Sermon: “And When You Fast…” 
Date: November 9 
Scripture: Matthew 6:16-18
Speaker: Paul Walker 

Jesus comes out of teaching on prayer and begins to talk about another spiritual practice. “When you fast…”. Jesus doesn’t say, “IF you fast” but rather he assumes that people will be regularly fasting. This might strike us as odd in our modern North American context that tends to disparage the idea of self-denial. What is fasting? Fasting is abstaining—often from food and water. This abstaining creates a longing for more of God and can paradoxically be a feast of spiritual encounter. Fasting can even have medical benefits. But we don’t fast for what we can get out it. Fasting is firstly an expression of worship to God that reminds us we are sustained by God alone. In this practice of fasting Jesus wants us not to be like “the hypocrites” who do things for the sake of public display and fame. The only way to fast, or pray or engage in any other spiritual activity that brings about a heavenly reward is to do it “in secret.” Whatever discomfort or pain we are experiencing is to be kept hidden as much as possible. The “reward” that we are storing up when we pray and fast in secret is simply the beauty of the character that we develop when we learn how to be singularly motivated by God’s will and thus not motivated by social applause.

Desired outcome: To challenge us to know that the spiritual life is not always about constant filling, but also includes seasons of fasting, abstaining, and disengagement —- so that we can be singularly motivated by our Heavenly Father.