OPENING: A fellow named Louie, deep in debt, was thinking of ending it all.
"That’s ridiculous," says his neighbor, who was a chemist. "Look, I can give you a pill that will put you in a state of suspended animation. I’ll say you died - but then I’ll ship your body to another state, where you can be revived and start a new life."
Louie agreed, and the next day he was laid out in the funeral parlor with everyone lined up to pay their last respects. The 1st creditor goes up to the coffin and says, "Louie, why did you do it! So you owed me $15,000. What’s $15,000 between friends?
Then the 2nd creditor goes up and says, "Louie, all you had to do was ask. I would have extended the $50,000 you owed me indefinitely."
Now a 3rd creditor goes up to the coffin. "Louie, you dirty rat! You borrowed $200,000 from me and now I’ve lost my house and business. Well, you may be dead but I’m going to get my vengeance. I’m going to take this 8 inch butcher knife, stick in your heart and twist it once for every dollar you borrowed from me."
With this, Louie opens one eye and ever so slightly, lifts his index finger and says "You - I’ll pay."
APPLICATION: Salvation starts when we find ourselves dead in our sins, to the point where it suddenly becomes apparent that this is an unhealthy way to conduct our lives.
Read a dictionary definition of "repentance." What you’ll usually find is a definition which usually includes big words like "contrition," "remorsefulness," etc. As you read the definition, note how flowery and impressive the definition is and how it so impresses you that you’re tempted to look up the words they use in the definition...
But Greek word for "repentance was more basic and less flowery. The Greek word for repentance meant: TURN AROUND. You’re going the wrong way. You’re following the wrong road, the wrong leader. TURN AROUND.
Ephesians 2:1-41 (read) tells us that at one time we were following the ways of this world, following the ruler of the kingdom of the air, gratifying the cravings and desires that were destroying us. We were going the wrong way - we needed to repent. To turn around.
ILLUS: Repentance is like seeing the sign "Dead End" up ahead. It means we can’t get where we’re going on that road.
* Repentance was at the heart of the Apostles’ message: Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
I. But if Repentance is so important, why does the writer of Hebrews say we must get beyond it?
How many of you believe that Christians get to the point where they don’t have to repent? (Nobody raised their hands).
I agree. Throughout Scripture we find that not only pagans, but also Christians and even Churches are called upon to repent.
ILLUS: I don’t know how it is with you, but I say, I think, and I do things that bring me shame at one time or another in my life. Such shame can bring me to the point where I even have difficulty praying. It’s as if a barrier is erected between myself and God.
David spoke of this in the psalms: Ps 32:1-4
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer."
But then David says: (vs 5) "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin."
The Apostle John (led by the Holy Spirit) agreed: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:8-9
SO, if repentance is necessary even for the Christian... why does the writer of Hebrews say you and I must mature beyond this "elementary truth?"
I suspect it is that he is saying we need to get to different motivation for our repentance.
II. I have found what I believe are three types of repentance:
There is "Worldly Repentance:"
Judas’s repentance after receiving the 30 pcs. of silver is biblical example of this type of repentance.
ILLUS: When my boy was 2 years old, my wife would ask him if he had done such and such a "bad deed" and he would be reading his book saying "no."
"Look at me and tell me that you didn’t do it," she would demand. Still, with eyes diverted, he would respond, "no."
Finally, she would get him to look directly into her eyes and his resolve dissolved, "yes, mommy, I did it."
Like the world, my boy wanted to turn away from the stench of his deeds but not change his behavior.
ILLUS: I remember hearing the story of boy who broke his arm while playing in the street against his parents strict orders. In tears he pled: I’m sorry I broke my arm, I won’t ever do it again."
A slight variation on this theme is the "Repentance to escape punishment." Hebrews 6:1 speaks of "Repentance of deeds that lead to death."
An example from Scripture would be Simon the Sorcerer. He had watched the gifts of the Spirit being given to other Christians by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands - and he saw the possibility of making money if he could accomplish the same feat.
When he offered to buy this ability, the Peter responded: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" (Acts 8:20)
Now frightened, Simon answered: "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."
Simon’s was a repentance based on fear of punishment. He would have changed his behavior, but the repentance was founded solely on fear. The repentance the writer of Hebrews is telling us to go beyond is one based solely on fear of punishment.
The best. repentance is what I call "the Repentance of the mature." The mature Christian is one who repents because he’s afraid of hurting God. It’s like the pain a mature son will have about hurting his parents.
In a sense, this was the type of repentance that motivated Peter as he sat at the fire with Jesus after the resurrection. Jesus asks Peter: "Peter do you love me?" and Peter responds (in the Greek) by saying "You know I LIKE you…" Peter is so ashamed of his past denials that it almost drives him away from Jesus. His change of heart is motivated by what Jesus knew lay within his soul - love of Jesus. It was only when Peter’s love for Jesus overcame his shame of hurting his master, that Peter was transformed.
CLOSE: There was a very capable evangelist whom God used in a significant way in the British Isles. But he lost his interest in spiritual things and drifted into a life of sin, for a number of months. Some of his sin was done in secret but ultimately, it became public knowledge and even made the headlines. At first, all he could think of was that he had been ruined for life, but, finally, he realized what a fool he had been, and he came back to God like the prodigal from the pigpen.
He found exactly the same thing the prodigal did. The Lord welcomed him with open arms and began to strengthen him and bless him. Finally, after a period of waiting, he felt pressed back into a public ministry for the Lord. He was afraid that his sin would be found out and brought up all over again, but after he felt sure it was hidden and tucked away in the past, he went back to preaching, rejoicing in the forgiveness of God.
One night, when he was in Aberdeen, he was given a sealed letter. Just before the service began, he read the unsigned letter. It described a shameful series of events he had been engaged in. His stomach churned as he read it. The letter said, "If you have the gall to preach tonight, I’ll stand and expose you."
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE???
Would you have fled into the night?
Would you have sought out the man and pled with him not to expose you???
This man took the letter and went to his knees in prayer. A few minutes later, he was in the pulpit. He began his message by reading the letter, from start to finish. Then he said, "I want to make it clear that this letter is perfectly true. I’m ashamed of what I’ve read, and what I’ve done. I come tonight, not as one who is perfect, but as one who is forgiven." God used that letter and the rest of his ministry as a magnet to draw people to Jesus Christ.
SERMONS IN THIS SERIES:
Gaining Heaven’s Glory – Rev. 21:1-8
Escaping Hell’s Fury – Heb. 6:1-8
The Resurrection: Cold Theology or Hot Reality – Heb. 5:11-6:3
Going Beyond Repentance – Heb. 5:11-6:3
My Faith Looks Up – Heb. 5:11-6:3
