When's the last time you repented? Part 2

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  (Acts 3:19) 

In this episode: 

Opening Comments

​“Repentance” Is a very common term, but way too often, it is a very misunderstood and an under-loved concept.Wonder if I told you that, if properly utilized and understood, much of a person’s sadness, depression, low self-esteem, lack of confidence etc.. would be replaced with a bold abundant Joy where you feel renewed and refreshed every dayby having an inexhaustible zest for living?

​But the opposite is too-often true for many of our Christian colleagues who are living a low humdrum lifestyle. I don’t want to become guilty of over-stating this, but “Repentance” could and would have a colossal positive impact one one’s life. But the church has often been silent or just plain wrong in their “teaching” on this “game-changing” subject. 

​Here are just a few samples of Joy-smothering misunderstandings pertaining to “repentance.”

• I repented way back when I became a Christian, “been there done that.”

• The very word “repentance” makes me feel despondent and loss of joy.

• Jesus died for me, so I don’t have to repent anymore.

• Most people think repentance just means saying sorry but biblically, it’s so much more than that.

• Repentance isn’t punishment it’s an invitation. God isn’t trying to shame us; He wants to do something wonderful for us.

• Etc...

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Good morning, Cam. Cam. Say good morning.

SPEAKER_03 0:12

No such luck. He can't speak yet. That's a first. Can you talk yet, Cam? No coffee. No, he's looking at something. What are you reading, Tim? All right, here's everybody else.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Are you with us now, Dan? Morning, Daddy.

SPEAKER_07 0:48

Good in general. Tired. Lots of moving parts at work. Lots of Lots of disingenuous people.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Oh no, there's a surprise.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

I think the world is filled with them.

SPEAKER_03 1:19

Yeah, that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Good morning, Trey. You're looking serious? Are you ready to talk today?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Let's see. Oh, we're missing. I think. Actually, I think we have enough to get started. I could like to do that. If uh if you will please, I'm going to pray and we can get going. Father, we've had somebody talks about this subject. You and I, and I want it I want it to go well for the guys. And to that end, bless us, lead us, encourage us. And thank you for loving us in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I'm in sales mode for repentance. I just want you to know I'm mindful of the fact that I am in sales mode and I am being cautioned by God to not be overbearing. And I don't want to be overbearing, but I can tell you this subject matter is tremendously personal to me and tremendously exciting to me. And so and I'm so surprised that in my working with people, how many people do not have a favorable view of repentance. Yeah, they've they've they've done what they've needed to do on repentance, and most people have a negative view of repentance. Like, oh no, not that again. Oh no, that's that's not fun. And so I I know that I don't know what your personal view is of repentance, but I want to know that I've gone through a an unbelievable change in my view of repentance, and I'm wanting I'm wanting to share as much as and not being pressing. I don't want to be salesies, but I know I'm about to be, and I'm trying really hard not to be. Okay. When you guys think of repentance, what what do you feel and think? Do you like to even hear the fact I'm gonna be talking about repentance? And I had to add a whole five five or six more pages because Tim asked a question the last time we talked about it. Like, I want to know, I forget just how you said it, Tim, but you wanted to know the nitty-gritty on how you repent. What do you actually say? What do you actually do? So I so I went back and I thought, well, I haven't met the criteria that Tim was looking for. So I had to add another another chapter, five or six pages. So that's the way it works.

SPEAKER_05 5:06

Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Send me the bill.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

I did yesterday.

SPEAKER_06 5:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

A day early, I guess. I was working on it. I thought, oh, I need to put a ribbon on this baby and send it out. I and I did it a day early. Okay. Any uh opening remarks on repentance. How do you feel, Trey, when when you hear that I'm talking about repentance, or what what what would you say to me?

