often? What should be the frequency? 0:02:23.498,0:02:25.951 So what I thought I would do tonight, [br] 0:02:25.951,0:02:28.951 I think this is a very healthy study, 0:02:28.951,0:02:31.141 just by way of remembrance. 0:02:31.141,0:02:32.482 What I want us to do 0:02:32.482,0:02:35.682 is to just do a topical study tonight 0:02:35.682,0:02:38.312 on this theme of fasting. 0:02:38.312,0:02:40.765 Let's look at what Scriptures says. [br] 0:02:40.765,0:02:42.995 So what I want you to [br]do is to go out of here 0:02:42.995,0:02:46.185 with a good feeling [br]of what it's all about. 0:02:46.185,0:02:49.184 You are trying to think about, [br]how often should I do it? 0:02:49.184,0:02:54.110 And by the way, just because [br]we call special fasting weeks, 0:02:54.110,0:02:57.720 doesn't mean that Christians [br]can't fast all the time. 0:02:57.720,0:02:59.410 They can fast on a regular basis. 0:02:59.410,0:03:01.076 (Incomplete thought) 0:03:01.076,0:03:03.887 It is not like it is mandatory 0:03:03.887,0:03:06.887 and legalistically we're forcing [br]everybody to do this. 0:03:06.887,0:03:08.451 If somebody didn't fast 0:03:08.451,0:03:10.341 during our week of prayer and fasting, 0:03:10.341,0:03:12.491 certainly there is no crime in that. 0:03:12.491,0:03:14.210 But we just want to encourage it. 0:03:14.210,0:03:16.130 For the sake of unity, have the church 0:03:16.130,0:03:17.670 really beseeching the Lord 0:03:17.670,0:03:19.970 in a special way all at one time. 0:03:19.970,0:03:22.135 When you were out of here today, 0:03:22.135,0:03:24.655 I really want you to [br]have a feel for this, 0:03:24.655,0:03:28.075 maybe more than you had when you came in. 0:03:28.075,0:03:30.390 What's the significance of it? 0:03:30.390,0:03:32.880 And how often should we do it? 0:03:32.880,0:03:34.769 And if the church calls a time 0:03:34.769,0:03:36.669 of special prayer and fasting, 0:03:36.669,0:03:38.319 should I fast for a meal? 0:03:38.319,0:03:39.919 Should I fast for a day? 0:03:39.919,0:03:42.278 Should I try to fast for [br]three consecutive days? 0:03:42.278,0:03:44.258 Or seven consecutive days? 0:03:44.258,0:03:47.457 I mean, what is this? 0:03:47.457,0:03:50.401 For one, when we talk about fasting, [br] 0:03:50.401,0:03:53.401 you know what I am talking about. 0:03:53.401,0:03:57.471 I am talking about abstaining from food 0:03:57.471,0:04:01.811 as prescribed in our Bibles. 0:04:01.811,0:04:05.069 And I know that people who [br]don't hold to the Bible fast. 0:04:05.069,0:04:06.819 People fast for health reasons. 0:04:06.819,0:04:08.460 People in other religions fast. 0:04:08.460,0:04:12.120 And I am not talking about [br]fasting just in a generic way. 0:04:12.120,0:04:15.872 I am talking about fasting [br]as it's found in Scripture. 0:04:15.872,0:04:18.842 I am talking about [br]God-prescribed fasting. 0:04:18.842,0:04:21.243 What does it look like? 0:04:21.243,0:04:23.041 You know, in the New Testament, 0:04:23.041,0:04:26.271 it is not like there are huge amounts 0:04:26.271,0:04:29.271 of verses that we can go to. 0:04:29.271,0:04:33.243 There's a couple of handfuls. 0:04:33.243,0:04:35.378 So let's look at them. 0:04:35.378,0:04:40.759 Look at Matthew 4:2. 0:04:40.759,0:04:43.154 What I want to do is just go through 0:04:43.154,0:04:45.254 a number of these verses 0:04:45.254,0:04:47.254 from the New Testament 0:04:47.254,0:04:49.330 and just see what we can glean from them 0:04:49.330,0:04:51.060 just in a casual reading. 0:04:51.060,0:04:53.740 (Incomplete thought) 0:04:53.740,0:04:56.362 The purpose for this [br]is a theology of fasting. 0:04:56.362,0:04:58.682 That's what we can call [br]the message tonight: 0:04:58.682,0:05:00.062 "A Theology of Fasting." 0:05:00.062,0:05:02.922 What does God teach us? 0:05:02.922,0:05:05.922 What is the teaching of God on fasting? 0:05:05.922,0:05:08.984 So Matthew 4:2. 0:05:08.984,0:05:11.553 After I get done with these [br]New Testament passages, 0:05:11.553,0:05:14.923 I want to look at one [br]in the Old Testament, 0:05:14.923,0:05:16.793 which I think is very helpful. 0:05:16.793,0:05:20.635 Matthew 4:2. 0:05:20.635,0:05:24.017 Jesus - we know that [br]our Lord Jesus Christ 0:05:24.017,0:05:27.357 fasted for how long? 0:05:27.357,0:05:31.140 Forty days. 0:05:31.140,0:05:34.147 Now look, as I was saying on Sunday, 0:05:34.147,0:05:36.092 you do not want to say: [br] 0:05:36.092,0:05:39.092 Well, He was God. Or, He is God. 0:05:39.092,0:05:41.193 He is God. 0:05:41.193,0:05:43.643 I am not denying the deity of Christ. 0:05:43.643,0:05:47.799 But I am saying Jesus Christ [br]fasting and his hunger 0:05:47.799,0:05:52.229 was the fasting and the [br]hunger of a human being. 0:05:52.229,0:05:54.416 God becoming flesh. 0:05:54.416,0:05:56.273 God taking upon Himself, 0:05:56.273,0:05:58.733 robing Himself with mankind in a way, 0:05:58.733,0:06:01.633 in a manner in which He is like us 0:06:01.633,0:06:03.861 in every respect, save sin. 0:06:03.861,0:06:06.137 What I mean by that is his hunger 0:06:06.137,0:06:08.137 was just as real as yours. 0:06:08.137,0:06:09.959 And when He fasted, 0:06:09.959,0:06:14.709 His fasting affected Him [br]just like yours does. 0:06:14.709,0:06:22.743 You know where I am going with that? 0:06:22.743,0:06:27.266 It's possible for you to fast [br]for forty days and not die. 0:06:27.266,0:06:29.459 If you are not accustomed to fasting, 0:06:29.459,0:06:32.459 you may think one day [br]and you are ready to die. 0:06:32.459,0:06:35.052 You may think you miss breakfast 0:06:35.052,0:06:37.912 and get about to three [br]o'clock in the afternoon 0:06:37.912,0:06:39.912 missing lunch and you are ready to die. 0:06:39.912,0:06:42.713 There are people that feel that way. 0:06:42.713,0:06:45.211 You just feel like I can't do this. 0:06:45.211,0:06:47.711 Jesus Christ fasted for forty days. 0:06:47.711,0:06:51.181 (Incomplete thought) 0:06:51.181,0:06:54.453 I know two pastors that [br]just in the last year 0:06:54.453,0:06:56.793 did forty day-fasts. 0:06:56.793,0:07:00.143 You can fast for forty days. 0:07:00.143,0:07:01.763 So if you're wanting to know 0:07:01.763,0:07:03.733 how long it is even safe? 0:07:03.733,0:07:06.511 I am not saying go without [br]water for forty days. 0:07:06.511,0:07:10.941 We'll have another casket [br]up here if you do that. 0:07:10.941,0:07:16.605 But you know, you can go [br]forty days on water, you can. 0:07:16.605,0:07:20.049 You can go forty days on juice. 0:07:20.049,0:07:23.611 My point here is our Lord Jesus Christ 0:07:23.611,0:07:26.821 fasted for forty days as a man, 0:07:26.821,0:07:30.478 as one made like us in every respect. 0:07:30.484,0:07:32.634 I just point that out. 0:07:32.634,0:07:37.292 And by the way, our [br]Lord was given to fasting. 0:07:37.292,0:07:40.377 He did it. 0:07:40.377,0:07:44.357 It was something that [br]was part of His life. 0:07:44.357,0:07:46.507 At least here. 0:07:46.507,0:07:49.032 At least when He was being [br]tempted by the devil. 0:07:49.032,0:07:51.332 We see that He fasted. 0:07:51.332,0:07:57.105 Now, let's go to Matthew 6. 0:07:57.105,0:08:00.318 Matthew 6 has one of the [br]most important texts 0:08:00.318,0:08:02.828 on fasting in our Bible. 0:08:02.828,0:08:07.744 Because it is one of the two passages, 0:08:07.744,0:08:09.484 or one of the two incidents 0:08:09.484,0:08:12.426 where our Lord gives us instruction -[br] 0:08:12.426,0:08:15.666 very specific instruction on fasting. 0:08:15.666,0:08:17.705 Of course, these different accounts 0:08:17.705,0:08:20.245 can be found in the [br]different synoptic Gospels. 0:08:20.245,0:08:22.150 But we basically have two accounts. 0:08:22.150,0:08:23.570 We have His teaching 0:08:23.570,0:08:25.668 in the Sermon on the Mount [br]here in Matthew 6 0:08:25.668,0:08:27.158 and then we have that occasion 0:08:27.158,0:08:28.888 where the disciples of John 0:08:28.888,0:08:30.528 and the disciples of the Pharisees 0:08:30.528,0:08:34.568 came and they asked Him - 0:08:34.568,0:08:36.948 the disciples of John [br]and the Pharisees fast 0:08:36.948,0:08:38.852 and your disciples don't fast. 0:08:38.852,0:08:42.107 These two passages are Jesus's instruction[br] 0:08:42.107,0:08:44.657 in the New Testament on fasting. 0:08:44.657,0:08:50.194 If you want to study the most [br]important passages on this topic. 0:08:50.194,0:08:52.287 These are the ones you want to look at. 0:08:52.287,0:08:56.037 He teaches us some [br]very valuable things here. 0:08:56.037,0:08:59.482 Matthew 6: 16. 0:08:59.482,0:09:02.332 This is often been said:[br] 0:09:02.332,0:09:04.112 "When you fast..." 0:09:04.112,0:09:06.686 "And when you fast..." verse 16. 