What Shall We Do?

Q: What does the Bible say about repentance?

The Bible emphasizes that repentance involves turning from one's own ways to God's ways. Repentance, as described in Scripture, is not just a mere change of action but a fundamental change of heart and mind. It is turning away from sinful ways, as seen in Isaiah 55:7, where the wicked are called to forsake their own ways and thoughts and return to the Lord. This change involves an internal acknowledgment of sin and a heartfelt desire to seek God's mercy. Repentance leads to justification, where one recognizes God's righteousness in judgment and pleads for His grace. It is a transformative act that affects not only one's actions but also one's thoughts towards God and self.

Q: How do we know that Jesus' resurrection is true?

Jesus' resurrection is affirmed through multiple witnesses and the fulfilling of Old Testament prophecies. The truth of Jesus' resurrection is supported by the multitude of witnesses who saw Him after His crucifixion, including His disciples and over five hundred others at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6). Moreover, the resurrection fulfills numerous prophecies from the Old Testament, such as those found in Psalms (Psalm 16:10). In Acts 2:24, Peter declares that God raised Jesus from the dead, affirming the divine validation of His sacrifice on the cross. The resurrection not only shows God's power over death but also confirms that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah.

Q: Why is justification important for Christians?

Justification is crucial because it declares believers righteous before God through faith in Christ. Justification holds a central place in the Christian faith as it signifies God's act of declaring a sinner righteous on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ. This doctrine is deeply rooted in Scripture, where it states in Romans 5:1, 'Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Justification is essential because it is through faith alone (Sola Fide) that we can approach God, devoid of our works or merit. It emphasizes God's grace and the finished work of Christ, affirming that salvation is solely God's gift to those who believe, thus providing assurance of our standing before Him.

Q: Why should Christians confess Christ?

Confessing Christ is vital as it affirms our faith and identifies us as His followers. Confessing Christ is an integral aspect of the Christian life that involves publicly acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior. As stated in Romans 10:9, 'If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.' This confession goes beyond mere words; it reflects a transformed life that aligns with God's will and purpose. It also serves as a testament to others, illustrating how believers are to live out their faith in everyday actions. In baptism, as Peter emphasized in Acts 2:38, confessing Christ also represents an outward expression of the inward change that has occurred through repentance and faith.

You'll recognize this is the
Apostle Peter's sermon at Pentecost, and most people, when they preach
from this sermon, seem to have a tendency to magnify
the Holy Spirit or the gifts, rather than that which the Apostle
Peter magnified, and that's the person of Christ. Well, he says
in verse 22, ye men of Israel, and there were Jews there from
every nation under heaven, hear these words. That's what I was
talking about this morning. We're going to hear some words.
The message, the preaching of the gospel, hear these words.
Don't look at the signs and the cloven tongues of fire and the
rushing wind. Listen to the words. Listen to
the words. Jesus of Nazareth, let's be particular
about whom we speak. It's the one you call the winebibber
and the gluttonous man. It's the one you call the carpenter,
talking to these religious Pharisees. It's the one whom you despised,
the one whom you rejected, the one from whom you turned your
faces. That's the one I'm talking about, Jesus of Nazareth. A man. He was a man. He's God, he's
a God-man, perfect God, perfect man, but they didn't know that.
But he was a man approved of God, ordained of God, appointed
of God, approved of God among you. And God gave these evidences
and these signs, the miracles and wonders and signs which he
performed. He said, if I bear witness of
myself, my witness is not true. You remember the word of God
says, let every word be established for the mouth of two or three
witnesses. And he said, John bore witness
of me, and the Father bore witness of me, and the works that I do
bear witness of me. Nicodemus himself said, no man
could do what he does, except God be with him. And the scriptures
bear witness of me. God bore him witness with miracles
and wonders and signs which God did by him. In the midst of you,
as you yourselves also know, has it ever been heard, somebody
said, that one gave sight to the blind? Has it ever been heard
that someone should raise a person from the dead? Impossible. Him,
this Jesus of Nazareth, Him, that same He uses this phrase
frequently. Him being delivered, being delivered
into your hands, being delivered and turned over to you to do
with what you would, being delivered unto death. Him being delivered
by the determinant counsel. This was no accident. This was
all determined before the foundation of the world. Him being delivered
by the determinant counsel. and the foreknowledge, foreordination
of God. Turn over to Acts 4, look at
this. Acts 4, verse 26. The kings of this earth stood
up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against his Christ, his Messiah. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, Both Herod and Pontius Pilate,
the Gentiles and the people of Israel, that's everybody, were
gathered together against him. Pontius said, whatsoever thy
hand and thy counsel determine before it to be done. Everything
that happened in the life, in the betrayal, in the denial,
in the beating, in the death and the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ is all written in the Old Testament. They pierced
his hands and feet. They plucked out his beard. Judas
sold him for 30 pieces of silver, brought it back, turned it in.