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Um, yeah, so I think that I think we started a bit with this, at least the last time I remember discussing it. And I think I'll just speak for myself. I think um when you first hear the word repentance, probably from many people, you it um presupposes that your um yeah, it presupposes that your actions have come up short and that you now have to um acknowledge, disclose, and deal with your own shortcomings. And I don't know, I just think by nature we don't wake up the first thing in the morning going, you know, let me find all the places I suck and tell everybody about it, and then work on it all day. Um, so I think it has it can tend to have a negative emotive feeling because of the required negative self-disclosure. I think once you have some repetitions with it, um really ultimately, hopefully, in godly sorrow, then what you experience eventually is a freedom from something, at least a growing freedom, if not at some point ultimate freedom, from something that was impairing you, and it gives you a really um sweet glimpse into the grace of the Lord that rushes to you in repentance. And so it's kind of um it's kind of confusing because our initial reaction, I think, is to sort of stiff arm the subject of repentance, but our felt experience is probably one of the sweeter things that a person gets to experience uh in the sort of grace, restoration, freedom experience that follows it. Um if it's you know deeply and and genuinely pursued. So sorry, that's my quick impression of repentance.

SPEAKER_07 7:56

My my version of that is uh whether you know pick your pick your uh your your poison, but it's it's getting in the gym, it's a pathway through to something better. You often uh are not sure that you want to go there. Um as Trey says, you stiff arm, but whether it's the walk in the woods, whether it's lifting weights, whether it's getting to the pool, there are a lot of times I'd rather sleep than do that, but I always feel better when I get to the other side of that. And you know, it's the the key dysfunction in thinking of it as a gym is it's not it's not me. It's uh it's a surrender to that. It's a surrender to him that gets you through, whereas the gym is a little more of you know, how much can I will it through, gut it out, whatever you want to call it.

SPEAKER_05 9:00

I also think that there's some intellectual honesty that you have to get to, a level you have to get to before true repentance is really happening, right? Because we all kind of view our world through whatever predisposed family or cultural or whatever kind of lenses we view it for, and oftentimes the depth of the repentance that is needed is not immediately seen because of how we view ourselves. So we have to either get beyond ourselves or become more honest with ourselves through someone else's eyes, um, and having support Iron Man around you to be able to help yourself help you see yourself from a different perspective, maybe.

SPEAKER_07 9:52

Tim, are you saying we like to see ourselves as the heroes of our own story?

SPEAKER_05 9:59

Yeah. Um, yeah, what's the author that uh that we read last year? He has a great book on that. I'll look it up while we're talking. Um yeah. Yes, is the answer to your question.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

So let me scroll real fast to get us to where we left off uh a couple of weeks ago when we were on this first on the subject. And the the title for this whole area, this whole little booklet, is when's the last time you repented? I want you to think about that. I want I believe repentance, this subject is pure gold. Absolutely pure gold. I believe there's a direct relationship between the quality of life and the quality of repentance. I believe that as the Bible uses the word refreshment is the person's ability to stay on top and be energetic and optimistic and happy and careful and filled with praise, that there's a direct relationship between those things that we all want and repentance. And I want for me there and it may be because I am more of a sinner than some of you, that I have to repent numerous times a day when stupid thoughts come into my mind, and I I let them be there for a few minutes, and I haven't learned the power of repentance, and so this whole study is just uh liberating for me, absolutely liberating for me, allowing me to get reach a new level of joy, a new level of excitement about living, and and I can't and I want to share it. Okay, Joe Abraham, did you have anything you wanted to say in opening remarks?

