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Our church is designating this week

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as just a week where

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we are going to give ourselves

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to seeking the Lord in a special way.

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Often times, we call it a 
week of prayer and fasting.

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Not that everybody in 
the whole church fasts

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for an entire eight days.

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But during that time, what we want to do

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is encourage the folks in
the church to fast.

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Meals, days, and often times,

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when I am encouraging 
the church and others,

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we're encouraging the church

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to give ourselves to this,

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inevitably, somebody asks -

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(You asked, right?)

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Inevitably, somebody asks:

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What about fasting?

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How often?

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(Incomplete thought)

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This is not useless at all -

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I mean laying hold on 
the Lord like this is not.

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He has heard our prayers 
again and again and again.

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We do this, not out of ritual,

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not out of just tradition.

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We do this because we 
lay hold upon the Lord

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in a special way and the Lord answers.

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The Lord has blessed us

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with so many answers to 
our prayers through the years.

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He is a God who hears prayer

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and He has vindicated Himself

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as that kind of God repeatedly.

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We talk about fasting.

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I get questions on a 
pretty much quarterly basis.

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Every three months, we 
try to set aside a week

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where we give ourselves

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to some very special praying, 
fasting, seeking the Lord.

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When I use the term fast, 
questions come up.

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What is it?

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What do we fast from? 


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How often?

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Are you talking about 
fasting for an entire week?

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What are you talking about here?

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How often? What should be the frequency?

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So what I thought I would do tonight, 


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I think this is a very healthy study,

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just by way of remembrance.

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What I want us to do

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is to just do a topical study tonight

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on this theme of fasting.

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Let's look at what Scriptures says. 


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So what I want you to 
do is to go out of here

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with a good feeling 
of what it's all about.

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You are trying to think about, 
how often should I do it?

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And by the way, just because 
we call special fasting weeks,

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doesn't mean that Christians 
can't fast all the time.

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They can fast on a regular basis.

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(Incomplete thought)

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It is not like it is mandatory

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and legalistically we're forcing 
everybody to do this.

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If somebody didn't fast

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during our week of prayer and fasting,

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certainly there is no crime in that.

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But we just want to encourage it.

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For the sake of unity, have the church

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really beseeching the Lord

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in a special way all at one time.

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When you were out of here today,

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I really want you to 
have a feel for this,

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maybe more than you had when you came in.

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What's the significance of it?

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And how often should we do it?

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And if the church calls a time

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of special prayer and fasting,

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should I fast for a meal?

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Should I fast for a day?

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Should I try to fast for 
three consecutive days?

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Or seven consecutive days?

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I mean, what is this?

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For one, when we talk about fasting, 


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you know what I am talking about.

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I am talking about abstaining from food

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as prescribed in our Bibles.

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And I know that people who 
don't hold to the Bible fast.

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People fast for health reasons.

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People in other religions fast.

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And I am not talking about 
fasting just in a generic way.

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I am talking about fasting 
as it's found in Scripture.

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I am talking about 
God-prescribed fasting.

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What does it look like?

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You know, in the New Testament,

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it is not like there are huge amounts

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of verses that we can go to.

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There's a couple of handfuls.

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So let's look at them.

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Look at Matthew 4:2.

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What I want to do is just go through

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a number of these verses

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from the New Testament

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and just see what we can glean from them

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just in a casual reading.

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(Incomplete thought)

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The purpose for this 
is a theology of fasting.

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That's what we can call 
the message tonight:

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"A Theology of Fasting."

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What does God teach us?

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What is the teaching of God on fasting?

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So Matthew 4:2.

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After I get done with these 
New Testament passages,

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I want to look at one 
in the Old Testament,

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which I think is very helpful.

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Matthew 4:2.

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Jesus - we know that 
our Lord Jesus Christ

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fasted for how long?

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Forty days.

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Now look, as I was saying on Sunday,

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you do not want to say: 


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Well, He was God. Or, He is God.

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He is God.

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I am not denying the deity of Christ.

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But I am saying Jesus Christ 
fasting and his hunger

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was the fasting and the 
hunger of a human being.

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God becoming flesh.

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God taking upon Himself,

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robing Himself with mankind in a way,

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in a manner in which He is like us

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in every respect, save sin.

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What I mean by that is his hunger

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was just as real as yours.

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And when He fasted,

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His fasting affected Him 
just like yours does.

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You know where I am going with that?

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It's possible for you to fast 
for forty days and not die.

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If you are not accustomed to fasting,

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you may think one day 
and you are ready to die.

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You may think you miss breakfast

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and get about to three 
o'clock in the afternoon

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missing lunch and you are ready to die.

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There are people that feel that way.

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You just feel like I can't do this.

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Jesus Christ fasted for forty days.

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(Incomplete thought)

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I know two pastors that 
just in the last year

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did forty day-fasts.

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You can fast for forty days.

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So if you're wanting to know

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how long it is even safe?

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I am not saying go without 
water for forty days.

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We'll have another casket 
up here if you do that.

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But you know, you can go 
forty days on water, you can.

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You can go forty days on juice.

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My point here is our Lord Jesus Christ

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fasted for forty days as a man,

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as one made like us in every respect.

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I just point that out.

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And by the way, our 
Lord was given to fasting.

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He did it.

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It was something that 
was part of His life.

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At least here.

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At least when He was being 
tempted by the devil.

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We see that He fasted.

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Now, let's go to Matthew 6.

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Matthew 6 has one of the 
most important texts

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on fasting in our Bible.

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Because it is one of the two passages,

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or one of the two incidents

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where our Lord gives us instruction -


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very specific instruction on fasting.

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Of course, these different accounts

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can be found in the 
different synoptic Gospels.

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But we basically have two accounts.

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We have His teaching

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in the Sermon on the Mount 
here in Matthew 6

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and then we have that occasion

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where the disciples of John

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and the disciples of the Pharisees

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came and they asked Him -

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the disciples of John 
and the Pharisees fast

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and your disciples don't fast.

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These two passages are Jesus's instruction


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in the New Testament on fasting.

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If you want to study the most 
important passages on this topic.

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These are the ones you want to look at.

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He teaches us some 
very valuable things here.

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Matthew 6: 16.

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This is often been said:


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"When you fast..."

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"And when you fast..." verse 16.

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"When you fast..."

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There is an assumption
in the way He says that:

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"When you fast."

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When the Lord Jesus Christ looks at us 


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as His followers and He says,

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"When you fast this is the 
way I want you to do it."

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He's definitely implying that He 
believes that as followers of His,

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this is something that is going 
to be characteristic of our lives.

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"When you fast" doesn't 
mean you won't fast.

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When you fast does not mean

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that it is going to be 
something that as a Christian

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that should be foreign to you.

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"When you fast" means

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I believe that My followers 
are going to fast.

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In fact, His instruction as given

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to these disciples of John

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and these disciples of the Pharisees

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who come to Him and ask Him.

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We are going to get to 
that text in a few minutes.

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He says, "They don't fast now

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because I am here. I am with them.

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But when I go, they will fast."

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Jesus is saying My followers 
are going to fast.

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He is not speaking specifically 
to His followers there.

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Although indirectly He does.

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Here He is, directly to us.

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He is looking at His disciples.

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And you remember.

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He gathered, 
Sermon on the Mount.

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He especially called 
out His disciples there

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and He began to teach them.

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There were crowds behind there.

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He kind of have the inner group there.

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And he would say to us: "When you fast..."

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This is part of the Christian life.

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"Do not look gloomy like the hypocrites."

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Okay, He does not want us fasting

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in a hypocritical manner.

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In other words, He 
doesn't want us appearing

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to be something that we are not.

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He doesn't want fasting 
just to be seen by men.

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He says: "They disfigure their faces

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that their fasting may be seen by others.

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Truly I say to you,

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they have received their reward."

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What's their reward?

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Their reward is that they 
want to be seen by men

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and get what they want.

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They get seen by men. 


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They got what they wanted.

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They didn't want anything more than that.

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They fasted to be seen by men.
They got seen by men.

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Everything is good. 


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They got what they wanted.

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"But when you fast, anoint your head


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and wash your face."

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(Incomplete thought)

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This doesn't mean that nobody else

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can ever know that you're fasting.

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If they do, if they find out

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then all of a sudden all 
your fasting is negated.

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That's not what this means.

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I mean, look, if you're married,

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and your wife is 
cooking meals for you,

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(Incomplete thought)

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There's times when you need to 
communicate with people

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that you're fasting.

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I don't believe for us to have 
a week of prayer and fasting

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where we kind of know

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that there is a lot of the one anothers 
in the church that are doing this.

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That's not what this is about.

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It's got to do with motive here.

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It's got to do with whether 
you're doing it to be seen.

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Motives is the issue here.

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They do it for a motive.

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They have a reason.

264
00:12:20,827 --> 00:12:24,923
The hypocrite wants to 
appear to be something.

265
00:12:24,923 --> 00:12:27,745
You don't need to flaunt it.

266
00:12:27,745 --> 00:12:31,387
When you fast, try to cover 
it up as much as possible.

267
00:12:31,387 --> 00:12:33,451
But you're going to get into situations


268
00:12:33,451 --> 00:12:35,351
where you may have to tell somebody

269
00:12:35,351 --> 00:12:40,543
or you may have to make it 
apparent that you are doing that.

270
00:12:40,543 --> 00:12:43,218
"When you fast, anoint your 
head and wash your face

271
00:12:43,218 --> 00:12:45,640
that you fasting may 
not be seen by others

272
00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,520
but by your Father who is in secret."

273
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,833
In other words, the 
reason that we're fasting

274
00:12:50,833 --> 00:12:54,173
has to do with our Father 
who sees in secret.

275
00:12:54,173 --> 00:12:56,715
When I fast, when you fast,

276
00:12:56,715 --> 00:12:59,025
Jesus is assuming we will fast.

277
00:12:59,025 --> 00:13:00,903
It is part of the Christian life.

278
00:13:00,903 --> 00:13:03,232
What He is pointing out here

279
00:13:03,232 --> 00:13:05,363
is you do this in a way,

280
00:13:05,363 --> 00:13:07,443
not for the sake of men.

281
00:13:07,443 --> 00:13:09,543
Not for them seeing you.

282
00:13:09,543 --> 00:13:19,150
You do it because it's got something 
to do with God the Father.

