Feel My Faith

In Isaiah 5 the prophet issues 6 "woes" or warnings. The problem is that people don't generally respond to warnings. Why is that? There is a storm gathering on the horizon of our culture. We need to pay attention to what Isaiah is saying. See if these warnings or "woes" sound familiar.

This message covers content from Isaiah 2-5. 

Suffering can turn a congregation into a toxic situation where the pastor and the people fan one another's pride. These toxic situations are causing the church to become delusional about suffering. We are drunk on the heresy of prosperity. Peter calls God's people to humility. Congregational humility will bring us theological sobriety and we will experience God's wonderful grace in our suffering.

No one wants to get to the end of their life and realize that they wasted their time. We need an awakening moment that helps us rank what we think is important according to proper priorities. What matters in the end? 1 Peter 4 provides some insight into what really matters in the end.

When someone insults and slanders you how do you respond? 1 Peter 3:8-22 calls us to restraint, but it also calls us to retaliate in a surprising way. Don't run from this call! It will bring your enemies to shame!

The greatest hindrance to fasting isn't dealing with the hunger, it is hypocrisy. We must be careful that we are not fasting food only to grow fat on self. Hypocrisy is toxic to the reward of faithful fasting. Scripture: Isaiah 58

The Bible gives numerous examples of prayer and fasting leading to breakthroughs. Breakthroughs can be answered prayer, new seasons of fruitfulness, a fresh anointing of God's Spirit, experiences of God's presence, the lifting of oppression and the breaking of bondage.

The possibility of breakthroughs encourages our faith. But we must also heed a warning about prayer and fasting.

Without brokenness fasting is just dieting. Without repentance it is just a ritual. How do we make sure that these are not just the manipulations of man but that we are truly seeking a move of God?

Joel 2 teaches us that before there are breakthroughs there must be brokenness.

Fasting takes you to a place where physical hunger becomes a spiritual appetite. It is a place you cannot reach with food and only God can feed. The key to fasting is being hungry. Don't take the path of least resistance if you want the greatest reward. In this message Brian shares Biblical insight into the spirit of fasting from Psalm 63. 

Some things will not be answered in your life until prayer is accompanied by fasting. I've had some pretty amazing experiences of late during a season of prayer and fasting. Here is a follow up to the story I shared in the message The God Who Breaks You Will Bring You Back. 

It's one thing to be mischaracterized, marginalized, and mistreated for your faith in the workplace, but what if it's happening at home? How should you respond when it is your spouse who resists your faith? 1 Peter 3 gives us a wise strategy that might turn opposition at home into an opportunity to share Christ with your spouse. 1 Peter 3 is a wide field with broad fences; proven principles you can apply to a wide range of situations at home. 

Isaiah 1 teaches us that God will not forsake His relationship with His people, but there are times that relationship needs repair. God has redeemed us, but we rebel. In this message, Brian Branam walks you through the message of Isaiah 1 and how God doesn't just call us to confession, but correction. Sin affects our relationships with others. How can we soften those wounds and give them an opportunity to heal? Note: Brian does not take the time to develop the historical and Biblical context of Isaiah 1 in light of God's relationship with Israel. For sake of time, he moves quickly toward application. Earlier in the service, Brian shared this caveat with the congregation and encouraged them to do personal study for a better understanding of the context. This message was originally preached 10/30/22 at Liberty Baptist Church www.LibertyBaptistChurch.ws.