Repentance
Authentic Christianity - #2 of 7
Jerry Watts
Ezekiel 33:11 Luke 13:1-5
* Authentic Christianity! What comes to your mind when you hear that phrase? This week I prayed and thought about this question because I want to understand what it is that people think and believe is ‘Christianity that is authentic.’ I don’t think I figured it out and, in all likelihood, didn’t do it justice.
* For some, the answer to this query is seen in attendance, giving, service, leading, or in being nice to everyone. Certainly most of these will find their place in the life of an authentic Christian, but is this truly all it means to be authentic in our Christian walk?
* Does it simply mean that we walk an aisle, get baptized, and take our place on a pew 30 times or so during the year? (By the way without any extra services, this church body holds over 140 services each year, do really think this is why Jesus died?) I don’t
* The very reason which, I believe, the Lord has led me to this series of messages.
* Let me remind you of the first step toward Authentic Christianity, it is in followship. This means we respond to the very simple call from Jesus to “Follow Me.” Last week we noted, He calls us to follow Him in Salvation, Sanctification, and in Service.
* Today consider the second needed step toward authenticity: it is that of repentance. For most people, this is an ugly word, considered out of date. In fact, most people would rather the preacher not broach this subject because of its impact.
* Vance Havner is well known quoting Joseph Parker saying, “The man whose little sermon is ‘repent’ sets himself against his age, and will for the time being be battered mercilessly by the age whose moral tone he challenges. There is but one end for such a man -- ‘off with his head!’ You had better not try to preach repentance until you have pledged your head to heaven.” There is no more needed message for today than this. People do not drift toward holiness & righteousness, they must aim for it.
* Let’s get a handle on our culture: a few weeks ago my message was “America-an upside down nation.” This picture describes America. What the Bible teaches as wrong, America has determined to be right. This has resulted in 1.5 million dead babies each year, in suicide being the top contributor to teen death, in the development of an amoral society (moral, immoral, versus amoral), and now a leader who has no concept of God or conscious about God. We are a dying culture & don’t know it.
* Take a look around: According to Focus on the Family & the Barna research group:
* 1500 pastors leaven the ministry each month due to all kinds of conflict, 50% of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce, 80% of seminary & Bible College grads who enter ministry will leave in the 1st 5 years. If this is not enough:
* NOW See the condition of the Church: Depending on who you read, between 70% & 90% of churches are in decline. Overall, church attendance is down to 17% of the population. Most denomination are ‘flat lined’ in baptism & new members. The majority of people reportedly are looking for God, but not looking in the church because the church possesses a horrible reputation. You don’t like this? Me either, but it changes nothing because this culture sees little in the church that reminds them of Christ. Judgment comes to God’s house.
* READ TEXT. That last question can be rephrased, “Why would you die, America or church?” The answer to this query can well be, “Because we refuse to repent.”
* The message of God, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and of the Bible for one and all is ‘repent.’ Vance Havner reminds us that this is Jesus’ first and last word to the church. This morning see the essence, the essentials, the evidence, & the effects of repentance.
1) The Essence – The first question we need to address is, “What does it mean to repent?” Think about it, In Matthew 3 John the Baptist burst on the scene with this message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” When the church people came to check him out, he called them a ‘brood of vipers’ because he knew repentance was not a part of their lives. They based their righteousness (their rightness before God) on their lineage, which was Abraham. Here is the application today. “My daddy was a preacher-missionary-song leader-Sunday school teacher-etc so I’m okay.” “My parents were charter member of ‘such and such’ church so I’m good.” John pointedly challenged them to ‘produce fruits consistent with repentance’ and ended with ‘If the tree doesn’t produce good fruit, the tree will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’ His entire message was centered around repentance or the lack thereof.
* The essence of repentance is a change of mind, a change of attitude, and a change of heart. It is the admission that you are a sinner because you sin, but rather you sin because in your nature you are a sinner. Repentance is not turning from what you’ve done, but what you are! David nailed it when he said, “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”
* He wasn’t denigrating the act of his parents in conception as sin nor is he blaming his parents for his problems. What he is saying is, “My nature is sinful and sin has a vice-grip on me.” The Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” This means that each one of us, even Believers, do battle with the old sinful self.
* The New Testament words for repent is ‘metaneo’ – literally means, ‘to think differently’ or to ‘reconsider’ to the point of a change of directions or turning away from sin. Too many people have taken this call to repent to mean ‘turning away from my sinful behavior.’ Hear this: Repentance is not just turning away from the fruits of sin, but also the roots of sin. Most of the sin we see and know grows from a strong root in our lives. A person can confess to telling a lie without ever admitting he is a liar.
