1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Two of the most important words in the Christian life. 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:18,800 Can you imagine what those words might be? Two of the most important words in the Christian 3 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:26,680 life. Well, I would imagine we could guess for a while and it would take a few minutes 4 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:33,680 for you to guess the two words I'm talking about. I'm talking about the words repentance 5 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:40,920 and conversion. Oh, you say, no, those are for unsafe people. Well, yes, as a matter 6 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,520 of fact, they are used in the Bible of unsafe people. In fact, if you'll take your Bible 7 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:52,520 and turn with me, we'll see a couple of places. Luke chapter 13 is one place that we see Jesus 8 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:59,520 using the word repent and referring to those who are unsaved, who are lost, not believers. 9 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:11,520 He says in verse 3, Luke 13, I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise 10 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:18,520 perish. And again in verse 5, he reiterates that statement, I tell you no, but unless 11 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:25,880 you repent, you will all likewise perish. And so we see the word repent used here referring 12 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:32,880 to the repentance of an unsaved person and its necessity. Repentance in this respect 13 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:39,880 is a part of faith. We don't usually speak of it as being a separate work. When one believes 14 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:43,880 on the Lord Jesus Christ, there is repentance that is inherent in that. So we don't make 15 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:50,880 repentance a separate step of salvation. But in genuine faith, there is repentance when 16 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:57,880 a person is saved. And then turn to verse 5, Luke 13, I tell you no, but unless you repent, 17 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:04,880 there is repentance when a person is saved. And then turn to Matthew chapter 18 and verse 18 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:15,400 3. Perhaps to get the context, it would be good for us to start in verse 1 where it says 19 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:22,400 at that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 20 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:31,440 And he called a child to him and stood him in their midst and said, Truly I say to you, 21 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:38,440 unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 22 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:45,440 You shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus here is not promoting childishness, 23 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:53,680 but rather he is promoting childlikeness in simplicity of faith and understanding. Simply 24 00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:02,440 coming to him and receiving. But tied together with that he says, unless you are converted 25 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:09,440 and become like children. And in the context of this particular passage, it is referring 26 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:16,760 as well to unsaved people. Turn over to Acts chapter 3 verse 19. And we'll see one final 27 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:24,240 passage and here both words are used, again referring to those who are in unbelief. Acts 28 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:31,240 chapter 3 verse 19. And here we have some comments by Peter to the Jews. And part of 29 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:46,440 his statement is in verse 19, repent therefore and return. That word return as it is in NASV 30 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:53,440 is the word convert, be converted. Repent therefore, be converted or return that your 31 00:03:54,080 --> 00:04:00,640 sins may be wiped away in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of 32 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:07,640 the Lord. And so he commands them to repent and to turn or to be converted. And when that 33 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:15,720 takes place in the life of a person, it transforms the life. There's a change there. I remember 34 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:22,720 a few years ago when one of the pornography kings, Larry Flint, publisher of Hustler magazine, 35 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:30,360 indicated a conversion in his life, a turning to Jesus. And yet the result of that was no 36 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:37,280 change at all in his attitude toward pornography. He felt he would continue to publish that 37 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:44,280 and that was not a contradiction to his new found faith. When there is not a transformation 38 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:50,480 that accompanies so-called repentance and conversion, one has every right to question 39 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:56,600 that because genuine repentance and conversion produce fruit in the life. There's evidence 40 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:03,600 that it's real. But so much for these words as they apply to unbelievers. I'd like for 41 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:11,280 us to think about them in a relationship to Christians tonight. And again I'm going to 42 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:17,240 ask you to turn to a couple of passages. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 7 where we see 43 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:24,240 the concept of repentance in connection with Christians. 2 Corinthians chapter 7 and verse 44 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:38,920 8. The apostle here is referring to a previous letter which he wrote to them, probably 1 45 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:45,920 Corinthians, which caused them pain. And nonetheless God used that pain to bring repentance. He 46 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:53,760 reflects this. He says, For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. 