0:09:06.686,0:09:09.666 "When you fast..." 0:09:09.666,0:09:12.835 There is an assumption[br]in the way He says that: 0:09:12.835,0:09:15.835 "When you fast." 0:09:15.835,0:09:19.109 When the Lord Jesus Christ looks at us [br] 0:09:19.109,0:09:21.839 as His followers and He says, 0:09:21.839,0:09:26.539 "When you fast this is the [br]way I want you to do it." 0:09:26.539,0:09:30.469 He's definitely implying that He [br]believes that as followers of His, 0:09:30.469,0:09:34.413 this is something that is going [br]to be characteristic of our lives. 0:09:34.413,0:09:38.066 "When you fast" doesn't [br]mean you won't fast. 0:09:38.066,0:09:39.929 When you fast does not mean 0:09:39.929,0:09:42.419 that it is going to be [br]something that as a Christian 0:09:42.419,0:09:44.006 that should be foreign to you. 0:09:44.006,0:09:46.153 "When you fast" means 0:09:46.153,0:09:48.683 I believe that My followers [br]are going to fast. 0:09:48.683,0:09:51.460 In fact, His instruction as given 0:09:51.460,0:09:53.180 to these disciples of John 0:09:53.180,0:09:55.302 and these disciples of the Pharisees 0:09:55.302,0:09:57.714 who come to Him and ask Him. 0:09:57.714,0:10:00.336 We are going to get to [br]that text in a few minutes. 0:10:00.336,0:10:03.474 He says, "They don't fast now 0:10:03.474,0:10:05.654 because I am here. I am with them. 0:10:05.654,0:10:09.258 But when I go, they will fast." 0:10:09.258,0:10:14.203 Jesus is saying My followers [br]are going to fast. 0:10:14.203,0:10:17.798 He is not speaking specifically [br]to His followers there. 0:10:17.798,0:10:20.012 Although indirectly He does. 0:10:20.012,0:10:22.992 Here He is, directly to us. 0:10:22.992,0:10:25.042 He is looking at His disciples. 0:10:25.042,0:10:26.492 And you remember. 0:10:26.492,0:10:28.800 He gathered, [br]Sermon on the Mount. 0:10:28.800,0:10:30.964 He especially called [br]out His disciples there 0:10:30.964,0:10:33.374 and He began to teach them. 0:10:33.374,0:10:35.305 There were crowds behind there. 0:10:35.305,0:10:37.855 He kind of have the inner group there. 0:10:37.855,0:10:41.502 And he would say to us: "When you fast..." 0:10:41.504,0:10:44.483 This is part of the Christian life. 0:10:44.483,0:10:47.139 "Do not look gloomy like the hypocrites." 0:10:47.139,0:10:49.000 Okay, He does not want us fasting 0:10:49.000,0:10:50.740 in a hypocritical manner. 0:10:50.740,0:10:53.010 In other words, He [br]doesn't want us appearing 0:10:53.010,0:10:54.760 to be something that we are not. 0:10:54.760,0:10:57.183 He doesn't want fasting [br]just to be seen by men. 0:10:57.183,0:11:00.000 He says: "They disfigure their faces 0:11:00.000,0:11:03.000 that their fasting may be seen by others. 0:11:03.000,0:11:04.668 Truly I say to you, 0:11:04.668,0:11:08.928 they have received their reward." 0:11:08.928,0:11:10.428 What's their reward? 0:11:10.428,0:11:12.918 Their reward is that they [br]want to be seen by men 0:11:12.918,0:11:14.346 and get what they want. 0:11:14.346,0:11:15.716 They get seen by men. [br] 0:11:15.716,0:11:17.317 They got what they wanted. 0:11:17.317,0:11:19.399 They didn't want anything more than that. 0:11:19.399,0:11:23.528 They fasted to be seen by men.[br]They got seen by men. 0:11:23.528,0:11:25.048 Everything is good. [br] 0:11:25.048,0:11:26.860 They got what they wanted. 0:11:26.860,0:11:30.451 "But when you fast, anoint your head[br] 0:11:30.451,0:11:32.991 and wash your face." 0:11:32.991,0:11:37.051 (Incomplete thought) 0:11:37.051,0:11:39.135 This doesn't mean that nobody else 0:11:39.135,0:11:41.235 can ever know that you're fasting. 0:11:41.235,0:11:43.239 If they do, if they find out 0:11:43.239,0:11:46.239 then all of a sudden all [br]your fasting is negated. 0:11:46.239,0:11:47.903 That's not what this means. 0:11:47.902,0:11:50.312 I mean, look, if you're married, 0:11:50.312,0:11:53.571 and your wife is [br]cooking meals for you, 0:11:53.571,0:11:55.741 (Incomplete thought) 0:11:55.741,0:11:58.511 There's times when you need to [br]communicate with people 0:11:58.511,0:11:59.778 that you're fasting. 0:11:59.778,0:12:02.627 I don't believe for us to have [br]a week of prayer and fasting 0:12:02.627,0:12:04.080 where we kind of know 0:12:04.080,0:12:09.440 that there is a lot of the one anothers [br]in the church that are doing this. 0:12:09.440,0:12:11.731 That's not what this is about. 0:12:11.731,0:12:13.472 It's got to do with motive here. 0:12:13.472,0:12:16.128 It's got to do with whether [br]you're doing it to be seen. 0:12:16.128,0:12:17.947 Motives is the issue here. 0:12:17.947,0:12:19.477 They do it for a motive. 0:12:19.477,0:12:20.827 They have a reason. 0:12:20.827,0:12:24.923 The hypocrite wants to [br]appear to be something. 0:12:24.923,0:12:27.745 You don't need to flaunt it. 0:12:27.745,0:12:31.387 When you fast, try to cover [br]it up as much as possible. 0:12:31.387,0:12:33.451 But you're going to get into situations[br] 0:12:33.451,0:12:35.351 where you may have to tell somebody 0:12:35.351,0:12:40.543 or you may have to make it [br]apparent that you are doing that. 0:12:40.543,0:12:43.218 "When you fast, anoint your [br]head and wash your face 0:12:43.218,0:12:45.640 that you fasting may [br]not be seen by others 0:12:45.640,0:12:48.520 but by your Father who is in secret." 0:12:48.520,0:12:50.833 In other words, the [br]reason that we're fasting 0:12:50.833,0:12:54.173 has to do with our Father [br]who sees in secret. 0:12:54.173,0:12:56.715 When I fast, when you fast, 0:12:56.715,0:12:59.025 Jesus is assuming we will fast. 0:12:59.025,0:13:00.903 It is part of the Christian life. 0:13:00.903,0:13:03.232 What He is pointing out here 0:13:03.232,0:13:05.363 is you do this in a way, 0:13:05.363,0:13:07.443 not for the sake of men. 0:13:07.443,0:13:09.543 Not for them seeing you. 0:13:09.543,0:13:19.150 You do it because it's got something [br]to do with God the Father. 0:13:19.150,0:13:21.202 In other words, when you fast, 0:13:21.202,0:13:23.092 there are implications that have to do 0:13:23.092,0:13:27.242 with your relationship with the Father. 0:13:27.242,0:13:30.078 You keep reading here. 0:13:30.078,0:13:33.018 "Your Father who sees [br]in secret will reward you." 0:13:33.018,0:13:35.669 Now there is a textual issue here. 0:13:35.669,0:13:39.200 Some translations actually add "openly"[br] 0:13:39.200,0:13:44.360 or "in the open," for everyone to see. 0:13:44.360,0:13:45.683 It is a textual issue. 0:13:45.683,0:13:47.576 Whether it is there or not, 0:13:47.576,0:13:49.520 It does not take away from the fact [br] 0:13:49.520,0:13:51.110 that God is going to reward you. 0:13:51.110,0:13:53.082 In other words, we fast, 0:13:53.082,0:13:58.052 because there is a [br]Fatherly reward in fasting. 0:13:58.052,0:14:01.844 There are benefits. I [br]want you to see that. 0:14:01.844,0:14:07.223 Jesus is saying there is [br]a spiritual benefit to fasting. 0:14:07.223,0:14:08.926 You need to see that. 0:14:08.926,0:14:10.874 This is not a vain exercise. 0:14:10.874,0:14:13.154 It's not like, oh, [br]fasting - well that's neat, 0:14:13.154,0:14:14.856 you know, you tack it on our life. 0:14:14.856,0:14:16.622 We are not like the hypocrites. 0:14:16.622,0:14:19.662 You remember how Jesus tells us a story[br] 0:14:19.662,0:14:21.962 about tax collector and the Pharisee 0:14:21.962,0:14:24.243 that go to the temple to pray? 0:14:24.243,0:14:27.125 You remember that story? Luke 18. 0:14:27.125,0:14:30.615 What is Jesus say about the Pharisee? 0:14:30.615,0:14:32.767 Well, he began to pray: 0:14:32.767,0:14:35.477 "God, I thank you I am not like other people 0:14:35.477,0:14:37.417 and I am not like this 0:14:37.417,0:14:39.974 and I am not like this [br]tax collector over there. 0:14:39.974,0:14:44.154 I fast twice in the week." 0:14:44.154,0:14:45.890 Let me tell you this, 0:14:45.890,0:14:48.890 all fasting is not profitable. 0:14:48.890,0:14:51.258 But there is fasting that's profitable. 0:14:51.258,0:14:52.929 That's plain from Scripture. 0:14:52.929,0:14:56.200 There is fasting that [br]doesn't do you any good. 0:14:56.200,0:14:59.292 There is the hypocrites here in Matthew 6. 0:14:59.292,0:15:02.148 All they get is seen by others. 0:15:02.148,0:15:05.068 That's the end of what they get. 0:15:05.068,0:15:10.261 (Incomplete thought) 0:15:10.261,0:15:13.676 You know what's not explicitly said, [br] 0:15:13.676,0:15:16.116 but is definitely implied through here? 0:15:16.116,0:15:17.326 Faith. 0:15:17.326,0:15:19.228 Because you're doing this in secret, [br] 0:15:19.228,0:15:21.708 which means you believe that God... 0:15:21.708,0:15:26.550 Remember how it says over in Hebrews 11? 