When a pastor cannot see some of himself in the Apostle Paul, then he should not be in the ministry.
Among other things, the Bible gives us a standard by which Christians should judge themselves.
Of course we have the revelation of God and His law, and thereby we learn to recognize sin.
That is not referring to the laws of men, which may or may not be sins.
I John 3:8 is referring to the law of God.
When we find churches that don’t behave the way that churches in the Bible behaved,
When we find churches that were founded by people other than Christ,
We know from the standard that we have in the Bible – that they are not churches of Christ.
Christians are born by being “born again” – regenerated by the Spirit of God.
I wish that I could repeat, about myself, everything that Paul says about himself in the last half of Acts 20.
Some things that he says are exactly what I believe and exactly what I try to do to serve the Lord.
But, I confess that in some things, I only come close, and in others maybe not even that is true.
May God be merciful to both me and you.
I make no apology for being old-fashioned and trying to approach the standard that we see in Paul.
Obviously, I don’t wear the same kind of clothes or travel in the same circles.
But I still use some of the old Biblical words in the same old contexts, which makes me “old-fashioned.”
And I use outdated words like “repentance” but I avoid more modern derivatives like “penance.”
Modern linguists say that because of common usage there is nothing wrong with that word today.
That’s fine for them and for others, but not for me.
I suspect one reason that people want new Bibles is in order that they can skip over old Bible themes.
A perfect example is the prominent Bible subject of “repentance.”
Not only is it true that most people can’t define it and don’t know what it is.
But they have also been brainwashed into thinking that it’s some sort religious expletive.
whereas unsaved world would only blaspheme.
It’s a dirty word, to be laughed at when Jay Leno talks about someone preaching it.
But why has “repentenace” been put into such a bad light?
Why has it been made to live among the lepers rather than in the modern city with the intellectuals?
Repentance is one of the greatest gifts ever given to men.
Words expressing repentance are music to the ears of the Lord.
The act of repentance is a morality play that even Jehovah loves to watch.
“I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
he used the word “repentance.”
“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Jesus wasn’t referring to his coming all the way from Nazareth to Capernaum.
He wasn’t thinking of the long trip from his home to the home of Levi, the tax collector.
The Lord Jesus was talking about His descent from Heaven and eternity-past to earth and to the present.
He was talking about His commission from the Father and the purpose for His incarnation.
Christ Jesus left the splendor of Heaven, to visit YOU this morning and to call YOU to repentance.
Oh, you say, but this verse says that He came to call “SINNERS” to repentance. Exactly!
Try to avoid it all you like, but scripture has said, “There is none righteous, no not one.”
Jesus was referring to those who THOUGHT that they were righteous.
Until sinners come to the place of agreeing with God about their sin and their sinfulness …
Until they admit that they have no worthwhile personal righteousness …
Christ will not and cannot not help them; they will never have His forgiveness.
But what exactly is this repentance?
It is, by definition, a complete and revolutionary change of mind about sin.
It is NOT SORROW about sin, or a CONVICTION of sin, or a GRIEF over sin.
It is one thing to wake up at 5:45, and it’s an entirely different thing to get up.
It’s not a change of mind about punishment and Hell.
At the age of 19, Al Johnson joined two other men in robbing a Kansas bank.
As it turned out, three escaped convicts were in the vicinity at the time.
The police then assumed that the escapees had robbed the bank, and the case was closed.
Al Johnson had reason to believe that he’d never be convicted of his crime.
Eventually he took the stolen money, married, had three children and lived an apparently normal life.
Conviction fell on him until there was a longing for God’s forgiveness.
He confessed his sin before God, and he pled and trusted the merits of Christ to procure restoration before God.
But, the Kansas Statute of Limitations had expired; he couldn’t be charged.
Yet he vowed and succeeded in paying back every penny of his portion of the loot with interest.
His heart was broken over the sin, not over the punishment that it might have brought.
Repentance is before God and has very little to do with responsibility and punishment.
If repentance meant the confession and rectifying of every sin, it would be an impossible task.
Repentance is not remorse for being caught; it’s contrition for being a sinner before the holiness of God.
And Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Now, let’s say that I had great gift to give to you.
And let’s say that whether or not you know me, I know you and everything about you.
I know all those slimy, ucky, awful things that you have done, which no one else knows about but you.
The WAY that I invite you to receive this gift is important.
