Repent | Greg Ford | One Church
MESSAGE NOTES
REPENT
[Matthew 3:1-2]
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
Tension: Miscommunication “What I heard” vs “What I meant”
He said she said doesn’t matter…he meant she meant
[Matthew 4:17}
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
[Mark 6:12]
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.
[Acts 2:38]
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“I heard you say this”
Poster Board - Repent :: Shame (Feel Bad)
You actually have to learn how to be free from shame.
John’s message was a call to repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but repent isn’t a “feelings” word. It is an action word. John told his listeners to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance speaks of a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart.
If you are going to be free from shame you need to understand the difference between making a mistake and being a mistake.
Repentance must never be thought of as something we must do before we can come back to God. Repentance describes what coming to God is. You can’t turn towards God without turning from the things He is against.
Repent
Metá (a preposition) – in company with properly, with ("after with"), implying "change afterward" (i.e. what results after the activity). As an active "with," (metá) looks towards the after-effect (change, result) which is only defined by the context.
Noeo- verb…to think…to apply mental effort needed to reach "bottom-line" conclusions
Pull back the car and let go…. You can’t let it go until you’ve pulled it back.
The purpose of repentance is not about feeling bad. It’s about becoming free.
John wanted people to know that the kingdom of heaven was near – as close as your hand. It wasn’t as distant or as dreamy as they had imagined. This is why John was so urgent in his call to repentance. If the kingdom of heaven is at hand, then we must get ready now.
Kingdom of Heaven is near…not it’s about to happen…close by…”at hand” “has drawn near”
Forgive and forget…“sea of forgetfulness”…Remembers our sin no more
[Micah 7:19]
Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
[Isaiah 43:25]
“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.
[Hebrews 8:12]
And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
[Hebrews 10:17]
Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”
[Psalm 103:12]
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
[Romans 4:7-8]
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.
Behavior / Belief continuum … Renewing of the mind
Belief that I’m righteous results in the turning of behavior
If there was just something to avoid shame…if there was just something that could take it away
[Acts 2:36-41]
So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” 37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
You are one good decision away from a streak of good decisions.
ICEBREAKER
What is one thing we don’t know about you?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What do you hear when you hear the word "repent"? What pictures or come to mind? What emotions are triggered?
Pastor Greg defined repentance as the process of learning in reverse (meta) and applying mental effort to reach a bottom line conclusion (noeo). How does this understanding of repentance differ from what you believed?
What areas of your life do you need to pull the car ack and take a look? What steps can you take with God to to reach a bottom line conclusion?
What are some common responses to our mistakes that we use in order to avoid repentance? (deflection, defensiveness, shame, anger, etc.)
What do these verses tell you about God's heart, his forgiveness and the nature of repentance? Read, Micah 7:19, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17, Psalm 103:12, Romans 4:7-8
How does that make you feel to know that you are forgiven by God, never again to be reminded of your sin? Can you receive his forgiveness today?