0:15:26.550,0:15:29.865 We must believe that God is [br]and that He's a rewarder. 0:15:29.865,0:15:32.636 That's what we have here. [br]The Father rewarding. 0:15:32.636,0:15:35.934 He is a rewarder of them [br]that seek Him diligently. 0:15:35.934,0:15:38.690 You know what fasting is? 0:15:38.690,0:15:42.345 It is one of the things that [br]God has given to us; 0:15:42.345,0:15:47.701 one of the methods God [br]has given to us of seeking Him. 0:15:47.701,0:15:54.696 It is turning away from [br]the physical appetites 0:15:54.696,0:15:59.284 and seeking the Lord in special ways. 0:15:59.284,0:16:03.605 Turning away from gratifying [br]that physical appetite 0:16:03.605,0:16:07.012 and seeking the Lord [br]in a very special way. 0:16:07.012,0:16:12.933 That's what this is for: seeking the Lord. 0:16:12.933,0:16:15.607 Faith. You do this in secret.[br] 0:16:15.607,0:16:17.977 You do this when nobody is watching. 0:16:17.977,0:16:19.802 Because you know God is watching. 0:16:19.802,0:16:21.742 You know the Father is watching. 0:16:21.742,0:16:24.948 You know He is there in secret. 0:16:24.948,0:16:28.071 And you're fasting because you're wanting[br] 0:16:28.071,0:16:29.581 to lay hold on Him. 0:16:29.581,0:16:31.297 You want to seek Him. 0:16:31.297,0:16:36.881 Let us jump to Matthew 9 now 0:16:36.881,0:16:39.183 in the other account that [br]I was telling you about 0:16:39.183,0:16:40.933 where you get the disciples. 0:16:40.933,0:16:44.514 Matthew tells us it is [br]just disciples of John. 0:16:44.514,0:16:49.745 The three synoptics 0:16:49.745,0:16:53.123 kind of present the people 0:16:53.123,0:16:56.123 that are asking from [br]different perspectives. 0:16:56.123,0:16:59.113 But in Matthew 9:14, 0:16:59.113,0:17:03.243 the disciples of John -[br]this is John the Baptist - 0:17:03.243,0:17:04.563 they come to Him saying: 0:17:04.563,0:17:08.633 "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, 0:17:08.633,0:17:10.778 but your disciples do not fast?" 0:17:10.778,0:17:14.352 I guarantee 0:17:14.352,0:17:17.177 it is not a good thing 0:17:17.177,0:17:20.137 to be in one of the first two groups. 0:17:20.137,0:17:23.018 You know what? It was okay to [br]be disciples of John at first. 0:17:23.018,0:17:25.311 But you do not want [br]to stay a disciple of John. 0:17:25.311,0:17:27.547 You want to make that transition over[br] 0:17:27.547,0:17:30.547 to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. 0:17:30.547,0:17:33.382 Why? These guys are out of touch. 0:17:33.382,0:17:35.565 These guys are out of touch 0:17:35.565,0:17:37.855 with what is happening in this world; 0:17:37.855,0:17:39.261 what is truly happening. 0:17:39.261,0:17:41.961 They're out of touch with [br]the significance of Christ - 0:17:41.961,0:17:44.159 the fact the Messiah has come. 0:17:44.159,0:17:45.901 The Kingdom of God is at hand. 0:17:45.901,0:17:49.251 They are out of touch with that. Why? 0:17:49.251,0:17:54.312 Because, fasting as Jesus [br]teaches us right here, 0:17:54.312,0:18:02.042 has everything to do with Him. 0:18:02.042,0:18:06.078 Notice. Jesus said to them in verse 15, 0:18:06.078,0:18:10.159 "Can the wedding guests mourn 0:18:10.159,0:18:12.719 as long as the bridegroom is with them? 0:18:12.719,0:18:14.524 The days will when the bridegroom 0:18:14.524,0:18:18.264 is taken away from them [br]and then they will fast." 0:18:18.264,0:18:21.403 Here is what I want you to see. 0:18:21.403,0:18:28.796 (Incomplete thought) 0:18:28.796,0:18:31.271 Can the wedding guests mourn as long as 0:18:31.271,0:18:32.695 the bridegroom is with them? 0:18:32.695,0:18:39.655 You all see that. Matthew, mourn. 0:18:39.655,0:18:45.381 This exact account in Mark, chapter 2. 0:18:45.381,0:18:47.101 You do not have to turn over there. 0:18:47.101,0:18:50.388 But you know, it does not [br]use the word mourn there. 0:18:50.388,0:18:51.893 You know what word it uses? 0:18:51.893,0:18:55.320 You know what word Mark uses? Fast. 0:18:55.320,0:18:57.256 Mark uses the word fast. 0:18:57.256,0:19:01.866 Let me just read the Mark [br]account - Mark 2:18-20. 0:19:01.866,0:19:05.858 "Now John disciples and [br]the Pharisees were fasting. 0:19:05.858,0:19:07.528 And people came and said to Him: 0:19:07.528,0:19:11.429 'Why do John's disciples and the [br]disciples of the Pharisees fast, 0:19:11.429,0:19:13.659 but your disciples do not fast?' 0:19:13.659,0:19:15.979 Jesus said to them, [br]'Can the wedding guest fast 0:19:15.979,0:19:17.767 while the bridegroom is with them?'" 0:19:17.767,0:19:19.995 As long as they have the [br]bridegroom with them? 0:19:19.995,0:19:21.255 "They cannot fast. 0:19:21.255,0:19:23.915 The days will come when the [br]bridegroom is taken away from them, 0:19:23.915,0:19:26.077 And then they will fast in that day." 0:19:26.077,0:19:28.312 Mark's account is actually more extensive, 0:19:28.312,0:19:31.256 more detailed account than [br]what Matthew gives us. 0:19:31.256,0:19:33.264 What is very interesting is this: 0:19:33.264,0:19:35.840 Matthew uses the word mourn 0:19:35.840,0:19:38.070 in exactly the same place 0:19:38.070,0:19:41.810 where Mark uses the word fast. 0:19:41.810,0:19:43.472 Interchangeably. 0:19:43.472,0:19:47.888 That means they are synonymous. 0:19:47.888,0:19:52.445 I hope that helps in thinking [br]about what fasting is. 0:19:52.445,0:19:54.500 Mourning. Why do we mourn? 0:19:54.500,0:19:57.234 Why would you mourn when the [br]bridegroom is taken away? 0:19:57.234,0:19:58.934 Because there are longings there. 0:19:58.934,0:20:00.976 There is desire there. 0:20:00.976,0:20:02.576 I want Christ back. 0:20:02.576,0:20:05.576 This is not good. I don't like this. 0:20:05.576,0:20:09.243 And you know what, [br]we should not be content. 0:20:09.243,0:20:11.773 This is a healthy discontent. 0:20:11.773,0:20:14.703 You should not be [br]content to live by faith. 0:20:14.703,0:20:15.773 Say what? 0:20:15.773,0:20:17.904 The Bible says we should [br]live by faith. No! 0:20:17.904,0:20:20.794 What I mean is you should [br]not be content to stay here 0:20:20.794,0:20:23.063 and live by faith forever. 0:20:23.063,0:20:25.827 You should want to see Him face to face. 0:20:25.827,0:20:27.978 You should want to embrace God. 0:20:27.978,0:20:29.726 You should want to see Him. 0:20:29.726,0:20:31.881 You should want to stand in His presence. 0:20:31.881,0:20:33.518 You should want to walk with Him 0:20:33.518,0:20:37.248 and talk with Him and [br]fellowship with Him forever. 0:20:37.248,0:20:40.025 This isn't any good. [br]Well, it is kind of good. 0:20:40.025,0:20:42.746 It is good if you are a Christian 0:20:42.746,0:20:45.746 and you are walking with the Lord here. 0:20:45.746,0:20:52.537 Even the most that Christians [br]experience here is not what we want. 0:20:52.537,0:20:55.081 We want consummation. 0:20:55.081,0:20:57.657 This is like we have been betrothed. 0:20:57.657,0:21:03.727 (Incomplete thought) 0:21:03.727,0:21:07.936 Who gets engaged and wants [br]to stay engaged forever? 0:21:07.936,0:21:10.421 That's what we are dealing with here. 0:21:10.421,0:21:12.345 We don't want this. 0:21:12.345,0:21:16.425 We don't want to walk by faith, [br]not by sight for eternity. 0:21:16.425,0:21:19.317 We want to walk by sight.[br]We want to see Him. 0:21:19.317,0:21:21.206 It doesn't mean we don't trust Him. 0:21:21.206,0:21:23.964 But we want to see Him;[br]we want to be with Him. 0:21:23.964,0:21:26.443 We want the veil ripped back. 0:21:26.443,0:21:29.519 And until that happens, we [br]are longing after something. 0:21:29.519,0:21:33.112 We want more. I want more. 0:21:33.112,0:21:35.542 I want Him to manifest Himself more. 0:21:35.542,0:21:37.873 I want more of His presence, [br]more of His power, 0:21:37.873,0:21:40.283 more of His help. I want more. 0:21:40.283,0:21:42.099 Don't you want more? 0:21:42.099,0:21:44.272 That seems to be what this is all about.[br] 0:21:44.272,0:21:47.272 They can't fast while I am here. 0:21:47.272,0:21:49.676 Why? They've got the bridegroom. 0:21:49.676,0:21:52.491 This isn't just random 0:21:52.491,0:21:56.361 or sporadic exercise of the Christian. 0:21:56.361,0:21:58.939 This has to do with what we desire. 0:21:58.939,0:22:01.997 That's what I want the church to do 0:22:01.997,0:22:06.407 and I want the church to fast [br]several times a year at least. 0:22:06.407,0:22:11.983 I hope you are fasting outside of the[br]times the church calls for a church fast. 0:22:11.983,0:22:14.749 I don't want people to do it mechanically[br] 0:22:14.749,0:22:17.749 or just because we got into the tradition 0:22:17.749,0:22:20.687 of starting the year with a [br]week of prayer and fasting. 