WEBVTT 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:06.900 It is good to worship the Lord together, isn't 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:13.820 it? In the month of January, I took four Sundays 00:00:13.820 --> 00:00:17.960 to express to you the vision that I believe God 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:22.379 wants us to have as a local church. We tried 00:00:22.379 --> 00:00:25.300 to bring into focus during those Sundays what 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:28.980 I think will be necessary in the decade of the 00:00:28.980 --> 00:00:33.729 90s in terms of ministry. If a local church is 00:00:33.729 --> 00:00:36.630 going to succeed in its ministry, its God -honoring 00:00:36.630 --> 00:00:40.070 ministry, during those weeks we laid out eight 00:00:40.070 --> 00:00:43.409 principles that I think we need to seek to follow 00:00:43.409 --> 00:00:46.670 in the ministry here at Grace Church. We of course 00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:51.170 began with the foundational principle, that fundamental 00:00:51.170 --> 00:00:55.149 principle, that the Bible is the Word of God 00:00:55.149 --> 00:00:58.490 and that we need to teach it and apply it to 00:00:58.490 --> 00:01:01.950 everyday life. We also talked about ministry 00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:05.829 needing to be simplified because of the rat race 00:01:05.829 --> 00:01:09.650 of our culture. And yet, in the midst of simplifying 00:01:09.650 --> 00:01:12.549 ministry, we need to provide options for people 00:01:12.549 --> 00:01:14.930 to choose from in terms of their own involvement. 00:01:16.030 --> 00:01:19.290 We talked about the functions of a local church, 00:01:19.430 --> 00:01:22.790 that those functions don't change from generation 00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:25.959 to generation. They're the same. They are the 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:28.700 God established functions of every local church 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:32.420 and every age and every culture. But we said 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:35.819 that we needed to adapt the forms that we use 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:39.799 in carrying out those functions so that our ministry 00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:43.379 is effective in our own generation. We talked 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:46.579 about the importance of everybody having ownership 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:49.780 and commitment to the mission that God gives 00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:53.849 to us as a local church. A mission that can be 00:01:53.849 --> 00:01:57.829 focused best if we think of cultural key kinds 00:01:57.829 --> 00:02:01.430 of ministries. Those kinds of ministries that 00:02:01.430 --> 00:02:05.930 God would raise up in our midst through us that 00:02:05.930 --> 00:02:10.050 would enable us to penetrate the culture in which 00:02:10.050 --> 00:02:13.590 we live. Those kinds of things that God would 00:02:13.590 --> 00:02:16.770 have us to do to build bridges in the lives of 00:02:16.770 --> 00:02:20.000 people. so that we can then earn the right to 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.740 present to them the only message in the world 00:02:22.740 --> 00:02:25.360 that can help them, that can save them, and that 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:31.879 is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The emphasis 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:34.240 I was trying to make is that we can't expect 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:38.620 to do ministry in the next ten years like we've 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:42.909 always done it in years past. because culture 00:02:42.909 --> 00:02:46.370 has dramatically changed and is changing in the 00:02:46.370 --> 00:02:50.009 midst of rapid change. And we need to adjust 00:02:50.009 --> 00:02:53.389 our methods in the light of that if we want to 00:02:53.389 --> 00:02:57.729 get the job done that God's given us to do. Having 00:02:57.729 --> 00:03:00.250 said those things that I think are fundamental 00:03:00.250 --> 00:03:03.990 to us as we head into the next 10 years, I feel 00:03:03.990 --> 00:03:06.689 led this morning to talk about some old truths 00:03:06.689 --> 00:03:11.250 that are essential for this new decade. Because, 00:03:11.270 --> 00:03:13.189 you see, there's another matter that we need 00:03:13.189 --> 00:03:17.830 to address. It's part of the equation also for 00:03:17.830 --> 00:03:21.449 effective ministry. As we think about change, 00:03:21.530 --> 00:03:23.889 that's important to consider. But there are some 00:03:23.889 --> 00:03:27.349 things that do not change. It's possible to have 00:03:27.349 --> 00:03:31.949 the right philosophy of ministry, the right attitude 00:03:31.949 --> 00:03:35.550 toward it, and still come short of seeing the 00:03:35.550 --> 00:03:41.650 glory of God realized in our work. In the midst 00:03:41.650 --> 00:03:44.669 of the excitement that God gives us with a new 00:03:44.669 --> 00:03:48.509 decade with its challenges and with new visions 00:03:48.509 --> 00:03:51.530 of possibilities of what God might do and with 00:03:51.530 --> 00:03:55.030 some new ideas and new methods, there are some 00:03:55.030 --> 00:04:00.189 old truths that we need to hold on to if we want 00:04:00.189 --> 00:04:03.810 to see our lives mean something, if we want this 00:04:03.810 --> 00:04:07.310 ministry to succeed, if we do not want to fail. 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:11.120 And so this morning I'd like to draw our attention 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:14.419 to some of these old truths for a new decade. 00:04:15.659 --> 00:04:20.860 These are not difficult to get a hold of. In 00:04:20.860 --> 00:04:25.680 fact, they are elementary. They are the ABCs, 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:31.959 so to speak, of ministry. But I think it's important 00:04:31.959 --> 00:04:34.439 as we look ahead and we think about doing things 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:38.100 in a different way. Proclaiming the same gospel 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:41.120 in a way that's effective for our generation, 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:46.980 we need to keep hold of the elementary principles 00:04:46.980 --> 00:04:51.139 about ministry if we want the blessing of God. