Turn back to Acts chapter 11.
Glad to have Mindy and Hannah with us
this morning. Tell the brethren in the church
there we said hello. The title of the message this
morning is Repentance unto Life. God, he says, granted also to
the Gentiles. us repentance, a true godly solace
that led to life. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful
that God has not left us alone. I think about that often. I do.
I think often that God has not left us alone. You know, there
was several, a few thousand years went by I left the Gentile world
basically in darkness, left them alone. He has granted repentance
unto life. Now, Peter had been to Caesarea,
as we looked at here a couple of weeks ago. He went to preach
to Cornelius, a Gentile, in his house. Cornelius had gotten his
friends and relatives to come and hear the gospel. They said,
words, who shall tell thee words whereby thou and thy house shall
be saved? And he was there preaching. And
while preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on all that were in the
house. I'll read this message here in just a minute that Peter
preached. And you'll notice that Peter is not trying to get those
people to repent. He's not trying to get those
people to feel bad. I hear so much of that in today's
preaching. They're trying to create repentance.
We just preach Christ, the Holy Spirit. Repentance is the work
of the Holy Spirit. I can't give it. I can't give
it to myself. And I sure can't give it to you. I can make you
feel bad. I guarantee before you leave here today, I can make
you feel bad. But that's not repentance. That would be worldly
sorrow. Sorrow that's of the world. And
that, the Scripture says in 2 Corinthians, leads to death. That kind of
sorrow leads to death. I want the kind of sorrow over
sin and mourning over sin that leads to life. That's what we
want. And as Peter preached Christ
unto them, the Holy Spirit fell on them, and that whole house
was saved. Oh, wow. The Gentiles had received
the Holy Ghost as well as the Jews did. in the days of Pentecost. And Peter learned this, that
God is no respecter of persons in dispensing of His grace. No
race or no one race greater than another race in the dispensing
of God's grace. Now, chapter 11, Peter goes back
to Jerusalem. You'll see there in verses 1
through 3, they had the circumcision contended. contended with him. These are believers. They contended
with him because he went into men that were uncircumcised,
and that was not allowed among the Jews. You know, when Peter
said that, when the Lord gave him that vision, he said, the
Lord said, kill and eat. And he said, not so. He said,
I've never eaten anything unclean or common. And that's the same
attitude these men had. And Frank touched on it so well.
We do not grow up all at once, do we? We come into this world
as babes. We are born of God as babes.
Born again as babes. We start out as babes, but we
don't stay there. We grow up in Christ. We mature in Christ. And we become
young men in Christ. And then we become old men in
Christ. The scripture speaks of it like
this in 1 John. Children, young men, and fathers. That's how it is. We want to
grow in grace and the knowledge of Him. That's what I want for
myself. And that's what I want for you. To grow in grace and
in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. I heard a story one time
a long time ago. This mother had put her child
to bed. And she had gone out of the room and she heard the
child fall out of bed. She went into the room and she
said, what happened? What's wrong? And he said, I
stayed too close to where I got in. That's what happens when we don't
grow in grace and knowledge of Christ. That's what would happen.
Stay too close to where I got in. I want to grow. I want to
grow up in Christ. I want to mature in Christ and
go on in Christ. But I know this about spiritual
growth after all these years have gone by. I know this, it's
slow. It's slow. But I tell you this, usually
what's slow It stays around longer, doesn't it? It lasts longer. That one that grew up quickly
on the rock, it didn't last, did it? In a moment, thorns,
but that slow growth gives deep roots. And it lasts longer. And prejudice, I'll tell you
about this. Prejudice is the hardest one
to get rid of. It's one of the hardest sins
to get rid of. And I believe it's a byproduct
of self-righteousness. For me to think that I'm better
than you or somebody else, that is nothing but pure self-righteousness. And these Jews said, that's not
right. You shouldn't have done that. But they learned better. They learned better just as we
learned better. So Peter in verses 4 through 15, and I'm not going
to touch on all those verses, but he rehearses what happened
and how it all took place. How God had prepared the heart
of Cornelius and God prepared the heart of Peter for that meeting
and what God did when they met. The gospel that was preached
and the Holy Ghost fell on. Gospel was preached and sinners
were saved. That's how it is, isn't it? Christ
is priest and sinners are saved. And they're saved the same way
He said we are saved, the Jews. He's talking about Himself. They're
saved the same way. to the preaching of the gospel,
and God gave to them the Holy Ghost." Then he says in verse
fourteen, look at this, he said, let me read verse thirteen, and
he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house which stood
and said unto him, send men to Joppa, speaking of Cornelius
here, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell
thee words, who shall tell thee the gospel, the gospel of truth. whereby thou and all thy house
shall be saved." Now turn back to chapter ten. Let me read you
this brief sermon here that we have that Peter preached when
God saved Cornelius and his house. Now it says here in verse thirty-four,
Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth
him in work of righteousness is accepted with him. That's
the evidence that God is among us. That's not the reason. It's the evidence of it. And
the word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching
peace by Jesus Christ, he's Lord of all. As I said to you a couple
of weeks ago, there's his person. He's Lord. He's the sovereign
Lord of heaven and earth. That word, I say, you know, which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached, Now God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about
doing good," there's righteousness, His righteousness, "'and healing
all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with them.
