I invite your attention this
morning to the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 9. The Gospel according to Matthew
chapter 9. We'll read about five verses. We'll
begin in verse 9. And as Jesus passed forth from
thence, He saw a man. He saw a man. named Matthew, sitting at the
receipt of custom. And he saith unto him, follow
me. And he arose. And he arose, it said, and followed
him. This truth, the religious world
knows nothing about. They actually present a Jesus
Christ who is begging men to arise and follow. He does not
beg men to arise and follow, he commands. And when he does,
they will. That's not even my message, but
that's what is taught here. And it came to pass, as Jesus
said at meet in the house, if you read some of the other writers,
you'll find out this is Matthew, that he's talking about here.
Matthew's writing this so he doesn't put himself at the forefront
at all here. And it came to pass as Jesus
said it, meet in the house, behold. Here's something else. Put your
eyes on this if you can. Behold, many publicans and sinners
came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees
saw it, and this is usually the way it happens even today, And
when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, why
eateth your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard
that, he said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that
meaneth, or more appropriately, what meaneth. Here's the phrase,
I will have mercy and not sacrifice. And here's what I want to try
to concentrate on this morning. For I am not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance. There is so much glorious truth
here. I do not have the time and Sunday
morning to try to present all that this says So I'm not going
to try to go through it step by step My message this morning is called
to repentance The common thought today is that
attending church That's actually a little bit of a misnomer. Well,
it's a whole lot of a misnomer. I But I'll use the phrase, you
know what I'm talking about, going to religious services somewhere
on Sunday mornings. A common thought today is that
attending church is for good people. This is what people think. Our pastor Earl Cochran used
to express it this way, and this is not meant to be exact quote,
but it's something along this line. This is what he used to
say, most so-called churches social societies where people
gather together to congratulate each other on how good they are. That's what most so-called churches
are in this day and age. But Christ gathered with publicans
and sinners. Later on, you find this progression,
he began to instruct and preach to publicans and sinners. And
then later on, you find the progression that publicans and sinners began
to gather together to him to hear him. Oh, to be a part of
that progression. To find an interest in him to
where you go sit with him. But then when he begins to speak,
you find an interest of where you want to hear what he has
to say. Christ gathered with publicans
and sinners. Christ preached the gospel to
publicans and sinners. Christ taught God's truth to
publicans and sinners. Christ engaged in God the Father's
will of calling sinners to repentance. For I am not come to call the
righteous, he said, but sinners to repentance. Now, there is
another passage in Scripture. It's not an opposing passage.
But you remember when Paul, speaking, and I think it was on Mars Hill
in Athens, was it not? When he said, and the times of
this ignorance, what ignorance? The times when men would fashion
with tools from their mind out of gold or silver or stone, they
would fashion their God in a likeness. And he said, at the times of
this ignorance, God winked at it. He overlooked it. It doesn't
mean God said, it's all right. At the times of this ignorance,
God winked at these things, but now God commandeth all men everywhere
to repent. But that's not what Christ said
in John chapter 9. Christ in John 9 did not say,
I am come to command men to repent. Though command men to repent,
he did. And though we know now, God now commandeth all men everywhere
to repent. But that's not what Christ said.
He said, I am not come to call the righteous, but I am come
to call, that's what you could say, I am come to call sinners
to repentance. Do you know the difference? Do
you know the difference between being commanded to repent and
being called to repent? there is a difference. And I'm
not going to spend much time this morning trying to express
that difference. It doesn't matter. You're not
really gonna get it until it happens to you. I can sit here
and preach and I can command you all day long to repent. It
ain't gonna make a difference until Christ Jesus calls you
to repentance. This statement angered the self-righteous. And it drove them to mock the
Lord of glory. And it still does that today
when the self-righteous hear this truth. They that behold
need not a physician, but they that be sick. But go learn what
means I will have mercy and not sacrifice because I'm not come
to call people who think they're good. I'm come to call sinners
to repentance. Note that Christ did not say,
I have come to call on sinners to repent. Now that is generally what is
taught when men preach from this passage. They will preach and
quote what Christ said here, and then they'll start commanding
people, you ought to repent. But as I pointed out, it ain't
about ought to, should. God now commandeth all men everywhere
to repent, period. You know why? Because he's ordained
a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by
that man which he hath ordained, Christ Jesus the Lord. Christ
did and is doing much more than calling on sinners to repent.
