PART 4 - FIRST, REPENT

TURN with me to PROVERBS 1.

Proverbs 1:20–33 (ESV)

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25 because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

PRAY: For the WISDOM of God to SOAK into our hearts today in JESUS name. Amen.

First God,

First Bring

First Live (social media mental health - go back).

“First Repent”

So What is repentance?

REPENTANCE (Lexham Bible Dictionary).

“A change of attitude and action from sin toward obedience to God. The concept of repentance differs slightly in the Hebrew and Greek minds, but an emphasis upon right behavior is consistent throughout.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Repentance in Hebrew)

Repentance in Hebrew

No Hebrew word is an exact equivalent for the English term “repentance.” Repentance was expressed by a number of different actions that show a change in thinking and attitude toward sin and God. Repentance may be demonstrated by:• a public display of mourning over sin, such as weeping (Ezra 10:1), tearing garments and/or hair (Ezra 9:3), and wearing sackcloth (Joel 1:13)• making restitution for wrongs committed (1 Chr 21:22–26)• abasing oneself before the wronged party (Gen 33:3)

The Hebrew word that most closely approximates “repent” or “repentance” is translated into English as “return,” which basically means “to turn around and go in the opposite direction.” In theological contexts, the implication is to turn from a road characterized by rebellion toward God and to a road characterized by obedience. The emphasis is upon actions that necessarily proceed from turning one’s orientation toward God.

Repentance in Greek

The Greek word for “repentance” derives from a verb meaning “to radically change one’s thinking.” “Repentance” refers to an event in which an individual attains a divinely provided new understanding of their behavior and feels compelled to change that behavior and begin a new relationship with God (Heb 6:1; Acts 20:21). While the Greek language can represent the concept of repentance as an independent action, the Semitic background of the New Testament writers demanded that appropriate actions follow the event of repentance (Matt 3:8; Acts 26:20).

Examples of changed behaviors following repentance include:•

Zacchaeus making restitution for the fraud he committed as part of his occupation (Luke 19:1–10)•

Paul preaching the faith he once tried to destroy (Acts 9:1–28)•

Here is a couple of important verses:

2 Chron 7:14 “14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

ezek 18:21 “21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

Romans 2:4 “4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Notes / Thoughts:

FIRTS LIVING MEANS FIRST, REPENTING.

AND TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON DOING JUST THAT.

There needs to be a continual cycle of Repentance for our LIVES.

Q: HOW OFTEN DO YOU SAY TO GOD, SORRY I GOT IT WRONG?.......how often are we coming before the lord acknowledging our sins.....and choosing to say SORRY.

OK - SO LIVING GOD FIRST LIVES… WITH REPENTANT HEARTS -

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW TODAY!

WHY DO WE NEED THIS IN OUR LIVES: (& then inside each point we’ll have the answer and the solution which is usually right there but we don’t realize....).

1.Repentance means to acknowledge sin

to confess, to fess up, to figure it out --to come to a place of saying “yeh ok this is wrong”

WHAT THIS IS ________ IS FLAT OUT WRONG.

TO WILLFULLY EMBRACE THIS AS SIN: everything up until that point is simply blame, denial, (Delusion maybe)

we justify, we explain (to God- ha thats fun), we try to skirt by it.

But the SPIRIT of GOW will always BE ABRASIVE in our LIVES when it comes up to SIN.

We have to ACKNOWLEDGE SIN.

To come to a place of understanding of WRONG, Committed wrong,

But.//..how is this accomplished? Is it me? is it someone else telling me? Maybe - you know who does this FOR US.

THE HOLY SPIRIT TELLS ME WHATS WRONG //// OFTEN SHOWING US THROUGH THE WORD.

The work of the Holy Spirits role in our lives.

His role in our lives is to:

Tell us when something is WRONG in our lives....Lead us in the direction of what is RIGHT

BUT WE HAVE TO BE OPEN, WILLING and HAVE EARS THAT ARE OPEN TO WHAT HE IS SAYING TO US.

Holy SPIRIT Correction is BLESSED Correction.

This is what happened to the rebellious, reckless PRODIGAl in Luke 15

Luke 15 (ESV)

Its INTERESTING Here that just before Jesus tells the story - He talks about a woman who loses 10 silver coins and finds one - but listen to the parralel he makes here - He talks about repentence

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

---------

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

this is what Gods SPIRIT does in our lives, Show us whats wrong, Help us to know whats right

Remind us that its the LOVE of God that leads us to repentance. (Grace reminders).

WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE and APPRECIATE AND COME AROUND SIN FOR WHAT IT IS. SIN.

DO you DO THAT? DO YOU ALLOW THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO SHOW YOU WHERE THERE IS SIN IN YOUR LIFE?

