The Blessings of Repentance "God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" Romans 2:4

Question : what comes into your mind when you hear the word, “REPENTANCE”?

Why change? Because we are getting ready for a special guests?

Natasha & family coming.

When Jesus comes into our world God sends the last of the prophets....John the Baptist!

Only has one message - REPENTANCE

Goes back to OT prophet Isaiah .......background . Book of two halves . 1-39 is focussed on events in 7th 8th century Bc , then in Chapter 40 it all changes and rest of Isaiah, including Isaiah 53 prophecy Jesus death on cross, focusses on future of a new age. which John identifies as

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Chapter 3)

His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.

Why change? because when Jesus arrives so does His world

supernatural world of God’s kingdom realm. we need to be ready to be involved in it.

To understand how we get ready we need to look at the word “repentance”.

and Need to look at the text John the Baptist chooses.

Isaiah 40:3–5 (MSG) Thunder in the desert! “Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God’s bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said.”

Isaiah’s prophecy is more than a road-construction project. He uses the metaphor of clearing a path as a parable of cleansing our hearts and being prepared in our hearts to receive the Christ.

Christ wants to come through you and I to bring His Kingdom into this world

What is in the way?

Style with thorns.

Word in Greek : Though in English a focal component of repent is the sorrow or contrition that a person experiences because of sin, the emphasis in μετανοέω and μετάνοια seems to be more specifically the total change, both in thought and behavior, with respect to how one should both think and act.

Two aspects .....forgiveness (Heart) Thinking (Mind)

God heals our Heart through Confession he can fill in the potholes.

Don’t like it but does us good. me and Christmas dinner Dentist , Filling

Psalm 25:11 For the honour of your name, Lord, never count my sins, and forgive them all—lift their burden off of my life.

The Passion Translation

The Hebrew word used here for “forgive” or “pardon” is a rare word used only twice in the Old Testament and comes from a root word meaning “to lift off a burden.”

Story lifting burden of guilt.

Bob’s story

Is there something burdening you?

Change your mind to see the Kingdom “ Most Christians repent enough to get forgiven, but not enough to see the Kingdom.” Bill Johnson

Romans 12:2 TPT

Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.

Bill Johnson Commenting on Rom 12 :1

Having a renewed mind is often not an issue of whether or not someone is going to heaven, but of how much of heaven or she wants in his or her life right now.

Jesus urged us to do an about-face in our approach to reality because His Kingdom is at hand. He brought His world with Him, and it's within our reach. He wants you to see reality from God's perspective, to learn to live from His world toward the visible world. But if you don't change the way you think, you'll never be able to apprehend the Kingdom power that is available.

Where do you need to change your thinking?

Example of Margaret with Frank......Jesus was in charge, not Frank. There is a time for both husbands & wives to submit to one another but not if it conflicts with Jesus.

Frank’s testimony …changed marriage....family…girls their church

Dawn’s message on Pilate....his truth......Caesar or Jesus

Bill’s story of voyage to America.

I heard a story of a European family who wanted to move to the United States, so they worked hard and saved enough money to take a ship across the Atlantic. They also saved as much as they could to buy cheese and crackers, provisions they could eat as a family in the small ship's cabin they would occupy.

They boarded the ship and days and weeks went by. The family huddled in their cabin eating their meagre provisions, all while listening to the footsteps and laughter of people in the hallway on their way to eat in the banquet room. On the last night of their long sea journey the captain announced they would make landfall in the United Sates the next lay.

The father decided to celebrate by taking the family to the banquet room where ever one else on the ship had been eating for three weeks. He approached the captain and asked how much the meal cost.

The captain looked at him in surprise and said, "You mean you haven't been eating there? The meals were included in the price of the fare."

The Light of the world

…

Like man who needed release from guilt

lady who needed to change her thinking.

Lord God, I give You the fullness of my heart in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, I ask that You open the eyes of my heart so I may know You more. I ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation to fall upon me now in accordance with Ephesians 1:17-18 and awaken my senses to You and the ways of Your Kingdom. Lord, I give You all of my senses: my eyes to see; my ears to hear; my emotions and touch to feel; my nose and mouth to smell and taste. Amen

Put off dentist

Burden of Guilt

Change your thinking.

bentness …idol.