Public Faith: Repent? Why?

We’ve been talking about our public faith for some time now. We first looked at how our faith essentially is public. Jesus didn’t plan it to be anything else. He wants us to …invites us to spread the news that there’s good news that counters the bad news that we all sense and feel and know about.

Last week we looked at Paul’s notion of what following God’s spirit will look like (Galatians 5). If you reemmber, he first stated what the sinful nature looks like…THen he points to the fruit of the spirit…and notice what he doesn’t say....

Before that we looked at how John wrote that our identity is marked by the spirit of God. It’s kind of like we’re going backwards towards truth…narrowing things down to more simple terms.

I think what we’re seeing is this…our public faith, in a very real way, doesn’t have much to do with us at all does it. Our public faith is very much marked and identified by God. Meaning…our public faith…needs to reflect God…and not by our own means…but by God’s spirit directing us.

Today, we’re again looking at how God’s spirit works best in us…through us. If, as Paul says…there’s the sinful nature that is in us…and God’s spirit…How do we get to the point where we can allow God’s spirit to work. What is the transition…what’s the segue?

There’s something that we need to do up front…and often it is confusing. This is not an easy subject because this is not something we enjoy doing…as humans…usually....until we see the ultimate reason for it and what is on the other side.

We’re going think big today on the subject of repentance. It is a big subject. It has everything to do with our public faith… And if we’re going to see, as Paul says…the fruits of God’s spirit in our lives, we’re going to need to allow God’s spirit to grow in our lives. But something is required to allow that to happen. And even though this is a tough subject to tackle…I think there’s simplicity in how to understand it…the reasons behind it.

Normally when we think of the word repent, we get images of shame and guilt and sadness and … dark images. And to be honest, those things might be very appropriate.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever been a “fire and brimstone” teacher…but there are times when we need to look at the reality of judgement and eternity. There are some things that need to be talked about. And so today, we’re going to look at repentance…and ultimately, how it is a necessary thing for us to have a purposeful, meaningful, public faith.

A soap manufacturer and a pastor were walking together down a street in a large city. The soap manufacturer casually said, “The Gospel you preach hasn’t done much good has it? Just observe. There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and a lot of wicked people, too!”

The pastor made no reply until they passed a dirty little child making mud pies in the gutter. Seizing the opportunity, the pastor said, “I see that soap hasn’t done much good in the world either; for there is much dirt, and many dirty people around.”

The soap man said, “Oh, well, soap is only useful when it is applied.”

And the pastor said, “Exactly, so it is with the Gospel.”

There’s a choice to be made.

Our text today…i guess in kind of a neat way…in from two passages. Matthew 3:8

Matthew 3:8 CSB

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.

or Luke 3:8

Luke 3:8 (CSB)

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.

This is from John the Baptist…and is just before Jesus is baptized by him.

Context:

OT Repentance - prophets were notorious for speaking about repentance to God’s people. Now think about this …this is God’s chosen people…and they still need to repent. God’s chosen still needing repentance. And repentance was always in the context of “repent or...” It was as if repentance was the hinge on the door. It was the fence to cross. It was the line in the sand. Last week we kind of talked about this dichotomy all through scripture…this or that.

Now John is talking about repentance again…but with an added sense of … something is happening. A bigger sense of urgency maybe. Jesus…soon after this account is beginning to preach and some of the first words we have recorded of Jesus…He says, “…repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Again, this sense of urgency.

Matthew points that John is talking with the Pharisees with others listening…Luke gives I think a broader picture with John pointing out the pharisees but also including the whole group of listeners.

People are coming out to JOhn....make straight the ways....Isaiah 40:3-5

Isaiah 40:3–5 CSB

3 A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4 Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Now what is John saying with the term repent?

Monetoia - to turn....

Example of Canadian town that was secluded …you could only get there by one road…likewise, you could only leave by one road.

This is truly a turn-around. I think if we look at both the Old Testament and New Testament definitions of repent we get this image of remorse…regret…sorrow…but why? That’s the big question.

Here’s the picture

And this is for all people. Not one of us is immune to the need for repentance.

Romans 3:10 CSB

10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

The idea or the call to repent is an equal call to everyone...

Judge Horace Gray of Boston who would later go on to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court once said to the man who escaped conviction on a technicality: “I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law.”

Man’s justice is always subject to errors, but God’s justice is perfect. No sin escapes His gaze, and though punishment is sometimes delayed as God grants room to repent, it is certain. No one escapes God’s justice on a technicality.

There is this sense…that John is being very up front about…like the prophets from the OT. There are two places to be…either all in with yourself…or repentance…meaning that you bow before God. There’s no in-between here.

Here’s the picture.

If we put off repentance another day, we have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in.

In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait.

Now the police and the owner of the Volkswagen Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car. Often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape His punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding His rescue.

Luke 24:46–47 CSB

46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.