Christ is calling sinners to repentance. And there is a big
difference in those two things. And He did so, our Lord Jesus
Christ did so in absolute separation from sinners' sinful ways. When
sinners gathered with Him, it wasn't because He was there to
have a big party. He didn't gather to gather with
them, to eat with them, to live like they lived. Oh no. In one place, they said, this
man, Edith, was sinners, and he receives them. That's right,
amen. It was meant to be a mockery
of Jesus Christ and the sinners that he was receiving. But the
glorious thing is that he taught the truth of God, and he was
calling sinners to repentance in absolute separation from sinner's
sinful ways. And the reason I know that's
true is because of Hebrews chapter 7, and I'll read just this one
verse. Hebrews chapter 7, the apostle
puts it this way, verse 26. For such an high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Mason,
even when he was eaten with them, he was still separate from them. And even when he was receiving
them unto himself, he was still separate from them. separate
from sinners and made higher than the heavens. He stooped down to our level
in the likeness of sinful flesh, but he never became sinful flesh. He never engaged in our sinful
ways. Never. No man or woman is ever
condemned. Now listen to this. No man or
woman is ever condemned because God does not grant them repentance.
Did you know that? Men and women are condemned because
they do not repent. And I know there are those that,
what's he talking about? I don't get that. I know you
don't. Some people, I'm not saying you
here, but some people don't. They wouldn't get that. They
wouldn't understand that at all. Listen to it again. No man or
woman is ever condemned because God does not grant them repentance.
Men and women are condemned because they do not repent. Adam's fallen race, that's you
and me by nature. We are so corrupt, we are so
vile, we are so depraved that none of us would ever repent
save God Almighty give to some of us that repentance. But we're
not condemned because he doesn't give us repentance. We're condemned
if we are condemned because we do not repent. And if you ever begin to really
get the difference between that, it may just be God Almighty's
doing something for you. You remember what, now look at
what Paul said to Timothy. 2 Timothy, back to where Joe
was this morning. In 2 Timothy chapter two, Paul
put it this way to Timothy. Verse 24, but the servant of
the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all, apt to teach,
patient, and that's tough. With folks like you. But that's tough having to come
from a fella like me too. Apt to teach, patient, in meekness,
instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure. will give to 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. So again I say, God must grant
you repentance if you are ever to repent. But if you're ever
condemned, it won't be because God didn't grant you repentance.
You will be condemned because you did not repent. Somebody
says, that ain't fair. We ain't talking about fairness.
We're talking about absolute justice. We are responsible for
our condition in Adam. And we're responsible for our
conduct in Adam. God owes us nothing but judgment
and condemnation. And if we do not repent, we will
be justly condemned by God. but it will take a sovereign
act of a sovereign, merciful, compassionate God to give me
repentance if I ever find myself repenting. So then, what is it really to
be called to repentance? More particularly for this morning,
what is repentance? If you look up the word, not
in the dictionary, but look it up in a Greek concordance, you'll
look up the Greek word repentance. The first thing about repentance,
it always stresses, is to think differently. It always begins
in the inward person. on the inside. Most of what religion
means today, when they talk about repentance, they mean this. You're
doing A, and it's wrong, you need to quit doing A. You're
doing B, and it's wrong, you need to quit doing B. Or you're
doing C, or maybe A, B, and C, and you need to quit A, B, and
C, that's what they call repentance. But the first thing highlighted
about repentance is to think differently. It is a reversal,
the actual meaning is a reversal of thought. So God commands all men everywhere
to have a reversal of what they think. Have you ever heard somebody
say, I know what I think? God abhors that. what you and
I think in Adam, what you and I think by nature. What we think
as we are born into this world is an abomination in God's sight. Repentance is first and foremost,
it is a reversal of thought, a reversal of decision. And it
results then, because if it's real repentance, it results then
a reversal of action. You're never really going to
conduct yourself differently till you begin to think differently. Exactly. If you're conducting
yourself differently but not thinking differently, you are
playing the part of the highest order of hypocrite. Exactly. That's it. And sadly, we'll say thousands,
maybe even hundreds of thousands are led down that path today.
