Key Text:
Matthew 6:16 NKJV
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Outline
- Introduction
- Steve Jobs Story
- Seneca Story
- Points
- Fasting Reveals What Controls Us
- Fasting Reveals What We Actually Need
- Fasting Reveals Who We Actually Are
- Conclusion and Appeal
Introduction
Steve Jobs and Fasting
In the year 1974, Steve Jobs was a 19-year old college dropout who just came from a recent trip in India with his friend Daniel Kottke. They went to India for the purpose of asking spiritual enlightenment from a famous teacher named Neem Karoli Baba. But to their disappointment, he was already dead when they’ve arrived.
Discouraged but not defeated, Steve and Kottke went back to America and joined a commune of hippies in a place called All One Farm in Oregon. During their stay there, they practiced extreme Asceticism, which basically means severe self-discipline to the point that it may be regarded as self-harm.
Jobs would, for example, only eat apples that are directly cultivated on the farm and when he isn’t eating apples, he would fast, sometimes for days!
The other hippies in the commune began to worry for Steve Jobs as he began to lose some weight and strength. But Jobs really believed in the practice of fasting because of some books he read.
During one particularly intense fasting period, something extraordinary happened. As Jobs later recounted, the mental fog that had clouded his thinking began to lift. The constant noise of wants, desires, and social expectations grew quiet. In that profound silence, he began to see with startling clarity
It was during this time of deliberate deprivation that Jobs first began to envision what personal computing could become. While others saw computers as complex machines for engineers and hobbyists, Jobs saw them as tools that could be simple, elegant, and accessible to everyone. The very aesthetic principles he was learning through fasting – simplicity, focus, the elimination of the unnecessary – would later become the hallmarks of Apple’s design philosophy.
The young man who had learned the power of fasting and meditation would go on to create the Apple computer in his parents’ garage just two years later. The same principles that guided his spiritual fasting – elegant simplicity, the removal of everything unnecessary, focus on what truly matters – would become the DNA of every Apple product.
Seneca and Fasting
Another interesting figure that I want to share is a man named Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Let’s call him Seneca as what many other people usually do.
Seneca was a Roman senator in the first century. He wasn’t just a senator. He was an ultra rich senator. He possessed a fortune of 300 million sestertii – when the average Roman senator had only 5 million.
He owned multiple luxurious villas, vast Egyptian estates, and properties scattered across the empire.
Seneca was the personal advisor and tutor to Emperor Nero, and so he has tremendous political influence and lived surrounded by unimaginable luxury.
But every month, this man, this rich, well-educated, well-respected, well-spoken-of man would do something that shocks the entire human empire and even those who studies his life.
But once each month, this same man would do something that shocked his contemporaries and puzzled his servants.
Sometimes it would last for days, Seneca would strip himself of every imaginable comfort that he has and then reverse his lifestyle.
He would shove off his slaves to stop working for him for a period of days, he stops wearing his garments of fine linen and dress the worse of clothes at that time. He would leave his home made of marbles and comfortable bed to sleep on a simple mat on the floor. Ultimately, he would leave the feast of food in the Roman buffet to feed on nothing but water, barley meal and hard piece of bread – the simplest meal in the empire that historians would say that even the prisoners have a more better meal than what Seneca takes during these periods of comfort deprivation.
You could hear his friends chattering that probably Seneca already lost his mind, his servants contemplating to resign because their master was going mad! But Seneca knew something that they didn’t know.
As he wrote to his friend Lucilius:
“Let the pallet be a real one, and the coarse cloak; let the bread be hard and grimy. Endure all this for three or four days at a time, sometimes for more, so that it may be a test of yourself instead of a mere hobby.”
During these monthly practices, something remarkable would happen. As Seneca later described it:
“Then, I assure you, my dear Lucilius, you will leap for joy when filled with a pennyworth of food, and you will understand that a man’s peace of mind does not depend upon Fortune; for, even when angry she grants enough for our needs.”