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:54.600 I think you would agree with me that attitude 00:04:54.600 --> 00:05:00.100 is far more important than aptitude when it comes 00:05:00.100 --> 00:05:03.879 to serving Jesus Christ. Attitude is far more 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:09.709 important than aptitude. The quality of the heart 00:05:09.709 --> 00:05:13.350 is more vital than the quantity in the mind. 00:05:15.410 --> 00:05:17.990 And so as we talk about some of the old truths, 00:05:18.029 --> 00:05:21.810 I want to focus on the heart and especially heart 00:05:21.810 --> 00:05:25.110 attitudes. The first truth I'd like to remind 00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:28.189 us about this morning is the truth about repentance. 00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:32.910 Repentance. Repentance is something we often 00:05:32.910 --> 00:05:35.550 hear in connection with those who are not Christians 00:05:35.550 --> 00:05:39.160 at all. In fact, it is important that those who 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.660 do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord repent. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.579 The Lord Jesus said himself that unless you repent, 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:52.259 you will all likewise perish. Repentance is an 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:54.860 important truth in relation to those without 00:05:54.860 --> 00:05:59.079 Jesus Christ, but it is likewise important for 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:02.939 those who know Christ. You see, when we repent 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:06.199 of our sin, we come in faith to Jesus Christ 00:06:06.430 --> 00:06:09.449 We do not repent once and for all time, for all 00:06:09.449 --> 00:06:14.449 of life. Repentance is an attitude that needs 00:06:14.449 --> 00:06:17.350 to be cultivated in the heart of the believer. 00:06:19.209 --> 00:06:22.430 The Christian needs to keep hold of this thing 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:25.050 that we call repentance. Now you say, what is 00:06:25.050 --> 00:06:30.310 it? Fundamentally, repentance is a change of 00:06:30.310 --> 00:06:34.639 mind. It involves the way that we think with 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:37.600 regard to those that are unsaved. It means that 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.920 a person changes the way that he thinks about 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.959 his sin. Instead of loving it, desiring it, and 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.240 enjoying it, now he says in repentance, I changed 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:50.720 my mind. I no longer want it. I desire to live 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:55.029 the kind of a life that's pleasing to God. He 00:06:55.029 --> 00:06:57.389 changes his mind regarding God whereas before 00:06:57.389 --> 00:07:00.589 he was hostile toward God and rebellious toward 00:07:00.589 --> 00:07:03.569 God. Now he changes his mind and he comes to 00:07:03.569 --> 00:07:07.829 God yielded and surrendered to him. He changes 00:07:07.829 --> 00:07:10.149 his mind about himself before he saw himself 00:07:10.149 --> 00:07:14.670 as pretty good. As one who well wasn't perfect 00:07:14.670 --> 00:07:17.170 but surely good enough to get to heaven somehow. 00:07:17.629 --> 00:07:19.850 I mean God is a God of love. That's all that 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:22.389 counts isn't it? I'm better than other people. 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:26.279 But he changes his mind about that and he sees 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:30.600 himself as a sinner, desperate, without hope. 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:35.120 And he sees in himself no longer any worth, any 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:38.540 reason that God would save him, for he is a sinner. 00:07:39.660 --> 00:07:42.360 And he sees himself in need of a Savior. You 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:44.879 see, repentance is essential for the man who 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:48.000 is without Jesus Christ. It means he changes 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.040 his mind about some of the very basic, essential 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:55.639 things in life. But repentance is also essential 00:07:55.639 --> 00:08:00.579 for the Christian. For you and I also need to 00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:05.300 have a heart that is bent toward repentance. 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.180 And I need to say too that repentance is not 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:12.899 just a change mentally, but repentance affects 00:08:12.899 --> 00:08:16.480 the way that one acts. John the Baptist commanded 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:19.819 the people that he preached to to repent. And 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:25.209 he said, bring forth the fruit. repentance. In 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:28.550 other words, if they genuinely had a change of 00:08:28.550 --> 00:08:31.629 mind, he said, you will bring forth evidence 00:08:31.629 --> 00:08:36.549 that there's repentance in you. Repentance produces 00:08:36.549 --> 00:08:40.190 something. Genuine repentance leads to a definite 00:08:40.190 --> 00:08:44.629 life change. We see this for example in Luke 00:08:44.629 --> 00:08:47.210 chapter 15. I invite you to open your Bible to 00:08:47.210 --> 00:08:52.240 that chapter. Jesus has been preaching repentance. 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:57.840 And there are some who hear Him. That is those 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:02.879 who were tax gatherers and sinners. They knew 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:07.240 that they were bad. They knew they needed something. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.519 And when they heard Jesus talk about repentance, 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.700 they responded. And they came to Him. On the 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:19.820 other hand, there were others who heard Jesus. 