Repentance from Dead Works - Faith Towards God - Things a Christian Ought to know

Sermon: Repentance from Dead Works. Things a Christian ought to know - continued. Introduction: Good morning church, welcome today and we are so happy that you came along to worship with us this morning. If you are checking out Romaine Park, and have just moved into the area, we would truly love to get to know you and welcome you to get to know us and hopefully become part of us. For the people watching online and wanting to find a great church, here we are! What is keeping you away? There is obviously no perfect church, but we this is definitely a great church with great people who have a very Great God! We should all say Amen to that! This morning we are going to continue with our series on Things a Christian Ought to know. We are going to start with some of the fundamentals and move from these to some really important things that will help you in your walk with Jesus. Today, I want to go right back to the first one on the list in Hebrews that is Repentance and Faith. In other words, what makes us a Christian and what do we need to do get right with God. Let's read from the same passage that we read last week. From Hebrews 6: 1 - 6: 6 6 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. We noted last week that we are not all at the same point in our Christian faith, so because we want to assume nothing and give us all the same strong foundation, which is actually Jesus words, lets go to the first message ever preached within the New Testament. In fact, it was the message of John the Baptist, It was the message of Jesus, and it was the message of the apostles. I think, to tell you the truth, it ought to be the message of our modern-day Christianity too. We have churches and demonisations (I mean denominations) trying to change the Biblical standards, reinterpreting and ignoring plain and strong passages in order to make God more palatable for a sinful society, but friend, God says "REPENT". We have all heard people say God is Love. Yes the Bible says that, Clearly God loves us. That is the message of scripture ... but it only says that phrase twice. Do you know how many times it says God is Holy? 1282 (I haven't actually counted but even if it is our a little, it is definitely a lot more than 2). The West has been hearing the message of love but has no understanding of the Hoiness of God, nor the call to repentance. You see, we in the West have actually largely neglected and possibly even rejected the Biblical Message of repentance. But the Bible calls it a foundation! 1. Repentance - What does it mean to repent? Repent from -> Repent to God Turn From Sin -> Turn towards God Old Testament understanding OT Ezek 18:21-22 But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Repentance actually is the message of Love. In the Old Testament, there were two main forms of repentance: cultic ritual (religious meeting OR practice), and prophetic. The former was expressed in public ceremonies, fasting, various displays of sorrow, liturgies, or days of repentance. The latter stresses a change in relation to God. God is represented as repenting when delayed penalties are at last to be inflicted, or when threatened evils have been averted by genuine reformation. In the New Testament, repentance is described as: Metanoia - change of mind NT - A "change of mind" and "regret/remorse". - "Turning away from sin". Sorrow for sin, grief for having committed it, and a turning away from it with abhorrence, accompanied with sincere endeavours, in reliance on God's grace and the influences of the Holy Spirit, to live in humble and holy obedience to the commands and will of God. A spiritual turning, a total about-face, and turning from sin to the Saviour. An inward response, not external activity, but its fruit will be evident in the true believer's behaviour. EG. I want to head towards Smithton, but all the signs on the road are saying Launceston. The ocean is on my left instead of on my right. I work out that I'm heading the wrong way so I turn Around, go the other way. That is a simple explanation of Repentance. God is telling us to live one way but we are living another, we must repent. All sin, not just Lying and Stealing, Drunkenness, Sleeping together outside of Marriage, homosexuality. But also things like Anger, Unforgiveness, Lust and Pride. Sin breaks the heart of God. It hurts other people and it hurts us, ultimately it beaks relationships between us and God and Us and other people. All sin must be repented of, confessed to God if we want forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 But here's the thing with our passage, it doesn't just address bad people living in extreme or grouse sin. It addresses the heart of people who imagine that they can do it on their own. And often times, prefer their way than God's way. That is at essence what is behind all religions. It often recognises the reality of sin and says If I can be good enough, God will have to accept me. I still remember what A Nigerian friend said, He was Post graduate student, studying demographics at the ANU and he said in a Bible study when I was just 17. Religion is man's efforts to get to God, But Christianity is God saw that we are unable, and He came to Us! The Bible tells us that we must repent, not just from Sin, but from Dead Works. Dead religion will kill you and that is what was being told to the Hebrew Christians in the book to the Hebrews. Maybe some of us need to hear the same message in the 21st century? 