May 07, 2020 “Repent” Luke 13:3
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, BaptistTabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3 KJV
There is a story told of a little boy that applied for church membership. “Why do you want to join the Church?” asked the Pastor. “Because I want to show publically that Jesus has saved me,” said the boy. “Do you feel that you are saved?” “Who saved you?” The little boy replied, “It is the work of Jesus Christ and myself!” “What was your part in being saved?” asked the Pastor. The little boy quickly responded, “I repented and Jesus did the rest!” What is repentance? It could be said as the little boy said – it is our part (something that we must do), and then HE will do the rest! Will HE do the rest if we don’t do our part? NO! God cannot save a man that does not want to be saved. As I counsel with individuals that are suffering with various challenges, I always talk about salvation and the fact that we all are sinners and that we all fall short of the Glory of God and invariably, the majority tell me flatly, that they are not and that they are not lost! Equally sad, is the person that refuses to forgive their fellowman, and continues to live, under the burden of un-forgiveness! Guess what? A man has to recognize his true situation and actually “GET LOST,” before he can be saved! Amazingly, once we are saved, the forgiveness issue ought to take care of itself. The very first thing that Peter said to the multitude, on the day of Pentecost, was about how to become a child of God. Acts 2:38 says, “…..Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Notice that he didn’t say that to be saved you had to first join the church or the first thing was to be baptized; no, these come after being saved. He says that the first thing that you need to do is “REPENT!” Throughout the Bible we read about the importance of repentance and God’s forgiveness! God is merciful enough to forgive us of our sins, if we are man enough to come to Him and ask for forgiveness. Boy oh Boy, for some folks, it is the hardest thing that they could possibly do is to ask for forgiveness! They can do a lot of things, but to ask for forgiveness is hard! Are you willing to humble yourself and say, “Christ, I realize I am a sinner and I realize that I cannot save myself, and I realize that if you do not have mercy on me, I am eternally lost. O God, I confess my sins, please forgive me.” HE WILL DO JUST THAT! “…and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out!” (John 7:37) Stay Strong, Stay Focused…Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!