[ ]9/2/07 #729
REPENT OR PERISH
Luke 13:1-5
INTRODUCTION:Today’s preaching includes much about believing in God and the love of God. Repentance is the missing element. According to Scripture, if there is no repentance, then there is no salvation. The law of God condemns the sinner. The Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his sin. The Holy Spirit will lead the sinner to Calvary to see the consequences of his sin. If he does not repent and believe in Christ, he will die in his sin and be cast into hell. Throughout the New Testament, you will find the call to repent. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Belief in God without repentance is a sham, a fraud. The person claiming to be a Christian who has never repented is either deceived or an imposter. Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Jesus was teaching that a person might die through acts of violence or accident. The lesson is that everyone must be ready for death.
I. MEANING OF REPENT
A. SCRIPTURAL DEFINITION. Greek word means “change of mind.”
1. Change of mind about sin. “I have sinned against the LORD.” 2 Sam. 12:13
2. Change of mind about self. “Wherefore I abhormyself, and repent in dust and ashes.”(Job. 42:6)
3. Change of mind about the Savior. (John 8:24)
“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I amhe, ye shall die in your sins.”(John 8:24)
VanceHavner:“Repentance is almost a lost note in our preaching and experience and the lack of it is filling churches with baptized sinners who have never felt the guilt of sin or the need of a Savior.”
B. SCRIPTURAL DESCRIPTION .
1. Woman at the well. (John 4:1-42)
2. Two sons told to work. (Matt. 21:28-32)
“But what think ye? Acertain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, Igo, sir: and went not.Whether of them twain did the will ofhis father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them,Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seenit, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”(Matt. 21:28-32)
3. Church of Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 1:9) “how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.”
II. MANDATE TO REPENT
A. MANDATE FOR SINNERS.
1. Source of sin is the heart. (Mark 7:21-23; Jer. 17:9-10)
2. Seriousness of sin is death. “The soul that sineth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:20; Rom. 6:23)
3. Solution for sin is the blood of Jesus. (Rom. 5:9)
“Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him,” (Rom. 5:9)
B. MANDATE FOR SAINTS.“Saints are sinners in need of repentance too.”
1. Individuals. (1 John 1:9)
2. Churches. (Rev. 2:5; 2:16; 3:19)
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.” (Rev. 3:19)
III. MERCY TO REPENT
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
A. CALL TO REPENTANCE. (2 Pet. 3:9)
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”(Acts 17:30)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”(2 Pet. 3:9)
B. CONSEQUENCE IN NOT REPENTING. “ye shall all likewise perish”
LESSONS FOR LIFE:
1. The sinner does not need his old life repaired, but he needs a new life. He must be born again. (John 3:3, 5) Do you desire a new life?
2. The sinner must be willing to turn from the old life of sin and trust Christ as his Savior. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Have you repented?
3. Genuine repentance is evident by a change of attitude and behavior.
4. God’s delay in judgment demonstrates His mercy, but His mercy does not last forever. Remember the flood in Noah’s day.
“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a
greater than Jonasis here.”(Matt. 12:41)
5. The work of grace in a sinner’s life will cause him to desire to be freed from the weight and consequence of sin.Do you want to be saved today?
“The rich man in hell asked for Lazarus to be sent to his five brothers in hopes that they would repent. He thought his brothers would believe someone who had come back from the dead.”Luke 16:19-31
[ ]9/2/07 #729
REPENT OR PERISH
Luke 13:1-5
INTRODUCTION:Today’s preaching includes much about believing in God and the love of God. Repentance is the missing element. According to Scripture, if there is no repentance, then there is no salvation. The law of God condemns the sinner. The Holy Spirit convicts the sinner of his sin. The Holy Spirit will lead the sinner to Calvary to see the consequences of his sin. If he does not repent and believe in Christ, he will die in his sin and be cast into hell. Throughout the New Testament, you will find the call to repent. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) Belief in God without repentance is a sham, a fraud. The person claiming to be a Christian who has never repented is either deceived or an imposter. Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Jesus was teaching that a person might die through acts of violence or accident. The lesson is that everyone must be ready for death.
I. MEANING OF REPENT
A. SCRIPTURAL DEFINITION. Greek word means “change of mind.”
1. Change of mind about sin. 2 Sam. 12:13
2. Change of mind about self. (Job. 42:6)
3. Change of mind about the Savior. (John 8:24)
B. SCRIPTURAL DESCRIPTION .
1. Woman at the well. (John 4:1-42)
2. Two sons told to work. (Matt. 21:28-32)
3. Church of Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 1:9)
II. MANDATE TO REPENT
A. MANDATE FOR SINNERS.
1. Source of sin is the heart. (Mark 7:21-23; Jer. 17:9-10)
2. Seriousness of sin is death. (Ezekiel 18:20; Rom. 6:23)
3. Solution for sin is the blood of Jesus. (Rom. 5:9)
B. MANDATE FOR SAINTS.“Saints are sinners in need of repentance too.”
1. Individuals. (1 John 1:9)
2. Churches. (Rev. 2:5; 2:16; 3:19)
III. MERCY TO REPENT
A. CALL TO REPENTANCE. (Acts 17:30; 2 Pet. 3:9)
B. CONSEQUENCE IN NOT REPENTING. “ye shall all likewise perish”
LESSONS FOR LIFE:
1. The sinner does not need his old life repaired, but he needs a new life. He must be born again. (John 3:3, 5) Do you desire for a new life?
2. The sinner must be willing to turn from the old life of sin and trust Christ as his Savior. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Have you repented?
3. Genuine repentance is evident by a change of attitude and behavior.
4. God’s delay in judgment demonstrates His mercy, but His mercy does not last forever. Remember the flood in Noah’s day.
5. The work of grace in a sinner’s life will cause him to desire to be freed from the weight and consequence of sin. Do you want to be saved today?