47 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:59,040 Though I did regret it, for I see that the letter caused you sorrow, though only for 48 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:05,040 a while, I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful 49 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:11,600 to the point of repentance. For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in 50 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:17,320 order that you might not suffer loss and anything through us. What is he saying? Well the Corinthian 51 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:23,240 church had some real problems. And in that first letter the apostle said some pretty 52 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:30,040 straight things to them. Among those things was the necessity of removing one of the members 53 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:35,800 from the church because of persistent continued sin that was public and bringing disgrace 54 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,800 to the Lord and to the church. And he said when you are gathered together you are to 55 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:46,600 turn that one to Satan, that his body may be destroyed but his spirit saved. And the 56 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:51,280 understanding of that is that they were to put him outside of the church and put him 57 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:57,760 into the world again where the dissipation of the flesh would take its toll upon him 58 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:02,240 and physically he would suffer from it. But in the end perhaps God would bring him to 59 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:08,640 repentance, if not he would certainly be disciplined and taken home to heaven as a believer. Now 60 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,280 the apostle also writes to the church and he says you have the wrong attitude about 61 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:19,240 this. He says you need to change your mind. You are bragging about the fact that sin is 62 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:24,760 allowed in your midst, do you think it's broad mindedness? It's not. And so as he 63 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:29,920 began to talk to them about this it created sorrow but that sorrow was not a superficial 64 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:36,920 sorrow, it was a sorrow that was a godly sorrow. It produced the will of God in them, it caused 65 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:43,000 them to repent. And so he praises God for that here in the verses we've read. And 66 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:49,520 then back to the Gospel of Luke again to chapter 22. And here's a statement of our Lord concerning 67 00:07:49,520 --> 00:08:03,520 Peter, a believer. Here he uses the word repentance. In Luke 22 verse 31 Jesus speaks to Peter 68 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:12,520 using his name Simon and he says Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift 69 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:21,720 you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail and you when once 70 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:30,600 you have converted or turned again strengthen your brothers. And so here's the word converted 71 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:39,560 used of Peter who is a believer. And Jesus says Peter when you have been converted then 72 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:44,840 I want you to strengthen your brothers, the disciples. And we see that take place later 73 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:51,120 on in the ministry in the early chapters of Acts. And so we see from the Bible that two 74 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:57,360 important words of the Christian life are repentance and conversion. They are forgotten 75 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:02,600 words these days but I tell you if we want to press on the higher ground as we prayed 76 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:09,240 earlier, we need to learn what repentance and conversion are all about as Christians 77 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:16,760 because they have a vital role in our relationship to God. What is repentance anyway? Well let 78 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:23,320 me say some things it's not. Repentance is not the same thing as reformation, turning 79 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:33,120 over a new leaf or trying harder. Repentance is not penance, a concept which some of you 80 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:38,440 are familiar with coming out of a certain religious background. Penance has the idea 81 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:46,040 of doing something as an act or deed to help atone for sin or to express sorrow to God 82 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:53,640 for a sin. But repentance is not the same thing as penance. In fact penance is a word 83 00:09:53,640 --> 00:10:05,040 and a concept formed in the New Testament. Nor is repentance remorse or contrition. It's 84 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:11,880 more than that, it's more than sorrow. For example, Judas after he betrayed our Lord 85 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:19,000 went out and wept, was very remorseful for what he had done but there was no repentance 86 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:26,080 in his life. It was a superficial sorrow. As we've seen in the Corinthian letter, 87 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,880 repentance goes deeper than just sorrow, it involves something more than that. Now what 88 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:38,360 is that something more? Well literally the word repent means to change the mind or to 89 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:49,760 perceive with the mind afterward. It is something like the proverbial afterthought or hindsight. 