1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,740 Well, please open your Bibles to Hebrews and Chapter 12 2 00:00:03,740 –> 00:00:06,520 as we begin today the new series 3 00:00:06,520 –> 00:00:10,640 entitled Repentance, The Hidden Path 4 00:00:10,640 –> 00:00:12,980 to a Transformed Life. 5 00:00:14,540 –> 00:00:18,100 Now, I wonder what your first reaction is 6 00:00:18,100 –> 00:00:21,680 to a series on repentance. 7 00:00:21,680 –> 00:00:24,000 Maybe you come from all kinds of different backgrounds, 8 00:00:24,000 –> 00:00:26,660 so it seems to me that 9 00:00:26,660 –> 00:00:30,000 the very word repentance is likely to trigger off 10 00:00:30,000 –> 00:00:34,020 all kinds of different thoughts in our minds. 11 00:00:34,020 –> 00:00:37,820 And, frankly, your first reaction 12 00:00:37,820 –> 00:00:41,160 to a series on repentance 13 00:00:41,160 –> 00:00:43,759 probably reveals a great deal 14 00:00:43,759 –> 00:00:48,520 about what your understanding of repentance actually is. 15 00:00:49,360 –> 00:00:52,000 Now, for some of us, I’m sure the first reaction 16 00:00:52,000 –> 00:00:55,500 is gonna be, eugh, sounds heavy. 17 00:00:56,299 –> 00:00:58,360 And if that’s your first reaction 18 00:00:58,360 –> 00:01:01,080 when you hear about repentance, 19 00:01:01,080 –> 00:01:04,320 it probably means that you think 20 00:01:04,320 –> 00:01:09,000 repentance is beating up on yourself. 21 00:01:09,000 –> 00:01:10,699 And quite honestly, if you think 22 00:01:10,699 –> 00:01:13,800 that repentance is beating up on yourself, 23 00:01:13,800 –> 00:01:15,839 you are hardly going to be inspired 24 00:01:15,839 –> 00:01:17,360 by the thought of a series 25 00:01:17,360 –> 00:01:20,000 of Sunday mornings on this subject. 26 00:01:20,000 –> 00:01:21,199 You’ll probably be saying, 27 00:01:21,199 –> 00:01:22,400 as you take a look at the title, 28 00:01:22,500 –> 00:01:26,180 oh my goodness, I feel bad enough about myself already. 29 00:01:26,180 –> 00:01:28,059 Maybe I need to go and find some other place 30 00:01:28,059 –> 00:01:29,860 where I’m going to be affirmed. 31 00:01:31,500 –> 00:01:33,180 Well, if you think that repentance 32 00:01:33,180 –> 00:01:34,940 is beating up on yourself, 33 00:01:34,940 –> 00:01:36,779 quite honestly, you will not be able 34 00:01:36,779 –> 00:01:38,180 to hear the Word of God, 35 00:01:38,180 –> 00:01:39,940 so let’s clear away 36 00:01:39,940 –> 00:01:42,739 the baggage of misunderstanding, 37 00:01:42,739 –> 00:01:44,820 and indeed that is the primary thing 38 00:01:44,820 –> 00:01:46,419 that I’ve asked of the Lord 39 00:01:46,419 –> 00:01:50,139 we may be able to accomplish together today. 40 00:01:50,139 –> 00:01:52,220 Let me ask you a question 41 00:01:52,779 –> 00:01:55,180 and try to help you get rid of the baggage 42 00:01:55,180 –> 00:01:57,019 if you come from a background 43 00:01:57,019 –> 00:01:58,500 that causes you to think 44 00:01:58,500 –> 00:02:01,760 that repentance is basically beating up on yourself. 45 00:02:01,760 –> 00:02:03,139 Here’s the question. 46 00:02:06,279 –> 00:02:07,940 Jesus said 47 00:02:09,139 –> 00:02:11,699 that there is joy 48 00:02:12,539 –> 00:02:14,660 in heaven 49 00:02:14,660 –> 00:02:17,639 over one sinner who repents. 50 00:02:18,619 –> 00:02:20,699 Now, my question is, 51 00:02:20,779 –> 00:02:22,559 why did Jesus say that? 52 00:02:23,820 –> 00:02:28,179 I mean, if repentance is beating up on yourself, 53 00:02:28,179 –> 00:02:30,460 how in all the world do the angels have joy 54 00:02:30,460 –> 00:02:31,839 when they see you doing it? 55 00:02:32,899 –> 00:02:36,320 I mean, if the angels have joy over human misery, 56 00:02:36,320 –> 00:02:37,339 then they’re not angels. 57 00:02:37,339 –> 00:02:38,820 They’re devils, right? 58 00:02:40,660 –> 00:02:43,779 So when Jesus says there is joy in heaven 59 00:02:43,779 –> 00:02:45,679 over one sinner who repents, 60 00:02:45,679 –> 00:02:47,919 clearly he’s talking about something very different 61 00:02:47,919 –> 00:02:49,339 from beating up on yourself. 62 00:02:51,539 –> 00:02:52,660 So I want us, therefore, 63 00:02:52,660 –> 00:02:55,020 if that’s the background from which you come 64 00:02:55,020 –> 00:02:56,220 and that’s what you think of 65 00:02:56,220 –> 00:02:58,179 as soon as this very word is mentioned, 66 00:02:58,179 –> 00:03:01,000 will you try now to open your mind 67 00:03:01,000 –> 00:03:06,000 and to think again about what repentance actually is? 68 00:03:06,059 –> 00:03:08,259 Jesus makes it clear in stating 69 00:03:08,259 –> 00:03:10,539 that there is joy in heaven over this. 70 00:03:10,539 –> 00:03:12,460 It’s making it quite clear 71 00:03:12,460 –> 00:03:14,179 that it is not beating up on yourself. 72 00:03:14,179 –> 00:03:19,179 It is not an odyssey of self-recrimination and regret. 73 00:03:19,259 –> 00:03:22,020 There is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. 74 00:03:22,020 –> 00:03:24,000 If there’s joy in it for heaven, 75 00:03:24,000 –> 00:03:27,160 there’s joy in it for you, must be. 76 00:03:29,440 –> 00:03:31,860 We have a worship team meeting every Tuesday 77 00:03:31,860 –> 00:03:35,979 to plan for the services in the sanctuary and in the gym. 78 00:03:35,979 –> 00:03:38,979 And we were talking about the music 79 00:03:38,979 –> 00:03:42,100 for next Sunday in the Sanctuary 80 00:03:42,100 –> 00:03:43,880 when the plan is for the choir 81 00:03:43,880 –> 00:03:47,699 to sing a piece called I’ve Got Joy. 82 00:03:47,699 –> 00:03:51,220 And in our discussion, it came up that someone had asked 83 00:03:51,220 –> 00:03:55,380 if the song I’ve Got Joy would be appropriate 84 00:03:55,380 –> 00:03:58,759 on a Sunday morning when the sermon was on repentance? 85 00:04:00,339 –> 00:04:03,320 Well, the answer is, of course, it’s appropriate. 86 00:04:03,320 –> 00:04:05,679 And if you think there would be something strange 87 00:04:05,679 –> 00:04:07,460 about a choir singing, I’ve Got Joy, 88 00:04:07,460 –> 00:04:08,660 when the preacher’s about to get up 89 00:04:08,660 –> 00:04:10,179 and speak on repentance, 90 00:04:10,179 –> 00:04:13,880 what I’m asking of you is that open your mind 91 00:04:13,880 –> 00:04:17,480 to let the Bible reshape your understanding 92 00:04:17,480 –> 00:04:19,660 of what repentance is all about. 