Turn with me if you wish to follow
along to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. The verse that
I have as my text is no doubt familiar to many people. I'm
sure not as familiar as John 3.16 is. but I know that the verse I'm
going to read is familiar, especially to people who have pulled up to a gas station to
pump gas or went into a rest stop to use the facilities and
you find some little so-called soul winning tract, this verse
you will often find on some of them. Here it is, 2 Peter chapter
three, verse nine. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise. As some men count slackness,
but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. Sadly, this verse is generally used to try to persuade
men and women that God Almighty has promised all without exception
salvation if they repent. Now if all men would truly repent,
all men would truly be saved. And the scripture is quite clear,
Paul was clear, God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. But this repentance spoken of
here is in connection to the promise of God. You see that? And this verse
is often used totally out of context. Because Peter says,
look at it, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. He's
talking here about one of the many plenteous promises, that's
the promise of his second advent. That he is coming back. And why
did he say he was coming back? John 14 gives us the answer.
I'm coming back to get you, my people. And he goes on to say
later, and to judge the world, which is what Peter goes on to
here. And we look for that day. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise to come again and receive us unto himself, that
where he is, we can always be with him. That's what he's talking
about. As some men count slackness. Men often, especially in our
society, we want it now. We want it now. And it's been
2,000 years since our Lord made that promise. But it's still
right on schedule. It's still right on schedule,
even though 2,000 years have passed. As some men count slackness,
but as longsuffering too, who? Usward. Usward. Who is that? Verse eight, but
beloved. That's who the usward are. Who
are the beloved. Read throughout this book, the
beloved are those that God set his love on in Christ before
the foundation of the world. That does not include every man,
woman, boy, and girl. It just does not. I'm not here
to argue that. It does not. But as longsuffering
to who? Usward. Not willing that any
should perish. Any who? Usward. The beloved. Not willing, men are, even theologians,
was that the stronger word for will or the weaker word for will? It doesn't matter, it is what
men call the strong, but God has no wishes. God has never
wished for anything. What God wills, God will have. That's who God is. That's not
debatable. We're not here to try, I'm not
here to try to prove that. This whole book proves it. In word. Not willing, that is not purposing
that any should perish, but that all, every single one of these
people he's talking about, but that all should come to repent. There are those that accuse us,
well, you believe in that election, so you believe a man just, if
he's elect, just goes to heaven no matter what. No, that's not
what this teaches. And that's not what we teach.
Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to what? Repentance. So there is my text
for this morning. My title is found there. God's
promise. Peter writes it, his promise.
is God, God's promise. I'm gonna try to give you three
things. In this passage are two great subjects, and I will not
be able to deal with them in depth, but one is promise, God's
promises. The other is repentance. And
here we clearly see that both are vitally joined together. If you do not repent, If I do
not repent, if any man or woman, any boy or girl does not repent,
they will perish. All who do repent will not perish. But I also know this, there are
some, and I'm not gonna try to explain this. People have tried
to explain it away or whatever. There are some who have sought
after repentance. and even carefully with tears,
and could not find it. And that's just the way it is.
It amazes me how people always look for some kind of answer
to that. Just take it for what it says. Repentance is not gained
by any person's personal actions to lay hold of it. As we will
see, repentance is granted, repentance is given, men are called to it,
it is wrought of God. Repentance is your act wrought
by God in mercy and grace. So first of all, God's promises,
because there are plenteous promises, God's promises are absolute. They're absolute. If you and
I were to start taking a list of God's promises, we would probably,
because of our fallen nature, we would categorize some as great,
some as large, some as small, or maybe insignificant. But that's
wrong. Because the God who cannot lie,
when he promises something, he swears on it. You remember what
it says? When God made promise to Abraham,
look in the book of Hebrews, When God made promise to Abraham,
he said, because he could swear by no greater, he swear by himself,
I will. And that's what the promise of
God is. No matter what it is. No matter what it is. In the
scripture, some things are called promises. The word is associated
with the thing. For instance, we read in Titus
chapter one, verse two, that the apostle Paul says, in hope
of eternal life, which God that cannot lie. So you see, when
God promises something, it's not about God wishing something,
it's about God declaring something. In absolute verity, in absolute
truth, in God who cannot lie, promised before the world began. So somebody's got to have it.
