It's Time To Repent
Notes
Transcript
Revelation 2:20-
20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
It is amazing to me, that even in a time such as this, there are still some people who are going about life with no care or concern about their souls. We see death all around us, invading the world, invading our nation, invading our cities, trying to invade our bodies, our families and our homes. Yet, there are those who think that it should be business as usual. Get up everyday and won’t acknowledge God. Daily, practicing and living in sin not realizing that they could soon be called into judgement.
Many people think that it’s time to relax now because they are off their jobs.
Time to spend time with their families or catch up on home chores.
I believe though that “It’s Repenting Time”.
I have been observing preachers say that this nation has turned from God....and I do believe that is true. However, I believe the world its self has turned away from God. People don’t call on God like they use to, they don’t serve God like they use to, partly because they are too busy serving themselves or busy serving others instead of serving God.
In our text, God had a problem with the church of Thyatira. They they had some good things going for them, they had good love, they had faith, they had good service, and they endured hardship and suffering, they were a church on the move and was improving in all things. These are good things to have, as believers we should strive to have all of these qualities and improve in all things. Yet, The LORD had a problem with the church because the church was allowing “that woman Jezebel (who was a false-prophetess) to lead his servants astray. She was teaching them to compromise, to live a double-lifestyle, that it was okay to be in the church but yet to also live wordly, to engage in sinful social customs, and to practice a sinful lifestyle (sounds really familiar huh).
Any church that allows its members to come to church and know that members are engaging in double lifestyles and practice of sin and refuses to preach and stand against it is just like Thyatira. We have to preach and warn people that it is “Repenting Time”. Yes many people are worried and afraid, they are concerned about their well-being and the well-being of their families, but the church not only has to be concerned about those things, they need to be concerned about souls! Many people are dying and many of these people are dying without the chance to repent and get it right with God.
10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
When we speak of “Repenting Time” we are not just talking about you feeling sorry for what you’ve done. God wants a godly sorrow that will lead us away from sin and that will result in salvation. Worldly sorrow has remorse, it makes you feel bad but it lacks repentance because after they turn the tv off, after they leave the church, after the situation has cleared up, they return back to the same lifestyle or sin. When you have godly sorrow, it will cause you to pack your stuff up and go the opposite direction......it will cause you to forsake that old lifestyle, that old habit, that old way of thinking and doing things and will cause you to run to God!
When we speak of “Repenting Time” we are not just talking about you feeling sorry for what you’ve done. God wants a godly sorrow that will lead us away from sin and that will result in salvation. Wordly sorrow has remorse, it makes you feel bad but it lacks repentance because after they turn the tv off, after they leave the church, after the situation has cleared up, they return back to the same lifestyle or sin. When you have godly sorrow, it will cause you to pack your stuff up and go the opposite direction......it will cause you to forsake that old lifestyle, that old habit, that old way of thinking and doing things and will cause you to run to God!
10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
Jezebel and her followers reclined on reclining couches in pagan temples, couches of pleasure. They relaxed and enjoyed their ease, banqueting and even sometimes engaging in temple prostitution and illicit sexual behaviors. The Lord told John that unless she repented and those who followed her ways repented, he was gonna cause that same place of comfort and pleasure to be a place of sickness and suffering.
Jezebel and her followers reclined on reclining couches in pagan temples, couches of pleasure. They relaxed and enjoyed their ease, banqueting and even sometimes engaging in temple prostitution and illicit sexual behaviors. The Lord told John that unless she repented and those who followed her ways repented, he was gonna cause that same place of comfort and pleasure to be a place of sickness and suffering.
But in spite of her sin and her actions, we still see that God is being a merciful God. He even wants to save Jezebel. Why? Because He wants Jezebel and her followers to repent (Verse 21).
It is a tragic thing for people to love sin, to love the world so much, to love living in darkness and serving the devil that they refuse to repent. Jesus said, I gave her time to repent but she does not want to turn away from her immorality “It’s Repenting Time”.
But because she refuses to repent, God said I’ll put her on a bed of suffering. I’ll strike her children dead, then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
Closing:
Jesus said, but I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching, I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. Hold tight to your love, hold tight to your faith, hold tight to your service, hold tight to God in your suffering, hold tight in going higher in the LORD!