(the reason there is silence right now is because EVERYONE sins)

SIN IS PART OF OUR FALLEN TSTATE, WE SIN AGAINST GOD.

(we are not HYPER grace people - repent once people).

THIS IS HOW WE STAY SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY as GODS PEOPLE. WE SAY, THATS SIN & THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AND WE START THE JOURNEY THERE. THATS HEALTHY. THATS A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN.

2.Repentance means i will do something about it

The Christian LIFE is like two sides of a coin:

Revelation..... that leads to action

Invitation that brings a response:

I love the biblical language were given it says to “turn away”

I know God meant it to be this way - because He always LEAVES us ROOM to DO something with what Hes shown us.

THE HOLY SPIRIT SHOWS ME WHATS NOW NEEDED TO BE DONE.

NOW that we know What needs addressing.... What are we gonna DO about it?

Three common-use excuses:

I’ll never be able to change: thats a lie. your lifestyle and your way of doing things is not a foregone conclusion.

I just cant do it: thats a lie because its not you anyway but the power of God working in you

Its just the way i was brought up: no, thats a lie - you’ve been regenerated by the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

2 Cor 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

you are a new creation. the OLD has GONE. the new has COME. and the HOLY SPIRIT is who DOES THE WORK and GIVES US the POWER to achieve the OVERCOMING REQUIRED to be able to change and repent and go a new way.

I want to give you the key ingredient needed to make REPENTANCE A REAL WORk in our lives and help us LIVE FIRST for God.

Now - this is Its not talked about enough

I would say its FOR SURE Its losing its PROMINENCE even in our FAITH

its something that we need to TURN the VOLUME up on a little.

The key INGREDIENT to MAKE THIS LIFE OF REPENTANCE BEFORe THE LORD ACTUALLY BECOME A LIFESTYLE OF GOD FIRST IS THIS: HUMILITY.

Humility has no PROBLEMS saying something.....

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO SAY TO OUR SPOUSES, OUR FRIENDS, OUR PEOPLE THESE WORDS:

“I

WAS

WRONG”.

.... This is WHY

..... WEVE STOPPED SAYING IT TO GOD. WEVE STOPPED SAYING IT TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

and weve allowed the biggest of all SINS to eclipse us:

Listen to what John said:

1 John 2:15-17 “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

THE PRIDE OF LIFE.

The pride of OWN

The Pride of SELF

the PRIDE of DOING things MY WAY. and PLACING my OWN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING at the TOP OF THE TREE IN MY OWN EXISTENCE, MY OWN EDEN.

THIS IS WHY REPENTANCE IS SO GOOD TO TALK ABOUT.

What does repentance do for us: (i made a little list).

*It turns us from leading our selves

*it helps us see whats right (and often keeps us from the enemy)

*it helps us forgive others quickly (because we seek Gods forgiveness)

*it changes the lens from temporal to eternal. (i think about heaven, i think about my life in teh SCOPE of eternity).

*It denies me what i want, it supplies in my what God wants for me.

… But ultimately it does thoes:

*it brings me closer to my GOD.

I believe God is calling his people to repentance through the power of the SPIRIT to BE PEOPLE who come before GOD and SAY to HIM:

GOD IM SORRY, i WAS WRONG.

3.Repentance means to Turn your MIND towards JESUS.

True repentance always leads to the feet of Jesus. His way. His speaking.

THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS BRINGS ME BACK TO ME THINKING OF CHRIST.

Our lives should have a constant turning towards the heart of GOD. Which is to MAKE a DECISION to COURSE CORRECT in the WAY OF JESUS, our LEAD TEACHER.

Story: Maizey, Sailing & and the lighthouse.

Our lives can get off course.

We have to be willing to course correct

How often>? whenever we feel led

whenever the HOLY SPIRIT shows us.

God is saying - TAKE your MIND - and USE IT to FOCUS On and DECIDE upon me. LET ME DO THE HEAVY LIFTING OF TURNING YOUR HEART, SOFTENING YOUR HEART, AND BRINGING YOU ONTO THE COURSE HAVE FOR YOU.

HOLY SPIRIT COME.

Be the RUDDER we NEED.

STEER OUR HEARTS.

WE CHOOSE TO SAY

YOU ARE IN CONTROL.

TELL US WHERE TO GO.!

MINISTRY MOMENT:

THE RUDDER OF REPENTENCE.

OUR RUDDER KEEPS US ON COURSE.

But RUDDERS are at the BACK of the boat

ever tried to steer a boat with a rudder in reverse?

Its very quick to move and it moves away from the course very quickly!

Thats why we need the HOLY SPIRIT leading us on

Because he is in the control terminal up on the bow

We are in the back