Revival Through Repentance: Turning Back to God
Real repentance is essential for revival, as highlighted in today’s sermon by Pastor Josh Massaro at Middletown Baptist Church. The discussion revolves around the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, emphasizing that true repentance involves a heartfelt turning away from sin and a genuine desire to follow Christ. Pastor Josh explains that while sorrow may provoke an emotional response, it is the actions that stem from that sorrow—such as a renewed passion for God and a commitment to change—that truly signify repentance. He encourages listeners to confront their spiritual apathy and seek a deeper relationship with God, reminding them that repentance is not merely about feeling sorry for one's actions, but about actively pursuing a life aligned with God’s will. Join us as we delve into the transformative power of repentance and its role in revitalizing our faith and community.
The message presented by Pastor Josh Massaro during the Sunday service at Middletown Baptist Church is a profound exploration of the theme 'Real Repentance for Revival.' Using 2 Corinthians chapter 7 as a foundation, the sermon articulates that repentance is not simply about ceasing to do wrong; rather, it signifies a radical transformation—a complete turning away from sin and a deliberate turning towards Christ. This concept is emphasized through a military analogy, where repentance is likened to executing an 'about face,' thus illustrating the necessity of a decisive shift in one’s life and priorities. The pastor passionately conveys that genuine revival in the life of a believer is contingent upon this authentic repentance.
A significant portion of the sermon is dedicated to differentiating between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Pastor Josh highlights that while feeling remorse over one’s actions is common, it does not equate to true repentance unless it leads to tangible change. He elaborates on the fruits of godly sorrow—attributes such as carefulness, indignation toward sin, and a fervent desire for righteousness—that serve as indicators of true repentance. These traits reflect a deeper relationship with God, one that is characterized by an earnest pursuit of His will and a rejection of worldly temptations. The pastor urges the congregation to critically evaluate their own responses to sin and their relationship with God, fostering an environment where individuals feel encouraged to seek spiritual renewal.
Towards the conclusion of the sermon, Pastor Josh extends an invitation for reflection and response, encouraging attendees to consider their need for repentance in their own lives. He emphasizes that revival is not merely a historical event but a continuous necessity for every believer, underscoring that a relationship with God calls for ongoing repentance and renewal. The message ultimately encourages listeners to embrace the truth of God's word and to actively seek a life transformed by His grace, as real repentance is what leads to lasting revival. This powerful call to action resonates deeply, inviting the congregation to turn away from sin and to seek a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, thus embodying the core message of the Gospel.
Takeaways:
- Repentance is not merely stopping wrong actions, but turning towards God and His ways.
- True repentance leads to a genuine change of heart and renewed passion for God.
- Godly sorrow produces repentance while worldly sorrow leads to destruction and despair.
- A clear mark of revival is a fervent desire for God and His Word.
- Revival is characterized by a hatred for sin and a zeal for righteousness.
- We must actively seek to turn away from sin and towards Christ for true transformation.
Thank you for joining our podcast. Visit our website at https://middletownbaptistchurch.org/
Subscribe to our YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@middletownbaptistchurchde5091
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MBCDelaware
This podcast is produced by Ralph Estep, Jr., host of the Ask Ralph Podcast, a daily podcast on Christian Finance you can find it at https://www.askralphpodcast.com/
00:00 - None
00:23 - Introduction to Second Corinthians
05:07 - Understanding Repentance
17:50 - The Necessity of Truth and Repentance
26:27 - The Nature of True Repentance
36:58 - The Marks of True Repentance and Revival
43:00 - The Necessity of Repentance
Pastor Josh
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Pastor Josh
My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to this podcast.
Pastor Josh
I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen you in the word of God.
Pastor Josh
Now, come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today.
Speaker B
Well, if you have your Bibles here in our service today, we're going to go ahead and be in Second Corinthians chapter 7.
Speaker B
You can find that in your phones, in your.
Speaker B
On your.
Speaker B
On your Bible, in your Bibles, on your iPads, whatever you're going to be looking it up here with today.
Speaker B
Second Corinthians, chapter 7.
Speaker B
The title of this sermon this morning is Real Repentance for Revival.
Speaker B
Real Repentance for Revival.
Speaker B
And there's a lot wrapped up in that.
Speaker B
I do want you to understand here this morning that we're going to be using this term repentance quite a bit, and we do need to be able to define what repentance is before we start talking about it at great lengths here this morning.
Speaker B
A lot of times people think that repentance means that I stop doing any wrong.
Speaker B
Now, I think all of us in this room can realize in our lives that none of us can get to a point in our lives where we have stopped doing the wrong, okay?
Speaker B
Because we still deal with the flesh.
Speaker B
We still have issues in our life.
Speaker B
None of us are perfect.
Speaker B
And so repentance doesn't mean perfection.
Speaker B
All repentance really means is turning away from something and turning to something else.
Speaker B
I'm turning away from this, and I'm turning to that.
Speaker B
It's actually a military term for going in and about face.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
So I'm walking one way, I'm turning and going another way.
Speaker B
And so for us, in the context of our faith and for the context of Scripture, repentance is turning away from my ways, turning away from my works, turning away from the ways of the world, turning away from evil and turning to Christ.
Speaker B
We're going to talk about that dynamic here this morning in Second Corinthians, chapter seven.
Speaker B
And so real repentance, right?
Speaker B
Because what we can have in our lives is what we would call artificial repentance, superficial repentance.
Speaker B
You've heard me say this before, probably, if you've been to our church, that I can say whatever I want to say.
Speaker B
But that doesn't mean it's true about me.
Speaker B
Like, I'm the greatest father in the world.
Speaker B
I'm the greatest husband in the world.
Speaker B
That doesn't make me the greatest father or the greatest husband.
Speaker B
It just makes me someone who has said a lie publicly.
Speaker B
Right?
Speaker B
And so the truth is, is that we can say that we are repentant and there can be some sorrow in our failures, but what we can realize is that worldly sorrow does not necessarily equate repentance.
Speaker B
We're going to talk this morning about a phrase, Godly sorrow works.
Speaker B
Repentance.
Speaker B
And so for us this morning, we need to realize that just because we say that we are repentant, just because it's our intention to repent, that doesn't mean that real repentance has manifested in our life.
Speaker B
And then the last part of that title is real repentance for revival.
Speaker B
Now, what is revival?
Speaker B
Revival is a change of heart.
Speaker B
It's renewed passion for God.
Speaker B
It's a renewed desire to serve him, to love him, to.
Speaker B
To love the things that he loves, to get to a point in our lives where we want him more and more in our daily walk.
Speaker B
And so all of us, I hope, to some degree, want revival in our lives.
Speaker B
All of us, I think, to some degree, need revival in our lives today.
Speaker B
And so we see here in Scripture that repentance, real repentance, is needed for that revival, needed for that change.