They bought a potter's field. He killed himself. The very words
that Christ spoke from the cross are written in Psalm 22 hundreds
of years before he died. Everything, even his resurrection.
Go back to my text, Acts 2, verse 23, him being delivered. By the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you've taken, and by your wicked hands
have crucified and slain. You did what God willed to be
done. God didn't have to tell you to do it, God just left you
alone, you did it. That's all in the world that
God has to do to get a wicked sinner to act in wickedness,
is leave him alone. He'll do it, just leave him alone.
Verse 24, who? The stained Jesus God hath raised
up, raised him up from the dead, having loosed the pains of death,
because it's not possible that death should get the victory
over the Son of God. He can't be held by death. He's
life. And David, King David, in the Psalms, Psalm 16, speaketh
concerning him. They all respected Moses, Abraham,
and David. And he knew that. He said David
wrote of him. Moses wrote of him. Abraham saw
his day. But David said, and here he quotes
Psalm 16, verse 8, I foresaw the Lord always before my face. He's on my right hand that I
should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice,
and my tongue was glad. More of also my flesh shall rest
in hope. Because thou wilt not abandon
my soul, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Now don't get
bogged down there. The word is Hades. I can't explain
it. Nobody else can. Place of the
departed dead. It's not the fire of hell. It's
not the bottomless pit. It's not the lake of fire. Thou
shalt not, this is Christ speaking here. And don't get lost on this
trying to figure out where Hades is and these compartments and
so forth. and lose the meaning of the whole thing. Christ is
victorious. And the Lord God of heaven and
earth will not abandon his soul. He made his soul an offering
for sin for us. And he's going to be victorious,
because the Father will not abandon my soul and will not suffer his
Holy One to see decay and corruption in a grave. Verse 31, skip over there. This
is what David is saying. David, Peter said, verse 31,
he seeing this resurrection before, spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, neither did his
flesh see corruption. So he explains it there. But
I'll go back to verse 28. Now has made known to me the
ways of life. This is Christ speaking. Thou
shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. He shall see
the travail of his soul and be satisfied." Now, Peter is preaching
here to these people at Pentecost. And he said, this Jesus, whom
you crucified, who was delivered in your hands by God Almighty,
God raised him up. For David wrote all about this
in Psalm 16. You're familiar with David's
writings, he said. Now, verse 29, "'Men and brethren, let me
freely speak to you of the patriarch David. He wasn't talking about
himself in this psalm, because he not only did and buried, but
his sepulchre is with us to this day. His bones are there, too.
His flesh did see corruption. So David's not writing about
himself. He's writing about somebody else. Therefore, verse 30, being
a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him
that of the fruit of his loins Christ was made of the seed of
David, according to the flesh. According to the flesh that he
would raise up the Christ to sit on David's throne, David,
seeing this a long time before, spake when he wrote Psalm 16
of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not abandoned,
nor did his flesh seek corruption. This Jesus, this Jesus of Nazareth,
this same Jesus hath God raised up. Well, we're all witnesses. What does the resurrection of
Christ declare to us? Hold that place and turn to Acts
17. It declares unto us not only
that the dead shall be raised, he's the firstfruits of them
that slept, not only that God has the power to raise the dead,
but it declares more significantly to us that God accepted what
Christ did for us by raising him from the dead. You see that?
