Truth About Repentance by Shane Idleman

you a lot of you that have been coming here before this topic is not very unfamiliar is it this this this topic of repentance I mean we're talking about this topic it seems like on a monthly basis and a sovereignty would would have it we're in Matthew 3 we're going through the book of Matthew and guess what John the Baptist he comes on the scene what is he saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and it's funny and you guys have seen this before and I've talked about it I wrote about it in the paper today that when we look back over church history when you go back you know to the early church fathers you can read Justin Martyr and Polycarp and Ignasi as' and Irina sand and an Augustine you read you can read their sermons you can read their journals you can come up to the Reformation time in the 14 13 14 1500 s you can look to the Puritans and there is a consistent theme throughout church history there they they dealt with this doctrine of repentance the precious truth of repentance it was a powerful theme now fast-forward to now and we don't hear this term very much most churches you'll go into you will not hear much about repentance in just the last week I was telling my wife I was leaving a you know how you can prompt your phone with the voice you can say something you know print print it out and so I was taking notes for the the sermon as I was driving don't worry I was pulled over and I said repentance repent and the work came up repaint I'm like repent repent repaint repaint I'm thinking even my phone doesn't want to say this word I mean it what's wrong with this word you know you were in a society now where it's absolutely amazing and I talked about a few weeks ago where that an NBA player come came out of the closet and he's a hero now and then the newscaster comes out and says well I think that you know you cannot live according to biblical Christianity embrace that lifestyle person would need to repent whoa wow he's catching all kind of criticism won't be to that nation that calls good evil and evil good and so we talk about repentance what's wrong with this word what why is why is the church shying away from this word I mean we want it most churches will talk about community getting together fellowshiping loving your neighbor all these things that sound great and their doctrinal doctrinally sound but we avoid this word repentance why do you want me tell you why man loves his carnality we love our darkness and we don't want people that's why society wants us to remove the this word do you realize that they will keep all the other words in the Bible that they like love and joy long-suffering and God's children all these things but when you talk about these difficult truths like repentance and what happens and it can happen in my life too I mean I'm not I'm not pointing that pointing fingers here but in the churches and in pulpits across our nation we want to please men so we don't talk about difficult truths you guys have heard me talk about this before I'm just bears repeating because it's it's straight in front of us in this text and we want people to like us we don't want to upset people and but when you fill the Spirit of God you've got to preach about repentance and I tried it again on my phone and maybe it was just my voice fluctuation I'm sure you guys will do it no come out fine but I said repent again and the work came up repair and I thought you know what it's it's getting close so that's that's a good definition because if you when you think of this word repentance sometimes you think if John the Baptist wild-eyed rest and look what he's dressed in eating what locusts and wild honey and oh my gosh repentance and this wild I guy preaching repentance with his Bible up in one hand and finger down in the next and repent but really that word is repair you're repairing I think in the Hebrew it's Nam and och am and you and you look to the Greek it's mutton ale and it's the same root word theoretically you know what it is turning from sin and turning to God it's repairing basically that's what repentance is you're repairing that broken relationship and as we're learning in the truth project on Monday nights I would encourage you guys to be here Monday nights at 6 it's a new topic every Monday so you haven't missed anything and this guy dealt tacit I believe his name is was giving a powerful message last week on the modes of Man how we were innocent Adam and Eve we're we were innocent God created man innocent and then through the fall man fell and then he redeemed man the redemption so it's that repairing that's what repentance does so the very word that people need is the very word we're avoiding let me tell you how to repair your relationship with God repentance and that not only applies to a person who doesn't know God it applies to Christians I believe that a Christian should have an ongoing repentant attitude Lord I'm sorry I repent to that Lord change me help me I don't want to be angry I don't want to be loud I don't want to be this Lord would you filming it your spirit there's less these things I'm dealing with uh we should live in that war that that repentant type of attitude because you know what's the opposite of repentance pride and arrogance and what happens is we can say well I don't really need this this word or I don't need I'm already did that many years ago but a Christian should be repenting on a daily basis it's a broken humble heart that I talk often about and I would even I'll let you know a little secret when I witness to people it seems like all week well at least every other day I'm running into somebody and trying to get God in there and you know and just the other day I was running up in the aqueduct again a guy was just sitting in his truck fishing just sitting there just looked a press and I said hey here's a good book if you want to read I had some extra books in my car while you're just sitting there he goes okay thanks and about five minutes later he came back out and said man I really need prayer and he just told me how his life's falling apart so I'm up there talking to him and and invite him to the church obviously but I always go back to this word of penton's because when he talks about how drinking's getting the best him how he's falling back in the fly so he feels demonic influences I don't know where I'm out with God let me tell you how to be in right relationship with God I can't just talk about God's love and his grace and brother just come on just just pick yourself up you'll be okay I have to say I'd say you need to repent of your sin acknowledge God acknowledge Christ as your Lord saying Lord I I need