Speaker B
And so last week we looked at the topic of the comfort of God.
Speaker B
The comfort of God in the midst of difficulties.
Speaker B
We're all going to face difficulties in our life.
Speaker B
The good news is that as a believer, God gives us comfort, and he gives us comfort in many different ways.
Speaker B
One of the ways that God gives us comfort is through the presence of the Spirit.
Speaker B
The comforter, right, that's one of his names, the comforter.
Speaker B
And so the comforter comes in and gives us opportunity to experience the peace of God and the peace with God.
Speaker B
But the Bible also tells us in Second Corinthians that God uses other people who have received the comfort of God to comfort us.
Speaker B
And so, yes, we look for others to comfort us in the midst of our trials.
Speaker B
But ultimately, that passage of Scripture was all about me receiving the comfort of God and looking to show that comfort to other people around me.
Speaker B
And so we see the comfort of God.
Speaker B
But with the comfort of God also comes the conviction of God.
Speaker B
The Holy Spirit is a comforter which we're thankful for.
Speaker B
We want that comfort.
Speaker B
We want that peace.
Speaker B
We want that feeling of restoration with God.
Speaker B
But to get that comfort, many times in our life, we have to embrace the conviction.
Speaker B
What is the conviction?
Speaker B
That's the pricking of our hearts.
Speaker B
That's the.
Speaker B
That's the understanding that I am wrong in the sight of God and that I need to change, that I need to repent.
Speaker B
And so many times we celebrate the comfort of God, but we don't celebrate the conviction of God.
Speaker B
And we're going to talk today about the conviction of God through the Holy Spirit.
Speaker B
And so this week, we're going to look at what the Bible says about true repentance that leads to revival.
Speaker B
Repentance is necessary in the life of the believer for salvation, for revival, for restoration, for all the things that we desire in our life in the eyes of God.
Speaker B
When it comes to walking in his will, we need repentance.
Speaker B
And we also know that the Bible tells us very clearly that it is God's desire for us to come to repentance.
Speaker B
So you're in Second Corinthians.
Speaker B
I'm gonna read a passage in Second Peter, 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 9.
Speaker B
Some of you might be familiar with this passage.
Speaker B
It says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise.
Speaker B
Basically, God keeps his promises as some men count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, meaning he's patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Speaker B
It is the heart of God that all of us come to repentance in our life.
Speaker B
Repentance for salvation, repentance for revival, repentance for restoration, repentance to walk in the will of God, in our lives in obedience to Him.
Speaker B
And so, lest you think this morning that repentance is not for you, we just saw in Second Peter, chapter three, verse nine, that God wants all to come to repentance.
Speaker B
This is a message for all of us this morning.
Speaker B
Whether you're walking as a Christian for 50 years or whether you've walked into this building not knowing anything about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repentance is necessary for us to have a relationship with God.
Speaker B
And so therefore, we're going to see this morning that sometimes the word repentance can be misunderstood or misapplied.
Speaker B
Today we're going to look at what Paul has to say about the Corinthian Church and their repentance.
Speaker B
We're going to also see what we can learn from this.
Speaker B
Hopefully we will be able to see the example of this biblical repentance and follow with biblical repentance in our life as well.
Speaker B
Let's look at this passage in Second Corinthians, chapter seven.
Speaker B
We're going to start in verse number eight.
Speaker B
And we're going to go down to verse number 12 again.
Speaker B
This is Paul speaking to the Corinthian Church, and he's talking about a confrontation that happened prior to this.
Speaker B
He wrote them a letter.
Speaker B
He wrote them a letter that confronted them on their sin.
Speaker B
And so he's talking about that verse 8 for though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent.
Speaker B
Meaning he's like, I don't regret this, though I did repent.
Speaker B
Meaning he regretted it before, but now he sees the outcome of it and he's thankful that he did it.
Speaker B
He says, for I perceive that the same epistle or letter with hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season now I rejoice that now not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrow to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
Speaker B
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Speaker B
For behold this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort.
Speaker B
What carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge in all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Speaker B
Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you and you might say, what?
Speaker B
What is he talking about here?
Speaker B
We're going to dig deeper into that.
Speaker B
He's essentially stating why he wrote this letter of confrontation.
Speaker B
He's saying, really, what was the result of this and how we can learn from this when it comes to following Christ and following him in repentance.
Speaker B
And so let's go ahead and pray and we're going to jump right into our main thoughts here this morning.
Speaker B
Lord, I thank you for this time.
Speaker B
I thank you for this opportunity to study your word.
Speaker B
Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to receive the comfort of the Spirit in our lives.
Speaker B
Lord, I also thank you for the conviction of the Spirit in our lives.
Speaker B
Lord, we thank you for the fact that we can change our path, that you have given us hope, that you have given us power to not only see the truth, but also follow you in that truth through your power.
Speaker B
Lord, I pray that everyone here today that is a believer that has come to this place of repentance in their life and trusted in you, Lord, that this can be a day of renewal and revival and change.
Speaker B
But also, Lord, I do pray for the folks that might not know you as Savior that today can be the day of repentance to come to life, to come to that marvelous life that was already demonstrated through our special song here this morning.
Speaker B
Lord, you've taken us and you moved us from darkness into marvelous light.
Speaker B
So, Lord, I pray that you remove distractions from our minds.
Speaker B
Lord, help us to focus on your word here this morning.
Speaker B
Help us to see the biblical topic of repentance not just as a topic, though, but as an application in our lives.
Speaker B
Lord, I pray that you bless us in this time, teach us how we can love you more.
Speaker B
We ask all these things in Jesus name.
Speaker B
Amen.
Speaker B
All right, let's look at point number one here.
Speaker B
If you're taking notes, you can put this down as your first point.
Speaker B
Truth brings the turn.
Speaker B
The turn.
Speaker B
Right.
Speaker B
Repentance is turning right.
Speaker B
We're going one way in a lifestyle or a decision.
Speaker B
We're going in a path that is not the right way.
Speaker B
And something has to turn us.
Speaker B
Something has to get our attention.
Speaker B
We're not just going to feel like, hey, you know what?
Speaker B
I better stop this now.
Speaker B
You might say, well, I've done that in my life.
Speaker B
I've been going the wrong path and something woke me up and turned me.
Speaker B
But what I'm going to tell you here this morning is it's the truth of God that turns us.
Speaker B
It's the truth of God that shows us that we're going in the wrong path.
Speaker B
It's the truth of God that starts that conviction in our heart.
Speaker B
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Speaker B
It is the truth of God that opens our eyes to this need for a change.
Speaker B
And so what we can see here, starting out in verse number eight, is that Paul spoke the truth to them boldly.
Speaker B
He's like, I wrote a letter to you.
Speaker B
He says, I made you sorry with a letter.
Speaker B
I don't repent.
