REPENTANCE
John’s text — Matt. 3:1-2
Jesus’s text — Matt. 4:17
INTRO: John was the first minister to preach repentance. Following John,
Christ came preaching repentance, and both used the same text.
I. WHAT IS REPENTANCE?
A. Repentance is not joining the church.
1. Church membership has nothing to do with repentance, or forgive
ness of sin.
2. Joining the church will not save you. Millions of church
members will be in Hell.
3. Those who repent will be saved regardless of their
denomination.
B. Repentance is not water baptism.
1. John preached baptism and demanded repentance (3:7-8, 11).
2. Baptism without repentance will not change our standing with
God.
C. Repentance is regret for past conduct firmly made known.
1. You may be sorry for mistreating someone, but if you haven’t
asked him for forgiveness, you have not repented.
2. Repentance is sincere confession to God, with such earnestness
that their is no doubt.
II. WHAT URGES MEN TO REPENT?
A. Men are moved to repentance through the power of the Gospel
(Romans 1:16).
1. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
2. Peter’s sermon at pentecost moved millions.
3. Philip moved the whole city of Samaria.
B. A Godly sorrow worketh repentance (2 Cor. 7:8-10).
1. Paul wrote a letter to them.
2. Repentance is not the result of men working themselves up.
a. Man’s heart sorrows.
b. He then repents.
III. MAN IS OBLIGATED TO REPENT (Romans 3:23).
A. Repentance is the only means to blot out sin.
1. Unforgiven sins will condemn us in the judgment.
2. Unrepented sins are unforgiven sins.
B. God commands men to repent (Acts 17:29-30).
C. Jesus taught that men would repent or perish.
1. He puts all sinners in the same class, and declares that they
will perish if they don’t repent.
2. Samson repented and received strength again.
CONC: ILLUS: Repentance Necessary -- If there is no repentance, there can be no pardon. Some years ago a murderer was sentenced to death. The murderer’s brother, to whom the State was deeply indebted for former services, asked the governor of the State for his brother’s pardon. The pardon was granted, and the man visited his brother with the pardon in his pocket.
"What would you do," he said to him, "if you received a pardon?"
"The first thing I would do," he answered, "is to track down the judge who sentenced me and kill him; and the next thing I would do is to track down the chief witness and kill him."
The brother rose, and left the prison with the pardon still in his pocket.
