Matthew 6:16-18
Fasting is NOT:
. – A diet plan
. – Done as an end in itself
. – A way of getting God to bless you
Fasting Is: The private, voluntary, occasional abstinence from food for a time for spiritual purposes
. Matthew 4:2, Ezra 10:6, Esther 4:16, Acts 9:9, 1 Corinthians 7:5
. 1. During times of repenting from sin
. 2. During trials, calamities or difficult seasons of life
. 3. Seasons of seeking God’s will for difficult decisions
. Nehemiah 1:4, 2 Samuel 12:16, Daniel 9:3, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2-3, 14:22; Matthew 17:21
A. The Assumption of Fasting – Vs. 16-17.
. There is no passage commanding fasting in the New Testament. It is encouraged, but not required.
. Old Testament – Leviticus 16:31
. New Testament – Matthew 9:14-15
B. The Misapplication of Fasting – Vs. 16
C. The Correction of Fasting – Vs. 17