283
00:13:19,150 --> 00:13:21,202
In other words, when you fast,

284
00:13:21,202 --> 00:13:23,092
there are implications that have to do

285
00:13:23,092 --> 00:13:27,242
with your relationship with the Father.

286
00:13:27,242 --> 00:13:30,078
You keep reading here.

287
00:13:30,078 --> 00:13:33,018
"Your Father who sees 
in secret will reward you."

288
00:13:33,018 --> 00:13:35,669
Now there is a textual issue here.

289
00:13:35,669 --> 00:13:39,200
Some translations actually add "openly"


290
00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:44,360
or "in the open," for everyone to see.

291
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:45,683
It is a textual issue.

292
00:13:45,683 --> 00:13:47,576
Whether it is there or not,

293
00:13:47,576 --> 00:13:49,520
It does not take away from the fact 


294
00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,110
that God is going to reward you.

295
00:13:51,110 --> 00:13:53,082
In other words, we fast,

296
00:13:53,082 --> 00:13:58,052
because there is a 
Fatherly reward in fasting.

297
00:13:58,052 --> 00:14:01,844
There are benefits. I 
want you to see that.

298
00:14:01,844 --> 00:14:07,223
Jesus is saying there is 
a spiritual benefit to fasting.

299
00:14:07,223 --> 00:14:08,926
You need to see that.

300
00:14:08,926 --> 00:14:10,874
This is not a vain exercise.

301
00:14:10,874 --> 00:14:13,154
It's not like, oh, 
fasting - well that's neat,

302
00:14:13,154 --> 00:14:14,856
you know, you tack it on our life.

303
00:14:14,856 --> 00:14:16,622
We are not like the hypocrites.

304
00:14:16,622 --> 00:14:19,662
You remember how Jesus tells us a story


305
00:14:19,662 --> 00:14:21,962
about tax collector and the Pharisee

306
00:14:21,962 --> 00:14:24,243
that go to the temple to pray?

307
00:14:24,243 --> 00:14:27,125
You remember that story? Luke 18.

308
00:14:27,125 --> 00:14:30,615
What is Jesus say about the Pharisee?

309
00:14:30,615 --> 00:14:32,767
Well, he began to pray:

310
00:14:32,767 --> 00:14:35,477
"God, I thank you I am not like other people

311
00:14:35,477 --> 00:14:37,417
and I am not like this

312
00:14:37,417 --> 00:14:39,974
and I am not like this 
tax collector over there.

313
00:14:39,974 --> 00:14:44,154
I fast twice in the week."

314
00:14:44,154 --> 00:14:45,890
Let me tell you this,

315
00:14:45,890 --> 00:14:48,890
all fasting is not profitable.

316
00:14:48,890 --> 00:14:51,258
But there is fasting that's profitable.

317
00:14:51,258 --> 00:14:52,929
That's plain from Scripture.

318
00:14:52,929 --> 00:14:56,200
There is fasting that 
doesn't do you any good.

319
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,292
There is the hypocrites here in Matthew 6.

320
00:14:59,292 --> 00:15:02,148
All they get is seen by others.

321
00:15:02,148 --> 00:15:05,068
That's the end of what they get.

322
00:15:05,068 --> 00:15:10,261
(Incomplete thought)

323
00:15:10,261 --> 00:15:13,676
You know what's not explicitly said, 


324
00:15:13,676 --> 00:15:16,116
but is definitely implied through here?

325
00:15:16,116 --> 00:15:17,326
Faith.

326
00:15:17,326 --> 00:15:19,228
Because you're doing this in secret, 


327
00:15:19,228 --> 00:15:21,708
which means you believe that God...

328
00:15:21,708 --> 00:15:26,550
Remember how it says over in Hebrews 11?

329
00:15:26,550 --> 00:15:29,865
We must believe that God is 
and that He's a rewarder.

330
00:15:29,865 --> 00:15:32,636
That's what we have here. 
The Father rewarding.

331
00:15:32,636 --> 00:15:35,934
He is a rewarder of them 
that seek Him diligently.

332
00:15:35,934 --> 00:15:38,690
You know what fasting is?

333
00:15:38,690 --> 00:15:42,345
It is one of the things that 
God has given to us;

334
00:15:42,345 --> 00:15:47,701
one of the methods God 
has given to us of seeking Him.

335
00:15:47,701 --> 00:15:54,696
It is turning away from 
the physical appetites

336
00:15:54,696 --> 00:15:59,284
and seeking the Lord in special ways.

337
00:15:59,284 --> 00:16:03,605
Turning away from gratifying 
that physical appetite

338
00:16:03,605 --> 00:16:07,012
and seeking the Lord 
in a very special way.

339
00:16:07,012 --> 00:16:12,933
That's what this is for: seeking the Lord.

340
00:16:12,933 --> 00:16:15,607
Faith. You do this in secret.


341
00:16:15,607 --> 00:16:17,977
You do this when nobody is watching.

342
00:16:17,977 --> 00:16:19,802
Because you know God is watching.

343
00:16:19,802 --> 00:16:21,742
You know the Father is watching.

344
00:16:21,742 --> 00:16:24,948
You know He is there in secret.

345
00:16:24,948 --> 00:16:28,071
And you're fasting because you're wanting


346
00:16:28,071 --> 00:16:29,581
to lay hold on Him.

347
00:16:29,581 --> 00:16:31,297
You want to seek Him.

348
00:16:31,297 --> 00:16:36,881
Let us jump to Matthew 9 now

349
00:16:36,881 --> 00:16:39,183
in the other account that 
I was telling you about

350
00:16:39,183 --> 00:16:40,933
where you get the disciples.

351
00:16:40,933 --> 00:16:44,514
Matthew tells us it is 
just disciples of John.

352
00:16:44,514 --> 00:16:49,745
The three synoptics

353
00:16:49,745 --> 00:16:53,123
kind of present the people

354
00:16:53,123 --> 00:16:56,123
that are asking from 
different perspectives.

355
00:16:56,123 --> 00:16:59,113
But in Matthew 9:14,

356
00:16:59,113 --> 00:17:03,243
the disciples of John -
this is John the Baptist -

357
00:17:03,243 --> 00:17:04,563
they come to Him saying:

358
00:17:04,563 --> 00:17:08,633
"Why do we and the Pharisees fast,

359
00:17:08,633 --> 00:17:10,778
but your disciples do not fast?"

360
00:17:10,778 --> 00:17:14,352
I guarantee

361
00:17:14,352 --> 00:17:17,177
it is not a good thing

362
00:17:17,177 --> 00:17:20,137
to be in one of the first two groups.

363
00:17:20,137 --> 00:17:23,018
You know what? It was okay to 
be disciples of John at first.

364
00:17:23,018 --> 00:17:25,311
But you do not want 
to stay a disciple of John.

365
00:17:25,311 --> 00:17:27,547
You want to make that transition over


366
00:17:27,547 --> 00:17:30,547
to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

367
00:17:30,547 --> 00:17:33,382
Why? These guys are out of touch.

368
00:17:33,382 --> 00:17:35,565
These guys are out of touch

369
00:17:35,565 --> 00:17:37,855
with what is happening in this world;

370
00:17:37,855 --> 00:17:39,261
what is truly happening.

371
00:17:39,261 --> 00:17:41,961
They're out of touch with 
the significance of Christ -

372
00:17:41,961 --> 00:17:44,159
the fact the Messiah has come.

373
00:17:44,159 --> 00:17:45,901
The Kingdom of God is at hand.

374
00:17:45,901 --> 00:17:49,251
They are out of touch with that. Why?

375
00:17:49,251 --> 00:17:54,312
Because, fasting as Jesus 
teaches us right here,

376
00:17:54,312 --> 00:18:02,042
has everything to do with Him.

377
00:18:02,042 --> 00:18:06,078
Notice. Jesus said to them in verse 15,

378
00:18:06,078 --> 00:18:10,159
"Can the wedding guests mourn

379
00:18:10,159 --> 00:18:12,719
as long as the bridegroom is with them?

380
00:18:12,719 --> 00:18:14,524
The days will when the bridegroom

381
00:18:14,524 --> 00:18:18,264
is taken away from them 
and then they will fast."

382
00:18:18,264 --> 00:18:21,403
Here is what I want you to see.

383
00:18:21,403 --> 00:18:28,796
(Incomplete thought)

384
00:18:28,796 --> 00:18:31,271
Can the wedding guests mourn as long as

385
00:18:31,271 --> 00:18:32,695
the bridegroom is with them?

386
00:18:32,695 --> 00:18:39,655
You all see that. Matthew, mourn.

387
00:18:39,655 --> 00:18:45,381
This exact account in Mark, chapter 2.

388
00:18:45,381 --> 00:18:47,101
You do not have to turn over there.

389
00:18:47,101 --> 00:18:50,388
But you know, it does not 
use the word mourn there.

390
00:18:50,388 --> 00:18:51,893
You know what word it uses?

391
00:18:51,893 --> 00:18:55,320
You know what word Mark uses? Fast.

392
00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,256
Mark uses the word fast.

393
00:18:57,256 --> 00:19:01,866
Let me just read the Mark 
account - Mark 2:18-20.

394
00:19:01,866 --> 00:19:05,858
"Now John disciples and 
the Pharisees were fasting.

395
00:19:05,858 --> 00:19:07,528
And people came and said to Him:

396
00:19:07,528 --> 00:19:11,429
'Why do John's disciples and the 
disciples of the Pharisees fast,

397
00:19:11,429 --> 00:19:13,659
but your disciples do not fast?'

398
00:19:13,659 --> 00:19:15,979
Jesus said to them, 
'Can the wedding guest fast

399
00:19:15,979 --> 00:19:17,767
while the bridegroom is with them?'"

400
00:19:17,767 --> 00:19:19,995
As long as they have the 
bridegroom with them?

401
00:19:19,995 --> 00:19:21,255
"They cannot fast.

402
00:19:21,255 --> 00:19:23,915
The days will come when the 
bridegroom is taken away from them,

403
00:19:23,915 --> 00:19:26,077
And then they will fast in that day."

404
00:19:26,077 --> 00:19:28,312
Mark's account is actually more extensive,

405
00:19:28,312 --> 00:19:31,256
more detailed account than 
what Matthew gives us.

406
00:19:31,256 --> 00:19:33,264
What is very interesting is this:

407
00:19:33,264 --> 00:19:35,840
Matthew uses the word mourn

408
00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,070
in exactly the same place

409
00:19:38,070 --> 00:19:41,810
where Mark uses the word fast.