93 00:04:21,200 –> 00:04:24,540 Remember, Jesus told a wonderful story about repentance. 94 00:04:25,440 –> 00:04:29,519 We know it as the prodigal son takes his inheritance, 95 00:04:29,519 –> 00:04:31,160 goes to the distant country, 96 00:04:31,160 –> 00:04:34,079 wastes everything he has on riotous living, 97 00:04:34,079 –> 00:04:36,079 eventually the bottom falls out of his life, 98 00:04:36,079 –> 00:04:38,600 he ends up scratching a living on a pig farm, 99 00:04:38,600 –> 00:04:40,359 comes to his senses and then says, 100 00:04:40,359 –> 00:04:43,100 “‘I will arise and I will go to my Father.” 101 00:04:44,779 –> 00:04:47,359 Jesus tells how he begins the long journey home 102 00:04:47,359 –> 00:04:49,220 and when he sees the house on the horizon 103 00:04:49,220 –> 00:04:51,839 he sees a distant figure coming running towards him. 104 00:04:52,839 –> 00:04:54,279 It’s the Father who has been watching 105 00:04:54,279 –> 00:04:57,399 and waiting for him every day to return 106 00:04:57,399 –> 00:05:00,380 and instead of recriminations the Father hugs him 107 00:05:00,380 –> 00:05:02,559 and will not stop kissing him 108 00:05:04,000 –> 00:05:05,579 and leads him back to the house 109 00:05:05,579 –> 00:05:08,399 and puts a robe on his back and puts a ring on his finger, 110 00:05:08,399 –> 00:05:09,540 calls the servants and says, 111 00:05:09,540 –> 00:05:11,380 “‘Let’s kill that fatty calf 112 00:05:11,380 –> 00:05:13,519 “‘because we are going to have a celebration.’” 113 00:05:13,519 –> 00:05:14,359 Why? 114 00:05:14,420 –> 00:05:16,019 Because of the Father’s joy. 115 00:05:18,720 –> 00:05:21,920 Now, if there is joy in it for the Father, 116 00:05:21,920 –> 00:05:24,239 there has to be joy in it for the Son. 117 00:05:24,239 –> 00:05:26,200 All right, the Son may be embarrassed, 118 00:05:26,200 –> 00:05:28,160 He may feel unworthy 119 00:05:28,160 –> 00:05:30,880 but looks at the transformation that is taking place. 120 00:05:30,880 –> 00:05:33,640 He’s been scratching and living with the pigs, 121 00:05:33,640 –> 00:05:36,700 now He’s feasting on the calf. 122 00:05:36,700 –> 00:05:38,279 I mean that, by any standards, 123 00:05:38,279 –> 00:05:40,640 is an amazing transformation 124 00:05:40,640 –> 00:05:42,600 and that is why we have called this series 125 00:05:42,600 –> 00:05:46,760 Repentance, The Hidden Path to a Transformed Life 126 00:05:47,660 –> 00:05:48,700 because that is what it is, 127 00:05:48,700 –> 00:05:50,119 it is good news 128 00:05:50,119 –> 00:05:51,700 and that is why the Bible tells us 129 00:05:51,700 –> 00:05:54,279 that right at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, 130 00:05:54,279 –> 00:05:58,119 He went into Galilee and He preached good news 131 00:05:58,119 –> 00:06:00,880 and what was the first word of the good news He preached? 132 00:06:00,880 –> 00:06:04,320 Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 133 00:06:04,320 –> 00:06:06,160 Repentance is good news, 134 00:06:06,160 –> 00:06:10,040 it is possible for your life to be changed, 135 00:06:10,059 –> 00:06:13,359 Jesus is saying because God has come near to you 136 00:06:13,359 –> 00:06:15,380 in and through my ministry, 137 00:06:15,380 –> 00:06:16,899 that is what Jesus is saying 138 00:06:16,899 –> 00:06:20,140 repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 139 00:06:21,700 –> 00:06:24,420 So, my prayer for our time in the scriptures 140 00:06:24,420 –> 00:06:28,820 this morning has been that God will clear away 141 00:06:28,820 –> 00:06:32,779 the baggage of misunderstanding 142 00:06:32,779 –> 00:06:34,619 that many of us carry 143 00:06:35,579 –> 00:06:40,100 about this whole business of repentance 144 00:06:40,100 –> 00:06:42,899 so that we will be able with fresh understanding 145 00:06:42,899 –> 00:06:46,420 to receive the word of God in its wonderful, 146 00:06:46,420 –> 00:06:49,820 joyful transforming power 147 00:06:49,820 –> 00:06:54,220 into our lives and our experience. 148 00:06:54,220 –> 00:06:59,220 If you have thought at the back or the front of your mind 149 00:06:59,700 –> 00:07:01,980 that repentance is beating up on yourself, 150 00:07:02,100 –> 00:07:04,980 please will you think again? 151 00:07:04,980 –> 00:07:07,739 Stop thinking misery 152 00:07:08,739 –> 00:07:10,200 and start thinking joy. 153 00:07:11,700 –> 00:07:13,540 Now for those of us who carry that baggage, 154 00:07:13,540 –> 00:07:15,559 you think you can do that? 155 00:07:15,559 –> 00:07:17,640 Let’s ask that in God’s grace, we will. 156 00:07:19,399 –> 00:07:23,019 Now there’s a second misunderstanding of repentance 157 00:07:23,019 –> 00:07:25,019 that I think also could keep us 158 00:07:25,019 –> 00:07:28,859 from receiving the word of God in these coming Sundays. 159 00:07:29,700 –> 00:07:32,739 For others of us who come from a very different 160 00:07:32,739 –> 00:07:34,959 kind of a background, 161 00:07:34,959 –> 00:07:38,899 our instinctive reaction when we hear the word repentance 162 00:07:38,899 –> 00:07:42,940 is, been there, done that. 163 00:07:44,739 –> 00:07:47,179 Now if that’s your instinctive reaction, 164 00:07:47,179 –> 00:07:51,100 it’s pretty easy to understand why. 165 00:07:51,100 –> 00:07:54,839 Many of us were brought up under teaching 166 00:07:54,839 –> 00:07:58,619 that emphasized repentance as the beginning 167 00:07:58,619 –> 00:08:00,940 of the Christian life. 168 00:08:00,940 –> 00:08:03,679 Sermons that we heard over the years 169 00:08:03,679 –> 00:08:06,440 ended by calling sinners to repent, 170 00:08:06,440 –> 00:08:08,839 inviting them to come to the front of the church, 171 00:08:08,839 –> 00:08:10,279 raise their hand during the prayer 172 00:08:10,279 –> 00:08:14,380 or whatever it was if they wanted to receive Christ. 173 00:08:14,380 –> 00:08:18,160 We were told the A, B, C of the gospel, 174 00:08:18,160 –> 00:08:19,980 admit that you are a sinner, 175 00:08:19,980 –> 00:08:21,940 believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 176 00:08:21,940 –> 00:08:23,700 and commit your way to him. 177 00:08:23,700 –> 00:08:26,079 And we did that. 178 00:08:26,079 –> 00:08:27,480 We did it. 179 00:08:27,480 –> 00:08:30,500 And over the years, we have seen many, many other people 180 00:08:30,500 –> 00:08:32,140 who have done the same. 181 00:08:32,140 –> 00:08:35,739 Repent and believe and commit to Jesus Christ. 