you this this guy makes sense I'm repenting you see how powerful that word is I almost can't witness without it because what happens is you build into somebody something that's not there you say don't worry about it just think positively don't we God loves you he's good he knows what's best for you just look to him and trust him those are all good things but if a person is not in right relationship with him we can't forget that key that unlocks a door to the right relationship and it's the word repentance and you guys have heard me talk about before and I'm sure I'll talk about again and it this movement will probably fade but with the emergent church movement a lot of those guys that were leading in that movement they actually wanted to remove the word repentance and bring in rethink we need to rethink we need to rethink our narrow view of the Bible in our narrow view of hermeneutics which is a study of the Bible we need to just sit down and converse with people Shane and talk with them and maybe we missed it maybe after 2,000 years of church history we actually have the new truth now that you don't need to repent I mean everybody from early church fathers from Jesus Christ himself Jesus came on the scene do you know what he came on the scene saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand not turn the other cheek that's later John the Baptist comes on the scene saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand you might say well what is it what is exactly saying shame what is repentance well that's what we're gonna talk about today repentance the biblical definition is turning from sin and turning to God it's almost picture I'm going that way now I'm walking this direction what direction I have repented from that direction and now I'm going this direction it's a turning from sin it's a turning from sin and turning to God if you don't know him if you do know him and you're just maybe in a bet what they call backslidden say a prodigal son state you know God seems distant the Bible is boring I thought of tons of excuses why I shouldn't have came to church today I don't know where God's out I used to be close I don't have this anymore repentance also bridges that gap it also brings us back to God because that's repentance you're repenting Lord I've been wrong I've been on the wrong track and it wasn't till the prodigal son what came to himself he was eating with swine he was eating with the pigs the son highly favorite son was now eating with the swine and it wasn't till he came to himself what did he do he repented he came to himself and then he went back to his father God would bring the prophets in all the time and call his people back to repentance John the Baptist comes on the scene which we're reading and draws the people back to God through repentance Jesus go and preach repentance Paul goes out in the book of Acts and calls people to repentance so this is a very this is a vital word it's almost like the lifeline to God if I may use that terminology it's one of the foundational the foundational pillars of the Christian faith is always built on repentance you move that word and the whole structure falls down and that this is on this point that's when I often say if you don't like what I'm saying it's probably because you need to hear what I'm saying it's on this point of repentance a lot of people don't like that so with that said let me read you what we find in the New Testament as a biblical definition of repentance James I don't know if I have it up there and I'm James for 7 through 10 James 4:7 through 10 submit yourselves therefore to God now look at all these things submit yourself therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded boy this book is a very secret sensitive is it you just you just calling it like it is verse 9 be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and let your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up so before I get to Matthew 3 what I'm doing is I'm painting the backdrop here's the picture I'm gonna paint the backdrop so now you can understand the context of Matthew 3 what we learn from James is a sign of repentance and what what the reason I want to talk about these things is many people can think I know what repentance is but godly repentance has godly fruit so to be able to see what repentance looks like you have to be able to see the fruit you don't go to apple tree and grab a strawberry right there down here on the ground so you have to see what that looks like so the first thing that we see from biblical repentance there is a submission to God and his truth if you don't want to submit to God and his truth there's no repentance repentance has taken place and usually what I do when I walk somebody through you know let's say we talk about repenting getting their life right with God and they say they say oh I've done that I did that years ago but there's no fruit there there's zero fruit in their life you there's they I don't know what else to say there's just no fruit in their life whatsoever and they say all I've done that what you I don't know what you did but you didn't repent because when you repent there's godly fruit now it's not perfect fruit it's not fully mature fruit but there's fruit there you don't ever find in the New Testament when somebody was converted that there was no fruit that's called a false conversion and that's what's happening a lot throughout our landscape especially in Europe you go to the churches in Europe and then even the churches on the East Coast and it's just amazing how they have died and they're decaying and if we're not careful that's the direction of the church on the West West you go up I mean go look at the East Coast churches they're there they're closing doors are shrinking it's because they've rejected the God's truth and the truth of the Bible so that's the first thing genuine repentance if somebody is genuinely repented there is a submission to God and his truth and I like what John Rice said many years ago an old Baptist preacher he said there is no way you can please God no way that you can have sweet communion with him to get your prayers answered if you are an open rebellion to the known will of God so a lot of people are praying right vain repetition Jesus will talk about it's the heathen just praying but they're an open rebellion to God because they have not repented of their sin and trusted in him so that that is by-product number one the submission to God and his truth number two there's a resistance to the devil and of evil that's obvious but it bears repeating there is resistance to evil we don't enjoy evil we resist it does that make sense so if somebody's genuinely