Speaker B
I don't regret it, even though at the time I did regret telling you the truth because it hurt you.
Speaker B
He says, I don't regret it now because of what happened in your life, that change that happened in your life.
Speaker B
And so he made the church sorrowful because he revealed to them many spiritual issues in their life.
Speaker B
So what happened?
Speaker B
Paul's truth that he spoke to them exposed their sin.
Speaker B
He shined the light into their lives, and that light exposed their darkness.
Speaker B
It exposed where they were wrong.
Speaker B
It exposed to them how much they had fallen short of the glory of God.
Speaker B
That is what the truth does.
Speaker B
That that is the power of the Word of God, that it says in second Timothy, chapter three, that all scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof.
Speaker B
Reproof is telling us that we are wrong, folks.
Speaker B
It's okay to be told that we're wrong.
Speaker B
Sometimes that doesn't feel good.
Speaker B
All right?
Speaker B
I remember certain times in my life when people have come and told me that I'm doing something wrong.
Speaker B
It's embarrassing, it hurts our ego, sometimes it makes us even defensive.
Speaker B
But what I would tell you here is that there's nothing better for a Christian than to realize that, hey, look, the truth of God is telling me that I'm wrong.
Speaker B
And I can change that, because there's more in 2 Timothy, chapter 3.
Speaker B
It's for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, so that we can change, and for instruction in righteousness.
Speaker B
And so the truth is a good thing, but the truth will expose the sin in our life.
Speaker B
And so what Paul does is he says, I wrote you a letter, and I'm not regretting it.
Speaker B
He says, but that made you sorry.
Speaker B
Verse 8, though it were for a season.
Speaker B
And so the truth exposed the sin.
Speaker B
The light revealed what was hidden in the darkness.
Speaker B
And so when Paul wrote this first sorrowful letter carried by a guy named Titus, which we talked about last week, he didn't enjoy the idea of being confrontational.
Speaker B
I mean, Paul is saying, I don't like, get joy in confronting you in your sin.
Speaker B
I can speak from experience on that.
Speaker B
Some people like confrontation, okay?
Speaker B
If you're that type of person, okay, you're different than me, okay?
Speaker B
I do not like confrontation.
Speaker B
I don't like going to someone and saying, hey, look, this is something that I'm noticing.
Speaker B
This is something that has maybe gone astray.
Speaker B
That.
Speaker B
That is not something that's enjoyable.
Speaker B
And Paul says, I don't enjoy that.
Speaker B
And so even though the Corinthian church deserve confrontation, Paul says, I don't enjoy that.
Speaker B
He said, I regretted it at a time, but now I don't regret it.
Speaker B
Because why?
Speaker B
Because of the response of that confrontation.
Speaker B
They change.
Speaker B
We're going to get to that here in a little bit.
Speaker B
But Paul says, it was worth it to confront you in the truth because there is revival in your heart because of the repentance.
Speaker B
So Paul was essentially not happy about confronting the people, but he was happy or joyful for the effect that it had on them.
Speaker B
And that's why he says, I regretted it.
Speaker B
In the moment because I didn't enjoy it, but.
Speaker B
But I don't regret it now because of the result.
Speaker B
You all understand that principle.
Speaker B
Sometimes we have to do difficult things to get to a place in our life where we need to be.
Speaker B
And that is repentance.
Speaker B
That is the word of God.
Speaker B
Thus saith the Lord.
Speaker B
Look at all the preaching throughout all the Bible.
Speaker B
Where does it start?
Speaker B
It says, repent and believe.
Speaker B
John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter.
Speaker B
If you study their sermons, it starts with repentance.
Speaker B
It starts with a change of mind.
Speaker B
Why?
Speaker B
Because we need to see the great need for Jesus's grace in our life.
Speaker B
If we think that we can handle it in and of our own selves, we don't think we need it.
Speaker B
We don't think we need Jesus.
Speaker B
We don't think we need his grace.
Speaker B
We say, hey, I'll add that to my life.
Speaker B
The Bible's a good thing to add to my life.
Speaker B
The good morals that come with it, right?
Speaker B
It's a good community within the church.
Speaker B
No, you must see.
Speaker B
I must see.
Speaker B
We all must see that the Gospel and the grace of Jesus Christ is a necessity for us because we are all on a path of destruction without the goodness and grace of God.
Speaker B
And so it is a need for us.
Speaker B
And so sometimes the truth hurts and sometimes speaking the truth hurts.
Speaker B
But what Paul does is he says, I do this in love for you.
Speaker B
I do this in love for the need of God in your life.
Speaker B
And so the truth doesn't automatically change us just because we preach the truth right here.
Speaker B
Because this is what Paul says here.
Speaker B
Go back to verse number eight with me if you're following along.
Speaker B
He says, for I perceive that the same epistle, the same letter hath made you, sorry though it were, but for a season.
Speaker B
Meaning for some of you, this sorrow just ended at sorrow.
Speaker B
It didn't continue on to repentance.
Speaker B
And so just because we preach the truth doesn't mean that everyone's just going to repent and believe and have revival.
Speaker B
If that was the case every church in America that preaches truth, there would be no problems anymore, right?
Speaker B
So, so.
Speaker B
So the truth in and of itself does not change us, but it begins to start the shift in our life.
Speaker B
It begins the turn in our life.
Speaker B
Without the truth, we cannot have repentance.
Speaker B
Without the truth, we cannot have revival.
Speaker B
Without the truth, we cannot have salvation.
Speaker B
If I got up here and just told you my feelings and my emotions and the whims of this society, right?
Speaker B
And that changes daily.
Speaker B
Like if I was up here preaching 30 years ago, culture would tell us different things, and every decade, there's different cultural changes.
Speaker B
And if I got up and just preached cultural things to you, that would not be the everlasting truth of God.
Speaker B
The Bible says that the word of God is everlasting.
Speaker B
Nothing can destroy that.
Speaker B
Our culture can be destroyed.
Speaker B
My opinions can be destroyed.
Speaker B
I've changed my opinions on a lot of things over the years, right?
Speaker B
So, for example, oh, man, I'm gonna really offend some people with this.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker B
I'm gonna do it.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker B
When I lived in Florida and I was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, some of you don't even know where I'm going with this.
Speaker B
I used to think that every single person that liked the Philadelphia Eagles was like, what they portrayed on television.
Speaker B
All these bad people, all these terrible fans.
Speaker B
And I got up here and I met some Eagles fans, and you know what I did?
Speaker B
I struggled.
Speaker B
I was like, oh, no, I don't know what I'm going to do.
Speaker B
My perception of the Eagles fans changed after meeting them, right?
Speaker B
Because I realized that they're good people.
Speaker B
They love Jesus, too.
Speaker B
And that's a silly example, right?
Speaker B
But my perception of certain types of people have changed in my experience.
Speaker B
So you would say, well, what's wrong with that?
