Why Fasting?

Well, good morning again, brethren. It's certainly good to see all of you. I missed seeing you last week. It seems like we didn't see everyone a week or two before, you know, different ones out. So, glad to see you today. Kim, be sure to tell Carol we miss her. We realize she's not with us today, but I look forward to seeing her in the future here. And as I mentioned in our announcements, here over the last couple of weeks, we've all been asked to fad. And, you know, that's a request that you often equate with a crisis. You often equate that with some emergency or some major decision that needs to be made, or, you know, something else that is a little more dire than this request, which is simply to ask God to bless what we are trying to do as His family. As His children, we have been drawn together to do the work of the Father. That's what Jesus said He was here to do. He was here to do the work of the Father. And, of course, that's the work that He gave His Church to do. And, of course, we're directed whenever we look at the whole subject of fasting. And we understand, I think, having done that for the most part, many of us may be many times, probably not near as many times as we could have benefited from, because we don't like necessarily to go without food and to go without drink and to do that for a period of time. It's just not...that doesn't feel good, humanly. But the significance of that, the significance of just humbling ourselves by yielding to the Word of God, that's what it says, and it is important, and it's going to enable us to better do the work that God is calling us to be, He's called us to be actively involved in. I think it's good whenever we are focused on fasting, it's good to think about why we do that. And, of course, we always fast, at least once a year, on the Day of Atonement, because we're directed to afflict our soul and to draw close to God that day, and we realize there are a number of significant factors that deal with the Day of Atonement and an understanding of a, what, a deposing, which is connected with the Day of Atonement. But here we are in January and February, fasting.

Different from why do we fast, why do you fast? Do you do it because you're asked to, or you're told to, or that you just like it? I don't think that would be the case for most of us. But I guess we also should think, what is it that we have learned? What have we learned from denying ourselves food and drink for a period of time, whether that's a 24-hour or another selected time? I think it's important for us to think about. Here in Matthew 4, you see an example. And I know that all of you realize that this is a special example. But in Matthew 4, verse 1, it says, This was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Verse 2, he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, and afterward he was hungry. He was famished. Can you believe it? Now, as we, and I know I've mentioned the newest booklet that we have, or at least one that's been re-put out about spiritual tools, as that correctly explains to us, Jesus and Moses and Elijah all went through a 40-day fast. That is not what anybody is asked to do. That would require God's supernatural intervention to allow a physical being to do that. But what we're asked to do, whenever we fast, is to simply try to focus our attention more on our need for God. And amazingly, I know when I have read this before, I've read through it, well, Jesus did that, and then, of course, the temptations came, and Satan was trying to throw him off, and the first one even turned these rocks into bread. And clearly, as a human, that would be a temptation if you'd been fasting for a long period of time. But I think it's important that we think about, why did Jesus do that? Why did he go through the process? He was the Son of God. He was God in the flesh. He had been the Word with the Father and then had come to the earth. But as we've had explained here in services here over the last month or two, Jesus voluntarily took on a human form. And see, he very much knew this is a critical situation that's coming up. This is a tremendously important and significant interaction that's going to take place. And so even as a human, his desire was to draw close to the Father. Now, how much closer to the Father did he need to be? Well, you know, he chose and we see recorded for us that he fasted for a lengthy period of time. And then clearly, you know, he was fully dependent upon the Father as he encountered, and this actually ties in with what was covered the other night in Bible studies, and he encountered the devil and his temptations in a human form as a human. He was encountering the power that had been able to seduce and deceive the first Adam, and yet it wasn't going to happen with the second Adam. It wasn't going to happen with Jesus Christ. He would be victorious. And yet he would also show a pattern. I think it's interesting to see...let's turn over to chapter 9 here, and I know all of you are familiar with this account, but it's interesting to see that there's a certain group of people here mentioned that don't need to fast.

A certain group of people don't need it. I'm going to venture to say we need it, you and I need it, but there was a certain group here in Matthew 9 that didn't need to fast, and I think it's good for us to think about why. In verse 14, the disciples of John came to him and said, Why do we, the disciples of John, and why do the Pharisees fast often? But your disciples do not fast. And of course, Jesus answered in somewhat of a parabolic way. He says, Your wedding guest cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?

