Biblical Evangelism Stresses The Urgency Of Repentance

BIBLICAL EVANGELISM STRESSES THE URGENCY OF REPENTANCE

ISAIAH 55:1-8

A REAL COMPLAINT ABOUT MODERN INVENTIONS, PARTICULARLY FROM THE LAST CENTURY, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE PLACING A GREATER DEPENDANCY ON THEM AND LESS ON THEIR OWN SKILLS.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY WORKS WELL WHEN IT WORKS, BUT WHEN IT DOESN’T, PEOPLE ARE LEFT OUT IN THE DARK.

I REMEMBER WRITING AN EXAM WHILE ATTENDING ATLANTIC BAPTIST COLLEGE, NOW KNOWN AS CRANDALL UNIVERSITY. SOME OTHER STUDENTS WERE WRITING A MATH EXAM AT THE SAME TIME. THERE WAS A CRASH, AND THERE LYING ON THE FLOOR WAS A MATH STUDENTS CALCULATOR IN PIECES. I HEARD AN “OH NO,” AS SHE PICKED UP THE PIECES.

HER PROFESSOR CAME TO HER, PICKED UP THE PIECES AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CALCULATOR BACK TOGETHER. HE ASSEMBLED THE PARTS, PRAYED OVER IT, AND GAVE IT BACK TO THE STUDENT. THE CALCULATOR WQORKED PERFECTLY.

HERE’S THE POINT. THAT STUDENT WAS TAUGHT, IN CLASS, ALL THE FORMULAS TO WORK OUT THE VARIOUS MATH PROBLEMS SHE WAS DEALING WITH. SHE HAD ALL THE INFORMATION TO COMPLETE THE EXAM, IF NEED BE, DOING THE CALCULATIONS BY PENCIL AND PAPER. YET WHEN HER CALCULATOR FELL AND BROKE SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS FINISHED.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE INSTEAD OF USING ELECTRONIC DEVICES AS AN AID IN OUR WORK, WE ARE NOW DEPENDANT ON THEM TO DO OUR JOB.

WE ACCEPTE AND LOOK FOR THE QUICKER, EASIER WAYS TO DO THINGS, AND HAVE THUS BEEN LULLED INTO AN ATTITUDE OF APATHY AND LETHARGY WHEN IT COMES TO DOING, EVEN THE MOST ELEMENTARY OF TASKS WITHOUT THE AID OF TECHNOLOGY.

PAUL PAINTS A PICTURE OF THIS HAPPENING IN 2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER FOUR.

2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4:

3THE TIME WILL COME WHEN PEOPLE WON’T PUT UP WITH TRUE TEACHING. INSTEAD, THEY WILL TRY TO SATISFY THEIR OWN LONGINGS. THEY WILL GATHER A LARGE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AROUND THEM. THE TEACHERS WILL SAY WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR. 4THE PEOPLE WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH. THEY WILL TURN TO STORIES THAT AREN’T COMPLETELY TRUE.

HE TELLS US HERE THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE ITCHING EARS AND WANT TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF EASY BELIEVISM, AND THERE WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS WHO WILL GIVE THEM JUST THAT.

PEOPLE WILL NOT WANT TO HEAR OF THEIR SIN AND THEIR NEED OF REPENTAND AND SALVATION. PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM BELIEVING IN HEAVEN, AND EQUALLY NO TROUBLE BELIEVING THAT HELL DOES NOT EXIST.

CHRISTIANS TODAY WILL DISPUTE THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE, AND MANY THEOLOGICAL POSITIONS WHICH HAVE LONG BEEN BELIEVED TO BE UNTOUCHABLE.

MOST OF THESE CHANGES HAVE COME AS A RESULT OF PEOPLE SEEKING AN EASY BELIEVING CHRISTIANITY THAT WILL NOT COST ANYTHING TO FOLLOW,. SO, WHEN THE TIME COMES THOUGH FOR A SPIRITUAL DECISION TO BE MADE, THEY HAVE NO FOUNDATION TO WORK THE PROBLEM THROUGH.

THE RESULT OF THIS APATHY IS A LOSS OF THE SENSE OF URGENCY FOR SALVATION AND REPENTANCE. CALL IT WHAT YOU MAY, ONE THING IS CERTAIN. THESE ISSUES ARE AN UNGENT NECESSITY IN YOUR LIVES NOW.

AS ONE PERSON SAID, “IF WE DON’T TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO FOLLOW CHRIST, THE WORLD WILL TEACH THEM NOT TO.”

OUR PASSAGE TODAY OFFERS COMPELLING ARGUMENTS THAT SPEAK OF THE URGENCY OF OUR MESSAGE. ISAIAH NOTES FOUR REASONS FOR THE URGENCY OF REPENTANCE IN THIS PASSAGE, AND I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE FACT THAT ISAIAH IS SPEAKING ABOUT IT IS A FIFTH.

ISAIAH WROTE THIS BOOK OVER 500 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. TO SPEAK OF THE URGENCY OF REPENTANCE AND SALVATION 500 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR, SURELY SPEAKS TO ITS URGENCY.

LET’S GO TO THE PASSAGE:

ISAIAH 55:1-5:

“COME, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE THIRSTY. COME AND DRINK THE WATER I OFFER TO YOU. YOU WHO DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY, COME. BUY AND EAT THE GRAIN I GIVE YOU. COME AND BUY WINE AND MILK. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR IT. 2WHY SPEND MONEY ON WHAT IS NOT FOOD? WHY WORK FOR WHAT DOES NOT SATISFY YOU? LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ME. THEN YOU WILL EAT WHAT IS GOOD. YOU WILL ENJOY THE RICHEST FOOD THERE IS. 3LISTEN AND COME TO ME. PAY ATTENTION TO ME. THEN YOU WILL LIVE. I WILL MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU THAT WILL LAST FOREVER. I WILL GIVE YOU MY FAITHFUL LOVE. I PROMISED IT TO DAVID. 4I MADE HIM A WITNESS TO THE NATIONS. HE BECAME A LEADER AND COMMANDER OVER THEM. 5YOU TOO WILL SEND FOR NATIONS YOU DO NOT KNOW. EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT KNOW YOU, THEY WILL HURRY AND COME TO YOU. THAT IS WHAT I WILL DO. I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. I AM THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. I HAVE HONORED YOU.”

ISAIAH IS A BOOK THAT HAS TWO MAIN DIVISIONS BY CHAPTERS. CHAPTERS 1-39 EMPHASIZE THE UPCOMING JUDGMENT, AND 40-66 THE BLESSINGS OF A RENEWED RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST FOLLOWING THE JUDGMENTS.