182 00:08:35,739 –> 00:08:38,099 And so when we hear the word repent, 183 00:08:38,099 –> 00:08:42,840 We say, yes, that is what I did a very long time ago. 184 00:08:45,460 –> 00:08:46,979 Now, if that is your understanding, 185 00:08:46,979 –> 00:08:49,659 you’ll completely miss the word of God. 186 00:08:49,659 –> 00:08:52,820 So let’s try and clear away that second kind of baggage. 187 00:08:52,820 –> 00:08:54,020 Let me ask this question. 188 00:08:56,559 –> 00:08:59,820 When you made a commitment to Jesus Christ, 189 00:09:01,140 –> 00:09:03,440 how long was that commitment for? 190 00:09:04,739 –> 00:09:06,919 You say, oh, it was for a lifetime. 191 00:09:06,919 –> 00:09:09,780 It’s a continuing commitment, okay. 192 00:09:11,059 –> 00:09:14,099 And when you said you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 193 00:09:14,099 –> 00:09:16,359 how long was that believing for? 194 00:09:17,599 –> 00:09:19,979 Oh, you say, it’s for a lifetime. 195 00:09:20,299 –> 00:09:23,080 It’s a continuing believing. 196 00:09:26,000 –> 00:09:28,619 So when you said that you repent towards God, 197 00:09:28,619 –> 00:09:30,940 how long is that repenting for? 198 00:09:32,739 –> 00:09:36,580 Well it’s for a lifetime. 199 00:09:36,580 –> 00:09:39,760 It’s a continuing repenting. 200 00:09:39,760 –> 00:09:43,659 Now, you see, that is one of the great truths 201 00:09:44,599 –> 00:09:47,619 that the Reformers in the 16th century, 202 00:09:47,640 –> 00:09:49,799 Luther and Calvin and others 203 00:09:49,799 –> 00:09:54,799 rediscovered in the Bible, way back in the 16th century. 204 00:09:56,820 –> 00:09:58,859 Many of you know that Martin Luther 205 00:09:58,859 –> 00:10:03,359 wrote a famous document called the 95 Theses 206 00:10:03,359 –> 00:10:06,020 which he nailed famously to the door 207 00:10:06,020 –> 00:10:07,780 of the Wittenberg Cathedral. 208 00:10:07,780 –> 00:10:10,119 Many people know about the 95 Theses. 209 00:10:10,119 –> 00:10:11,479 Not many people have much of a clue 210 00:10:11,479 –> 00:10:12,780 as to what any of them were. 211 00:10:12,780 –> 00:10:16,900 Do you know what the first of the 95 Theses states? 212 00:10:16,940 –> 00:10:18,219 Here it is. 213 00:10:18,219 –> 00:10:19,719 First thesis of Martin Luther 214 00:10:19,719 –> 00:10:21,940 nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. 215 00:10:21,940 –> 00:10:26,739 When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent, 216 00:10:26,739 –> 00:10:30,380 he called for the entire life of believers 217 00:10:30,380 –> 00:10:32,659 to be one of repentance. 218 00:10:33,539 –> 00:10:36,140 That’s the first of the 95 Theses of Martin Luther. 219 00:10:37,340 –> 00:10:42,340 When Jesus Christ called us to repent, 220 00:10:42,400 –> 00:10:45,820 he was calling for the entire life of believers, 221 00:10:45,820 –> 00:10:50,659 their entire life to be one of repentance. 222 00:10:50,659 –> 00:10:51,739 Now, of course, at this point, 223 00:10:51,739 –> 00:10:53,900 all the beating up on yourselves Christians 224 00:10:53,900 –> 00:10:55,799 who are reverting to their former understanding 225 00:10:55,799 –> 00:10:58,219 are gonna go, oh no, not a whole life 226 00:10:58,219 –> 00:10:59,619 of beating up on myself. 227 00:10:59,619 –> 00:11:01,780 No, no, we’re trying to think again. 228 00:11:01,780 –> 00:11:04,780 And you see, Martin Luther had understood 229 00:11:04,780 –> 00:11:07,200 that repentance wasn’t beating up on yourself 230 00:11:07,200 –> 00:11:10,299 but that it was a life of continuing change. 231 00:11:11,419 –> 00:11:12,700 Not a moment. 232 00:11:13,520 –> 00:11:17,179 A continuing process throughout the entire Christian life. 233 00:11:18,859 –> 00:11:21,619 And reformers understood this in the Bible 234 00:11:21,619 –> 00:11:23,760 in a way that had long been lost. 235 00:11:23,760 –> 00:11:28,219 A few years later, John Calvin wrote 236 00:11:28,219 –> 00:11:31,460 about the Anabaptists, he said, who, 237 00:11:31,460 –> 00:11:36,460 and I quote, limit to a paltry few days 238 00:11:38,140 –> 00:11:40,479 the repentance that for a Christian man 239 00:11:40,479 –> 00:11:42,479 should last an entire lifetime. 240 00:11:43,440 –> 00:11:47,179 Sort of evangelical-type folks 241 00:11:47,179 –> 00:11:52,119 who limit to a paltry few days 242 00:11:52,119 –> 00:11:55,840 the repentance which, for a Christian man, 243 00:11:55,840 –> 00:11:58,219 should last his entire life. 244 00:12:00,380 –> 00:12:02,880 Now all of us who have this kind of 245 00:12:02,880 –> 00:12:06,239 been there-done that feeling about repentance 246 00:12:06,239 –> 00:12:07,599 because of the way in which 247 00:12:07,599 –> 00:12:11,119 it’s in our minds as the initial thing only, 248 00:12:11,840 –> 00:12:15,500 I want to ask, Can we also now think again? 249 00:12:16,340 –> 00:12:18,739 Can we push that baggage out of our mind 250 00:12:18,739 –> 00:12:20,299 that would clearly hinder us 251 00:12:20,299 –> 00:12:21,539 from hearing the Word of God 252 00:12:21,539 –> 00:12:23,619 over these coming Sunday mornings? 253 00:12:23,619 –> 00:12:26,859 And can we come to the place where we grasp 254 00:12:26,859 –> 00:12:30,099 that this is a continuing process 255 00:12:30,099 –> 00:12:34,919 throughout the life of a Christian woman or man? 256 00:12:37,119 –> 00:12:38,979 Now, with that said, I want to offer 257 00:12:39,059 –> 00:12:40,820 a definition of repentance 258 00:12:40,820 –> 00:12:43,260 that I have found to be extremely helpful. 259 00:12:44,340 –> 00:12:46,119 I found this a number of years ago 260 00:12:46,119 –> 00:12:48,880 in the writing of Dr. Jim Packer, 261 00:12:48,880 –> 00:12:51,559 and the moment I read this, 262 00:12:51,559 –> 00:12:53,619 it was as if a light went on in my mind, 263 00:12:53,619 –> 00:12:56,059 and I thought, that’s repentance. 264 00:12:56,059 –> 00:13:00,700 That’s it stated as clearly as ever it could be stated. 