Sermon Tone Analysis

Call To Worship Scripture

Call To Worship Scripture

Sermon Scripture

Why Repent?

REPENT: metanoeō (verb) to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins

KINGDOM: basileia (feminine noun) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom - of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah - the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom

HEAVEN: ouranos (masculine noun) the region above the sidereal heavens (above the distant stars), the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings

HAND: eggizō (verb) to bring near, to join one thing to another - to draw or come near to, to approach - of time, with reference to things that are imminent, as the kingdom of heaven, ; ; ...

For a while I thought this verse was saying that Jesus is here.

And while that is a true statement and does not contradict the verse, this passage has a much deeper meaning.

After all when Jesus begins to preach in , He is not merely announcing His arrival, but rather He is “preaching” that is proclaiming the Word and as such the work of God:

Matthew

The same words are used in both verses ( & 4:17).

Matthew is displaying the Kingship of Christ.

And in historical context, the people who were to be awaiting their King, were not doing so.

They were a lost people, who had become lax in their seeking of God.

The priest were corrupt and their sacrifices defiled.

Yes they were a religious people, practicing their rituals - but they were not mindful of God.

NOTE: Being mindful of God vs. religious rituals

Thus, they have to change or they will miss the reaching out/down of Heaven.

They have to change their minds about how they (God’s people) live their life, how they approach worship, interact with the world and each other, prioritize their lives, seek security.

They have hate their defiled ways and in abhorence, turn from them.

That is what is being said when you look at the context, but note, we are not given any reason to believe that the hearers needed a description as to what they were doing wrong.

They were not being mindless of God out of ignorance, nor were they offering defiled sacrifices out of ignorance, and yet, even though they are not ignorant it is as though they are blind to it.

So rather than describing what the people were doing wrong, the text takes us a different direction to describe the cause for repentance (repentance therefore not being caused by something that we do but by what God is doing)

Repent is the verb - for (conjunction) - the Kingdom (feminine noun).

The word Kingdom here is not describing a place but an authority.

When we say, Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory - we are saying that all authority to do belongs to God, all power needed to do what He wills belongs to Him and all glory for the accomplishing of that will belongs to Him alone.

Or you could note that this is what Jesus is referring to in

Now this authority is authority over what?

What is the Kingdom of?

Authority can sound like a big word but the (what of) makes all the difference.

Answer: Heaven (masculine noun).

The Kingdom of Heaven.

This is the region beyond or over the distant stars - it is the seat of order of things eternal - the dwelling place of God and other heavenly beings.

In other words the Authority that we are speaking of is over all things, for the Kingdom is over all Kingdoms.

This is why Revelation says of Jesus:

Revelation 1

Now it is one thing to say repent for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Simply knowing or being mindful of such a place and Kingdom should cause one to turn.

However the call or the verse then says “is at hand” (verb).

The word here means to bring near, or to draw near.

Thats why it is a verb.

It is speaking of a present action not a stagnant being.

Matthew

Matthew

The Authority of Heaven is presently drawing all to Himself, not just during the time of John the Baptist or the 3 year ministry of Christ, but listen:

-20

So why should we repent?

Why should we turn fully to God with all of our heart, soul and mind?

Because He has come to us, He has drawn near and to reject Him, to turn Him out in His drawing my friends will not be forgiven.

However today we ourselves and all who hear even through us (as the word Kingdom refers even to the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom) rejoice that today is the day of salvation - the day which God is drawing all to Himself.

This is the showering of His grace, the pouring out of His Love.

2 Corinthians 6:2-3

2 Corinthians

Matthew 28:18