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:22.980 These were primarily the religious leaders of 00:09:22.980 --> 00:09:26.759 the day, the scribes and the Pharisees. And they 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:29.659 felt themselves pretty good. They felt that they 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:33.320 did keep the law of God. They were self -righteous. 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:36.840 And they felt there was no need in them for repentance. 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:41.580 As Luke chapter 15 begins, we see that the tax 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:44.620 gatherers and sinners were coming near Him to 00:09:44.620 --> 00:09:48.360 listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:53.440 scribes began to grumble, saying, this man receives 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.820 sinners and eats with them. You see, they were 00:09:57.820 --> 00:10:00.159 criticizing Jesus because of the company that 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:04.799 he kept. And so Jesus told them three parables. 00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:07.700 These are three very well -known parables. Of 00:10:07.700 --> 00:10:09.980 all the parables Jesus told, these would be among 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:13.080 the most familiar. The first one is about a shepherd 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.580 who had a hundred sheep and one of them was lost. 00:10:16.029 --> 00:10:18.850 He went out and he found that sheep that was 00:10:18.850 --> 00:10:22.970 lost and brought him back. And Jesus applies 00:10:22.970 --> 00:10:26.289 that parable in verse 7 by saying, I tell you 00:10:26.289 --> 00:10:29.129 that in the same way there will be more joy in 00:10:29.129 --> 00:10:33.730 heaven over one sinner who repents than over 00:10:33.730 --> 00:10:37.710 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. 00:10:38.570 --> 00:10:42.590 And we might add, or who think they don't. You 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:44.870 see, Jesus was speaking directly here to the 00:10:44.870 --> 00:10:48.210 scribes and Pharisees who felt they needed no 00:10:48.210 --> 00:10:52.129 repentance. Jesus says there's greater joy in 00:10:52.129 --> 00:10:55.789 heaven over one sinner who repents than over 00:10:55.789 --> 00:10:58.750 99 self -righteous ones who think they're okay. 00:11:00.389 --> 00:11:02.549 And then he told a similar story, this one dealing 00:11:02.549 --> 00:11:05.870 with a coin that a woman lost. And she searched 00:11:05.870 --> 00:11:09.309 and swept until she had found that coin. And 00:11:09.309 --> 00:11:11.669 she went to her neighbors and said, rejoice with 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:15.529 me, I found that which I had lost. In the same 00:11:15.529 --> 00:11:18.629 way Jesus says in verse 10, I tell you there 00:11:18.629 --> 00:11:22.990 is joy in the presence of the angels of God over 00:11:22.990 --> 00:11:27.889 one sinner who repents. And so this is a chapter 00:11:27.889 --> 00:11:30.710 about repentance. Jesus is driving home the point 00:11:30.710 --> 00:11:34.529 that we need to repent. And then he tells the 00:11:34.529 --> 00:11:39.549 story of the lost son, the prodigal son, who 00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:43.169 wished that his father were dead. As far as he 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:45.269 was concerned, his father was hanging around 00:11:45.269 --> 00:11:49.970 too long. He wanted the inheritance. And so he 00:11:49.970 --> 00:11:53.990 went to his father and requested it. And the 00:11:53.990 --> 00:11:58.389 father generously, graciously divided his inheritance 00:11:58.389 --> 00:12:01.789 before his death, gave it to both of his sons, 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:06.200 for he had two. Well, this son left home, went 00:12:06.200 --> 00:12:09.559 out and wasted all that he had in loose living, 00:12:09.980 --> 00:12:13.980 immoral living. He had lots of friends as long 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:17.500 as he had the money. But when the money ran out, 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:21.820 so did the friends. And he found himself ultimately 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:26.379 lower than the low for a Jew. He was working 00:12:26.379 --> 00:12:30.899 among swine. And he was so hungry that he even 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:38.169 ate their food. Then it says in verse 17, but 00:12:38.169 --> 00:12:42.909 when he came to his senses, he said, How many 00:12:42.909 --> 00:12:45.649 of my fathers hired men have more than enough 00:12:45.649 --> 00:12:49.450 bread, but I am dying here with hunger? I will 00:12:49.450 --> 00:12:51.950 get up and go to my father and will say to him, 00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:55.340 Father, I have sinned against heaven. and in 00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:58.100 your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called 00:12:58.100 --> 00:13:00.759 your son. Make me as one of your hired men." 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:05.200 And he got up and came to his father. Jesus doesn't 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.940 use the word repent here, but he does illustrate 00:13:08.940 --> 00:13:12.960 what it means. This young man had a change of 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:17.200 mind and of heart, whereas before he enjoyed 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:21.100 the kind of living that his money bought him. 00:13:22.509 --> 00:13:27.190 that was entailed with his friends. Finally, 00:13:27.230 --> 00:13:33.429 he came to himself and he changed his mind. And 00:13:33.429 --> 00:13:37.330 he said, my father feeds his hired servants more 00:13:37.330 --> 00:13:40.990 than I'm getting here. He recognized the love 00:13:40.990 --> 00:13:44.190 of his father. And he said, I am going back to 00:13:44.190 --> 00:13:47.230 my father and I will acknowledge that I've sinned 00:13:47.230 --> 00:13:50.500 against him and I've sinned against heaven. And 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:53.019 while I'm not worthy anymore to be a son, I've 00:13:53.019 --> 00:13:55.340 already had the inheritance and I've spent it. 