When the Old Testament high priest would go into the Holy of Holies
with the incense and with the blood atonement, the people waited
outside for him to come out. If he didn't come out, that means
he's dead in there and God didn't receive. But when he came out,
that means God received the atonement. And when Christ died on that
cross, he's our high priest, sacrificed on the altar of Calvary. His blood is presented not in
the place made with hands, but heaven itself. And when God raised
him from the dead," look at verse 31, Acts 17, "...God hath appointed
a day in which he hath judged the world in righteousness by
that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead." There's your
proof. God raised him. Isn't that right,
John? God raised him from the dead. All right, verse 32. This same Jesus that God raised
up of, we're all witnesses. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which you now see
and hear. For David's not ascended into
the heavens, But he said himself, the Lord said to my Lord, the
Lord God the Father said to my Lord Jesus Christ, sit thou on
my right hand, till I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore,
ye men of Israel, let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
this is it, that God Almighty has made that same Jesus, that
same Jesus. that one whom you despised, that
one whom you mocked, that one whom you crucified. Almighty
God, in his defined decree and design and purpose, hath made
him both Lord, sovereign over all flesh and Christ. He's the Lord, he's the Christ. When they heard this, when they
heard these words, they forgot the gifts, they forgot the win,
they forgot the miracles. And they faced one thing, their
hands were red with the blood of the Son of God. He was in this world and they
knew him not. He came on his own, his own received him not.
The Messiah, the Christ of whom Moses wrote, and for whom Abraham
looked, and of whom David, their king, wrote. They had rejected. They had denied. They had crucified.
So when they read this, they were pricked in their hearts.
And they said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men
and brethren, what shall we do? What shall we do? Then Peter
said to them, repent. What shall we do? That's the
title of this message. Peter said, repent. I'm going
to give you tonight, if God enables me, a little insight into this
word repent. Repent. I know to a lot of people
the word repent is a hard word to deal with, and it's hard for
me, but I think I can give you some help on this word. Repent. Repent. To the average person
this simply means, and I've heard this definition, a turning, a
change. Turn around. Go back the other
way. What is it? 180 degrees. Isn't that turning
around and going the other way? Repent. Turn around and go the
other way. In a sense that's right. In a sense that's right. Repentance
is to turn around and go the other way. Don't do. what you
plan to do. Don't carry out what you plan
to carry out. Don't act like you've been acting.
Go the other way. For example, suppose there's
a man in this congregation, a married man, and he's got his eye on
somebody else, and he wants to divorce his wife and marry this
person. You know, if his wife maybe doesn't
hold to his religion or theology and he's gonna, he's gonna, his
plans are and his thoughts are to get rid of her and get rid,
pick up somebody more attractive to him or somebody he'd rather
be with, I'd say to that man, turn around. Don't you do it. Repent. Do 180 degrees. Because God's not gonna have
you. God's not going to have it. He's not going to put up
with it. Now that's repentance. Just don't do it. Just don't
do it now. You're making a big mistake.
God's not going to put up with it. You can't get away with it.
And that is repentance, but that's not the heart and soul of repentance.
You see, something has to happen within to give you the will to
go the other way. Something's got to happen here
and here, mind and heart. Now, two scriptures. I'll help
you here if you'll listen to me. Turn first of all to Isaiah
55. Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. Verse 7, verse 6. Let's read
verse 6. Isaiah 55, 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found. Call on him while he's near. He may not always be found, he
may not always be near, but you seek him while he's near. And
let the wicked forsake his way, his way, his way, this is my
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord.
Before he returns to the Lord, there's got to be a forsaking
of his way and his thoughts. See that? His way and his thoughts. Now then, so it has to do with
attitude, my way, and thoughts. Repentance does. Now, this way,
look at this word, way. Let's read this verse again. The unrighteous man, his thoughts,
let him return to the Lord, and God will have mercy on him. For
our God, he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, saith the Lord. And
your ways aren't my ways, and your thoughts aren't my thoughts.