Right? Now my only hope is that I'm
one of that number. And anyone else's only hope is
that you are one of that number. But there are other things in
scripture that are promises that are not called promises. They're
not associated with the word. For instance, and here is one
that most people probably do not think of as a promise. They
probably think of it more as some kind of threat. But God
never threatens, did you know that? God doesn't. I used to have to threaten my
children. God promises things. And Masons,
some of them are negative. But they always have a positive
part to it. Here's one of those promises.
Vengeance is mine. That's a statement of ownership
of vengeance. Vengeance is mine. And that is
given in light of you don't take vengeance for yourself. To the
people of God. It's not up to, well I'll get
them back. Leave it alone. Now we rarely do, probably. But leave it alone. Why? Because of this. Vengeance is
mine. Here's the promise. I will repay. I'll take care of this, God says.
That's a promise. He didn't have to say a promise.
If God says it, it's a promise. Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
saith the Lord. So you see how they're both promises?
And they're both absolutely certain. We'll read another passage, Acts
chapter two, verse 33. The promise of the Holy Ghost.
And most people think of this. Doesn't that look stupid when
I do that? That's what people are when they
do that and call it the Holy Ghost. The promise of the Holy
Ghost is God Almighty, the Spirit of God Himself, God Himself coming
to an individual and giving them life from above to where they
begin to see the glory of the person and work of Jesus Christ. and rather than carrying on like
some lunatic, they will find themselves bowing in the dust
before Jesus Christ the Lord. The promise of the Holy Ghost.
It doesn't matter whether in that promise it is talking about
life or truth or repentance or conversion, even our walk has
God as its source. He's promised it. He's promised
it. He said, it is God that worketh
in you. It is that worketh in you, both
the will and the do of His good pleasure. Folks, He promised
He would do it. Take a deep breath and relax.
He will. Now, will you fall along the
way? Yes, you will, but you can fall no further than what God
Almighty has ordained in His promise. That's the book. That's the teaching
of scripture. There's another thing about God's
promises. Remember, they're absolute. Remember what the prophet Isaiah
said that God declares? He said, I have purposed it,
I'll do it. Whether it's called a ravenous bird from the east
or the man that executes my counsel from a far country. I've said
it, I'll do it. I will place salvation in Zion
for Israel, my glorious. Somebody says, that's the Jews.
That's exactly right, that's the Jews. Who is a Jew? Paul
answers that question. A Jew is not which was one outwardly.
The circumcision is not that circumcision that we know of
about the flesh. It's in here. It's in here. Here's a true Jew, a man or a
woman, a boy or a girl, no matter what their background is. One
that's born of God. God said, I promised it, I'll
do it. Or he said, the word used, purpose. If God purposed to something,
that's a promise to us. That's a promise to us. Here's
another thing. God has a promise of a chosen
people. Go back and read it for yourself
sometime. Romans chapter nine, verses eight through 13. God
promised Abraham and Sarah a son. at a set time. And God specifically
set his love on that son of Abraham and not the other son of Abraham. Remember? Isaac, Ishmael. God says my covenant will be
with Isaac. Not with Ishmael. Even though Abraham cried out,
Lord, I've got one in the hand. That's better than two in the
bush. I've got one son. Lord, bless him. God said no. Is that what the book teaches?
That's what the book teaches. My covenant will establish with
him, with Isaac. There's also the promise of Christ's
return for his people. And that's actually our text.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise. What? The promise
of his coming. Let men malt, and they will. And they do. But they always have. And they
always will. Until it finally winds down. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. I want to be in that group. Don't
you? Don't you? Now, if you don't,
anybody don't, then what I'm saying doesn't matter to you
at all. Doesn't matter at all. You see, God's promises is God's
will, God's desire, and it's absolute. God doesn't just make
a bunch of promises and then hope the majority sticks. Not
one good word of his promises shall fail. There may not be
a direct quote of scripture, but that's what it says. Not
one, not one word. David, he don't even have to
later change the wording of it. What he promised before the world
was will come to pass exactly, precisely as God has ordained. That gives me comfort, doesn't
it you? People so despised the sovereignty of God. Isn't that
sad? At one time, God help me, I so
despised the sovereignty of God. But it is the bulwark of true
faith. It is, and I'll show you that.
