Flipped: How we turn!

HOW WE TURN

Matthew 4:17 + The Beatitudes

INTRODUCTION — JESUS’ FIRST WORD

I want to begin today with the very first sentence Jesus ever preached publicly. Matthew 4:17 says:

“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Before Jesus performs a miracle… Before He teaches a parable… Before He gathers a crowd… He begins with a call:

Repent.

Why does Jesus begin with this call? What does it mean?

Repent means to turn, to change direction, to come His way.

And to help us feel the weight of that call, I want to take you into a moment from my Navy days.

THE CATAPULT STORY — FEELING “LOCKED IN”

When I was in the Navy, I didn’t work on the flight deck — I worked down on the hangar deck — but I saw plenty of flight ops. And if you’ve ever watched either of the Top Gun movies, you’ve seen a glimpse of what I’m talking about. Launching a jet off a carrier is one of the most intentional, high‑stakes processes you’ll ever witness.

A jet doesn’t just take off. It’s prepared for launch.

The aircraft is brought forward and connected to the catapult. A hold‑back bar locks onto the front landing gear. The jet blast deflector rises behind it. The pilot runs through a final system check — every gauge, every surface, every mechanical system. And then comes the moment.

The pilot gives the salute. The crew responds. The catapult fires.

Up until that salute, anything unusual can trigger an abort. But once that salute is given and the catapult is released, there is no stopping that jet. It is committed. It is locked into a direction with tremendous force behind it.

You may not have ever been on a flight deck, but you’ve felt this — that sense of being launched into something you can’t stop.

And sometimes life feels exactly like that.

We feel like we’ve already saluted. We feel like the catapult has already fired. We feel like the direction we’re headed — the habits we’ve formed, the choices we’ve made, the patterns we’ve lived in — are locked in. Like we’re strapped to a trajectory we can’t change.

But here’s the difference between a jet and a human soul:

A jet cannot turn until it’s airborne. But a person can turn the moment Jesus speaks.

A jet is committed to the direction of the catapult. But a person is never committed to their past direction when the King calls them to repent.

A jet has no power to stop the launch. But a person has the God‑given ability to turn around — right now — because repentance is not about momentum, it’s about surrender.

Jesus says, “Repent.” Not because He wants to shame you. Not because He wants to replay your failures. But because He knows something you don’t feel in the moment:

You are not locked in. You are not stuck. You are not on rails. You can turn.

Repentance is not the catapult firing — it’s the abort signal before the salute. It’s the moment you say, “Lord, this direction isn’t right. Something in my system check isn’t lining up with You.” It’s the moment you stop, step back, and let Him redirect your path.

Repentance is how we turn. It’s how we change direction. It’s how we step out of the momentum of our old life and into the life Jesus is announcing.

Repent means to turn, to change direction, to come His way.

APPLICATION QUESTION #1 (Student Handout)

Where in your life do you feel “launched” — like the direction is already set and you can’t change it?

WHY WE NEED TO REPENT

1. We have all gone our own way.

“All we like sheep have gone astray…” (Isaiah 53:6)

Going our own way doesn’t always look rebellious. It often looks normal.

It looks like living life without asking God what He wants. It looks like making decisions based on what benefits us rather than what honors Him. It looks like prayerlessness. It looks like drifting.

Repentance begins when we admit, “God, I’ve been steering my own life without You.”

Simply put, Going my own way = living without asking God.

APPLICATION QUESTION #2

Where have you been making decisions without asking God?

2. We have trusted ourselves more than God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 )

We trust our feelings more than God’s truth. We trust our instincts more than God’s wisdom. We trust our timing more than God’s timing. We trust our strength more than God’s power. We trust our own hearts.

But Scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Our feelings change. Our instincts mislead. Our timing is flawed. Our strength runs out.

Repentance is the moment we stop leaning on ourselves and start leaning on God again.

Self‑trust = leaning on my own understanding instead of God’s wisdom.

APPLICATION QUESTION #3

Where do you tend to trust your feelings over God’s truth?

3. We have chosen our desires over God’s desires.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14–15 )

We choose comfort over obedience. Pleasure over holiness. Approval over faithfulness. Control over surrender. The temporary over the eternal.

We chase what feels good in the moment, even if it leaves us empty afterward.

When my desires often lead me toward sin instead of obedience.

Repentance is the moment we say, “God, I want what You want more than what I want.”