SPEAKER_04 12:21

No, I joined late, so I'll catch up.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Okay. Are you ready to repent, Joe? Oh that yeah. Okay, here we go. So uh I went through all of this, I don't want to go through it. I just want to mention again the original Hebrew and the original uh Greek are very important. Change of mind is the succinct uh view of what it says in the Greek, but in the Hebrews it goes a little further to return, to get back on track, to return. So those two are the I'll just mention those two definitions that are very important as you begin to isolate it all. I broke it down into, and this is the preacher in me that you have to have at least three points for every sermon, and here they are. So, what is repentance? Recognition of our sin, renunciation of our sin, and returning to God. They meet uh the test of the original language used about it. So those are just my three preacher points. But when Tim asked some questions last week, I've now had to expand that. So those are in not satisfying to him. So I've had to uh take up uh the effort to to meet his standard by first knowing if you're successfully repented, but how do you know I'm experiencing a change in direction? I've caught something, thank God I've caught something in time that I can make a change in direction. I have an attitude shift about how I see life, how I see excitement, how I see anticipation, how I'm in an adventure, how I feel part. You cannot have partnership with God without repentance. I I didn't, I never thought about that. And I certainly do now. And with God's help, I'm committed to change. That's another way of I'm willing to be sanctified. That's another way of saying I'm willing to become more like Jesus. That's another way of saying I am getting ready for heaven. All of those things are important, and you can't have them without repentance. So again, I'm I know I'm going to get loud and I'm going to talk a lot about uh because I'm very excited about the subject and I'm I'm gonna fall into the mode. I am confessing that now. Don't let me blow you away on that. Okay, repentance after becoming a Christian. That's a lot of people think I repented, that's how I became a Christian, and that could be true. But that doesn't say that are you repenting to stay a Christian? Are you repenting to become a full Christian? Some of the words we're going to be talking about today in the Bible, you're gonna be surprised how much Bible there is for repentance. I I'm just blown away about how much variations of repentance the Bible gets into, the nuances of it. So, repentance after becoming a Christian. I want to talk about the frequency of it, I want to talk about the purpose of it, I'm gonna go deep about what it what it refers to and how you know you're doing it. I'll get into all of those things. I I think you will love it. I am excited about it. What good repentance feels like. So it's not just an emotion, it's it's more than an emotion. True repentance is refreshing freedom. Trey used the word freedom and kicking it off this morning. Uh truth, doubt shall know the truth, doubt shall make you free. That's what Jesus said. I think their level, let me just stop and talk about that. Um, this this is how do I view, how do I view staying so long on a subject? We're we're at a year point now on Ecclesiastes 3:11, the spiritual headquarters of our soul. And and here we are a year later, and we're still doing things. And here I am, I I broke it down to all noise, and the world can be put into four voices. The Bible, but I didn't put it there, the Bible puts it into four voices, and we talked about that, and we're now on the last voice, which is the voice of God and primarily the Holy Spirit in our life. And we got into that, and we had to talk about, and this was a uh a question that Jim brought up and made me go in that direction for a couple of weeks, and that is quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit, and in repentance. So we have to talk about repentance because the primary reason for the Holy Spirit is to give us a conviction and to guide us forward. Well, that involves that's front and center repentance, and so it's not just an emotion of feeling. Trey used the word godly sorrow, and that's what most people think about repentance, and that's the 2 Corinthians passage that's on the table there ahead of you. But it's more than that, it's this refreshing relief and a sense of freedom. If you don't feel more free after today's talk, then I failed you. I know that that's a responsibility I have. Um my responsibility is to share truth, and with truth increases our sense of freedom. So there should be some weight off shoulder, there should be some new excitement avenue upon which you can go down if we've done, if we've had a good Bible study this morning. There's one thing I that I didn't spend much time on, and I and I should have. This is right where we were winding up last week. Is what is the difference between confession and repentance? I just want to give you those words in the original language and what they refer to. Confession is verbal, that is something we do. We agree with God, we've blown it, we're stupid, we've we've become a nitwit. And and so we agree with God that we needed Calvary, we needed the death of Christ, and and that's verbal, all verbal. That's between God and I, verbal, verbal, verbal. But repentance goes one step beyond verbal and it goes into volitional. It means that I am making change, I have decided to return to a track. Uh Derek, you saw the sermon. Did you go to church last week, Derek? Yes, and you heard him talk about the off ramps.