I could hire the Goodyear Blimp and blink my invitation to you over all city, but there would be no guarantee that you’d see it.
I might buy some radio time, but maybe you don’t listen to anything but baseball games on the radio.
And then I telephone you to confirm everything.
And then when the day arrives I send a huge white limousine to pick you up.
And to make doubly sure you came, I myself drive that limo and rang your door bell.
And then He commissions people like me to reinforce that invitation.
And then He comes Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
And finally, He actually puts that repentance in your heart Himself.
Repentance is wonderful and profitable to any sinner.
Christ Jesus came to earth to provide you with repentance.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: & the high priest asked them,
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
Remember that the apostles had been arrested for defying the law which said, “Don’t preach Christ.”
But Peter said, “You may get mad at us, but we MUST preach Christ. We have no other options.”
And then to the leaders of the nation of Israel, he said,
That same Jesus arose from grave and walked among us who are standing here before you.
And then he ascended into Heaven, from whence he came thrity-three years ago.
And in that exaltation, God the Father declared Christ’s authority as a Prince and Saviour.
Christ has authority to forgive sins and first, to grant repentance.”
“Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the GOODNESS of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
That word “goodness” is interesting.
It is the Greek word “chrestos” ( khrase-tos’ ), and it is translated in several different ways.
In Luke 6:5 the word is used to say that the Lord is “kind,” so very kind.
And in I Peter 2:3 the word says that the Lord is “gracious.”
Why weren’t you born in Beijing or Iran?
And why have you lived every day of your life up to today?
Why were you not slaughtered in a car wreck at the age of 10 or 11?
God has been so good and gracious to you.
And for what intent has He been good?
It has been with an eye towards His glory.
It could have been in order to give you an opportunity receive and use His repentance today.
No man will stand before God, the Judge, and say, “I had no opportunity to repent of my sin.”
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
Why is it that some people think that the commands of God are terrible burdens?
All of God’s commandments are thoroughly just, and right, and good.
The statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart.
The commandments of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold.”
But he hasn’t given us that command, because that WOULDN’T be for our good.
You know, there are not as many do’s and don’ts as most people imagine.
But of the few that there are there are, two that stand out above them all are:
“Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I know that there are different shades and meanings to thoughts about God’s love.
But just one of those hues is seen in this command to repent.
It was given not with a snarl in his voice, but with a plea and a tear.
but that the wicked turn from his way and life.
Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?”
Those commands and calls can come in thunder and lightening.
But you can also hear the Lord pleading in the fading and dying flower.
Every little bout with the flu or a cold, every sick day, says that you are mortal and will one day have to stand before the Lord.
“Repent of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of then heart may be forgiven thee.”
“Those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
Without doubt there is a need for conversion in every human soul.
Revelation 21:27 says and there shall in no wise enter into the city of God any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie.
There is only one class of people in God’s heaven: the thoroughly righteous.
“Tthe fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
We must have a NEW HEART; we must be BORN AGAIN; we must be CONVERTED.
And the only people who ever been converted from sin, are those who repent of their sin.
“Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish,” as men have from days of Cain
But listen to this carefully – REPENTANCE IS NOT MERITORIOUS.
Repentance doesn’t force or entice God to save us, and IT doesn’t make us new Creatures in Christ.
No man is FIT for Heaven without repentance, but no man is MADE fit because of repentance.
Sinners are saved from their sins by the pure grace of Almighty God.
It is God Who created and opens the door of salvation for us.
And it is the Lord Who has hung that door on the hinges of repentance and faith.
God graciously grants His salvation only where He finds these two things.
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
This is a passage that has always intrigued me, and I’ve looked at it often,
But I’m not sure that I’ve even begun to understand it.
Who are the ones or One who do the rejoicing? Angels, other saved & glorified people, or God Himself?
And why are they rejoicing?
Of course not; nothing is unexpected with the Lord.
Perhaps this passage has been given to us simply to show us that God and his Heavenly company consider repentance to be one God’s most precious of all gifts.
Repentance is more pleasant to the Lord than the harps of 10,000 Seraphim.
If the whole world were one giant bouquet of flowers, repentance would still smell sweeter.
Repentance might be likened to the gift of the youngest child, given in absolute love to its Father.
And yet in actuality the Father enabled that child to give it in the first place.
Will you repent of your sin before God this morning?
This one thing I know, that Heaven is happy as sinners repent.
Will you brighten heavenly faces this morning?