And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land
of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on
a tree. Him God raised up the third day and showed him openly.'"
He's alive. not to all the people, but to
witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink
with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to
preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. To
him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sin. And while Peter
yet spoke these words, He's not trying to tell him a sad story
here, is he? Several years ago, there was
this movie called The Burning Hell. All these so-called churches
were claiming to have many converts. No, that's not the way it happens.
Peter preached the gospel, and while Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words. Peter
didn't preach hell, fire, and brimstone. He didn't try to scare
these people to death. He made no threats. He simply
preached Christ crucified, Christ exalted, and Christ risen, and
God saved that house. God saved all those in that house.
And I thought, what a rare blessing for God to save a whole house. That, my friend, is a rare blessing.
Because God demonstrates His sovereignty even in families.
He'll call this one and not call that one. But sometimes He's
pleased, as He is here, to save that whole house. I'm telling
you, that happens. I tell you, walk softly before
God. Walk softly. He was pleased to do that. And
then in verse 18, when they heard these things, they held their
peace and they glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to
the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." When God is pleased
to save, He grants faith and repentance unto life, and He's
pleased to save. Repentance, like faith, is a
gift of God. It's not something I can work
up. It's not something you can work up. It's not something I
can work up in you. It is the gift of God to truly
Truly mourn over my sins, over my sinfulness. To truly be able
to do that is a gift of God. Be glad if you can do that. Thank
God if you can do that. It is the gift of God. Not everyone
can do that. Not everyone. The natural man
will not repent with godly sorrow. Now, he may make an outward show
of repentance. He may make an outward show of
sorrow, but it's not godly sorrow. I want to show you some examples
in the Scriptures of this. Turn over to Acts chapter 24.
Acts chapter 24. In Acts 24, Paul preached to Felix. And after he preached to Felix,
I want you to look here in verse And after a certain days, when
Felix came with his wife, Grisela, which was Jewish, he sent for
Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as Paul
reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, listen,
Felix trembled. That man literally, physically
trembled. He was sitting before Paul shaking.
He trembled, and he answered. He said to Paul, go thy way for
this time. When I have a convenient season,
I tell you what, salvation is not at our convenience. Repentance
is not at my convenience. Not at all. When I have a convenient
season, I will call for thee. Did he ever do that? Not recorded. He never called for them. As
soon as he got out of his presence, he did it. Like Pharaoh, hardened
his heart. Now, turn over to Acts chapter
26. Acts 26 and verse 27. Now, Paul preached to Agrippa,
and he preached a powerful message. And he says in verse 27, Believest thou the prophets?
I know that thou believest. I know you know what I'm talking
about. That's why I'm saying you know the prophets. You know
this is so. You know what the prophets have said is true. You
know that. You know that, Agrippa. Then
Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost, I tell you what, almost doesn't
work here. Almost thou persuadest me to
be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God.
And he meant it. I would to God that not only
thou, but also all that hear me this day were both almost
and altogether such as I am, except for these bonds. Oh, he
said, almost, Paul, you persuade me to be a Christian after hearing
that message. But he wasn't. Now, turn over to Matthew 27. Here's another example of worldly
sorrow and worldly repentance, but it's not of God. It leads
to death. In Matthew 27, I want you to look at this. Then, in verse 3, then Judas,
which had betrayed him, When he saw that he was condemned,
he saw that Christ was condemned, repented himself, and he brought
again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priest and elder,
saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood. And they said, what is that to
us? He said, I'll tell you. And he cast down the pieces of
silver in the temple. And here's what his sorrow led
to. He departed, and he went, and he hanged himself. By his conscience, it was troubled
in his mind, but not in his heart. He did not have a real heart
of repentance. He was just sorry because he
had betrayed innocent blood, and it troubled him, troubled
him. Not all sorrow is godly sorrow. The sorrow, as the Scripture
says in 2 Corinthians 7, there's a sorrow of the world that leads
to death. But there is, and here's what I want to get to, there
is a real repentance on the life It's real, it's genuine, and
it's of God. I looked this up. In the Greek it means this. It
means to change one's views. I mean a real change of mind. It's a real change of purpose.