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:58.059 At least he can make me one of his hired servants 00:13:58.059 --> 00:14:02.100 and I'll have enough to eat. And so he got up 00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:04.720 and he went to his father. There's the proof 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:09.580 of his change of mind. The evidence of his repentance 00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:14.889 is in what followed. Jesus is here illustrating 00:14:14.889 --> 00:14:17.610 the importance of repentance and while it is 00:14:17.610 --> 00:14:20.809 true of the one outside of Jesus Christ, I want 00:14:20.809 --> 00:14:23.110 to say to you this morning that one of the old 00:14:23.110 --> 00:14:28.110 truths that we must keep hold of in this new 00:14:28.110 --> 00:14:34.950 decade is our need to cultivate a continual attitude 00:14:34.950 --> 00:14:41.679 of repentance in our lives. We must have a an 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.860 attitude that says to God, God, wherever my thinking 00:14:45.860 --> 00:14:51.879 is wrong, show it to me and I will change my 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:58.539 mind and my life will change accordingly. A Christian 00:14:58.539 --> 00:15:03.080 needs to practice repentance as a way of life 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:08.299 to remain useful to God. Else, the tendency is 00:15:08.299 --> 00:15:11.899 for our hearts to harden. to the Holy Spirit 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:17.059 and for us to become self -directed and self 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:19.820 -justifying just like these religious leaders 00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:23.600 in that day who felt they were beyond the need 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:28.580 for repentance. What was the problem? With their 00:15:28.580 --> 00:15:31.379 lips they were near to God but with their hearts 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:38.000 they were far from Him. They had lost the meaning 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:42.259 of repentance in their lives as religious people. 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:49.159 We who profess Jesus Christ as Savior need to 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:55.679 develop within ourselves a heart that is bent 00:15:55.679 --> 00:16:00.700 toward repentance. What do we need to repent 00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:05.820 about? Well, that list could be very long. I 00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:09.340 suppose we could all add our own lines to it, 00:16:09.379 --> 00:16:13.100 couldn't we? But this morning I'd like for you 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:15.220 to go with me to the book of the Revelation as 00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:18.340 we see Jesus speaking to seven churches in Asia 00:16:18.340 --> 00:16:23.440 Minor. These are seven churches that literally 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:28.679 existed in his day, in John's day, toward the 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:32.929 end of the first century. But it's interesting 00:16:32.929 --> 00:16:37.529 that as Jesus dictates these letters to John 00:16:37.529 --> 00:16:42.230 to deliver to the churches, what he says represents 00:16:42.230 --> 00:16:44.889 difficulties that believers have in all ages. 00:16:45.950 --> 00:16:48.289 And so in that sense these are representative 00:16:48.289 --> 00:16:52.929 churches. For what they struggled with, what 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.730 they experienced, what their defeats were, what 00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:58.710 their victories were. are experienced in all 00:16:58.710 --> 00:17:04.210 of this age in local churches like them. It is 00:17:04.210 --> 00:17:06.650 interesting that in four of these churches the 00:17:06.650 --> 00:17:11.210 message of Jesus boiled down to one word was 00:17:11.210 --> 00:17:16.170 repent. Someone has said the last commission 00:17:16.170 --> 00:17:18.950 of Jesus to the church was not go into all the 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:22.630 world. The last commission of Jesus to the church 00:17:22.630 --> 00:17:32.529 was repent. Change your mind. I notice that we 00:17:32.529 --> 00:17:36.069 begin in the first part of chapter 2 with a letter 00:17:36.069 --> 00:17:40.529 to Ephesus where Jesus commends this church for 00:17:40.529 --> 00:17:45.849 its many, many strengths. This was a great church. 00:17:46.769 --> 00:17:48.930 This was the kind of church that would be written 00:17:48.930 --> 00:17:51.750 up in Christian periodicals and pointed to as 00:17:51.750 --> 00:17:56.079 one of the super churches of the day. One of 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:58.819 the effective ministries in that generation. 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:03.700 Many positive things to be said about it. But 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:08.119 in verse 4, Jesus says, but I have this against 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:17.039 you, that you have left your first love. Remember 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:22.140 therefore from where you have fallen and repent. 00:18:22.899 --> 00:18:29.339 and do the deeds you did at the first, or else." 