The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away. And then, then, they will fast. So did Peter, James, and John, all the rest of the original disciples, ever fast? Well, sure they did, but there was little reason to fast when they were with Jesus Christ. See, the question is, how much closer were the disciples going to get to God? How much closer were they going to be to the one who had all the answers, to the one who was able to empower them, the one who was able to help them, the one who was setting a perfect example, the one who was their friend? He had called them and drew them to a responsibility within the framework of the New Testament, the original New Testament church, and yet he said, well, they don't need to fast right now.

Whenever I'm gone, whenever I go to heaven, then they will fast, because they will, at that time, realize they need to be close to me. And that's what I'm getting at, that whatever we fast, we are understanding, or we are, in a sense, giving into the fact that as a human being, we need to be close to God the Father and specifically to Jesus Christ, because he's the one who's going to provide us help.

He's going to give us what we need. He's going to give us healing. He's going to give us nurturing. He's going to give us care. He's going to give us direction. He's going to give us correction. Those are all things that Christ does. And so clearly we can see, I think, from this example that fasting is shown to be a tool that can draw us closer to Jesus Christ. And yet, whenever you also study and see what these disciples didn't understand, it was hard to comprehend the fact that Hank Jackson is Jesus.

I mean, that's really hard to understand, because I know who he is. I actually know where he lives, and I know what kind of car he drives, and I know he's sick sometimes. I know. I mean, it would just be very hard to believe that the guy that we're following around here is the Son of God.

It was very difficult. In John 14, you see even Jesus being asked this. The disciples asking, Philip asking here in John 14. Philip said in verse 8 of John 14, says, Lord, show us to Father and we'll be satisfied. And Jesus said to him, Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still don't know me?

Whoever has seen me, because he was the absolute perfect representation of God the Father, he was always correct in whatever he did, whatever he said, and whatever he thought. He was the perfect human, and the perfect human vessel through which the power of God could work, because he was fully yielded as a human to the power from God that was clearly available. He says, How can you say, Show me the Father or show us the Father? Do you not believe that I'm in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I don't speak of my own, but the Father who dwells in me, he does the works.

We read this earlier, a few months ago or a few weeks ago, and it's good to remember what this is saying. This is saying something far bigger and far beyond anything we are currently doing, because as he goes ahead to say, Believe me, in verse 11, believe me that I'm in the Father and the Father is in me. But if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. And, barely I tell you, one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and in fact will do greater works than these because I'm going to the Father.

I don't know how we could do greater works than Jesus did, because what he did, how he extended healing, how he extended mercy, how he extended forgiveness, I guess I don't recall it recorded that he moved any mountains. I'm sure he could. He had the contact with God. He had the connection with the Father to be able to do that. I'm not sure exactly what the purpose of moving a mountain would be. It would be an impressive miracle. And yet many of the other miracles he did were also impressive. If he was able to feed thousands from a few crockpots, if he was able to do that, well, how are we going to do that?

Well, he just says, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. In fact, he will do greater works than these. And we're not yet there. God is going to do some greater works as we read in the book of Revelation.

He's going to do some works that are going to dumbfound the entirety of the world. And he's going to bring attention to those of us who are his children. And so we want, clearly, to be very, very close to Jesus Christ. And actually what we find is that fasting enhances our appreciation and our connection with the bread of life. See, Jesus describes himself as the bread of life. And whenever we're fast, we're not just denying ourselves water and food and tying a rag around the handles on the fridge to remember not to open the door and take a drink of whatever's there.

That's all the physical motion of what we do if we go through a day of fasting. But being really truly connected to the bread of life, that's a tremendous power source. A power source that is going to enable us to be pliable servants in the hand of God. There are several different biblical connections that we need to develop or enhance with Jesus Christ.

And fasting helps us in that development. I want to point out four of these. And I don't know how long this will take, but I'll take... I'll say... I mean, I've looked over these before and I know I want to cover three of them, but I'll tell you four. And if I get there, then that'll be okay. Actually, the first one is the one I thought I would leave out. But I'll tell you anyway. I think whenever we think of our fasting and how it is that it ought to affect us. And not just that I know how many more hours and how many more minutes I'm going to fast. Because generally we're aware of that.

And we know when we are going to start eating again. In my case, I don't really get all that hungry. Usually I am thirsty. That's what I'm usually just thirsty. But fasting, first of all, is a reminder to us that God is the potter and we're just the clay. God's the potter and we're the clay. You have that analogy used in several different places in the Old Testament.