I'll show you that. But before we get there, think
of this. Here's number two. God's long suffering is joined
His long suffering is joined with the promise. Look at what
he put up with in you and from you even before he saved you. That he kept you safe, that he
nourished you, he fed you, he let you keep your mind. He could
have took your mind from you. Could have took my mind from
me. How often was I at death's door? but it had no knob because it
was not the time. Because God Almighty was long-suffering
with me. The very word cries out, I'm
bad. He's good. Does it not? Long-suffering. He's not long-suffering because
we repent. The long-suffering precedes the
repentance. Do you see that? Do you understand
that? Do you get a dose of that? This
is what, well, I repented and now God's long-suffering
with me. If you repented, God's been long-suffering
with you from the get-go. From the get-go. God's long-suffering
is joined with the promise. Thank God. Couple things here. This longsuffering is to usward. Mark it down. There are two groups
of people in this world, the uswards, the beloved, and all
the rest. I don't need to get theological.
There are two groups of people in this world, those God loves,
and dare I say it, yes I dare, those God hates. You're my hope,
and your hope, our only hope, is we're on the loved side. Because
I'm here to tell you, you think God loves you, you don't know
that. You think somebody tell you, well God loves you, God
loves everybody. I had a man used to tell me that every morning
he would see me, until I finally told him, no God doesn't. I said, do you think if you'd
have walked up to little Esau's mother and said, God loves your
little boy, would you have been telling the truth? And he actually
said, well, no. I said, then why are you walking
around telling everybody God loves them? How do you know? What if
they're in Esau? What if they're in Esau? Oh,
God give us ears to hear truth, not just doctrine. Truth! There
are two kinds of people in this world, those God loves and those
God hates. I want to be on the love side. but I don't deserve
to be on the love side. I am truly not upset now when
I hear God hates some people because I know I deserve to be
hated of God and cast into the pit and black darkness away from
all that's good and glorious forever. But there's a group
of people And it's a massive group of people. It's not just
a little handful. It's a number that no man can
number out of their tribe, people, kindred, nation, tongue, that
God Almighty loves, has redeemed in His Son, and is calling them
to repentance. Repentance. Secondly here, God's
longsuffering is joined with the promise. The longsuffering
by default, as I said, decries our sinfulness, does it not? Do not think God loves you because
you're good. He loves you in spite of yourself. If he does love you. He loves
you. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promises. Some men count slackness, but is long-suffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. So there are some, Peter's talking
about, that's not yet come to repentance, but God still loves
them and is long-suffering toward them. Oh God, I started to say
put me in that group. You're either in that group or
you're not. Oh God, show me which group I'm in. Show me which group I'm in. The
group that is loved are no better than the ones that are hated.
Now mark that down. Mark that down, the children
neither having done any good or evil, even before they were
born, that the purpose of God, according to election might stand,
it was said, the elder shall serve the younger, as is written,
Jacob I loved, Esau I hated. By default. Consider God's long
suffering. Go back and look at some time,
Exodus chapter 34, verses four through nine. Think of all that
Israel did. God delivered them with a mighty
deliverance. Did he not? Ten great plagues
fell on Egypt and the last one, now listen, I mean to say it
this way, the last plague, not God, the last plague was a monster. Was it not? It was a monster. Every firstborn. in every family,
human or beast, where there was no first lamb blood shed and
spread. Every firstborn in every home,
person or beast, died. Died. Infant, Joe, all the way
up to full grown. Where there was no blood. Died. Died. God delivered these people, and
within days they were standing at the Red Sea and begin to murmur. That's me. And that's you. I love you. But that's us. That's
us. But you know what? Even while
they were bellyaching, what are we going to do? What are we going
to do? It says that the cloud that was in front of them, that
led them right up to that barrier, And then the Egyptians were bearing
down hot and heavy behind them. God, in that cloud, moved and
went around behind them. And stood between them and the
Egyptians. He was indeed their re-reward. You know what that means? Their
rear guard. Their rear guard. And then he parted the sea in
front of them. and they walked across. What
did they do days later? Same thing we do. Little difficulty
comes, look what they've been through! Little difficulty comes
along, and what do we do? Come on now, bellyache. Bellyache. And yet, God was with them all
the way. Thousands died off! Did they
not? Why? The scripture tells us,
the book of Hebrews, because of unbelief. unbelief, yet God was with that
people. Was he not? Was he not? He was with that people. How
long-suffering is God before he saves us? Ah, but even after
he saves us. You see, repentance is not a
one-time act. It's a lifelong engagement. I
mean, you hear a lot of people, well, I repented. And now they
think they're good folk. No, you're still just as evil
and rotten and sinful as you ever was, and you will need to
repent the rest of your physical days. And that's a good thing. Because a lot of people have