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:36.000 Yes, Jesus at times pulled out that little phrase, 00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:41.380 or else, and he did here. He said, or else, I 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:44.480 am coming to you and will remove your lamp stand 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:51.779 out of its place unless you repent. Now I want 00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:55.960 you to understand, again I repeat, this was a 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:00.220 model church in nearly every respect. Read about 00:19:00.220 --> 00:19:03.940 it in those earlier verses. Jesus underscores 00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:09.079 their strengths, but so serious was this matter 00:19:09.079 --> 00:19:12.720 of having lost their first love, that Jesus said, 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:15.960 I would rather come and pull your lampstand away, 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:19.519 take away your witness and your testimony. than 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:23.660 to have you go on doing those good things having 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:31.640 lost your first love. Having lost love is not 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:37.259 immediately apparent, is it? It's not in a marriage, 00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:42.079 is it? A marriage can go on for months and sometimes 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:47.880 even years with people fooling one another. regarding 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:50.380 their true feelings. It's a tragedy when that 00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:56.059 happens, but it can happen. But the fact is that 00:19:56.059 --> 00:20:01.720 inevitably, ultimately, it will show up. It may 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:05.680 show up in small ways, or it may show up in some 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:11.420 gigantic blunder, but inevitably the loss of 00:20:11.420 --> 00:20:16.619 love will show up in a relationship. Here, the 00:20:16.619 --> 00:20:20.519 loss of love had not yet shown up. But it was 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:24.359 there. And because Jesus examines the heart, 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:29.940 He knew it. And despite the fact that all of 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:32.099 these good things were happening in their midst, 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:35.559 He said, look, there is a serious problem here. 00:20:37.539 --> 00:20:44.450 You have lost your ardor for Me. You don't love 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:50.670 me like you used to. You have fallen away from 00:20:50.670 --> 00:20:54.329 the intensity of your devotion to me, your affection 00:20:54.329 --> 00:21:03.809 to me. He says change your mind and bring forth 00:21:03.809 --> 00:21:08.450 those first works again. Those works that came 00:21:08.450 --> 00:21:12.430 out of genuine love and heartfelt devotion. affection 00:21:12.430 --> 00:21:18.470 for Christ, or else. Or else you're done. You're 00:21:18.470 --> 00:21:24.009 finished. I don't know about you, but I find 00:21:24.009 --> 00:21:29.670 that awfully serious. Awfully serious. Because 00:21:29.670 --> 00:21:32.369 you see, it's possible for a church to go on 00:21:32.369 --> 00:21:38.490 for years. And sometimes even decades doing good 00:21:38.490 --> 00:21:43.950 things. being up to date in its methodology, 00:21:45.410 --> 00:21:48.049 being on the cutting edge of its philosophy of 00:21:48.049 --> 00:21:52.410 ministry, attracting attention from all over 00:21:52.410 --> 00:21:54.650 the country with people coming to see how they 00:21:54.650 --> 00:22:01.670 do it. If that church has lost its first love 00:22:01.670 --> 00:22:07.069 for Jesus Christ, it's finished. Unless it repents. 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:15.920 Now that's true of a church. It's true of us 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:21.200 as individuals too. We can go through the motions. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:28.240 We can sing the worship songs. We can like our 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:30.940 contemporary worship or our traditional worship, 00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:39.359 our liturgical worship. We can read our Bible. 00:22:39.630 --> 00:22:43.289 We can be a part of a flock. We can be a ministry 00:22:43.289 --> 00:22:48.109 pastor in a small church. We can be doing all 00:22:48.109 --> 00:22:57.269 of the right things. But if we have lost the 00:22:57.269 --> 00:23:03.990 fire of love for Jesus Christ, we need to repent. 00:23:14.730 --> 00:23:19.990 I look ahead down the chapter to the church of 00:23:19.990 --> 00:23:26.490 Pergamum. Another church that had its difficulties. 00:23:28.670 --> 00:23:32.529 We'll pick it up in verse 14. After commending 00:23:32.529 --> 00:23:36.950 them for some things, Jesus says in verse 14, 00:23:37.150 --> 00:23:41.049 I have a few things against you, because you 00:23:41.049 --> 00:23:46.750 have their Some who hold the teaching of Balaam, 00:23:47.269 --> 00:23:50.170 who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block 00:23:50.170 --> 00:23:53.869 before the sons of Israel, to eat things, sacrifice 00:23:53.869 --> 00:23:58.509 to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. Thus 00:23:58.509 --> 00:24:01.710 you also have some who, in the same way, hold 00:24:01.710 --> 00:24:06.190 the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore, 00:24:06.609 --> 00:24:10.720 or else. I am coming to you quickly and I will 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:15.720 make war against them with the sword of my mouth." 00:24:15.720 --> 00:24:19.720 Again, Jesus warns, repent. What is the difficulty 00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:24.519 here? It was an accommodation in the church of 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:28.000 Pergamum to false teaching and false lifestyle. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:31.559 If we boil it down, that's basically what it 00:24:31.559 --> 00:24:35.559 amounted to. They allowed in their presence some 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:38.559 who took liberties with the doctrine of God's 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:43.740 Word, and who as a result of that took liberty 00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:46.799 in their lifestyle. They did not consider sin 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:51.359 very serious. And the church did nothing about 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:54.640 it. They apparently had the kind of an attitude 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.180 that Corinth had about it. We're broad -minded. 