And it's mentioned here in Romans chapter 9. And I'll briefly go through this. Again, just reminding us. And this is a pretty simple thing for us, I think, to realize. But sometimes we forget it. We allow ourselves to be infected by the world around us. And we allow ourselves to be affected by what I'm doing. And I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. And we need to be reminded that God's the potter and we're the clay.

We need to be shaped and molded by God. We need to be guided by His Word. We need to be close to the One who can empower us to do that, which is Jesus Christ. So here in Romans chapter 9, it says in verse 19, and Paul is writing this about the Jews and the Gentiles.

And they were both in the congregation there, and he was addressing everybody, he kind of talks to different ones at different times. But he says, what will you say to me then? Or you will say to me then? Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?

That was kind of the lead-in to what he was going to discuss. And in verse 20, he says, who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Now, I'm not, again, going through all the discussion of what he's talking about here, but this little section just points out the potter and the clay. Who are you as a human being to not come to agree with God, to argue with God? Clearly what Job did, he had a lot of arguments for God.

Who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded stay to the one who molds it?

Why have you made me like this? Sometimes we can think about that depending on the situation we find ourselves in. Why am I going through this? Or do I have this limitation or that limitation? Why? Well, he just created us out of dirt. What did we expect? That's what happened with Adam. And then later, out of a rib from Adam, he created Eve. Again, out of the dust.

That's where we came from. And of course, he's pointing out, doesn't the potter have complete control? Should he not? Yeah, it's not a matter of doesn't he? Should he not? Should he not? You know, because I want that. I desire that. I need that in order to be functional. Will what is molded say to the one who molds it? Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump? One object for special use and another for ordinary use.

And he goes on and describes more about this. That's all I really wanted to point out about that. But I think it's important. Just like it's important that we all recall the story of Lucifer and how that he forgot that he was a created being.

Now, he was a created spirit being, and God created that spirit realm. He also created a physical realm, a universe, and he created a physical being who has a spiritual potential. That's all of us. And so we have been created and made out of the dust of the ground, and we need to be reminded that God probably will use most any means needed in order to help us grow to the greatest potential that we have, to mold us and to shape us. If we are not looking for that, if we're not asking for that, then I think it's very likely that a lot of development will take place.

But if we fully understand that and we know that our connection to Jesus, see, just like the disciples, as he told them, I'm right here. You don't need to fast. You're right. You are close to me. That's what I need. That's what I think all of us need. So that's the first point. The second point is that whenever we're fasting, we should gain a greater awareness that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. He's the head of the church. He's the one who created the church. He's the one who brought it into existence.

He's the one who, of course, allowed his blood to be shed so that our sins can be forgiven and that we can actually then repent. That's our part. We repent. That's where we start. We repent of our hostility toward the Creator. We repent of our hostility toward His law and toward His Word because the natural carnal mind simply does not perceive God's authority and power over us. And of course, when He puts us into the church, He also tells us that Jesus is to be our head individually, and He's to be our head collectively.

And that's why whenever He talks, as He does so many different times in Ephesians and Philippians and numerous others of Paul's writings where He writes about the church and how it's made up of a bunch of parts, but it all comes together to do a given job, to do the work that God wants the church to do. You read in Ephesians 4, highlighted in there are the fact that we need to be seeking the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, and that we need to be building each other up in love.

That's what the body is to be doing. If we're not looking to being very close to the head of the church, very close to the one who has all power and the one who is able to empower us individually and collectively to help us work together in peace and in unity, that's what we're required to do. Obviously, we're not close enough to the one who can do that. Here in Colossians 1, breaking in here in verse 12, he says, And talking about that beloved son, he says, So through Jesus Christ as the Creator, he created everything, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, and all things have been created through him and for him, and he himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Verse 18, he is the head of the church. He's the head of the body, the church. He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. That means to be first place in my life, first place in my recognition of how God is choosing to work in this age before he closes this age and brings in the world to come.

How he's choosing to work in the church today. For he says in verse 19, In Jesus Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. See, that is an amazing section here that talks about how much each one of us need to be close to Christ, and yet how much we need to relate to him as the head of the church, the one who needs to be guiding. We need to seek that guidance, but the one who is there and going to be guiding and directing the church as we do our work.

And so that's the second thing I want to mention, just about how fasting helps us. The third thing ties together with some things Tom talked about earlier. Fasting and drawing close to Jesus Christ enables us to see ourselves more clearly. Again, absorbed in this world, our perception becomes confused, it becomes rattled. And if we draw close to God and Jesus Christ with fasting, now that we're going to see ourselves more clearly, we're going to be empowered by humility because that's what God says he honors.

