REPENTANCE
Introduction:
Matthew 11:20-24
I have for the study of this hour the subject
of repentance. To show the importance and the emphasis given to it by Inspiration, I present a number of passages bearing upon
this subject. In Matthew chapter three,
beginning in verse one, we have this record
1In those days came
John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2And
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
After Jesus heard that John had been cast into prison, He went into
Galilee and began to preach and to say;
"Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Matthew 4:17 And in
Matthew chapter 10 and Luke 10 the
record of the 12 and 70, they too were instructed to emphasize the same.
When the Savior gave the world-wide commission as recorded by Luke ¾ 46And said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46-47
Then in Acts 2 as Peter preached many
who heard were cut to the heart and cried out ¾ 37Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter's answer was 38Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Acts 2:37-38
In Acts 3:19 at the close of
the sermon from Solomon's porch at the temple 19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord
Later Paul stood
on Mars' Hill Act 17:30 he said to
those Athenians ¾ 30And the times of this ignorance God winked
at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
And as recorded in
2 Peter 3:9
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,
as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¾ Now with these simple statements before you,
I need not linger longer to impress upon you the absolute necessity of
repentance as it has to do with the salvation of mankind.
I think
one of the hardest things for men and women to do.. is repent of their sins¾ It is comparatively easy in this country to get a man to believe the
gospel, In fact it requires more effort for one to
set aside the testimony that produces faith,
than it does to accept the word of the Lord and believe God is and a
rewarder of those that diligently seek
after Him
It is comparatively easy after having believed and repented to get men to obey. But to repent is
a direct challenge to man's will power; and so few are willing to bow in
subjection, and acknowledge wrongs done. - When I decide that I have sinned
against God, and decide to live as I should, all else is easy.¾
I am not discouraged when
men fail to repent of their sins
for I remember that in the days of our Lord; woe was pronounced upon the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and even Capernaum, the city in which Jesus lived, because they would not repent of their sins. But if a man die without having so done, there is no promise for him in all God's book, for the time has never been since man's creation that God did not call upon him to repent of his sins.
Just here
I would like to ask what does repentance mean? many definitions out
there. Let us frame a definition based upon scriptures.
First then, It is a duty imposed
upon all mankind alike ¾ It is a plain command of God,
It is universal in its application, no man may refuse and escape the judgment
that he is sure to face. Luke
13:3 Acts 17:30;31 commanded of all men
everywhere, hence a duty imposed upon
all by God Almighty
Repentance is not simply being sorrow for a thing. And neither is it
sorrow even if it be of the Godly
sort. A man may be sorry for a thing
and yet not necessarily repent of it.
The Pentecostians heard the
gospel and were filled with sorrow.
Peter told them to "repent" Acts 2;38
On the other hand repentance
is not solely a change or reformation
of life, without regard for Jehovah or his
will, there is no Godly sorrow, Hence John stated "bring forth fruits
worthy of repentance" Matt 3:7-8
Christ gives us this concerning repentance in Matt 21:28-32
28But what think ye? A certain man had two
sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented,
and went. 30And he came to the
second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31Whether of them twain did the will of his
father?
Now if we can learn just what this boy did, Jesus said that it is repentance. I just have an idea the boy reflecting over his direct refusal to obey the father. And realizing that thru my father's goodness and love, I am what I am today. HE CAME TO HIMSELF, acted and responded to the will of his father …. Christ styled such an act as Repentance.
When the prodigal son received his part of the father's estate ¾ left and wasted his substance in riotous
living. The Bible says he came to
himself and said
" Back in my
father's house there is plenty and to
spare... I will arise and go to my
father..." This my friends is repentance. Repentance is a change of will ¾ a
change of deeds.. and a change of
one's life¾
Well notice again another line of thought to
help us see just what repentance is¾ In Matthew chapter 12:41
41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment
with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the
preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
2- Therefore if we can
determine what the Ninevites did back there,, Christ says that is repentance..
I turn and began to read and I find in Jonah 3:10
10And God saw their works, that they turned from their
evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto
them; and he did it not.
Those Ninevites
repented, that is they turned from their evil ways and to a way absolutely
opposite.
7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isa 55:7
In summary from these scriptures I want to
frame a definition of repentance which
is this ¾ repentance is a change of a man's will
power. It is brought about by Godly sorrow, and results in a reformation or
change in one's life.
Repentance carries with it evidences which
the world cannot question! The Thessalonians showed sincerity turned to
serve the true and Living God. Hence
they repented... these evidenced their repentance hear Luke's account of this
in Acts 19:18-19
18And many that believed came, and confessed, and
showed their deeds. 19Many of them also which used curious arts
brought their books together, and burned them before all men
The Philippians jailer likewise indicated his repentance by washing the stripes of the apostles. The
Corinthians evidenced the
reformation of their lives by turning
from the corrupt practices before engaged in.