made those decisions, they have repented, put that in quotes,
and it's always a past thing. One preacher put it this way,
even my repentance has to be repented of. That's not a joke. My repentance is so unworthy
of His merit and His grace, it doesn't earn it for me. Repentance
isn't how you get God to be gracious to you. You repent because He
has been gracious to you. How long-suffering is God before
He saved us and after He saved us? Our text tells us Our text
tells us, and he tells us why he's so long-suffering, so that
not a one of us that are beloved will perish. Isn't that what
it says? The Lord is not slack concerning
his promises, some men count slackness, but is long-suffering,
and oh, you ought to speak long-suffering. That's the way the word's meant
to be. It's not just a little, Joe, aren't you glad God just
had a little spurt of suffering? It's not short-suffering. How long? As long as it takes.
As long as it takes. I wanna be a part of that group,
don't you? I wanna be a part of that group.
Here's the third thing. God's will, that is his purpose.
Somebody says, I'm not sure about that. Well, you're wrong. You
need to, you bow down on your face and say, God opened my eyes,
cause I'm blind. God's will, that's God's purpose,
is the salvation of the elect. They will not perish, why? Not
just because they're elect. That all should come to repentance. You see it? Now because they
are the elect, they shall not perish. But they shall not perish
because they will what? They will come to repentance. Where repentance never happens,
there never was any election. You hear what I'm saying? Where
there is no repentance manifested in time, there was no election
in eternity. God's will, his purpose is the
salvation of his elect, that all should come to repentance.
But one thing, let us get one thing right here this morning.
One thing brings people to repentance. You know, most people don't know
that. And even if they know that, they
think of the wrong thing. Most people think the way to
get people to repent is what? Hell. Hammer on them. Scare the hell out of them. Right? Threaten them with judgment and
damnation. Right? Is that not what thousands
of preachers are probably doing this very morning behind podiums
just very similar to this one, trying to threaten them? Oh,
we'll get them to repent. My children, years ago, never
repented and still haven't yet, no matter how much I threatened
them. Did you know that? Did you know that? I was told
once, were your kids Obey only when you're around. That's sad,
but it's true. I could make a mind when I was
there because they knew what for was coming. And my children
knew, whether I was right or wrong in all of my ways, that's
not the point, that's not what I'm talking about here. My children
knew this, when I said do, I said it how many times? I said it
once. If they did not do, they got
the negative consequences. They knew that. Therefore, when
I was there, they did that. But when I was not there, they
did not. You know what that's a sign of?
My failure, possibly, but it's a sign of our inward corruption.
Repentance is a joyous thing, though the experience of it is
not. You hear what I'm saying? I say it again, repentance is
a joyous thing, though the experience of it is not. But what is one
thing that leads men to repentance? Paul says it in Romans, go back
and read it sometime, Romans 2, 1 through 4, it is the goodness
of God that leadeth thee. How do you lead something? You
got a leash or a stick. Huh? It's the goodness of God
that leadeth thee to repentance. And sadly, we, by nature, are
so corrupt, we even corrupt that goodness. We think of the wrong
thing. Well, God gives me two cars,
like you talked about, Joe. God gives me good health. That'll
bring you to repentance. No, it will not. No, it will
not. You wanna talk about the goodness
of God, go back again, Exodus chapter 33, specifically verses
12 through 23, and look at what it is. Moses said, God, if you
don't go with us, do not lead us up. You know what he said? God, if you're not with us, don't
take us on this journey. If you're not with us. God said some words to Moses,
he said, show me your glory. Show me your glory. You know
what God said? I will. I will cause all my goodness to pass
before thee. And he said, you will not see
my face. Isn't that odd? God is spirit. Right? But you'll see my back
parts. Go back and look at it. Go back
and look at it. Where is God's goodness at? It's
in his features. His what? Human features. Where are his human features? In the person. of Jesus of Nazareth. If the person and work of Jesus
of Nazareth doesn't lead you to repentance, you've never repented. If some preacher has threatened
you with hail, has threatened you with some kind of divine
retribution and you made some decision and quit committing
certain sins, that's not the repentance associated with the
promise and the long suffering that the Bible talks about. It's
just not. A repentance that is wrought
by threatening is not godly repentance. giving up certain sins because
you think it'll get you to glory is not godly repentance. There are many a moral man and
woman that is in hell today. Do you hear what I said? There is many a moral man and
woman in hell today. You remember what the man in
hell said? Send somebody back. Send somebody
back. Tell them, warn them not to come
to this place. How many thousands have been
and still go? Right? Still go. What did finally, when it boiled
all down, what did Father Abraham say? They have Moses, you got
your five brothers, wasn't that what it, five brothers? You got
them five brothers? I know you're concerned about
them. They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. Now who does Moses and the prophets
talk about? Jesus Christ, this book says.
