The power supply to our mixing board failed and so we didn’t record this study by Pastor Tim. We apologize in advance to those who look forward to the podcast. Hope the notes below will continue to bless you.

Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday April 28, 2010

With Prayer and Fasting

Isaiah 58

1 Declare to Israel their sins.  The historical context is the Day of Atonement.  Could it be that I saw them fasting/said to himself, “Finally, they are doing something right.”?  But then the Lord told him to go and rebuke them.  This is tough – they are finally doing something they should be doing – fasting – but they are doing it wrong.  Normally, I rebukes them for doing the wrong thing and not doing the right thing, but now he has to rebuke them for doing the right thing wrong.  They might cry out, “We can’t get it right.”   

The Lord deals w/ us in the depths.  He is an inside God.  He doesn’t want some, but all of you and God isn’t a God who settles for some, but presses for all. (pushy God) My office needs straightening/ordering.  I want it 2b straightened/ordered – but I settle for the way it is. Which also means I settle for the way I am.  God doesn’t settle.  Prophets don’t settle.  False prophets settle.   

2 Sin: obedience w/o submission/religious motion w/o spiritual emotion – settled for an outward response w/o an inward response.

3a Store w/ OPEN sign displayed, but door is locked when you try to enter.  When this happens, you go away.  THEM: OPEN sign, but closed.  They experience God rattle their doors/go away.  Why doesn’t God honor our ritual?  They fasted on the outside, but never humbled themselves on the inside.   

Note: they are truly perplexed by I’s message and are now truly engaging God and prophet.  When spiritual life consists of nothing but ritual, spiritual life will shrivel – because God’s not in it.  It is a wonderful moment when you become aware that God isn’t paying attention to your ritual/not settling for your locked door.  Teachable moment

3b-5 I’s answer: context - Day of Atonement – fast/humble soul.  Driven (exert demanding pressure) v resting/striking w/ fist v raised to God.  It’s all about you… still filled w/ lust.  To humble yourself is to empty yourself, but you’re still full.  Inwardly: driven/ambitious.  Outwardly: sackcloth/ashes/bowing.  God is an inside God and not just an outside God.  They only knew an outside God.  They knew that they could please one another w/ outward service – there were performance standards they were supposed to meet/exceed.  Their worth was measured by performance standards.     

The lordship of Jesus isn’t measured by your conformity to performance expectations, it is measured by your conformity to His nature.  The lordship of Jesus isn’t measured by how long you pray/ how often you attend church/how much you give/how often you read your Bible.  Mt. 7 – depart from Me I never knew you.  They never knew Him!

After rebuking them for fasting in the wrong spirit, I lays out the truths and principles of the kind of fast that God does honor.   

The power of fasting

What is the advantage of fasting?  How does fasting enable prayer to be more effective?   

I have struggled w/ the subject of fasting because I didn’t understand the logic of fasting.

    * How could abstaining from food affect my spirit?
    * Growing up, I was baffled by Catholics who didn’t eat meat on Fridays.  I couldn’t make the connection between food and faith.
    * I knew that the moral dimension affected the spiritual dimension, but how does the physical dimension affect the spiritual dimension?
    * Is prayer offered on an empty stomach more powerful than a prayer said after a big meal.  Does God delight in my stomach cramps?  Do I show God how serious I am by foregoing the texture and aroma of food?
    * Do I have to stay away from food to be holy?  Isn’t He more pleased when I stay away from sin?

Along with these questions, I struggled w/ my own desires and lack of discipline in not wanting to forego the comforts of food.

On top of this, we know that it is not prayer offered w/ fasting that commands God’s attention, but prayer offered w/ faith.

    * The condition of the heart is still the greatest factor in the offering of prayer as our reading of Is. 58 demonstrates.
    * The individual who fasts three days a week and offers prayer w/o faith is not heard whereas the one who has never fasted and offers prayer w/ faith is heard.

How does fasting enable prayer to be more effective?  Fasting is a matter of focus –

    * The sun shining through a window will warm this room.  The sun shining through a magnifying glass will burn this room up.
    * The same sun – but the shape of the glass affects the light from the sun differently.
          o One diffuses, the other concentrates
    * Fasting, in faith, exerts a unique pressure upon your heart that results in concentrated prayer.
    * Fasting serves as a two-way magnifying lens allowing us to focus certain concerns before the Father and allowing God to speak and deal w/ us in a concentrated fashion.