265 00:13:00,700 –> 00:13:03,500 And over many years since that time, 266 00:13:03,500 –> 00:13:05,619 this definition has remained with me 267 00:13:05,619 –> 00:13:07,500 and has been so very, very helpful 268 00:13:07,500 –> 00:13:08,979 in so many ways. 269 00:13:10,140 –> 00:13:12,460 Dr. Jim Packer puts it like this, 270 00:13:12,460 –> 00:13:15,500 repentance, he says, is turning 271 00:13:15,500 –> 00:13:18,539 from as much as you know of your sin 272 00:13:18,539 –> 00:13:21,900 to give as much as you know of yourself 273 00:13:21,900 –> 00:13:24,260 to as much as you know of God. 274 00:13:24,260 –> 00:13:26,280 A marvelous definition. 275 00:13:26,280 –> 00:13:28,820 Very helpful if we can get it into our minds. 276 00:13:28,820 –> 00:13:33,820 Repentance, it’s turning from as much as you know of sin 277 00:13:33,859 –> 00:13:38,820 to give as much as you know of yourself 278 00:13:39,900 –> 00:13:43,599 to as much as you know of your God. 279 00:13:43,599 –> 00:13:48,299 Turning from as much as you know of your sin. 280 00:13:48,299 –> 00:13:51,659 See as the Holy Spirit shines the light of truth 281 00:13:51,659 –> 00:13:54,020 from his word into your life. 282 00:13:54,020 –> 00:13:58,059 You will go on seeing more and more that is wrong 283 00:13:58,059 –> 00:14:00,780 than you ever saw before. 284 00:14:01,460 –> 00:14:04,059 There’s an old hymn that puts it like this. 285 00:14:04,059 –> 00:14:08,659 “‘None, O Lord, has perfect rest, 286 00:14:09,479 –> 00:14:13,340 “‘for none is wholly free from sin.’” 287 00:14:13,340 –> 00:14:15,799 No Christian believer is wholly free from sin. 288 00:14:16,799 –> 00:14:20,900 “‘And those who want to serve you best 289 00:14:20,900 –> 00:14:24,320 “‘are conscious most of wrong within.’ 290 00:14:25,419 –> 00:14:27,179 See if you are growing as a Christian 291 00:14:27,179 –> 00:14:30,359 you will become more conscious of sin in your life now 292 00:14:30,359 –> 00:14:33,979 than you used to be and frankly many older Christians 293 00:14:33,979 –> 00:14:36,359 will testify to the truth of this. 294 00:14:36,359 –> 00:14:39,940 Sometimes it feels alarming, am I making any progress, 295 00:14:39,940 –> 00:14:43,119 I feel that I see more wrong in my life now 296 00:14:43,119 –> 00:14:45,000 than I did 10 years ago. 297 00:14:45,000 –> 00:14:46,440 That is not a reason for fear 298 00:14:46,440 –> 00:14:48,619 that is a reason for thankfulness. 299 00:14:49,880 –> 00:14:51,179 It’s a sign of growth. 300 00:14:52,460 –> 00:14:53,719 It is the work of the Holy Spirit 301 00:14:53,719 –> 00:14:55,859 to shine the light into your heart 302 00:14:55,859 –> 00:14:59,140 so that more and more you see your sin 303 00:14:59,140 –> 00:15:00,539 so that you can turn from it. 304 00:15:01,539 –> 00:15:02,599 That’s what Christian growth 305 00:15:02,599 –> 00:15:05,780 and The Hidden Path of Repentance is really all about 306 00:15:07,000 –> 00:15:08,219 and then Packer says, 307 00:15:08,219 –> 00:15:09,940 repentance is giving to God as much 308 00:15:09,940 –> 00:15:11,739 as you know of yourself. 309 00:15:12,979 –> 00:15:16,840 When I became a Christian at the age of six, 310 00:15:18,340 –> 00:15:19,940 I was absolutely convinced 311 00:15:19,940 –> 00:15:22,820 that I had given my whole self to Jesus Christ 312 00:15:24,440 –> 00:15:25,979 and you know as I grow older 313 00:15:26,840 –> 00:15:30,119 I find that there are hidden subversive parts of myself 314 00:15:30,119 –> 00:15:32,280 that haven’t heard that Jesus is Lord 315 00:15:33,799 –> 00:15:36,219 and that need to be brought into submission to Him. 316 00:15:36,219 –> 00:15:37,719 Paul talks about this when he says 317 00:15:37,719 –> 00:15:39,760 we have to take every thoughts 318 00:15:40,859 –> 00:15:44,520 and make it captive to Jesus Christ 319 00:15:45,700 –> 00:15:47,359 and the more that we go on in life, 320 00:15:47,359 –> 00:15:50,919 the more we discover that there are dimensions 321 00:15:50,919 –> 00:15:52,719 and levels of who we are 322 00:15:52,719 –> 00:15:54,719 that need to be brought more fully 323 00:15:54,799 –> 00:15:57,640 under the sovereign Lordship of Jesus Christ. 324 00:15:57,640 –> 00:15:59,760 It’s giving as much as I know of myself 325 00:16:02,619 –> 00:16:07,619 and it’s giving too as much as I know of God 326 00:16:07,760 –> 00:16:12,760 and you know as you grow in the knowledge of who God is 327 00:16:12,799 –> 00:16:15,919 in all His beauty and all His glory 328 00:16:15,919 –> 00:16:20,919 that is a deeper self-giving that comes as a result. 329 00:16:22,200 –> 00:16:23,679 Now over these next weeks, 330 00:16:23,679 –> 00:16:25,880 we’re going to use God willing Packer’s definition 331 00:16:25,880 –> 00:16:30,239 as a kind of framework for learning what repentance is 332 00:16:30,239 –> 00:16:32,679 and how we can pursue it joyfully together 333 00:16:32,679 –> 00:16:35,960 throughout the entire course of our Christian lives. 334 00:16:35,960 –> 00:16:38,960 Repentance turning from as much as you know of your sin 335 00:16:38,960 –> 00:16:40,940 to give as much as you know of yourself 336 00:16:40,940 –> 00:16:42,640 to as much as you know of God 337 00:16:42,640 –> 00:16:46,380 and as we grow at each of these points, 338 00:16:46,380 –> 00:16:49,700 knowing my sin, knowing myself, and knowing my God. 339 00:16:49,700 –> 00:16:52,520 So my repentance will grow deeper 340 00:16:54,179 –> 00:16:58,239 the effect of that is to be transformed increasingly 341 00:16:58,239 –> 00:17:00,200 into the likeness of Jesus Christ 342 00:17:00,200 –> 00:17:04,819 or as Paul puts it to move from one degree of glory 343 00:17:04,819 –> 00:17:05,660 to another. 344 00:17:06,560 –> 00:17:08,040 This is a wonderful thing. 345 00:17:10,400 –> 00:17:11,640 So we’re trying to clear away 346 00:17:11,640 –> 00:17:14,300 the baggage of misunderstanding 347 00:17:14,300 –> 00:17:16,920 and to the beating up on yourself Christians, 348 00:17:16,920 –> 00:17:20,660 I want to say this morning repentance is positive. 349 00:17:20,660 –> 00:17:22,520 There’s joy in it for heaven 350 00:17:22,520 –> 00:17:24,579 so there’s joy in it for you. 351 00:17:25,619 –> 00:17:29,400 For us, being there done that kind of Christians 352 00:17:29,400 –> 00:17:33,439 I want to say repentance is progressive. 