Repent or Perish

“Repent or Perish”

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Did you know across the boards there is very little difference between the people who go to church, and the people who don’t? That is sad, and that is not the way it’s supposed to be! Jesus called Christians to be salt and light in a decaying and dark world. Why is there so little difference between the church and the world? And how do we correct this and become the salt and light that God has called us to be?

What is the answer to the powerlessness, and conformity of the church?

I believe I can answer that in one word-Repentance! Too many people who claim to be Christians have never truly repented of their sin. The way they think about sin, the way they feel about sin, and the way they respond to sin has never changed!

For true salvation and life-change to take place, a person must repent! I know that the word repent, is not cool, or in style, and for many it is a religious joke-word. When a cartoonist wants to depict a narrow-minded religious fanatic, he draws a picture of a half crazy guy holding a cardboard sign that reads, repent or perish. But repentance is – believe it or not – God’s doctrine!

Now, holding a cardboard sign that says repent or perish may not be the best way to start a witnessing opportunity; but it is still true!

While some joke about repentance, and others say it is not necessary to repent to be saved; the Lord Jesus has something entirely different to say about repentance! Jesus says it is absolutely necessary to repent, in order to be saved!

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Do you know what that means? It means the death of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the cross of Jesus is absolutely worthless to you… If you do not repent! It doesn’t matter what else you do, unless you repent, you will perish!

Without repentance you have no hope of going to heaven. There are good people, religious people, church-going people, who believe in God, read the Bible, do good things; but they have never repented of their sins and they have never been saved. That is why Jesus sets before us three truths about repentance.

1. The Fact of Repentance Confronts us.

V:3-“unless you repent…

The people Jesus spoke these words to where making the same mistake people make today.

They thought that because nothing bad had happened to them they were righteous people.

Jesus makes this appeal to repent in response to two disasters that people were talking about and trying to understand.

These disasters may have been breaking news, and Jesus used them as an illustration to talk about the sinfulness of all men, and the necessity of repentance for all.

Jesus said, I know what you’re thinking; you think because these Galileans were murdered by Pilate while they were offering their sacrifices they are worse sinners than you are. Jesus said no; they’re no greater sinners than you; and unless you repent you are going to perish one day too.

You think, that the 18 construction workers, who had the tower fall on them were worse sinners than you are; that is not true. Unless you repent you will perish.

People still ask similar questions in the aftermath of a tragedy, or an accident. People were asking this after September 11, 2001, when two planes slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. People were asking the same questions after the tsunami in 2004, where over a hundred thousand people perished. Did those people do something to deserve that kind of death? In Jesus day it was generally believed that victims of a calamity were guilty of some kind of hidden sin.

This is the same thing that Job’s friends thought when he suffered his many calamities. They “Only the guilty get punished, so you must be guilty.”

The disciples of Jesus followed the same line of reasoning when they met the man who had been born blind. They asked Jesus:

-“who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?’

The disciples assumed that he had to be suffering because of someone’s sin. But Jesus told them, it is not because of someone’s specific sin that this man was born blind.

This is what the people thought when Paul, was shipwrecked, and was putting wood on the fire and a viper came out and bit him. They said this guy escaped from the sea, but he must be a murder because this snake has bit him.

Jesus is making it plain that these tragedies did not happen because those people were more horrible sinners than anyone else.

You cannot measure a man’s sin by the degree of his suffering. Suffering, and death entered into this world because of sin; and suffering and death come to all people. Tragedies, terrorism, and death happens in this fallen world; and it rains on the just and the unjust alike.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people; and sometimes good things happen to bad people. We are all sinners, and death will come to all of us sooner or later.

In both of these incidences, Jesus told them that these people were not worse sinners than other people, because of what happened to them. Jesus rejected any concept of karma; that the fate of individuals in this life is either a reward for good or punishment for evil in a former life.

While it is true that sin brings judgment, and there are incidences in the Bible where God judges the sin of individuals, Nadab, Abuyu, Ananias and Saphara. People often suffer in tragedies and death that have nothing to do with their personal sin.

The real issue is not when death will happen or why death will happen, but are you ready for death to happen? Only repentance will prevent eternal death and separation from God.

From one end of the Bible to the other, we are confronted with the command to repent.

The theme of repentance is found 959 times in the Bible.

The prophets in the Old Testament came on the scene calling for people to repent, to turn from their sin, and returned to God.

-“return to me with all your heart…

The first message you hear when you open the New Testament is repent. The first word of the gospel is not love, it is not even grace. The first word of the gospel is repent. From Matthew through revelation, repentance is preached.

1. John the Baptist.

Repentance was the first word in John the Baptist ministry.

-“Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

2. Jesus.

The very first sermon Jesus preach was repentance.

-“from that time Jesus began to preach and say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

Christ message of repentance was linked with faith; Jesus said in -“Repent ye, and believe the gospel”.

