Repentance - Psalm 51 (part 3)

Think of an animal you'd really be afraid of, whether it's a snake or a large spider. If you came round a corner and found yourself facing it, what would you want to do? Run away, of course. Well, [as a follower of Jesus] that's how you should feel about a [lifestyle of greed, lust, jealousy, injustice, or another sinful pattern]. Then think how you'd feel if you saw the person you loved best in the entire world, who you hadn't seen for years, walking down the street. What would you do? Why, chase after [him or her], of course. That's how you should behave when you think of Jesus and the new life that he is offering you and the whole world.

The final piece of true repentance is obedience. If there really is true repentance, there will be a heartfelt and passion to run away from sin and then run after the opportunity to be obedient to the Lord. Repentance is a change of mind and the fruit of it will be a desire for obedience. A desire in our hearts for the law of God. As a Christian the Lord did write the law on our hearts. This is our desire. But have we lost the doctrine of repentance today? Are we urged to run away from our sins and to run into the forgiving and merciful arms of the Lord? Look at the books in the Christian book stores these days… We do not turn away from sins today, not out of defiance, but asserting that certain sins are not really sins and so we do not have to turn from them. We just say some sins are no longer sins. If we can’t beat them, we don’t join them we get the government to eliminate them. Also, we do run to Christ today, but not for forgiveness and mercy. We now run to Christ for advice, for relief, and for therapy. What do we need mercy and forgiveness for, all we did was make mistakes? We’re not perfect.

And as we will see today. No true repentance, then there is no true obedience. Even if there is obedience, it’s not obedience if there is no true repentance. What does this mean… Good works do not confirm salvation, it confirms faith. True faith confirms salvation. Repentance involves confession of Sin, Reliance on God’s mercy, Cleansing coming through blood, and finally today, New Obedience in faith.

David was just rebuked by the Lord through the prophet Nathan; calling him out on his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. David was shown the gravity of his sin with a parable bringing real conviction in his heart. He was brought to silence in shame and his words were few… “I have sinned against the Lord,” he said. The Lord gave him a merciful gift in His Judgement, His Kindness, and the grace of repentance. David with sorrow and peace in his heart, sits down with his lyre and writes…

Psalm 51:12–19 NLT

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

The Grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.

1. New Obedience

2. Repentance Before Sacrifice

3. Kindness of the Cross

The first thing we will look at today is how true obedience will always follow true repentance. Which means true obedience follows the gospel. The second point today concerns the idea of repentance before sacrifice. When we sin, there is nothing that you could do to make up for it. Finally we will look at the kindness of the cross of Christ for it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.

Thesis: Though our sin nature and the deceptions of this world continue to lead us to reject repentance, it is the continued compassion and kindness of our Lord that will lead us to repentance; the confession of sin, the reliance on God’s mercy, the blood of Christ, and the filling of the Spirit to experience even more change in our lives through faith.

I. New Obedience

- True obedience must follow the Gospel.

A. True repentance will result in Gospel joy… restore unto me the joy of your salvation v. 12. There will be the joy of the Gospel in our hearts and then… David shows that renewed obedience will follow. The pattern here is clear. True obedience must follow the Gospel. David shows that it is not good works that will bring salvation, but salvation that will bring us the desire to do the works of God.

B. As a fruit of the Lord restoring to David the joy of His salvation, David desires to teach others who are in the same predicament to go to the Lord for mercy. David did a horrible thing with Uriah and Bathsheba and he received the grace and mercy of the Lord and for those who have done the same I will teach them to repent, turn to the Lord.

C. Spurgeon writes, my fall shall be the restoration of others. Thou wilt bless my pathetic testimony to the recovery of many who, like myself, have turned aside unto crooked ways. Doubtless this Psalm and the whole story of David, have produced for many ages the most salutary results in the conversion of transgressors, and so evil has been overruled for good.

D. David has taught us all has he not? He taught us all in this Psalm how to find forgiveness and mercy in the Lord. That we can truly find grace and salvation. He taught us the Gospel in that the Blood of Christ will make us whiter than snow. He taught us how to repent today. He taught us that real repentance carries a desire to reach out to others to teach others so that they turn to Christ. Is this not what the Lord has commanded of us today?

E. Clearly, we see this in the Great Commission of our Lord.

Matthew 28:18–20 NLT

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

F. Well, Christian. Do we desire to teach other sinners to turn from their ways and turn to the Lord for salvation? This is what we call evangelism. This is called preaching the Gospel. It is proclaiming the law of God to convict one of sin and then the presentation of the good news that the is forgiveness and mercy waiting for them and an abundant supply of grace upon grace.

Matthew 10:27 NLT

What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

G. How are we doing this today? Does the joy of our salvation today give us a desire to teach rebels or transgressors to turn from their ways? To repent like we did… that is if we really did repent. Hmmm.

H. David showed how reaching out to sinners with the good news is a natural fruit of repentance. How great is this passion? Do you remember when you first became a Christian, were you not so excited that the first thing you wanted to do is tell someone so that they can experience the same thing. Its natural and it is powerful. We reach and teach to reach and teach. It is the desire of the repentant.

I. It is so powerful a desire that when Jesus healed the man who could not hear and speak he told them not to tell anyone…what happened?

Mark 7:36 NLT

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.

J. But today we have a problem. Here we have an example of those who Jesus told not to tell and they did and today Jesus is telling us to tell and we don’t? What’s wrong with us today? Have we truly repented? It’s not just evangelism, it is obedience to the Word of the Lord. Even when we tell, are we telling what we are supposed to tell? Here we witness that Jesus healed the blind and brought the good news of the kingdom of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. And today we tell others, hey Jesus gave us some good pointers on how to live a successful life. Are we being disobedient today? Are we repentant? If we are not repentant then we cannot be truly obedient even if you are doing the things the Lord told us to do.