353 00:17:33,439 –> 00:17:36,140 It is God’s purpose throughout your lifetime 354 00:17:36,140 –> 00:17:38,500 that this repentance will grow and deepen 355 00:17:38,500 –> 00:17:40,439 as you have a fuller understanding 356 00:17:40,439 –> 00:17:42,560 of your own sin and of your own self 357 00:17:42,560 –> 00:17:44,939 and of who God is in all his glory. 358 00:17:44,939 –> 00:17:49,660 The Christian life is a life of repentance 359 00:17:49,660 –> 00:17:51,599 as much as it is a life of faith 360 00:17:52,439 –> 00:17:55,319 and that was something that Martin Luther grasped 361 00:17:55,319 –> 00:17:58,439 in the very first of his 95 thesis. 362 00:17:59,680 –> 00:18:01,400 The last thing that I went to say this morning 363 00:18:01,400 –> 00:18:05,160 and here we come to Hebrews in chapter 12 more clearly 364 00:18:05,160 –> 00:18:09,359 is that repentance is possible by the grace of God. 365 00:18:09,359 –> 00:18:10,900 It’s positive, it’s progressive, 366 00:18:10,900 –> 00:18:14,920 it is possible by the grace of God 367 00:18:14,920 –> 00:18:17,880 and it seems to me that this is very important to say 368 00:18:17,880 –> 00:18:22,000 because some of us will in our first response 369 00:18:22,000 –> 00:18:26,380 to this word, repentance, feel a great sense of sadness. 370 00:18:27,839 –> 00:18:30,359 You feel defeated. 371 00:18:30,359 –> 00:18:31,800 You come into church, you hear okay, 372 00:18:31,800 –> 00:18:33,400 we’re going to focus on repentance 373 00:18:33,400 –> 00:18:35,319 and you think, ah, dear, here we go again. 374 00:18:35,319 –> 00:18:39,660 I already know that I can’t change 375 00:18:39,660 –> 00:18:41,280 and you feel that very deeply. 376 00:18:42,760 –> 00:18:44,900 Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a long time 377 00:18:45,060 –> 00:18:47,939 and there are certain sins 378 00:18:47,939 –> 00:18:50,459 that have taken root in your life. 379 00:18:51,500 –> 00:18:54,719 You’ve tried to get free but in some particular area 380 00:18:54,719 –> 00:18:56,839 you have not yet been able to do so, 381 00:18:58,660 –> 00:19:01,699 and so you feel the need for repentance. 382 00:19:01,699 –> 00:19:03,500 You would very much like to see change 383 00:19:03,500 –> 00:19:07,180 in this area of your life but you are deeply convinced 384 00:19:07,180 –> 00:19:09,479 that because it has been there a long time 385 00:19:09,479 –> 00:19:12,520 this is no longer possible for you. 386 00:19:13,520 –> 00:19:16,040 So, when you hear the word repentance, 387 00:19:16,040 –> 00:19:21,040 you say in your head I would if I could but I can’t. 388 00:19:22,920 –> 00:19:24,719 And the truth is that you feel trapped, 389 00:19:24,719 –> 00:19:28,900 you feel defeated, you say to yourself 390 00:19:28,900 –> 00:19:32,719 I just can’t change. 391 00:19:35,060 –> 00:19:37,359 Now, the title for this series is 392 00:19:37,359 –> 00:19:41,599 Repentance, The Hidden Path 393 00:19:41,640 –> 00:19:43,560 to a Transformed Life. 394 00:19:44,939 –> 00:19:47,680 And the reason for calling it a hidden path 395 00:19:47,680 –> 00:19:50,619 is the very obvious fact that many people never find it. 396 00:19:53,339 –> 00:19:55,479 There are many who would love 397 00:19:57,479 –> 00:19:59,760 to overcome bitterness 398 00:20:01,859 –> 00:20:02,859 or resentment 399 00:20:04,900 –> 00:20:06,079 or pornography 400 00:20:07,939 –> 00:20:09,239 or alcohol 401 00:20:10,239 –> 00:20:14,339 but they remain in the grip of these things. 402 00:20:16,500 –> 00:20:18,479 They have deep regrets, 403 00:20:20,319 –> 00:20:22,479 they shed many tears, 404 00:20:24,619 –> 00:20:26,439 but they do not change. 405 00:20:29,739 –> 00:20:32,939 They seek repentance but they cannot find it, 406 00:20:32,939 –> 00:20:34,319 that is their testimony. 407 00:20:35,180 –> 00:20:40,180 Now the Bible tells us about a man just like that, 408 00:20:44,599 –> 00:20:48,819 and it tells us what his problem was 409 00:20:48,819 –> 00:20:52,119 so that we may have a different outcome. 410 00:20:54,739 –> 00:20:56,119 And that’s why we’ve read from Hebrews 411 00:20:56,119 –> 00:20:57,540 in chapter 12 this morning. 412 00:20:57,540 –> 00:20:59,380 And I do hope you’ll have your Bible open 413 00:20:59,380 –> 00:21:01,599 at that place in front of you. 414 00:21:01,599 –> 00:21:04,219 I’m referring of course to the sad story 415 00:21:04,260 –> 00:21:09,260 of Esau and the fascinating statement 416 00:21:09,380 –> 00:21:12,859 that is made about him in Hebrews chapter 12. 417 00:21:13,780 –> 00:21:15,780 Now I’m going to read from verse 14, 418 00:21:15,780 –> 00:21:18,420 please follow the story with me. 419 00:21:18,420 –> 00:21:22,859 Hebrews chapter 12, and I’m reading from verse 14. 420 00:21:24,699 –> 00:21:29,699 “‘Make every effort to live in peace with all men 421 00:21:30,680 –> 00:21:32,660 “‘and to be holy. 422 00:21:32,660 –> 00:21:37,020 “‘Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.’ 423 00:21:37,020 –> 00:21:39,359 “‘And see to it,’ the writer says, 424 00:21:39,359 –> 00:21:44,359 “‘that no one misses the grace of God, 425 00:21:46,579 –> 00:21:50,099 “‘and that no bitter root grows up 426 00:21:50,099 –> 00:21:53,479 “‘to cause trouble and defile many. 427 00:21:54,420 –> 00:21:58,479 “‘See to it that no one is sexually immoral 428 00:21:58,660 –> 00:22:02,260 “‘or is godless like Esau, 429 00:22:03,300 –> 00:22:05,599 “‘who, for a single meal, 430 00:22:05,599 –> 00:22:09,199 “‘sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.’” 431 00:22:11,459 –> 00:22:13,359 Now the writer is referring here 432 00:22:13,359 –> 00:22:16,000 to the Old Testament story 433 00:22:16,000 –> 00:22:19,040 about two brothers, Jacob and Esau. 434 00:22:19,920 –> 00:22:22,359 Esau was the firstborn, 435 00:22:22,359 –> 00:22:24,939 and he held the rights of inheritance 436 00:22:24,939 –> 00:22:27,079 as the firstborn in the family. 437 00:22:28,020 –> 00:22:30,540 But Esau was an impulsive man, 438 00:22:30,540 –> 00:22:32,800 and as many know the story well, 439 00:22:32,800 –> 00:22:34,640 he came home one day from hunting. 