He is willing to dwell back in Isaiah. He talks about being living in the high and lofty places, but that he's willing to dwell with the contrite, with the humble. And of course he goes ahead to say, why? I need help. I can help him. I can restore him. I can revive him. I can heal him. That's what he says. I believe it's in Isaiah 57, verse 15 and 16.

But Jesus is able. The closer we are to Jesus Christ, the closer we are to the one who's able to help us, the better we're going to see our own sin. Whenever we sing what we read here in 1 Corinthians 1, we can see that or we can sing that and maybe not be mindful of what it says.

Here in 1 Corinthians 1, starting in verse 23, Paul says, Paul says, we proclaim Christ crucified a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jew and Greek, Jesus Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. So that was clearly what he was going to emphasize, what he was going to teach, not only the Jews who had been drawn into the church and who were really identifying with something that most of the Jewish nation was not, but that he also wanted the Greeks to fully understand.

Here you've come out of complete paganism, and this is who you need to worship. You need to have a close identity with Jesus Christ. For verse 25, God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's wisdom is stronger than human strength. Consider in verse 26, this is what we sing, I think, and I don't know which song it is. Consider your calling, brethren, how not many of you are wise by human standards.

Not many of us have a great deal of the extensive wisdom that some people are able to benefit from in this age. I certainly see a pretty limiting factor in my brain. I just don't have it. I don't have the wisdom even that many have in the world. Not many of you are wise by human standards. Not many of you are powerful.

Not many are noble by birth. I'm not Prince Joe. People have called me all kinds of old sorry jokes and stuff. But I'm not Prince Charles. I'm not Prince Harry or the others who would receive recognition from most everybody as far as knowing who they are and kind of what they're... I'm not Queen Elizabeth, obviously. And for you ladies, we're not the wise and the powerful and the noble, but God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.

And God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. And God has chosen what is low and despised in the world, things that are not to reduce to nothing the things at all.

And of course, he's just making a statement of fact. He's saying, and he's not trying to put us down. That's not what Paul's purpose was. He said, I'm not trying to put you down. I'm trying to help you understand that God is achieving a miracle in your life by allowing you to have access to Him and to Jesus Christ that will empower you to be wise and to be powerful and to be strong. But you don't start out that way because he reveals in verse 29 why that is. I just simply don't want anybody to boast in the presence of God.

None of us have any reason to boast in the presence of God of how marvelous, how much ability, how much capacity, how much talent, how much beauty God has blessed us with. See, He gave all of that to Lucifer and went to his head, and he began to think, well, I'm stronger than Creator. I'm stronger than God. And so here, this description, if we learn the right things from fasting, one of those is going to be close to being close to Jesus Christ or where He helps us see. Well, that's the way we are, but that isn't the way we're to stay.

Here in Romans 7, Tom mentioned this earlier about how Paul describes his struggle in our mind, his struggle against sin, his struggle to be able to try to get a handle on what we see are the problems in our lives. That's what he's describing here in Romans 7, and I'll point out just one other verse here, Romans 7, starting in verse 14. Well, I guess we could drop down to verse 16.

Now, verse 15, in this translation, it's pretty clear I don't understand my own action. I don't want to see them. I really hate that, but I end up doing it. That's what Paul says. I don't understand my own actions for what I don't want to do. For I do not do what I want, but I do the things I hate. If I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. I know what God sets before me is what I desire, is what I want, it's what I pursue, it just doesn't happen to be what I do.

My actions or my thoughts are errant. And in verse 21, he says, I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. But I delight in the law of God, in the inmost man.

What I see in my members, in verse 23, another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. That's the struggle. See, if we're not struggling, then we're not growing. That's the struggle that Paul would continually refer to, and that he would mention that we're fighting against sin.

We can be dead to sin, as again, we've already covered today, but that doesn't mean it's all together gone. We're struggling against that, and that's why being in the state of repentance and forgiveness is so important. And of course, he mentions in verse 24, a wretched man that I am, who is going to deliver me? Who's going to rescue me from this body of death?

And of course, he answers that by saying, well, the one you need to be close to, the one that fasting causes you to have a close identity to Jesus Christ. He's the one who's going to enable us to be victorious. He's the one who's going to empower us. Thanks be to God that it is through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And of course, in chapter 8, verse 1, he says, because of that, there is therefore now no condemnation to those of you who are in Jesus Christ.

