And if you would, turn with me
to Mark chapter 2. Mark chapter 2. I mean, all of our messages will
support each other because it's the same truth. We may be preaching
from different passages and so on, but all of them will support
if we're preaching the truth. Mark 2, verses 16 and 17. And when the scribes and Pharisees
saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples,
how is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, they that are whole
have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Many today think that repentance
is when they are doing one thing and repenting is not doing that
thing anymore. Or if they are not doing one
thing, then repenting is they start doing that thing. But this
is not what repentance is. First of all, the things they
think about are touch not, taste not, handle not. And if you would
turn with me over to Colossians 2, Colossians 2, because we're
told that. Colossians 2. Colossians 2 verses 20 and 22.
20 through 22, I mean. Wherefore, if ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living
in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, touch not, taste
not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after
the commandments and doctrines of men? And that's formed in
a question. As some of the commentators have
said, some of the Jews who were brought to know Christ brought
with them some baggage, if you will. They had ordinances that
said not to touch, taste, or handle some things. This world's
religion has nothing but baggage. But even God's people can bring
with them baggage. A lot of this world's ordinances
sound like this, and even some of God's people may have things
that sound like this. Don't smoke, don't drink, and
don't go to the picture show. All the while while they blaspheme
God. And I'm not going to say whether
this is something you should do or not do, either one. But
they think when they stop doing these things, at least don't
do them when other men and women who know them can see them. But
they think this is repentance. God's people have come out from
among them and we bring some of this baggage along with us.
Now don't get me wrong, if one truly repents, it may result
in one doing different things and stopping doing other things.
But it is not the things that are the repentance. It is not
in our doing or not doing which is repentance. What are we told
in scripture about repentance? And you all know what 2 Corinthians
7, 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation, not to be repented of. But the sorrow of the world
worketh death. I as a believer in Jesus Christ
and Him crucified still have idols that God is constantly
breaking me from. And the biggest idol I have is
right here. So let's look at some things
as it concerns repentance and mainly as it concerns our text. Jesus Christ did not come to
call the righteous to repentance. What need is there for a righteous
man to repent? Righteous in his own eyes, I
might add. But sinners are the ones that
Christ came to call, and this is specifically said here that
it is to repentance. So let's look at righteous repenters,
repenting sinners, and the God who calls to repentance. So let's
talk about righteous ones, that is those spoken of by Christ
in our text as being righteous. So the ones being spoken of here
are those who see no real need of needing healing. They do not
feel there is anything wrong with them, therefore there is
no need for them to be healed by the physician. These are they
who will say they are sinners. because all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, but they are not really that bad.
They insist on it. They are at least not as bad
as others, so there is no real need of repenting of anything
for them. These ones may be very sorry
for things that they have done, or maybe just that they have
been caught doing something that they shouldn't be doing according
to their ordinances. They may be very sincere and
have strong sorrow for these things. They are the Esau's of
scripture. Turn with me to Hebrews 12. Hebrews
12. Hebrews 12. And I want to read verses 12 through
17. Hebrews 12 verses 12 through
17. Wherefore, lift up the hands
which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths
for your feet. Lest that which is lame be turned
out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with
all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently lest any man
fail of the grace of God. Lest any root of bitterness springing
up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. Lest there be any
fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of
meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward,
when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected,
for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears. I'm sure Esau was very repentant. That is, he had worldly sorrow
that he gave up his birthright for a bowl of soup. In doing
so, he lost all the benefits that came along with this birthright.
It says he sought it with tears. But it was a worldly sorrow and
not true repentance because true repentance was not found, it's
what it says. He was actually looking for repentance
because it says he sought it with tears. But it was not to
be found. And I will on purpose get ahead
of myself here. Repentance will never be found
merely by a person looking for it. It must be given or granted. And I'll speak more on this later. But these who are righteous may
very well be righteous in the sight of men. But God knows what
is in their hearts, and we just went through that recently. There
is nothing but evil that comes from our wicked heart. But we also have heard of these
before, these who are righteous in their own eyes, Romans 10
3, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. They have a righteousness,
but it is not the righteousness of God. It says they go about. And I like to say it like this
because this is the sense of it in the verse. Going about,
going about, going about. Because with them it does not
quit. Because this flesh is never satisfied. It wants more and more and more. So they must keep doing. They
are in fact committed to it and energetic about it. But it is
more than that, though. They are so busy and so in love
with their righteousness, they will not and cannot submit themselves
to the righteousness of God. They are not sick because in
their eyes they are righteous, so they have no need for God's
righteousness. So from this, I hope we can see
a connection between those who are not righteous and the repentance
they are called to. So let's talk about repenting
sinners. Sinners, the ones mentioned by
our Lord are just like the ones I just mentioned. So if you want
to know what a sinner is, they are just like those that I just
mentioned. in and of themselves, in and
of ourselves, and our old wicked heart thinks we are something.