410
00:19:41,810 --> 00:19:43,472
Interchangeably.

411
00:19:43,472 --> 00:19:47,888
That means they are synonymous.

412
00:19:47,888 --> 00:19:52,445
I hope that helps in thinking 
about what fasting is.

413
00:19:52,445 --> 00:19:54,500
Mourning. Why do we mourn?

414
00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:57,234
Why would you mourn when the 
bridegroom is taken away?

415
00:19:57,234 --> 00:19:58,934
Because there are longings there.

416
00:19:58,934 --> 00:20:00,976
There is desire there.

417
00:20:00,976 --> 00:20:02,576
I want Christ back.

418
00:20:02,576 --> 00:20:05,576
This is not good. I don't like this.

419
00:20:05,576 --> 00:20:09,243
And you know what, 
we should not be content.

420
00:20:09,243 --> 00:20:11,773
This is a healthy discontent.

421
00:20:11,773 --> 00:20:14,703
You should not be 
content to live by faith.

422
00:20:14,703 --> 00:20:15,773
Say what?

423
00:20:15,773 --> 00:20:17,904
The Bible says we should 
live by faith. No!

424
00:20:17,904 --> 00:20:20,794
What I mean is you should 
not be content to stay here

425
00:20:20,794 --> 00:20:23,063
and live by faith forever.

426
00:20:23,063 --> 00:20:25,827
You should want to see Him face to face.

427
00:20:25,827 --> 00:20:27,978
You should want to embrace God.

428
00:20:27,978 --> 00:20:29,726
You should want to see Him.

429
00:20:29,726 --> 00:20:31,881
You should want to stand in His presence.

430
00:20:31,881 --> 00:20:33,518
You should want to walk with Him

431
00:20:33,518 --> 00:20:37,248
and talk with Him and 
fellowship with Him forever.

432
00:20:37,248 --> 00:20:40,025
This isn't any good. 
Well, it is kind of good.

433
00:20:40,025 --> 00:20:42,746
It is good if you are a Christian

434
00:20:42,746 --> 00:20:45,746
and you are walking with the Lord here.

435
00:20:45,746 --> 00:20:52,537
Even the most that Christians 
experience here is not what we want.

436
00:20:52,537 --> 00:20:55,081
We want consummation.

437
00:20:55,081 --> 00:20:57,657
This is like we have been betrothed.

438
00:20:57,657 --> 00:21:03,727
(Incomplete thought)

439
00:21:03,727 --> 00:21:07,936
Who gets engaged and wants 
to stay engaged forever?

440
00:21:07,936 --> 00:21:10,421
That's what we are dealing with here.

441
00:21:10,421 --> 00:21:12,345
We don't want this.

442
00:21:12,345 --> 00:21:16,425
We don't want to walk by faith, 
not by sight for eternity.

443
00:21:16,425 --> 00:21:19,317
We want to walk by sight.
We want to see Him.

444
00:21:19,317 --> 00:21:21,206
It doesn't mean we don't trust Him.

445
00:21:21,206 --> 00:21:23,964
But we want to see Him;
we want to be with Him.

446
00:21:23,964 --> 00:21:26,443
We want the veil ripped back.

447
00:21:26,443 --> 00:21:29,519
And until that happens, we 
are longing after something.

448
00:21:29,519 --> 00:21:33,112
We want more. I want more.

449
00:21:33,112 --> 00:21:35,542
I want Him to manifest Himself more.

450
00:21:35,542 --> 00:21:37,873
I want more of His presence, 
more of His power,

451
00:21:37,873 --> 00:21:40,283
more of His help. I want more.

452
00:21:40,283 --> 00:21:42,099
Don't you want more?

453
00:21:42,099 --> 00:21:44,272
That seems to be what this is all about.


454
00:21:44,272 --> 00:21:47,272
They can't fast while I am here.

455
00:21:47,272 --> 00:21:49,676
Why? They've got the bridegroom.

456
00:21:49,676 --> 00:21:52,491
This isn't just random

457
00:21:52,491 --> 00:21:56,361
or sporadic exercise of the Christian.

458
00:21:56,361 --> 00:21:58,939
This has to do with what we desire.

459
00:21:58,939 --> 00:22:01,997
That's what I want the church to do

460
00:22:01,997 --> 00:22:06,407
and I want the church to fast 
several times a year at least.

461
00:22:06,407 --> 00:22:11,983
I hope you are fasting outside of the
times the church calls for a church fast.

462
00:22:11,983 --> 00:22:14,749
I don't want people to do it mechanically


463
00:22:14,749 --> 00:22:17,749
or just because we got into the tradition

464
00:22:17,749 --> 00:22:20,687
of starting the year with a 
week of prayer and fasting.

465
00:22:20,687 --> 00:22:22,663
This has to come from desire.

466
00:22:22,663 --> 00:22:25,113
This has to come from unfulfilled desire,

467
00:22:25,113 --> 00:22:28,543
unfulfilled passion, unfulfilled longing.

468
00:22:28,543 --> 00:22:30,734
That is what He is talking about here.

469
00:22:30,734 --> 00:22:32,877
Let us go further with this.

470
00:22:32,877 --> 00:22:41,457
How about Luke 2:36?

471
00:22:41,457 --> 00:22:45,578
We are going to get 
closer to the heart of this.

472
00:22:45,578 --> 00:22:49,515
I think we are already hitting on it.

473
00:22:49,515 --> 00:22:54,047
I hope this will help bring 
it into even greater clarity.

474
00:22:54,047 --> 00:22:58,197
Luke 2:36.

475
00:22:58,197 --> 00:22:59,685
You may remember,

476
00:22:59,685 --> 00:23:02,715
there was a prophetess named Anna,

477
00:23:02,715 --> 00:23:07,468
the daughter of Phanuel 
of the tribe of Asher.

478
00:23:07,468 --> 00:23:09,756
"She was advanced in years,

479
00:23:09,756 --> 00:23:12,376
having lived with her husband seven years

480
00:23:12,376 --> 00:23:15,766
from when she was a virgin."

481
00:23:15,766 --> 00:23:19,415
Then as a widow until she was 84.

482
00:23:19,415 --> 00:23:21,153
She did not depart from the temple.

483
00:23:21,153 --> 00:23:24,567
Notice this: "Worshiping with fasting

484
00:23:24,567 --> 00:23:27,698
and prayer night and day."

485
00:23:27,698 --> 00:23:31,148
Here is what I want you to see.

486
00:23:31,148 --> 00:23:35,391
Look, our lives are to be 
lived for the glory of God;

487
00:23:35,391 --> 00:23:37,131
whatsoever we do,

488
00:23:37,131 --> 00:23:38,921
whether we eat or drink,

489
00:23:38,921 --> 00:23:42,221
or don't eat and drink.

490
00:23:42,221 --> 00:23:45,018
We are to do everything 
for the glory of God.

491
00:23:45,018 --> 00:23:46,823
This is about worship.

492
00:23:46,823 --> 00:23:52,375
Worship comes from the 
Old English "weorthscipe."

493
00:23:52,375 --> 00:23:54,838
It has to do with the 
worthiness of something.

494
00:23:54,838 --> 00:23:59,068
Worship is when we are recognizing 


495
00:23:59,068 --> 00:24:01,358
the worth of something.

496
00:24:01,358 --> 00:24:06,339
There is nobody more 
worthy than God Almighty.

497
00:24:06,339 --> 00:24:09,280
There is nothing more worthy.

498
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,339
He, alone, is worthy of our worship.

499
00:24:13,339 --> 00:24:20,032
And she, Anna, was 
worshiping with fasting.

500
00:24:20,032 --> 00:24:23,400
Fasting is a form of worship. Why?

501
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,820
(Incomplete thought)

502
00:24:25,820 --> 00:24:27,170
Think about this:

503
00:24:27,170 --> 00:24:32,308
When I fast because of the 
reason given in Matthew 6,

504
00:24:32,308 --> 00:24:36,518
because I long for the Father's reward.

505
00:24:36,518 --> 00:24:39,634
When I fast because the bridegroom


506
00:24:39,634 --> 00:24:41,484
has been taken away,

507
00:24:41,484 --> 00:24:43,444
and my longing is for Him.

508
00:24:43,444 --> 00:24:44,964
When I need God;

509
00:24:44,964 --> 00:24:47,249
when I need what God can give me;


510
00:24:47,249 --> 00:24:49,399
when I need God Himself;

511
00:24:49,399 --> 00:24:51,857
when I am longing for that,

512
00:24:51,857 --> 00:24:54,807
that's worship.

513
00:24:54,807 --> 00:24:57,031
Look, when we're needy people

514
00:24:57,031 --> 00:24:59,561
and we are coming to God 
and we are desperate,

515
00:24:59,561 --> 00:25:01,011
and we need His help -

516
00:25:01,011 --> 00:25:03,351
but more than that; more 
than what He can give us.

517
00:25:03,351 --> 00:25:04,903
We need Him.

518
00:25:04,903 --> 00:25:07,313
We want Him.

519
00:25:07,313 --> 00:25:12,882
That's worship.

520
00:25:12,882 --> 00:25:15,520
Isn't it? Isn't it the heart 
and soul of worship

521
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,901
when we are wanting God 
more than anything else?

522
00:25:18,901 --> 00:25:22,331
When I say, you know what?

523
00:25:22,331 --> 00:25:24,258
I want God!

524
00:25:24,258 --> 00:25:27,258
I will give up food for 
these seasons in my life

525
00:25:27,258 --> 00:25:29,168
because I really want Him.

526
00:25:29,168 --> 00:25:30,844
I want Him more than food.

527
00:25:30,844 --> 00:25:33,494
I need food. I get hungry.

528
00:25:33,494 --> 00:25:37,569
But I have a hunger in my soul for Him.

529
00:25:37,569 --> 00:25:40,218
And you see, that is worship.

530
00:25:40,218 --> 00:25:42,058
(Incomplete thought)

531
00:25:42,058 --> 00:25:46,274
The last New Testament verse 
(well, actually, there's two)

532
00:25:46,274 --> 00:25:49,744
I would take us to are found in Acts.

533
00:25:49,744 --> 00:25:51,323
The early church.

534
00:25:51,323 --> 00:25:58,389
We see them fasting. Acts 13.

535
00:25:58,389 --> 00:26:02,417
Acts 13 is the chapter in Scripture

536
00:26:02,417 --> 00:26:08,187
where we see the missionary endeavor


537
00:26:08,187 --> 00:26:11,977
taking root and form.