The purposes of prayer and fasting

Repent from sin w/ fasting:  Make voice heard on high   4

Losing game in L.A. and singing and cutting up on way home.  Coach got up and yelled at us and reminded us that we were losers.

    * This is what the prophets did – sin made a separation between man and God – and prophets reminded of sin and separation
    * When there’s sin and defeat in your life it’s not a time to party and dance.  The majority of OT fasts were people mourning sin and returning to God.

Reign over the flesh w/ fasting: Loosen bonds of wickedness   6

They had been oppressing the weak/neglecting the poor.  Their flesh was consuming/controlling them.

    * You may in the strangle hold of unforgiveness toward another.  UR overcome by bitterness and resentment and are holding judgment over the lives of others.  Fasting will release you from the bonds of wickedness and release them from the yoke of unforgiveness.  Focus the power of God on it and burn it away.
    * The fast God desires is one that shatters the stranglehold of sin in our lives – thoughts/attitudes/desires/emotions/behaviors.
    * Is there some area of your life in which you don’t have victory?  Fast.

Resist the devil w/ fasting: Break every yoke   6

We can fast for the liberation of people from spiritual oppression that arises from their own innate sinfulness and the strategies of the devil.

    * Fasting is a spiritual discipline that focuses the rays of God’s power and helps to break and frustrate Satan’s intentions.  We see this illustrated in the life of Jesus.
    * Jesus prevailed over the devil by Word, prayer, and fasting.  He came out w/ power and the devil didn’t stand a chance.  He resisted w/ fasting.
    * Prayer w/ fasting for the restoration of a marriage – J&L H.

Release the love of God w/ fasting: Divide bread w/ the hungry   7

A church focused on the character of God will evangelize/do good.

The promises of prayer and fasting

Fasting releases spiritual light: Your light will break out   8

The creative act of speaking light into existence was 1st thing God did to establish order in a world characterized by formlessness/void.

    * Self centeredness creates formlessness/void.  Fasting helps bring our lives into divine order.
    * Fasting helps to release us to God’s plan for our lives. Cf. Acts 13:1-2

Fasting restores spiritual health: Your recovery will speedily spring forth   8

Recovery = ‘make long, restore’. Used in context of long life.

    * Recovery – something is ready to die and extension of life is granted. Dreams/visions/hopes.  Dead things begin to live again.

Fasting recovers moral integrity: Your righteousness will go before you   8

Righteousness is right living – moral integrity

    * Proverbs – righteousness smoothes the way.  You will be received by others because you will be trusted.
    * Those of you in leadership who are in a crisis of trust in those who follow you – fast to recover your righteousness - parents

Fasting reinforces God’s power: glory of the Lord will be your rear guard   8

Rear guard – what’s behind you doesn’t get you.

    * Israel at the Red Sea – the past didn’t catch up.
    * God’s grace more abundant than sin and failure of the past.

Fasting rebuilds broken lives: Rebuild the ancient ruins   12

I is speaking to returning remnant who will rebuild temple – a place for God.  From beginning, God intended man 2b His dwelling place.   

The practice of fasting

Purposive

I’ve done two fasts.  One I’ve already related.  The 2nd lasted only two days because I was fasting for no particular purpose.

    * It just seemed the spiritual thing to do and there was pressure.
    * In OT, only one fast day mandated.  Other fasts entered under stress of dire need.
    * Fast if you feel led of the Holy Spirit.
    * Our practice of monthly prayer and fasting at CC Fremont.

Prayerful

Link fasting w/ prayer and the spirit of prayer.

    * Miss meals so you can pray during that time.  When your body starts to hurt, turn your pain into prayer.
    * Fasting w/o prayer will develop self discipline/break the bondage of food, but it won’t bring blessing and enlargement to others.

Planned

Many approaches can be taken.  Some refrain from only certain foods.  Some – liquids only.  Some break fast at dinner.

    * Who needs to fast?  Those who need a breakthrough in their spiritual lives, marriage, family, neighborhood, work, nation…

Sun warming – burning.  If something needs to be burned – fast w/ prayer

Not enough to do the right thing - do the right thing the right way.

Israel was fasting (yom kippur)– doing the right thing the wrong way.

Fasting said: I am giving my all.  They were giving only some.

God is not the God of the some He is the God of the all.

Isaiah instructs them in the doing right thing in the right way that God may have all.