In those moments of deliberate simplicity, the anxieties that plagued his wealthy life would fade away. The constant pressure to maintain his status, the fear of losing his fortune, the weight of managing vast estates – all of it would lift. For though water, barley-meal, and crusts of barley-bread were “not a cheerful diet,” he discovered
“it is the highest kind of pleasure to be able to derive pleasure from this sort of food, and to have reduced one’s needs to that modicum which no unfairness of Fortune can snatch away.”
Seneca’s reasoning was profound:
“If you would not have a man flinch when the crisis comes, train him before it comes.”
Just as soldiers practice in peace time so they’ll be ready for war, Seneca practiced poverty in times of wealth so he would be prepared for whatever Fortune might bring.
The man who could afford anything discovered his greatest freedom when he chose to have almost nothing. The advisor to the most powerful ruler on earth found his deepest peace in the simplest meal. The owner of vast riches learned his most valuable lesson when he deliberately embraced voluntary poverty.
As he wrote:
“This is indeed forestalling the spear-thrusts of Fortune. By choosing to do without, he gained something far more valuable than all his wealth could buy: the unshakeable knowledge that he could be content with very little, and therefore, he had nothing left to fear.”
This morning we will study about an ancient yet still relevant practice of fasting.
I want to be clear from the outset so let me say 2 things:
1. This sermon isn’t to encourage you to fast this lunch. This isn’t to guilt trip you. Go and eat!
2. Some of us has medical conditions so consult your doctor before fasting.
It is an interesting fact to know that there is only one instance in the Bible that we are commanded to fast. The only occurrence is not even a call to personal fasting but a call for corporate fasting.
The only place in the Bible that we are commanded to fast is in Leviticus 16 in the context of the Day of Atonement. Now, as Seventh-Day Adventists that should ring a bell, right? Because since 1844 we are now living in the anti-typical day of Atonement. So in a way there must be a certain attitude towards fasting. That should make us think, okay? That should make us think and wonder if we are making fasting a part of our Christian lives.
So back to the Bible, there is only one instance in the Bible where fasting is commanded. All other occurrences describes fasting or assumes that one is already in the practice of fasting.
Jesus Himself says this,
Matthew 6:16 NKJV
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
When you fast. Not If you fast!
Now, why does the ancients, even recent thinkers like Steve Jobs, and even Biblical characters fast? What does fasting do to our lives?
Let us have a working definition of fasting first, shall we? “Fasting is the intentional abstinence from food or other pleasures for spiritual purposes. It’s not about earning God’s favor – it’s about creating space to hear His voice more clearly.”
Let me share 3 things about fasting today and I hope that this would give us clarity on this topic which others have thrown some shade on, and that we would practice this from now on. Amen?
- Fasting Reveals What Controls Us
Luke 12:16-20 NKJV
Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. [17] And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ [18] So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”‘ [20] But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
We find in this story the direct opposite of fasting and that is feasting.
Is feasting bad? Are celebrations evil?
No, not at all.
But too much of every good thing can cause one to vomit, correct?
In preparation for this sermon, I watched Doug Batchelor’s sermon on fasting and prayer. He has this to say.
When we are full, we tend to forget about God.
– Doug Batchelor
So, fasting reveals to our dull senses what are those things that might be controlling us.
Want to know if you are now being addicted to social media or gadget addiction?
Try going for 2-3 days without media or gadgets and see what happens. See if you will not crave holding something in your hand. See if you will not crave at least swiping something for the sake of swiping.
Now, I know this might not be realistic to some. But if it is, then go do it.
And for those who might say it’s not realistic, go around for a few days with no YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Games, Netflix and see how you will do. Probably you could still have messenger and email for the sake of communication but those things I’ve mentioned? See if those things are controlling you, eating much of your time, eating much time where you could have been working, eating time where you could have witness to you neighbors, colleagues, workmates, schoolmates, etc.
Let’s bring back to the topic of food.
So, want to know if food is controlling you? Want to know if we eat to satisfy or are we eating for the sake of glorifying God?
Try fasting. Some of us might be so used to unhealthy food, try fasting by still eating, but eating simple and wholesome food.
And for some of us, it might be total abstinence from food. It might be one meal. It might be a whole day. Some might be able to do 2-3 days with just water. I don’t know. Pray about it. Consult your doctor, but I believe most or even all of us can fast to a certain degree.