0:22:20.687,0:22:22.663 This has to come from desire. 0:22:22.663,0:22:25.113 This has to come from unfulfilled desire, 0:22:25.113,0:22:28.543 unfulfilled passion, unfulfilled longing. 0:22:28.543,0:22:30.734 That is what He is talking about here. 0:22:30.734,0:22:32.877 Let us go further with this. 0:22:32.877,0:22:41.457 How about Luke 2:36? 0:22:41.457,0:22:45.578 We are going to get [br]closer to the heart of this. 0:22:45.578,0:22:49.515 I think we are already hitting on it. 0:22:49.515,0:22:54.047 I hope this will help bring [br]it into even greater clarity. 0:22:54.047,0:22:58.197 Luke 2:36. 0:22:58.197,0:22:59.685 You may remember, 0:22:59.685,0:23:02.715 there was a prophetess named Anna, 0:23:02.715,0:23:07.468 the daughter of Phanuel [br]of the tribe of Asher. 0:23:07.468,0:23:09.756 "She was advanced in years, 0:23:09.756,0:23:12.376 having lived with her husband seven years 0:23:12.376,0:23:15.766 from when she was a virgin." 0:23:15.766,0:23:19.415 Then as a widow until she was 84. 0:23:19.415,0:23:21.153 She did not depart from the temple. 0:23:21.153,0:23:24.567 Notice this: "Worshiping with fasting 0:23:24.567,0:23:27.698 and prayer night and day." 0:23:27.698,0:23:31.148 Here is what I want you to see. 0:23:31.148,0:23:35.391 Look, our lives are to be [br]lived for the glory of God; 0:23:35.391,0:23:37.131 whatsoever we do, 0:23:37.131,0:23:38.921 whether we eat or drink, 0:23:38.921,0:23:42.221 or don't eat and drink. 0:23:42.221,0:23:45.018 We are to do everything [br]for the glory of God. 0:23:45.018,0:23:46.823 This is about worship. 0:23:46.823,0:23:52.375 Worship comes from the [br]Old English "weorthscipe." 0:23:52.375,0:23:54.838 It has to do with the [br]worthiness of something. 0:23:54.838,0:23:59.068 Worship is when we are recognizing [br] 0:23:59.068,0:24:01.358 the worth of something. 0:24:01.358,0:24:06.339 There is nobody more [br]worthy than God Almighty. 0:24:06.339,0:24:09.280 There is nothing more worthy. 0:24:09.280,0:24:13.339 He, alone, is worthy of our worship. 0:24:13.339,0:24:20.032 And she, Anna, was [br]worshiping with fasting. 0:24:20.032,0:24:23.400 Fasting is a form of worship. Why? 0:24:23.400,0:24:25.820 (Incomplete thought) 0:24:25.820,0:24:27.170 Think about this: 0:24:27.170,0:24:32.308 When I fast because of the [br]reason given in Matthew 6, 0:24:32.308,0:24:36.518 because I long for the Father's reward. 0:24:36.518,0:24:39.634 When I fast because the bridegroom[br] 0:24:39.634,0:24:41.484 has been taken away, 0:24:41.484,0:24:43.444 and my longing is for Him. 0:24:43.444,0:24:44.964 When I need God; 0:24:44.964,0:24:47.249 when I need what God can give me;[br] 0:24:47.249,0:24:49.399 when I need God Himself; 0:24:49.399,0:24:51.857 when I am longing for that, 0:24:51.857,0:24:54.807 that's worship. 0:24:54.807,0:24:57.031 Look, when we're needy people 0:24:57.031,0:24:59.561 and we are coming to God [br]and we are desperate, 0:24:59.561,0:25:01.011 and we need His help - 0:25:01.011,0:25:03.351 but more than that; more [br]than what He can give us. 0:25:03.351,0:25:04.903 We need Him. 0:25:04.903,0:25:07.313 We want Him. 0:25:07.313,0:25:12.882 That's worship. 0:25:12.882,0:25:15.520 Isn't it? Isn't it the heart [br]and soul of worship 0:25:15.520,0:25:18.901 when we are wanting God [br]more than anything else? 0:25:18.901,0:25:22.331 When I say, you know what? 0:25:22.331,0:25:24.258 I want God! 0:25:24.258,0:25:27.258 I will give up food for [br]these seasons in my life 0:25:27.258,0:25:29.168 because I really want Him. 0:25:29.168,0:25:30.844 I want Him more than food. 0:25:30.844,0:25:33.494 I need food. I get hungry. 0:25:33.494,0:25:37.569 But I have a hunger in my soul for Him. 0:25:37.569,0:25:40.218 And you see, that is worship. 0:25:40.218,0:25:42.058 (Incomplete thought) 0:25:42.058,0:25:46.274 The last New Testament verse [br](well, actually, there's two) 0:25:46.274,0:25:49.744 I would take us to are found in Acts. 0:25:49.744,0:25:51.323 The early church. 0:25:51.323,0:25:58.389 We see them fasting. Acts 13. 0:25:58.389,0:26:02.417 Acts 13 is the chapter in Scripture 0:26:02.417,0:26:08.187 where we see the missionary endeavor[br] 0:26:08.187,0:26:11.977 taking root and form. 0:26:11.977,0:26:15.638 Paul and Barnabas are sent [br]out of the church of Antioch. 0:26:15.638,0:26:18.479 Paul's first missionary journey. [br] 0:26:18.479,0:26:20.199 Acts 13:1. 0:26:20.199,0:26:23.049 "Now there were in the church at [br]Antioch prophets and teachers, 0:26:23.052,0:26:24.452 Barnabas, 0:26:24.452,0:26:26.252 Simeon who is called Niger,[br] 0:26:26.252,0:26:28.442 Lucius of Cyrene, 0:26:28.442,0:26:32.795 Manaen, a lifelong friend of [br]Herod the tetrarch and Saul. 0:26:32.795,0:26:38.020 While they were worshiping [br]the Lord and fasting..." 0:26:38.020,0:26:41.348 Now we know that with Anna who [br]was worshiping with fasting, 0:26:41.348,0:26:44.153 Here, the ESV anyways says 0:26:44.153,0:26:48.253 "worshiping the Lord and fasting." 0:26:48.253,0:26:51.068 The Holy Spirit said: "Set apart [br]for me Barnabas and Saul 0:26:51.068,0:26:54.068 for the work to which I have called them. 0:26:54.068,0:26:56.523 And after fasting and praying, 0:26:56.523,0:27:00.833 they laid their hands on [br]them and sent them off." 0:27:00.833,0:27:07.564 Now, were they fasting [br]just as a typical practice 0:27:07.564,0:27:09.954 and that's when the Spirit came? 0:27:09.954,0:27:14.753 Or did the Spirit somehow [br]move through a prophet 0:27:14.753,0:27:17.443 and indicate these men [br]needed to go the mission field? 0:27:17.443,0:27:19.943 They saw this as being [br]such an important event 0:27:19.943,0:27:21.653 that they needed to fast. 0:27:21.653,0:27:23.871 I don't know the exact order here. [br] 0:27:23.871,0:27:26.981 It almost seems like if [br]you take it at face value, 0:27:26.981,0:27:29.981 it seems like they were fasting. 0:27:29.981,0:27:32.386 The Spirit in the midst of their fasting[br] 0:27:32.386,0:27:35.386 indicated maybe through [br]a New Testament prophet 0:27:35.386,0:27:38.148 that these were the two [br]guys that were to be sent. 0:27:38.148,0:27:41.735 And they continued in [br]their praying and fasting. 0:27:41.735,0:27:43.793 But anyways, the prayer and fasting 0:27:43.793,0:27:45.303 seems to go hand in hand 0:27:45.303,0:27:48.762 with the sending out [br]of the first missionaries. 0:27:48.762,0:27:50.842 They are going out and cross 0:27:50.842,0:27:52.874 from Asia over into Europe 0:27:52.874,0:27:55.404 and we know all the churches [br]that would be established. 0:27:55.404,0:27:58.402 This is a major matter. 0:27:58.402,0:28:00.629 This missionary movement 0:28:00.629,0:28:06.149 is flowing out of this praying and fasting. 0:28:06.149,0:28:08.498 We go a little further [br]in the book of Acts. 0:28:08.498,0:28:12.528 Acts 14:23. 0:28:12.528,0:28:17.670 Now Paul and Barnabas - [br]they're moving around 0:28:17.670,0:28:21.130 through the churches and are coming back 0:28:21.130,0:28:24.028 to churches that they've [br]already established. 0:28:24.028,0:28:26.900 Churches that were already planted. 0:28:26.900,0:28:28.180 Acts 14:23, 0:28:28.180,0:28:31.283 "When they appointed elders [br]for them in every church..." 0:28:31.283,0:28:34.889 and now they are going back to these[br]churches that they originally planted. 0:28:34.889,0:28:37.569 Now they are going back to them. [br]These churches are springing up[br] 0:28:37.569,0:28:39.379 and they are appointing elders 0:28:39.379,0:28:41.837 and they are doing this [br]with prayer and fasting. 0:28:41.837,0:28:44.294 It is like when Paul and [br]Barnabas are designated 0:28:44.294,0:28:46.774 from the church of Antioch to go out. 0:28:46.774,0:28:49.011 When Paul and Barnabas themselves 0:28:49.011,0:28:50.711 go into these churches 0:28:50.711,0:28:52.765 and elders are being appointed. 0:28:52.765,0:28:55.884 It is being done with prayer and fasting. 0:28:55.884,0:28:58.093 Why? Because there's this [br]desperate need then. 0:28:58.093,0:29:00.295 You want to be right about the leaders[br] 0:29:00.295,0:29:02.305 that you are choosing to take the Gospel 0:29:02.305,0:29:03.901 out on missionary endeavors 0:29:03.901,0:29:06.181 and who is going to be [br]overseeing the churches. 0:29:06.181,0:29:08.351 This is a time of desperation: 0:29:08.351,0:29:09.890 Lord, we need answers from You. 0:29:09.890,0:29:11.529 We need Your help. 0:29:11.529,0:29:14.099 We need clarity. We need discernment. 