440 00:22:34,640 –> 00:22:36,319 He was desperately hungry, 441 00:22:36,319 –> 00:22:39,739 and his brother Jacob was cooking stew. 442 00:22:39,739 –> 00:22:41,959 Jacob was a cunning, twisted kind of man 443 00:22:41,959 –> 00:22:44,040 until God got hold of his life, 444 00:22:44,040 –> 00:22:46,079 and he said to Esau, 445 00:22:46,079 –> 00:22:47,260 “‘I’ll give you some stew 446 00:22:47,260 –> 00:22:49,280 “‘if you sell me your birthright.’” 447 00:22:50,260 –> 00:22:52,359 And Esau was desperate for a meal, 448 00:22:52,359 –> 00:22:55,839 so he sold his birthright. 449 00:22:55,859 –> 00:23:00,380 The Book of Hebrews tells us for a single meal. 450 00:23:01,760 –> 00:23:05,119 Now later when Isaac the father was about to die, 451 00:23:05,119 –> 00:23:07,900 Jacob pulled another stunt. 452 00:23:08,839 –> 00:23:11,520 And he pretended to be Esau, 453 00:23:11,520 –> 00:23:13,239 and through that impersonation 454 00:23:13,239 –> 00:23:16,920 received Esau’s blessing from the father. 455 00:23:16,920 –> 00:23:19,560 Later when Esau arrives on the scene, 456 00:23:19,560 –> 00:23:21,479 he asks for the blessing 457 00:23:21,479 –> 00:23:23,560 and finds that it has already been given 458 00:23:23,579 –> 00:23:25,920 by his father to his brother, 459 00:23:25,920 –> 00:23:30,920 and at that point the writer to Hebrews takes up the story 460 00:23:32,319 –> 00:23:35,880 because Genesis tells us that when Esau heard this, 461 00:23:35,880 –> 00:23:40,420 he burst out with a loud and bitter cry. 462 00:23:40,420 –> 00:23:45,140 Places great emphasis in Genesis on the weeping of Esau. 463 00:23:46,359 –> 00:23:49,619 Now a writer takes up the story in verse 17. 464 00:23:49,619 –> 00:23:54,619 Afterwards, that is, after this extraordinary incident 465 00:23:54,660 –> 00:23:59,119 in which he discovered that the blessing was not his, 466 00:23:59,119 –> 00:24:01,079 afterward, as you know, 467 00:24:02,000 –> 00:24:05,099 when he wanted to inherit this blessing, 468 00:24:06,560 –> 00:24:07,920 he was rejected. 469 00:24:09,000 –> 00:24:14,000 He could bring about no change of mind 470 00:24:16,119 –> 00:24:18,260 though he sought the blessing 471 00:24:18,880 –> 00:24:21,000 with tears. 472 00:24:21,000 –> 00:24:22,560 That’s an extraordinary statement. 473 00:24:22,560 –> 00:24:23,500 What does it mean? 474 00:24:25,939 –> 00:24:28,579 The word change of mind that is used here 475 00:24:28,579 –> 00:24:31,199 is of course the word repent or repentance 476 00:24:31,199 –> 00:24:33,680 and other translations have this clearly. 477 00:24:33,680 –> 00:24:35,880 The New American Standard Bible says, 478 00:24:35,880 –> 00:24:38,939 he found no place of repentance 479 00:24:38,939 –> 00:24:41,040 though he sought it with tears. 480 00:24:41,040 –> 00:24:42,739 The English Standard Version says, 481 00:24:42,739 –> 00:24:45,459 he found no chance to repent 482 00:24:45,939 –> 00:24:49,160 though he sought it with tears. 483 00:24:49,160 –> 00:24:50,380 The New International Version 484 00:24:50,380 –> 00:24:52,540 from which we’re reading and the Pew Bible says, 485 00:24:52,540 –> 00:24:55,579 he could bring about no change of mind 486 00:24:55,579 –> 00:24:59,760 though he sought this blessing with tears. 487 00:25:00,739 –> 00:25:02,619 Now when it says that Esau could bring 488 00:25:02,619 –> 00:25:04,260 about no change of mind, 489 00:25:04,260 –> 00:25:07,380 does it mean that he could bring about 490 00:25:07,380 –> 00:25:09,859 no change in his father’s mind 491 00:25:09,859 –> 00:25:11,020 with regards to the blessing 492 00:25:11,020 –> 00:25:12,680 that had now been imparted to Jacob 493 00:25:13,680 –> 00:25:16,800 or does it mean that Esau could bring about 494 00:25:16,800 –> 00:25:18,819 no change in his own mind? 495 00:25:18,819 –> 00:25:19,660 In other words, 496 00:25:19,660 –> 00:25:21,280 he could bring about no change in himself 497 00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:25,239 and the answer is both, both. 498 00:25:26,160 –> 00:25:28,300 He could neither change the decision 499 00:25:28,300 –> 00:25:29,880 that had been made about him 500 00:25:29,880 –> 00:25:32,880 nor could he change the pattern of behavior 501 00:25:32,880 –> 00:25:35,699 in himself that had brought about that decision. 502 00:25:37,520 –> 00:25:40,239 Esau was Hebrews is telling us 503 00:25:41,040 –> 00:25:43,479 the man who couldn’t repent, 504 00:25:47,060 –> 00:25:49,719 pause and take that in 505 00:25:54,560 –> 00:25:56,719 and the evidence of what we find 506 00:25:56,719 –> 00:25:58,079 in the book of Hebrews, of course, 507 00:25:58,079 –> 00:25:59,280 is in the story of his life. 508 00:25:59,280 –> 00:26:02,119 The man never changed. 509 00:26:03,819 –> 00:26:05,099 He never changed. 510 00:26:05,599 –> 00:26:10,599 Plenty of tears but no movement towards God. 511 00:26:21,339 –> 00:26:26,339 Lots of beating up on himself, no transformation. 512 00:26:32,020 –> 00:26:34,260 See, repentance isn’t beating up on yourself. 513 00:26:34,300 –> 00:26:35,939 You can do that and never change. 514 00:26:38,099 –> 00:26:38,939 Esau did. 515 00:26:42,560 –> 00:26:44,739 Now why is this relevant to us? 516 00:26:44,739 –> 00:26:47,079 Because we just said two, three minutes ago 517 00:26:48,060 –> 00:26:50,180 that there are some of us who go around through life 518 00:26:50,180 –> 00:26:52,400 saying, I can’t change. 519 00:26:53,420 –> 00:26:56,439 If you’re saying, I can’t change, 520 00:26:56,439 –> 00:26:59,439 you are identifying yourself with who, Esau. 521 00:27:00,280 –> 00:27:02,119 That’s what you’re doing. 522 00:27:02,119 –> 00:27:04,140 You’re saying, I’m with him. 523 00:27:04,900 –> 00:27:07,859 Like him, repentance is a hidden path to me. 524 00:27:07,859 –> 00:27:10,400 I’d like to travel on it, but like Esau, 525 00:27:10,400 –> 00:27:13,680 I have tears but I can’t change. 526 00:27:16,619 –> 00:27:18,819 I don’t think you want to stay there, do you? 527 00:27:21,219 –> 00:27:24,219 Now here’s the obvious, critical question. 528 00:27:25,060 –> 00:27:26,959 Because we’re all struggling a little bit I think 529 00:27:26,959 –> 00:27:29,800 with the idea that there ever was a man who couldn’t repent. 