Just change your action and that's repentance. If you ain't changing
the way you thought about it, it ain't repentance. Turning
over a new leaf, you'd call it a lot of different things. But
it doesn't start with action, it starts in here. Starts in
here, inside. a reversal of thought, a reversal
of decision, then a reversal of action, but it's always accompanied
by a compunction wrought over guilt and shame. Yes, sir. That's right. Amen. That's right. Have you ever seen these people
at the, some of these, they used to have them, don't have them
now, but the great big Billy Graham crusade meetings, whatever
they call them. These people just hundreds of
walking down the aisle coming to Jesus and they're chewing
chewing gum and just smiling and all happy Have you ever seen
it? That's not repentance Listen to how the psalmist put
it in Psalm 34 Let me turn to it Like I said, I
will I will try to be brief since we're having the Lord's table
this morning Psalm chapter 34 In verse 18, the Lord is nigh
unto them, that's a, there's a good thought, isn't it? The
Lord is nigh unto them that are of a, what? A broken heart. And saveth such, there's a good
thought, isn't it? And saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit. Any change of thought, decision,
and action not accompanied by compunction wrought over guilt
and shame is not godly repentance. Now that means something because
there is a repentance that's not of godliness. There's a repentance that falls
far short of that which God commands, all been everywhere to do, and
falls far short of that which God gives to some. There is a
repentance that's of the flesh. And therein is the rub. Therein
is the scary thing, if you will. Look at what Isaiah said. Turn
over to Isaiah chapter 57. Isaiah chapter 57, verse 15. For thus saith the high and lofty
one that inhabiteth eternity, Folks, that's far above me. Yes,
sir. That's right. I don't inhabit
that. No. For thus saith the high and
lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. Amen. You see it? I dwell in the high and holy
place. Well, that's That's par for the course, isn't
it? If he's the holy one, I do it. But look at it. I dwell in
the high and holy place with him also. Oh, wait a minute. Somebody's there with him. Yes,
sir. Somebody is there with him, Mason. Yes, sir. What? Yes. With him also that is of
a contrite and humble spirit and to revive Oh, thank God he
does that. Thank God he doesn't leave you
in that compunction place of rot, guilt, and shame. He says to revive the spirit
of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. That's what Christ was talking
about when he said, I came up to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance. That's the repentance he's talking
about right there. If anyone here this morning,
if anyone hearing my voice anywhere else, if you don't know what
the Psalmist or what the prophet Isaiah was saying, you've never
been saved. And that's not me saying that
to be mean to anyone. I'm not trying to judge somebody.
I'm declaring the truth of God. I actually care for your soul
in trying to expose the error under which you are deceived.
Because countless thousands talk about what they've done for the
Lord and it falls far short of this being called to repentance. Paul defines it this way, turn
to 2 Corinthians, I'm sorry. 2 Corinthians chapter seven. Paul's going to define repentance
for us. 2 Corinthians chapter seven,
I'll begin in verse nine. But before I read, let me point
this out. Take note of who he's writing to. He's writing to the
church at Corinth. People who had already repented. know this, they still needed
to repent, too. As Henry Mahan once said, I think
he was preaching, I think it was, if I have the accountings
right, but anyway, some lady came to him, or some person,
I should say, came to him and said, well, I repented, Pastor
Henry. He said, you're not still repenting? If you're not, you
never did. If you're not still today repenting,
you never have. You never get over repenting.
You might get over one act of repentance, but you never get
over repenting. Now remember, he's writing here
even to believers. Verse nine, now I rejoice not
that ye were made sorry. Although we will find out sorrow
has something to do with it. But a lot of people think just
as long as I'm sorry for my sin, as long as I'm sorry for the
way I've done, as long as I'm sorry for what I think, as long
as I'm sorry, that's all. I'm sorry, forgive me. You ever
heard, that's what people think you're supposed to do today.
I'm sorry, forgive me. Paul said, now I'll rejoice not
that you were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed too Repentance. So therefore the two things are
connected, but they are separate, right? Yes, the sorrow is necessary. That's that compunction wrought
over guilt and shame we're talking about here. Now rejoice, not that you were
made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance, for you were made
sorry, look, after a godly manner. So that lets me know, by default,
there's evidently a sorrow that's not after a godly matter. Right? That ye might receive damage
by us and nothing. And Paul's saying, even though
sometimes I was very rough on you, straightforward with you,
I told you things that hurt your feelings. I told you things that
put you in the dirt. I didn't do it, though, just
to make you feel sorry. It was the truth of God and it
was needful for you to hear. But Paul says, thank God you
sorrowed after a godly manner. That ye might receive damage
by us and nothing. Look, for godly sorrow. Godly sorrow and godly sorrow
only. That's not being sorry for God.