APPLICATION QUESTION #4

What desire has been shaping your choices lately?

4. Sin is killing us — and guilt weighs us down.

“The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a)

Sin doesn’t just break God’s rules — it breaks us.

It damages our relationships. It distorts our identity. It steals our peace. It numbs our hearts. It separates us from the God who made us. (Isaiah 59:2)

And for many of us, it leaves behind guilt.

King David was a man after God’s own heart but he committed adultery with the wife of Uriah and murdered Uriah to cover it up. I can’t imagine the weight of the sin that he felt. Psalm 38 records exactly how David felt.

Psalm 38:4 says, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”

But repentance is God’s answer to guilt and we see David’s response in Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity(guilt) of my sin. Selah”

Guilt = the weight of my past I was never meant to carry.

Repentance is not God rubbing your face in your failures — it’s God lifting your face so you can see His mercy.

APPLICATION QUESTION #5

What guilt or regret do you still carry that Jesus wants to lift?

5. The King has come near.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”(Mark 1:15)

Repentance is not just turning from sin — it’s turning to a King who is close, present, and offering life.

6. Repentance is the doorway into the kingdom.

“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:30 )

Repentance is not God punishing you — it is God inviting you into life. Its an invitation.

Repentance is how we begin with Jesus. Repentance is how we return to Jesus. Repentance is how we walk with Jesus.

WHAT REPENTANCE REALLY IS

Repentance is not rule‑following. Repentance is believing God.

Repentance is trusting God’s character more than your feelings:

God is good Psalm 34:8 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” God’s goodness isn’t hidden—He invites us to experience it. Repentance begins when we trust what we see in His character more than what we feel in the moment.

God is wise Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” God’s wisdom runs deeper than anything we can see or feel. Repentance grows when we trust that His understanding is wider, richer, and truer than our own.

God is loving 1 John 4:9–10 “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God’s love isn’t abstract—it’s demonstrated. Repentance grows when we trust the love God has already proven instead of the emotions that rise and fall inside us.

God is faithful Lamentations 3:22–23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God’s faithfulness doesn’t rise and fall with our circumstances. Repentance grows when we trust that His steady, unchanging character holds us even when our feelings don’t.

God is holy Isaiah 6:3 “And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”” God’s holiness isn’t distant—it fills everything around us. Repentance deepens when we trust that His purity, His perfection, and His glory reveal what is true even when our feelings don’t.

God is merciful Exodus 34:6 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” God’s mercy isn’t reluctant—it’s part of who He is. Repentance grows when we trust that His heart moves toward us with compassion, not away from us in condemnation.

Repentance is trusting God enough to say:

“Your way is better than mine.” “Your truth is better than my truth.” “Your commands lead to life, not loss.”

When you believe God, your heart turns. Your desires shift. Your direction changes.

APPLICATION QUESTION #6

Which part of God’s character is hardest for you to trust?

THE BEATITUDES — THE SHAPE OF A TURNED HEART

Next time we will really begin to zoom in and look at the shape of a heart turned to God. What I want to show you today is that the beatitudes help us to see the shape of a heart turned to God. This change can only come from a heart that is truly repentant towards God. One that is trusting and find Christ as its all and all.

1. Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Poor in spirit doesn’t mean depressed or defeated. It means spiritually honest. It means recognizing, “I don’t have what it takes to save myself. I need God.”

This is the doorway into everything else Jesus teaches. You cannot repent until you admit you need to. You cannot turn until you admit you’re not the one who should be steering.

Poverty of spirit is the moment you stop pretending you’re strong enough, wise enough, or good enough on your own — and you finally say, “Lord, I need You.”

To be poor in spirit = recognizing I need God.

This is the first turn of repentance.

2. Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

We often associate mourning with death—and rightly so. Death is the loud reminder that something in our world is deeply broken. Scripture says the wage of sin is death, which means every funeral, every loss, every goodbye whispers the same truth: sin destroys.

That’s why the mourning Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:4 goes deeper than circumstances. It’s mourning over sin—the kind of sorrow that draws us toward God rather than away from Him.

It’s when you stop minimizing it. Stop excusing it. Stop comparing it. Stop hiding it.

It’s when you finally see your sin the way God sees it—not to shame you, but to heal you.

Godly sorrow is not self‑hatred. It is clarity. It is honesty. It is the heart waking up and saying, “God, this is not who You made me to be.”