SPEAKER_03 19:54

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

That's that's what repentance is for, is to get off the off-ramp and get back on track. And how many times a day can we get on and off ramp? And I thought that he did a good job on that, and so that's what that is, it's volitional. So, did you see that? Confession is verbal, repentance is volitional. Let it sink in. That's the difference between the two. So if you are wondering that, then we this is where we ended up. I wanted to talk about the unique blessings of repentance, and the only way you can do that is to talk about what it did for me, what it did for you. You can't you this is personal. I apologize for it being personal, but at the same time, I don't apologize because how do you know if you repented? How do you know if you're if you are maximizing repentance in your life? It is a big, big component of our life or should be in our life. And we have made it small because it makes us feel bad. And I'm wanting to get through that hoop. So here are the unique blessings I these are mine, you have yours. I'm gonna talk about mine. I'm gonna ask you, you tell me what you think and what you feel. What does repentance do for you? Do you have a testimony of repentance? Can you sit down with somebody that you're talking to about your relationship with Christ and give them a testimony that is gonna blow their mind in the area of repentance? Do you do you feel ready for that? And so I'm trying to get us ready for that. So I put it in five different areas for me. You know, and I said, I gotta think this through, pray this through, study this through. What is repentance doing for me? So, number one, repentance allows me to feel brand new again, to feel reborn again. Feel just like the time I felt when I first accepted Christ. I'll never forget Lake James, Indiana, out in a big lake. They took me and I was baptized in Lake James. And I'll never forget coming up out of the water, how I felt. And it's just it's just a beautiful thing. It was Paul was talking in Acts 19 about it's quick, let's get to baptism, let's get washed up, let's washing away our sin. His words, not mine. And it's just that feeling I am clean. Repentance is like taking a bath. How often do you take a bath? Every time you're dirty, every time you stink, every time you feel soiled. And repentance is our ability to take a bath and to feel fresh again. World, here I am. I'm all cleaned up. That's what repentance does for me. And I'll I'll even get to uh it's repentance is not just New Testament, it is Old Testament, and a lot of Christians don't have an appreciation for the Old Testament. So I wanted to put some Old Testament stuff into this. And here's the one, if you look right there in the center of the page, in Zechariah and Malachi, they kind of were talking to each other, it appears like, because they're using some of the same words. They both said, Return to me and I'll return to you. That's what God's saying. Return to me, I'm right there, I'll return to you. I'll meet you, I'll meet you immediately. But you've got to take the first move. Draw near to God, He'll draw near to you, James. Is that if you'll take that step, I'm right there, man. I'll be all over you, I'll fill you with joy. Here, or the second one in Jeremiah. I love this one. If you repent, I will restore you, that you may serve me. That we get the joy of being on his team. You're part of family. That's what that means. You can serve me. You're you're now you're now a son of God. You're you're in the family, man. When Jesus returns in the clouds, he's coming for his family. You're there. That's what it means. If you repent, I'll restore you that you may serve me. Okay, I'm gonna tone it down. I'm I'm sorry. So that was number one. What does repentance do to you? Tell me about your repentance or your testimony of repentance. Number one for me, it makes me new again. Here's number two for me. Repentance assists me in keeping my pride. Now, you may not have this problem like I have, and I don't know why I grew up with pride as a major obstacle to me. I think it had to do that. I I know when I was went to school, I I know that I was self-conscious. I was the only boy in the class that wore bib overalls. That's what we were we were poor, we're farm boys, and I think that made me self-conscious, and I think I had a problem with pride uh as a result of that. And I'm not sure of that, but I know that I had a problem with pride that I am sure of. So here's what that Paul said to Timothy. Humility means agreeing with truth. Now I gotta stop here in truth a little bit. Paul says, repentance leads to know the truth so that we can come to our senses. Isn't that a neat way for him to say that? You can't come to your senses if you don't know the truth, and you can't come to truth until you're humble, and you can't be humble until you get you hit your pride problem, or hit my pride problem. So, so I people ask me, you know, some of you have asked me, how can you go forever on just one verse in the Bible and we stay in it for months at a time? It's because they're different levels of truth. So you get to one truth, and every truth has an underleaning under under uh meaning of that truth, and you get to that truth, and you go another level deeper that, and you get to that truth, and you get to another level deeper now. And it seems like we'll never get out of Ecclesiastes 3:11 because the levels of truth are seems like infinite, and so that's why we stay so long on a verse, and I and because of the levels of truth that you want to get to. So here are some things about humility that that really hit me is that he mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble. That's the old testament view of repentance, and the new testament view is God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Both of them say the same thing. We want to show that of favor to the humble, and so the Bible is saying it's in your best interest to be very quick to repent. Repent, repent, repent today. If you repented several times a day, you're getting it. You understand the power of repentance, and he will show favor to humble. Hey, what does that mean? Show favor to the humble. What does that mean? Okay, Joe Abraham, talk now. What does it mean to show favor to the humble? Is God showing you favor today?

