You Can Change

The glory of the gospel is not that it grants forgivness to those who repent, but that it offers repentance for those who sin.

You haven’t repented until you change

Neh. 1:1-2:9 people who stray from God have hope and can return. Repentance.

Neh. 1:4 when he heard the news he sat down and cried - fasted and prayed

1:6 Confess their sins

1:8-9 remind God of His promise "If you obey and return..."

2:4 what do you want Mr. Sadface?

2:5 I want to return, to rebuild

You haven’t repented until you change

Repentance is what makes religion more than ritual. -- David Smith

Not enough to be sad, Never mistake remorse for repentance; remorse simply puts a man in hell while he is on earth. Oswald Chambers

Not enough to be Sorry

Calvin and Hobbes - Calvin says to his tiger friend, Hobbes, "I feel bad that I called Susie names and hurt her feelings. I’m sorry I did it." "Maybe you should apologize to her," Hobbes suggests.

Calvin replies, "I keep hoping there’s a less obvious solution."

Repentance means not only saying you’re sorry, it means you are going to genuinely change

Not enough to cry your eyes out

True repentance has a double aspect; it looks upon things past with a weeping eye, and upon the future with a watchful eye. -- Robert Smith

Repentance allows me to hate sin, not just the consequences or the effects.

Not enough to mope or be depressed Repentance is taking God’s point of view

Admit you’re going the wrong direction -

Basic gospel message isn’t I’m OK you’re OK, but Repent - the kingdom is right behind you - you’re going the wrong direction, youll miss it

Repentance is metanoia. Meta means "to change or shift" and noia means "perspective."

It literally means a change in the way one views things.

You haven’t repented until you change

Canadian geneticist Robert Hegele told a conference in Edmonton, Alberta, that when he revealed to some Newfoundlanders in remote villages that they possessed a genetic flaw that increased their chances of heart disease, they were happy. Their initial reaction, said Hegele, was, "This is great! They figured, ’This means we’re doomed, so we . . . don’t need to quit smoking or eat healthy.’"

Patrick Reynolds has signed on to help the American Lung Association’s anti-smoking campaign. He is the grandson of R. J. Reynolds. Why -- to "make up for the damage my family has done."

Ruthless Honesty ? Brokenness which is the seedbed for real change

Experiment with Repentance

1 - Allow the Holy Spirit to show you just one thing He wants you to change

2. Not enough to stop - think - What will replace that behavior? Bible direction

You haven’t repented until you change

2 Cor. 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Col 3:9-10 ... you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator

Lazy - no ambition, couch potato, Internet junkie - Invest in a dream - pour your life into others

Eph. 4:26 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

You haven’t repented until you change

Gossip - driven by need to make others look worse than you,

Don’t stop talking people down. Start talking people up.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves

Romans 14: Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

Rom. 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you,

Heb. 3:13 13 But encourage one another daily

1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

You haven’t repented until you change

Temper / Anger - sign of a self-centered life, why don’t people do things my way?

GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

1 PE 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

EPH 4:1-2 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.