538
00:26:11,977 --> 00:26:15,638
Paul and Barnabas are sent 
out of the church of Antioch.

539
00:26:15,638 --> 00:26:18,479
Paul's first missionary journey. 


540
00:26:18,479 --> 00:26:20,199
Acts 13:1.

541
00:26:20,199 --> 00:26:23,049
"Now there were in the church at 
Antioch prophets and teachers,

542
00:26:23,052 --> 00:26:24,452
Barnabas,

543
00:26:24,452 --> 00:26:26,252
Simeon who is called Niger,


544
00:26:26,252 --> 00:26:28,442
Lucius of Cyrene,

545
00:26:28,442 --> 00:26:32,795
Manaen, a lifelong friend of 
Herod the tetrarch and Saul.

546
00:26:32,795 --> 00:26:38,020
While they were worshiping 
the Lord and fasting..."

547
00:26:38,020 --> 00:26:41,348
Now we know that with Anna who 
was worshiping with fasting,

548
00:26:41,348 --> 00:26:44,153
Here, the ESV anyways says

549
00:26:44,153 --> 00:26:48,253
"worshiping the Lord and fasting."

550
00:26:48,253 --> 00:26:51,068
The Holy Spirit said: "Set apart 
for me Barnabas and Saul

551
00:26:51,068 --> 00:26:54,068
for the work to which I have called them.

552
00:26:54,068 --> 00:26:56,523
And after fasting and praying,

553
00:26:56,523 --> 00:27:00,833
they laid their hands on 
them and sent them off."

554
00:27:00,833 --> 00:27:07,564
Now, were they fasting 
just as a typical practice

555
00:27:07,564 --> 00:27:09,954
and that's when the Spirit came?

556
00:27:09,954 --> 00:27:14,753
Or did the Spirit somehow 
move through a prophet

557
00:27:14,753 --> 00:27:17,443
and indicate these men 
needed to go the mission field?

558
00:27:17,443 --> 00:27:19,943
They saw this as being 
such an important event

559
00:27:19,943 --> 00:27:21,653
that they needed to fast.

560
00:27:21,653 --> 00:27:23,871
I don't know the exact order here. 


561
00:27:23,871 --> 00:27:26,981
It almost seems like if 
you take it at face value,

562
00:27:26,981 --> 00:27:29,981
it seems like they were fasting.

563
00:27:29,981 --> 00:27:32,386
The Spirit in the midst of their fasting


564
00:27:32,386 --> 00:27:35,386
indicated maybe through 
a New Testament prophet

565
00:27:35,386 --> 00:27:38,148
that these were the two 
guys that were to be sent.

566
00:27:38,148 --> 00:27:41,735
And they continued in 
their praying and fasting.

567
00:27:41,735 --> 00:27:43,793
But anyways, the prayer and fasting

568
00:27:43,793 --> 00:27:45,303
seems to go hand in hand

569
00:27:45,303 --> 00:27:48,762
with the sending out 
of the first missionaries.

570
00:27:48,762 --> 00:27:50,842
They are going out and cross

571
00:27:50,842 --> 00:27:52,874
from Asia over into Europe

572
00:27:52,874 --> 00:27:55,404
and we know all the churches 
that would be established.

573
00:27:55,404 --> 00:27:58,402
This is a major matter.

574
00:27:58,402 --> 00:28:00,629
This missionary movement

575
00:28:00,629 --> 00:28:06,149
is flowing out of this praying and fasting.

576
00:28:06,149 --> 00:28:08,498
We go a little further 
in the book of Acts.

577
00:28:08,498 --> 00:28:12,528
Acts 14:23.

578
00:28:12,528 --> 00:28:17,670
Now Paul and Barnabas - 
they're moving around

579
00:28:17,670 --> 00:28:21,130
through the churches and are coming back

580
00:28:21,130 --> 00:28:24,028
to churches that they've 
already established.

581
00:28:24,028 --> 00:28:26,900
Churches that were already planted.

582
00:28:26,900 --> 00:28:28,180
Acts 14:23,

583
00:28:28,180 --> 00:28:31,283
"When they appointed elders 
for them in every church..."

584
00:28:31,283 --> 00:28:34,889
and now they are going back to these
churches that they originally planted.

585
00:28:34,889 --> 00:28:37,569
Now they are going back to them. 
These churches are springing up


586
00:28:37,569 --> 00:28:39,379
and they are appointing elders

587
00:28:39,379 --> 00:28:41,837
and they are doing this 
with prayer and fasting.

588
00:28:41,837 --> 00:28:44,294
It is like when Paul and 
Barnabas are designated

589
00:28:44,294 --> 00:28:46,774
from the church of Antioch to go out.

590
00:28:46,774 --> 00:28:49,011
When Paul and Barnabas themselves

591
00:28:49,011 --> 00:28:50,711
go into these churches

592
00:28:50,711 --> 00:28:52,765
and elders are being appointed.

593
00:28:52,765 --> 00:28:55,884
It is being done with prayer and fasting.

594
00:28:55,884 --> 00:28:58,093
Why? Because there's this 
desperate need then.

595
00:28:58,093 --> 00:29:00,295
You want to be right about the leaders


596
00:29:00,295 --> 00:29:02,305
that you are choosing to take the Gospel

597
00:29:02,305 --> 00:29:03,901
out on missionary endeavors

598
00:29:03,901 --> 00:29:06,181
and who is going to be 
overseeing the churches.

599
00:29:06,181 --> 00:29:08,351
This is a time of desperation:

600
00:29:08,351 --> 00:29:09,890
Lord, we need answers from You.

601
00:29:09,890 --> 00:29:11,529
We need Your help.

602
00:29:11,529 --> 00:29:14,099
We need clarity. We need discernment.

603
00:29:14,099 --> 00:29:17,759
You can just see, it's 
times of great need.

604
00:29:17,759 --> 00:29:23,157
They commit themselves 
to prayer and fasting.

605
00:29:23,157 --> 00:29:25,646
Those are the verses in the New Testament

606
00:29:25,646 --> 00:29:27,445
where you find fasting come up.

607
00:29:27,445 --> 00:29:30,547
You get a feel for what it's about.

608
00:29:30,547 --> 00:29:33,370
Now, I want to take you to 
an Old Testament passage

609
00:29:33,370 --> 00:29:38,990
in the remaining 25 minutes or so.

610
00:29:38,990 --> 00:29:42,347
This is a great passage.

611
00:29:42,347 --> 00:29:49,886
Turn in your Bibles first to Ezra 4.

612
00:29:49,886 --> 00:29:52,234
We have to build the setting here

613
00:29:52,234 --> 00:29:54,474
before we can just dive right into it.

614
00:29:54,474 --> 00:29:57,450
If you don't get a feel for the setting,


615
00:29:57,450 --> 00:30:03,940
you kind of lose some of this.

616
00:30:03,940 --> 00:30:08,042
So if you go to Ezra...

617
00:30:08,042 --> 00:30:09,852
Let me just tell you,

618
00:30:09,852 --> 00:30:12,539
if you want to do a 
real interesting study,

619
00:30:12,539 --> 00:30:14,654
very carefully study Ezra,

620
00:30:14,654 --> 00:30:17,774
Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah.

621
00:30:17,774 --> 00:30:21,562
Haggai and Zechariah are the two prophets

622
00:30:21,562 --> 00:30:26,151
that God sent into Jerusalem

623
00:30:26,151 --> 00:30:31,741
in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.

624
00:30:31,741 --> 00:30:38,241
Those four books are all 
from the same time period.

625
00:30:38,241 --> 00:30:42,386
It's that time period of the 
rebuilding of the Temple

626
00:30:42,386 --> 00:30:45,106
after the Babylonian captivity.

627
00:30:45,106 --> 00:30:47,114
They all go together.

628
00:30:47,114 --> 00:30:49,972
Two of them are side by 
side in the minor prophets

629
00:30:49,972 --> 00:30:55,198
and two of them are right before 
the Book of Job and Psalms

630
00:30:55,198 --> 00:30:58,198
and that area of your Bible.

631
00:30:58,198 --> 00:31:00,735
But they go together.

632
00:31:00,735 --> 00:31:05,196
It is very interesting if you start 
looking at the timetables.

633
00:31:05,196 --> 00:31:07,646
And often, they measured the time

634
00:31:07,646 --> 00:31:11,206
by whoever was in the leadership,

635
00:31:11,206 --> 00:31:13,610
whether that was Cyrus or Darius.

636
00:31:13,610 --> 00:31:16,530
And they talk about if 
you go back before that,

637
00:31:16,530 --> 00:31:18,209
it was Nebuchadnezzar -

638
00:31:18,209 --> 00:31:20,979
in the certain year 
of Nebuchadnezzar.

639
00:31:20,979 --> 00:31:22,819
Anyway, let's look at this.

640
00:31:22,819 --> 00:31:27,329
Ezra 4:24.

641
00:31:27,329 --> 00:31:31,664
Actually, glance back up to Ezra 4:4

642
00:31:31,664 --> 00:31:33,844
since you're right in the same chapter.

643
00:31:33,844 --> 00:31:36,536
I want you to see this. 
What happens in Ezra 4:4?

644
00:31:36,536 --> 00:31:44,086
What do you see happen there?

645
00:31:44,086 --> 00:31:45,394
Fear.

646
00:31:45,394 --> 00:31:47,798
Let me tell you what happened.

647
00:31:47,798 --> 00:31:51,181
70 years of Babylonian captivity go by.

648
00:31:51,181 --> 00:31:52,691
70 years.

649
00:31:52,691 --> 00:31:57,172
Which prophet prophesied 
they'd be in Babylon 70 years?

650
00:31:57,172 --> 00:31:58,840
Jeremiah.

651
00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:00,326
Daniel picked up on that,

652
00:32:00,326 --> 00:32:02,546
Daniel prayed right there towards the end.

653
00:32:02,546 --> 00:32:03,668
What happens?

654
00:32:03,668 --> 00:32:06,558
Cyrus comes along and Cyrus says:

655
00:32:06,558 --> 00:32:10,668
"Any Jews that want to go back 
to Jerusalem and rebuild?

656
00:32:10,668 --> 00:32:12,209
Go back. "

657
00:32:12,209 --> 00:32:13,929
So they go back.

658
00:32:13,929 --> 00:32:17,779
And first thing they did, 
they built the altar.