Speaker B
There was nothing wrong with that.
Speaker B
But if we see objective truth like that, like, well, now that I've experienced this, then maybe this, what the Bible says can change.
Speaker B
Or maybe this can be adjusted.
Speaker B
Because my experience, folks, the Bible, the truth of scripture, cannot change.
Speaker B
It does not bend, it does not break.
Speaker B
And so what we need in our lives is to understand that that's the starting place for revival.
Speaker B
You can't have revival without the truth of God's word.
Speaker B
I can't get up here and preach a message that's going to change people's hearts unless the word of God is proclaimed.
Speaker B
That's why we see so many people coming to church.
Speaker B
That's why we see so many people in buildings today that call themselves Christians.
Speaker B
But there's no change because the truth of God is not presented.
Speaker B
That's the starting place.
Speaker B
The starting place is the truth of God.
Speaker B
And so the truth of God brings the turn.
Speaker B
But then we see number two, that sorrow sustains the shift, right?
Speaker B
So just as much as we need that turn, we need to shift our thinking.
Speaker B
And so sorrow is needed to sustain that shift.
Speaker B
So go with me there in verse number nine, he says, now, I rejoice not that you were made.
Speaker B
Sorry.
Speaker B
He says, I wasn't excited about your sorrow.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
I Didn't go, yes, they're sorrowful.
Speaker B
He says, I don't rejoice that you're sorrowful, but that ye sorrowed to repentance.
Speaker B
So he says that sorrow was a necessary thing to happen to get you to repentance.
Speaker B
Therefore, I'm okay with it.
Speaker B
So he didn't want to just preach to bring them sorrow and sadness.
Speaker B
You know, sometimes we'll see that.
Speaker B
Sometimes we'll see preachers, including myself.
Speaker B
Sometimes we just want to hit it on the head and make sure everyone feels like they're broken down.
Speaker B
But God doesn't break our spirits, right?
Speaker B
The way that God does is he wants to convict us.
Speaker B
He wants to change us, but he doesn't want to break our spirits.
Speaker B
And so what Paul here is saying, he's like, I just don't want to bring sorrow to you.
Speaker B
I want to bring repentance.
Speaker B
But sometimes that sorrow is needed.
Speaker B
He says, but that he sorrowed to repentance.
Speaker B
And so Paul makes a clear separation between sorrow and repentance.
Speaker B
I want you to see that they're two different things.
Speaker B
Sorrow is needed, but it is not repentance.
Speaker B
One can be sorry for their sin without repentance.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
Someone can be sorry for what they did.
Speaker B
Like, man, I shouldn't have done that.
Speaker B
Maybe it was before they even got caught.
Speaker B
Maybe it was when they got caught.
Speaker B
But it was like, oh, you know what?
Speaker B
I feel so bad about that.
Speaker B
I feel terrible about that.
Speaker B
That in and of itself is not repentance.
Speaker B
That's godly sorrow.
Speaker B
Or maybe it's worldly sorrow.
Speaker B
Who knows?
Speaker B
We can't judge that.
Speaker B
We can't say, like, okay, this person's sorry because they're caught, or they're sorry because God has got a hold of their heart.
Speaker B
But really what we can see here in this case is that sorrow describes a feeling, but repentance describes a change both in mind and in the life.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
Both in mind and in action.
Speaker B
So sorrow is the feeling or the motion that comes with brokenness.
Speaker B
But.
Speaker B
But it is the repentance that's actually the action of changing from that path.
Speaker B
Sorrow should be brought about through exposing truth.
Speaker B
Sorrow, though, can fade.
Speaker B
Why?
Speaker B
Because it's a feeling.
Speaker B
So godly sorrow, if not addressed quickly, does not turn into repentance.
Speaker B
It can just be like, man, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to go right back to that.
Speaker B
How many times have we seen that?
Speaker B
How many times have we seen people that are like, man, I really feel bad.
Speaker B
I really don't want to go back into that.
Speaker B
I really don't.
Speaker B
And it's a struggle that we all have.
Speaker B
But that's not repentance.
Speaker B
Repentance is.
Speaker B
I'm turning from this.
Speaker B
I'm giving my wholesale focus to God and not to this issue that is plaguing my life.
Speaker B
So Paul made the Corinthian Christians feel bad about their sin.
Speaker B
But what we can see here is he did it in a godly way.
Speaker B
This is really interesting.
Speaker B
Verse 9.
Speaker B
He says, Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that ye sorrow to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner.
Speaker B
So what we can tell with this is that we can make people sorrowful for the wrong way or the right way.
Speaker B
We can make people sorrowful in the eyes of the world, or we can make people sorrowful in a godly manner.
Speaker B
Paul says, I did it in a godly manner.
Speaker B
I pointed you to truth.
Speaker B
I pointed you to the word.
Speaker B
I pointed you to the way that God wants you to live in your life, not just making you feel bad for your failures.
Speaker B
And so there's a way that we can make people sorrowful in the flesh.
Speaker B
We can just make them feel bad about their failures.
Speaker B
Look at you.
Speaker B
Look again.
Speaker B
Look at all those mistakes that you make.
Speaker B
Look, you fall short so many times.
Speaker B
And there's a way to bring people to.
Speaker B
That we're going to talk about here, worldly sorrow.
Speaker B
Or there's a way that we can bring people to, as it says here in verse number nine, this godly manner of sorrow.
Speaker B
And so what Paul says is this.
Speaker B
I did this in a godly way.
Speaker B
He used the truth, not lies or exaggeration.
Speaker B
There's a way that we can make people feel sorry and broken by lying to them or exaggerating what's happened.
Speaker B
Paul says, I didn't do it in a worldly way.
Speaker B
I didn't exaggerate.
Speaker B
I didn't overcompensate your wrong.
Speaker B
All I did was point you to the truth of God.
Speaker B
This is how we bring people to sorrow and repentance.
Speaker B
I can sit up here and manipulate you with hidden agendas and get you all to a place where you might feel like, hey, I am a failure.
Speaker B
Maybe I am not so good of a person.
Speaker B
And Paul says, no, I didn't exaggerate.
Speaker B
I didn't lie.
Speaker B
I was honest.
Speaker B
I had no hidden agendas.
Speaker B
I had no manipulation.
Speaker B
He simply told the truth in love.
Speaker B
Not every person who does this can say they did the same thing as Paul.
Speaker B
Over the years, some people have tried to make people sorrowful in very selfish ways.
Speaker B
To use them, to manipulate them.
Speaker B
And, folks, it's my job here as a preacher not to make you feel bad by manipulating you and lying to you.
Speaker B
It's my job to give you the truth of God's word and let the work of God do that in your heart, the Holy Spirit, to change you.
Speaker B
I cannot change you.
Speaker B
I'm not the Holy Spirit.