Now, this way business. Well, the Bible, doesn't it say
often, there's a way that seemeth right to a man? There's a way
that, we'll justify ourselves. We'll justify our way. We'll
do it now, because this is the way we want to go, but it's the
way of death. The way of the Lord has to do
with Christ, the way our way has to do with ourselves. The
way of God has to do with substitution, our way has to do with human
works. The way of God has to do with the sacrifice of Christ,
the way of the world has to do with our own righteousness. So
you've got to get out of this way. forsake your way and turn
to his way. That's repentance. That's repentance. Turn to Acts 24. Let me show
you what I'm talking about here. Acts 24. Paul said this in Acts
24, verse 14. This I confess unto you, that
after the way they call heresy. He's talking about the Pharisees,
the religious leaders. They call Sovereign grace, heresy. They call the effectual work
of Christ heresy. They call the power of God in
salvation heresy. Well, what they call heresy,
the way they call heresy, is the way I worship God. See? There you've got their way and
his way. And so let a man forsake his way and learn the God's way
in salvation. See that? I turn to Hebrews 10. This is one way you can know
if you've repented, if you're intent on your way or God's way.
If a man has repented, he's willing to forsake his way and turn to
God's way. If a man really has repented,
when he hears the gospel, he'll receive it. Somebody asked me
one time, do you have to believe in election to be saved? I said,
no, but when you hear it, you believe it. Isn't that right? Does man have to believe in particular
redemption to be saved? No, but when he hears it, he'll
believe it, because he's not looking his way, he's looking
the God's way. Isn't that right? He's turning from his way, his
way of logic and his way of self-justification, his way of righteousness. He's
intent on going God's way. Look at Hebrews 10, verse 19,
having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. This is
his way, the new way, the living way. So what is repentance? Let the wicked forsake his way. What's your way? way of self,
the way of righteousness, the way it works, the way of baptism,
the way of church membership, the way of something else, and
let him turn to God's way. The way they call heresy, the
new and living way, the way through the veil by the blood of Christ.
You see that? That's repentance. And that carries
over into every other phase of my life. If I've given up my
way in salvation and turned to his way of salvation, I'll give
up my way in other areas and turn to his way. His way's best. It's best. I know it's best.
John and Chapman and I were talking before we came in here tonight
about how God puts us through certain trials to try our faith. to prove us, to teach us, to
take us to school. That's right, God sends us to
school. And the school of hard knocks, and the school of trials,
and the school of afflictions, and the school of every other
school. He said, you know, He said most
of our children wouldn't even go to school if we didn't make
them, would they? Neither would we. Neither would we. You know what
He said? God has this for us. This is his way. And I'll tell
you, if he didn't make me, I wouldn't go to school. I don't want to
go through that again. I don't want to go through that
grade again, do you? But I'm glad I went. And when
your young people finally grow up, they're going to look back
at mom and dad and say, I'm glad I went. I'm glad I stayed in
school. But you had to make them. And
when we get through, we're going to say, Father, I'm glad you
put me through school. I booked, but I'm glad I went. his way. Well, look at this thing
of thoughts, thoughts. Now, turn to Acts chapter 20. You see, this is what, this is
what a lot of folks don't see about repentance, and this, I
think, is the key. These two scriptures. Let the
wicked forsake his way. What is the way that is seen
with light and the way that seems right, let him forsake that way,
and let him turn to God's way. God's way. All right, then there's
thoughts. Forsake his thoughts, for my
thoughts are not your thoughts. Look at Acts 20, verse 19. And I kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you, but I showed you and taught you publicly
from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to
the Greeks, repentance toward God." There's your key to repentance. Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ,
but repentance is toward God. It's toward God. It's our thoughts
toward God. That's where repentance is worked
out. That's where repentance, because
a man thinketh in his heart, so is our thoughts toward God.
Let me ask you, what are your thoughts about God? What are
your thoughts about God? Well, David had high and lofty
thoughts about God. He said, our God's in the heavens.
He had done whatsoever he pleased. Isaiah had high and lofty thoughts
about God. God is holy, holy, holy. Whatsoever
the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, earth, the seas, and
all deep places. Daniel had high thoughts about
God. He quotes Nebuchadnezzar, Our God reigneth in the armies
of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay
his hand. What are your thoughts about
God? And then what are your thoughts about Christ? What think ye of
Christ? What are your thoughts about
Christ? Who is he? What did he do? Why'd he do it? Where is
Christ now? What are your thoughts about
Christ? What are your thoughts about yourself? Let not a man
think highly, more highly of himself than he ought to think,
a man who thinks he's something when he's nothing deceives himself.