0:29:14.099,0:29:17.759 You can just see, it's [br]times of great need. 0:29:17.759,0:29:23.157 They commit themselves [br]to prayer and fasting. 0:29:23.157,0:29:25.646 Those are the verses in the New Testament 0:29:25.646,0:29:27.445 where you find fasting come up. 0:29:27.445,0:29:30.547 You get a feel for what it's about. 0:29:30.547,0:29:33.370 Now, I want to take you to [br]an Old Testament passage 0:29:33.370,0:29:38.990 in the remaining 25 minutes or so. 0:29:38.990,0:29:42.347 This is a great passage. 0:29:42.347,0:29:49.886 Turn in your Bibles first to Ezra 4. 0:29:49.886,0:29:52.234 We have to build the setting here 0:29:52.234,0:29:54.474 before we can just dive right into it. 0:29:54.474,0:29:57.450 If you don't get a feel for the setting,[br] 0:29:57.450,0:30:03.940 you kind of lose some of this. 0:30:03.940,0:30:08.042 So if you go to Ezra... 0:30:08.042,0:30:09.852 Let me just tell you, 0:30:09.852,0:30:12.539 if you want to do a [br]real interesting study, 0:30:12.539,0:30:14.654 very carefully study Ezra, 0:30:14.654,0:30:17.774 Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah. 0:30:17.774,0:30:21.562 Haggai and Zechariah are the two prophets 0:30:21.562,0:30:26.151 that God sent into Jerusalem 0:30:26.151,0:30:31.741 in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. 0:30:31.741,0:30:38.241 Those four books are all [br]from the same time period. 0:30:38.241,0:30:42.386 It's that time period of the [br]rebuilding of the Temple 0:30:42.386,0:30:45.106 after the Babylonian captivity. 0:30:45.106,0:30:47.114 They all go together. 0:30:47.114,0:30:49.972 Two of them are side by [br]side in the minor prophets 0:30:49.972,0:30:55.198 and two of them are right before [br]the Book of Job and Psalms 0:30:55.198,0:30:58.198 and that area of your Bible. 0:30:58.198,0:31:00.735 But they go together. 0:31:00.735,0:31:05.196 It is very interesting if you start [br]looking at the timetables. 0:31:05.196,0:31:07.646 And often, they measured the time 0:31:07.646,0:31:11.206 by whoever was in the leadership, 0:31:11.206,0:31:13.610 whether that was Cyrus or Darius. 0:31:13.610,0:31:16.530 And they talk about if [br]you go back before that, 0:31:16.530,0:31:18.209 it was Nebuchadnezzar - 0:31:18.209,0:31:20.979 in the certain year [br]of Nebuchadnezzar. 0:31:20.979,0:31:22.819 Anyway, let's look at this. 0:31:22.819,0:31:27.329 Ezra 4:24. 0:31:27.329,0:31:31.664 Actually, glance back up to Ezra 4:4 0:31:31.664,0:31:33.844 since you're right in the same chapter. 0:31:33.844,0:31:36.536 I want you to see this. [br]What happens in Ezra 4:4? 0:31:36.536,0:31:44.086 What do you see happen there? 0:31:44.086,0:31:45.394 Fear. 0:31:45.394,0:31:47.798 Let me tell you what happened. 0:31:47.798,0:31:51.181 70 years of Babylonian captivity go by. 0:31:51.181,0:31:52.691 70 years. 0:31:52.691,0:31:57.172 Which prophet prophesied [br]they'd be in Babylon 70 years? 0:31:57.172,0:31:58.840 Jeremiah. 0:31:58.840,0:32:00.326 Daniel picked up on that, 0:32:00.326,0:32:02.546 Daniel prayed right there towards the end. 0:32:02.546,0:32:03.668 What happens? 0:32:03.668,0:32:06.558 Cyrus comes along and Cyrus says: 0:32:06.558,0:32:10.668 "Any Jews that want to go back [br]to Jerusalem and rebuild? 0:32:10.668,0:32:12.209 Go back. " 0:32:12.209,0:32:13.929 So they go back. 0:32:13.929,0:32:17.779 And first thing they did, [br]they built the altar. 0:32:17.779,0:32:19.639 That was the first thing they did. 0:32:19.639,0:32:22.424 Second thing they did, was they laid 0:32:22.424,0:32:26.244 the foundation for the Temple. 0:32:26.244,0:32:29.111 In 4:4, they quit work on the Temple 0:32:29.111,0:32:32.871 after they have the [br]foundation laid out of fear. 0:32:32.871,0:32:35.231 (Incomplete thought) 0:32:35.231,0:32:40.334 Listen, even though they had [br]a commission to do this, 0:32:40.334,0:32:47.099 the capital is a long way away. 0:32:47.099,0:32:49.512 By the time they get to this point,[br] 0:32:49.512,0:32:54.383 Cyrus isn't even there anymore. 0:32:54.383,0:32:56.178 What they get is that people 0:32:56.178,0:32:59.178 who did not like the Jews. 0:32:59.178,0:33:03.517 Antisemitism was very [br]much alive back then. 0:33:03.517,0:33:07.378 They did not want these [br]Jews rebuilding the walls, 0:33:07.378,0:33:09.318 or rebuilding the Temple. 0:33:09.318,0:33:11.606 They did not want that. [br]They were opposed to it. 0:33:11.606,0:33:15.184 They tried various ways [br]to stop them, scare them. 0:33:15.184,0:33:17.868 They managed - they scared them. 0:33:17.874,0:33:21.753 They got the foundation completed 0:33:21.753,0:33:24.103 and then they terrified them. 0:33:24.103,0:33:26.103 The Jews quit. 0:33:26.103,0:33:30.459 Now I want you to jump down to Ezra 4:24. 0:33:30.459,0:33:33.361 "Then the work of the house of God [br] 0:33:33.361,0:33:35.611 that is in Jerusalem stopped." 0:33:35.611,0:33:38.752 They got the foundation [br]done and it stopped. 0:33:38.752,0:33:40.102 And notice this: 0:33:40.102,0:33:43.832 "It ceased until the second year 0:33:43.832,0:33:50.452 of the reign of Darius, king of Persia" 0:33:50.452,0:33:59.068 Cyrus was gone by the [br]time this work would resume. 0:33:59.068,0:34:04.946 It would resume in the second year [br]of the reign of Darius, king of Persia. 0:34:04.948,0:34:09.441 Now jump to Haggai and Zechariah. 0:34:09.441,0:34:12.771 We want to look at those two momentarily.[br] 0:34:12.771,0:34:17.291 They are right at the end of the Old [br]Testament in the minor prophets. 0:34:17.291,0:34:22.174 Haggai is very short.[br]Zechariah is a bit longer. 0:34:22.174,0:34:23.483 But remember that, 0:34:23.483,0:34:25.881 the work would not resume 0:34:25.881,0:34:40.920 until the second year [br]of this reign of Darius. 0:34:40.920,0:34:44.145 So now, if we go to Haggai - 0:34:44.145,0:34:51.759 are you all there? 0:34:51.759,0:34:53.169 Everyone got it? 0:34:53.169,0:34:55.469 Old Testament. Last book is Malachi. 0:34:55.469,0:34:57.636 Jump back before that.[br]You've got Zechariah. 0:34:57.636,0:35:00.464 Before that, you've got Haggai. [br]Little tiny book. 0:35:00.464,0:35:05.472 Notice how it starts. Haggai 1:1. 0:35:05.472,0:35:08.327 Remember, back in Ezra, 0:35:08.327,0:35:12.927 we saw that the work on [br]the house of God ceased 0:35:12.927,0:35:16.217 until the second year of the reign[br]of Darius, king of Persia. 0:35:16.217,0:35:21.362 Now, Haggai picks up in the [br]second year of Darius the king. 0:35:21.362,0:35:23.526 This is the precise year 0:35:23.526,0:35:27.434 that the building is going to resume. 0:35:27.434,0:35:32.184 The second year of Darius the king. 0:35:32.184,0:35:34.028 Now jump over to Zechariah 1:1, 0:35:34.028,0:35:36.025 which is your next book in your Bibles. 0:35:36.025,0:35:39.485 Zechariah 1:1. 0:35:39.485,0:35:43.328 And you're going to see, [br]it starts in the eighth month, 0:35:43.328,0:35:45.104 in the second year of Darius. 0:35:45.104,0:35:47.248 Again it is the same. It's the same. 0:35:47.248,0:35:51.787 That text that we had there in Ezra 4:24, [br] 0:35:51.787,0:35:55.307 that the building would resume, 0:35:55.307,0:35:59.825 is the exact same year that [br]both of these books start. 0:35:59.825,0:36:02.075 Why? Well, I'll tell you what happened, 0:36:02.075,0:36:03.855 they quit out of fear 0:36:03.855,0:36:06.539 and God sent both these prophets 0:36:06.539,0:36:09.209 in the very year that they would resume 0:36:09.209,0:36:14.669 to kick start these people [br]into resuming the building. 0:36:14.669,0:36:17.176 They were wrong to quit. 0:36:17.176,0:36:19.573 They weren't trusting the Lord! 0:36:19.573,0:36:21.455 They were living in fear.[br] 0:36:21.455,0:36:24.115 And if you go back and read Ezra, 0:36:24.115,0:36:26.220 what you find is God sent 0:36:26.220,0:36:28.850 Haggai and Zechariah to them. 0:36:28.850,0:36:31.116 These are the prophets sent to them 0:36:31.116,0:36:34.346 to kick them in the rear [br]and get them building again. 0:36:34.346,0:36:40.597 God was not happy that [br]they stopped building. 0:36:40.597,0:36:43.257 Now, let's just keep moving along here. 0:36:43.257,0:36:47.315 Go to Zechariah 7. 0:36:47.315,0:36:55.315 Zechariah 7:1 starts in the[br]fourth year of king Darius. 0:36:55.315,0:36:58.315 Now, I'm just going to tell you this. 0:36:58.315,0:37:01.099 In Ezra, we find out that the Temple [br] 0:37:01.099,0:37:13.719 was completed in the sixth year of Darius. 