genuinely repented been converted they don't like evil they don't want to have anything to do with it they turn from it it's those who gravitate towards it that there's a concern there and the third thing there's a drawing near to the true God when you genuinely repent you draw near to him Isaiah 59 says your iniquities have separated you from God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear you why don't we hear those scriptures anymore I mean sometimes I read scriptures people say I didn't even know that was in the Bible because we avoid these it's not gonna be real popular that's not gonna well I mean can you imagine that's what not basically what God is saying is I can hear you my ears not heavy my my arm is not short I can hear you but your sins your iniquities have hid my face from you so that I cannot hear and I will not hear why is God sending that hard message so whose people will hear and will listen and will what repent you see now this is such a beautiful word when I hear this word I to me I just love this word I don't picture some guy you know holding up his Bible pointing you know this kind of thing you know repent wild-eyed and just yelling at people I picture God calling his people back and the only way to do that is for them returing pent and repair that relationship it's a very good word a very healthy word the fourth thing from James it's a cleansing of hands and purifying of the heart it's a turning from sin Sisu a shame you say that before well here's here's why this is vitally important if you read early church history there's something called legal repentance and biblical repentance and instead of saying the word legal let's put in the word their ego ego repentance and what this involves is there's a lot of people repent because what God can do for me I don't want to go to have our hell I don't want to go to hell Lord I want you to do that I want Jesus to be my friend I want these things so you're doing we we go through the motions of repentance but that's ego repentance we're trying to get you know this from God and I remember I talked about this a while back as well there was a gentleman here it's been a while now probably a year and after one of the services he acknowledged it hey okay you know I want Christ I need it was speaking on this point of Hell and he goes I don't want to do that and then I talked to him afterwards and I said hey you ready to get baptized next week he's like oh no I'm not I'm not ready for that I don't know if I want to give up those kind of things I'm like well what what happened here are you you know what did did it's God working in your heart I've never even seen him since that night come to find out he was physically abusive with his girlfriend I don't know if he got arrested or what nothing changed so what was this all about I don't want to go to hell I'm gonna raise my hand that's ego repents that's not genuine repentance biblical repentance is a heart saying lord I need you I'm crying out to you I repent of my sin I acknowledge that I'm a sinner saved by grace lord I I'm calling out to you I'm crying out you I'm giving you my heart night and even giving you your heart that's kind of an interesting you know terminology but the biblical the biblical mandate is turning from sin acknowledging Christ as Lord and Savior and repenting that's how it is that's how its laid out for us five James talked about there's a grieving there's a mourning there's a there's a sorrow there and of course number six humbling oneself in the sight of the Lord so if you want genuine do you want to see if somebody is genuinely repented if somebody says they repented is their submission to God and his truth are they resisting evil is there a drawing nearer to God are they cleansing their hands and purifying their heart turning from sin are they grieving and mourning over the condition of what they've created and are they humbling themselves if there's none of that fruit there we have to wonder has a person truly genuinely been converted because genuine conversion has genuine fruit now with that said Matthew chapter 3 now you have you understand alikum repentance is Matthew chapter 3 in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand for this is he who spoke of by the prophet Isaiah saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight as we talked about a few weeks ago it was the confirming Isaiah confirming Jeremiah confirming these guys wrote these words 700 years ago in the Old Testament 700 years ago and now they're coming to fruition he's saying this is that which Isaiah spoke about one crying in the wilderness and when people come to ask John the Baptist why are you doing this who gave you this authority he goes back to Isaiah and he said I am the one I am the voice crying in the wilderness make way the straight the path of the Lord so what we find from this in those days John the Baptist came preaching is that God often sends a preacher that's not a bad thing from Noah till now God sends preachers what was Noah do you know that the Bible says he was a preacher of righteousness Noah was calling the people back to God and you got you you have Noah then you had the Old Testament you have you know John the Baptist coming on the scene God often uses a preacher to call people back to him if we were to say what John is saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and our modern vernacular we would say repent confess crisis Lord turn from your sins acknowledge God as Lord and Savior for the kingdom of heaven is at hand the judgment is at hand and the day of reckoning is near that's what we'd be saying today that if listen if churches don't want to talk about this topic how's anybody gonna come to saving faith if God is just a doting grandfather give me what I want when I want it how I want it I can live in sin he'll forgive me we don't ever have to talk about repentance how does anybody ever going to come in right relationship with him maybe stumble across their Bible reading maybe by osmosis maybe during worship they'll subtly be convicted by this word repentance even though it's never mentioned I remember when one pastor told his worship team removed all the songs about the blood of Christ removed these songs that are offensive I'm like wow what have we missed here remove what's offensive that's what saves and it's on this point and you guys will have to deal with this because I do it quite often you run into people that says how can a loving God send somebody to hell do you ever hear that how can a loving God send somebody to hell how can a loving God send somebody help what you said it you're right he doesn't send anybody to hell do you