We ain't talking about no pity party for God. We're talking
about a God wrought sorrow. That's what he's talking about
there. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. You see it? Not to be repented
of. No person who's ever went through
this is ever gonna be sorry they went through this. They may be
under a very heavy load while they're going through this, but
once it reaches its expected goal, it's rejoicing and joy. Thank God He brought me through
that. Thank God He made me sorrow after
a godly manner. That sorrow brought me to what?
A change of mind, a change of thought, a change of decision,
a reversal of action. For godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world.
Let's not be sorrow about the world. Not feeling sorry for
the world, it's a worldly sorrow. Now he comes right out and says
there's another kind. For the sorrow of the world, what's it
worth though? Death. Death. Here's the question, which kind
do I got? Might not be the best English,
but what kind do I got? Did God bestow a godly sorrow
that brought me to repentance in him? Or is this something
I've worked up within myself? Isn't that an important question
to consider? Oh, yes. Because the sorrow of this world,
if all you have is a worldly sorrow, a sorrow wrought through
the Adamic nature, it can be sorrow that I might miss heaven
and have to go to hell. Yeah. I mean, I don't know anybody. I heard one guy say one time,
I'm ready to go to hell. I'll have plenty of company.
He was an idiot. But no one in their right mind wants to go
to hell, do they? If you even believe it, if you
believe it exists, you don't want to go there. But a lot of
people change their thoughts and their actions, if not just
their actions. They can now get me to heaven,
I can miss hell. The scripture certainly declares
we ought to fear hell. But it also says fear God. This compunction we're talking
about over guilt and shame is the fact that I have offended
this thrice holy God. This rebellion I have, that I
am against him, has separated me from him. And he says it's
these people that I'm with. Contrite and humble, right? You
see the two different sides of the poles here? That's the way
Paul defines this repentance, isn't it? Christ calls sinners
to a reversal of thought. Calls them to it. Now God commands
all men everywhere to repent, but unless he calls you to repentance,
you never will. And you'll perish for your lack
of repentance. But no one is ever saved. whom
God doesn't call to repentance. And now what he says there, and
he says that even to believers, it's an ongoing thing. Repentance by default lets me
know I got trouble. I have a problem, right? Most
people think once they repent, all my troubles are over. Well,
once you repent, it's just the starting of your repenting. It
will never end until you awaken his likeness, if it's of a godly
manner. because we are still so corrupt,
so vile, so sinful, that Neil, I still need repentance. Should
I say yes, I should every day. In some sense, to some degree,
Mason, or another, I need God to work in me a godly sorrow
that works to repentance that needs not be repented of. There is an initial repentance.
that accompanies conversion by the gospel. There is no doubt.
And there is an ongoing repentance in the everyday lives of the
converted. And that's just the way it is.
Most people, when you talk about repentance, they'll take you
back to some time that they walked some church aisle or they made
some decision, right? And I repented. But beloved,
I have to confess to you today, I am still repenting. And thank
God for it. That doesn't assuage the guilt,
Joe, of my crimes against God in and of itself. You remember
the song we sang? Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive. Let a repenting rebel live. Are not thy mercies large and
free? May not a sinner trust in thee?
My crimes are great. How many people are calling their
sins today crimes? Today, we say it, men say it
like, oh, I messed up. We're all sinners. We've all
sinned to come to the shore of the glory of God. They're even
quoting scripture, but they don't get what the apostles saying
there. Our sins are crimes against God. My crimes are great, but
don't surpass the power and glory of thy grace. Aren't you glad? Aren't you glad that the book
says, and it means this very thing, where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. So again, I say there is an initial
repentance. And if you haven't went through
that initial repentance, I don't care what you profess this morning,
you've never been called to repentance. If that's the way it is with
your state, quit playing games, quit walking in deception, if
God will. and bow down in repentance before
Jesus Christ today. Because there is an initial repentance.