90 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:55,440 They always say hindsight is better than foresight, right? Well repentance has that kind of an 91 00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:03,040 idea to it. It means that you see something afterward and you perceive it in such a way 92 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:09,040 that it brings about a change in the life. Change is involved in it and so often it's 93 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:15,240 said to be a change of the mind. It means to have another mind about something. It's 94 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:24,320 more than just emotions which involves remorse or contrition. Repentance involves the will. 95 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:29,920 It's more than a feeling that one gets. It's a decision that one comes to. It is an act 96 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:37,520 of the will, a change of the mind in the way that one perceives something. And when we 97 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:43,800 think of repentance we usually think of it in three aspects. A change of mind regarding 98 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:50,520 the sin that is involved. That is instead of looking at it as something to be desired 99 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:56,840 or something that is pleasurable, I look at it as something that is repulsive and therefore 100 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:04,600 I change my attitude, my mind, my thinking about the sin. It means that I change secondly 101 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:14,740 my attitude regarding God. Instead of trying to hide it from God, instead of trying to 102 00:12:14,740 --> 00:12:22,840 run from God, rather I change my attitude and I come to Him and I am open and honest 103 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:29,620 with God. That's repentance. And then repentance involves ourselves. Instead of trying to deceive 104 00:12:29,620 --> 00:12:41,680 ourselves and to excuse ourselves as we do so well, all of us, rather I confess and admit 105 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:49,880 to myself what happened. I change my attitude with regards to myself. And so repentance 106 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:56,560 is a very thorough thing. It involves sin, it involves God, it involves myself. I believe 107 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:02,760 that we see the concept of repentance illustrated for us in a very brief parable that Jesus 108 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:19,640 tells in Matthew chapter 21. I'm not going to take time to read the whole context here, 109 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:27,680 but the situation is a tense one in which the Jewish leaders are questioning Jesus, 110 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:35,840 trying to trap Him into saying something that they can use as an accusation against Him. 111 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:45,080 And Jesus being full of wisdom turns their accusation and their question upon them. And 112 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:55,280 then he says in verse 28, And what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to 113 00:13:55,280 --> 00:14:00,480 the first and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard. And he answered and said, I 114 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:08,200 will, sir. And he did not go. And he came to the second and said the same thing. And 115 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:17,680 he answered and said, I will not. Yet afterward he regretted it and went. The illustration 116 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:23,540 of repentance is found in verse 30, where the young man responded to his father, I will 117 00:14:23,540 --> 00:14:32,400 not, and then later had a second thought about that. And as he perceived it, looking at it 118 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:38,340 from a different direction, he recognized the mistake. And it was deep enough to bring 119 00:14:38,340 --> 00:14:46,680 a change in him. Yet afterward, it says, he regretted it and he went to the vineyard. 120 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:52,820 He did what he said originally he would not do. That's an illustration of repentance. 121 00:14:52,820 --> 00:14:56,360 Probably though, the very best illustration of repentance that Jesus ever told was the 122 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:03,560 story of the prodigal son. The young man recorded in Luke chapter 15, who asked for his inheritance 123 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:12,000 early and then went out and squandered it in immoral living. And once the money was 124 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:20,800 gone, his friends left, hard times came, and ultimately he went to work for a farmer feeding 125 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:28,320 the swine. And he himself was so hungry, Jesus said, that he would have eaten what the swine 126 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:40,480 were eating, the husks that they lunched on. But, it says, he came to himself and said, 127 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:47,300 I will arise and go to my father. Now in that phrase, and he came to himself, is the concept 128 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:56,280 of repentance. What happened? Well, the young man thought again about what had taken place. 129 00:15:56,280 --> 00:16:04,640 He realized the error of it. He changed his mind about himself. No longer was he the young 130 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:13,040 playboy who knew it all, but he recognized his error, his immaturity, his sin. He changed 131 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:20,720 his mind about his father. His father, he had apparently perceived before as being a 132 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:29,360 hard man and a square, and so he took off. But dad's not so square anymore. So he has 133 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:36,960 a change of mind about dad. And instead of living like he had been, seeming a desirable 134 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,280 thing, suddenly he realizes that was a mistake and so he wants to go back home and even be 135 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:49,600 a servant to his father. You see, there's a deep, thorough repentance in the young man. 136 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:56,720 And he came back home to his father. The repentance was not only tears shed in the pig pen, but 137 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:05,120 it was steps that he took as he headed toward home. How does this apply to a Christian? 138 00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:15,120 Well, it applies to us in a number of ways because, dear people, there are many times 139 00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:23,920 each week when you and I need to express repentance, when we need to realize that what we are doing 140 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:30,960 is wrong and change our mind about it. Instead of perceiving what we're doing as being something 141 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:40,000 desirable and pleasurable and fun and worthwhile, we change our mind, we repent, and say this 142 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:49,040 is a waste and we begin to do the right thing. We live in a day when there are very many 143 00:17:49,040 --> 00:18:01,200 excuses for doing wrong things. I came across a little clipping a while back that doesn't 144 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:06,080 say it perfectly, but it gets to the point anyway. It says, when a man says he can't 145 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:11,240 keep awake during a 30-minute sermon and yet stays home and watches two and a half hours 146 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:18,520 of football on television, who's he kidding? When a man says Sunday is his only day of 147 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:26,720 rest and yet gets up at 4.30 in the morning to spend the day fishing, who's he kidding? 