2. Repentance from Dead Works What are dead works? Works that have no life involved and that do not give life to the doer or the receiver. The form of religion that we practice believing that it will make you acceptable to God. And, You can have dead works, no matter what your Church Background. You can have dead works as a Catholic, as an Anglican, as a Pentecostal or Presbyterian, Baptist or Brethren. If you are trusting your works and methods I have friends from all kinds of different churches. Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterian. I don't really care about the label, as long as they love and follow Jesus. A friend of mine, named Bishop Gregory - He is an Evangelical and Orthodox Bishop. He is actually my go to guy when I have questions of church History. He follows an older for of Christianity, but his faith is alive and vibrant. He can be a little contentious, but He is my brother in Christ and he is out to see people saved and coming to Christ. Personally, I like my Christianity Biblical and Contemporary. I think that we need to be like missionaries in our own society, translating and interpreting the eternal truths of our Lord and Saviour into the language and understanding of our people, our time and our culture! And these things are ever changing, so the message may need to be reinterpreted regularly, without comprising it. Unfortunately, many churches have gone down that path and they become irrelevant. They can't help themselves and they can't help a lost generation find God. Christianity is not a monument to a dead God, Jesus is alive, the Holy Spirit is present and active in our world. The Gospel is not good history but Good News! Daniel Kolenda. Liberal churches die out. But friend - so do fundamentalist and legalistic churches. Repentance is not talking about being held into a set of rules that constrict you. It is about having a change so deep inside that you do not want to be the same as you used to be. Why are there so many different church styles - 'cause we all have different tastes. No one church can satisfy every person. No one style can cater for everyone. God is big, and able to meet people where they are. Much of our differences comes from our cultural preferences. And they haven't got much to do with the Bible at all. But when we start to say that you have to do things a certain way to be accepted by God, well we get into legalism that kills and destroys people Spiritually and unfortunately it has also done this physically to people too. Legalistic and Fundamentalist churches do not give life and liberty. The Letter kills but the Spirit Gives Life. We need the Holy Spirit and the Word to be Healthy Christians. Isaiah 44:3-4: "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams." This is a picture of revival-when the Spirit saturates a church with God's Word about God's Son so that God's people come alive to His glory in whole new ways. I wonder if this would be a good time for us to pray. Would we all pray this together this morning. It comes from a book Called Do it Again. A 30 day book of prayer for Revival. Your Word tells us, Lord, that judgment begins in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17). May Your mercy and grace also begin there. Pour out a spirit of repentance upon the Church .... Forgive us for making our faith more about us and our comfort and preferences than about Your purposes on planet earth. Fill our pulpits with godly preachers who will proclaim Your Word fearlessly. We will respond to Your Word as those who are called by Your name, humbling ourselves before You and in prayer, seeking Your face and turning from our wicked ways. Father, will You then hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14)? We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus! Amen. 3. Faith Towards God Mental Ascent (it's a nice idea and I accept it) - versus hanging your life on the line. Blondin - Niagara tight rope walking. Tell the story! Ephs 2: 8 - 10 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Faith may follow a process like this: i. Believing something is true. Believing that there is a God is not enough. The devil believes the same thing. But it is a start. ii. Believing a person is genuine. Many believe that Jesus was a good man. But He claimed to be much more-the Saviour of the world! iii. Believing in God's power. Many believed in Christ's healing power. But they did not make Him Lord and Savior. iv. Believing as trust. Trust makes faith personal. We trust people whom we feel will not fail us. v. Believing in Christ. This is real faith. It is complete surrender to Him. Allow Him take over every area of your life. Today, I want to issue the call of our Lord Jesus and of the early Church. The same message that the disciples preached. Repent and Believe in Jesus and you will be saved! Is the message that I have preached today, and I want to provide that opportunity for people here and for those online to get right with God. Let's pray together and then let me know if you have prayed this prayer for the first time or as a rededication this morning. Salvation Prayer Dear Lord Jesus Christ I believe you are the Son of God. Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for me, Jesus, I believe you rose from the dead. Jesus you are alive today. Come and live in my life. Jesus, forgive me of all of my sin. Wash me clean with your precious blood. Jesus Christ. You are my saviour, Lord and God! I now belong to Jesus. And Jesus is in me. Holy Spirit please fill me. Transform me. In Jesus' name. AMEN! Repentance from Dead Works. Things a Christian Ought to Know 2