Speaker B
No preacher is the Holy Spirit.
Speaker B
No preacher can come into your life and force you to change.
Speaker B
It is a relationship between you and God and that Holy Spirit conviction through the Word of God that changes a person.
Speaker B
That is the only true change that can happen.
Speaker B
That's the only substantial, sustaining change that can happen in someone's life.
Speaker B
I'm gonna tell you, I could sit here and I said this before.
Speaker B
I could sit here and give you a list of all the things that I think you should do to be a good Christian.
Speaker B
And you could try to follow them to the best of your ability.
Speaker B
But that is not true change.
Speaker B
That is me trying to manipulate you and force you into following some path of legalism.
Speaker B
I can tell you what the Bible says about being a good Christian, but the truth is, is that it cannot happen in your life unless it's a true change in your heart through the conviction of the Spirit.
Speaker B
And so Paul says here, it is a work of God that has happened here, not a work of me, not a work of my own doing.
Speaker B
And so no guilt trips, no manipulation.
Speaker B
Only the Spirit's conviction through the truth of God's Word brings us to repentance and to revival.
Speaker B
And so here in this case, Paul says, it is done in a godly manner that you might receive damage by us in nothing.
Speaker B
Meaning, I don't want to harm you in this process of bringing you to repentance.
Speaker B
There's a way that I could, again, I'm gonna speak for myself here, that I could bring someone here and break their spirit so much and harm them with the way that I deal with them.
Speaker B
That we get to a place in the life where there is no hope for restoration for them.
Speaker B
There is no hope for revival for them, because I've just beat them down so much.
Speaker B
And Paul says, we didn't want to damage you through this process.
Speaker B
And this is difficult.
Speaker B
And I can't say that I've been perfect in this in any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker B
But what Paul's desire here is this.
Speaker B
He says, I bring the truth to you.
Speaker B
I bring the word of God to you so that there can be conviction happening Change happening and so that I don't damage you in any way.
Speaker B
So Paul says, we have to have a godly focus in the midst of preaching the truth and seeing revival happening in people's lives.
Speaker B
So sorrow sustains the shift.
Speaker B
It doesn't make it happen.
Speaker B
So truth begins the turn.
Speaker B
Sorrow sustains that shift into repentance.
Speaker B
But again, sorrow in and of itself is not enough.
Speaker B
Some of us have sat here.
Speaker B
I've sat here and heard preaching and agreed with the preaching, understood where I was wrong, even maybe came forward and prayed and made decisions to say, you know what?
Speaker B
I don't want to do that again.
Speaker B
But how many of us have fallen right back into that trap because we have not continue on to that place of repentance to turn away from, to cut it out of our lives?
Speaker B
What if you came to.
Speaker B
What if you came to a doctor and they said, hey, you've got this cancer on your body, in your body, and it's going to take over your life, okay?
Speaker B
It's going to eventually kill you.
Speaker B
There's a way that we could cut it out right now, and you're going to lose a good portion of a part of your body, but we can take it out right now.
Speaker B
And some of us might say, well, I don't want to lose that.
Speaker B
I don't want to lose that part of me.
Speaker B
You understand?
Speaker B
That's the same thing sometimes in our life when we've got that sin that's attached to us like a cancer.
Speaker B
And God says, take that out of your life and you can get that out and you can be healed and you can be walking in the truth.
Speaker B
And we go, yeah, but I like that.
Speaker B
No, you don't like that.
Speaker B
You like the idea of not losing something.
Speaker B
You like that.
Speaker B
You like the benefits that you think it's coming to you.
Speaker B
I know in my life, there's been sins in my life that I've justified that I felt good about.
Speaker B
Because you know what?
Speaker B
It makes me feel comfortable.
Speaker B
It makes me feel like I'm winning.
Speaker B
It makes me feel like I'm on top.
Speaker B
And I'm going to tell you, every time, sin is like a disease.
Speaker B
It will take away, it'll grow.
Speaker B
And the Bible says, cut that out.
Speaker B
That's repentance.
Speaker B
Getting rid of that.
Speaker B
And so sorrow sustains the shift.
Speaker B
But I want you to see lastly here, point number three.
Speaker B
It's real repentance that brings revival.
Speaker B
Real repentance that brings revival.
Speaker B
Look at it there in verse number 10, he says, for godly sorrow worketh, repentance.
Speaker B
Repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Speaker B
And so he says there's godly sorrow that brings repentance, and then there's worldly sorrow.
Speaker B
And what does he say that worldly sorrow brings?
Speaker B
It worketh for death, it worketh for destruction.
Speaker B
Because what that means is that if I'm in my worldly sorrow, I'm gonna go right back to it.
Speaker B
Eventually, when that feeling wears away and I don't feel so bad anymore, and I become more desensitized to sin over time, and I see other people doing that same sin, that sorrow will fade away.
Speaker B
And that's not true biblical conviction.
Speaker B
And therefore I will go back, and that brings forth death.
Speaker B
So he says it is godly sorrow that works repentance, not worldly sorrow.
Speaker B
And so sorrow itself does not produce anything except for bad feelings.
Speaker B
But godly sorrow produces repentance.
Speaker B
And so since repentance is a change in both thinking and action, we can tell if sorrow is really godly by seeing what it produces in our life.
Speaker B
And so what kind of sorrow is this?
Speaker B
Well, what is being produced in my life?
Speaker B
If it's a change, if it's a shift into thinking about the things of God, if it's a shift into thinking about how I can desire after him.
Speaker B
Therefore, that is biblical sorrow that led to repentance.
Speaker B
And so godly sorrow cannot be measured by feelings.
Speaker B
And hear me out here.
Speaker B
Godly sorrow cannot be measured by feelings, tears, emotions, but only what it is produced after what is produced after.
Speaker B
What is the effect of this godly sorrow?
Speaker B
Is there change?
Speaker B
If there's not any change in our life?
Speaker B
We haven't made a decision to change.
Speaker B
And obviously we know that there is the power of God that comes into this, which we're gonna talk about here in a few moments.
Speaker B
You can't change of your own self.
Speaker B
You have to rely on the power of God.
Speaker B
You have to rely on the power and the grace of God.
Speaker B
And there's forgiveness when we fail.
Speaker B
First John, chapter one, verse nine.
Speaker B
If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Speaker B
So the Bible says, hey, you know what?
Speaker B
There's going to be times even in your repentance that you're going to sin.
Speaker B
That doesn't mean that you failed.
Speaker B
It doesn't mean that you quit.
Speaker B
It just means that you get right back up and you say, lord, I need forgiveness.
Speaker B
Give me forgiveness, give me grace.
Speaker B
And that's not forgiveness of getting sins.
Speaker B
You know, I'm going to get saved over and over and over again.
Speaker B
What that's talking about is restorative forgiveness.
Speaker B
So, for example, I've used this analogy before with my children, right?