Jesus Christ. There's nothing wrong with soul
winning. There's nothing wrong with soul winning. If your desire is that a man
or a woman, a boy or a girl's heart be won by the person and
work of Jesus Christ. If you could talk with someone
about the glories of who Christ is and what he's done, and they're
won by that, they're led to repentance by that, they're won! They're
won! But if you threaten them with
hell and tell them if they'll just come forward and make a profession
of faith, change their ways, start living a little better,
you might have won them. But they're not won to Christ.
Do you understand what I'm saying? Winning the soul is not about
pigeonholing them about their sins. It's about expounding unto
them from the scriptures the person and work of Jesus Christ. Now does that affect their life
or not? That's where it stands. Does that work a change in them
or not? That's where it stands. Because
first of all, repentance is not quitting doing bad things. Repentance
is toward God. Paul, you remember that group
of heathen that thought Paul was a god when that snake bit
him and shook it off in the fire? He said, here's what we do, fellas.
Here's my whole, you wanna define my missionary efforts. Here it
is. We preach this. Repentance toward God. and faith
toward the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, by nature, you and I
do not know God as he truly is. Our first problem is not our
drinkin' and our smokin' and our runnin' around. Our first
problem is we don't know God. Everybody thinks they know God. Their problem is they're drinkin',
they're smokin', and they're runnin' around. Think about this. had nothing to drink, and nothing
to smoke, and no other women to run around with. And he fell the greatest fall
ever. Did he not? There were no bars
for him to hang out in, were there? No naked joints to go to. Was
there? No. I started to say no marijuana,
but maybe there was some back then. Now I know we'll probably
get mail on that one right there, but you understand what I'm talking
about. Adam's one sin was to do one thing that God said don't
do. Everything else you're free to
take up. Isn't that what he said? Whatever it was, Mason, everything,
don't eat of that fruit. And Adam said, I will. The one
thing, Adam said, I will. That's your and our problem.
That's our problem. We still say that every day of
our lives by nature, I will. I will have what God said I can't
have. But in the end, everyone is getting
what God willed to be done. You remember what Peter said?
Look at it, chapter two. Look at it. Chapter two, verse
nine. The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptations. and then look at the man he's
talking about there. Lot. I'll chew on that for a
while. But look, the Lord knoweth how
to deliver the godly out of temptations and look, don't ever look at
2 Peter 3, 9 as God's trying his best to get everybody to
repent. Look, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment
to be punished. Yes or no? That's what this says,
does it not? This is the same Peter that wrote
chapter three, verse nine. Has he changed his mind now?
No, he's still talking about the same thing. Two types of people,
just, unjust. Oh God, make me just. Make me just. Hear Paul, hear
what Paul says. Turn to Titus, chapter two. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, and it has. There is not a race of people
on the face of this earth that hasn't heard the gospel. For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men, teaching us excuse me, that denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this
present world. And that's what the grace of
God teaches you if it's ever come to you. Looking for that
blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and
our savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might
redeem us from all iniquity and purify himself a peculiar people
Heavy after, zealous. Heavy after, good works. These
things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Don't let
anybody look down on you because of it. You know what he says?