guys do you realize the Bible says that hell was created for Satan and his entourage that it was created for him outer darkness created for him and then God through Redemption through sending his only son we all know John 3:16 we all have to quoted in one ear out the next but he sent his son to bridge that gap and then those who call upon the name of the Lord become children of God seeing here's what we don't like to talk about outside of being saved and children of God we are children of the devil there's no middle ground so all that happens is you go live with your father heaven or hell that that's as blatant and as crystal clear as the Bible is without God we are Jesus even said you sons of hell you you sons of Hell who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come so you see the difference here and this is so important this point is very important because God doesn't send anybody there he says if there's any other way I don't do not desire that anybody should perish I created the what the bridge the gap I sent my son I have Redemption you have to accept that if you don't accept that then you are a child of the devil and that's not a weird term that is either if you're outside of God and you're going in the direction of sin you're a child of the enemy so that's who we live with from eternity we're either children of God and we live with God or we're children of the devil and we live with the devil so God doesn't send anybody there they reject God's gift I don't want to live in your house god I don't want your ear your grace and your mercy and your your gift I'm going to I'm going to deny that God says I cannot dwell even in in in in in sin I can't be I can't you know I'm a violent unapproachable light I am a holy God holy holy holy is his name I have to separate that that's all hell is it's a separation from God it's outer darkness attorney separated from him do I like the concept absolutely not do I like talking about the subject no probably not where's John 3:16 we need it where's Corinthians about loving and serving and fellowshipping where's this where's these scriptures on grace and forgiveness and turning the other cheek and oh I like this one on God will never leave you or forsake you isn't that one and those are all biblical prints though that's all Bible but as I often say you can't see one side of the coin and not the other so a loving God sent his son to save humanity and all that except his gracious gift are saved when they deny it then they have to go live with that choice in that decision that they made and I believe that there's a literal hell and I believe there's a little heaven I mean can you just imagine separated from God for eternity that would be hell that would be hell and this is a reality check I don't come up here saying this jesting and pointing fingers if it wasn't for the grace of God there go I and I often remember in in my wife remember this to October I'll never forget October 2008 I was preaching at a men's conference down in San Diego and about five minutes before I was supposed to get up and preach I felt this this is heavy this burden and God began to just show me you know how you can see back you see your past and I could see you know the crystal-meth I could see the steroids I could see driving home from Las Vegas for hours not even knowing how I got home I remember I could see throwing and waking up in my vomit all these things and now I'm going to preach to these men and it was so powerful he's breaking my heart and showing me the death and destruction and that course to hell I was on and how he reached down he saved me from myself now look what he's called me to do how can you not weep over that how can you not be excited over that how can that not fuel everything you do give you a new passion give you a new luster that's why some people want to shake and say wake up you prideful arrogant man how dare you come in here as if you're doing God a favor he's calling you that's why I'm passionate about this because I was on that broad road to destruction and God reached down he grabbed me he transform he changed my life I guarantee I would be dead by now it's not a joke and I don't know what dying in that can do makes me very fearful today and that's a good thing because the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and understanding the fear of God is a very good thing as a matter of fact some in this room tonight I would make I would add a wager but I'll just say that I would wager that you need to fear God tonight there's not enough fearing God in this country and in our churches I don't mean like some abusive stepfather or you're walking around like this I mean walking in the fear and reverence of an Almighty holy righteous God there should be more fear and respect there because of who he is I don't know how many of you caught that interviewed John MacArthur this morning on family life today but it really made me think he said the biggest thing he wanted to implement in his kids when he was raising them is the fear of the Lord yeah that I know it's a biblical verse but that is foundational because that's a proper that's a proper view of God again not some mean guy throwing bolt of lightning 'he's down there but this what's the other side some doting grandfather that just enjoys the sin and coddles and winks and looks the other way I mean come on I mean what would John the Baptist say if he comes on the scene and into church today he told these guys you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come think about that it's okay to talk about these things so the first truth I want to pull from Matthew Matthew 3 is this there are no excuses when it comes to the truth of repentance the power of repentance everybody in this room if I could go through and say you you you you you you you you you you you and me there's no excuses there's no excuses for not turning to God and I've read it before last year but I want to read it again Romans 1:18 the wrath of God oh here's that word again nobody wants to mention the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the ungodliness and wickedness of people who suppress the truth by their wickedness that's exactly what our nation is doing they're suppressing the truth and they're covering up by all this wick since what me since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made a plain to them did you catch that God has revealed himself there's no excuses God has made it known to them he's made it plain to them for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and His divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what is made has been made so that people are without excuse so