Speaker B
Micah can be mad at me.
Speaker B
I could discipline him.
Speaker B
Mike is my nine year old son.
Speaker B
I could get him in trouble.
Speaker B
He could get mad at me.
Speaker B
He could stop talking to me.
Speaker B
He could run up to his room and says, I'm never talking to my dad again.
Speaker B
Okay, is he still my son?
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker B
I don't go, well, he's not talking to me today, so he's no longer my son.
Speaker B
That's not how it works.
Speaker B
I can't deny him.
Speaker B
He's my son.
Speaker B
So the truth is that's how it is in the relationship with God.
Speaker B
But could our fellowship be broken?
Speaker B
Yes.
Speaker B
And it doesn't mean that I want to stop talking to him.
Speaker B
He might say, I'm locking my door, dad, you're never coming in here.
Speaker B
It's he who is drawing that divide there.
Speaker B
And so for us as Christians, a lot of times when we fail in our sin, we get so ashamed of our sin that we reject God and we turn away from God.
Speaker B
It doesn't mean God has left us.
Speaker B
It doesn't mean that God has forgotten about us.
Speaker B
It means that we have turned our backs to him.
Speaker B
And when we come back and all it takes for Micah to come back and to be received again and say, dad, I'm sorry, I apologize.
Speaker B
Can we.
Speaker B
Of course, let's go out.
Speaker B
Let's go out and do something.
Speaker B
That's how it is with God.
Speaker B
He wants us to come back in forgiveness.
Speaker B
And so I don't want to perceive, I don't want to paint a picture of perception that, hey, look, you know what repentance means?
Speaker B
You never sin.
Speaker B
It means you're Mr.
Speaker B
Holy.
Speaker B
It means that you never have any problems.
Speaker B
No, the Bible says that even in repentance, it happens over and over again in our lives.
Speaker B
And so repentance must never be thought of as something we do before we can come back to God.
Speaker B
Repentance actually is coming back to God.
Speaker B
Repentance describes the very act of coming to God.
Speaker B
A lot of people think, well, now I have to be repentant to get back to God.
Speaker B
No, it's you seeking after God.
Speaker B
That is the repentance because you're turning away from the things of this world.
Speaker B
You're turning away from that sin that so easily besets us.
Speaker B
It's turning away from that bondage and saying, lord, I'm turning to you.
Speaker B
And so this isn't an act of will.
Speaker B
This isn't an act of like, well, just try harder as a Christian, you got a sin in your life.
Speaker B
Just work harder.
Speaker B
Stop watching that.
Speaker B
Stop doing this.
Speaker B
No, it's not that.
Speaker B
It's not just stopping the bad.
Speaker B
It's turning to the good.
Speaker B
It's saying, I want to desire God and not the things of this world.
Speaker B
And so I think a lot of times for me growing up, it was this, stop doing bad.
Speaker B
Just stop doing bad.
Speaker B
But the truth is that a lot of times in our life, if we don't replace that bad with our desire for Christ, we're eventually going to divert right back into that.
Speaker B
Because if we divert our flesh, we're just gonna go to something else fleshly, right?
Speaker B
If I try to stop doing something in the flesh, I'm just gonna go to something else in the flesh.
Speaker B
I'm gonna move from one vice to the other vice.
Speaker B
I'm gonna move from one sin to another sin, or I'm gonna go back to the same sin.
Speaker B
And so it's clinging after God.
Speaker B
And so repentance is not what we have to do to get to God.
Speaker B
It is the actual act of coming back to Him.
Speaker B
You can't turn towards God without turning from the things that he's against.
Speaker B
Hear me out on that.
Speaker B
You can't turn to God and still be clinging on to the things that he hates, the things that he rejects, the things that he's against.
Speaker B
And so sorrow in itself doesn't produce anything except bad feelings.
Speaker B
But repentance brings true transformation.
Speaker B
All right, look at there with verse number 11.
Speaker B
He says, for behold the self.
Speaker B
Same thing that you sorrowed after a godly sort.
Speaker B
So he said, you had a godly sorrow.
Speaker B
What carefulness it wrought in you.
Speaker B
And so he's gonna explain the product of biblical repentance.
Speaker B
And I think this is important for us to see.
Speaker B
Cause you might say, well, am I biblically repentant?
Speaker B
Paul says, these are the signs.
Speaker B
These are the outward manifestations of what's happening in your heart.
Speaker B
This will be a test of what happens as a product of repentance.
Speaker B
This is verse number 11.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
So he says here, verse number 11.
Speaker B
For behold this cell.
Speaker B
Same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort.
Speaker B
What was the product?
Speaker B
What?
Speaker B
Carefulness.
Speaker B
It rotten you.
Speaker B
That is the actual idea.
Speaker B
That's an old way to say diligence.
Speaker B
Diligence.
Speaker B
It brought seeking after God.
Speaker B
To be diligently seeking after God.
Speaker B
So one Mark of repentance is diligently seeking after the Lord.
Speaker B
But then he says here, he says that you were careful, carefulness, it rot in you.
Speaker B
Yea, what clearing of yourselves, clearing of yourself in the original language here has this idea of, of justification, your defense.
Speaker B
Okay, I have a defense against this sin in my life.
Speaker B
It means you have hope.
Speaker B
It means you have something behind you that you're saying, you know what?
Speaker B
I'm not what Satan says that I am because I have this substance in the Lord.
Speaker B
So a clearing or a defense in the wrongs that I have done because Satan is the accuser of the brethren.
Speaker B
And what Satan wants to do is he wants you to think that you've done too much wrong to see God in your life.
Speaker B
You've done too much wrong to be used by God.
Speaker B
And, and so what the Bible says is that true repentance leads us to that place of defense.
Speaker B
No, Satan can't say that about me because I'm going off of what God has said about me.
Speaker B
My identity is not when Satan says about me.
Speaker B
My identity is not in what the world says about me.
Speaker B
My identity and my defense is in what Jesus Christ says about me.
Speaker B
The great advocate, the one who is appealing for me, the one who is the propitiation, the one who is fighting on my behalf.
Speaker B
And so there is a clearing, there is a confidence.
Speaker B
He goes on to say more.
Speaker B
He says, yea, what indignation.
Speaker B
Indignation to what?
Speaker B
Indignation towards sin and evil.
Speaker B
One of the marks of true repentance and revival in our lives is that we hate sin.
Speaker B
We hate the things that God hates, we reject the things that God rejects.
Speaker B
We don't have an inordinate love for the things of this world, folks.
Speaker B
One of the marks of a backslidden Christian is someone who is comfortable in the things of this world, someone who embraces the sin of this world.
Speaker B
Folks, revival is, I don't like that, doesn't mean that I'm perfect, but it means that I reject that in my life.
Speaker B
And so an indignation or a hatred towards sin.