Also, don’t say you fasted because you forgot to eat because you are so busy working. That’s not fasting, that’s negligence. Fasting is intentional.
So fasting reveals what controls us. Do you want to know what might be controlling you? Fast!
“Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.”
– Andrew Murray
“More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside of us with food and other good things, but in fasting these things surface.”
– Richard Foster
- Fasting Reveals What We Actually Need
Another thing that Fasting does is Fasting Reveals what we actually need. So, not only does fasting reveals what controls us (the negative) it also shows what we actually need (positive).
Take a look of what the Bible has to say:
Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV
So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
Why did God allowed them to starve? Why did God “forced” them to fast? In order that they would realize that they can live without the food from Egypt as long as they are faithful to the Lord, they will thrive and survive.
So, here we can see that fasting takes a deeper meaning. It is not just a physical enterprise but a spiritual practice.
Never in the Bible are encouraged to fast for physical reasons. Not that it’s bad to do fasting for physical reasons, but the Bible is more concerned with the spiritual.
We fast in order to become closer to God.
One way of saying it is:
Fasting is exchanging one hunger for another.
Word Over Food
To afflict the body for the sin of the soul is to dodge the issue and to miss the true nature of repentance, since sin is a disease of the soul and not of the body. The chief benefit to be obtained from fasting is a clarity of mind that comes with complete or partial abstinence from food and that enables a person to perceive God’s will more distinctly.
Siegfried H. Horn, in The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Dictionary (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1979), 362–363.
When we intentionally fast, we are stripping ourselves of stimulants so that the mind becomes more focused and more receptive to what God has to say for each of us.
When we deny food, it usually helps our senses.
Now, we will not deal with all the scientific data in this sermon. Anyways, this is a sermon not a lecture.
But I think all would agree that;
Feasting usually leads to sleepiness.
Sleepiness leads us to be lethargic.
And that makes it harder to focus on spending time with Jesus.
“Of fasting I say this: It is right to fast frequently in order to subdue and control the body. For when the stomach is full, the body does not serve for preaching, for praying, for studying, or for doing anything else that is good.”
– Martin Luther
Personally, it is my practice ever since I became a preacher to not eat before I give a sermon. Sometimes, a light snack but usually I don’t eat. I noticed that when I preach after having a big meal that my mind becomes foggy and that despite of having notes, I would find it to focus. There are 2 things I always determine before I get to preach – Rest and fast.
So when we fast, the practice itself helps us to be clarified of what we truly need in life. When we fast from stimulating video games and instead focus on spending time with our family we then receive clarity of what we truly need. That the next time we are bored, we don’t need video games to stimulate us but nature and family to satisfy the real cravings of the soul. When we fast from these things, it not only exposes that it has control over us, it also leads us to the things that we actually need.
When we deprive ourselves of food, we realize that life isn’t just about food. We must fast in order to have clarity of mind to ascertain God’s will for our lives.
When we empty ourselves of these things, we become filled by God.
I like how David Platt puts it;
“What we’re saying when we fast is that more than we want our hunger to cease, we want God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done in our lives.” – David Platt
Whether you are not sure of what to pursue in College, or a job, or someone to pursue as a life partner, fasting and prayer will help.
Practical Challenge: Next time you’re feeling anxious or restless, instead of immediately reaching for food, entertainment, or your phone, try fasting from those things for a few hours. Spend that time in prayer or Bible study. You might discover that what you thought you needed wasn’t what you actually needed.
- Fasting Reveals Who We Actually Are
Last, but still is very important, Fasting Reveals Who We Actually Are.
Luke 15:15-17 NKJV
Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. [17] “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
It was when the Prodigal Son wasn’t able to eat, wasn’t able to party, wasn’t able to excite his soul that he began to see himself for who he truly is.
And that’s a sobering truth. Most of us have not yet given time for self-examination because we have been too busy and too engrossed with what excites and stimulates the mind.
So, we must practice having the time to be stripped off of these stimulants so that the mind is given space to think and process and that we can see who we actually are.