It's a real change of thoughts about God. He said in one place,
you thought I was altogether like yourself. You don't think
like that no more. Not if God grants you repentance.
You don't think like that any more. Not at all. It's a turning
from and a turning to. Paul said to those Thessalonians,
you turn from your idols to serve the living God. I mean, it's
a real turning from these things. And it's produced by the work
of the Holy Spirit in us through the preaching, now listen, of
Christ. Not the preaching of hell. It's
the preaching of Christ. He'll crucify. It's produced
by hand through the preaching of the gospel. And it has in
it, it has in it, a true conviction of sin, a real true conviction
of sin. Not just that we've committed
some things we ought not to have committed, we've done some things
we ought not to have done, but there's a real conviction of
my sinfulness, that I am a sinful man. Peter said this one time
to the Lord in Luke 5. The Lord had told them to cast
their nets out, and they cast their nets out. They said, we've
toiled all night, we've fished all night, but we've caught nothing.
But that's your word, Peter said, I'll do this. And they did, and
they about sank the boat. And Peter said, Lord, depart
from me. I am a sinful man. There's a
difference. It's not that I've done something
wrong. I am the root of sin, the root of a Peter didn't feel
the greatness of danger of perishing in his presence. You know what
he felt? His sinfulness, his wretchedness. That's what he
felt. Paul said this after the Lord
saved him, O wretched man that I am. He never said that when
he was Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee. He said that after God saved
him. God granted him repentance to life. And from that time on
he was said, Oh wretched man that I am. That centurion said
to the Lord, I'm not worthy. He meant this. Lord, he said,
I'm not worthy for you to come under my rule. I'm not worthy for you to enter
my house. There was a real sense of unworthiness,
of unworthiness. That publican said, Lord, be
merciful to me, the sinner. He did not say, be merciful to
me, I have sinned. I've done some things wrong and
I'm troubled by it. No, he said, Lord, be merciful
to me, I am sin. And I tell you this about godly
solace, this repentance that leads to life. It always receives
salvation by grace. Always. Always receives. It has no problem. It has no
problem receiving salvation all of grace. I'm not worthy. I'm a sinful man. A true conviction
of sin that leads to repentance also comes with it a real revelation
of who God is. It brings a real revelation of
who God is. Holy! Just! Isaiah said, when I saw the Lord
high and lifted up His train filled the court, I said, woe
is me. Woe, that's the first time that
he said that. Before that, he was woeing everybody
else. Now he says, woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips. I
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. God is everything
opposite of me. God, I learned that from Paul.
I listened to him on the radio, on that free grace radio. Holiness
means opposite. God is opposite of everything
that I am, everything. He's light, I'm dark. He's holy,
I'm sin. And that's a real true conviction
given by the Holy Spirit. Job said, by the hearing of the
ear I've heard of thee, but now mine eye seeth thee, and I've
what? I've whore myself. I've whored
myself as sackcloth in ashes. And the acid test of repentance
It's found in Zechariah 12. Look over at Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 12. Here's
what I call the acid test. In Zechariah 12, look in verse
10. And I will pour upon the house
of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace
and supplication. And look, and they shall look
on me whom they have pierced." There's where true repentance
comes from. It's not being afraid of going to hell. It's looking
on him whom I pierced, my sins. And they shall mourn for him. Mourn because of what my sins
did to him. As one mourneth for his only
son, there shall be a bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness
for his firstborn. They shall mourn when they look
on him whom they pierced. When I see what my sinfulness,
my wretchedness, when I see what it took for God to save me, When
I see it and I see Him, I'll mourn. I'll mourn for who I am
and what I am. That's true repentance. When
I see that I was among that same crowd that despised and rejected
Him, there was a time, I remember it, there was a time I wanted
nothing to do with Jesus Christ. I wanted nothing to do with God.
There was a time. And I tell you this, we mourn
over our ingratitude toward His goodness to us. We sing it, so
Lord, thou hast been so good to me. Not just since I've left,
throughout my whole life. Thou hast been so good to me.