SPEAKER_04 28:09

It's the opposite of him opposing the proud. So you kind of picture God's nature is that he opposes the proud, he he doesn't grant them favor. Then favor is everything he wants to do for you and with you. Bless you, you know, allow you to maximize your gifts, bring things into your pathway that that that he had intended for you. But there's times in your life when you're being disobedient where he can remove that favor and you can it's very clear that he's removed it because nothing seems to work, no matter how hard you try. So you find yourself striving, and you you know, like what would uh Solomon call like striving in the wind or punching in the wind or whatever that may be. It's that feeling and you know it's God actually turning his favor away because it's it's not like for a day, it's not for two days or a week, it's usually for a season until the work is done that needs to be done.

SPEAKER_01 29:08

Which is repentance, right?

SPEAKER_04 29:11

And usually and usually you know, if if it's gotten to a point where God's turned his favor away, for me it was a ten-year per window, then like you gotta go through all your knucklehead stuff, all your explaining it away. Like it takes a long time to get there because you're that stubborn, and it it's only because you're that stubborn that he had to do it that way, because he gave you plenty of warnings ahead of time, plenty of warnings, but then you go, then you gotta go the long road.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

And it and I think what you're saying is that we're just bad at repentance, so it takes longer. Is that true? Is that what you're saying?

SPEAKER_04 29:52

Yeah, I think I think like I I've personally come to find that maybe all of us have like one or two areas that that we kind of don't let go of, don't let go of. And it's in those areas where since you were so stubborn for so long, and there were all the gracious opportunities to repent and all the early warnings in those couple of areas is where the it can go this far, and the favor gets pulled away, and then it it's a long, and again, it's a long journey.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

I I I only I had it yes, it is a long journey, but it doesn't have to be.

SPEAKER_04 30:30

I mean, no, no, I'm I'm totally with you. I'm saying the the journey, the the repentance part isn't the long journey, it's the individual recognizing that that was the problem in the first place. Oh no, I never let that go. I'm finally gonna let it go, getting to that point.

SPEAKER_01 30:46

And that's what and that's what brings us to this whole subject is that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to convict us, right? And if we're good at listening to him, we will pick up on it. I I wouldn't and I want to say is favor, favor what Joe was just talking about, and thank you for doing that. And do are you aware uh how depression is is on the rise? Are you aware that now it went from 12 minutes to 11 minutes? Every 11 minutes somebody in the United States commits suicide? Every 11 we've been on here for a half hour, there've already three people have killed themselves. Why? Because they feel out of favor. Are you getting it? This is a big deal. Are you aware of this? That out of every four suicides, three of them are men. Are you aware of that? It's a big problem. People need to feel in favor, and so the way to it is through repentance. I can't say loud enough how important this subject is. I've got turned away again. Okay, number three for me. The first one I've given number three.

SPEAKER_04 33:33

Um yeah, it actually was worth it. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for asking I got done. On to the next thing.

SPEAKER_05 33:44

Don't let any ground. What's that? No grass growing around you.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

Oh, my back on now. I'm sorry. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_05 33:57

We loved your point. Even though we didn't hear it. Drives the devil away from me.

SPEAKER_01 34:06

Are you there?

SPEAKER_05 34:08

Yeah, there. Okay. Drives the devil and Levon away from us, apparently.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