But let's see more about what the scripture says about who
sinners are. And this is very familiar. I have no new doctrine,
in fact. Joe has already mentioned it. We read Christ calls those
who are sinners. The scripture talks about them
this way, Romans 5, 6 through 8. For when we were yet without
strength, In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So it has been said here before
here recently, the kind of sinners he saves, the kind of sinners
he calls to repentance, are ungodly sinners. The word means irreverent
or impious and wicked. For these we are not talking
about we are all sinners. Those who come to know this and
see this, they're so blinded, if you will, by their own ungodliness
that they cannot see the we are all, so to They know they have transgressed
against the holy God, being wicked in their heart. And this transgression
is not just a one-time thing. It consumes them knowing they
continually are ungodly and need a remedy to help them because
they know themselves to be rotten to the core. They have been ungodly
to God more times than they even know, and the times they do know
about, they want to forget. These sinners are those who know
just as the publican did. They know they need help. They
know they cannot stand before God on their own. They need someone
to propitiate them, stand in their place. Because the scripture
has made clear to them that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. They know they are not righteous.
Now these sinners have not always been like this. As I said before,
they are just like those righteous repenters and may have even repented
as the righteous repenters did before as well. I did many times. I would feel pretty good about
myself for a time and when the time came where I did not feel
so good about myself, then I would have to start doing, doing, doing. This flesh still brings these
thoughts to my mind at times. This scripture is to believers
though. We're not talking about them
out there. Although them out there are sinners
as well. Even if they think they're doing
righteousness before God. I'm talking to us though who
are ungodly sinners. But there came a time when something
changed and we began to have a different attitude, different
thoughts. So now let's look at the God
who calls. Turn with me to Matthew 3. Matthew
3 verses 7-11. But when he saw many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation
of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come.
Bring forth fruit, therefore fruits meet for repentance. And
think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father.
For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise
up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is laid unto
the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that
cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy
to bear. He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire. It says here that John the Baptist
baptized them with water to repentance and that's what it says there.
But then he tells us there's another baptism and it is said
to be the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now it does not specifically
say here that he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost unto
repentance, but that is what it's saying. This is the sense
of the passage. How do I know this? It's not
just from this verse. For one thing, Christ said it
is needful that he should go away, and in doing so, he would
send the Comforter, the Holy Ghost. But also he tells us in
our text, and Jesus Christ is speaking, and he says he calls
sinners to repentance. His calling begins with the Spirit
of God, the Holy Ghost. It is God that calls men and
women to repentance. The scripture is clear. Unless
God does this, there might be those who search out repentance,
even with tears, but it will not be found. God must give it
or grant it. Here's the scripture, Acts 5
31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince
and a savior for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. Jesus Christ has been exalted
and this because he earned it. And it is he, just as he said
in our text, that has been given the right to give repentance.
If he does not give it, then you will not have it, no matter
how many tears you have shed. It's not about shedding tears,
although tears may be shed with godly sorrow. Here another, Acts
11, 18. When they heard these things,
they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also
to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. granted to the Gentiles. The word for granted means to
give. So God must give repentance,
and if God gives repentance, then you will have it. You will
have sorrow, but it will be a godly sorrow that we read about before. The repentance that comes from
this godly sorrow looks a certain way. It does not look like do
this and don't do that. It does not look at our doing
Other than in this way, we take sides with God against ourselves,
coming to see that doing and not doing is all evil before
Christ, holy God. It causes us to look to Christ,
seeing who he is and knowing it is he who gives all this to
me and has done all this for me. Again, let's see what scripture
says repentance is. First, let me give the meaning
of the word repentance. Repentance means reversal. Kind
of like doing an about face and turning to look a totally different
way. God's people, when he calls them,
are turned. Turned from their own way and
doing of their own righteousness and being turned to him, Jesus
Christ, who is the righteousness of God. What do we read in Acts
20 and verse 21? Testifying both to the Jews and
also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ. And one more, verse 20 of Acts
26. But showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem
and throughout all the coast of Judea and then to the Gentiles
that they should repent and turn to God. and do works meet for
repentance? Notice there that last verse,
works are not repentance, but there are works that are meet
for repentance. That is, they are suitable for
repentance. Do we know what those works are?