Let no man despise thee. Hear me now. If you never repent, you will
perish. If you ever repent, you will
never cease to repent. not if you were truly brought
to it by God. You see, think about it. Godly
sorrow for sin precedes repentance. Now I want you to turn back to
2 Corinthians. And let's just look at a couple
things here. Now we're looking at repentance in particular.
2 Corinthians chapter seven. Godly sorrow for sin precedes
repentance. Most people think, I'm sorry
about what I did. They think that's repentance.
Do they not? They're taught that if you're sorry for your sins
come up here Right pray the prayer and they say that's repentance.
That's not repentance. Look at what it says now 2nd Corinthians
chapter 7 starting verse 6 nevertheless God the comfort of those that
are cast down Comforted us by the coming of Titus and not by
his coming only only but by the consolation wherewith he was
comforted in you. He had good news when he got
here about you. That's what he's talking about.
When he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent
mind toward me so that I rejoice the more. Let me tell you something. A repenting people love one another.
Do they not? Yeah. I mean, when you're a repenting
person, it's nice to be around another repenting person. When
you're a repenting person, it's not easy to be around a self-righteous
person. Now is it? God help us not to
be self-righteous people. Uh-huh. For though I made you
sorry with a letter, I do not repent. Now he said, I've not
changed my mind. Though I did repent. And he said,
I thought about it for a while. But he said, no. I stand my guns.
I stay where I'm at, for I perceive that the same epistle hath made
you sorry, though it were but for a season. Look, now I rejoice,
not that ye were made sorry. Now he's not saying, I wish you'd
never been sorry. No, that's not what he said,
does he? Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that
ye sorrowed to repentance. In other words, this was a real
sorrow. It was real, it was genuine,
it was true. And the vast thousands, sad to
say, the vast thousands that will walk aisles this Sunday
morning don't have that kind of sorrow. They'll go right back
out within days, weeks at least. They'll be right back at it where
they were. And then most everybody tries, so they preserve their
own ministry. Well you were saved, now you got lost again. That's anti-Christ religion.
Look at what it says. Now I rejoice, not that you were
made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made
sorry after a godly manner. That don't mean he was real righteous
about this thing. No, it means God Almighty worked
this thing in you. That ye might receive damage
by us and nothing. When you're a real bona fide
sinner, and God Almighty brings you to that place of sorrow,
you're not gonna get ticked off when the preacher exposes you. You understand that? If you get
ticked off and leave because the preacher exposed you, then
you're not made sorrow after a godly matter. And that's just
a fact. We've had many leave this place
because somebody got exposed. And I'm not talking about personally
exposing you. You don't even have to be, I
don't have to call your name and spell out a sin. Just get up
here and hit the nail on the head. And when somebody's not
made sorry after a godly matter, out the door they will go and
they will not be back. Look, for godly sorrow worketh
repentance, here it is, to salvation. That's the kind of mason I need.
You see it, that's the kind I need. For godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation. And then look, not to be repented
of. A man or a woman that's ever
been through this never regrets having been through this. You never look back and say,
boy, I wish I'd never repented. If you ever have, you've never
repented after this matter. You see what I'm saying? Now
there are some who they went forward, they did their repenting,
they prayed through, you know what I'm saying? They do all
of this, and then a week later they say, well I wish I hadn't
even done that now. I can't have fun now. I'll tell you what,
since God Almighty brought me to repentance, I've had more
fun in my life than I ever had before. Because it's real fun. It's free fun. It's fun and liberty. And this world don't get that.
If I told them what I'd just been doing last week, they'd
probably really be, we won't go there, people. That might
be on TV, it might not. Look, for godly sorrow worketh
repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow
of the world. Oh, look what all I left behind. That's death. It's death. You see, that kind of repentance
means nothing. Nothing. If you'd rather be back
there, you might as well go. I've said things like that. If
you don't like it here, there's the door. That's what Paul's
talking, that's what you'll do. I'm just telling you what you're
gonna do anyway. But if you love it, you can't get away from it.
Even if you leave that door, God won't let you go. You'll
be like Jonah, fleeing from the presence of the Lord and you'll
run right smack dab into him. Won't you? You'll find your ship
to get away from him and you don't realize that's God's ship.
