Is Repentance Your Lifestyle?

Good morning. What a joy to wake up to a little bit of snow this morning. I do like the snow but the older I get the less I like the cold, or at lest the less my broken old body likes the cold. You would think that since you ice injuries bodies would like the cold but mine just aches.

Anyway we are happy you are here with us this morning. I know you will be blessed for putting God first this morning.

I also want to take this time to thank Barb and Monte for leading us in hymns this morning. Again the last Sunday morning of each month is hymn Sunday.

The last Sunday night of each month is our Worship night and fellowship dinner. Tonight's theme is casserole.....I have a chicken cordon blue casserole made for this evening. If you don’t have a casserole come on out and worship with us and enjoy our dinner, just bring you. You are the most important thing to bring!

I do want to say this before we move on from this evening. One of the things I feel bad about each month are the folks who make an excuse to not attend worship night and our dinner

You and I are created to worship Jesus. We are also created for fellowship

I know there are lots of things competing for your attention and time but when you invest your attention and time into Jesus it will never be wasted. I challenge you to make an excuse to be here and invite someone to come with you

Also a reminder that Wednesday night will be our monthly prayer service. We will open with worship at 7 pm followed by corporate prayer. Hope to see you all there

We did receive a prayer request this past week from a lady who has been going through a very rough time this past year and half or so. Her adult daughter moved out and has nothing to do with family or God since leaving. Mom is struggling with that and has asked us a congregation to pray for her and her daughter and family.

We also receive a thank you card from the Hancock family who lost Frances recently.

Let’s Pray

START OBS

This morning we continue with our That You May Know sermon series in I John. The message for this morning Is Repentance Your Lifestyle? This message is from I John 3:4-10.

As I wrestled with what God wanted me to present to you this morning I felt called back to the ESV version which I will be reading from this morning.

As I read and thought the word repent kept coming to mind.

That is a word and truth vital to salvation but something most churches don’t preach and teach on

Why?

It is hard

It is not what people want to hear

Many Christians look at God as a genie in a bottle but with unlimited wishes instead of the King of kings and Lord of lords

Many Christians do not look at God as a God who cannot look upon sin

A God who even turned away from Jesus on the cross when He became your sin and my sin and the sin of the whole world

God is incompatible with sin

God hates sin

Repentance recognizes that and forces one to change

This morning as we wrestle with the question Is Repentance Your Lifestyle? we will look at this section of scripture as well as others to paint God’s picture this morning.

1 John 3:4–10

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“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

In looking at this scripture....remember John is combating and preparing his congregation to recognize and combat false teachers

He also gives you and me 4 reasons true Christians cannot make a practice of sinning in their lives

For these 4 reasons true Christians cannot make a practice of sinning in their lives I am going to lean heavily on John MacArthur and his commentary on this section of scripture

Before we get into the reasons I must make sure you have a proper understanding of the truth being taught here by God through John

You will sin

I will sin

True Christians will sin

Until we get promoted to heaven or Jesus returns we will struggle with sin

Many see this scripture and say look....contradiction

If you sin you are going to hell

First we know God’s heart is that none should perish but all come to repentance

Second look back at

1 John 1:8–2:1

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“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

Very clear.

Christians sin

What separates true Christians from fake Christians is confession and repentance of sin

Be careful not just of false teachers but also your lying heart so you do not get lead astray

This scripture in I John 3 is not talking about individual sin but a sinful lifestyle

vs 4 practice of sinning....the Greek conveys the idea of making sin a habitual practice

This is much more than occasional, individual sins

Look also in verse 4 “sin is lawlessness”

In fact it is given as the definition of sin

It goes beyond breaking a law however

A commentary I read this week said this about practice of sinning

“It is insubordination to God, wanting one’s own way, and refusing to acknowledge the Lord as rightful Sovereign. In essence it is placing one’s own will above the will of God. It is opposition to a Living Person who has the right to be obeyed.”

Living a sinful lifestyle and being a true Christian are not compatible and this scripture points to 4 reasons why

1. Sin Is Incompatible With The Law of God

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Rebellion

All of what we just talked about sin is rejecting God as God

Rebelling against a just and rightful sovereign Lord and God

It is putting your wants

your desires

you will before and in place of God’s

As we learned last week and the week before to be a Christian you must be dead to you and your flesh and wants and desires and will

A sinful lifestyle is pure rebellion against God’s law!

The second reason why Christians cannot practice sinning

2. Sin Is Incompatible With The Work Of Christ

A wonderful study and look at the work of Christ is found in

Romans 6:1-15

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English Standard Version Chapter 6

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Here you see God through Paul describe that civil war inside of Christians

If you are truly saved you have felt and live in the midst of this civil war

Your flesh

your physical temporary body wants sin

Fleshly desires

false sense of control

Rebellion against God

That is what your flesh wants......to drive you away from and turn your back on God

It is not just a silly movie

It is your flesh’s attempt to move you away from God by being comfortable with sin

being comfortable with evil

being comfortable with satan

Anything not from God is not of God

It is all about your heart relationship with Jesus

If you are honest with yourself…when you do anything that doesn’t bring God glory you feel convicted as a true Christian

That is what is going on here

vs 4 “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raided from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Baptism into death

Death into what

Self

World

Rebellions

Sin

Verse 12-15 talk about not letting sin reign in your mortal body....practice of sinning

In other words how you must walk in Christ as a true Christian

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make it obey its passions”

If you are saved....a true Christian....you fight this battle because you realize you are dead to sin

The 3rd reason true Christians cannot practice sinning

3. Christ Came To Destroy The Work Of Satan

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First and foremost you must realize and believe that satan was fully and truly defeated on the cross

Jesus defeated satan by becoming the perfect sacrifice to pay for your sin and my sin and the sin of the whole world therefore fully defeating satan

Jesus also gives Christians power to overcome and destroy the works of the devil

What are the works of the devil?

