calculated repentance

Calculated

Repentance

Isaiah 58:1-12

Calculated Repentance

We all make mistakes.


We all make mistakes.

But, if a doctor makes a mistake, it could cost a

life.


What would you expect to hear if your

doctor made a mistake?


1999 study at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in

Lexington, KY.



Lexington, KY.

After losing two big lawsuits, the hospital ruled that its

employees should admit to every medical mistake.



Lexington, KY.

After losing two big lawsuits, the hospital ruled that its

employees should admit to every medical mistake.

After putting that policy into effect, the hospital‟s

court-ordered payment dropped significantly.


Does repentance count if there’s a big

payoff?


Does repentance count if there’s a big

payoff?

If apologizing gets you off the hook, can

contrition be genuine?


If we repent before God, but if it’s not

true repentance, does it count in the

higher scheme of things?


The Jews in tonight‟s text thought so.



Obviously, God was not amused.




God doesn‟t want “Calculated Repentance,” but he

wants serious repentance.




God doesn‟t want “Calculated Repentance,” but he

wants serious repentance.

In tonight‟s text, God rebukes the Israelites for their

fake repentances & urges them to repent genuinely.


Isaiah 58:1-12


Curses for Fake Repentance

vv 1-5


“Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a

trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the

house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and

delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did

righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their

God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to

draw near to God. „Why have we fasted, and you see it

not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no

knowledge of it?‟ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek

your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold,

you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a

wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your

voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose,

a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down

his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes

under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable

to the LORD?” (vv 1-5, ESV).


The second half of Isaiah was written prior to the

Babylonian Captivity, but the intended audience

was the Jewish exiles in Babylon.





The exiles cold go to Isaiah, therefore, to find needed

encouragement & strength during the Captivity.





The exiles cold go to Isaiah, therefore, to find needed

encouragement & strength during the Captivity.

That‟s the context of these words: the people are in

Captivity, wishing to undo the consequences of their

sin, & outwardly repent.


The people ask: “Why have we fasted, and you

see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves,

and you take no knowledge of it?” (v 3, ESV).


Fasting has long been connected with

repentance.



repentance.

“Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went

up and came to Bethel and wept. They sat there

before the LORD and fasted that day until evening,

and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before

the LORD” (Judg 20:26, ESV).



repentance.

Judg 20:26.

“So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and

poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day

and said there, „We have sinned against the LORD‟”

(1 Sm 7:6, ESV).


The people did without food.


The people did without food.

They did what people before them had done to

express remorse over sin.


So, why is God not pleased?


The people outwardly repented, but they kept on

committing their sins.


“Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person

to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head

like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes

under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day

acceptable to the LORD?” (v 5, ESV).


“Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person

to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head

like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes

under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day

acceptable to the LORD?” (v 5, ESV).

God isn‟t interested in a show of repentance—

he‟s interested in genuine repentance.


Genuine repentance always involves a change of

heart.



heart.

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Mt 3:8, ESV).



heart.

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Mt 3:8, ESV).

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into

death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the

dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in

newness of life” (Rom 6:4, ESV).


Blessings for True Repentance

vv 6-12


“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to

undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break

every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the

homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light

break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily;

your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be

your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you

shall cry, and he will say, „Here I am.‟ If you take away the yoke from

your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you

pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the

noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your

desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall

be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not

fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the

foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the

breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in” (vv 6-12, ESV).


God told his people the type of repentance he

wanted.



wanted.

God wanted his people to work for justice & help the

poor.



wanted.


poor.

Justice & benevolence are mentioned, for the Jews

disregarded both.



wanted.


poor.


disregarded both.

They would exploit their workers (v 3).



wanted.


poor.


disregarded both.


They needed to do away with the yoke of oppression (v 9).



wanted.


poor.


disregarded both.


They needed to do away with the yoke of oppression (v 9).

They needed to feed the hungry (v 10).


The way we treat others affects our relationship

with God.



with God.

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there

remember that your brother has something against

you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First

be reconciled to your brother, and then come and

offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24, ESV).



with God.

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there

remember that your brother has something against

you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First

be reconciled to your brother, and then come and

offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24, ESV).

“If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly

Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive

others their trespasses, neither will your Father

forgive your trespasses” (Mt 6:14-15, ESV).


For Christians “there are only two things that

survive to eternity: our relationship with God and

our relationships with each other. Therefore, the

things we do with our relationship with God and

our relationships with each other are of mutual

significance. So social dimensions are incredibly

important.”


If the people would truly repent, the Lord would

provide benefits to them.




“If my people who are called by my name humble

themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from

their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and

will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chr 7:14,

ESV).




2 Chr 7:14.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous

man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he

may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he

will abundantly pardon” (Is 55:7, ESV).




2 Chr 7:14.

Is 55:7.

“If a wicked person turns away from all his sins that

he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does

what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not

die” (Ezek 18:21, ESV).




2 Chr 7:14.

Is 55:7.

Ezek 18:21.

“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may

be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come

from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19-20, ESV).


Do you need to come tonight & truly

repent of sin?

calculated repentance

Spiritual

calculated repentance

repentance count

serious repentance

nottrue repentance

fake repentance vv

god doesnt

day acceptable

half of isaiah