00:24:57.259 --> 00:25:00.700 We accept everybody just the way they are. to 00:25:00.700 --> 00:25:07.700 the point that they never dealt with sin. Jesus 00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:11.839 says to them, look, repent, or else I will come 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:16.859 and make war against them. Isn't that a remarkable 00:25:16.859 --> 00:25:24.299 statement? As we move into the 90s, and we by 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:27.079 the grace of God want to put in place the kind 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:32.190 of a ministry that is going to be effective We 00:25:32.190 --> 00:25:34.490 must keep the attitude of repentance when it 00:25:34.490 --> 00:25:41.470 comes to doctrine and a lifestyle. Now granted 00:25:41.470 --> 00:25:44.509 in some areas of doctrine there can be minor 00:25:44.509 --> 00:25:47.329 differences among us. We're not all going to 00:25:47.329 --> 00:25:51.170 cross every T and dot every I just the same way. 00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:54.930 But when it comes to the essential message of 00:25:54.930 --> 00:26:00.750 the Word of God, we dare not allow false teaching. 00:26:01.549 --> 00:26:08.009 to be propagated in our midst. Nor dare we allow 00:26:08.009 --> 00:26:15.170 false living to be propagated in our midst. That 00:26:15.170 --> 00:26:21.930 is the failure to take sin seriously. For if 00:26:21.930 --> 00:26:26.690 we accommodate ourselves to that, we fall under 00:26:26.690 --> 00:26:29.549 the condemnation of our Lord who examines our 00:26:29.549 --> 00:26:34.430 candlestick too. And who will deal with us unless 00:26:34.430 --> 00:26:41.970 we repent. Wherein I as an individual have allowed 00:26:41.970 --> 00:26:45.250 false teaching to come into my life. Or I have 00:26:45.250 --> 00:26:50.309 accommodated myself to the world. And I have 00:26:50.309 --> 00:26:53.569 let down the standards of my living. And I do 00:26:53.569 --> 00:26:56.069 things that a few years ago I wouldn't have done. 00:26:56.549 --> 00:26:58.710 Or I put up with things that I would not have 00:26:58.710 --> 00:27:02.869 put up with. Wherein I have compromised myself 00:27:02.869 --> 00:27:12.910 in holy living, I need to repent." That's one 00:27:12.910 --> 00:27:15.390 of the old truths we need in the new decade. 00:27:19.450 --> 00:27:23.529 I look in chapter 3 and I see again Jesus calling 00:27:23.529 --> 00:27:29.690 a church to repentance. It's the church at Sardis. 00:27:32.809 --> 00:27:37.650 He says in verse 1, I know your deeds, that you 00:27:37.650 --> 00:27:43.650 have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 00:27:45.349 --> 00:27:49.609 Wake up and strengthen the things that remain 00:27:49.609 --> 00:27:53.210 which were about to die. For I have not found 00:27:53.210 --> 00:27:56.269 your deeds completed in the sight of my God. 00:27:56.490 --> 00:27:59.230 Remember therefore what you have received and 00:27:59.230 --> 00:28:05.769 heard and keep it and repent. If therefore you 00:28:05.769 --> 00:28:10.089 will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and 00:28:10.089 --> 00:28:14.210 you will not know at what hour I will come upon 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:20.230 you." What is the problem here in Sardis? It 00:28:20.230 --> 00:28:25.029 is the lack of spiritual life and power. Here 00:28:25.029 --> 00:28:28.470 is a church that had a reputation. Here is a 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:32.769 church that had a name about itself. But Jesus 00:28:32.769 --> 00:28:38.039 says, Though you have the name that you are alive 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:45.500 in fact you are dead And so he says wake up repent 00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:56.900 It is good for a Church family to be genuinely 00:28:56.900 --> 00:29:00.539 complimented from time to time and I think we 00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:05.130 pastors and other evangelists and so on fail 00:29:05.130 --> 00:29:10.990 to do that as often as we should. But there is 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:15.109 also a danger in hearing too often and taking 00:29:15.109 --> 00:29:20.430 too seriously compliments by well -meaning people. 00:29:22.369 --> 00:29:26.569 I think of a church that I know well that has 00:29:26.569 --> 00:29:30.529 for decades been told, you are a great church. 00:29:33.600 --> 00:29:37.240 evangelists come through, you are a great church. 00:29:39.700 --> 00:29:41.980 And the same statement is made over and over 00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:44.900 again with varying vocabulary with the same idea, 00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:54.000 you are a great church. But knowing the church 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:59.799 better than some who just passed through, I would 00:29:59.799 --> 00:30:03.680 have to say that to some degree, What is said 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:07.700 here to Sardis is true of that church. It has 00:30:07.700 --> 00:30:12.079 the name that it's a great church, but it's dead. 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:20.819 You and I can have a reputation as being a wonderful 00:30:20.819 --> 00:30:24.839 Christian too. We can have a reputation that 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:27.039 causes people to take notice when we walk in 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:32.670 a room. And sometimes we take care to build that 00:30:32.670 --> 00:30:40.049 kind of a reputation. But it's possible to have 00:30:40.049 --> 00:30:46.630 a name and be dead. To have no spiritual life 00:30:46.630 --> 00:30:52.509 or power about oneself. It's possible to be the 00:30:52.509 --> 00:30:57.029 leader of a Christian organization and to have 00:30:57.029 --> 00:31:01.900 no spiritual life or power. It's possible to 00:31:01.900 --> 00:31:04.920 be known far and wide, to be up in front of people 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:10.000 ministering, and to have no spiritual life or 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:15.240 power. It's possible to be a Sunday school teacher. 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:18.559 It's possible to be an usher. It's possible to 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:21.140 lead a Bible study, to be a disciple of others, 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:27.579 and to have no spiritual life or power. It's 00:31:27.579 --> 00:31:29.960 possible to be a student in a Bible college. 00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:33.059 a Christian college, a liberal arts college. 