530 00:27:29,800 –> 00:27:33,599 So the obvious question is why couldn’t Esau repent? 531 00:27:33,619 –> 00:27:34,920 Isn’t that the question? 532 00:27:34,920 –> 00:27:37,819 And the book of Hebrews exactly gives us the answer. 533 00:27:37,819 –> 00:27:39,959 In fact, there are two answers. 534 00:27:39,959 –> 00:27:41,939 Here is why Esau could not repent. 535 00:27:41,939 –> 00:27:45,020 It’s right here in verse 16 and then in verse 15. 536 00:27:45,020 –> 00:27:49,180 First, he couldn’t repent because he was godless. 537 00:27:49,180 –> 00:27:54,180 Verse 16, see to it that no one is godless like Esau. 538 00:27:57,739 –> 00:27:58,560 Godless? 539 00:27:58,560 –> 00:27:59,739 Oh, Esau believed in God. 540 00:27:59,739 –> 00:28:01,699 I’m sure he would have been here on a Sunday morning 541 00:28:01,699 –> 00:28:02,900 along with all the rest of us 542 00:28:03,459 –> 00:28:04,300 if he was living today. 543 00:28:04,300 –> 00:28:05,739 He wanted the blessing of God. 544 00:28:05,739 –> 00:28:07,819 He burst out in tears when he didn’t get the blessing 545 00:28:07,819 –> 00:28:09,660 that he wanted but the reality 546 00:28:09,660 –> 00:28:11,800 that we’re being told here in the book of Hebrews 547 00:28:11,800 –> 00:28:15,739 is that Esau had no real place for God in his life. 548 00:28:15,739 –> 00:28:18,339 To him, God was a means to an end 549 00:28:18,339 –> 00:28:20,300 and if he got the blessing he was happy. 550 00:28:20,300 –> 00:28:21,979 If he didn’t get the blessing, 551 00:28:21,979 –> 00:28:24,839 he had no other place for God in his life. 552 00:28:26,880 –> 00:28:29,959 Esau was a godless man and a godless man 553 00:28:29,959 –> 00:28:31,540 or woman cannot repent. 55400:28:32,319 –> 00:28:37,319 Because real change begins not with seeking repentance 555 00:28:37,839 –> 00:28:39,819 but with seeking God. 556 00:28:41,199 –> 00:28:45,239 You can’t repent at a distance from God. 557 00:28:47,839 –> 00:28:51,420 And because Esau insisted on living his life 558 00:28:51,420 –> 00:28:52,800 at a distance from God, 559 00:28:52,800 –> 00:28:55,319 he remained the man who could not repent 560 00:28:55,319 –> 00:28:57,680 and the writer to the Hebrews is saying, 561 00:28:57,719 –> 00:29:01,939 so please, see to it that none of you are in that position. 562 00:29:07,140 –> 00:29:08,819 The second thing that we’re told here 563 00:29:08,819 –> 00:29:11,319 is that Esau missed the grace of God. 564 00:29:11,319 –> 00:29:12,560 Look at verse 15. 565 00:29:13,719 –> 00:29:14,619 See to it 566 00:29:17,660 –> 00:29:19,619 that no one 567 00:29:19,619 –> 00:29:22,439 misses the grace of God. 568 00:29:23,500 –> 00:29:26,160 Remember he’s writing to a community of believers. 569 00:29:28,579 –> 00:29:30,859 Scripture is saying to us, 570 00:29:30,859 –> 00:29:34,579 see to it that nobody here 571 00:29:34,579 –> 00:29:35,719 misses 572 00:29:36,640 –> 00:29:39,520 the grace of God 573 00:29:40,560 –> 00:29:43,099 and that nobody here ends up like Esau 574 00:29:43,099 –> 00:29:46,020 in whom a bitter root grew up. 575 00:29:51,280 –> 00:29:54,099 See to it that nobody’s like Esau. 576 00:29:54,479 –> 00:29:59,479 Godless man who misses grace. 577 00:30:01,140 –> 00:30:03,400 Without God, without grace, you can’t repent. 578 00:30:05,800 –> 00:30:08,199 In order to repent I have to draw near to God 579 00:30:08,199 –> 00:30:10,380 and I have to embrace the grace 580 00:30:10,380 –> 00:30:12,339 that he offers to me in Jesus Christ. 581 00:30:12,339 –> 00:30:13,579 That’s what we’re learning here. 582 00:30:13,579 –> 00:30:14,900 Otherwise we’ll be like Esau 583 00:30:14,900 –> 00:30:16,060 and we’ll spend the rest of our life 584 00:30:16,060 –> 00:30:19,260 saying I can’t repent, can’t change. 585 00:30:20,739 –> 00:30:21,900 It’s not the gospel. 586 00:30:24,099 –> 00:30:29,099 I quote to you a comment from John Calvin 587 00:30:30,140 –> 00:30:32,619 in his commentary on Hebrews in chapter 12. 588 00:30:32,619 –> 00:30:34,540 I find this wonderfully helpful. 589 00:30:35,760 –> 00:30:39,979 Calvin says, whenever a sinner sighs 590 00:30:39,979 –> 00:30:44,979 on account of his sin the Lord is ready to forgive him. 591 00:30:46,479 –> 00:30:51,180 God’s mercy is never sought in vain 592 00:30:51,180 –> 00:30:56,180 for to him who knocks it will be opened, period. 593 00:30:59,079 –> 00:31:04,079 But the ungodly, however they may deplore their lot, 594 00:31:04,660 –> 00:31:09,660 complain, and howl, do not yet knock at God’s door 595 00:31:10,479 –> 00:31:15,479 for mercy f or this cannot be done except by faith. 596 00:31:16,459 –> 00:31:21,459 See what he’s saying is so very well beating up 597 00:31:23,099 –> 00:31:26,199 on yourself at a distance from God. 598 00:31:26,199 –> 00:31:27,780 You never change that way. 599 00:31:28,800 –> 00:31:31,219 You can be absolutely sure that whoever comes 600 00:31:31,219 –> 00:31:33,599 to the Lord will indeed receive mercy and grace 601 00:31:33,599 –> 00:31:36,040 for to him who knocks it will be opened. 602 00:31:36,040 –> 00:31:38,959 The problem with the ungodly, the problem with Esau, 603 00:31:38,959 –> 00:31:41,140 the problem with the person who stands at a distance 604 00:31:41,140 –> 00:31:44,079 from God and just says I can’t change 605 00:31:44,099 –> 00:31:46,280 is that they never come. 606 00:31:48,339 –> 00:31:51,239 And though they howl and complain and moan about their lot 607 00:31:51,239 –> 00:31:53,959 and are full of self-pity, yet they do not come 608 00:31:53,959 –> 00:31:55,760 to God’s door for mercy. 609 00:31:55,760 –> 00:31:59,520 Why, because that can only be done by faith. 610 00:32:00,719 –> 00:32:05,500 In other words, only by faith can you repent. 611 00:32:05,500 –> 00:32:06,400 Think about that. 612 00:32:07,599 –> 00:32:11,680 Only by faith can you repent. 613 00:32:11,680 –> 00:32:13,880 Repentance begins. 614 00:32:14,400 –> 00:32:16,640 When we have the faith to believe 615 00:32:16,640 –> 00:32:19,839 that God’s mercy will forgive us 616 00:32:19,839 –> 00:32:22,719 and that God’s power can change us. 617 00:32:23,660 –> 00:32:26,000 And you see, the very essence of the problem, 618 00:32:26,000 –> 00:32:27,560 where you sit there and say, 619 00:32:27,560 –> 00:32:30,119 I can’t change in this area, 620 00:32:30,119 –> 00:32:33,780 is that at that point you are not believing the Gospel. 