Okay. So it the number of scriptures on this are unbelievable in number, and they're so deep and they're so wonderful, and we could talk forever about them. But the Bible says this submit yourselves. So submit means I have to. And the Bible says, or James says in another passage here, draw near to God, he'll draw near to you. So we have to go first. It's always draw near to God, he'll draw near. You go first, submit. God, I'm submitting to you this morning. God, I'm submitting this day to you. God, I'm submitting this Bible study to you. God, I'm submitting this next few minutes to you. Submit, submit to God. But then it says, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. So it's two part submit and flee. Resist. How do you resist the devil? Resisting the devil is repentance. You've got to do those two steps. You get them? You can't submit and you can't resist the devil without repenting. What is repentant? We'll get into all of that. We're gonna go as deep so Tim doesn't say that wasn't deep enough for me. Okay, draw near to God, and I'll he'll draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, you double-minded. That's us, man. I I love Bill Gaither's uh, you know, God save me a sinner. That song that's so real. When we sin, we're giving the devil permission and encouragement drawn here. So anytime we go back to what Joe was saying, if we're making the journey long and if we're slow to repent, we're inviting Satan into our life. We're giving him permission to hang around. Okay, so that was number three for me. Here's the next one. Number four, these are personal, my personal things. You can tell me what repentance does for you. I'm going to ask you that at the end of this. I found this to be true in my life. What I insisted and given into my own sinful ways, the one who suffered the most was always me. Although sin may feel good in a moment, I tell you, pride is my number one. Number two for me is self-pity. So if I start feeling I feel sorry for myself, uh, I've been wronged, uh, I've been misunderstood, uh, any of those kind of things, that that's self-pity and pride. Those two probably go together somehow. But uh repentance is frees me from that kind of torment. And when I was willing to confess my sins of God, others do to my pride and shame, I found myself unaccountable. So do you feel accountable right now to God? I mean, is it something that you're thinking about? Am I being am I are you willing to say right now, I'm ready to do the next right thing? I'm ready to do the next right thing. If you're not in that feeling state, then you're probably guilty of sins of omission because you're not doing the right. You see how this I'm I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it's it's important that we hear this. I'm sorry, this is this is I'm being harsh, and I am aware that I don't mean to be bit, but repentance can be harsh at the beginning. All righty, don't I want to the verses on this is really something. Approach God's throne with grace. We can do that right now and find grace and help in time of our need. Oh, if you haven't memorized that verse, that's one forum. This next one, repent and then turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing that's being under God's favor may come from the Lord. You may feel life again. Okay, that was number four for me. This is number five. This is that I'll I'll tone down and shut up in a bit here. So one more sin, repentance leads me to the fullness of life. I just love this. Sin will lead to spiritual death, but God's word tells us that the wages of sin is death. But Jesus said, Unless you repent, you too will perish. God granted repentance leads to life. God has granted repentance that leads to life. Acts 11, 18. Add to that salvation. Godly sorrow brings repentance and leads to salvation, leaves no regret. Did you get that? That's the second Corinthians, leaves no regret. If you feel bad about yourself, if you feel bad, hey, I'm getting close to death. There's so many things I haven't done, leaves no regret. Repent. Regret should not be a part of your life. You want it out, flush it, flush it, flush it. How do you flush it? Repentance. That's the invitation. I can get over it and get through it and be joyous again. Ultimately, when we repent, we're inviting Jesus to have fellowship with us after urging Christians to be earnest and repent. That's what Jesus said. Earnest and repent. Here I am, stand at the door, knock. If anyone here, I'm just trying to get in. My voice opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. I find it interesting. Not only does he come in, but he's eating with us. It's meal time. Here's the last one that uh the last verse. It's John 10, that you may have life and have it to the full. So that direct contradiction to what Jesus said to the church of Laodicea that they were half full, wokwarm. Isn't that interesting? So the way to stay full is repenting, that we can have lifeless. So the question for you is it did you have a full day yesterday with Jesus? Are you gonna have a full day today with Jesus? Is he gonna make you ecstatic today? Giving him first place in your lives as Lord, always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who's asking you to account for hope and confident assurance elicited by faith that is within you. Do it with gentleness and respect. What the Bible says that if you are living a full life, that people are going to come to you and people are gonna say, What are you eating, man? What are you on? What what's what's gotten into you? Why are you so optimistic? What's the joy that I am feeling coming out of you? How did that happen? That's right back to our subject. Repentance allows that to happen. Okay. So I gave you five things that uh repentance is doing for me when I repent. Any any any comment from any of you? What have I missed in your life?

SPEAKER_04 43:02

Is is this the summary of it or no? Right here. The five points are they summarized right here or no?

SPEAKER_01 43:08

No, no. So it's it's a different chapter. This is yeah, it I can't wait to get into it. These I went through, I I can't tell you how much I studied just for this one subject of repentance. I went through the whole Bible and I tried to take all the verses on repentance and put them in categories. And I know whether I did it right or wrong, I don't know. Maybe you could have put them in different categories, but you can break the repentance scriptures down and put them into categories. I did it, and I did it because how do I measure how good I am or what category am I missing out on? How good am I at experiencing repentance? And so that was how I developed this. Assessment about all of this. So that's how this came up. So I took all the pertinent uh scriptures, put them together in categories, and then yeah, we have a way to do it. Does anybody before I get into that? That's an answer to your question, Joe. I'll go in there in a second. But do any of you have something that you feel I've missed? And the joy, the wonderful results I gave you five of what repentance does for what did I do in your life?

