"A Close Look at Repentance"
Notes
Transcript
SPARK Conference/Sign Up… Back to Church/New Church Year August 6th_____________________________________
Welcome radio and online guests…
*It’s ok if you’re broken, unfaithful, lost, we are too and we are here seeking God’s will and way and plan.
We are all prodigals here…
Some rescued….Some Not..
All Loved…
*Acts 4:12 (repeat)
*John 3:16
Sermon Title: A Close Look at Repentance
Scripture Passage: Matthew 4:12-17
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
PRAY
Three Points:
What is Repentance
Ways to Repent
Why We Must
Introduction:
Repentance is a word we have heard at church, but not much!
-we hear it but do we see it?
Repentance is used 969 times in the Bible.
Repentance was Jesus’ first message when He began his ministry.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 4:17
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15
“I tell you Nay, but except ye Repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3
“Jesus repeats the very same words two verses later (v. 5)
What is Repentance…
Repentance is more than Conviction about sin.
As you think about repentance, God may bring to your mind a sin, and you may feel convicted about it.
You may be living in sin. You may have felt a little stab in your heart because of it. That little stab is not repentance.
Look at PAUL CONFRONTING FELIX
A great example of this is Paul talking with Felix, the Roman governor in Caesarea. Turn to Acts 24:25.
25 And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix was alarmed, and answered, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”
Felix shook like a leaf in a storm. Why? Because he was convicted of sin.
But history tells us that he never did call. He was convicted, but he would not repent. Repentance is more than a feeling.
Repentance is more than CONFESSION of sin.
If you confess your sin, you have not repented—if confession is all you do.
Even Pharaoh confessed his sin.
Look at MOSES CONFRONTING PHARAOH
We see in Exodus 9:23-27
And Moses stretched forth his rod toward Heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt…. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, this time I have sinned”
When fire, hail and lightning came, Pharaoh confessed his sin. But what happened when the storm died? The conviction that was born in the storm died in the calm.
The same thing happened in America. After the 9-11 terrorist attack, the next Sunday churches were full.
A week later they were not so full. By the 3rd week, attendance had returned to pre-9-11 days.
Fear is not repentance. Confession is not repentance. Conviction is not repentance.
Repentance is more than being sorry for sin.
“Godly sorrow produces repentance.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Notice it doesn’t say “Godly sorrow IS repentance.” Tears and sorrow for sin may accompany repentance—they may help get you there—but sorrow alone is not repentance.
The question is not “Are you sorry for your sin?” but “Will you turn from your sin?”
Ways to Repent…
Repentance Is a Turning. Look once more at 2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways...
God says we are to turn. To turn from.
The word literally means “a change of mind.” It’s making a total “U-Turn.” You’ve been going one way. You STOP, turn around, and start moving in the opposite direction!
It’s Both Negative and Positive
We turn from our sinful self.
We turn toward God.
“Testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks, of repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21
Repentance and faith are two sides of a coin, the heads/tails of getting right with God.
We seek God’s face. We turn from our wicked way.
Repentance is a heart change, and a wholehearted change.
A wholehearted change is when you say, “Once and for all, now and forever, I turn from ALL these sins.”
Wherefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God: “Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” Ezekiel 14:6
What percentage of sin did God command that they turn from ? 100%.
Not only must we be broken over our sins; we must be broken from our sins.
The normal Christian life is to live openly and honestly before God daily, where there is no un-confessed, un-repented-of sin in your life. This should be the norm!
III. Why We Must
Prayer without repentance is a fake religious act.
Do you believe God is going to bless us when we’re not willing to turn from our sin?
Is it logical to sing “God Bless America” while we’re killing little babies?
When sodomy struts down streets with pride?
When He is cursed, and cannot be mentioned in our public squares?
Why should God bless America?
Prayer without repentance actually angers God.
Have you ever thought that the act of praying might anger God? Turn in your Bible to Psalm 80:4.
“O Lord of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayers of Thy people?”
Not only does God not hear their prayer; it angers Him!
(Read Psalm 80’s short 19 verses to get the larger picture of what was happening in Israel.)
Refusing to repent stops the hand of God.
Look at Joshua 7:1.
The Israelites had crossed Jordan. There were battles to be fought. There was mighty Jericho.
Joshua led the children of Israel against Jericho—and you know the story. Then they went against another city—a little city named Ai.
a. The entire story (7:1 through 8:30) to see how Israel was embarrassed and defeated; they turned and ran from the army of Ai.
Joshua, the leader, fell on his face and cried, “Oh, God, why have You failed us? Why have we been defeated?”
b. What did God say in response to Joshua? (7:10-12)
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
Closing & REVIEW:
Repentance is a change of mind.
Repentance is a turning.
Repentance is a turning from.
Repentance is a turning to.
Repentance is a heart change.
Repentance is a whole-hearted change.
Repentance should be total, not incremental.
A pastor once said:
America would be changed almost overnight if each of our churches, from sea to shining sea, had in their pulpit a man of God, opening the Book of God, with the Spirit of God, preaching the Christ of God to the people of God, calling America to repentance.
Is It Already Too Late?
Have we passed the point of no return? No one really knows for certain, but one thing we know is that America will perish unless she repents.
Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall likewise, all likewise perish.” WHO is to repent? “If My people...”
“At His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignations/anger.” Jeremiah 10:10
We have insulted the Almighty; we are ready for judgment.
But we need mercy. Psalm 39:8
“Deliver me from my transgressions…”
The God Who sent revival on Mount Carmel, Who sent revival to Nineveh, to Jerusalem, to England in the 16th Century, to America in 1857—that God is alive and well.
The God We Will Answer To
The last Scripturethis morning is probably the most important: Exodus 34:6-7.
Do not fail to turn in your Bible to this Scripture. Mark it.
Here you have the Lord God, Creator of the universe, telling Moses Who He is. Note God’s description of Himself—not what someone else has said about Him, but what He says:
6And the LORD passed by before him [Moses], and proclaimed, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in steadfast love and faithfulness,
7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
God is not a Republican or a Democrat.
He is LORD. He is King.
Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, conservatives, liberals—all need to bow before Him.
If ever we needed to repent, it is now. Don’t put it off until tomorrow in your own personal life.
Tomorrow you will only have more sin to repent of and less time to repent in!
God is angry at our sins, but He is full of compassion. He is full of mercy. God would rather pardon than judge.
God will forgive our sins. God will forgive America, “if My people” meet the conditions.
PRAY
Invitation
Will you repent?
“Are you born again?”
Is your name written in the Lambs Book of Life?
“Have you surrendered/repented to Jesus?