659
00:32:17,779 --> 00:32:19,639
That was the first thing they did.

660
00:32:19,639 --> 00:32:22,424
Second thing they did, was they laid

661
00:32:22,424 --> 00:32:26,244
the foundation for the Temple.

662
00:32:26,244 --> 00:32:29,111
In 4:4, they quit work on the Temple

663
00:32:29,111 --> 00:32:32,871
after they have the 
foundation laid out of fear.

664
00:32:32,871 --> 00:32:35,231
(Incomplete thought)

665
00:32:35,231 --> 00:32:40,334
Listen, even though they had 
a commission to do this,

666
00:32:40,334 --> 00:32:47,099
the capital is a long way away.

667
00:32:47,099 --> 00:32:49,512
By the time they get to this point,


668
00:32:49,512 --> 00:32:54,383
Cyrus isn't even there anymore.

669
00:32:54,383 --> 00:32:56,178
What they get is that people

670
00:32:56,178 --> 00:32:59,178
who did not like the Jews.

671
00:32:59,178 --> 00:33:03,517
Antisemitism was very 
much alive back then.

672
00:33:03,517 --> 00:33:07,378
They did not want these 
Jews rebuilding the walls,

673
00:33:07,378 --> 00:33:09,318
or rebuilding the Temple.

674
00:33:09,318 --> 00:33:11,606
They did not want that. 
They were opposed to it.

675
00:33:11,606 --> 00:33:15,184
They tried various ways 
to stop them, scare them.

676
00:33:15,184 --> 00:33:17,868
They managed - they scared them.

677
00:33:17,874 --> 00:33:21,753
They got the foundation completed

678
00:33:21,753 --> 00:33:24,103
and then they terrified them.

679
00:33:24,103 --> 00:33:26,103
The Jews quit.

680
00:33:26,103 --> 00:33:30,459
Now I want you to jump down to Ezra 4:24.

681
00:33:30,459 --> 00:33:33,361
"Then the work of the house of God 


682
00:33:33,361 --> 00:33:35,611
that is in Jerusalem stopped."

683
00:33:35,611 --> 00:33:38,752
They got the foundation 
done and it stopped.

684
00:33:38,752 --> 00:33:40,102
And notice this:

685
00:33:40,102 --> 00:33:43,832
"It ceased until the second year

686
00:33:43,832 --> 00:33:50,452
of the reign of Darius, king of Persia"

687
00:33:50,452 --> 00:33:59,068
Cyrus was gone by the 
time this work would resume.

688
00:33:59,068 --> 00:34:04,946
It would resume in the second year 
of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.

689
00:34:04,948 --> 00:34:09,441
Now jump to Haggai and Zechariah.

690
00:34:09,441 --> 00:34:12,771
We want to look at those two momentarily.


691
00:34:12,771 --> 00:34:17,291
They are right at the end of the Old 
Testament in the minor prophets.

692
00:34:17,291 --> 00:34:22,174
Haggai is very short.
Zechariah is a bit longer.

693
00:34:22,174 --> 00:34:23,483
But remember that,

694
00:34:23,483 --> 00:34:25,881
the work would not resume

695
00:34:25,881 --> 00:34:40,920
until the second year 
of this reign of Darius.

696
00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,145
So now, if we go to Haggai -

697
00:34:44,145 --> 00:34:51,759
are you all there?

698
00:34:51,759 --> 00:34:53,169
Everyone got it?

699
00:34:53,169 --> 00:34:55,469
Old Testament. Last book is Malachi.

700
00:34:55,469 --> 00:34:57,636
Jump back before that.
You've got Zechariah.

701
00:34:57,636 --> 00:35:00,464
Before that, you've got Haggai. 
Little tiny book.

702
00:35:00,464 --> 00:35:05,472
Notice how it starts. Haggai 1:1.

703
00:35:05,472 --> 00:35:08,327
Remember, back in Ezra,

704
00:35:08,327 --> 00:35:12,927
we saw that the work on 
the house of God ceased

705
00:35:12,927 --> 00:35:16,217
until the second year of the reign
of Darius, king of Persia.

706
00:35:16,217 --> 00:35:21,362
Now, Haggai picks up in the 
second year of Darius the king.

707
00:35:21,362 --> 00:35:23,526
This is the precise year

708
00:35:23,526 --> 00:35:27,434
that the building is going to resume.

709
00:35:27,434 --> 00:35:32,184
The second year of Darius the king.

710
00:35:32,184 --> 00:35:34,028
Now jump over to Zechariah 1:1,

711
00:35:34,028 --> 00:35:36,025
which is your next book in your Bibles.

712
00:35:36,025 --> 00:35:39,485
Zechariah 1:1.

713
00:35:39,485 --> 00:35:43,328
And you're going to see, 
it starts in the eighth month,

714
00:35:43,328 --> 00:35:45,104
in the second year of Darius.

715
00:35:45,104 --> 00:35:47,248
Again it is the same. It's the same.

716
00:35:47,248 --> 00:35:51,787
That text that we had there in Ezra 4:24, 


717
00:35:51,787 --> 00:35:55,307
that the building would resume,

718
00:35:55,307 --> 00:35:59,825
is the exact same year that 
both of these books start.

719
00:35:59,825 --> 00:36:02,075
Why? Well, I'll tell you what happened,

720
00:36:02,075 --> 00:36:03,855
they quit out of fear

721
00:36:03,855 --> 00:36:06,539
and God sent both these prophets

722
00:36:06,539 --> 00:36:09,209
in the very year that they would resume

723
00:36:09,209 --> 00:36:14,669
to kick start these people 
into resuming the building.

724
00:36:14,669 --> 00:36:17,176
They were wrong to quit.

725
00:36:17,176 --> 00:36:19,573
They weren't trusting the Lord!

726
00:36:19,573 --> 00:36:21,455
They were living in fear.


727
00:36:21,455 --> 00:36:24,115
And if you go back and read Ezra,

728
00:36:24,115 --> 00:36:26,220
what you find is God sent

729
00:36:26,220 --> 00:36:28,850
Haggai and Zechariah to them.

730
00:36:28,850 --> 00:36:31,116
These are the prophets sent to them

731
00:36:31,116 --> 00:36:34,346
to kick them in the rear 
and get them building again.

732
00:36:34,346 --> 00:36:40,597
God was not happy that 
they stopped building.

733
00:36:40,597 --> 00:36:43,257
Now, let's just keep moving along here.

734
00:36:43,257 --> 00:36:47,315
Go to Zechariah 7.

735
00:36:47,315 --> 00:36:55,315
Zechariah 7:1 starts in the
fourth year of king Darius.

736
00:36:55,315 --> 00:36:58,315
Now, I'm just going to tell you this.

737
00:36:58,315 --> 00:37:01,099
In Ezra, we find out that the Temple 


738
00:37:01,099 --> 00:37:13,719
was completed in the sixth year of Darius.

739
00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:18,499
Zechariah 7 starts in the fourth year.

740
00:37:18,499 --> 00:37:23,541
The construction was kicked back 
into gear in the second year.

741
00:37:23,541 --> 00:37:26,687
We know that it's finished 
in the sixth year.

742
00:37:26,687 --> 00:37:28,757
Guess where the fourth year puts you?

743
00:37:28,757 --> 00:37:30,985
Right in the middle of the reconstruction 


744
00:37:30,985 --> 00:37:34,165
of the new Temple.

745
00:37:34,165 --> 00:37:37,791
We are going somewhere with this.
Just hang with me here.

746
00:37:37,791 --> 00:37:40,862
You got to picture yourselves. 
This is Jerusalem.

747
00:37:40,862 --> 00:37:43,012
They have been in fear of their enemies.


748
00:37:43,012 --> 00:37:45,652
They quit.

749
00:37:45,652 --> 00:37:48,579
After they foundation was laid, they quit.

750
00:37:48,579 --> 00:37:49,963
God was not pleased.

751
00:37:49,963 --> 00:37:52,125
God sent these prophets.

752
00:37:52,125 --> 00:37:56,815
Told them: "You need to start
rebuilding, you need to trust Me."

753
00:37:56,815 --> 00:38:01,045
(Incomplete thought)

754
00:38:01,045 --> 00:38:03,840
What you've tried to do 
has not been blessed,

755
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:05,844
because you have 
not given first priority

756
00:38:05,844 --> 00:38:07,564
to the rebuilding of My Temple.

757
00:38:07,564 --> 00:38:09,948
That is what He told them 
through these prophets.

758
00:38:09,948 --> 00:38:11,963
And so they resumed building

759
00:38:11,963 --> 00:38:13,973
in the second year of Darius.

760
00:38:13,973 --> 00:38:17,393
They finished it in the sixth year.

761
00:38:17,393 --> 00:38:20,843
Zechariah chapter 7 is in the fourth year.

762
00:38:20,843 --> 00:38:26,762
It is when the Temple 
is half-way restored.

763
00:38:26,762 --> 00:38:30,473
That is key.

764
00:38:30,473 --> 00:38:36,057
Now, look at Zechariah 7:2.

765
00:38:36,057 --> 00:38:39,343
Now, the people of Bethel...

766
00:38:39,343 --> 00:38:44,290
Bethel was 11 miles north of Jerusalem.

767
00:38:44,290 --> 00:38:46,055
There were Jews there as well.

768
00:38:46,055 --> 00:38:49,263
Jews that came back - 
they didn't all go to Jerusalem.

769
00:38:49,263 --> 00:38:51,075
Many of them went back

770
00:38:51,075 --> 00:38:54,685
to where their families came from.

771
00:38:54,685 --> 00:38:58,289
Not all of them went to Jerusalem.
Many were in the surrounding cities.

772
00:38:58,289 --> 00:39:00,629
And so you've got a 
bunch of Jews in Bethel

773
00:39:00,629 --> 00:39:03,799
11 miles north of Jerusalem.

774
00:39:03,799 --> 00:39:08,467
"And they sent Sharezer 
and Regem-melech..."

775
00:39:08,467 --> 00:39:15,557
Interesting - these are still 
Babylonian names on these Jews.

776
00:39:15,557 --> 00:39:18,483
And they're men to entreat 
the favor of the Lord.

777
00:39:18,483 --> 00:39:20,083
In other words, they are sending

778
00:39:20,083 --> 00:39:23,763
an entourage from Bethel
11 miles to Jerusalem.