* Today when speaking of sin, most people think of sex. First of all, God thought us sex, designed it, and controls it (which means, “He alone writes the rules for it.” A woman or a man breaks their marriage vows and commits adultery. Their excuse is, “I deserve better.” The root issue is not sex but selfishness with a little pride sprinkled in. A young man commits sin (the Bible word is fornication) with a casual friend and his excuse is ‘everybody’s doing it.” Once again, the root of pride has rising its ugly head and taken down another person who Christ wants better for. Richard Owen Roberts writes that ‘unbelief is behind the murmuring and complaining that is so much a part of many lives’ and goes on to say that, “No amount of confession is going to make a difference until the root of unbelief is eliminated by repentance.”
* The essence of repentance is to see your sin at its root & uproot it. You will never find internal or eternal joy and peace until you repent.
2) The Essentials – turn to Luke 13 and let’s see what Jesus teaches about repentance. Keep in mind that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost & bring them to God. (READ). Did you catch His message? His message is simply that no one is a greater sinner than another one because all have sinned and fallen short of God. His message is “Unless you repent you will perish.” The word ‘essential’ means just that. “You have to.” The FDA has a list of ‘essential fatty acids’ which says, if you want to be healthy, these are required. Jesus says, “If you don’t want to perish, repentance is required.” In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul is speaking to a pagan crowd in Athens. They were a people who had a city filled with idols for gods. They even had an idol to the “Unknown God.” To them Paul said, “God commands all people everywhere to repent.” It is required.
* Repentance happens at salvation. If you did not repent, you did not get saved! In Acts 2 the people asked, “What must we do?” The first word was “repent.” Because repetition is the mother of learning I say this again, “repentance is not just turning from what you do, it is turning from what you are.” In salvation, you must see yourself as a sinner; you must see how you have offended God. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. When He comes to you & begins to deal with you, He will point out the truth that you are a sinner, He’ll show you the ways you have failed God by sinning, & then He’ll call you to turn from your sin & turn to Him. This is the path to life.
* For all believers: “Repentance is not just a onetime event but a continual attitude.” This is essential to live an authentic Christian life. When you talk with people, you’ll hear them say, “Preacher, you don’t need to worry about me, I’m okay. I repented many years ago.” Well that is great, but what about those sins of yesterday.
* It is never enough to say, “I have repented” because you repented in your past. It is needful to say, “I am repentant” because repentance is, indeed, an ongoing attitude. One of the reasons for the lack of authenticity in Christianity today can be traced to old fashion, Bible time “Pharisaism.” First of all, we must understand that the Pharisee was a deeply religious person in his day. People were in awe of the Pharisee’s commitment and righteousness. Sadly, if you didn’t think a Pharisee was righteous, just stand around for a second and listen, they’d be glad to tell you or show you how righteous & holy they were. Sound like any believers today? No? Consider this, a Pharisee would NEVER repent, they would never be found at the altar in tears before God, because they have it all together & have an image to uphold. People think they have it together & are the poster child for a religious life – and their image is all they have.
* They study the law, live by their law, and judge by their law. The result is this: The Pharisee, like the ‘Culturally Religious,’ does not see the need for personal repentance. They may ‘say’ I still sin, but to admit it & repent of it is inconceivable. The sad result for the non-repentant person can be a ‘hard, cold, calloused, even calculating heart.’ The reason for this is that harboring sin creates coldness inside.
* On the other hand, repentance before God has a way of softening the hard heart, melting the cold heart, & developing a sensitive spirit of compassion for others.
3) The Evidence – To walk in the presence of a repentant person is obvious. In fact, it may be the ‘indescribable’ characteristic of an authentic believer. Because this person so clearly sees his/her sin they realize how much compassion & mercy they have been shown, and as a result, the person who walks in repentance is markedly different.
* The believers who repent find themselves being less judgmental because they KNOW without God’s grace; they would be in a world of hurt. They find themselves being & becoming more sensitive to the hurts and wounds of others because their wounds run so deep. In the healing flow of your repentance, you will discover new ways to help & be helped. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort.” God uses our repentance as a medicine which effects healing on us, but also on others. The healing comes in the form of a renewal; renewal relationship with Him, renewed trust In Him, renewed unity with our brothers & sisters, and a renewed awareness of His presence with us each and every day. Without it, people cannot see Him in us.
* The unbeliever who repents may well be drawn by God seeing the repentant spirit of a believer. But listen, how do I put my faith in Christ? The first step is to repent. To all, the last call on earth is to ‘repent.’ It is not optional, it is required. Will you?