Saul aka Paul, when he encountered the Lord was blind for 3 days and fasted for the same amount of days. In those days, he realized his mistakes, mourn for his failures and was given renewed insight as to what his real purpose in life is.
Acts 9:7-9 NKJV
And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. [8] Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
When we become stripped off of conveniences, we are then given time and space to think, to realize, to let the mind wander and go to thoughts and ideas that we cannot go when the mind is stimulated with something else.
Fasting reveals Who We actually are.
It shows our reaction when we comforts are removed from us.
What comes out when we’re stripped of our comforts?
- Do we become irritable? That reveals where our peace really comes from.
- Do we become anxious? That shows us what we’re truly trusting in.
- Do we become restless? That exposes our need for constant stimulation.
- Do we become more prayerful? That reveals our spiritual hunger.
I remember a post in Facebook that I’ve read years ago. The post goes something like this. Ladies, before you marry someone, give that man slow internet speeds and see what’s his behavior gonna be like. When you deprive him of slow internet. In a sense that’s fasting, right? Coz you are depriving him of something. When you deprive him of internet, it reveals what’s the true character inside. Fasting is very much like that. It reveals who we are.
Connect to the Day of Atonement theme (self-examination)
Leviticus 16:29-31 NKJV
“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. [30] For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. [31] It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.
Since 1844, the antitypical day of atonement is currently going on. Observing and respecting our decisions whether to live for or against God. The Israelites fast and examine themselves to see if there’s something or someone more precious than God.
The same must be true for us who are living in the last hours or minutes of this Antitypical Day of Atonement. We must fast, examine ourselves, and see if we are indeed living for the Lord or not.
Conclusion and Appeal
In 1972, a 19-year-old medical student named Roberto Canessa was on a plane with his rugby team, flying from Uruguay to Chile. But their chartered flight crashed high in the Andes Mountains, leaving 45 people stranded at 11,700 feet above sea level in one of the world’s most hostile environments.
For 72 days, Roberto and the other survivors faced extreme deprivation. They had virtually no food – just eight chocolate bars, three small jars of jam, and a few bottles of wine to split among dozens of people. The temperature regularly dropped below freezing. They slept crammed in the broken fuselage of the plane. Rescue efforts were called off after just eight days.
Roberto later wrote: “I thought, ‘You’re dead. You are going to know what is in the last frontier of life.'”
But something extraordinary happened during those 72 days of forced fasting and deprivation. The same young man who had been focused on his medical studies, rugby games, and normal teenage concerns discovered what he truly needed to live for.
When another survivor told him, “Roberto, how lucky you are that you can walk for all of us,” Roberto said it was “like a heroic infusion into my heart.” He realized his purpose wasn’t just to survive – it was to save others.
After 10 weeks of literal emptiness – no food, no comfort, no certainty of rescue – Roberto was filled with clarity about his calling. Along with another survivor, he hiked for 10 days through impossible terrain to find help, ultimately saving the remaining 14 survivors.
But here’s the most remarkable part: Roberto Canessa, now in his 70s, became one of South America’s most renowned pediatric cardiologists. The deprivation that nearly killed him “inspired his calling to save lives.” He has spent the last 50 years saving children with complex heart conditions – work that requires the same determination, hope, and focus he learned during those 72 days in the mountains.
Roberto often says: “Don’t wait for your plane to crash to realize how lucky you are. Be more grateful for life.”
That’s the paradox Roberto discovered – and the paradox of fasting: When we become empty of the things that distract us, we become filled with what truly matters. When we strip away the non-essentials, we discover our real purpose. When we choose to have less, we often find we need much more than we ever imagined – but it’s the right kind of more.
Roberto Canessa was empty for 72 days, but he was filled with a purpose that has shaped the rest of his life.
You don’t realize all the things you have in this world, much more than you need, and you do much less than you can.
– Roberto Canessa
And so this morning, are you anxious? Confused? Restless?
Do you want to know the things that are controlling you?
Do you want to know what really are the essentials in your life?
Do you want to know who you actually are?
Why not give this ancient yet still relevant practice of fasting a try?