here's how that looks um we'd say and that it happens at least a couple times a year especially with an atheist well what do you do with the guy out in the jungle in Africa what about the guy in the desert of Iran doesn't even know Jesus is never heard that gospel how is that fair what is romans 1 say his invisible attributes are clearly seen there without excuse you go talk to missionaries in some of the darkest densest areas of our of our world dark I mean people and they know not to steal their neighbor's chicken they know not to sleep with their neighbor's wife they know they can look clearly something awesome created this and there what else is there there's a conviction of the Holy Spirit a conviction that's drawing that's I know that's wrong there's a conviction I know it's wrong there's a moral there's a moral compass in me where did that come from I see clearly I built the hut over there in the jungle clearly somebody built the entire universe that it's it's it's everywhere its invisible attributes are clearly seen so if they say God whatever that name might be in their language you're clearly out there reveal yourself to me I want to know you I don't like this I don't feel right who are you who are you will you show yourself to me you don't think God will answer that prayer that's why there's testimonies like we could just sit here all night long on Jesus revealing himself to Muslims and Hindu and Buddhist on the mission field when they were seeking God that's the thing if they truly seek Him God will reveal himself what about Cornelius and then in there in the book of Acts he was praying I believe it's him hopefully at him I didn't just came to me I didn't look this up but he was praying he was that he was searching for God and God said Peter go witness to the Cornelius household tell him show him the way to salvation he's a good man he pays his tithe he helps our church go tell them Peter if Peter had this at this dream or member of these unclean things coming down and Peter said not me Lord that's unclean and God said whenever I call clean you do not call unclean go to that man and you give him the gospel because that man was desperate for more of God so I don't I don't have a problem with God is more gracious than me God is more forgiving than me God is more understanding than me he's more loving than me clearly this God who we think how can I mean God do this clearly he calls people to him he gave you the inner alarm-clock of the Holy Spirit who right now some of you are getting convicted you're getting challenged you're saying I might not be in right relationship with God that's a good thing that's a god-given thing that says there's a line of communication that's been broken well how do i repair that how do you repair that what some title of the message repentance you see how that works so there is no excuse nobody will stand on the judgment seat of God and say I did not know about you because he'll say how do you take your breath how did that child come from that woman how is these things happen how is the world and the son just keep coming up every 24 hours how the oxygen level you want all the up that just happened know my invisible attributes are clearly seen so that you are without excuse not only that I'm gonna give you the inner alarm clock of the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sin to convict the world of its ungodliness and its unrighteousness so what are you doing what's the world doing they're suppressing the truth it's like pushing that basketball down under the swimming pool and then getting your feet on top of it and holding it down I'm suppressing the true though you know God says you're without excuse you're the ones suppressing the truth you see how that works all men all men I believe have that inner alarm clock of God calling them saying something is broken within you turn to me repent repent ask any missionary on the mission field you don't think the repentance is a vital vital vital element of everything they do they talk to the natives they get to learn their language their tongue and they say you've got to whatever they call it repent confess your sins turn back to God that's how important this is I mean if I I would sign up today if God would just just put me in a new church every single day and preach this theme of repentance across our nation every single day one day off of course take my family with me would you just go in because you know we think here it's welcomed after where other places it would not be welcomed I've had people get up and leave when I start talking about this grab their purse whatever that means well see you too I mean why because it upsets them there's something he's saying that I don't like and God says listen John the Baptist comes on the scene saying repent Jesus says repent wake up Church that is our only hope when I watch the news I am not putting a lot of I'm not putting a lot of I don't know if I should say this do it I I'm not really concerned with who's running in four years from now they missed this the Titanic has hit the iceberg it's not gonna four years from now I mean please vote vote your principles wonderful but it's the to turn the Titanic around and repair that iceberg hole it's it's it's going to take repentance repairing I mean there's so much of a drift that now it's like well who do you think's gonna run in 2001 and I don't even care what does that have to do with anything I mean folks I don't I honestly don't know if I should sometimes I just want to take a drive and just weep for the condition of our nation when you see when that when all the reports are coming out with that abortion clinic in Philadelphia you know how we just snip the bat back to the babies necks that were born now they've got this other guy in Texas who's grabbing him like like birds and breaking their necks and he's gonna I mean I'm like we are a sink falling perverted culture how dare we how dare we begin to mock what God has clearly said this is holy this is righteous how dare we we praise athletes to come out of the closet but a Christian comes out of the closet now they're mocked and they're demeaned and they're ridiculed I wake up I'm if you don't when I read those news reports I I get physically sick to my stomach to picture that's happening in clinics across our nation I mean if I just read with it what the what the reporter the court men transcripts from that what was I was I was getting sick I was like you got to be kidding me but that is a nation adrift when you remove God all hell breaks loose for a lack of a better word when you remove God and you remove the fear of the God this is what we are seeing we are seeing a