Repentance: A Lifetime Commitment Repentance: A Lifetime Commitment Acts 17:22-31 Acts 17 22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28`For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.' 29"Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Ignorance Is Not Bliss! What Is God's Underlying Purpose As He Guides Our Lives? What Quality Of Heart Do We Learn We Must Have To Find God? What Does God Say About Ignorance Of His Word & Expectation? Therefore, Who Needs To Repent? Does Being Religious Or Sincere In Your Belief Allow Exception? What Are The Key Steps To Repenting? 2Chronicles 33:1-13 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever." 5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his sons in [1] the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 7 He took the carved image he had made and put it in God's temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and ordinances given through Moses." 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. 10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. [6] Or He made his sons pass through Humility! The Willingness To Admit You Are Wrong! The Willingness To Change! No Level Of Evil Can Withstand The Power Of Repentance! Jeremiah 5:1-5 1 "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. 2Although they say, `As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely." 3O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. 4 I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God. 5 So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Heart! What Role Does The Heart Play In Our Lives? The Mind? What Happens To Our Heart When We No Longer Feel Anything? What Does Repentance Do For Our Heart? Ezekiel 18:25-31 25 "Yet you say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. 27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, `The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? What Is A New Heart & New Spirit? Luke 3:7-20 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 "What should we do then?" the crowd asked. 11 John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?" 13 "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay." 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. [1] 16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with [2] water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. 19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. [15] Or Messiah [16] Or in Heritage! What Does Your Salvation Rest On? Spiritual Heritage Fruits Of Your Own Repentance And Change What Kinds Of Change Does God Expect? Change Of Heart? Change Of Action? Both? Which Are You Strongest In? Thinking and Planning? Acting and Changing? 2Corinthians 7:8-11 8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.Habits Acts 26:19-29 Turn Your Life Around(180 Degrees)! Acts 26:1-18 Paul's Incredible Story Of Repentance! How Did Paul View His Becoming A Christian? What Allowed Him To Move From Killer To Covert? What Do You Change When You Change The Habits Of The Heart? Colossians 3:1-14 Fill Your Life Up! Repentance Isn't Only Stopping Certain Activities Repentance Is Starting A Number Of New Activities We Don't Get Rid Of Habits! We Change Them Set Your Mind And Focus Issues Of Repentance Praying For 30 Minutes A Day Reading 5-7 Chapters A Day Discipleship Partner To Help You Grow Building Other Strong Relationships With Christians(7) Sharing Your Faith To Help Your Friends What Are The Top Five Sins Keeping You From Becoming A Christian? What Relationships Have To Change For You To Repent? Dating & Immorality? Work & Stealing/Lying? Parents & Sin Against Them? Debt & Materialism With Friends Classmates Not Knowing About Changes Becoming Loving Person Becoming Open Person Becoming Kind And Serving Who Do You Need To Go Back And Apologize To? What Have You Lied About In The Studies So Far? Real Name Real Home Address Real Job Outstanding Feats Legitimized Call Schools and Visit Work See Diploma's Have You Left Out Anything About Your Life? 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