0:37:13.719,0:37:18.499 Zechariah 7 starts in the fourth year. 0:37:18.499,0:37:23.541 The construction was kicked back [br]into gear in the second year. 0:37:23.541,0:37:26.687 We know that it's finished [br]in the sixth year. 0:37:26.687,0:37:28.757 Guess where the fourth year puts you? 0:37:28.757,0:37:30.985 Right in the middle of the reconstruction [br] 0:37:30.985,0:37:34.165 of the new Temple. 0:37:34.165,0:37:37.791 We are going somewhere with this.[br]Just hang with me here. 0:37:37.791,0:37:40.862 You got to picture yourselves. [br]This is Jerusalem. 0:37:40.862,0:37:43.012 They have been in fear of their enemies.[br] 0:37:43.012,0:37:45.652 They quit. 0:37:45.652,0:37:48.579 After they foundation was laid, they quit. 0:37:48.579,0:37:49.963 God was not pleased. 0:37:49.963,0:37:52.125 God sent these prophets. 0:37:52.125,0:37:56.815 Told them: "You need to start[br]rebuilding, you need to trust Me." 0:37:56.815,0:38:01.045 (Incomplete thought) 0:38:01.045,0:38:03.840 What you've tried to do [br]has not been blessed, 0:38:03.840,0:38:05.844 because you have [br]not given first priority 0:38:05.844,0:38:07.564 to the rebuilding of My Temple. 0:38:07.564,0:38:09.948 That is what He told them [br]through these prophets. 0:38:09.948,0:38:11.963 And so they resumed building 0:38:11.963,0:38:13.973 in the second year of Darius. 0:38:13.973,0:38:17.393 They finished it in the sixth year. 0:38:17.393,0:38:20.843 Zechariah chapter 7 is in the fourth year. 0:38:20.843,0:38:26.762 It is when the Temple [br]is half-way restored. 0:38:26.762,0:38:30.473 That is key. 0:38:30.473,0:38:36.057 Now, look at Zechariah 7:2. 0:38:36.057,0:38:39.343 Now, the people of Bethel... 0:38:39.343,0:38:44.290 Bethel was 11 miles north of Jerusalem. 0:38:44.290,0:38:46.055 There were Jews there as well. 0:38:46.055,0:38:49.263 Jews that came back - [br]they didn't all go to Jerusalem. 0:38:49.263,0:38:51.075 Many of them went back 0:38:51.075,0:38:54.685 to where their families came from. 0:38:54.685,0:38:58.289 Not all of them went to Jerusalem.[br]Many were in the surrounding cities. 0:38:58.289,0:39:00.629 And so you've got a [br]bunch of Jews in Bethel 0:39:00.629,0:39:03.799 11 miles north of Jerusalem. 0:39:03.799,0:39:08.467 "And they sent Sharezer [br]and Regem-melech..." 0:39:08.467,0:39:15.557 Interesting - these are still [br]Babylonian names on these Jews. 0:39:15.557,0:39:18.483 And they're men to entreat [br]the favor of the Lord. 0:39:18.483,0:39:20.083 In other words, they are sending 0:39:20.083,0:39:23.763 an entourage from Bethel[br]11 miles to Jerusalem. 0:39:23.763,0:39:27.218 Why? Check this out - verse 3. 0:39:27.218,0:39:28.508 "Saying to the priests 0:39:28.508,0:39:30.038 of the house of the Lord..." 0:39:30.038,0:39:32.431 You see, they sent them [br]to where the priests were 0:39:32.431,0:39:34.191 and where the house of the Lord was[br] 0:39:34.191,0:39:38.011 which at this time is halfway rebuilt. 0:39:38.011,0:39:39.496 "And the prophets..." [br] 0:39:39.496,0:39:41.145 We know who the prophets are. 0:39:41.145,0:39:42.505 You can see that in Ezra. 0:39:42.505,0:39:46.445 That's these two guys, [br]Haggai and Zechariah. 0:39:46.445,0:39:47.785 Notice what they say: 0:39:47.785,0:39:51.629 "Should I weep and abstain?" 0:39:51.629,0:39:54.525 Abstain? What is that? That is fasting. 0:39:54.525,0:39:57.112 If you doubt it, down to a few verses, 0:39:57.112,0:39:59.339 he tells us that is exactly what it means. 0:39:59.339,0:40:00.656 Abstain from food. 0:40:00.656,0:40:01.656 Should we weep? 0:40:01.656,0:40:03.821 Doesn't it go hand in hand with mourning? 0:40:03.821,0:40:05.889 Like we saw in the New Testament, [br] 0:40:05.889,0:40:09.231 where mourn and fasting [br]are used interchangeably. 0:40:09.231,0:40:12.029 They are talking about [br]weeping and abstaining. 0:40:12.029,0:40:14.640 It goes hand in hand. 0:40:14.640,0:40:19.206 I was leading you back to fasting. 0:40:19.206,0:40:24.241 "Should I weep and abstain [br](or fast) in the fifth month 0:40:24.241,0:40:26.611 as I have done for so many years?" 0:40:26.611,0:40:29.904 Now, the "so many" years is seventy years. 0:40:29.904,0:40:33.534 He is going to tell us [br]that precisely in verse 5. 0:40:33.534,0:40:36.187 God is going to tell us. 0:40:36.187,0:40:37.869 What are the seventy years? 0:40:37.869,0:40:40.399 The seventy years are [br]when they were in captivity. 0:40:40.399,0:40:41.948 What they are saying is this: 0:40:41.948,0:40:48.548 they sent these two select [br]men with their entourage 0:40:48.548,0:40:54.557 11 miles to Jerusalem to the [br]priest and to the prophets, 0:40:54.557,0:40:57.393 and they are saying, hey guys, 0:40:57.393,0:41:00.123 go ask the priests and the prophets 0:41:00.123,0:41:02.886 whether we are supposed [br]to continue to fast 0:41:02.886,0:41:08.309 in the fifth month like we [br]have been for seventy years. 0:41:08.313,0:41:09.881 Why would they have done that? 0:41:09.881,0:41:11.831 To express their mourning for the fact 0:41:11.831,0:41:13.931 that Nebuchadnezzar came in and wiped out 0:41:13.931,0:41:17.130 the temple and burned [br]it and it was destroyed. 0:41:17.130,0:41:20.287 That is basically what is going on here. 0:41:20.287,0:41:23.942 Fifth month of the year, these people [br]have been fasting for seventy years. 0:41:23.942,0:41:26.791 They have a question as to[br]whether they should continue. 0:41:26.791,0:41:30.572 And here's the thing, [br]the temple is being rebuilt. 0:41:30.572,0:41:32.971 It's like, well, we want to know, 0:41:32.971,0:41:37.701 should we keep fasting 0:41:37.701,0:41:39.439 for the sake of the Temple, 0:41:39.439,0:41:42.199 when the Temple is actually [br]now getting rebuilt? 0:41:42.199,0:41:44.211 Does is make any sense to keep fasting? 0:41:44.211,0:41:46.997 We fasted before because [br]we lost the Temple. 0:41:46.997,0:41:49.692 Nebuchadnezzar burned it.[br]We were mourning. 0:41:49.692,0:41:51.269 But now that it's being rebuilt, 0:41:51.269,0:41:53.679 should we still keep on [br]weeping and mourning? 0:41:53.679,0:41:55.075 Is that even right? 0:41:55.075,0:41:56.834 And we are hearing word 0:41:56.834,0:41:58.744 the thing is well under construction. 0:41:58.744,0:42:01.004 It is likely to be completed. 0:42:01.004,0:42:02.593 Do we keep fasting? 0:42:02.593,0:42:04.303 So they sent this delegation 0:42:04.303,0:42:06.340 to the priests and prophets in Jerusalem. 0:42:06.340,0:42:08.285 Notice Zechariah 7:4- 5. 0:42:08.285,0:42:13.287 "Then the word of the[br]Lord of hosts came to me." 0:42:13.287,0:42:16.217 This is Zechariah. 0:42:16.217,0:42:18.217 Verse 5: 0:42:18.217,0:42:23.646 "Say to all the people of [br]the land and the priests, 0:42:23.646,0:42:27.278 when you fasted and [br]mourned in the fifth month..." 0:42:27.278,0:42:30.597 They not only fasted then; they [br]were asking about the fifth month, 0:42:30.597,0:42:34.340 but God throws in here the [br]seventh as well for these. 0:42:34.340,0:42:36.191 Here we get the exact number of years,[br] 0:42:36.191,0:42:39.191 these seventy years [br]while they were in captivity. 0:42:39.191,0:42:42.755 "Was it for Me that you fasted?" 0:42:42.755,0:42:47.205 Was it for Me that you fasted? 0:42:47.205,0:42:51.524 Now we are getting back [br]at the heart of why we fast. 0:42:51.524,0:42:55.778 Was it for Me? What an answer! 0:42:55.778,0:43:00.223 But there is more! Read verse 6 with me. 0:43:00.223,0:43:07.544 This is interesting because [br]their question is about fasting. 0:43:07.544,0:43:10.008 "When you eat and when you drink..." 0:43:10.008,0:43:13.844 Wait, God just said to them: 0:43:13.844,0:43:17.933 "When you fasted and [br]mourned in the fifth month 0:43:17.933,0:43:20.123 and the seventh for seventy years, 0:43:20.123,0:43:22.223 was it for Me that you fasted?" 0:43:22.223,0:43:24.237 And then He goes right on to say - 0:43:24.237,0:43:27.424 their question isn't even [br]about eating and drinking, 0:43:27.424,0:43:32.244 It's about whether they should continue[br]mourning and abstaining - fasting. 0:43:32.244,0:43:33.515 But He goes on to say, 0:43:33.515,0:43:35.805 "When you eat and when you drink, 0:43:35.805,0:43:37.799 do you not eat for yourselves 0:43:37.799,0:43:40.909 and drink for yourselves?" 0:43:40.909,0:43:42.739 It's like, wow... Lord. 0:43:42.739,0:43:45.352 Why do You give them [br]that bit of information 0:43:45.352,0:43:49.262 when they are not even being [br]asked about eating and drinking. 0:43:49.262,0:43:53.203 Do you get the idea that [br]what was so important 0:43:53.203,0:43:57.589 to the Jews - and it is! 0:43:57.589,0:44:00.073 This is a really important [br]question for these Jews. 0:44:00.073,0:44:02.051 They felt it so critical to figure out[br] 0:44:02.051,0:44:04.740 whether they should continue [br]this or not continue this, 0:44:04.740,0:44:06.931 that they actually go [br]to the extent of sending[br] 0:44:06.931,0:44:09.151 a party of men to [br]Jerusalem to get an answer. 