00:31:33.319 --> 00:31:36.599 It's possible to be a member of a campus Christian 00:31:36.599 --> 00:31:41.980 group and to have no spiritual life or power. 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:49.960 Jesus says, remember, go back to what you received 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.220 or what you heard in the beginning. Go back to 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:57.670 the foundation. Remember, wake up and repent. 00:31:58.049 --> 00:32:00.710 Change your mind and go back to those things 00:32:00.710 --> 00:32:05.950 that you learned earlier. Let me just point out 00:32:05.950 --> 00:32:10.089 one more church. This chapter again is the church 00:32:10.089 --> 00:32:15.150 at Laodicea. Verse 15, Jesus says to this church, 00:32:15.230 --> 00:32:18.009 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold 00:32:18.009 --> 00:32:22.130 nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot, so 00:32:22.130 --> 00:32:25.329 because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, 00:32:25.670 --> 00:32:29.250 I will spit you out of my mouth. Because you 00:32:29.250 --> 00:32:32.950 say, I am rich and have become wealthy and have 00:32:32.950 --> 00:32:36.430 need of nothing, and you do not know that you 00:32:36.430 --> 00:32:39.930 are wretched and miserable and poor and blind 00:32:39.930 --> 00:32:45.890 and naked, I advise you. To buy from me gold 00:32:45.890 --> 00:32:48.769 refined by fire, that you may become rich, and 00:32:48.769 --> 00:32:51.789 white garments that you may clothe yourself, 00:32:51.869 --> 00:32:54.170 and that the shame of your nakedness may not 00:32:54.170 --> 00:32:57.490 be revealed. And I serve to anoint your eyes, 00:32:57.569 --> 00:33:01.089 that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove 00:33:01.089 --> 00:33:05.049 and discipline, be zealous therefore, and repent. 00:33:06.130 --> 00:33:10.259 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone 00:33:10.259 --> 00:33:13.079 hears my voice and opens the door, I will come 00:33:13.079 --> 00:33:18.259 into him and will dine with him and he with me." 00:33:18.259 --> 00:33:21.599 Jesus is there giving an invitation, not really 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:24.019 to the unsaved, though we often use that verse 00:33:24.019 --> 00:33:27.460 in that context, but He's given the invitation 00:33:27.460 --> 00:33:32.980 to the church in Laodicea. He's outside the door. 00:33:33.480 --> 00:33:36.579 and He's calling upon them to repent and to repent 00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:38.539 in the sense that they change their mind and 00:33:38.539 --> 00:33:43.579 they invite Him in. This church needs to repent 00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:49.259 of its materialism, its contentment with material 00:33:49.259 --> 00:33:54.980 things and its attainments. How often churches 00:33:54.980 --> 00:33:59.720 measure themselves by what they own, what their 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:03.569 offerings are. How many missionaries they support. 00:34:04.869 --> 00:34:07.009 And I'm not saying those things are unimportant. 00:34:07.069 --> 00:34:10.170 They have a place. But they aren't the final 00:34:10.170 --> 00:34:19.030 measure. The measurement is where Jesus is. Is 00:34:19.030 --> 00:34:21.349 He in the church? Is He involved in the church? 00:34:21.469 --> 00:34:23.929 Is He in the heart of the church? Or is He outside 00:34:23.929 --> 00:34:30.000 knocking on the door saying, let me in? It's 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.780 possible for you and me to be content in our 00:34:34.780 --> 00:34:38.860 Christian life with material things. To think 00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:41.559 that because we have now prospered, God surely 00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:47.400 must be blessing me. Thank you, Lord. And that 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:51.780 prosperity, whatever its source, causes our heart 00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:55.860 to stray from God. For we have attainments. We 00:34:55.860 --> 00:35:00.780 think, I have need of nothing. And Jesus knocks 00:35:00.780 --> 00:35:04.400 on the door and he says, say, can I come in? 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:11.380 Repent, he says. You know the problem we have 00:35:11.380 --> 00:35:16.599 today is the kind of churches that are described 00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:21.199 here we think are normal. We think this is normal 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:27.769 Christianity. It's not normal. Normal Christianity 00:35:27.769 --> 00:35:30.969 is the kind of Christianity that keeps repentance 00:35:30.969 --> 00:35:34.429 right up there on the front burner. And when 00:35:34.429 --> 00:35:36.769 something happens, when there's some change of 00:35:36.769 --> 00:35:39.070 heart and mind that leads away from the Lord 00:35:39.070 --> 00:35:42.190 and there's conviction about it, there's a change 00:35:42.190 --> 00:35:46.190 and repentance brings that person back, that 00:35:46.190 --> 00:35:50.199 church back. That's normal Christianity. Vance 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:52.920 Havner said that our form of Christianity is 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:55.199 so subnormal that if anybody gets normal, we 00:35:55.199 --> 00:36:01.539 think he's abnormal. He's right. Repentance leads 00:36:01.539 --> 00:36:07.480 us to conversion. To turn around again. The word 00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:10.460 conversion literally means just to turn around. 00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:16.119 To be going this way and turn around. That's 00:36:16.119 --> 00:36:20.039 the result of repentance. You say, conversions 00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:24.460 for the unsaved, yes. But it's also for the saved. 00:36:27.059 --> 00:36:29.480 The saved man or woman needs to be converted. 00:36:33.320 --> 00:36:38.539 We see this, for example, in Peter. Jesus warned 00:36:38.539 --> 00:36:43.840 Peter that he was going to fail him. But he said, 00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:48.059 Peter, I've prayed for you. And he says, when 00:36:48.059 --> 00:36:51.179 you are converted, strengthen your brethren. 