Repentance Is A Need Of Our Day

REPENTANCE IS A NEED OF OUR DAY ACTS 3:19

I was talking with two men this week and started talking about giving to the church. One man said we need to give something to the church. I told them they needed to give a tithe of what they earned. We discussed what we were to give to. He suggested giving to the charities that we have asking us and that way you are helping your neighbor. I said that was good but a charity was not helping people know the way to heaven as the church does. The other man said things were getting to deep for him and the discussion ended. If people do not understand what it means to give to the church do you think it possible they might not understand some other things about the Bible?

Do you know what it means to repent? Do you know what we need to repent of?

Some people complain that Christians dwell on sin too much. The question is how much is “too much”? Remember, it only required ONE sin for Adam and Eve to be booted out of the Garden. On the other hand, is that, in fact, true? Only one sin? Let’s look at the situation. the serpent told Eve that she could not depend on God’s Word. Then he told her that she could be like God or more accurately, she could be equal to God, which in effect made her capable of becoming a god herself. the lie that epitomized the very reason Satan himself was booted out of heaven. Eve bought both lies, and ate the fruit, then gave some to Adam – who was standing right there the whole time and doing nothing to stop her. All of a sudden, the two most blessed people ever created had thrown God’s blessings to the ground and trampled them in favor of their own desires. Through their rebellion, the door was opened for sin and death to come into the world. Sin and death, sorrow and misery, disease and tragedy, guilt and depression, bitterness and hatred, unrighteous anger and pain, murder and adultery, perversion and pride. So, again, how much is “too much”? Again, what is the root cause of all problems in the world? I believe we would say Sin. What is the one thing that keeps us from having joy and a full life in Jesus? Sin. What creates misery and guilt and depression and anger and bitterness and all the other things listed above? Sin. Could it be that the real problem is that Christians don’t dwell on sin enough? "Stop sinning." Just what does this mean? Is it possible for a human being to be totally without sin? why would Jesus say, “Stop sinning?” Because He knows that although a sinless life is not possible, a heart turned toward Him and away from sin is very possible. A person who has repented of his sinful nature and turned his heart towards Jesus will sin less and less and less. When a person whose focus is pleasing Jesus commits a sin, he will feel total broken-heartedness. Once a person experiences that feeling of broken-heartedness, the likelihood of continuing to sin grows less. Day by day, the person learns what it really means to be free in Jesus. So, "stop sinning" is not a decree towards an impossible goal; it is an urging towards freedom.

’"REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT."’ ACTS 3:19

There are three ways of dealing with sin: 1. Don’t think about it; don’t ask what damage lies back there; don’t ask if there is mopping up to do. Bury yesterday in a flood of distracting experiences. Just keep on running. Perhaps the past won’t have time to catch up with you. 2. Accept the sin and get used to it. This means living with an increasing weight of guilt that will bring in depression 3. Deal with it. A lot of us spend our lives apologizing and feeling bad about our habits and hang-ups, but we never do anything about them! Repentance literally means ’a change of direction.’

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE of Repentance.

The importance given to the doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures can hardly be overrated. John the Baptist began his public ministry, as did Jesus, with the call to repentance. When Jesus sent forth the twelve and the seventy messengers to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of heaven, He commanded them to preach repentance. ’There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.’ “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”

The doctrine of repentance was given in the early church by Peter, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Paul, said “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is from the core of the heart of God as one command given to all men everywhere Acts 17:30 “but now commands all men every where to repent:” The truth us that if we fail to heed God’s call to repentance it means we will not be forgiven and will not go to heaven. Do we find repentance in the preaching and teaching of today? Do you think that the need to repent is not needed today? Does God have another way for man to become righteous?