0:44:09.151,0:44:11.704 They obviously find Zechariah. 0:44:11.704,0:44:14.230 Zechariah's a man who can [br]give them an answer, right? 0:44:14.230,0:44:15.583 He is a prophet of God, 0:44:15.583,0:44:18.753 He's got a connection with the Lord. 0:44:18.753,0:44:20.915 They want to know. 0:44:20.915,0:44:23.165 Why would you even ask that question? 0:44:23.165,0:44:25.794 Why would you even send [br]this delegation to find out? 0:44:25.794,0:44:28.723 Because you want to know [br]what pleases the Lord. 0:44:28.723,0:44:30.965 They are thinking, they are [br]discussing among themselves. 0:44:30.965,0:44:32.876 They are getting together [br]at Bethel and thinking, 0:44:32.876,0:44:34.637 "Should we continue this?" 0:44:34.646,0:44:36.252 Which is pleasing to the Lord? 0:44:36.252,0:44:38.771 Is it pleasing to the Lord that [br]we continue to fast? 0:44:38.771,0:44:42.073 Or is it pleasing to the Lord that[br]we discontinue this fast? 0:44:42.073,0:44:45.038 That is what they are asking about. 0:44:45.038,0:44:49.329 But you see how God answers? 0:44:49.329,0:44:54.735 God is saying to them what's[br]really and truly important to Me 0:44:54.735,0:44:58.932 is missed by your questions altogether. 0:44:58.932,0:45:02.238 You see, you are sitting there thinking[br] 0:45:02.238,0:45:04.758 that whether you fast or don't fast 0:45:04.758,0:45:07.532 is going to make the difference. 0:45:07.532,0:45:11.727 And God is saying it's not [br]going to make any difference. 0:45:11.727,0:45:14.955 I am not pleased with you [br]when you eat and drink. 0:45:14.955,0:45:18.339 Nor I am pleased with you [br]when you don't eat and drink. 0:45:18.339,0:45:20.420 You see the Lord's point? 0:45:20.420,0:45:26.042 Your fifth month fast has been no[br]good because you don't do it for Me! 0:45:26.042,0:45:29.392 You don't do it for Me. 0:45:29.392,0:45:33.347 If that's all the Lord has said;[br]if He had stopped right there, 0:45:33.347,0:45:35.301 they'd be going home thinking:[br] 0:45:35.301,0:45:37.771 Oh, okay, so God is not [br]pleased with the fast. 0:45:37.771,0:45:40.132 Ok guys, Bethel we need to stop fasting. [br] 0:45:40.132,0:45:41.852 God will be pleased with this. 0:45:41.852,0:45:44.944 No! It was necessary that [br]He say the next thing, 0:45:44.944,0:45:46.834 so that they really get the point. 0:45:46.834,0:45:48.606 You guys have a bigger issue 0:45:48.606,0:45:53.026 than whether you are [br]fasting or not fasting. 0:45:53.026,0:45:55.446 The way to please God [br]is not for these people 0:45:55.446,0:45:57.706 to simply quit the fast. 0:45:57.706,0:45:59.853 The Lord says that's [br]no good either because 0:45:59.853,0:46:02.712 you give the fast up and then you [br]go back to eating and drinking. 0:46:02.712,0:46:07.796 You don't do that for Me either. 0:46:07.798,0:46:10.638 Our primary question about fasting, 0:46:10.638,0:46:12.108 because you get all the time: 0:46:12.108,0:46:14.212 How often should I fast? 0:46:14.212,0:46:19.730 How long should I fast when I do fast? 0:46:19.730,0:46:21.912 What should this look like? 0:46:21.912,0:46:24.416 Do I fast for a meal? 0:46:24.416,0:46:26.416 Do I fast for a whole day? 0:46:26.416,0:46:28.940 Three days? Seven days? 0:46:28.940,0:46:30.070 (Incomplete thought) 0:46:30.070,0:46:32.740 Look, I'll tell you this, 0:46:32.740,0:46:36.134 if you are Christian, 0:46:36.134,0:46:39.934 Jesus is clearly saying 0:46:39.934,0:46:42.507 that fasting can be beneficial to you 0:46:42.507,0:46:46.877 in order to receive the [br]reward that God has. 0:46:46.877,0:46:50.161 The greatest reward that [br]God can give you is Himself, 0:46:50.161,0:46:53.046 and greater manifestations of Himself. 0:46:53.053,0:46:55.188 That is the greatest thing [br]He can give you. 0:46:55.188,0:47:00.774 He is the greatest treasure [br]that He has to give. 0:47:00.774,0:47:02.674 And the thing is 0:47:02.674,0:47:06.044 When you try to concern [br]yourselves with how long? 0:47:06.044,0:47:07.691 What should my frequency be? 0:47:07.691,0:47:10.464 What should this look like? 0:47:10.464,0:47:12.511 There is definitely benefit in it 0:47:12.511,0:47:18.711 if you are doing it for the sake of God. 0:47:18.711,0:47:21.814 If you are just doing it mechanically;[br] 0:47:21.814,0:47:24.494 if you're just doing it because [br]it has become tradition or habit, 0:47:24.494,0:47:26.747 because the rest of church does it 0:47:26.747,0:47:29.360 because GCC has this tradition 0:47:29.360,0:47:32.500 of starting out each year with [br]a week of prayer and fasting. 0:47:32.500,0:47:36.384 Okay, you're going to do this because... 0:47:36.384,0:47:42.624 Look, the real issue in this is 0:47:42.624,0:47:45.468 you can eat and drink to the glory of God. 0:47:45.468,0:47:52.568 You can fast and do that [br]to the glory of the Lord. 0:47:52.568,0:47:54.418 And then you can go back to eating 0:47:54.418,0:47:56.509 and you can do it to [br]the glory of the Lord. 0:47:56.509,0:47:58.802 You don't have to feel a bit guilty. 0:47:58.802,0:48:01.095 But the driving motivator here 0:48:01.095,0:48:03.259 should be desire for God; 0:48:03.259,0:48:05.103 it should be desire for Him; 0:48:05.103,0:48:06.947 it should be doing it for Him. 0:48:06.947,0:48:09.135 He is saying you did not fast for Me 0:48:09.135,0:48:10.515 and when you eat and drink, 0:48:10.515,0:48:14.785 you do that for yourselves. 0:48:14.785,0:48:16.550 Our sights are set on the Lord. [br] 0:48:16.550,0:48:20.350 This is all God-perspective [br]here in fasting. 0:48:20.350,0:48:23.045 That's the real issue. 0:48:23.045,0:48:25.906 We don't want to get [br]so hung up on ritual. 0:48:25.906,0:48:28.360 The Pharisee: "Oh, I [br]fast twice in a week." 0:48:28.360,0:48:31.994 You can get to where fasting [br]just becomes ritualistic. 0:48:31.994,0:48:33.539 You just do it to do it. 0:48:33.539,0:48:35.571 You do it because it is almost like 0:48:35.571,0:48:39.181 you feel there is some magic about it. 0:48:39.181,0:48:42.465 I fast and somehow I [br]am twisting God's arm 0:48:42.465,0:48:45.125 to do this or do that for me. 0:48:45.125,0:48:47.295 That's not what this is about. 0:48:47.295,0:48:48.828 You have to remember, 0:48:48.828,0:48:50.588 Jesus is talking about when we fast,[br] 0:48:50.588,0:48:53.248 there is a God who sees in secret. 0:48:53.248,0:48:55.027 What's He looking at? 0:48:55.027,0:48:57.551 Not just your fasting exercise. 0:48:57.551,0:49:00.551 He is looking at your heart! 0:49:00.551,0:49:02.943 Didn't Jesus come along and say,[br] 0:49:02.943,0:49:05.943 "You know, Isaiah said the [br]right thing about you guys!" 0:49:05.943,0:49:07.683 He was specifically talking about 0:49:07.683,0:49:09.564 where Isaiah said that these people 0:49:09.564,0:49:11.382 draw near to Me with their mouth.[br] 0:49:11.382,0:49:14.852 But their hearts - they are far from Me. 0:49:14.852,0:49:17.143 God looks at the heart. 0:49:17.143,0:49:19.716 When you are taking about fasting, 0:49:19.716,0:49:22.716 (Incomplete thought) 0:49:22.716,0:49:25.962 there are times not to fast. 0:49:25.962,0:49:28.451 There are times when [br]the bridegroom is there. 0:49:28.451,0:49:31.101 It is time not to fast. 0:49:31.101,0:49:33.461 But the bridegroom has been taken away. [br] 0:49:33.461,0:49:34.902 We ought to be desperate. 0:49:34.902,0:49:36.308 There ought to be lots of times 0:49:36.308,0:49:38.978 when we're just desperate for [br]having Him draw nearer. 0:49:38.978,0:49:41.248 Do you ever get just desperate? 0:49:41.248,0:49:43.577 It is like I don't have enough of God! 0:49:43.577,0:49:48.891 This is clearly the most important [br]question we need to be asking: 0:49:48.891,0:49:52.730 "Are we doing this for God?" 0:49:52.730,0:49:56.243 As far as frequency, it is something [br]you and I have to work through. 0:49:56.243,0:49:59.455 It's something we have [br]to ask questions about. 0:49:59.455,0:50:03.371 Just the question about [br]whether we fast or don't fast, 0:50:03.371,0:50:09.070 you can tell, God thinks that's [br]not the most important thing. 0:50:09.070,0:50:10.990 It's a trifle. 