148 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:32,400 When a man says the church seats are too hard and uncomfortable and then goes some Saturday 149 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:37,080 to sit on a bleacher for hours in a drizzling rain to watch 22 men push one another back 150 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:44,400 and forth across a mud lot, who's he kidding? When a man says he can't afford to tithe 151 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:49,600 but lives in a comfortable home, drives a good car, eats well, closes family well, and 152 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:55,760 makes payment on his home, who's he kidding? When a man says he doesn't have time for 153 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:01,520 Christ and the church and then spends his evenings shopping or bowling or watching television 154 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:10,400 or going to clubs or having evenings out, who's he kidding? Surely not God. It doesn't 155 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:16,120 cover every possible situation, does it? But it gets to the heart of the whole issue. How 156 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:27,000 easily we deceive ourselves. We're not deceiving God. I think there is a need for all of us 157 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:35,120 to live in the attitude of repentance. I believe that's what genuine revival is. Revival is 158 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:42,360 not a week of meetings you have at the church every fall, whether you need them or not. 159 00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:49,760 Revival is a continuous attitude of repentance. It is an examination of my life and when I 160 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:54,660 realize there is something wrong because God reveals that to me, I immediately change my 161 00:19:54,660 --> 00:20:06,440 mind about it. Repentance, coupled with repentance, is conversion. What is conversion? Well, conversion 162 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:14,760 is not the same thing as being born again or regeneration. That's something else. Conversion 163 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:26,320 is not good works. Conversion is not justification. Conversion is turning towards some object. 164 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:34,120 It means to turn around or to turn about. It is used in Matthew 5 verse 30 in a physical 165 00:20:34,120 --> 00:20:42,480 sense. This defines the word beautifully here and what takes place. Our Lord is in a crowd 166 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:50,120 of people and there is a woman there who has a problem, a physical problem. She simply 167 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:57,640 reached out and touched the hem of his cloak in faith and was healed. It says in verse 168 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:04,680 30, and immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from him had gone 169 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:11,520 forth, turned around in the crowd and said, Who touched my garments? Can you imagine a 170 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:16,920 statement like that in the press of the crowd and Jesus says, Who touched me? But the point 171 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:24,480 I want to get to is that it says, Jesus turned around. That is the very word convert. So 172 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:28,600 what does it mean to convert? It means to be heading this direction and to turn around 173 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:35,720 and go that direction. Some people get the idea that repentance is that and it's hard 174 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:41,440 to separate the two. Technically though, repentance is the first step. It's the change of the 175 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:47,960 mind and the attitude about something. Whereas conversion is the second step. They are like 176 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:54,120 twins. They work together. I change my mind about it and therefore I turn around. I am 177 00:21:54,120 --> 00:22:02,320 converted. It's used in a number of places in the New Testament. We've pointed out some 178 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:08,560 which is used of unbelievers. Let me just show one more to you. In 1 Thessalonians 1 179 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:16,960 9, because this is such an instructive verse, 1 Thessalonians 1 9, in writing to these dear 180 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:28,600 believers with whom Paul had been only a few days, he recalls with thankfulness their salvation 181 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:34,440 and he says to them, You know your testimony, your witness is being heard like rumbling 182 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:42,480 thunder all across this area. He says in verse 9, they themselves, that is those who have 183 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:48,800 reported to us about your testimony, report about us what kind of reception we had with 184 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:57,680 you and how you turned to God from idols. Now there the word turn is the word convert. 185 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:03,180 He says you turned to God from idols. Now I want you to notice that in that conversion 186 00:23:03,180 --> 00:23:09,680 there is a positive and a negative aspect. And notice which comes first. He doesn't 187 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:15,480 say you turned to idols from God. There are some translations that put it in that order 188 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:22,760 and they missed the point, or at least one of the points. He says you turned to God from 189 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:28,440 idols. You see salvation doesn't begin by giving up something. It begins by receiving 190 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:33,560 someone, turning to someone. There are a lot of people who have the idea that before they 191 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:40,920 can turn to God they have to give up something else first. The fact is that we turn to God 192 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:45,920 and when we turn to him automatically we turn from whatever else it may be. There are a 193 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,800 lot of people who say, well I'll get saved but first I'm going to quit smoking. I'm 194 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:54,480 going to turn to God but first I'm going to give up this or I'm going to change that. 195 00:23:54,480 --> 00:24:02,160 But you see the proper order is to turn to God and those things then fall into place. 