SPEAKER_04 44:33

Did you I'm I'm I'm I'm guessing you did, but as you were scrolling through, I don't know if I missed it. But if you've made the point somewhere in your five about either being more usable by him and or restored to your ministry or your calling, because if not, like in the absence of repentance, all those go away.

SPEAKER_05 44:54

Yeah. Kind of number five. Is it okay with the full note? Okay, there you go.

SPEAKER_04 45:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:02

I was thinking about um and you kind of had this in the first one, weight weight lifted. But when you're not repenting, right, you're trying to take on you have a prideful, you have a lofty view of yourself and you're carrying things that are not yours. And so when you repent, you um you're you're you're you're becoming more in alignment with what your role is. Knowing your role relieves that stress, repenting to him takes that weight away. And so there's just um I think where I was going with it is that it's yeah, it's a comfort, but it's it's what I was made to be. I'm not trying to be God or I'm not trying to do more than I should be. I'm just if I'm correctly in line and repenting, then I'm I'm perfectly in the spot where he made me to be. And I just think that that's there's a there's a feeling that or a weight that gets removed, if you will. Yep. We all try to, you know, have a mask and and have these big uh roles and responsibilities, and and you know, that's part of where we have been. But when you have that understanding that, hey, I'm just a screwed-up sinner, and and this is not me that's doing these things, it's really God using the talent that He put in me, it becomes a different thing, I think, just in terms of your countenance and and that type of um posture, just mentally changes changes me, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 46:41

Okay, so I want to take what you've just said and I'm gonna reduce it to two things. Repentance is taking something off your taking weight off of you. That's right, and you said that well. Number two, repentance fills you up, then so it does not only take something off of you, he puts something in you, and that's called the fullness, he will give you life more full. Yeah, so that's a two-step process. One, take it off, two, put it on. That's by the way, if if if uh Trey remembers what he memorized the book of Colossians, that's that's in there, taking off, putting on.

SPEAKER_05 47:24

Just reread it's somewhere in that big brain.