And whenever we are closer to Jesus Christ, then our understanding of ourselves, our condition, what God says about our condition, and what he says about the rescue, what he says about the deliverance is just as applicable and just as meaningful for our growth and our development. And so clearly, whenever we draw close to Jesus Christ, then we see ourselves better. And that's good because that causes us to see our need to rely on Him, to trust Him, to be thankful for Him.

And then last, the fourth thing I'll mention, drawing closer to Jesus Christ, refasting, strengthens our faith. It strengthens our walk of faith. That's the type of walk that we have to be walking throughout the remainder of our lives. We've already begun the journey, but then we need to finish that journey by walking in truth, but by walking in faith.

It tells us in Hebrews that the just are going to live by faith. We're going to be, and then it goes into the whole chapter of Hebrews 11 that talks about each of the Old Testament personages who are noted to be examples of faith. And there's a lot of examples there. Some of them seem to have come out pretty well. Some of them were sauna sundered.

Some were laboring in difficulties and problems. He says they're all people of faith. They all walked in faith. And of course, I mention this simply because it's important for us to realize, and this is actually what Jesus tried to at least point out to His disciples. They didn't seem to pick up real easily, but He pointed this out to them. In Matthew, Chapter 14, you see this illustration after Jesus fed the 5,000 people along the slopes of the lake. Matthew 14, 22, He made the disciples get in the boat and go out into the sea.

And He was going to take care of the crowd. In Matthew, Chapter 23, after He dismissed the crowd, as a human, knowing He needed strength, knowing He needed closeness to the Father, knowing that He needed to be in tune with the Father at all times, He, as a human, prayed. It says He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray, and when evening came, He was alone. And from the high up on the mountain, He could look out onto the sea, the Sea of Galilee, I believe.

And He could see the boat. It was out there stuck. It was in a big storm. There was quite the problem that the disciples were rowing around in circles, not able to make any headway. He looked at the boat. It was battered by the waves. It wasn't really all that far from land yet. Wind was against them. But later into the night, early in the morning, it says, I'm going to guess mid-morning or maybe early, early morning, probably even still dark, 3 to 6.

Early in the morning, He came walking toward them on the water. Now, He was plenty close to God. He could do that kind of thing because He was close to the Father, and He was going to point out to the disciples that, well, you know, I'm the one who sent you out here in the boat. I'm the one who allowed the storm to impede your progress. I'm the one who's coming to save you. I'm coming to rescue you. And as you can see, I can walk on water. That's the kind of individual we want to be close to. And of course, He went on to say, or He says in verse 26, the disciples saw Him walking on the water, and they were terrified.

He says, it's got to be a ghost. They cried out in fear. But immediately, Jesus calmed them, He spoke to them, and says, take heart. It's I. Don't be fearful. Don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to nurture you. I'm here to rescue you. I'm here to deliver you. And again, He's just walking on the water to do that. He's able to do that. He's able to perform any kind of a miracle with the contact with the Father that He has.

And He's able to extend that kind of benefit to us. He says so, right here. Because when Peter realizes, well, okay, we know who it is. That's weird. He's out there standing on the water. This is very bizarre. But Peter says, Lord, if it's you, then command me to come on to you on the water. And Jesus just says, well, come on. Come on. In verse 29, Peter got out of the boat. He started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. How far did he walk? I don't know that it says. One step. Maybe he took ten steps. But the fact is, he was walking by faith.

That's what we wanted to learn to do. We want to learn to walk by faith. And of course, we know the outcome when he realized, I can't do this. I can't walk on water. The wind is all blowing around me. It says when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened. And whenever he took his eyes off of the one who was helping him walk on water, whenever he took his eyes off of Jesus Christ, who was still standing out there on the water, on the water, on top of the water, he says, Peter, you can walk out here.

Go ahead. See, I'm sure that made a real impression on Peter, but of course he was later going to have some more problems. I'm sure that made a big impression on the other ten or eleven who may have been in the boat who were watching this. Now, it's interesting that this account is in Matthew. I think a similar account. I don't believe, I think this is the only one that has Peter walking on the water. You know, it's interesting that it's not in Mark because Mark was essentially written by accounts that Peter told him about.

Peter didn't remind him of this one, apparently, because he probably wasn't very proud of that, although he should have been. He should have been very proud of walking by faith because he was simply walking on the water, fully trusting Jesus Christ with his life.

