Small steps in faith

Monday, November 15, 2010

The What and Why of Repentance

These are my notes from the sermon at Apex 11/14

Acts 17:29-31


Once Jesus saves you..you can't be snatched. Once you are sealed in Christ..you persevere to produce fruit.

Sometimes when disciples live their lives, they minimize the importance of the day to day walk in holiness.
We think our behavior from day to day doesn't matter....BUT IT DOES.

Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ willed that the whole liffe of believers should be repentance..Martin Luther

Repentance is not a one time occurence

Repentance is a school from which we should never graduate

Repentance ..heartfelt sorrow for sin..a renouncing of it

True repentance will entirely change you

Some see repentance as feeling bad about consequences ...this is not true biblical repentance.
Change needs to happen at the root..the heart

Mars Hill in Athens..an area where people would debate ideas. Paul goes and share the gospel and builds trust with them.
He acknowledges they are religious. To be human is to be religious
God has sovereignly placed us where we are to be.
God is not a statue
God is living..pulsating..full of life

1. Our entire existence is dependent on the providence of God
Job 12:10
Psalm 36:9
Colossians 1:17
Hebrews 1:3

Why do we need repentance?

1. We are natural born idolaters (v29)
Idolatry is fought hardest in the mind
Faulty thoughts in the person of Christ

2. Universal human need(v 30)
From Genesis to Christ's birth God restrained over and over his judgment
With the cross, judgment has a sharper point

3. There is impending judgment (v 31a)
He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness
What about Gandhi? This is often asked
We don't judge each other by each others righteousness. You will always find someone worse than you. We will be judged by His righteousness which means no hope for eternity or in His righteousness

4. Jesus is the prosecutor. (31b)
We all like him to be our savior but He is also the judge and prosecutor
James 5:9

Repentance is a grace.
Faith is turning to Christ and repentance is turning from sin...
How did we get repentance? By Jesus dying on the Christ
Have you asked God to forgive you for your thoughts about Him?

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