779
00:39:23,763 --> 00:39:27,218
Why? Check this out - verse 3.

780
00:39:27,218 --> 00:39:28,508
"Saying to the priests

781
00:39:28,508 --> 00:39:30,038
of the house of the Lord..."

782
00:39:30,038 --> 00:39:32,431
You see, they sent them 
to where the priests were

783
00:39:32,431 --> 00:39:34,191
and where the house of the Lord was


784
00:39:34,191 --> 00:39:38,011
which at this time is halfway rebuilt.

785
00:39:38,011 --> 00:39:39,496
"And the prophets..." 


786
00:39:39,496 --> 00:39:41,145
We know who the prophets are.

787
00:39:41,145 --> 00:39:42,505
You can see that in Ezra.

788
00:39:42,505 --> 00:39:46,445
That's these two guys, 
Haggai and Zechariah.

789
00:39:46,445 --> 00:39:47,785
Notice what they say:

790
00:39:47,785 --> 00:39:51,629
"Should I weep and abstain?"

791
00:39:51,629 --> 00:39:54,525
Abstain? What is that? That is fasting.

792
00:39:54,525 --> 00:39:57,112
If you doubt it, down to a few verses,

793
00:39:57,112 --> 00:39:59,339
he tells us that is exactly what it means.

794
00:39:59,339 --> 00:40:00,656
Abstain from food.

795
00:40:00,656 --> 00:40:01,656
Should we weep?

796
00:40:01,656 --> 00:40:03,821
Doesn't it go hand in hand with mourning?

797
00:40:03,821 --> 00:40:05,889
Like we saw in the New Testament, 


798
00:40:05,889 --> 00:40:09,231
where mourn and fasting 
are used interchangeably.

799
00:40:09,231 --> 00:40:12,029
They are talking about 
weeping and abstaining.

800
00:40:12,029 --> 00:40:14,640
It goes hand in hand.

801
00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:19,206
I was leading you back to fasting.

802
00:40:19,206 --> 00:40:24,241
"Should I weep and abstain 
(or fast) in the fifth month

803
00:40:24,241 --> 00:40:26,611
as I have done for so many years?"

804
00:40:26,611 --> 00:40:29,904
Now, the "so many" years is seventy years.

805
00:40:29,904 --> 00:40:33,534
He is going to tell us 
that precisely in verse 5.

806
00:40:33,534 --> 00:40:36,187
God is going to tell us.

807
00:40:36,187 --> 00:40:37,869
What are the seventy years?

808
00:40:37,869 --> 00:40:40,399
The seventy years are 
when they were in captivity.

809
00:40:40,399 --> 00:40:41,948
What they are saying is this:

810
00:40:41,948 --> 00:40:48,548
they sent these two select 
men with their entourage

811
00:40:48,548 --> 00:40:54,557
11 miles to Jerusalem to the 
priest and to the prophets,

812
00:40:54,557 --> 00:40:57,393
and they are saying, hey guys,

813
00:40:57,393 --> 00:41:00,123
go ask the priests and the prophets

814
00:41:00,123 --> 00:41:02,886
whether we are supposed 
to continue to fast

815
00:41:02,886 --> 00:41:08,309
in the fifth month like we 
have been for seventy years.

816
00:41:08,313 --> 00:41:09,881
Why would they have done that?

817
00:41:09,881 --> 00:41:11,831
To express their mourning for the fact

818
00:41:11,831 --> 00:41:13,931
that Nebuchadnezzar came in and wiped out

819
00:41:13,931 --> 00:41:17,130
the temple and burned 
it and it was destroyed.

820
00:41:17,130 --> 00:41:20,287
That is basically what is going on here.

821
00:41:20,287 --> 00:41:23,942
Fifth month of the year, these people 
have been fasting for seventy years.

822
00:41:23,942 --> 00:41:26,791
They have a question as to
whether they should continue.

823
00:41:26,791 --> 00:41:30,572
And here's the thing, 
the temple is being rebuilt.

824
00:41:30,572 --> 00:41:32,971
It's like, well, we want to know,

825
00:41:32,971 --> 00:41:37,701
should we keep fasting

826
00:41:37,701 --> 00:41:39,439
for the sake of the Temple,

827
00:41:39,439 --> 00:41:42,199
when the Temple is actually 
now getting rebuilt?

828
00:41:42,199 --> 00:41:44,211
Does is make any sense to keep fasting?

829
00:41:44,211 --> 00:41:46,997
We fasted before because 
we lost the Temple.

830
00:41:46,997 --> 00:41:49,692
Nebuchadnezzar burned it.
We were mourning.

831
00:41:49,692 --> 00:41:51,269
But now that it's being rebuilt,

832
00:41:51,269 --> 00:41:53,679
should we still keep on 
weeping and mourning?

833
00:41:53,679 --> 00:41:55,075
Is that even right?

834
00:41:55,075 --> 00:41:56,834
And we are hearing word

835
00:41:56,834 --> 00:41:58,744
the thing is well under construction.

836
00:41:58,744 --> 00:42:01,004
It is likely to be completed.

837
00:42:01,004 --> 00:42:02,593
Do we keep fasting?

838
00:42:02,593 --> 00:42:04,303
So they sent this delegation

839
00:42:04,303 --> 00:42:06,340
to the priests and prophets in Jerusalem.

840
00:42:06,340 --> 00:42:08,285
Notice Zechariah 7:4- 5.

841
00:42:08,285 --> 00:42:13,287
"Then the word of the
Lord of hosts came to me."

842
00:42:13,287 --> 00:42:16,217
This is Zechariah.

843
00:42:16,217 --> 00:42:18,217
Verse 5:

844
00:42:18,217 --> 00:42:23,646
"Say to all the people of 
the land and the priests,

845
00:42:23,646 --> 00:42:27,278
when you fasted and 
mourned in the fifth month..."

846
00:42:27,278 --> 00:42:30,597
They not only fasted then; they 
were asking about the fifth month,

847
00:42:30,597 --> 00:42:34,340
but God throws in here the 
seventh as well for these.

848
00:42:34,340 --> 00:42:36,191
Here we get the exact number of years,


849
00:42:36,191 --> 00:42:39,191
these seventy years 
while they were in captivity.

850
00:42:39,191 --> 00:42:42,755
"Was it for Me that you fasted?"

851
00:42:42,755 --> 00:42:47,205
Was it for Me that you fasted?

852
00:42:47,205 --> 00:42:51,524
Now we are getting back 
at the heart of why we fast.

853
00:42:51,524 --> 00:42:55,778
Was it for Me? What an answer!

854
00:42:55,778 --> 00:43:00,223
But there is more! Read verse 6 with me.

855
00:43:00,223 --> 00:43:07,544
This is interesting because 
their question is about fasting.

856
00:43:07,544 --> 00:43:10,008
"When you eat and when you drink..."

857
00:43:10,008 --> 00:43:13,844
Wait, God just said to them:

858
00:43:13,844 --> 00:43:17,933
"When you fasted and 
mourned in the fifth month

859
00:43:17,933 --> 00:43:20,123
and the seventh for seventy years,

860
00:43:20,123 --> 00:43:22,223
was it for Me that you fasted?"

861
00:43:22,223 --> 00:43:24,237
And then He goes right on to say -

862
00:43:24,237 --> 00:43:27,424
their question isn't even 
about eating and drinking,

863
00:43:27,424 --> 00:43:32,244
It's about whether they should continue
mourning and abstaining - fasting.

864
00:43:32,244 --> 00:43:33,515
But He goes on to say,

865
00:43:33,515 --> 00:43:35,805
"When you eat and when you drink,

866
00:43:35,805 --> 00:43:37,799
do you not eat for yourselves

867
00:43:37,799 --> 00:43:40,909
and drink for yourselves?"

868
00:43:40,909 --> 00:43:42,739
It's like, wow... Lord.

869
00:43:42,739 --> 00:43:45,352
Why do You give them 
that bit of information

870
00:43:45,352 --> 00:43:49,262
when they are not even being 
asked about eating and drinking.

871
00:43:49,262 --> 00:43:53,203
Do you get the idea that 
what was so important

872
00:43:53,203 --> 00:43:57,589
to the Jews - and it is!

873
00:43:57,589 --> 00:44:00,073
This is a really important 
question for these Jews.

874
00:44:00,073 --> 00:44:02,051
They felt it so critical to figure out


875
00:44:02,051 --> 00:44:04,740
whether they should continue 
this or not continue this,

876
00:44:04,740 --> 00:44:06,931
that they actually go 
to the extent of sending


877
00:44:06,931 --> 00:44:09,151
a party of men to 
Jerusalem to get an answer.

878
00:44:09,151 --> 00:44:11,704
They obviously find Zechariah.

879
00:44:11,704 --> 00:44:14,230
Zechariah's a man who can 
give them an answer, right?

880
00:44:14,230 --> 00:44:15,583
He is a prophet of God,

881
00:44:15,583 --> 00:44:18,753
He's got a connection with the Lord.

882
00:44:18,753 --> 00:44:20,915
They want to know.

883
00:44:20,915 --> 00:44:23,165
Why would you even ask that question?

884
00:44:23,165 --> 00:44:25,794
Why would you even send 
this delegation to find out?

885
00:44:25,794 --> 00:44:28,723
Because you want to know 
what pleases the Lord.

886
00:44:28,723 --> 00:44:30,965
They are thinking, they are 
discussing among themselves.

887
00:44:30,965 --> 00:44:32,876
They are getting together 
at Bethel and thinking,

888
00:44:32,876 --> 00:44:34,637
"Should we continue this?"

889
00:44:34,646 --> 00:44:36,252
Which is pleasing to the Lord?

890
00:44:36,252 --> 00:44:38,771
Is it pleasing to the Lord that 
we continue to fast?

891
00:44:38,771 --> 00:44:42,073
Or is it pleasing to the Lord that
we discontinue this fast?

892
00:44:42,073 --> 00:44:45,038
That is what they are asking about.

893
00:44:45,038 --> 00:44:49,329
But you see how God answers?

894
00:44:49,329 --> 00:44:54,735
God is saying to them what's
really and truly important to Me

895
00:44:54,735 --> 00:44:58,932
is missed by your questions altogether.

896
00:44:58,932 --> 00:45:02,238
You see, you are sitting there thinking


897
00:45:02,238 --> 00:45:04,758
that whether you fast or don't fast

898
00:45:04,758 --> 00:45:07,532
is going to make the difference.