What are your thoughts about yourself? God owe you something? What are your thoughts about
the offense of the cross? Christ said, think not that I've
come to send peace on the earth. I came to send not peace, but
a soul. What do you think about that? What are your thoughts about
obedience to Christ? What are your thoughts about,
suppose what I said a while ago, such a person is here. How's
he going to react to that? I tell you, he's going to get
mad at me. That means he's never repented. Isn't that right? See what I'm talking about? What
are your thoughts? What are your thoughts? What are your thoughts
about God? What are your thoughts about
Christ? What are your thoughts about yourself? What are your
thoughts about the truth? What are your thoughts about
the gospel? What are your thoughts about the purpose of God? I tell you, preaching brings
out not only faith, it brings out rebellion. It reveals it. That's right. Because people,
most of them, never repented. Repentance has to do not with
giving up bowling or going to ball games on Sunday or stealing
watermelons. Repentance has to do with my
way and my thoughts. Isn't that right? And it's toward
God. Because if I get straight with
my attitude toward him, I'll be all right toward you. But
that has to be cleared up. And the reason our attitudes
are wrong toward others is they're wrong toward God. We can't bow
to his authority. A man that can't bow to God's
authority won't bow to any other authority. That's right. Now, that's the repentance. Old
Brother Shelton said one time, it is a turning, but oh, what
a turning. It is a change, but oh, what
a change. It takes place here and here.
Thoughts? What shall we do? All right,
let's go to the second thing. Now that's where repentance begins,
and here's where it leads, to justify God. Justify God. Justify God. I made this statement
some time ago, and a dear friend, evidently I didn't make it clear
because that dear friend felt like that I was not using the
right phrase, but Because that person says, we don't justify
God, God justifies us. Well, God does justify us, and
we do justify God. See, I know what I'm talking
about. Turn to Psalm 51, and I'll show you what I'm talking
about. We justify God. The word justify can apply to
a lot of things. If it's applied to the redemption
of my soul, then it's solely the work of God for me. But I
can justify you. in other areas. And here it says in Psalm 51,
listen to verse 4, David said, Against thee, and thee only,
have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight, that you
might be justified when you speak, and clear when you judge. In
other words, what David's saying here, Lord, I've done wrong,
and have sinned against you, and I'm responsible, and if you
damn me, you're justified. And whatever you do to me, whatever
you do to me, it doesn't matter what you do, you're clear. I clear you of all wrongdoing."
You know what he's saying? I clear you of all wrongdoing. Whatever action you take against
me, I deserve. That's justifying God. Let's
look at Luke chapter 7. You know the average person in
America, the average religious person, thinks that God owes
them salvation? Did you know that? That's exactly
right. The average person thinks that
God's sitting off over in the shadows somewhere just doing
everything he can to get them to join his kingdom. Well, that's
a wrong notion. That's a wrong notion. Totally
wrong. If God shows mercy to me, it'll
be mercy. It'll be grace. I don't deserve
it, his grace. I deserve condemnation. Look
at Luke 7, verse 29. And all the people that heard
him and the publicans justified God, being baptized with the
baptism of John. In other words, these publicans
and sinners came to this baptism of repentance. saying we're sinners,
we deserve death and burial, and we die before God to be raised
in newness of life, and we deserve it, we justify God in his charge
against us. But the Pharisees and the lawyers
rejected the counsel of God against themselves. They won't take it. They will not take it. being
not baptized in John. They wouldn't bow. They wouldn't
receive the word. They wouldn't receive the message.
They rejected it. These folks justified God. Pharisees said, we won't. So
this thing of repentance, when a man repents, when he turns
from his way to God's way, from his thoughts to right thoughts
about God, it brings him to say this, I'm guilty. I'm guilty. And I stand before you, O God,
deserving of your wrath. And if you damn me, you're just.
If you don't save me, you're clear. But show mercy. Have mercy upon me. Have mercy
upon me. Is God just to damn you? Well, you better come to some
grips with that. that have come to grips with
it. All right, here's the third thing.