00:36:53.079 --> 00:36:55.119 Peter was a believer, but he was going to go 00:36:55.119 --> 00:36:57.139 through a conversion experience. He was going 00:36:57.139 --> 00:37:01.239 to walk away from Christ. But he was going to 00:37:01.239 --> 00:37:03.599 repent of that. And with bitter tears, he did. 00:37:03.619 --> 00:37:05.760 And he was converted. He went back the other 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:09.139 way and met Christ on his resurrection morning. 00:37:11.960 --> 00:37:17.030 James says, let the one who converts The sinner. 00:37:20.050 --> 00:37:22.050 There at the end of the fifth chapter of his 00:37:22.050 --> 00:37:25.289 book. What's he talking about? Well, he's talking 00:37:25.289 --> 00:37:28.250 about a Christian in the first place who sins. 00:37:29.550 --> 00:37:33.869 He's talking about brethren. And he says the 00:37:33.869 --> 00:37:37.250 brethren who are in sin need to be converted 00:37:37.250 --> 00:37:47.159 to deliver them from the judgment of God. I believe 00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:50.699 strongly in what I talked about in January. I 00:37:50.699 --> 00:37:52.960 wouldn't have devoted four Sundays to it if I 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:56.360 didn't believe in it strongly. And I know that 00:37:56.360 --> 00:38:00.039 many of you believe in it too. To the extent 00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:03.199 that you comprehend what I have said because 00:38:03.199 --> 00:38:05.500 it's hard to grab a hold of all that stuff in 00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:08.039 just four weeks. Many of you have said, look, 00:38:08.039 --> 00:38:10.480 I believe in that. I'm behind you. I want to 00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:12.840 be a part of this kind of a church. I thank God 00:38:12.840 --> 00:38:16.429 for that. As we get into the new decade, let's 00:38:16.429 --> 00:38:20.610 not forget the old truths like repentance. Let's 00:38:20.610 --> 00:38:22.849 not think that just by putting a philosophy in 00:38:22.849 --> 00:38:26.030 place or by creating new forms or doing this 00:38:26.030 --> 00:38:29.369 or doing that, that solves everything. It doesn't. 00:38:31.170 --> 00:38:34.289 We have to come back to the old truths like repentance. 00:38:35.190 --> 00:38:37.730 Say, Lord, keep my heart tender. When I have 00:38:37.730 --> 00:38:41.670 gone wrong, show me so I can change my mind and 00:38:41.670 --> 00:38:46.440 turn around and be converted again. That's our 00:38:46.440 --> 00:39:00.360 need. Let's pray. This morning as we talk about 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:08.159 this theme, I wonder if there are others who 00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:14.460 would join me. I want to say, Lord, that's the 00:39:14.460 --> 00:39:18.400 kind of a heart I want to keep. Lord, I want 00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:20.940 the kind of a heart that is willing to repent. 00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:25.980 Lord, deliver me from hardness of heart. Make 00:39:25.980 --> 00:39:30.019 me a repentant Christian. One that can be easily 00:39:30.019 --> 00:39:33.619 converted and brought back to the right way. 00:39:36.639 --> 00:39:39.219 Lord, correct the attitude of my heart. Keep 00:39:39.219 --> 00:39:45.429 it right. Lord, bring me to the old truth of 00:39:45.429 --> 00:39:52.210 repentance." If that's your hard attitude, in 00:39:52.210 --> 00:39:54.630 the sense that this morning you need to repent 00:39:54.630 --> 00:39:58.570 of something, an area of your life where you've 00:39:58.570 --> 00:40:03.690 been thinking wrong, perhaps there's been stubbornness 00:40:03.690 --> 00:40:05.829 and rebellion and you've heard Jesus knocking 00:40:05.829 --> 00:40:08.489 at the door and you refuse to go to the door, 00:40:08.730 --> 00:40:11.329 and you've heard him say, do this or else, and 00:40:11.329 --> 00:40:16.789 you have ignored it. Let today be the day when 00:40:16.789 --> 00:40:19.190 you repent and you change your mind and agree 00:40:19.190 --> 00:40:22.829 with Jesus and give that area of your life to 00:40:22.829 --> 00:40:26.929 Him. If you want to do that this morning, I'm 00:40:26.929 --> 00:40:29.190 going to invite you in a moment to stand where 00:40:29.190 --> 00:40:36.630 you are. But with you, I want to invite to stand 00:40:36.630 --> 00:40:42.599 those who may not need point of repentance this 00:40:42.599 --> 00:40:44.840 morning, but who are saying out of their hearts, 00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:48.159 Lord, that's the kind of a heart I want to maintain. 00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:51.940 Lord, that's the kind of a heart I want to cultivate 00:40:51.940 --> 00:40:57.320 a repentant heart. And I stand because that's 00:40:57.320 --> 00:41:01.880 my heart desire. Now for either one of those 00:41:01.880 --> 00:41:04.179 reasons, because of a point of repentance or 00:41:04.179 --> 00:41:07.599 because you want to pursue that attitude in your 00:41:07.599 --> 00:41:11.730 heart, If you'd be willing to stand, I invite 00:41:11.730 --> 00:41:15.170 you to do that right now with your head bowed. 00:41:15.530 --> 00:41:20.090 God knows why you're doing it. And don't do it 00:41:20.090 --> 00:41:24.230 if you don't mean it. It's meaningless. But oh 00:41:24.230 --> 00:41:27.130 God, that's the kind of a heart I want. Oh God, 00:41:27.489 --> 00:41:32.769 this is an area that needs to be changed. God 00:41:32.769 --> 00:41:38.199 bless you. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, 00:41:38.519 --> 00:41:43.880 I pray that you will seal to our hearts What 00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:46.500 the spirit has said this morning and may we be 00:41:46.500 --> 00:41:52.000 an open repentant humble people Who listen to 00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:56.699 the voice of the spirit We do not want our testimonies 00:41:56.699 --> 00:42:01.440 as individuals or as a church to be removed We 00:42:01.440 --> 00:42:03.980 do not want to come under condemnation rather 00:42:04.510 --> 00:42:08.469 We want our lives to be well pleasing to you. 00:42:10.110 --> 00:42:13.789 And so we stand before you to say, here we are. 00:42:15.269 --> 00:42:21.989 We would be repentant. Repentant. Work in us, 00:42:22.530 --> 00:42:29.909 now the works of repentance. Let's all stand 00:42:29.909 --> 00:42:33.429 together and let's sing with our heads bowed. 00:42:33.710 --> 00:43:06.460 I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back 00:43:06.460 --> 00:43:12.380 No turning back Amen.