You don't just start believing this truth. You don't wake up one morning
and just say, you know what, I believe that. I believe I'll
go to the preacher and ask him, I can't be baptized. No, God
Almighty will first humble you and bring you down before he
ever exalts you. God Almighty will strip you naked
of everything you think you're clothed with before He ever clothes
you with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And if you've never
been there, you've never been called to repentance. It's a state that makes you say,
God, except you save me, I cannot be saved. God, except you change
me, I cannot change. Turn me, one writer said, and
I shall be turned. You remember Esau? He sought
repentance. Carefully, with tears. Couldn't find it. Couldn't find
it. Well, that doesn't really mean
real repentance. Oh, okay. Live on in La La Land
and you'll perish. You see, it's not even seeking
after it. God Almighty's got to do a work in your soul that
you become so ashamed of yourself and your crimes against God that
you cry out unto Him for mercy. For mercy. Where you continually
cry, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Because you know
you can't do nothing about your unbelief. It's just as much a
stronger force today in my life, if not more so, than it ever
was. And it's not God help me to take
care of my unbelief. No, it's Lord, I believe, help
thou my unbelief. Let me give you five things about
repentance. I said I'd be brief, didn't I?
Oh, well. Five things about repentance
repentance is a reversal of thought about God This is what Paul said
he told the Ephesians He says, we teach, we teach, we testify,
we preach this, repentance toward God, that's the first thing.
It's not repentance from sin, it's repentance toward God. It's
a reversal of thought about God. Most people think they know all
about God, that's a gimme. I got that by default. I know
all about God. I just need to be able to quit
drinking or quit smoking or quit going to movies I shouldn't go
to. I ought to quit gambling. Let's see, what else is there?
There's gotta be a few more sins, isn't there? I know there's a
big list out there somewhere, isn't it? Isn't that what most
people think of it? No, repentance is first thought
toward God. Because by nature, we don't think
the right thoughts about God. By nature, we don't know God.
Repentance, first of all, is a reversal of thought about God.
I don't care if you've been brought up under this gospel all your
life, you by nature did not think right about God. You just didn't. Every time you thought, I believe
in election, it was an affront to God because you wasn't worshiping
his son. Well, I believe in predestination. Was you bowing to Jesus Christ?
Doesn't matter what you believed in. Doesn't matter. Because he said, we preach repentance
toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where
it begins. Secondly, repentance is a reversal
of thought about yourself. What did Paul say? Turn to Romans
7. We'll go through this briefly. Verse nine, for I was alive without
the law once. Paul was brought up under the
law, right? Steeped in the law, yeah? But
he's talking about the time right before and leading right up to
his conversion. And he says this, for I was alive
without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived,
and I died. You see, the fact is, God's gotta
make you alive in Christ Jesus first before you ever even realize
that you're dead in trespasses and sins. It takes an act of God before
you even realize how corrupt your own actions really are. And then look at what he goes
on to say in verse 14. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I, even now as he, for I am carnal, sold under sin. That ain't the way he used to
think about himself. Is it? He's starting to think differently
about himself too, isn't he? You see it? Now, look at another
one here. Look at verse 18. What does he say? For I know
that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing. Even though I'm willing, I don't
have the ability. That's what he says. Everybody
counting free will? Paul says, for to will is present with me,
but how to perform that which is good I find not. What the
religious world is actually saying about free wills, as long as
you think it's so, it's good enough. No, God demands action. And we don't have the ability
for truly good action. Because everything I do is somehow
wrought with sin because this one person, me, that has flesh,
still doing it. For I know that in me that is
in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Look at verse 24. Here's
a different thought about yourself, oh wretched man that I am. Mason,
there came a day when Saul of Tarsus began thinking that about
himself. But there was a time when he
didn't think like that about himself. He thought he was a
pretty good fella. He said, according to the law, I'd blame us. What's he crying out now? Oh,
wretched man that I am. And then he has it right. He has it right because this
was of God. His next word was W. H-O. Who? Either I will deliver myself
or someone else will deliver me. And I know I can't do it. Who? Aren't you glad when you
run up on God's who? It's not a what, it's a who. Oh wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through
Jesus Christ. Thirdly, repentance is accompanied
by a change of action. Go back and look at Zacchaeus.