0:50:10.990,0:50:13.514 They totally miss what's essential 0:50:13.514,0:50:16.914 when they are asking a question like that. 0:50:16.914,0:50:18.950 That's all we ask. 0:50:18.950,0:50:20.904 Brethren, we need to beware of ceremony, 0:50:20.904,0:50:23.184 tradition, and ritual in all of this. 0:50:23.184,0:50:25.088 We need to be guided by desire, 0:50:25.088,0:50:26.719 That's a good thing to fast for! 0:50:26.719,0:50:29.589 God, give me more desire for You! 0:50:29.589,0:50:33.207 You got this promise sealed [br]with the blood of Jesus Christ, 0:50:33.207,0:50:36.307 that if you fast in secret, [br]there are rewards. 0:50:36.307,0:50:37.522 I'll tell you this, 0:50:37.522,0:50:40.185 Jesus did not say you [br]will get these rewards 0:50:40.185,0:50:42.239 whether you fast or not. 0:50:42.239,0:50:44.034 He did not say that. 0:50:44.034,0:50:46.349 He did not say that this [br]whole thing of fasting 0:50:46.355,0:50:48.801 is just indifferent whether [br]you do it or not 0:50:48.801,0:50:51.695 you get the same thing that you[br]would have gotten anyways. 0:50:51.695,0:50:54.525 That's never said about prayer [br]and fasting in Scriptures. 0:50:54.525,0:50:55.994 What you need to know is this: 0:50:55.994,0:50:58.970 there are people in this [br]world, Christians that fast, 0:50:58.970,0:51:01.087 and they received rewards from the Father[br] 0:51:01.087,0:51:02.977 that other people don't receive 0:51:02.977,0:51:06.911 because they don't seek [br]the Lord the same way. 0:51:06.911,0:51:08.650 They are not as desperate. 0:51:08.650,0:51:11.650 They don't need Him. 0:51:11.650,0:51:14.003 And so they don't get. 0:51:14.003,0:51:16.910 Scriptures says you don't [br]have because you don't ask. 0:51:16.910,0:51:20.230 We can easily say, you don't [br]have because you don't fast. 0:51:20.230,0:51:23.617 There may be things that you will not get 0:51:23.617,0:51:25.877 unless you seek them 0:51:25.877,0:51:29.227 with real diligent prayer and fasting. 0:51:29.227,0:51:31.784 Again, there is a textual issue, 0:51:31.784,0:51:34.481 but there is a place where Jesus in Mark 9[br] 0:51:34.481,0:51:37.981 talks about this kind only [br]goes out by prayer and fasting. 0:51:37.981,0:51:40.370 He is talking about spiritual battles, 0:51:40.370,0:51:44.700 won or lost, that hinge [br]on prayer and fasting. 0:51:44.700,0:51:46.682 The textual issue is that 0:51:46.682,0:51:50.117 some of the manuscripts have [br]fasting and some don't. 0:51:50.117,0:51:52.694 But even that regardless, 0:51:52.694,0:51:55.164 prayer is there in all of them. 0:51:55.164,0:51:59.864 It is the fact that there is a kind of[br]prayer that goes along with fasting. 0:51:59.864,0:52:03.986 It is an intensified way [br]of seeking the Lord. 0:52:03.986,0:52:05.779 When you heart is towards Him 0:52:05.779,0:52:08.345 and you heart is yearning towards Him, 0:52:08.345,0:52:10.324 God sees us fasting like that, 0:52:10.324,0:52:12.264 it is very pleasing to Him. 0:52:12.264,0:52:13.994 Very pleasing when we're desperate. 0:52:13.994,0:52:18.088 When we're longing because the [br]bridegroom has been taken away. 0:52:18.088,0:52:19.173 It is worship. 0:52:19.173,0:52:21.743 Do we not see that with [br]Hannah? It is worship. 0:52:21.743,0:52:23.890 This is a way to worship. 0:52:23.890,0:52:27.157 God never wants you to worship [br]when it's only with your lips 0:52:27.157,0:52:31.477 or it's only in a mechanical way[br]performed by your body. 0:52:31.477,0:52:34.468 We can grit our teeth and not eat. 0:52:34.468,0:52:36.706 God does not want that. [br]That's not true worship. 0:52:36.706,0:52:38.104 Worship is from the heart. 0:52:38.104,0:52:41.277 God wants us to worship with all our[br]heart, mind, soul and strength. 0:52:41.277,0:52:44.024 That is what He is looking at.[br]That's what is pleasing to Him. 0:52:44.024,0:52:46.964 That's not just a matter of [br]"Should I fast or should I not fast?" 0:52:46.964,0:52:50.320 It is more about where [br]the heart is in all of it. 0:52:50.320,0:52:52.442 If our heart is desperate for God, 0:52:52.442,0:52:54.982 you would think fasting [br]is going to be something 0:52:54.982,0:53:00.672 that is going to be simultaneous [br]to our desperation. 0:53:00.672,0:53:03.594 In this life, when we [br]want, and we desire, 0:53:03.594,0:53:07.464 and we hunger, and we [br]long for more of Him, 0:53:07.464,0:53:12.228 more of that reward that only He can give. 0:53:12.228,0:53:14.903 We know by faith He is watching, 0:53:14.903,0:53:18.643 by faith we know that He rewards us. 0:53:18.643,0:53:21.642 The big things are things [br]you are desperate for in life - 0:53:21.642,0:53:24.522 those things you know if God [br]does not give them to you, 0:53:24.522,0:53:26.401 you will not have 0:53:26.401,0:53:28.172 the salvation of people's souls, 0:53:28.172,0:53:29.795 the advance of the Gospel, 0:53:29.795,0:53:35.002 big things in life, major things. 0:53:35.002,0:53:36.114 You are trying to figure out,[br] 0:53:36.114,0:53:39.114 you know, if you want to marry somebody, 0:53:39.114,0:53:42.639 or you're trying to figure out [br]leadership for the church, 0:53:42.639,0:53:44.872 what missionary is going to be sent... 0:53:44.872,0:53:47.035 These are appropriate [br]times to be fasting - 0:53:47.035,0:53:50.330 big decisions in your life where [br]you need to lay hold on God. 0:53:50.330,0:53:54.800 You need an answer. You need Him. 0:53:54.807,0:53:56.408 You do it for Him. 0:53:56.408,0:54:03.709 Any approach to God that makes Him great. 0:54:03.709,0:54:08.525 Not that we do, but you know how [br]we talk about magnifying the Lord. 0:54:08.525,0:54:13.912 That doesn't mean we make [br]Him bigger than He already is. 0:54:13.912,0:54:15.751 When we magnify the Lord, 0:54:15.751,0:54:18.951 all we do is come closer and [br]closer to a proper perspective 0:54:18.951,0:54:24.299 of what He is, who He is, how He is, [br]what His attributes are. 0:54:24.299,0:54:28.303 But brethren, when we are [br]going to God in desperation, 0:54:28.303,0:54:31.327 you know what that does? [br]You know what it communicates? 0:54:31.327,0:54:34.536 I recognize, I am needy, [br]I am desperate, I am helpless, 0:54:34.536,0:54:37.306 I am bankrupt, and He is [br]the fountain of all good. 0:54:37.306,0:54:39.241 He is Jehovah Jireh. I need Him. 0:54:39.241,0:54:41.071 He is the provider. 0:54:41.071,0:54:44.651 He is glorified when [br]we view Him like that. 0:54:44.651,0:54:48.270 If we really recognize how [br]utterly desperate we are 0:54:48.270,0:54:50.690 and bankrupt we are in ourselves, 0:54:50.690,0:54:52.839 and just the riches that are to be had;[br] 0:54:52.839,0:54:55.489 this treasure house of [br]riches that are in Christ. 0:54:55.489,0:54:59.432 Like I say, the greatest riches that [br]God can give us is His own Son 0:54:59.432,0:55:03.283 and His own Self, fellowship with Himself. 0:55:03.283,0:55:06.918 Brethren, you get overwhelmed [br]by the presence of God 0:55:06.918,0:55:09.598 and you don't want anything [br]else in this world. 0:55:09.598,0:55:12.124 There is nothing greater than that. 0:55:12.124,0:55:15.055 And for Him to sweep us [br]ultimately up into His presence 0:55:15.055,0:55:17.255 where we can behold Him face to face 0:55:17.255,0:55:19.217 and be married to Him, be His bride, 0:55:19.217,0:55:23.687 walk with Him and talk [br]with Him, behold His glory. 0:55:23.687,0:55:29.049 There will be nothing greater that just [br]beholding the glory of Jesus Christ. 0:55:29.049,0:55:31.859 Don't you want more now? [br]Aren't you desperate for that? 0:55:31.859,0:55:34.759 That's what it is all about [br]when you hunger after that 0:55:34.759,0:55:37.986 and you actually fast [br]because you long for that. 0:55:37.986,0:55:40.236 That is worship. 0:55:40.236,0:55:43.600 God is very pleased [br]when your heart is in it. 0:55:43.600,0:55:45.967 If you get to the place [br]where you feel like 0:55:45.967,0:55:50.657 my heart is not in prolonging this fast. 0:55:50.657,0:55:52.906 I feel like right now, I could [br]sit down and eat a steak. 0:55:52.906,0:55:54.856 I could do that more to His glory. 0:55:54.856,0:55:56.734 Then do it. Eat your steak! 0:55:56.734,0:55:59.882 If there is nothing in your life that[br]is that desperate at that moment, 0:55:59.882,0:56:01.166 go eat your steak! 0:56:01.166,0:56:08.783 And praise God for it! 0:56:08.783,0:56:12.283 That's a word on fasting. [br]Brief theology on fasting. 0:56:12.283,0:56:16.082 Hopefully, that helps maybe [br]bring a little more clarity. 0:56:16.082,0:56:18.408 Father, we pray that the reality of this 0:56:18.408,0:56:22.151 that we've seen in Scriptures might be[br]true in our lives and true in our church 0:56:22.151,0:56:23.769 especially in this season 0:56:23.769,0:56:29.689 where we give ourselves just such fasting. 0:56:29.689,0:56:33.922 Make us desperate for You, Father, [br]we pray in Christ's name. Amen.