Repentance Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

Jonah Series #5

“Repentance”

Last week, we reached the pinnacle of the narrative in Jonah where God mercifully spared a thoroughly wicked people equivalent to modern-day ISIS terrorists who responded to the preaching of one man -- Jonah. At first, Jonah ran FROM God. God disciplined Jonah after which Jonah ran TO God. God recommissioned Jonah and Jonah ran WITH God in His plan for the Ninevites.

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God.

As I mentioned last week, this was the most extensive revival in recorded history. Estimates run anywhere from 120,000 up to a million people believed God.

They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

God, of course, knew the sincerity of their belief. We know the serious of their belief by the actions that followed it.

? They called for a nation-wide fast.

? They mightily called out to God.

? They turned from their evil ways.

? They did not presume upon God’s mercy but hoped for it.

We read that…

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:10

Jesus said that in the final judgment, the believing Ninevites of that day will bear witness against the unbelieving Scribes and Pharisees of His day. They will testify against them because they believed God through Jonah’s preaching, whereas the Scribes and Pharisees heard the glorious message of Jesus Himself and yet refused believe or repent.

Since the theme of repentance runs all though the Bible and many hold an inadequate understanding, I chose to dig a little deeper. In this message I will guide you through its usage in the Scriptures to hopefully gain a better understanding of this most vital activity related to our relationship with God. Repentance lies at the core of a healthy relationship between God and us.

The consequences of a failure to repent.

Failure to repent brings serious consequences.

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; Psalm 7:12

O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. Jeremiah 5:3

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:29-31

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? But because of your hard and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans 2:3-5

The centrality of repentance

Jesus called for repentance.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17

Jesus commissioned His disciples to preach repentance.

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits… So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. Mark 6:7,12

Jesus told His disciples to preach repentance to all nations.

Then Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Peter’s Pentecost message urged repentance.

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children (Jews) and for all who are far off (Gentiles), everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”