Not always, but this work, which is the work of God himself, is
a work meet for repentance. That is, believing Jesus Christ. That is a work meet for repentance. When God grants us repentance,
as I've said, when we take sides with God against ourselves, but
we also believe Jesus Christ is our all in all, this altogether
is repentance. That I am nothing but an ungodly
sinner and that he is all. There is no doubt that repentance
comes from God. Let's hear one more verse on
this, and it is familiar. Now, this is said in the negative,
but listen, Romans 2, 4. Or despises thou the riches of
his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? God's goodness
in forbearing us, being long-suffering with us and all of mankind, and
then sending His Spirit by Jesus Christ, calling us to repentance,
is purely because of the goodness of God. And as it says here,
His goodness leads His people to repentance. We do not come
up with repentance on our own. We do not seek out repentance
on our own. If repentance is started by us,
then true repentance will never be found. But God uses means
as well. He first, he sends his Holy Spirit
calling us to himself. But this call was also accompanied
with the preaching of the gospel. Luke 11, 32. The men of Nineveh
said, shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall
condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonas. And behold, a greater than Jonas,
is he. If the preaching of the gospel
does not lead you to repentance, if it does not lead you to abhorring
yourself and seeing Jesus Christ high and lifted up, then you
are just playing repentance games. You are deceiving yourself. Repentance
must come. Luke 13 says, I tell you nay,
but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. There are
some who hear the truth of God proclaimed, and I'm talking about
they hear the gospel from a man sent of God who preaches the
truth of Jesus Christ and him crucified. Some of these who
hear this seem to repent. They seem to accept the truth
of God and begin to love it. But as time goes on, they fail. It starts to become manifest
that they were either just enthralled with a doctrine or enthralled
with social aspect of being with others or something other than
loving Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And they have not and will not
submit themselves to God's righteousness. They seem to be for a time, but
it is finally manifested at some point in time that they were
not seeking and not turning to God from idols. They were just
turning over a new leaf. It is a dangerous thing to accept
and join in with God's people and holding to the truth of God
and then turn from it. Hear what the scripture says
about this, and I will say this as well, there's nothing you
can do about it. But here's the scripture, turn
with me to Hebrews six, Hebrews six. Hebrews six. Verses one through six. Hebrews six, verses one through
six. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, Let
us go on into perfection, not laying again the foundation of
repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine
of baptisms, and of laying of hands, and of resurrection of
the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers
of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them
again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify to themselves
the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." If you take it lightly, going
back and forth between loving the truth and not caring about
what you're hearing, you might be in trouble. I don't know. The scripture tells us the Lord
knows them that are his. But it is clear in scripture
that we are to warn men and women of being complacent. It may be
more than complacency though. It may be that he never knew
you. If you can take Christ or leave
Christ, then you do not know Christ. There is no repentance
there. And I will also say it this way.
If you can take the truth and leave the truth, not caring what
you are hearing, then you do not know Christ. But more importantly,
I'm afraid he does not know you. What are we to do if we think
this might be happening? What did the scripture tell us
to do? And we just read it somewhat. We keep preaching the gospel,
keep preaching the gospel because we know that it is God that calleth
and not ourselves. It is he that sends his spirit
in calling us to repentance. But we are also told that it
pleased God through the foolishness of preaching, not foolish preaching,
but the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. So
we just continue to preach the gospel. What do we read in 2
Timothy 2 verses 24 through 26? And the servant of the Lord must
not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God
peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who are taken captive by him at his will. They're taken captive
of the devil at his will. What are some of the things we
see there in that verse? First of all, those that oppose
themselves. This is not saying that these
are not feeling good about themselves. This is saying they are being
argumentative against the truth of God. They are being opposite
and have disputatious words about concerning God's word. But we
are to continue to preach and teach Jesus Christ and Him crucified
per adventure. That is whether or not God will
give repentance. God does not have to give a man
or a woman repentance. If He does, it is all to the
praise of His goodness. But He does not have to give
it. But we preach and teach, praying
that if God wills, he will give any who oppose themselves repentance. That is, he will give them or
he will turn them to himself, causing them to then see what
and who they are, and then they will, and then only, will take
sides with God against themselves. It will be just as it says in
Jeremiah 31, 18 that we've read before. I have surely heard Ephraim
bemoaning himself thus. Thou hast chastised me, and I
was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Turn thou me, and
I shall be turned. For, Joe, for thou art the Lord
my God. When God begins to do this chastening,
you will kick and pull and buck, as it says here, as a bullock
unaccustomed to the yoke. But when God turns you, you will
be turned. And you will begin to love him. If you see repentance coming
any other way, and if you stay in that place, then you're fit
for hell. What are we told in scripture
about when the rich man lifted up his eyes in hell and was speaking
to Abraham? Luke 16 verses 29 through 31.
Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets,
let them hear them. And he said, nay, father Abraham,
but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And
he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. If the
gospel is not good enough for you, if the gospel is not what
you love, even if there is hardship because of it, but if hearing
the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified is not enough for
you, then I'm afraid there is no repentance granted unto you. Because the repentance granted
by God turns one around. so that they see who God is and
in seeing Him, they now see what they are and they take sides
with God against themselves. Are you okay with just hearing
anything, just as long as it makes you feel good? Are you
okay with hearing anything because it's just too hard to stick with
those who preach the truth? Are you okay with hearing something
else because you have people you can talk to? I'm afraid you
still need turning. And this can only be done by
God and only if he wills. But when he does grant this repentance,
there is joy in heaven, we are told, Luke 15, 7. I say unto
you that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth. More than over 99 just persons
who need no repentance. God does not care about those
who are righteous. He came to save sinners, and
it is sinners that he calls to repentance. The question is,
are you a sinner, and has he granted you repentance that has
caused you to submit to his righteousness? Amen. Thank you, dear old God, for
allowing us to be here. All blessings must come from
you, dear Lord, and you give in all the time, dear Lord. Cause
us to be thankful, dear Lord. Give us repentance, dear Lord,
all the time. Turn us from ourselves, dear
Lord. You're the only one that can do it. All these things we
ask in Christ's name. Amen.