Mourning = seeing my sin the way God sees it.

And Jesus says that the moment you mourn your sin, comfort is already on the way.

3. Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength under surrender.

It’s the moment you stop fighting God for control. Stop wrestling Him for the steering wheel. Stop insisting on your way, your timing, your plan.

Meekness says, “Lord, I trust Your leadership more than my impulses.”

Repentance always involves surrender — not because God wants to dominate you, but because He wants to lead you into life.

Meekness = strength submitted to God.

4. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

This is desire language. This is appetite language.

Repentance is not just turning from sin — it is turning toward something better.

It is when your heart begins to crave what God wants. When righteousness becomes more appealing than rebellion. When holiness becomes more satisfying than compromise. When obedience becomes more life‑giving than indulgence.

Righteousness = wanting what God wants.

Jesus says when you hunger for righteousness, you will be satisfied — not starved, not disappointed, not empty.

5. Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Repentance doesn’t just change how you relate to God — it changes how you relate to people.

A repentant heart becomes a merciful heart.

You become slower to judge. Quicker to forgive. More patient with weakness. More gracious with failure.

Mercy is the overflow of someone who knows how much mercy they’ve received.

Mercy = giving others what God gave me.

If repentance hasn’t softened your posture toward others, you haven’t repented — you’ve just apologized.

6. Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Purity of heart is not perfection — it is undivided devotion.

It’s when your heart stops being pulled in two directions. When you stop trying to love God and love your sin at the same time. When you stop trying to keep one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world.

Purity is when your heart says, “God, I want You more than anything else.”

And Jesus says the pure in heart will see God — not just in eternity, but in clarity, in intimacy, in daily life.

7. Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Repentance moves you toward reconciliation.

Peacemakers don’t avoid conflict — they redeem it. They don’t stir up drama — they calm it. They don’t hold grudges — they release them. They don’t wait for the other person to move first — they take the first step.

Peacemaking = taking the first step toward peace.

Peacemaking is the family resemblance of God’s children. When you make peace, you look like your Father.

8. Matthew 5:10–11 ““Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

This is the final turn of repentance — the willingness to follow Jesus even when it costs you.

Obedience will cost you comfort. Holiness will cost you popularity. Faithfulness will cost you approval. Conviction will cost you opportunities.

But Jesus says, Matthew 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Following Jesus will cost me something, but He is worth it.

APPLICATION QUESTION #7

Which Beatitude do you sense God highlighting in your life today?

CONCLUSION — THE KING HAS COME NEAR

Repentance is not just turning from sin — it is turning into the kind of heart Jesus blesses. Its becoming like the Son who came to save us.

1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

The King has come near. He is here. And He is calling us to turn toward Him today because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

INVITATION

To the unbeliever - if you have never turned from your sin, if your living for yourself and you’ve never surrendered and turned to the King who loves you..

“Repent and be baptized…” (Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” )

Turn from sin. Turn from self‑rule. Turn to the King who loves you, who lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death and was raised on the third day proving his saving work, worked.

To the believer — if you know you have turned from your sin, but your relationship with God just isn’t what it used to be…

Sometimes God feels distant because:

you’ve drifted into old habits,

you’ve stopped listening to His voice,

you’ve let busyness crowd out intimacy,

you’ve carried guilt He already forgave,

you’ve trusted your feelings more than His character,

or you’ve simply forgotten the joy of walking closely with Him.

But distance is not abandonment. And the answer is not to try harder— it’s to turn back.

To everyone

“Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful.” (Joel 2:13)

Repentance = turning toward Jesus today

No matter who you are, no matter what your story looks like, the invitation is the same: return. God never closes the door. He never shrinks back from a repentant heart. His grace is stronger than your failures, and His mercy is deeper than your mess.

Returning to God is not about earning your way back. It’s not about proving yourself. It’s not about pretending you’re better than you are.

It’s about remembering who He is— gracious, merciful, patient, faithful— and letting that truth pull you home.

Remember and return:

You are not stuck.

You are not locked in.

You are not too far gone.

You are not beyond His reach.

You are not defined by your worst moment.

You are not disqualified from coming back.

The moment you turn, He meets you. The moment you call, He hears you. The moment you return, He restores you.

Turn to Him today. Not tomorrow. Not “when things settle down.” Not “when you feel ready.”

Today—because He is gracious and merciful right now.