The first time Jesus sent out his disciples to preach -“they went out and preached that people should repent”.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he commanded,

-“That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name”.

The last message Jesus preached was repentance:

-“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent”.

3. Peter.

On the day of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit came, and Peter stood up to preach he preached Jesus.

The people under conviction, asked Peter what shall we do? He answered:

-“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus because of remission of sins…

4. Paul.

-“Preaching both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Paul also stood on Mars Hill and said to a group of intellectual pagan unbelievers:

-“God commands all men everywhere to repent.

Repentance is prominent in the Bible, it is always presented as a necessity to be in a right relationship with God! Why is repentance prominent in the Bible? Because all men are sinners; and all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every man to his own way! Our sin, rebellious heart leads us to live a life of rebellion against God; going the wrong direction.

-“You will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way, walk in it…

Our problem is we are going the wrong way, and God is speaking to us saying turn around and come to me! Repentance means, you see yourself a lost sinner going the wrong way, and you turn from your sin to Jesus.

Jesus sets before us the necessity of repentance.

1. The fact of repentance confronts us.

Second of all Jesus tells us:

2. The Lack of Repentance Condemns us.

V:3,5-“unless you repent, you shall all perish”

The Bible tells us that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Jesus preaches this message of repentance, because he doesn’t want you to perish.

Jesus tells us that repentance is not an option, unless you repent, there is no way you will escape, you will perish.

Jesus uses the word “all” four times in these verses; repentance is for all people.

Since repentance is essential to salvation, we must understand what it is, and what is not.

Repentance is not only a word seldom used, it is a word often misunderstood. The Bible tells us about a false repentance that does not lead to salvation.

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There is worldly sorrow, and what it produces; and there’s godly sorrow and what it produces. Worldly sorrow brings spiritual death, it doesn’t lead to salvation. But godly sorrow brings salvation, a changed heart and life.

Richard Owen Roberts in his book “repentance, the first word of the gospel” has a chapter entitled the myths of repentance.

First myth, sorrow equals repentance.

You can be sorry over your sin and never repent. Yes you need to be sorry over your sin, but it is possible to be sorry, and not repent.

An alcoholic husband may be sorry for the way he treated his wife when he was drunk, but if he goes back to the bottle he is not repentant.

A wife may be sorry she’s been unfaithful to her husband and cry buckets of tears, but if she goes back to that man, she has not repented.

A homosexual may be sorry that he is in a homosexual lifestyle, but if he doesn’t get out of that lifestyle, he’s not repentant. Repentance is more than being sorry…. There is a worldly sorrow that doesn’t produce a change of direction.

Second myth, Reformation is repentance.

A person can see the consequences of their sin, and reform their life without ever repenting of their sin toward God.

You can say this is bad for my health or my marriage, I want to clean up my life; and never see your sin as God does and truly repent toward God.

Listen:

You can be convicted of your sin and never repent.

I have preached and given invitations and seen men and women gripped the back of the pew so tight their knuckles turn white. But they never repent and trust Jesus; under conviction yes; but they did not repent, and turn to Jesus. You can be convicted of your sin and never repent. Stephen preached and told the people in his day, you do always resist the Holy Spirit.

You can acknowledge your sin, and never repent.

Judas betrayed Jesus, came in weeping and said, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood. Judas never repented toward God.

-“Judas repented himself… God was not in 1000 miles of it, and it didn’t produce salvation; it was worldly sorrow.

Esau, also demonstrated worldly sorrow:

-“Unless there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Esau was sorry for losing the blessing, but it was not sorry toward God; and his life never changed.

We live in a day of easy believeism that is not born in conviction over sin and doesn’t result in conversion. The sin, rebellion and disobedience in the lives of church-going people is because somehow people have the notion that you can come to Jesus holding on to your sin, loving your sin, and just add Jesus onto your life; get a hell insurance policy and then go right back out and live like you’ve always lived. Friends that’s not true repentance and that’s not true salvation!

Jesus said, unless you repent, you will perish.

The word perish is an eternal word, to perish means to be utterly cut off from God for ever. For your eternal soul to experience eternal destruction!

Unless you repent you will perish. Jesus is urging us to repent before death comes and we perish from God’s presence forever.

Third of all Jesus tells us:

3. The Act of Repentance Changes us.

V:6-9.

Jesus tells a short parable, to illustrate the fact that repentance changes us. The fig tree is a symbol for the nation of Israel in the Bible. The nation of Israel was to bear fruit to the glory of God, but they failed to do that.

So the owner of the fig tree was going to cut it down. But the gardener asked the owner to spare the fig tree for one more year; and allow him to loosen up the soil, fertilize, prune and give the tree attention and see if it would bear fruit. If it bore fruit in that year wonderful, if not after that year it would be cut down.

If there was a change in the tree, it would be seen by the fruit it bore. Real repentance changes you, it changes you at the core of your being, which results in the fruit of a changed life. Repentance changes you inwardly, outwardly, and eternally!

