The Importance of Repentance
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Tonight as we continue our Christian Life Study on the doctrine of Repentance, [outlined by Porter Barrington], you might think that what we are looking at tonight should have been the first study instead of the sixth. Tonight we’re going to look at “The Importance of Repentance”.
We have learned that repentance involves change in a person that leads to salvation. 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
Salvation is no doubt the best reason for repentance, but there is also another reason that’s just as important, if not more-so today.
Text; Acts 17:30-31
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.”
Prayer
The Importance of Repentance is twofold; God Commands It and Judgment Day Has Been Appointed!
1. God Commands Repentance; 30
1. God Commands Repentance; 30
Context; Paul has been speaking to the Greeks on Mars Hill who prided themselves as being learners of new things and seekers of knowledge. So Paul began to speak of all the idols they worship and said they were very religious and even included an altar ‘To a Unknown God’. So Paul began to share the Gospel of this unknown God to them, who is non other than Jesus Christ! And in the process of doing so, Paul even mentioned that their own poets acknowledge Him.
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
This is where Paul says, ‘God commands all men everywhere to repent’. Why? Ignorance is not an excuse!
God Overlooked Ignorance- did not punish:- wink at [KJV]. God did not immediately punish the sins of idolatry done in ignorance! God is patient/longsuffering with men. [Turn to Acts 14]
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.
11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out
15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,
16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
The people in Athens [Mars Hill] are just like the people in Lystra, pagan idol worshipers. They were ignorant of the One True God. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t guilty of sin, but only that God held back His divine wrath.
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
Their times of the sin of idolatry were done in ignorance, but they could not claim that any longer. They have heard the Gospel! When you hear the Gospel a choice must be made.
General revelation of God is creation.
Special revelation of God is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God Commands Repentance- a must for salvation, not optional
10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
2. Judgment Day Has Been Appointed; 31
2. Judgment Day Has Been Appointed; 31
God has set a date on His eternal calendar for the judgment of man’s sin!
Did you realize that when mankind stands before God in judgment, God will not judge man, but Jesus will.
God has “ordained” [appoint, set apart, designate] Jesus to judge man because Jesus gave His life for man’s sin!
22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
The Importance of Repentance is not just for salvation, but to escape the judgment and wrath of God. He has set a date for judgment and there will be no excuses allowed for ignorance of Jesus Christ!
3. Who Needs to Repent?
3. Who Needs to Repent?
The lost need to repent;
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Backsliders need to repent;
8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while.
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
Churches need to repent;
11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
Jesus called upon five of those churches to repent;
Ephesus/left first love
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Pergamos/doctrine of Balaam, immorality
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
Thyatira/Jezebel teaching and immorality
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
Sardis/dead church
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
Laodicea/lukewarm
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Repentance Is Important because God Commands It and Judgment is Appointed!
Close;
Japan has developed a system of accountability that would make most Americans cringe. Japanese citizens over the age of 40 must have their waistlines measured by officials for compliance with health standards. Those failing the test are required to undergo diet counseling. If they do not slim down, then they are subjected to fines.
We will not be accountable to the government for our waistline, but we will be accountable to God for our life.
That’s the Importance of Repentance!