Let me press the inquiry then; how are men
brought to repentance? I suggest
that men are moved by motives, two in particular There is first of all the fear of
punishment on the one hand
then there is the hope of reward on the other¾
These then are the strongest of
incentives, to lead us to break our stubborn will and repent
10For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
He appealed to the fear of
punishment and in the next verse
concluded ¾ 11Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we
persuade men.
It is a wonderful statement by inspiration urging
men to move forward and yield to heaven's call . All of the evidences of
God's wrath being visited out upon the sons and daughters of men are
there, intended to move us to
repent of our sins.
In
Hebrews 2:1-3 we read this warning
1Therefore we ought to give the more earnest
heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them
slip. 2For if the word spoken
by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a
just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so
great salvation;
Jonah likewise appealed to the terrors of the
judgment to motivate the Ninevites to repent: "Yet 40 days and Ninevah shall be
overthrown." Jonah 3:4 the results
was they repented Jonah 3:10
Christ Himself from our text
appealed to the terrors of the judgment ¾ In
order to induce these men to repent. Matt 11:20-24
20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein
most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the
mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
Today when we preach the kind of message
these preached, many will rise up and say, you are preaching negatively, and people don't want to hear this message.
Preach on love Brother Cope.
What was it the apostle Paul said to the young
evangelists Timothy?
1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom; 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2 Timothy 4;1-5
Again Paul appealed to the fear of punishment in Romans 14:7-12
7For none of us
liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8For whether we
live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether
we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end
Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead
and living. 10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou
set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ. 11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. 12So then every one of us shall
give account of himself to God.
The apostle Paul had an opportunity to appear before a great Roman
governor Felix as recorded in Acts chapter 24. We read of his appeal in verse
25, "as he reasoned of righteousenes , temperance and JUDGMENT to come,
Felix trembled." Paul appealed to the fear of punishment.
Well on the other
hand Paul declared in Romans 2:4 that
it is : 4 the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance? God's goodness is
seen all around us.. What
poor soul is there among us so ungrateful, and so un-thoughtful that he cannot
feast upon the good things of the material world, and recognize the Power
from which all blessings flow?
16Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father
of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:16-17
And from the wonderful
sermon from Mars Hill Paul said ¾
Acts 17:24-28
24God that made the world and all things therein,
seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed
any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And
hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face
of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of
their habitation; 27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they
might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28For
in him we live, and move, and have our being;
Please allow me suggest that the motives that
God has intended to move us toward repentance has seemingly failed: Many today
insist that God perform some startling or unheard of miracle in order to bring about repentance.
This is no new thing for we read in God's Word the same thing. Do you recall the story of Lazarus and the
rich man? He first wanted Lazarus to
dip his finger in water and cool his tongue, for I am tormented... interested in himself.
But when this could not be done. Next send him warn my brothers. He
knew that they had Moses and the
prophets, "Send Lazarus back from the dead, and they will repent."
He wanted some miracle in order to persuade his brothers to change their course
of life.
Just suppose God had granted this request.... I believe that he would have been rejected, and his very message spurned. Lazarus would have been treading on dangerous grounds to make such a report about this fine, influential man. It is dangerous for a preacher today to announce that some prominent man walked in a direction not pleasing to God........ I am certain that Abraham told the truth about it: when he said
"If they will not
hear Moses or the prophets, neither would they hear even if one were sent from
the dead."
So without
further discussion of the subject. Would
you not look at the goodness and the severity
of God? I appeal to all here this morning to repent of their sins. Well why?
10For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one
may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad. 11Knowing therefore the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men.
2 Cor 5:10-11
I think Cornelia Georgia is a most unfavorable place to pass into judgment
, to face God not having repented of our sins. well why do I say that?.... Think of all the wonderful
opportunities we have to hear the word of God, think of all the wonderful
blessings poured out upon this nation... upon this state... upon you
individually... but these blessings bring responsibility. Notice the text again: Matthew 11;20-24
20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of
his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the
mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for
Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
In
Matthew chapter 12 beginning in verse
38 Christ appealed to those of
His day to repent ¾ hear it
38Then certain of the scribes and of the
Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39But
he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but
the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40For
as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son
of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this
generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of
Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42The queen of
the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn
it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
And so I appeal to
your good senses this morning. Why
not yield to the Savior today when there are blessings attached. Jesus says "He
that will confess me before men I will confess before my Father in heaven." Do you want to be acknowledged or rejected
by the Savior on that Day? That depends
upon what you do today!