899
00:45:07,532 --> 00:45:11,727
And God is saying it's not 
going to make any difference.

900
00:45:11,727 --> 00:45:14,955
I am not pleased with you 
when you eat and drink.

901
00:45:14,955 --> 00:45:18,339
Nor I am pleased with you 
when you don't eat and drink.

902
00:45:18,339 --> 00:45:20,420
You see the Lord's point?

903
00:45:20,420 --> 00:45:26,042
Your fifth month fast has been no
good because you don't do it for Me!

904
00:45:26,042 --> 00:45:29,392
You don't do it for Me.

905
00:45:29,392 --> 00:45:33,347
If that's all the Lord has said;
if He had stopped right there,

906
00:45:33,347 --> 00:45:35,301
they'd be going home thinking:


907
00:45:35,301 --> 00:45:37,771
Oh, okay, so God is not 
pleased with the fast.

908
00:45:37,771 --> 00:45:40,132
Ok guys, Bethel we need to stop fasting. 


909
00:45:40,132 --> 00:45:41,852
God will be pleased with this.

910
00:45:41,852 --> 00:45:44,944
No! It was necessary that 
He say the next thing,

911
00:45:44,944 --> 00:45:46,834
so that they really get the point.

912
00:45:46,834 --> 00:45:48,606
You guys have a bigger issue

913
00:45:48,606 --> 00:45:53,026
than whether you are 
fasting or not fasting.

914
00:45:53,026 --> 00:45:55,446
The way to please God 
is not for these people

915
00:45:55,446 --> 00:45:57,706
to simply quit the fast.

916
00:45:57,706 --> 00:45:59,853
The Lord says that's 
no good either because

917
00:45:59,853 --> 00:46:02,712
you give the fast up and then you 
go back to eating and drinking.

918
00:46:02,712 --> 00:46:07,796
You don't do that for Me either.

919
00:46:07,798 --> 00:46:10,638
Our primary question about fasting,

920
00:46:10,638 --> 00:46:12,108
because you get all the time:

921
00:46:12,108 --> 00:46:14,212
How often should I fast?

922
00:46:14,212 --> 00:46:19,730
How long should I fast when I do fast?

923
00:46:19,730 --> 00:46:21,912
What should this look like?

924
00:46:21,912 --> 00:46:24,416
Do I fast for a meal?

925
00:46:24,416 --> 00:46:26,416
Do I fast for a whole day?

926
00:46:26,416 --> 00:46:28,940
Three days? Seven days?

927
00:46:28,940 --> 00:46:30,070
(Incomplete thought)

928
00:46:30,070 --> 00:46:32,740
Look, I'll tell you this,

929
00:46:32,740 --> 00:46:36,134
if you are Christian,

930
00:46:36,134 --> 00:46:39,934
Jesus is clearly saying

931
00:46:39,934 --> 00:46:42,507
that fasting can be beneficial to you

932
00:46:42,507 --> 00:46:46,877
in order to receive the 
reward that God has.

933
00:46:46,877 --> 00:46:50,161
The greatest reward that 
God can give you is Himself,

934
00:46:50,161 --> 00:46:53,046
and greater manifestations of Himself.

935
00:46:53,053 --> 00:46:55,188
That is the greatest thing 
He can give you.

936
00:46:55,188 --> 00:47:00,774
He is the greatest treasure 
that He has to give.

937
00:47:00,774 --> 00:47:02,674
And the thing is

938
00:47:02,674 --> 00:47:06,044
When you try to concern 
yourselves with how long?

939
00:47:06,044 --> 00:47:07,691
What should my frequency be?

940
00:47:07,691 --> 00:47:10,464
What should this look like?

941
00:47:10,464 --> 00:47:12,511
There is definitely benefit in it

942
00:47:12,511 --> 00:47:18,711
if you are doing it for the sake of God.

943
00:47:18,711 --> 00:47:21,814
If you are just doing it mechanically;


944
00:47:21,814 --> 00:47:24,494
if you're just doing it because 
it has become tradition or habit,

945
00:47:24,494 --> 00:47:26,747
because the rest of church does it

946
00:47:26,747 --> 00:47:29,360
because GCC has this tradition

947
00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,500
of starting out each year with 
a week of prayer and fasting.

948
00:47:32,500 --> 00:47:36,384
Okay, you're going to do this because...

949
00:47:36,384 --> 00:47:42,624
Look, the real issue in this is

950
00:47:42,624 --> 00:47:45,468
you can eat and drink to the glory of God.

951
00:47:45,468 --> 00:47:52,568
You can fast and do that 
to the glory of the Lord.

952
00:47:52,568 --> 00:47:54,418
And then you can go back to eating

953
00:47:54,418 --> 00:47:56,509
and you can do it to 
the glory of the Lord.

954
00:47:56,509 --> 00:47:58,802
You don't have to feel a bit guilty.

955
00:47:58,802 --> 00:48:01,095
But the driving motivator here

956
00:48:01,095 --> 00:48:03,259
should be desire for God;

957
00:48:03,259 --> 00:48:05,103
it should be desire for Him;

958
00:48:05,103 --> 00:48:06,947
it should be doing it for Him.

959
00:48:06,947 --> 00:48:09,135
He is saying you did not fast for Me

960
00:48:09,135 --> 00:48:10,515
and when you eat and drink,

961
00:48:10,515 --> 00:48:14,785
you do that for yourselves.

962
00:48:14,785 --> 00:48:16,550
Our sights are set on the Lord. 


963
00:48:16,550 --> 00:48:20,350
This is all God-perspective 
here in fasting.

964
00:48:20,350 --> 00:48:23,045
That's the real issue.

965
00:48:23,045 --> 00:48:25,906
We don't want to get 
so hung up on ritual.

966
00:48:25,906 --> 00:48:28,360
The Pharisee: "Oh, I 
fast twice in a week."

967
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:31,994
You can get to where fasting 
just becomes ritualistic.

968
00:48:31,994 --> 00:48:33,539
You just do it to do it.

969
00:48:33,539 --> 00:48:35,571
You do it because it is almost like

970
00:48:35,571 --> 00:48:39,181
you feel there is some magic about it.

971
00:48:39,181 --> 00:48:42,465
I fast and somehow I 
am twisting God's arm

972
00:48:42,465 --> 00:48:45,125
to do this or do that for me.

973
00:48:45,125 --> 00:48:47,295
That's not what this is about.

974
00:48:47,295 --> 00:48:48,828
You have to remember,

975
00:48:48,828 --> 00:48:50,588
Jesus is talking about when we fast,


976
00:48:50,588 --> 00:48:53,248
there is a God who sees in secret.

977
00:48:53,248 --> 00:48:55,027
What's He looking at?

978
00:48:55,027 --> 00:48:57,551
Not just your fasting exercise.

979
00:48:57,551 --> 00:49:00,551
He is looking at your heart!

980
00:49:00,551 --> 00:49:02,943
Didn't Jesus come along and say,


981
00:49:02,943 --> 00:49:05,943
"You know, Isaiah said the 
right thing about you guys!"

982
00:49:05,943 --> 00:49:07,683
He was specifically talking about

983
00:49:07,683 --> 00:49:09,564
where Isaiah said that these people

984
00:49:09,564 --> 00:49:11,382
draw near to Me with their mouth.


985
00:49:11,382 --> 00:49:14,852
But their hearts - they are far from Me.

986
00:49:14,852 --> 00:49:17,143
God looks at the heart.

987
00:49:17,143 --> 00:49:19,716
When you are taking about fasting,

988
00:49:19,716 --> 00:49:22,716
(Incomplete thought)

989
00:49:22,716 --> 00:49:25,962
there are times not to fast.

990
00:49:25,962 --> 00:49:28,451
There are times when 
the bridegroom is there.

991
00:49:28,451 --> 00:49:31,101
It is time not to fast.

992
00:49:31,101 --> 00:49:33,461
But the bridegroom has been taken away. 


993
00:49:33,461 --> 00:49:34,902
We ought to be desperate.

994
00:49:34,902 --> 00:49:36,308
There ought to be lots of times

995
00:49:36,308 --> 00:49:38,978
when we're just desperate for 
having Him draw nearer.

996
00:49:38,978 --> 00:49:41,248
Do you ever get just desperate?

997
00:49:41,248 --> 00:49:43,577
It is like I don't have enough of God!

998
00:49:43,577 --> 00:49:48,891
This is clearly the most important 
question we need to be asking:

999
00:49:48,891 --> 00:49:52,730
"Are we doing this for God?"

1000
00:49:52,730 --> 00:49:56,243
As far as frequency, it is something 
you and I have to work through.

1001
00:49:56,243 --> 00:49:59,455
It's something we have 
to ask questions about.

1002
00:49:59,455 --> 00:50:03,371
Just the question about 
whether we fast or don't fast,

1003
00:50:03,371 --> 00:50:09,070
you can tell, God thinks that's 
not the most important thing.

1004
00:50:09,070 --> 00:50:10,990
It's a trifle.

1005
00:50:10,990 --> 00:50:13,514
They totally miss what's essential

1006
00:50:13,514 --> 00:50:16,914
when they are asking a question like that.

1007
00:50:16,914 --> 00:50:18,950
That's all we ask.

1008
00:50:18,950 --> 00:50:20,904
Brethren, we need to beware of ceremony,

1009
00:50:20,904 --> 00:50:23,184
tradition, and ritual in all of this.

1010
00:50:23,184 --> 00:50:25,088
We need to be guided by desire,

1011
00:50:25,088 --> 00:50:26,719
That's a good thing to fast for!

1012
00:50:26,719 --> 00:50:29,589
God, give me more desire for You!

1013
00:50:29,589 --> 00:50:33,207
You got this promise sealed 
with the blood of Jesus Christ,

1014
00:50:33,207 --> 00:50:36,307
that if you fast in secret, 
there are rewards.

1015
00:50:36,307 --> 00:50:37,522
I'll tell you this,

1016
00:50:37,522 --> 00:50:40,185
Jesus did not say you 
will get these rewards

1017
00:50:40,185 --> 00:50:42,239
whether you fast or not.

1018
00:50:42,239 --> 00:50:44,034
He did not say that.

1019
00:50:44,034 --> 00:50:46,349
He did not say that this 
whole thing of fasting

1020
00:50:46,355 --> 00:50:48,801
is just indifferent whether 
you do it or not

1021
00:50:48,801 --> 00:50:51,695
you get the same thing that you
would have gotten anyways.