196 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:07,280 He says you've turned to God from idols. You've been converted. Now we've read the 197 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:15,160 passage in Luke 22 in which this word is used of a believer and there it is used of Peter. 198 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:24,240 What was happening? Well Peter was walking in the direction of self-confidence in improper 199 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:30,000 sense. He felt he could handle anything and here Jesus was talking about some tough things 200 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:36,480 that were coming and Peter was confident that they would never affect him and Jesus said, 201 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:45,600 Satan has desired that he may sift you but I have prayed for you and when you're converted, 202 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,680 when you get turned around, strengthen your brothers. As far as Peter was concerned at 203 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:59,200 that point he didn't need to turn around. It was within a few hours of that that he 204 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:04,280 denied the Lord three times just as Jesus said that he would. You know what it says 205 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:14,680 there in Luke 22? It says that immediately when the cock crowed, crude, whatever a cock 206 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:27,280 does, it says Jesus looked at Peter. Not a word was uttered, not a word, but there was 207 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:34,280 Peter standing beside the fire, Jesus over there with those who were judging him and 208 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:43,120 when that sound was emitted, Jesus turned, Peter turned, their eyes met for an instant 209 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:52,360 and in that instant Peter did a lot of thinking. Suddenly he realized that that self-confident 210 00:25:52,360 --> 00:26:03,120 person that he thought he was didn't exist. He had absolutely blown it and that rethinking 211 00:26:03,120 --> 00:26:12,480 of it resulted in his turning around and he literally turned around and ran out and it 212 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:24,160 says he wept bitterly. Now so did Judas, but the result of Judas' tears was suicide. It 213 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:34,920 was not repentance, it was only remorse. But with Peter it was a genuine repentance. He 214 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:47,400 was broken hearted that he had failed the Lord that he loved so much. Three days later 215 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:52,720 when Jesus rose from the dead, it's very interesting, because those who came to the 216 00:26:52,720 --> 00:27:04,840 tomb were given the orders, go and tell his disciples and who? And Peter that he has risen. 217 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:11,960 Isn't that interesting? The Lord made sure that Peter got a special word. He wanted Peter 218 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:22,240 to know that he was restored. I like that. And why was Peter restored? Because he repented 219 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:33,040 and was converted. He turned from that self-confident, egotistic person that he was and repented 220 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:39,000 and came to the Lord broken. That's what revival is all about. I don't believe that 221 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:44,800 any of us will turn around until we've changed our minds about what we think we are and what 222 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:51,440 we're doing. Who needs to be converted? Well the answer to that is anybody who's going 223 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:58,120 the wrong direction. I'm talking to some people tonight, undoubtedly, who need that. 224 00:27:58,120 --> 00:28:03,080 I've heard some great missionary sermons which said, the last word of Jesus Christ to 225 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:11,040 the church was to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Wrong. That was not the 226 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:16,240 last word of Christ to the church. You know what the last word of Christ to the church 227 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:20,760 was? Vance Havner writes about this and has a sermon on the subject. Some of you may have 228 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:32,680 heard it. The last word of Jesus Christ to the church was repent. Isn't that interesting? 229 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:39,400 Turn over to Revelation chapter 2. We're just going to take a quick scan through the 230 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:47,200 letters to the seven churches. This is 90 A.D. Our Lord is glorified. He's in heaven. 231 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:55,320 He is dictating letters to the apostle John who's on the Isle of Patmos. He first dictates 232 00:28:55,320 --> 00:29:00,880 a letter to Ephesus and here in the middle of the letter he says, I have this against 233 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:10,200 you, verse 4, that you have left your first love. In other words, the fervency, the enthusiasm, 234 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:18,120 the excitement, the emotion of your first love is gone, as busy as you are. He says 235 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:25,080 in verse 5, remember therefore from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds 236 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:32,080 you did at first. That's really what conversion is. Then he says, or else I am coming to you 237 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:40,180 and remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent. Verse 16. Here to the church 238 00:29:40,180 --> 00:29:49,600 of Pergamum, repent therefore or else I am coming to you quickly. Skip on down to verse 239 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:57,840 21. Here he speaks about Jezebel in the church of Thyatira. He says, I gave her time to repent. 