Preach Repentance
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Tonight as we continue our doctrinal study on Repentance, I want us to look at the need to “Preach Repentance”. We have talked about what repentance is not and we have looked at what real repentance is, now we need to know why it must be preached.
21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
I had mentioned in an earlier message that the word “repentance” is used 69 times in the scriptures. But in the OT alone, there are 45 references to repentance through other words that mean the same thing.
Contrition, lament, sigh or groan, cover with sackcloth and ashes, weep bitterly, mourn over sin, tearing garments
2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
29 Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’
1 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.
6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”
Repentance was preached in the OT before the birth of Christ, Jesus preached repentance during His earthly ministry, it was preached on the Day of Pentecost and in the Book of Acts afterward. It is taught in the Epistles and completed in the Book of Revelation!
Text; Mark 1:1-5
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
1. A Baptism of Repentance; 4
1. A Baptism of Repentance; 4
John the Baptist was foretold of by OT prophets Isaiah and Malachi of him preparing the way of the Lord. John’s job was to get the nation of Israel ready to receive their Messiah. And the message he preached to receive their Messiah was “Repent!”
Baptism of repentance- baptism was common in that day for Gentiles who wanted to convert to Judaism. But what was shocking to the Jew, was John telling them they needed to be baptized as an act of repentance for the forgiveness of their sin preparing themselves to receive their coming Messiah!
39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
41 You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
Forgiveness of sins- to remove, cancel guilt; to pardon.
Only God’s grace can pardon our sin based on Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary, but John’s baptism was a visible witness that one had repented their sin by faith and had received God’s forgiveness.
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
John’s preaching of repentance exalted Christ, denounced sin, warned of judgment to come and cost him his head!
Maybe the reason we don’t like to preach repentance today is because it’s confrontational. But repentance is a necessity for salvation!
2. Jesus Preached Repentance; 14-15
2. Jesus Preached Repentance; 14-15
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to 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, and believe in the gospel.”
What is the Gospel of the kingdom of God?
Kingdom of God -refers to God’s rule, power and authority He exercises over all creation and all people.
Gospel- good news from God
[My words] So Jesus is saying to Israel, who is under the rule of Rome, “Hey, things are changing, God’s kingdom is here, He is in control, and if you want to be a part of it, you need to repent!”
That’s great news for those who are under the bondage of another ruler. But Jesus wasn’t preaching about being under bondage to Rome, but in bondage to their SIN!
Time is fulfilled- Now is the time! God’s perfect time to manifest His Son to be the sacrifice for SIN! [vs. 2-3]
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Jesus came to redeem. And to be a part of the kingdom of God, you have to “REPENT and BELIEVE the GOSPEL”!
Repenting and believing the gospel is a blessing; Gospel heals
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Repenting and believing the gospel saves lives; Repent or perish
1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Now is the time to repent while you have the opportunity. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
3. Peter Preached Repentance;
3. Peter Preached Repentance;
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent- change in a person. That change becomes evident by actions in three areas of a persons life.
The intellect- a change of mind about sin and God
The emotions- a change of heart and a desire for God
The volition- a change of one’s will to that of God’s
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Peter also preached the patience of God for one to repent, but that time will come to an end;
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Every soul that goes to hell goes against the will of God!
4. Paul Preached Repentance;
4. Paul Preached Repentance;
Paul was used by God as one of the greatest missionaries, evangelist and church planter in history. He traveled the known world at that time and had audiences with kings, ruler’s, magistrates as well as the common person, Jews and Gentiles alike. But when Paul preached repentance on Mars Hill in Athens, the results that happened there are the same results that happen today.
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Mock- ridicule, scorn, make fun of [here comes one of those holy rollers]
29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,
30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”
31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.
Procrastinate- delay, postpone, to put off doing something
25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
Believe- convinced, accept as truth, have confidence in, repent
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Close;
Repentance is a doctrine that must be preached and practiced in all ages and for all ages, for without it, no one can be saved!