Sin

Rebellion

Temptation

Ruling the world

Persecution

Accusations of the saints

Instigation of false teachers

Power of death

Those are a few of the works of the devil

As a Christian you have overcome all of these works through Jesus

They no longer have power over you

When you sin....do the works of the devil…you are choosing defeat from victory

If you live in sin…practice of sinning…salvation is far from you because it is incompatible with Jesus…no Jesus no salvation

The 4th reasons True Christians cannot practice sinning

4. It Is Incompatible With The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit

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What is that ministry?

Imparting true Christians with a new nature

John 3:5–8

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“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

If you are a Christian here today you are a new creature

born again

born of the Spirit

You have a new nature

You are no longer fleshly and physical but Spiritual

You will always fight the flesh but as a Christian you are now born of the Spirit!

Living in sin....practice of sinning…is incompatible with that new nature being created by the Holy Spirit inside of you

So now what?

How does one walk away from the practice of sinning?

It is a process that begins with repentance

Repentance must occur BEFORE true salvation can occur

This is a reason so many will hear Away from Me I never knew you when they meet Jesus face to face

Why.....they never repented

They may have felt conviction

They may have been moved to go forward

They may have talked with someone

They may have prayed with someone

They may have said the sinners prayer

They might have been baptised

But they never repented therefore they were never saved and never knew Jesus

Repent comes from a Greek verb met-an-o-eh-o meaning to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins

Websters 1828 defines abhorrence a noun as extreme hatred....great aversion

Repent means the Spirit flipped the switch and you get it

You realize the true cost of sin

Death and eternal separation from God

You realize that you cannot pay that cost....there is nothing you have.....nothing you can do....nothing you can produce that can pay your sin debt.....you realize you are doomed to hell because of your sin

You realize God hates sin so much yet loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die in your place on the cross

Because of that you repent

You change your mind

You heartily amend your lifestyle with an extreme hate for sin

You are never going to live in something you have an extreme hatred for

Now again you cannot define people by their sin.....God hates sin....you hate sin but God loves people and you must love people

Separate them from their sin

This is so hard to do but you must do it if you are a Christian.....the Holy Spirit empowers you to do it

We here the word repent and think sure I have repented and some truly have but the modern church, which includes you and me have lost sight of repentance

Luke 24:36-48

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English Standard Version Chapter 24

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things

This is after Jesus has been crucified and after he has risen from the dead

He appears to His disciples

Peace to you he says…Jesus is peace and you and I have Jesus so we need to bring His peace into all situations

When have you greeted someone with that greeting Peace to you

What if the next time you are frustrated with your children or you spouse or your coworker you just said Peace to you

It would change things because it would focus you on Jesus and not yourself or the situation or circumstance or person you are frustrated with and it would show them Jesus!

After a discussion about their disbelief Jesus opens their minds to scripture

Your mind is open to scripture today if you are a true Christian because you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you.

Will you understand scripture here on earth as you will in heaven when you get the mind of Christ.....no way but through the Holy Spirit your mind is open to scripture....you can learn and apply it to your life through the Holy Spirit

Right after opening their minds to scripture He reminded them that it was written that He should suffer and be raised from the dead and then gave them their mission and us our mission

“repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations..”

That repentance however must start in your heart and your life

Some of you live a practice of sinning lifestyle

You are here

You are open to Jesus

but you have never truly repented of your sins

Brothers and sisters this has an eternal impact

Repentance determines your eternal destination......heaven or hell

This is why one can say if you have met Jesus and still live exactly how you did prior to meeting Him you never repented and you are not saved

Again this is different than wrestling with strongholds and stubborn sins in your life

This is walking in sin.....living in sin…practice of sinning

Living with your boyfriend or girlfriend

Having premarital sex

Having affairs.....sex outside of marriage

Living a life of addiction

Loving money

Seeking the things of the world not God

Having idols.....Chiefs.......camping....hunting…family....sleep.....money.....you name it if you put it before God it is an idol and you may be practicing sinning

I beg you this morning if you are living a sinful lifestyle to come and repent....change your mind… amend your life for the better....have an extreme hate for your sin

Do a 180 degree turn and head to Jesus

I don’t care if you have never accepted Christ of if you have been living a lie for 30 years

If Jesus is asking you to come this morning and repent.......come and repent!

Maybe you are a true Christian but have sin or situations or circumstances that are standing between you and God

Come

The difference between a Christian and a non Christian is what happens right now

If God revealed sin to you this morning it is because He loves you and He wants you to be a doer of the Word

If you confess

This time is for you to do just that

Confess to God

I will pray with you and if you want to talk about your sin and how to overcome it I will be happy to do so but what is important is you humble yourself and come to God and confess to God your sin so you can be forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness here this morning.

Be a doer of the word and come and act on whatever God is calling you to this morning!

STOP OBS

Invitation