SPEAKER_01 47:29

Okay, I'd like to get through this. Good luck, good luck. So it there, I've taken all the scriptures now, whether I did it right or wrong, and we can all do it our own way. But I took all the verses and I put them in the six category, seven categories, sorry. And I want you to just give yourself a score. If what this is, if you're experiencing this, then give it a 10. If you're less than give it whatever number you want. And this is this allows you to get in touch with are you are you getting the most out of this repentance that God wants to give us? I mean, that is the invitation of the life, is that he comes to you and said, I can do this for you. So are you are you taking him up on it? Here they are. Uh here's number one: the first pertinent scripture is Jesus and the disciples all preach repentance. I just want you to get a here are the two verses that do it from the time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations. So, the question that I have for you, I regularly practice and teach repentance. You can just take a sheet of paper and just put down a number. This is easy. I'm not gonna ask you to share it. This between you and God. I just want you to come to grips. Are you missing out on anything in repentance? That's what I want you to know. Here's number two repenting is an ongoing command. The times of ignorance God's overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he's first appointed. And this is he who has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. Do you repent when I sin? I repent when I sin, and I am convicted by the whole I hear the voice. This is all come out of this hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. Am I good at that? Do I hear conviction? Do I repent instantly? Do I do it? How good are you at doing that? That's an area of repentance. All right, think it through, put a number down for yourself. There's a reason that you put numbers down because it tells something about you at the end. Number three, uh, repentance involves a constant turning or changing our mind to align with God's word. Here's the verses. T Paul said, they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. Matthew said, John the Baptist forcefully told the Pharisees and said, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. My lifestyle is one of constant repentance. Is that true of you? Are you getting the most out of repentance? Give yourself a number. I'm now down to number four. Repentance involves sorrow over the heinous nature of all our sins. Job said it this way: I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you. I experience sorrow and embarrassment over my sins and goof ups. Give yourself a score. Number five, the fifth compartment of repentance. Uh, and this is all about God is lovingly patient with us, leading each of us to and through repentance. The Lord to fulfill his promise and some counsel on us, but is patient towards you, not wishing that you any should perish, but all should reach repentance. Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost, but I have received mercy for this reason: that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example for those who were to believe in him for eternal life. So when I think of repenting, I feel pulled more by love and mercy than push by fear and shame. Let me say that again. You didn't get it. When I think of repenting, I feel pulled more by love and mercy than being pushed by fear and shame. You have to think about that. The verses are there. I'm on number six now. Repentance frees us and gives us abundant and joyful life. He frees us. When you heard these things, they fell silent and they glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also, God has granted repentance that leads to life. Or another verse, this is Romans. Many preachers, teachers hold back and neglect to tell sinners they are dead in their trespasses and sin. They must repent when they are when they fail in their God-given calling. The fact is that hope it delivers in Jesus' name and glorious news to the sinner. God will grant them repentance, but they must first hear the message in order to respond in faith. And so you have to read the three verses in Romans and get that. When I think of repentance, I think I'm going through a door to freedom, not a door to slavery and servitude. Do you feel that? I feel set free. And the final compartment, which is the last one, the weeping of the hard truth is that unrepentant heart leads to death. This is a bit negative, but it's one of the areas. The weeping prophet Jeremiah cried out to the Lord, Oh Lord, do not your eyes look for truth. You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish. You have consumed them, but they have refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock. They have refused to repent. The most tragic thing in the world is when sinners remain hard-hearted. They don't heed the call of the gospel and believe the good news. The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. Give yourself a score, add them up. If you've gotten between 55 and 70, you didn't need to come today. Repentance is currently playing a key role in the Christian life, in your life. Congratulations, what you are doing and learning with your extra times of refreshing. If you're anywhere below 55, 54, and on, the other two areas are hey man, you fall in that category with Jesus says, lukewarm. You're taking a lukewarm position on repentance. That's an ouch. You're gonna be confused, you're gonna be tossed to and fro. Satan's gonna see you as an easy hang, low-hanging fruit. If you're between seven and nineteen, it's probably because you're a new Christian and you're just getting into the salvation process. Okay. I didn't get into any of Tim's stuff. We've used our time.

SPEAKER_04 56:16

Okay, before Jim closes, here's a mind bender to consider. Um what's a bigger deal? Christ, life, death, and resurrection, or the gift of repentance?

SPEAKER_02 56:33

You know why that's funny? Because my my first point is repentance, okay, the number one thing is the gift, this is to me, the gift of everlasting life. But repentance is a gift that gives you the closest feeling on earth that you'll have in everlasting life.

SPEAKER_01 57:02

Oh that's an interesting thank you for sharing that. What else you got to say?

SPEAKER_02 57:09

Well, it's funny, Joe and I Joe can read my mind all the time, and it just he just proved it again. Um I just said that this is the closest joy, joy you'll find on earth, then that there will be when you go to heaven. Then I had a couple weird questions. Can you be depressed, anxious, or any other mental malady and be a person who repents or be a Christian? So maybe so I would say, yeah, there's chemical imbalances and those kinds of things. So I'm sure there's a subset. But if you're all sort of normally, physically, is it possible to be press depressed, anxious, or anything and be a Christian who's repenting enough? Uh the other thing I said is you you you started out, but I didn't realize how important it was. This is all active. None of this is passive. Repentance is active, resisting the devil is active. So it's it's very, this is a very active part of our Christian life.

SPEAKER_01 58:25

Oh, very good.

SPEAKER_02 58:26

The more the more the more we have Christ in the day, the better the day. I think that's a full truth. That's an undeniable truth. And I think part of that is because repentance creates perfect alignment with the number one goal of being a Christian and loving God. And my pick my mind picture is repentance is an oasis in the middle of a desert. So there's anybody want to add any thoughts? No. Okay, Lord, thank you for this time. Whether we scored above 55 or not, this is an incredibly valuable um Bible study today. Thank you for giving us this gift of repentance because without it, we're guaranteed to sin. So we have no way back to you without repentance. So thank you for providing the trail that we need to follow. And Lord, keep your hand on all of us through the week. Keep us closer to you, have us be humble and repenting as often as we need to, so that we can enjoy the joys you provide to us in every second, every minute of every day. Amen.