nation adrift woe be to that nation who calls good evil and evil good whatever a man so so yeah he will reap you'll reap the world win everybody so encourage oh the economy's back up the housing market Wow as if gods isn't just winking it just it's it's it's that's why I get so passion about this topic of repentance because that I believe our only hope if you can have the churches start preaching this wonderful theme of repentance again and it's okay to tell the President and Congress you need to repent leaders you need to repent leaders of the church you need to repent America we need to repent and be drawn back to God that's a good thing that's not a bad thing and it's funny you'll read in the paper and Valley Press that a lot of people you know because I concentrate and I want I think that repentance is a major theme of this church you know it's I'm called narrow-minded and and a hate monger and bigoted and you know it's like Oh extreme and hardcore and it's like just it's what the Bible says that's what the Bible says that's all we're doing is going back to this great theme of repentance but let me pick up with that verse for now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey then Jerusalem and Judea all the region around Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins confessing their sins and it just thought what's the deal with the camels hair the leather belt I mean who really cares well I think the Bible is telling us that his attitude reflected humility and if somebody's truly going to preach repentance if you're truly going to win your neighbors your family your friends for Christ if you're truly going to talk about repentance you've got to underscore everything with humility and grace and love remember that story told a long time ago about that woman who left her church actually the pastor left the church and she said man I love this new pastor to her son well why do you love him but not the old pastor what the old pastor used to say well the old pastor used to say you're gonna go to hell without Jesus Christ said whoa what's a new pastor say you're gonna go to hell without Jesus Christ and the son said well mommy they say the same thing and he said yeah but the new pastor says it with peers in his eyes see that is the difference folks I'm telling you when we talked to others it's that grace and that humility and that gentleness and that kindness even when people are yelling at you or getting upset the louder they get the more quieter we should get I have not mastered that yet but that's one of the things I get from here is John the Baptist was a humble man that's why he could be the forerunner of Christ do you know that Jesus said that there was not a greater man born of women ever ever than John the Baptist Jesus didn't disdain preachers why does the culture the greatest man who ever lived the greatest prophet ever lived no miracles no miracles John the Baptist didn't lead a worship team he didn't do a whole bunch of miracles and raise that somebody from the dead all he did was coming on the scene frame saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and on that note that's the second truth about repentance is this this confession of sin and we talked about this earlier there's fruit there but this these people linked baptism with the confession of sin see they didn't back and mainly in Jesus's time and hopefully now too we can't undo those when a person confesses Christ is Lord and repents the natural byproduct is baptism I mean some of you want to get baptized I'd sit here and fill this up and we're actually gonna do that next week come and see me if you've never been baptized or your baby baptized as an infant or maybe you're baptized into the the Catholic Church or some other thing you're not sure of what did it actually mean let's talk about that we're going to do that next week if we have enough people there's a couple of people I still need to get ahold of but you have baptism and confession go hand in hand people are confessing their sins they were confessing those sins and being baptized and we don't know what that means today so I thought of this this morning to kind of help us picture yourself down at Santa Monica with a hundred and fifty 250 of your close friends business associates acquaintance to acquaintances whoever all of them are down there at Santa Monica big bonfire the Hammond Corona is lunch barbecue and all of a sudden somebody comes on there you repent of your sin you acknowledge Christ is Lord and what I do now it's time to get you got to get baptized because all it is it's an outward sign of an inward change of the heart see baptism doesn't save us a person isn't saved by baptism they are saved by confessing Christ is Lord and now that I'm a new creature in Christ I want to get baptized see the problem is with those who believe that baptism saves you is that means that we are baptizing unbelievers right they're not a believer until they get baptized well that means I'm taking an unbeliever and baptizing them and you don't see that anywhere throughout all of the Bible what you see is a believer acknowledging Christ and being baptized well back to Santa Monica what would the person say all right let all your friends are drinking party let's go down the river and then the ocean that what they're gonna watch you get baptized oh can we wait till tomorrow when everybody's gone I mean come on do I really have to do that you see that you see the difference there when when these people go down in the Jordan River especially later on Jesus's ministry they were they were doing a major thing John the Baptist is is baptizing the people into repentance and that that did carry some weight but when Jesus dies and people start to baptize and raised again people start to baptize people in the name of Jesus that's when they would lose entire families they would say I don't want anything to do with you you're denounced you're denouncing our Jewish heritage our Jewish faith that's what would be like Santa Mon you picture that you picture going in baptize with all your friends you were worldly now you're saved uh-uh what are people gonna think and that was the whole reason for baptism it's an outward sign of saying listen God has changed my heart I'm going to identify myself with Christ and his death burial and resurrection that's the whole point of baptism saying I need to get baptized I need to be identified with Christ that's that's one of the truths we find from repentance the last verse the last passage here verse 7 but when we saw I'm sorry when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism here we go john the baptist said this you brood of vipers can