Speaker B
He says, yea, what fear.
Speaker B
This is a fear or respect for God and his Word.
Speaker B
He says these are all products of someone who has biblical repentance, diligence, a clear heart hatred towards sin, a respect for God.
Speaker B
He goes on to say more, yea, what vehement desire this is, this understanding of having a desire for God and his Word, having a desire for the things of God.
Speaker B
And so we see that he says that there's desire there.
Speaker B
Yea, what zeal.
Speaker B
This word zeal has in the literal Greek means heat being on fire for God.
Speaker B
One of the definitions of someone who is in repentance and in revival is they're on fire for God.
Speaker B
Folks, I'm gonna tell you that when we are.
Speaker B
All right, let me speak as clear as I can.
Speaker B
When we get annoyed by someone being excited for God, that's a sign that we are not where we need to be.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
You say, what do you mean by that?
Speaker B
When someone's excited about Jesus Christ.
Speaker B
And we go, oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker B
They'll cool off in a little bit.
Speaker B
Folks, that's a sign that we are not where we need to be.
Speaker B
We all should be excited for that.
Speaker B
And when someone else is excited for God, we should have that same zeal.
Speaker B
The Bible says In Romans, chapter 12, fervent in spirit.
Speaker B
It literally means a fire boiling in our hearts, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.
Speaker B
And so one of the marks of someone who is living in repentance and revival is that they're on fire for God.
Speaker B
We see more here.
Speaker B
He says, yea, what zeal.
Speaker B
Yea, what revenge.
Speaker B
Now, revenge is not our job, okay?
Speaker B
We don't do the revenge.
Speaker B
But what it says here is there's justice or vindication.
Speaker B
We're excited about God's justice.
Speaker B
We're excited about his holiness.
Speaker B
We're excited about those things that God is doing in our world.
Speaker B
You say, what do you mean by that?
Speaker B
When God judges those that are unrighteous, we should say, hey, you know what?
Speaker B
Hey, that's justice.
Speaker B
He's working out my justice.
Speaker B
He's working out my vindication.
Speaker B
The Bible says, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.
Speaker B
So we're excited.
Speaker B
We rejoice in God's judgment.
Speaker B
And then we see here, what does it say more?
Speaker B
It says, in all things, ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Speaker B
It's a clear heart.
Speaker B
It's no regrets.
Speaker B
It's not living our lives and saying, you know what?
Speaker B
There's something here.
Speaker B
It's just I have a clear heart before God.
Speaker B
That's the product of repentance.
Speaker B
There is that diligence, that defense, the hatred towards sin, that fear of God, that desire for God, that passion for God, that zeal for God, the justice or vindication that God brings us in our life, that clear heart.
Speaker B
And so Paul's purpose in writing the Sorrowful Letter was not to take sides.
Speaker B
That's what he says in verse 12.
Speaker B
He says, Wherefore, though I wrote you, I did it not for his cause over here that had done the wrong.
Speaker B
So he's like, I didn't write on behalf of the person that did the wrong, nor for the cause that suffered the wrong, the person that was the person that received the wrongdoing.
Speaker B
He said, I wasn't taking sides when I wrote this letter.
Speaker B
I wasn't taking sides and saying, I'm on this person's side or I'm on this person's side.
Speaker B
He.
Speaker B
He's on God's side.
Speaker B
He says, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.
Speaker B
He says, okay, I wasn't taking sides.
Speaker B
All I was doing was demonstrating my concern for where you were and the hope that you would come to conviction in the Spirit so that you could get right with God, so that you could live as this way with zeal, with joy, with hatred towards sin, with love for God's word.
Speaker B
And so a mark of someone who's living in repentance, a mark of someone who is living with that revival in their hearts, will desire the things of God.
Speaker B
I'll boil it down to a very basic thing.
Speaker B
Desire the things of God, be passionate about the things of God, hate the things that God hates, and live without any guilt or condemnation in their life.
Speaker B
That's a person living in repentance.
Speaker B
It doesn't mean a person that's perfect.
Speaker B
It doesn't mean a person who's going to do everything right.
Speaker B
It means a person who can live without the fear of their failures ruling and reigning in their life.
Speaker B
It's someone who desires the word, someone who doesn't just read the Bible because someone's watching them, or someone who's serving just because they want to serve, not just because they have to serve.
Speaker B
That's the idea of someone that's living in repentance.
Speaker B
And so it is that real repentance that leads to revival.
Speaker B
So what does revival look like?
Speaker B
Revival looks like change.
Speaker B
Revival looks like a different path.
Speaker B
And so repentance leads to revival.
Speaker B
And revival is where we see God working in our lives.
Speaker B
Do we want to see God working in our church?
Speaker B
Do we want to see God working in our lives?
Speaker B
That means a prerequisite for that godly sorrow from the truth of God.
Speaker B
That brings repentance, that brings a change, that allows us to trust in the power of God.
Speaker B
So hear me out this morning.
Speaker B
I'm not talking about, hey, stop sinning, and then the God's going to clean up your life.
Speaker B
That's not what I'm saying.
Speaker B
I'm saying turn away from that sin and turn to Jesus Christ.
Speaker B
That is the response.
Speaker B
The response is, I need Jesus.
Speaker B
I need his grace in my life.
Speaker B
I need his word in my life.
Speaker B
I need his transformation.
Speaker B
Romans, chapter 12, Be transformed.
Speaker B
Not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Speaker B
And some of you might say, well, I repented.
Speaker B
I was.
Speaker B
You know what?
Speaker B
We had a revival back in 1986.
Speaker B
And I remember that day.
Speaker B
I got revived.
Speaker B
Praise God for that.
Speaker B
But I'm gonna tell you, if the last time you've been revived and your spirit was 1986, you might need a new sense of revival this morning.
Speaker B
You see, I was repentant.
Speaker B
I was sorry that I got caught.
Speaker B
I told everyone that I was sorry, and I let you know, okay, remember, sorrow is not repentance.
Speaker B
I hope that you're sorrowful for your sin.
Speaker B
Biblically speaking, we should be sorrowful for our sin.
Speaker B
But the true test is, what have I done next?
Speaker B
What's the next step after my sorrow?
Speaker B
Is it godly sorrow that works repentance, or is it worldly sorrow that leads me back to that same destructive path?
Speaker B
These are tough topics.
Speaker B
Okay?
Speaker B
When I was going through Second Corinthians, I'm like, oh, great, we're gonna preach about repentance.
Speaker B
No one loves to be preached at about repentance, but we have to preach about it, right?
Speaker B
We have to preach about it.
Speaker B
And so the idea here this morning is this.
Speaker B
Have you in your life realized the necessity of repentance in every spiritual element of your life?
Speaker B
So for salvation, you realize, I think all of us could realize that there is a need to repentance to come to Christ.