621 00:32:35,780 –> 00:32:38,099 Therefore, you’re standing at a distance. 622 00:32:39,400 –> 00:32:43,319 You’re not knocking at the door of God’s mercy. 623 00:32:43,339 –> 00:32:46,359 You’re not believing that there is a Christ 624 00:32:46,359 –> 00:32:49,040 and a Spirit who is able to bring change in your life. 625 00:32:49,040 –> 00:32:52,199 Esau missed the grace of God, he rejected him. 626 00:32:52,199 –> 00:32:54,859 Felt sorry for himself, felt angry with his brother, 627 00:32:54,859 –> 00:32:56,719 remained at a distance from God 628 00:32:56,719 –> 00:32:58,359 and that was the story of his life 629 00:32:58,359 –> 00:33:00,800 and in that position no one can repent. 630 00:33:02,500 –> 00:33:04,060 Now says the book of Hebrews, 631 00:33:04,060 –> 00:33:07,219 you make sure that you’re not like that. 632 00:33:08,479 –> 00:33:10,599 Don’t be like Esau. 633 00:33:11,500 –> 00:33:15,680 Because the grace that Esau rejected 634 00:33:15,680 –> 00:33:19,400 is offered to you in Jesus Christ. 635 00:33:19,400 –> 00:33:21,000 Listen to this marvelous statement 636 00:33:21,000 –> 00:33:23,300 that again might help us as we think about repentance 637 00:33:23,300 –> 00:33:27,219 over the coming weeks from Acts chapter 5 and verse 31 638 00:33:27,219 –> 00:33:29,380 where we’re told in the apostolic preaching 639 00:33:29,380 –> 00:33:34,380 that God has exalted Jesus Christ 640 00:33:34,560 –> 00:33:38,640 to his own right hand as prince and as savior. 641 00:33:38,640 –> 00:33:39,479 Why? 642 00:33:39,540 –> 00:33:44,540 He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 643 00:33:48,119 –> 00:33:50,680 He’ll give repentance. 644 00:33:51,760 –> 00:33:52,719 You say well wait a minute, 645 00:33:52,719 –> 00:33:54,719 isn’t repentance our responsibility? 646 00:33:54,719 –> 00:33:55,760 Yes it is. 647 00:33:55,760 –> 00:33:58,959 But it is God’s grace we’re learning that makes it possible. 648 00:33:58,959 –> 00:34:01,119 That is why David says in the Psalms, 649 00:34:01,119 –> 00:34:04,260 Lord search me and know my heart, 650 00:34:04,260 –> 00:34:06,959 see if there is any offensive way within me 651 00:34:07,040 –> 00:34:09,580 and lead me in the way everlasting. 652 00:34:09,580 –> 00:34:10,919 Why does he pray like that? 653 00:34:10,919 –> 00:34:13,800 Because he knows he needs God in order to repent. 654 00:34:13,800 –> 00:34:17,800 Lord show me my sins otherwise I won’t even see them. 655 00:34:17,800 –> 00:34:20,360 Lord lead me on the everlasting path 656 00:34:20,360 –> 00:34:22,340 otherwise I will not even find it. 657 00:34:22,340 –> 00:34:26,439 It is God’s grace that makes repentance possible. 658 00:34:28,560 –> 00:34:31,320 You know there is a deep seated rebellion towards God 659 00:34:31,320 –> 00:34:32,760 that lurks in the human heart 660 00:34:32,760 –> 00:34:35,320 that only god’s grace can heal. 661 00:34:36,080 –> 00:34:39,379 The inclination to repent 662 00:34:40,239 –> 00:34:42,399 comes when the Holy Spirit shows you 663 00:34:42,399 –> 00:34:43,959 the extent of your sin. 664 00:34:45,199 –> 00:34:48,439 And the courage to repent 665 00:34:48,439 –> 00:34:50,199 comes when Holy Spirit shows you 666 00:34:50,199 –> 00:34:52,120 the extent of Christ’s love. 667 00:34:53,399 –> 00:34:55,540 And it is in embracing grace, 668 00:34:55,540 –> 00:34:57,800 it is in knocking on the door of God’s mercy. 669 00:34:57,800 –> 00:35:00,899 It is in believing the Gospel. 670 00:35:01,899 –> 00:35:06,739 In relation to the particular struggles of my own life. 671 00:35:07,500 –> 00:35:10,020 That I find the path of repentance 672 00:35:11,840 –> 00:35:15,020 on which real and lasting change 673 00:35:16,179 –> 00:35:17,820 is wonderfully possible. 674 00:35:22,719 –> 00:35:24,600 It’s where repentance begins. 675 00:35:27,459 –> 00:35:29,419 Not with seeking repentance, 676 00:35:31,100 –> 00:35:32,659 but with seeking God. 677 00:35:34,659 –> 00:35:36,120 Let’s pray together, shall we? 678 00:35:39,100 –> 00:35:42,979 Father, clear away the clutter, the baggage, 679 00:35:42,979 –> 00:35:46,340 the misunderstanding, the darkness, 680 00:35:47,500 –> 00:35:48,879 from our minds. 681 00:35:52,120 –> 00:35:55,899 Some of us have beaten up much on ourselves 682 00:35:55,899 –> 00:35:57,719 but changed very little. 683 00:35:58,520 –> 00:36:02,399 Some of us have made a profession of repentance 684 00:36:04,260 –> 00:36:07,560 but changed very little. 685 00:36:10,139 –> 00:36:13,219 Some of us are aware of how little we have changed 686 00:36:13,219 –> 00:36:15,399 and are deeply convinced that we can’t. 687 00:36:19,719 –> 00:36:22,419 Today we want, in the deepest possible way, 688 00:36:22,679 –> 00:36:25,379 Today we want, in the deepest possible way, 689 00:36:25,379 –> 00:36:29,500 to change our minds in the light of your word. 690 00:36:33,520 –> 00:36:35,239 We thank you that you have opened 691 00:36:35,239 –> 00:36:39,459 the joyful possibility of real 692 00:36:39,459 –> 00:36:43,280 and lasting change for all your children. 693 00:36:45,320 –> 00:36:47,840 We thank you that the mercy of God 694 00:36:48,399 –> 00:36:53,179 is always there to those who seek and ask and knock. 695 00:36:57,199 –> 00:37:00,179 We thank you that the path on which you lead us 696 00:37:00,179 –> 00:37:03,260 is a continuing path of growth 697 00:37:03,260 –> 00:37:06,600 throughout our entire Christian lives. 698 00:37:08,600 –> 00:37:10,800 And we pray that in this year, 699 00:37:10,800 –> 00:37:14,959 you will lead us on this path. 700 00:37:18,000 –> 00:37:20,739 That the path of continuing and increasing 701 00:37:20,739 –> 00:37:23,939 and joyful and Christ honoring change 702 00:37:23,939 –> 00:37:26,459 may not be hidden from us, 703 00:37:27,800 –> 00:37:32,159 but by your mercy, be pursued by us. 704 00:37:34,280 –> 00:37:38,379 May it be true for your glory and for your honor 705 00:37:39,600 –> 00:37:41,439 for these things we ask. 706 00:37:42,659 –> 00:37:44,639 In Jesus’ name. 707 00:37:44,639 –> 00:37:47,300 And God’s people together said amen.