you imagine that who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance and do not think to say to yourselves well we have Abraham as our Father for I say to you that God is able to raise children of Abraham from these very stones and even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees therefore every tree which does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire and I guarantee you he's not saying it like I just read it you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance don't say that Abraham is your father for God can raise he stones up into children of Abraham then bear fruit worthy of repentance even now that ax is laid at the root of the tree and it's going to be thrown into the fire what would John the Baptist say to the church today hypocrites think about that hypocrites who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come I mean can you imagine that coming on the scene who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come going across our churches why are you here why are you and this is holy ground this is god-honoring ground we are here to worship God not mocked God you come in here as if you're doing God a favor you're just as far as from God as you were yesterday why are you here therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance in other words stop coming here gossiping and backbiting and down talking each other act it out who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come you brood of vipers I mean what happened to turn the other cheek Jesus what happened to the mild and meek and all these things because there's a time to be bold and confrontational and that's what John the Baptist says what's John's problem here he doesn't have a problem we are called to confront in love people change by love and confrontation we must find the balance and you'll see that when I've talked about this before so I'm not gonna belabor the point but the love of God compels people to repentance so I think it's a wonderful thing to talk about the love of God and the grace of God and the mercy of God think about that a loving God is calling many people to himself he's calling them he sent his son his grace that's wonderful that's the love of God but sometimes you've got to bring out the hammer of God and say you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come you've heard John 3:16 three thousand times you need to stop playing Church and stop playing Christians start getting your life right you might have everybody else full but you don't have God fooled so you've got to bring out that sometimes - that's why you got to be very sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and being spending time and God's Word and understanding you'll hear his is his his word and his truth underscoring everything with love and grace and mercy because when those two mean when loving confrontation loving and confrontation meet that can change a person I truly believe that I truly believe that so what I want to say in closing is truth number three about repent repentance bear fruit worthy of repentance John the Baptist saying bear fruit worthy of repentance what does that mean resembling resembling fruit worthy of repentance and they had basically they had false assurance did they not John the Baptist is saying bear fruit worthy of repentance and they are saying we have Abraham as our Father John John Baptist says doesn't matter God can raise up children of Abraham from these very stones and even now the ax is laid at the root of the tree it's going to be thrown into the fire so bear they had false assurance that's why Jesus and John the Baptist's were so difficult with these people Jesus do you know do what Jesus called these people you whitewashed tombs you whitewashed tombs you are beautiful on the outside but you're as dead men bone dead men's bones on the inside you travel land and sea to win one convert and when you do you make him twice the son of hell as you Jesus said that yeah it's a long discourse when he rebukes these people so that can be a boy why was he rebuking them because they had false assurance their pride and their arrogance I'm been a Christian all of my life no you haven't that's not possible well I'm the coattails of my parents I live in a Christian home it doesn't matter all of us has got to stand before that judgment scene at some point so as Chelsea comes out we're gonna conclude with that and many of you have heard me say this it's in your bulletins as well if you're real if your religion has not changed your life change your religion that bears repeating if your religion has not changed your life change your religion if what you're doing just going through the motions does that truly change your life God is calling you to do that listen I don't just want to come up here and let me put all this together and then I go home I feel that God has put this on my heart to preach to some people they're gonna hear this on the radio they're gonna hear on the internet and some tonight that some of you need to hear this message maybe you've been leaning on your parents religion or maybe you've been leaning on the fact that you're my favorite one a good person I mean you realize how silly that sounds I'm a good person now I want people to I want a good neighbor and I want good people coming to church I understand that but the Bible says that there's none that are good no not one that our good works are like filthy rags in the sight of God so we can't live with this false security of I was raised in a Christian home I'm a good person I know what the Bible says I've had God all of my life was he had all of you see that's the difference there has to come a point when every Christians life is when they repent of their sin and when they acknowledge Christ as Lord and when they confess and say god I need you I can't do this on my own I've been playing Church I've been playing games all of my life I need you and you can do that tonight during worship during communion you can rebuild that relationship the wonderful thing about repentance is it also means repair right so no matter how far you've drifted no matter where you're at you can repair that relationship with God listen this is the most important topic that we can ever ever discuss I could stay here for another hour and go through the entire Old Testament on this beautiful word of repentance but we're concerned about where we're gonna eat what we're gonna do tomorrow it would take do we put a record on on duck dynasty can I watch it later you know we got our where does all these things but we're so far away from God and that's why God says draw near to me and I'll draw near to you seek me