That's God's ship. And you'll say, I don't want
to be in this storm. You'll find out that's God's storm. I don't
like being around these men. Well, those are God's men. I
don't like that big fish out there. That's God's fish. And
he'll bring you back right to where you're supposed to be.
I want to be one of those kind of people, don't you? I would
rather be a Jonah than an Esau. any day. What about you? What about you? You see, repentance
leads to acknowledging the truth. It's what Paul said to Timothy,
2 Timothy 2. that God may grant to them repentance
to what? Not so they quit doing this and
quit doing that. There are certain things probably
you're gonna begin to quit. Try to lay them to the side,
get rid of them. But that's not the first point. Repentance what? To the acknowledging of the truth. Who is the truth? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. You see, no God
wrought repentance is ever regretted. Is it? If you've ever regretted
any repentance you ever went through, then it wasn't God-wrought.
Even if you're a saved person. If you thought, well, I'm gonna
make this right, I'm gonna repent, and then later on you go, well,
that was a disaster, that wasn't of God. That was your flesh just
trying to be religious. Just trying to make yourself
feel better about something you thought you wasn't supposed to
be doing. Well, when God Almighty opened your eyes every time to
see Christ, and you can say, That's why it works, repentance.
Because I don't want to ever lose sight of that. What about
you? I don't want to ever lose sight
of that. There's a lot of things, Paul Pendleton, there's a lot
of things, that's why I'll never do that again. And I do. I do. But when I think that I've
lost sight of Jesus Christ, Mason Lilly, that scares me more than
anything in this world. When I think, does my knowledge
and love for him, is it real? Joe, that scares me more than
anything else in this world. Not things. Not things. Him. Him. Repentance begins with
proper thoughts about God. Paul told those idolatrous Thessalonians,
he says, here's proof. of the ministry of the gospel
in you. You turned to God from idols. Do you see that? Most
people are taught today, get rid of your idols and come to
God. You'll never get to God. Because you got pockets full
of idols. You got a heart that you worship.
You got a life that you love. Even if you wake up with a hangover
the next morning, that next evening you go right back at it again. Why? Because we love those things. Don't try to get rid of those
things first. Anybody! Turn to God. And if that's truly God wrought,
you will be turning from idols. Yeah, you will be. It's no wonder
Peter went on to write these words, and let's close it up.
2 Peter 3, verse 14. As he talks about, there's coming
judgment, right? There's coming judgment. You
can read the rest after verse nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, all that. Then in verse 14 he says, look,
wherefore, beloved, seeing that we look for, such things. Oh God, may it happen today.
Wouldn't it be glorious for God to wind this thing down today?
Huh? Today. Wherefore, beloved, seeing
that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found
of him in peace. There's the first thing. There's
the first thing. Without spot and blameless. How you gonna do that? Only in
Christ. Look, an account. It don't matter
how you see things with this, these eyes, or how you perceive
them with your mind. An account, just reckon it to
be so. An account that the long-suffering
of our Lord is salvation. Has he damned you yet? No, then
he's long-suffering to you. If you're one of these people.
Oh, but I fouled up so miserably, I'm ashamed of myself. You ought
to be. But has God wiped Christ from
your mind? No. No. That's his long-suffering. Count that the long-suffering
of the Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul
also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath he written
unto you, as also in all his epistles, now think about it,
speaking in them of these things, in which some things hard to
be understood. It ain't about understanding
them. Just believe them. Just, I can't figure out that
election. It boggles my mind. Quit, try, it will boggle your
mind. Am I this kind of lapsarian or
that kind of lapsarian? Quit it! It's hard to be understood. Why? Look what some people do,
which they that are unlearned and unstable, what do they do?
They wrestle with it. Fight it. As they do also the
other scriptures. There's no odd thing, Peter said.
Unto their own destruction. Oh God, make me quit fighting
against you and your word. Because sometimes I do. Mason,
I'll reach out there and I'll grab a bit of this book, this
truth, and I'll try to squeeze it and mold it into what I want
it to be. Have you ever done that, even
as a believer, huh? Oh God, help me not to rest it to my own destruction.
Help me to let go of it. It's like water, it'll find its
own level. It'll find its own level. And then to set back a
marble at it. Set back a marble at it. Father,
oh God, break us. Break us by your goodness. break
us by the message of your son in his name. Amen.