Remember when you was young, maybe some of you that we always
made to sing, was taught to sing, Zacchaeus was a wee little man
and a wee little man was he. But you know what Zacchaeus told
the Lord Jesus Christ? He said, he basically said, something's
happened to me today. And I think different about myself
now. And you know what, he said, I have half of my goods, I'll
give to the poor. Go back and look at it. He said it in Luke
19, verse eight. Luke recorded it. And he said,
if I've taken anything by man by extortion, this is what he's
talking about. If I stole anything from anybody, I'll restore it
fourfold. Now, what's the lesson in that
for us? Not that you have to give half
of your wealth to someone else if you're really gonna be saved.
No, it is you come to know what your life was like before, and
that's not adequate. That is an insult toward God. It is an offense toward God.
My way of life was wrong. I don't care that you sit under
the sound of this gospel for all your life. Repentance makes you think differently
about the way you live. And I'm afraid there's a lot
of people, maybe I shouldn't say a lot, but there are at least
some who profess the doctrine of free, sovereign grace and
still don't get that. Aren't you glad Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners? But after he saves you, Mason,
you want to quit walking that way. You may have to fight with
it and struggle with it and keep beating on it and beating on
it and beating on it. Keep mortifying and mortifying
and mortifying. Right? Why? Because you still
got these members that are on the face of the earth. And Paul
says, kill them, deaden them, be on those things. But if you
look at something else, Paul said in Romans 7, he said, what
I hate, I do. What I love, I don't do. What
you care about changes. What you love changes. What you
hate changes. Repentance is accompanied by
a change of action. And that's just the way it is.
Fourthly, repentance wrought by the creative act of God puts
everything in new light. The light of the newness of life
in Christ. Second Corinthians chapter five,
turn to that one. This is where I, now we're bringing,
remember there's a repentance, there's a sorrow of this world.
What does that lead to? Death. But godly sorrow leads
to repentance, leads to repentance, to salvation that doesn't ever
need to be repented of. So look at what he says. Now,
think of that, think of this like, the human psyche, the human life
force, that which was our spirit, if you want to put it that way,
that is within us, can receive a lot of different information. Can receive a lot of different
information. The problem with it, by nature, we can't love
that information when that information comes from God. Propels by nature. We hate everything that has to
do with God and his truth And look at what Paul writes here
2nd Corinthians chapter 5 And verse 16 wherefore henceforth
no, we know man after the flesh what I'm not talking about becoming
stupid Not talking about becoming naive We can know one another
after the flesh, can we not? Get to be related to one another.
Have intimate, close relationships with one another in the flesh,
can we not? Become free-ins in the flesh,
can we not? So much so that we may even lay
down our lives for one another. May go to battle for a country
that we love or care for or some liberties that we care for and
lay our lives on the line. Can not men do that in the flesh?
Thousands have. But Paul says, wherefore henceforth
know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we've known Christ
after the flesh. There's the thing that ought
to frighten us. You can know Christ after the
flesh, but that ain't good enough. Look, yet now henceforth know
we Him no more. Everything that we know once
God Almighty has given you repentance is now cast in a whole different
light. And I can't explain it to you. You have to go through it to
get what he's talking about. And how do I know he's saying
that? The next word is therefore. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature. Old things are passed away. behold,
all things are become what? New. I don't think the same way
about you folks as I would have thought about you folks about
30 some years ago. Before I was new in Christ Jesus.
But therefore, if I'm in Christ, I view you in a different light,
both positively and negatively. And let me tell you, you can
receive proper doctrine in your flesh. And you can receive the
facts about Jesus Christ in your flesh, but it ain't knowing him
in the flesh. It's knowing him only through
being made a new creature in Christ Jesus. And what's that
gauged by? This godly sorrow that leads
to repentance. That's what it's gauged by. Not
only that, here's the fifth thing. Repentance wrought by the act
of God. It puts two facets of life in
the proper perspective. I've done mentioned them. But
Paul, what I just spoke about in 2 Corinthians is the theme
we're talking about. Now Paul states it this way in
Philippians 3. You know the passage, finally
my brethren. Rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you,
to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware
of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. Think
about Paul's different attitude now about his buddies from years
ago. Right? These used to be, Mason,
his right-hand men. His buddies, his pals. He put
his life on the line to wipe out the name of Jesus Christ
if he could. Now he's called them evil workers and the concision.