with all of your heart and I and you I will be found by you the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him wonderful isn't that great there's another very very fearful scripture that often stumble across and it reminds me that the eyes of the Lord go to and fro but the devil also goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour see that's a balancing act the eyes of the Lord a gracious loving father seeking calling out to us oh my lord that is powerful the god of the universe calling us to him but then the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour so let's just end with this thought if the eyes of the Lord go to and fro and the devil goes about is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour who find you there's no middle ground there's no middle ground the eyes of the Lord go to and fro to find those whose hearts are loyal to him who are seeking Him who want him and the devil goes about as a roaring lion seeking to pounce on whoever is prideful and arrogant and rejects God and doesn't need him and he grabs that either one is looking God does not compete with our time he's not we're not puppets and he just does this makes us do things he calls us through the conviction of Holy Spirit he calls us through preaching he calls us through the Word of God he called how many of you know when when God is calling you closer to him I wanted more of that relationship I want to be desperate for more I want more time I want more of your time and that's how the enemy robs is at that time I've got to I've got to keep up with the Joneses I got to make more money I got to do this I got to do this and the devil likes that he loves that so think about that both are looking for you God is looking the devil is going about as a roaring lion who finds you it's all about positioning yourself in the center of God's will one of the great things about this is the devil and God are not equal there's no equality there it's not good and bad light and darkness right and wrong the devil and God God is eternal the devil is a created being fallen from falling from his state has rejected God and now he's trying to call us to reject God as well he wants to take as many people down in his ship as he can I believe in a literal hell I believe in a literal heaven I believe in satanic influence I believe in the devil why shouldn't I I mean if God create an entire universe to say wow there's not a spiritual realm really that's he could do that like that and it makes sense because we feel that opposition don't we you feel that spiritual attack that guy prayed with the other day he felt his house was full of demonic influence did deep demonic and just this darkness he could see things in the walls and I'm thinking wow repent repent I left there just shaking my head because he didn't know if you want to do that I'm thinking let me think about this a lot to consider yeah that's a lot to consider isn't it it's a lot to consider was all he could say as if God's a choice on a menu and that's why my heart is for people in this area because he's not a choice on a menu he's all sufficient Savior he is everything I [Music] was gonna say something if I can find it you know back I was talking about October 28th October of 2008 and you know when God called my name he called me and he was like he rose from the ashes and began to draw me and call me and rebuild my life and I just have such a desire to tell you can do the same for you you know we talked a lot about Hell and repentance but also love has a name love has a name the name is Jesus name of Christ salvation has a name the name is Jesus healing has a name the name is Jesus forgiveness has a name the name is Jesus all-sufficient savior the Shekinah glory the bright a morning star the Alpha and Omega the Son of God the everlasting father the Prince of Peace the wonderful counselor our Sabbath rest he is my mediator he is my high priest he is my redeemer he is a lion from the tribe of Judah he was the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the of the world he is our Passover lamb he is everything his healer Redeemer savor he is everything there is a name that saves there is no other name given under heaven by which men ought to be saved every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord Paul told the church in Philippians let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but he made himself of no reputation he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death upon a cross therefore God highly exalted him God has highly exalted Jesus Christ at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord he will have a name written king of kings and Lord of lords listen he's not a co-equal with the devil he's not his brother he's the Lord Jesus Christ Healing has a name it's Christ deliverance has a name it's Christ the repentance has a name it's Jesus Christ everything goes back to God's gracious gift to mankind it's not a menu on an item on the menu that we choose we were bought at a price we've been redeemed but we have to acknowledge that redemption we have to confess him as Lord we have to say Lord I take what you've given me I take the gracious gift I take that grace and that mercy in that love you could just snap your fingers and we'd be obliterated but he calls us he draws us that's why I get passionate because we have the audacity to come in here as if we're doing him a favor we come in here this is holy ground of Goldie God who created us calls us back to him and we're just gonna flippantly ignore him and consider him and maybe I'll do that maybe I'll consider it and these calling us to him how powerful is that Wow Laure we just give you this time of communion Lord as we remember you tonight we thank you for the cross Lord we would be separated without you for without your redemption without the shed blood of your son Lord Lord I do pray for this nation Lord bring us to our knees humble this prideful arrogant nation humble her leaders Lord bring revival across this landscape even if it begins here Lord this is your church Lord this is your place you can heal you can redeem you can set free nor the perversion that we're seeing in our nation Lord would you bring revival to stop the pit of hell from from bringing us down or please lord please do something Lord we'd love for you to start here let this spark a revival go out Lord penetrate the hearts Lord one heart at a time we ask this in Jesus name Amen

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 6,808

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Shane Idleman

Id: 21TK3eKUl-I

Length: 60min 6sec (3606 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2013