If the cross does not move my heart, it's because I don't have
one. True repentance, I'll tell you
this about it, it always It always justifies God in the condemnation
of the sin. Look over in Psalm 51. This is
called a psalm of repentance. Psalm 51. And I believe everyone
who believes the gospel, everyone who God saves, knows by experience
the heart that David is teaching me here in Psalm 51. Have mercy
upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according
to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions,
wash me throughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For
I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin, my sinfulness is
ever before me. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight." See, it justifies
God. "...that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest." It always justifies God. And
then, true repentance. that always produces, if it's
of God, it'll always produce true humility. True humility. You won't fill yourself above
a gnat. I know that we still have sin in us, and self-righteousness
raises its ugly head way too often. But when the Lord grants
true repentance, it brings true humility. It brings a broken
heart. And I tell you this, a broken heart is not a proud heart. David
said this, and some of you will identify with this. Who am I
and what is my house? Who am I and what is my house? He said in Psalm 38, I will be
sorry for my sin. That's what he said. I will be
sorry for my sin. Paul said this. This is Paul.
The old Pharisee, the one who believed he kept the law, he
believed he was perfect before God. He said this, I am the least
of the saints. He's not just saying it, he believed
that. I am the least of the saints, not worthy to be called an apostle,
not worthy of any of this, of any office that God, not worthy
to even speak. And he said this, I am what I
am by the grace of God. Can you not say that? True godly solace that leads
to repentance in the life also leads to obedience. It leads
to obedience in the life. Now I'm going to give you these
few things and I'll close. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
7. 2 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul said in verse ten, For godly
sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented
of, but the sorrow of the world, as I gave you that earlier, worketh
death. For behold, this selfsame thing,
that you sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness What carefulness,
he said, it brought in you. It'll cause you to walk carefully
before God. That's what true repentance will
do. You will watch your steps and your mouth. My mom used to
say, watch your mouth, son. Watch your mouth. True repentance,
that's of God. It'll cause you to watch your
steps and your mouth. And it'll make you be more careful
in your conduct. It will, because you want to
glorify and honor God. And then he said here, what clearing
of yourselves by confessing sin and forsaking sin as best you
can. Not denying it, but acknowledging
it. We don't make excuses for it. Well, you know, I've got
a sinful nature. No, we don't make excuses for
what we do. We ask God for mercy. to forgive
me and acknowledge it and pray for forgiveness and Lord help
me not do it again. Help me not, don't let me be
overtaken by it again. Because if you withdraw your
hand it will happen again. I used to, I used to when mom
would give me a whipping, all the time she's whipping me I'd
be saying, I won't do it no more, I won't do it no more. I can remember
that. I'd just be dancing in a circle saying, I won't do it
no more, I won't do it no more. I'd do it the next day. I would. I'd do it again, and I'd get
another one. Do it again. But here, here I don't say, Lord,
I won't do it no more. I say, Lord, help me not do it
no more. Help me. Now what, what, he says here,
now listen, what indignation against sin! What hatred against sin! They hated themselves. Don't
you just sometimes just, oh, you just hate yourself. You despise
yourself. Oh, you say, why do I think like
that? Why do I say that? Indignation for putting up with
sin. It's a true indignation, true
hateful wrath. And he said, in what fear? Not
a punishment. but of losing God's favor. There's
the fear. There's a real fear of losing
God's favor, losing the comfort of the Holy Spirit. David said
this, Lord, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. I don't want to lose that. I
don't want to sit in darkness. Lord, I want that joy. I want
that joy. I want to enjoy that joy. Oh,
he said, what vehement desire. Well, these are strong words,
aren't they? These are very strong words. What vehement, what burning,
craving desire to do right. This is in the people of God
when He gives them repentance. And listen, it is lifelong. It's not something that happens
one time. This is a lifelong process. What vehement, and I
think it grows in these things. Just vehement desire, it grows. If you grow in grace, this grows.
This grows. to do right, to follow after
godliness, to walk as you become a saint. What zeal? The zeal to please God. You want to walk in a way that's
pleasing to God. You want to follow after Him.
You want to glorify Him in all your conduct. You do. I know
the people of God do. You want to adorn the gospel
by your conduct. And he said here also, what revenge.
Revenge, not on others, on ourselves. On ourselves. Denying ourselves. Not approving of disobedience,
whether it's in us or anyone else. What revenge? Taking revenge against you. True
repentance is judging ourselves and justifying God in His judgment
of us. That's what it is. And let me
close. True repentance is a very It's
a very strong part of worship. I'm telling you, you can't worship
God without it. You can't do it. True repentance
is a very strong part of worship. God cannot be worshipped without
a contrite heart. Not at all. And true repentance
always brings us to Christ, never drives us away from Him. You
notice with Felix, Agrippa, Judas, Every one of those went away,
didn't they? True repentance always, always brings us to Christ.
Always brings us at the foot of the Lord Jesus, at the foot
of the cross. Always. And true repentance is
a true evidence of life. Spiritual life. It is. It doesn't give life. It's the evidence of it. God
granted to the Gentiles People like us, repentance earns a life. And I thank Him for it. I thank
Him for it. Okay, Mike.