Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago before I became a believer, my new bride had asked me if she could use the car to go to a rummage sale outside of town. After obliging her, she went on her way with some dollars in her pocket. After a few hours passed, I was starting to get concerned about where she was, until she finally pulled up to the house. She was practically in tears because she had gotten lost at one of the rummage sale signs. In fact, I don’t think she ever got to the sale at all. She didn’t know the area very well because she had recently moved up to my area. Because of this, she ended up getting turned around and lost on the back roads. If I remember correctly, I think she had told me that she had driven around for 50 miles in circles, driving down the dirt roads and trying to find her way back to the main highway.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
It’s very easy to get lost when you go to rummage sales isn’t it? Sometimes the directions aren’t posted in the right place, or the wind spins the directional sign around on its post. It can really feel like you’re heading the right way, while in all actuality you’re going in the complete opposite direction.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Sin is very deceitful, because the more involved you become with it, the harder it is to find the right path home. This is why the Apostles were telling people to turn from their sins. Repentance is not optional, it’s mandatory, otherwise people will most certainly perish.
Acts 26:19-20 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
When somebody repents, they need to have works that reveal an inner change of their heart. It is turning away from things that are wrong or displeasing to God, and doing what is right. It is becoming reconciled to biblical truth. In the past, each of us have done wrong things, but now we must change our direction, and return to God, beginning to live our lives in a manner that serves Him, as we humbly choose to walk according to His purpose.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Good works are the evidence of inward repentance, as the sinner begins to realize the error of their way, and becomes transformed into a saint. If somebody is going to claim to repent, the ultimate proof is a changed life. People can claim with their mouths that they believe in God, but to enter into eternal life requires more than just that. It requires repentance from the heart
Matthew 3:1-10 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Many times, humans are creatures of routine who do the exact same things each and every day. These habits can be both good and bad. Genuine repentance will require modifying certain habits that are displeasing to God, so as to conform to His purpose. Instead of repenting from dead works, we must produce good works by developing and maintaining good routines, until they become a regular pattern in our daily lives.
Titus 2:6-7 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works:…..
Repentance is more than saying that you will do something, it’s proving it by your actions.
Matthew 21:28-32 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of. righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
God doesn’t want any of us to perish, He wants us to repent and turn to the truth.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
In order to find forgiveness with God we must first demonstrate a willingness in our hearts to forsake sin. Forsake means to turn away from something and leave it behind
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Jeremiah 36:3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
Peter and the other disciples turned away from the way that they used to live, to serve the Lord.
1 Peter 4:3-5 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
Through Godly sorrow and true repentance, we need to become a new man in Christ.
Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
People need to repent of their sins before it’s too late. The longer that you wait, the more that you can be deceived. Although it may feel like you’re heading in the right direction, it is the wrong way to go. Without repentance the only thing that will happen, is finding yourself lost out in the woods, and never being able to find the place that you were originally heading for….
……The Rummage Sale
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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