II. Repentance before Sacrifice

- When we sin, there is nothing that you could do to make up for it.

A. Sometimes when we do wrong, our tendency is to do good things. When we feel guilty for things we do, we think… I’ll do some good things. I’ll volunteer to feed the less fortunate, to give more money to the church. I’ll spend more time in prayer and going to church. I’ll help some people and I’ll do better at not sinning anymore. This is our version of making sacrifices to the Lord today.

B. vs.16-17 David shows what God really desires when we sin. He is not asking for us to sacrifice and make up for it somehow. This is an act of Buddhism, not Christianity. It’s not Karma, it is repentance. He desires repentance. Not sacrifice. Why?

C. When we sin, there is nothing that you could do to make up for it. Nothing that we could do to make it right. You can never do anything to get ahead. If you think today, that you can live anyway you want today and later, you will make it right with God in the end this is a bad idea. We cannot do anything to make up for it. No amount of sacrifice will do. No amount of obedience will do. There are no bonus points, there is no extra credit. No matter how amazing your work is.

D. Watch this…

Luke 17:7–10 NLT

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’ ”

Luke 17:7 NLT

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’?

E. When Jesus said that we are unprofitable servants, He did not mean that our service is of no value. Jesus frequently calls us to be productive. He meant that we gain no “bonus points” or extra credit. But Lord I did all that you asked me to do, good job, that’s what you’re supposed to do anyway. But I made huge sacrifices, good, that’s what I expected from you anyway. But, Lord I did the very best that I could do, sweet, that’s what you’re supposed to do anyway. That’s how sinful and corrupted we are. We think that we deserve points, just for doing what we are supposed to do.

F. If we think we can make up for things somehow, we are wrong. What deed could we possibly do that was not something God already required of me in the first place? Remember, He commands us to be perfect, and we can’t improve on perfection can we. Anything you do. Any sacrifice you have made. Any service you provided, no matter how huge or admirable it is. Even if you receive the praise and admiration for your deed by the whole world, you have done nothing but what God required of you anyway.

G. You cannot do anything to gain the favor of God. Forget it. Nothing! This parable makes it very clear. If we are doing it, thinking it, planning it, then you are deceiving yourself. David made it clear. Not sacrifice, but a broken heart, one pierced, one that is humbled, one that is submitted before God depending on his grace and mercy. That’s what the Lord desires. I’ll live the life I want to live now and I’ll make up for it later. Nope. If you wanna be honest… I’ll live the life I want to live now and in the end I’ll throw myself down at His feet and hope He is merciful to me. But If you are really a Christian and truly repentant then you desire is not to live the life you want to live now and repent later, we want to live the life that He wants now and worship forever. Causes that’s all you have. Nothing but the Gospel, nothing but the cross.

H. Augustus Toplady’s great hymn, “Rock of Ages,” says, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.” He gets it. We need to make sure we got it today.

I. Our good works, which are required, must be founded upon the Gospel of Jesus. It must be the fruit of repentance. It is not our repentance. Restitution is not our repentance. Sacrifice is not our repentance. Redemption is not our repentance. Good works are not our repentance.

J. A broken and contrite heart is our repentance. Our confession of sin and recognition of our corruption is our repentance. Our reliance on the mercy of God only for forgiveness is our repentance. Our dependence on the cleansing power of the blood of Christ and the washing of the Spirit of God is our repentance. Our faith in Christ for salvation is our repentance. The results of all that we do because of this… is our good works. Any good work done in unbelief is not a good work.

K. I don’t care what you do, if it is done because of fear of condemnation or guilt, then it is not a good work. It is sin. It is an action motivated by unbelief. If it is fear of condemnation, then do we not believe that therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are … If it is guilt, “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. Unbelief is our motivation not the Gospel. It is SIN.

L. Our good works must be motivated repentance and trust in Christ for salvation, for forgiveness, for mercy, for abundant grace. We are unprofitable servants, we can do nothing to gain the Lord’s favor, only Christ can do that. And that is what Christ gives to the Father for us. He is the profitable servant. And those of us who are in Him are truly the favored of God. We may not be profitable servants, but because of Christ and His work, we will be treated as profitable servants.

M. When there is repentance and the true understanding of the Gospel then the sacrifices will be made again. V.19 Our works that we have been commanded will be made once again. New Obedience after the power of the Gospel.

III. Kindness of the Cross

- His kindness leads us to repentance.

A. This is the Gospel of Jesus, family. I know that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God. We have sinned. I’m sure we have transgressed the law of God sometime last week, some yesterday, last night, even this morning, some of you are sinning right now.

B. David showed us repentance. We can find forgiveness in Christ. We can find forgiveness for our sins and disobedience. David showed us to confess our sins, that we can rest in the mercy of the Lord, that the blood of Christ will wash us whiter than snow. Turn from your ways and turn to the Lord.

C. Many of us today, need to come to the Lord for forgiveness. The reason why David went to the Lord confident in His finding mercy is because the Lord is merciful. He wants us to know this. He wants us to know that He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures...

D. All who call upon the name of the Lord… If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart… If you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive us …

E. Is it not our desire to see the Lord glorified? Is it not our desire to obey all that the Lord has commanded us, even though we do not… many times. Christian today, take heart. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to bring it to completion.

F. Believe and do not call unclean what the Lord has made clean. Fix our eyes today on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. He will cause us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is our merciful Lord who has given us the grace to become children of God.

G. Christians are not those who do not always sin, but those who always repent! And because we repent, we can truly obey and be a blessing to the whole World.