We know the nation of Israel never repented, and they were judged and cut down.

Jesus is calling for you and me to repent, that we might experience salvation, and an inward change, that results in outward fruitfulness.

Repentance that brings salvation, involves a change of mind, emotions, and will.

1. Mind.

Repentance is a change of mind; you change your mind about sin, from approval to disapproval, from loving it to hating it. You see your sin as an affront to a holy God, that it is not a light, laughing matter.

You change your mind about God, you see God as a holy, just God. You see God as a loving and merciful God who wants to forgive you.

You no longer want to rebel against him, be indifferent to him, but you want to accept him and submit to him.

You change your mind about yourself, you see yourself as a wicked, guilty sinner deserving God’s wrath and eternal hell.

2. Emotions.

Repentance involves your emotions, there is a sense of sorrow, shame, guilt before God. Repentance involves conviction, exposure before a holy God, not because you’re in trouble with man. You feel in your emotions sorrow, conviction because you’re in trouble with God Almighty.

There is an anguish of soul that your sin is against God, and that your sin put Jesus on the cross.

3. Will.

Repentance also involves your will. Repentance involves turning from your sin to God. Repentance changes the way you think, feel, and act.

Repentance involves a change of direction, a transformation of the will. Repentance is an about-face, you’re going one way, you repent of your sin, trust Jesus; and you go a different direction.

Repentance means not only to be broken over your sin, but to be broken from your sin.

Repentance is not just an act that you do; repentance is worked in your heart by the Holy Spirit. -“God grants repentance…

As the gospel is preached, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit grips our heart; God brings repentance which enables you to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ; and at that very moment you are regenerated, born again.

Repentance is a change of mind, heart and will, that changes the direction of your life.

Repentance is when God breaks in own you, opening your mind to your sin, breaking your heart, and changing your will.

Repentance and faith brings salvation; and transformation follows. When the root of your heart is changed, the fruit of your life will show it!

-“How you turned from idols to serve the true and living God”.

Let me make it clear, that repentance and faith are two separate, but inseparable truths. Repentance is not some work you do, to get yourself prepared to trust Jesus; no! If you repent, turn from your sin, you will be turning to Jesus Christ and faith. If you turn to Jesus Christ and faith, you will be turning from your sin and self-righteousness.

Repentance and faith are two sides to the same coin.

If God grants you repentance, you better repent and trust in Jesus!

Repentance doesn’t mean giving up something; it means giving up everything!

Halfhearted repentance, is nothing more than wholehearted rebellion.

Why is it that people on the church roll never come to church? I’ll tell you why, they have never repented.

Why is it that over 50% of church members give absolutely nothing to his church? They have never repented.

Why is it that many church members drink the same beer, watches the same shows, listen to the same jokes, and live the same live as non-church members? They have never repented!

When you truly repent, the tree of your life will bear spiritual fruit.

Zacchaeus-got saved and gave evidence of his repentance. He called Jesus Lord, and gave back the money he had stolen, and made restitution with the people he had wronged.

Prodigal son- saw himself a sinner, repented to God and his father, left his sin, and went home.

He is a perfect picture of the Bible repentance;

His mind was affected, he came to himself.

His emotions were touched, he said I have sinned against heaven and against my father.

His will was activated, he got up and left the pigpen. You say Pastor Eddie, what leads a person to repentance? The fear of hell, judgment, the wrath of God; those things certainly awaken our soul.

But the Bible says it is the goodness, kindness and love of God leads a person to repentance.

-“The goodness of God leads you to repentance”.

God is a good God, loving, kind God, merciful and full of love and grace and mercy to you!

Do you know why you have not already been cut down, destroyed, the cost Jesus is interceding for you. The patience of God is seen in giving this tree another year; what would you do if you knew you had only one more year to live?

God has been good to you, he sent Jesus to die on the cross for you, he sent the Holy Spirit to convict you, and he brought you to here today to hear the gospel. What we see in this parable is the incredible patience of God, and the intercession of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is saying father, give them one more year to repent and bear fruit! Jesus is saying wait, wait, wait, He is praying and desiring you to repent, and turn to him! Receive him as your Savior and bear fruit!

God is waiting for you this morning; but he will not always strive with man. If this were your last year, you’re last Sunday; what would you do? Why not do it today!

The time of repentance is now; behold today is a day of salvation.

Repentance is not just the beginning of the Christian life, repentance is part of the Christian life. When is the last time you repented as a Christian? There are a lot of Christians trapped in the cycle of, sin and confession, sin and confession but they never break free from their sin, why? A lack of repentance! Repentance means you see your sin as God does, you confess it and you don’t go back to it!

Genuine repentance brings in the life of the Christian grief over sin, turning from sin, revival, and freedom. Thank God today that when the Holy Spirit convicts you that you are going the wrong way; you can repent, turn from your sin, and turn to God! Have you repented? When is the last time you repented? -Quote.