240 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:04,160 She does not want to repent of her immorality. Notice she does not want to repent. Repentance 241 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:12,640 is a matter of the will and the mind. Then down in chapter 3, verse 3, he says to the 242 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:18,840 church at Sardis, remember therefore what you have received and heard and keep it and 243 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:28,120 repent. Then in verse 19, in the letter to the church at Laodicea, he says, those whom 244 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:36,640 I love I reprove and discipline. Be zealous therefore and repent. Why is it that we live 245 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:44,640 in a day when so many Christians are involved in worldliness and are not turning from it? 246 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:54,320 It's because they are not repentant. For repentance produces conversion. This is not 247 00:30:54,320 --> 00:31:03,360 a small issue. Just back up a few pages here to the book of James. Here are a couple of 248 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:12,960 verses that have caused a few people to stay up late. James 5, verses 19 and 20. My brethren, 249 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:19,800 if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, and there is the word 250 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:27,800 convert as it is in some translations, and one converts him, let him know that he who 251 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:33,640 turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a 252 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:43,600 multitude of sins. Context those. This is a word to believers, number one. This is not 253 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:52,280 for unsafe people. This is talking to believers. My brothers, if any among you, if any among 254 00:31:52,280 --> 00:32:03,080 you strays from the truth and one converts him, turns him around, let that one know that 255 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:11,520 he will save that one who had strayed from death and will cover a multitude of sins. 256 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:17,840 The death that is spoken about here is the discipline of God. We dare not think lightly 257 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:24,080 about sin, folks. We are going to be talking more about this on Sunday mornings, but I 258 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:34,360 judge myself when I find myself thinking casually about sin. We need to realize how serious 259 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:43,200 sin is. And I'm thinking not only of the great sins as we think of them, but I'm thinking 260 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:59,120 even of little sins, quote unquote. Sins like lying. Sins like being deceitful to parents 261 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:08,680 or to husband or wife. Sins like promising to do something and not to do it. Or promising 262 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:21,160 to be somewhere for a meeting and then not to show up. Keeping our word. Sins like anger 263 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:27,400 and bitterness, which we hide down inside but is like a root that goes down into the 264 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:36,080 soul and then eventually produces all kinds of fruit. Those kinds of sins you see produce 265 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:44,480 death or God's discipline in our lives. And do you know what is said here? That you 266 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:53,240 and I who are part of the family have a responsibility to watch out for one another. In other words, 267 00:33:53,240 --> 00:34:03,000 if you see me straying from the truth, whether it be in doctrine or in right living, God 268 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:10,040 expects you to come to me and to say, Gillen, I have noticed some things and I'm concerned 269 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:19,000 about it. Can I talk with you? And then to sit down and share with me, resulting in hopefully 270 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:29,160 my turning, my conversion, my repentance. In so doing, my track record of sins will 271 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:37,000 be forgiven and covered up and I'll be spared God's discipline. You see, we have that responsibility 272 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:44,400 for one another. We don't like that, do we? We are afraid to go to one another and yet 273 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:51,120 we must do that. Not only must we go to one another but we must be willing to receive 274 00:34:51,120 --> 00:35:01,160 the admonition of a brother or sister who loves us and to consider what is being said 275 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:09,960 and to repent and to be converted. I believe that the need of our hour is for continuous 276 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:17,120 revival. Continuous revival is not some mystical kind of an experience. It's not Pentecost 277 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:24,160 repeated. All revival is is just for repentance and conversion to be a part of the Christian 278 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:31,200 life. So if we press on toward the higher ground, toward maturity, toward growing, let's 279 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:38,720 remember what we've learned tonight in the Word about repentance and conversion. Now 280 00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:50,480 God I pray that tonight wherein each of us needs to repent and to be converted, that 281 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:57,800 we will follow through with that kind of a spirit and action so that we will be spared 282 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:05,240 discipline and so that we will not have to be ashamed of ourselves when we stand before 283 00:36:05,240 --> 00:36:11,760 you. And I pray Father that you will give us the kind of genuine love for one another 284 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:21,360 which will result in our being willing to risk admonishing one another in love, taking 285 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:36,720 care that the beam in our own eye has been dealt with first. In Jesus' name, amen.