Speaker B
But how many of us in that sanctification process, remember, that's the spiritual growth process?
Speaker B
How many of us realize the necessity of repentance in that process as well?
Speaker B
How many of us have realized, hey, I need to get back on the right track.
Speaker B
How many of us have realized, you know what?
Speaker B
I need to get back into my scripture reading, because sometimes it's repentant for things that we're doing.
Speaker B
There's sins of commission, meaning I've done this wrong.
Speaker B
I need to stop doing that.
Speaker B
But we haven't really planted a lot on this morning about the sins of omission.
Speaker B
You know what I mean by that?
Speaker B
Sins that mean that I'm not doing what I should be doing.
Speaker B
Sometimes that's the tougher one.
Speaker B
Sometimes I need to be doing something in my life, but I haven't been doing that.
Speaker B
Maybe I need to repent about that maybe I need to turn away from my apathy.
Speaker B
Maybe I need to turn away from my carelessness in my family.
Speaker B
You know, transparency.
Speaker B
I'll tell you the truth here.
Speaker B
There have been times in my life as a father that I've had to repent from not caring enough about my children to lead them in a godly manner.
Speaker B
You say what?
Speaker B
A pastor?
Speaker B
Yeah.
Speaker B
Cause guess what?
Speaker B
Pastors get busy.
Speaker B
Pastors have, believe it or not, we don't just work on Sunday mornings for one hour.
Speaker B
Okay.
Speaker B
Or hour and a half.
Speaker B
So there's sometimes there have been long days in my life, long workdays that I come home and my kids are there and I go, you know what?
Speaker B
It'd be a lot easier for me to say, hey you guys, it's an early night to go to bed, go to bed.
Speaker B
My dad just needs to relax.
Speaker B
I have to confess that before God and say, lord, I have failed in that I need to be actively pursuing my role as a father within these children's lives.
Speaker B
And so I need to repent from my lack of action.
Speaker B
And so some of us, it's like, hey, I need to repent from my actions.
Speaker B
My actions are bad.
Speaker B
And we can do that.
Speaker B
But there's also times in our life where we need to repent from those non active moments where we should be doing something for the cause of the gospel.
Speaker B
How many of us haven't shared our faith with anybody for decades?
Speaker B
I'm going to tell you folks, we need revival to see that, hey, we need to start sharing our faith.
Speaker B
We need to start telling people about Jesus Christ.
Speaker B
And so just as much as this is turning away from an action, it might be turning to an action away from inactivity when it comes to our life.
Speaker B
And so the challenge is out there, here this morning, Number one, have you come to a place in your life in repentance that you need?
Speaker B
That you realize that you need Jesus for your Savior, that you need Jesus for your forgiveness.
Speaker B
You can't earn it yourself.
Speaker B
You can't be good enough.
Speaker B
You know, folks, Jesus came and died on a cross because we were not good enough.
Speaker B
Jesus came and died on a cross so that he could pay the price that none of us could pay.
Speaker B
And we must be in a place of repentance to realize that we have to turn away from our own works and turn to Christ for our salvation.
Speaker B
That's the first step of repentance for a Christian's life.
Speaker B
But secondarily, how many of us have said, I've trusted in that.
Speaker B
But over time I've allowed myself to drift away from the truth.
Speaker B
And I live a life of just.
Speaker B
You know what?
Speaker B
I'm satisfied with what I have in my flesh.
Speaker B
I'm satisfied with what I have in this world.
Speaker B
Folks, it might be time where we get dissatisfied with the things of this world and get more satisfied with the things of God.
Speaker B
I encourage you to think about that here this morning.
Speaker B
This is tough.
Speaker B
And I will tell you this this morning, as I am preaching to you, I am preaching to myself.
Speaker B
Lest you think that Pastor Josh is up here saying, hey, I've got it, all right?
Speaker B
And you guys need to repent, folks, we all need to get back to that place of repentance in our life, brokenness before God.
Speaker B
Lord, I need you.
Speaker B
Every hour, I need you.
Speaker B
And let's amend that song.
Speaker B
Every minute, I need you.
Speaker B
Every second, I need you.
Speaker B
Folks, we need Jesus in our life.
Speaker B
We need to see that.
Speaker B
And when we see that need, when we come to that place of thanksgiving, like Christina sang about this morning, when we think about what Jesus Christ has done for us, and that brings us a spirit of thanksgiving, that also should bring us a spirit of a contrite heart, of a broken heart before God.
Speaker B
Lord, I need you.
Speaker B
I don't deserve what you've given me, so I give it all over to you.
Speaker B
So this morning, if that's something that's been speaking to you, we're going to have a time of reflection.
Speaker B
We're going to have a time of invitation.
Speaker B
I'm going to ask everyone if you're able to stand with me.
Speaker B
Every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around.
Speaker B
As the music plays this morning, you have an opportunity to respond.
Speaker B
Respond in repentance, respond in conviction, respond in humility.
Speaker B
Respond in your brokenness.
Speaker B
You don't have to get it all clean and get it all right to come before God.
Speaker B
He wants you in your brokenness so he can mend you, so he can restore you, so that he can revive you.
Speaker B
How many of us want revival in our church?
Speaker B
How many of us want revival in our families?
Speaker B
How many want us have revival in our own lives?
Speaker B
Hey, today is the day you say, lord, that's a change in my heart.
Speaker B
That's a change in my life.
Speaker B
Before I look for anybody else, I need to look to you here this morning.
Speaker B
Some have already come.
Speaker B
If you need to come forward and recommit your life to that repentant spirit, hey, come give that to him this morning.
Speaker B
If you need Jesus as your personal savior, we're going to be up here we can show you in the Word of God what it means to come to him in repentance and trust in him in faith.
Speaker B
But folks, if you're a believer this morning, but you need to commit to Him.
Speaker B
Hey, come for this morning.
Speaker B
First John, Chapter one, Verse nine if we confess our sins, confess just means to agree with him about what our sin is.
Speaker B
If we confess our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Speaker B
Lord, I pray that you be with us in this time of invitation, work in hearts and lives.
Speaker B
Pray that you can lead us in the truth, lead us in that conviction, lead us in that change in Jesus name.
Speaker B
Amen.
Speaker B
As the music plays, some have already come Follow as the Lord leads here this morning.
Pastor Josh
Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast.
Pastor Josh
I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you.
Speaker B
You would like to find out more.
Pastor Josh
Information about our church or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org or find us on Facebook or YouTube.
Pastor Josh
You can also email me directly at joshmasaroiddletownbaptistchurch dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast.
Pastor Josh
Please subscribe and follow along for future podcasts and updates.
Pastor Josh
Thank you so much.
Pastor Josh
God Bless.
Pastor Josh
Have a wonderful day.
Listen On
New to Middletown Baptist Church?
Here are some great episodes to start with. Or, check out episodes by topic.