1022
00:50:51,695 --> 00:50:54,525
That's never said about prayer 
and fasting in Scriptures.

1023
00:50:54,525 --> 00:50:55,994
What you need to know is this:

1024
00:50:55,994 --> 00:50:58,970
there are people in this 
world, Christians that fast,

1025
00:50:58,970 --> 00:51:01,087
and they received rewards from the Father


1026
00:51:01,087 --> 00:51:02,977
that other people don't receive

1027
00:51:02,977 --> 00:51:06,911
because they don't seek 
the Lord the same way.

1028
00:51:06,911 --> 00:51:08,650
They are not as desperate.

1029
00:51:08,650 --> 00:51:11,650
They don't need Him.

1030
00:51:11,650 --> 00:51:14,003
And so they don't get.

1031
00:51:14,003 --> 00:51:16,910
Scriptures says you don't 
have because you don't ask.

1032
00:51:16,910 --> 00:51:20,230
We can easily say, you don't 
have because you don't fast.

1033
00:51:20,230 --> 00:51:23,617
There may be things that you will not get

1034
00:51:23,617 --> 00:51:25,877
unless you seek them

1035
00:51:25,877 --> 00:51:29,227
with real diligent prayer and fasting.

1036
00:51:29,227 --> 00:51:31,784
Again, there is a textual issue,

1037
00:51:31,784 --> 00:51:34,481
but there is a place where Jesus in Mark 9


1038
00:51:34,481 --> 00:51:37,981
talks about this kind only 
goes out by prayer and fasting.

1039
00:51:37,981 --> 00:51:40,370
He is talking about spiritual battles,

1040
00:51:40,370 --> 00:51:44,700
won or lost, that hinge 
on prayer and fasting.

1041
00:51:44,700 --> 00:51:46,682
The textual issue is that

1042
00:51:46,682 --> 00:51:50,117
some of the manuscripts have 
fasting and some don't.

1043
00:51:50,117 --> 00:51:52,694
But even that regardless,

1044
00:51:52,694 --> 00:51:55,164
prayer is there in all of them.

1045
00:51:55,164 --> 00:51:59,864
It is the fact that there is a kind of
prayer that goes along with fasting.

1046
00:51:59,864 --> 00:52:03,986
It is an intensified way 
of seeking the Lord.

1047
00:52:03,986 --> 00:52:05,779
When you heart is towards Him

1048
00:52:05,779 --> 00:52:08,345
and you heart is yearning towards Him,

1049
00:52:08,345 --> 00:52:10,324
God sees us fasting like that,

1050
00:52:10,324 --> 00:52:12,264
it is very pleasing to Him.

1051
00:52:12,264 --> 00:52:13,994
Very pleasing when we're desperate.

1052
00:52:13,994 --> 00:52:18,088
When we're longing because the 
bridegroom has been taken away.

1053
00:52:18,088 --> 00:52:19,173
It is worship.

1054
00:52:19,173 --> 00:52:21,743
Do we not see that with 
Hannah? It is worship.

1055
00:52:21,743 --> 00:52:23,890
This is a way to worship.

1056
00:52:23,890 --> 00:52:27,157
God never wants you to worship 
when it's only with your lips

1057
00:52:27,157 --> 00:52:31,477
or it's only in a mechanical way
performed by your body.

1058
00:52:31,477 --> 00:52:34,468
We can grit our teeth and not eat.

1059
00:52:34,468 --> 00:52:36,706
God does not want that. 
That's not true worship.

1060
00:52:36,706 --> 00:52:38,104
Worship is from the heart.

1061
00:52:38,104 --> 00:52:41,277
God wants us to worship with all our
heart, mind, soul and strength.

1062
00:52:41,277 --> 00:52:44,024
That is what He is looking at.
That's what is pleasing to Him.

1063
00:52:44,024 --> 00:52:46,964
That's not just a matter of 
"Should I fast or should I not fast?"

1064
00:52:46,964 --> 00:52:50,320
It is more about where 
the heart is in all of it.

1065
00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,442
If our heart is desperate for God,

1066
00:52:52,442 --> 00:52:54,982
you would think fasting 
is going to be something

1067
00:52:54,982 --> 00:53:00,672
that is going to be simultaneous 
to our desperation.

1068
00:53:00,672 --> 00:53:03,594
In this life, when we 
want, and we desire,

1069
00:53:03,594 --> 00:53:07,464
and we hunger, and we 
long for more of Him,

1070
00:53:07,464 --> 00:53:12,228
more of that reward that only He can give.

1071
00:53:12,228 --> 00:53:14,903
We know by faith He is watching,

1072
00:53:14,903 --> 00:53:18,643
by faith we know that He rewards us.

1073
00:53:18,643 --> 00:53:21,642
The big things are things 
you are desperate for in life -

1074
00:53:21,642 --> 00:53:24,522
those things you know if God 
does not give them to you,

1075
00:53:24,522 --> 00:53:26,401
you will not have

1076
00:53:26,401 --> 00:53:28,172
the salvation of people's souls,

1077
00:53:28,172 --> 00:53:29,795
the advance of the Gospel,

1078
00:53:29,795 --> 00:53:35,002
big things in life, major things.

1079
00:53:35,002 --> 00:53:36,114
You are trying to figure out,


1080
00:53:36,114 --> 00:53:39,114
you know, if you want to marry somebody,

1081
00:53:39,114 --> 00:53:42,639
or you're trying to figure out 
leadership for the church,

1082
00:53:42,639 --> 00:53:44,872
what missionary is going to be sent...

1083
00:53:44,872 --> 00:53:47,035
These are appropriate 
times to be fasting -

1084
00:53:47,035 --> 00:53:50,330
big decisions in your life where 
you need to lay hold on God.

1085
00:53:50,330 --> 00:53:54,800
You need an answer. You need Him.

1086
00:53:54,807 --> 00:53:56,408
You do it for Him.

1087
00:53:56,408 --> 00:54:03,709
Any approach to God that makes Him great.

1088
00:54:03,709 --> 00:54:08,525
Not that we do, but you know how 
we talk about magnifying the Lord.

1089
00:54:08,525 --> 00:54:13,912
That doesn't mean we make 
Him bigger than He already is.

1090
00:54:13,912 --> 00:54:15,751
When we magnify the Lord,

1091
00:54:15,751 --> 00:54:18,951
all we do is come closer and 
closer to a proper perspective

1092
00:54:18,951 --> 00:54:24,299
of what He is, who He is, how He is, 
what His attributes are.

1093
00:54:24,299 --> 00:54:28,303
But brethren, when we are 
going to God in desperation,

1094
00:54:28,303 --> 00:54:31,327
you know what that does? 
You know what it communicates?

1095
00:54:31,327 --> 00:54:34,536
I recognize, I am needy, 
I am desperate, I am helpless,

1096
00:54:34,536 --> 00:54:37,306
I am bankrupt, and He is 
the fountain of all good.

1097
00:54:37,306 --> 00:54:39,241
He is Jehovah Jireh. I need Him.

1098
00:54:39,241 --> 00:54:41,071
He is the provider.

1099
00:54:41,071 --> 00:54:44,651
He is glorified when 
we view Him like that.

1100
00:54:44,651 --> 00:54:48,270
If we really recognize how 
utterly desperate we are

1101
00:54:48,270 --> 00:54:50,690
and bankrupt we are in ourselves,

1102
00:54:50,690 --> 00:54:52,839
and just the riches that are to be had;


1103
00:54:52,839 --> 00:54:55,489
this treasure house of 
riches that are in Christ.

1104
00:54:55,489 --> 00:54:59,432
Like I say, the greatest riches that 
God can give us is His own Son

1105
00:54:59,432 --> 00:55:03,283
and His own Self, fellowship with Himself.

1106
00:55:03,283 --> 00:55:06,918
Brethren, you get overwhelmed 
by the presence of God

1107
00:55:06,918 --> 00:55:09,598
and you don't want anything 
else in this world.

1108
00:55:09,598 --> 00:55:12,124
There is nothing greater than that.

1109
00:55:12,124 --> 00:55:15,055
And for Him to sweep us 
ultimately up into His presence

1110
00:55:15,055 --> 00:55:17,255
where we can behold Him face to face

1111
00:55:17,255 --> 00:55:19,217
and be married to Him, be His bride,

1112
00:55:19,217 --> 00:55:23,687
walk with Him and talk 
with Him, behold His glory.

1113
00:55:23,687 --> 00:55:29,049
There will be nothing greater that just 
beholding the glory of Jesus Christ.

1114
00:55:29,049 --> 00:55:31,859
Don't you want more now? 
Aren't you desperate for that?

1115
00:55:31,859 --> 00:55:34,759
That's what it is all about 
when you hunger after that

1116
00:55:34,759 --> 00:55:37,986
and you actually fast 
because you long for that.

1117
00:55:37,986 --> 00:55:40,236
That is worship.

1118
00:55:40,236 --> 00:55:43,600
God is very pleased 
when your heart is in it.

1119
00:55:43,600 --> 00:55:45,967
If you get to the place 
where you feel like

1120
00:55:45,967 --> 00:55:50,657
my heart is not in prolonging this fast.

1121
00:55:50,657 --> 00:55:52,906
I feel like right now, I could 
sit down and eat a steak.

1122
00:55:52,906 --> 00:55:54,856
I could do that more to His glory.

1123
00:55:54,856 --> 00:55:56,734
Then do it. Eat your steak!

1124
00:55:56,734 --> 00:55:59,882
If there is nothing in your life that
is that desperate at that moment,

1125
00:55:59,882 --> 00:56:01,166
go eat your steak!

1126
00:56:01,166 --> 00:56:08,783
And praise God for it!

1127
00:56:08,783 --> 00:56:12,283
That's a word on fasting. 
Brief theology on fasting.

1128
00:56:12,283 --> 00:56:16,082
Hopefully, that helps maybe 
bring a little more clarity.

1129
00:56:16,082 --> 00:56:18,408
Father, we pray that the reality of this

1130
00:56:18,408 --> 00:56:22,151
that we've seen in Scriptures might be
true in our lives and true in our church

1131
00:56:22,151 --> 00:56:23,769
especially in this season

1132
00:56:23,769 --> 00:56:29,689
where we give ourselves just such fasting.

1133
00:56:29,689 --> 00:56:33,922
Make us desperate for You, Father, 
we pray in Christ's name. Amen.