And it says Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus, and when he noticed his wind, he became frightened. And so whenever he got his eyes off of Christ, he began to sink. And he cried out to Jesus and said, Lord, save me. And immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. He pulled him up, maybe pulled him over toward the boat. And he said, You have little faith. Why did you doubt?

And I think you could probably, I'm not wanting to add to what the Bible says, but he says, You have little faith. Why did you doubt me? I'm right here with you. Why did you doubt? And of course, he was talking about what was entering into Peter's mind. He was looking at the wind and said, You can use waves. And look at the boat. It's over there. And I'm still out here. No, I'm sinking. And Jesus said, Why did you doubt?

And when they got in the boat, the wind ceased.

And those in the boat worshiped Jesus, saying, Truly, this is the Son of God. And I'm going to give you a very clear point, number of points, about, you don't need to fast. I'm right here with you. But later you will fast because you will need to be close to me in order to walk by faith. Now, again, I don't know that God's going to do those kind of miracles through us. He clearly can. And if he needs to, and if it has a point, I'm sure the point of what Peter went through was to show the disciples who you're with. You're with the most impressive human being who has ever and will ever live. You are with the Son of God. And that's the acclamation that they made in verse 33. Those in the boat worship him, saying, Truly, you are the Son of God. And so when their focus was on him, then they were at peace. They were no longer afraid. They were clearly being rescued and restored and being looked up, and they were being protected because all the wind quit. And they're able to go on to the shore. But I think it is, I think it's significant to know that not only Jesus walked on the water, but so did Peter. It doesn't say how far. And yet, whenever he was continuing to remember, the Lord is right out there. He's the one who has told me to walk out here and be with him. And then I forgot that. I kind of got caught up in the physical problem I have that I barely float. I don't walk on water. I kind of just paddle around in it. And the wind is really bad, and I'm gulping some gulps of water. He just forgot. He became frightened, it says. He became scared. And that's when we're vulnerable whenever we're looking to physical things that are pretty limited. They really shut us down. And that's why Jesus, of course, said, you have little faith. You need more faith. You need to have faith in me. Why do you doubt? Why do you doubt me? Why do you take your eyes off of me? That doesn't seem to... How's that working out for you? That didn't work out. He just sank. And, of course, I think he tells all of us the same. So I think these four things that we've mentioned here today, perhaps are ideas that we can keep in mind whenever... not only when we fast now, but when we fast in the future. You know, the fasting enables us to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, a closer connection, a closer bond with the one who is all powerful and who is able. To direct us to the Father, and, of course, gives us the responsibility of coming to the Father. We'll conclude here in Matthew 6, because, again, this is the other verse that we can easily read in the first part of Matthew about fasting.

And, of course, it is directly involved with the fast that all of us are doing as a part of the United Church of God. We're asking God to work through us. We're asking God to help us see ourselves. We're asking God to allow Jesus Christ to live in us. We're asking God to help us to be strengthened by faith and a dependence upon Him. And here in Matthew 6, Jesus said in verse 16, whenever you fast, Don't look dismal like the hypocrites, for they disfigure faces so to show others that they are fasting. He could point out a few Pharisees, and maybe many even of John's disciples, who fasted and who bemoaned the fact. And certainly the Pharisees were quite proud of the fact, and they even bragged about it. They fasted twice in a week. A lot of fasting. I don't know what the duration was, maybe it was whole days. But they did it to be seen by others so that everybody would know, here I've got my garb on, I'm disheveled.

He says, truly, I tell you, they have received their reward. That's all it is. It's just a show. And of course, brethren, that is not what God wants for us. That's not what Jesus wants for us. He says, when you fast in verse 17, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others, but by your Father, who is in secret. See, that's how we fast to try to repent and try to draw close to God, try to draw close to Jesus Christ, try to be strengthened in our Christian walk.

And thankfully, what he says here in verse 18 is what we're looking forward to seeing. It's what we desire, because he says, you shouldn't be fasting to be seen by others, but to be seen by your Father, who is in heaven. Your Father, who is in secret, and an even better statement here at the very end, your Father, who sees you in secret, will reward you. That blessing, that guidance, that direction, that power to be able to do the work that we've been called to do, but the work that each of us do as a Christian, agreeing with God, yielding to God, drawing close to Jesus Christ. That's what he wants for all of us. And that's why he said, whenever he's gone, his disciples will act, because we desire that he would reward, or he would honor, or he would bless us because of our closeness. Take care.