You see how now we don't know man after the flesh. That's not
where our relationship with men is at now. If you're walking
in that relationship with somebody, it's the flesh. Call it what
it is. Now the question is, do you also have that relationship
with people in the spirit of God? Because you still have both. That's not the way we know men
anymore. That's not even how we know Christ now. Look, for
we are the circumcision, here it is, which worship God in the
spirit. Remember, it all starts in here.
All starts with the end. Which worship God in the spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. That's where God brings you to. Ah, the graciousness of a God
wrought repentance. Isn't it truly graciousness?
Isn't it truly mercy that God gave you that gift. You didn't
deserve it. You wouldn't do it on your own.
Though commanded to do it by God and men too. Right? I will not. I will not. Oh, the graciousness of a God
wrought repentance. Alarming to the spirit at first
rose. Yeah. Oh yeah, it'll alarm you. scare the dickens out of you.
Make you fear God, not just hell. Is it pressing on the conscience?
Oh yeah, most pressing. Like this heavy weight, this
heavy burden that comes upon you. And you can't get away from
it. And I don't care if you've been
saved for 30 years. When you cut up before God, When
you act out before God, you know what I'm talking about, God Almighty,
if you're one of His, will wear that heavy weight and load down
your conscience with the burden of it. And you might kick against it
and fight against it, but you won't get away from it. Yes,
pressing on the conscience. And when under the weight of
the guilt of that, it's like, It's a weight on the heart that
ladens you with shame. Even if you've been serving the
Lord for years. But when the liberation comes,
isn't it glorious? What happens when finally you
just bow down on your face and say, God, I cannot do this. I have the will. But how to do
what's right? It's beyond my grasp. Because
doing what's right is not doing the best you can. It's honoring
God so that he is never dishonored. And Mason, I can't do that. Sometimes
the harder I try, Roy Jr., the more I realize I can't do it.
And when I put forth my best effort is often when I find that
nasty old ugly self in me rise up to the forefront. You ever
been there? Oftentimes it seems like when I just become, not
care less about it, but in a sense care less, that's usually when
the best things happen. Quit where I gotta do something
for God and you will find out you ended up doing something
for yourself. You know, do you not know why, do you not relate?
This is what I'm saying. Let me sum it up. Do you not
relate to what Paul said? Oh, wretched man that I am, who? Who? And do you see that who
is Jesus Christ? Then God's brought you there.
I'm not asking you, oh, how many times you got to repent? Christ
said 70 times seven, right? So it's not a matter Mason of
how much. It's a matter of are ya. I can't get away from God. And
as people have said before, Earl said it, Joe said it, I've said
it, if you can leave this place, you might as well. I mean, if
you can really leave, leave what we believe, leave what we teach,
you might as well, because you're just putting on a show. If you'd
rather be somewhere else, you might as well be there. I mean,
I know I've been hurt, saddened, and sometimes even angered when
people left. but if they left because they
don't love the Christ of God and they know their absolute
need of him, if they don't know that, then they might as well
go somewhere else. If they're gonna put on a show, well, I
believe in connection. I believe in predestination.
That doesn't cut it. That doesn't cut it. Again, let
me read it again, and I'll close with this. I want you, if you
have your Bible, turn to Psalm 34, get in and just look at the
words. These are God's words. Hebrews, Psalm 34, verse 18. The Lord is nigh unto them. Mason, he's nigh whether we feel
it or not. Who's he nigh unto? The Lord is nigh unto them that
are of a broken heart. Save us such as be of a contrite
spirit and then we look look many Does that say we say I guess
I got so many that oh, that's a good thing Do you not get that? Oh, I wish I had fewer afflictions.
Oh, no, look many are the afflictions of the righteous But the Lord
delivers them out of them all It's not about how much repentance
you got, it's about what kind you got. But I got a kind that seem like
I just gotta keep repenting over and over again. That's the good
kind. If you think you've already arrived,
you ain't went nowhere. If you think you've already arrived,
I'm getting a whole lot better and better, doing a lot better.
Don't have to repent near as much as what I used to Mason.
It seemed like to me today, I gotta repent more now than I did when
I first started. When I first started, I had so
much stupid, ignorant zeal, I didn't know the difference. You know? After God teaches you and settles
you down a while, you realize, boy, I really am a wretched man.
Who? Who? Do you see? Do you believe? Do you worship? Do you rest in the who? That's
where it's at. Father, as we partake of this
table, God help us, make us to remember our Lord. In his name
I pray, amen.