What shall we do? Repent. Repent. Change your mind. Change your thoughts. Justify
God. And thirdly, stretch out your
hand. I'll show you that over here in Mark 3. I talked about
it a little bit this morning, Mark chapter 3. Mark the 3rd chapter, verse 1
through 5. Listen to this. And he entered in again into
the synagogue, and there was a man there that had a withered
hand. Now get the picture here, this withered hand, useless,
utterly useless. And they watched him, watched
Jesus Christ, whether he would heal on the Sabbath day that
they might accuse him. And he said to the man which
had the wooded hand, stand forth here, stand right here in the
midst. And he said to these Pharisees,
now is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to do evil,
to save life or to kill? And they held their peace, they
didn't answer. And when he looked round about on them with anger,
this is the Lord Jesus, being grieved for the hardness of their
hearts, he said to the man, stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched
it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other. What do I see here? I see it
requires no faith if he heals the hand without stretching it
forth. Suppose the Lord had just said,
hand be healed, and there it was. There's no faith exercised,
is there? There's no faith exercise there.
But he told the man, and I see this all the way through the
words, he said to the woman at the well, if you knew the gift
of God and who's talking to you, you would what? Ask me, and I'd
give you living water. Republican in the temple, Lord
be merciful to me, a sinner. Thief on the cross, I know God
opened his eyes, I know God opened his heart, but God opened his
mouth too. He asked for mercy. The leper
who met Christ when he came down from the mountain, he ran to
him and said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. Our Lord
knew Bartimaeus was sitting by that roadside when he walked
through Jericho. He knew he was there. He knew from the foundation
of the world he'd be there. He met him there. He went there
to meet him, but he didn't speak to him first. Bartimaeus spoke
to him. He cried two or three times.
The Lord didn't answer him the first time. I'm telling the truth. Is that right, Brother Roach?
He didn't answer him the first time. And the people tried to
quiet him down. He kept hollering. He said, Jesus,
our son of David, have mercy on me. Finally the Lord stopped.
And even asked him what he wanted. Don't you know he knew what he
wanted? Don't you know it was by his purpose he was blind?
They asked Christ one day when they saw a blind man, they said,
why is he blind? Did he sin or did his mother and daddy sin?
Christ said neither one, but that the purpose of God might
be fulfilled. God put it, made him blind. Who
did? God did. God made him blind. And the Lord Jesus waited till
he called, and when he called, he asked him what he wanted.
And here was this man with a wilted hand. He just stood there and
looked at it. And then he said, You stretch
out your hand." And he did. The Canaanite woman, she came
to the Lord for help. He knew he was going to help
her. But she said, Lord, have mercy on me. And he said, he
answered her not a word, did he? She said it again, have mercy
on me. He said, it's not right to give
children's bread to dogs. She said, have mercy on me. He
said, I'm sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She said
the fourth time, have mercy on me, because I'm a dog, but I'm
your dog. All right. I could go on and
on and tell you, ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall
find. But sit in the rocking chair and wait for the lightning
to strike and it'll hit somewhere else. That's just so. I can't explain that and tell
them the truth though. Repent. Justify God. Lord, you're right. You're right. Ask for mercy. Stretch out your
hand. You've got a withered hand, stretch
it out. You've got a broken heart, lay it at his feet. You've got
a needy soul, come to me. Let him come to me. Fourthly,
confess Christ. That's what Peter said in my
text. That word repent covers a whole
lot. It's more than just deciding
you're not going to do a certain thing anymore. It covers the
whole of us. Repentance toward God, verse
38. Then Peter said, Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, by
the remission of sins, and you'll receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost. Confess Christ. What is it to confess Christ?
I gave you these things, I'll give them to you again, quit.
It's first to confess him in my own heart. That's got to be
settled here. Nobody can help me with this.
I got to handle it myself. Is it his way or my way? Is it
his thoughts or my thoughts? Is it his son or something else?
Got to be settled. Then secondly, I'll follow him
in baptism. That's what he commanded. That's
the way men confess Christ. The church never knew anything
about walking down an aisle and shaking a preacher's hand for
1,800 years. Didn't know a thing about that.
The last 180 or 190 years when that stuff started. Is that right?
You're a student of church history, I'm telling the truth. When we
got in the numbers business, and when we made salvation something
we do for God and says something God does for us, that's when
we started the hour walk. That's right. Baptism's always
been with us. confess Christ in baptism. Thirdly,
become identified with his people. Whoever they are and wherever
they are, find where they are, and you be one of them. That's
what it says here in Acts 2.41. Listen, Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added
to them three thousand souls, and they continued In the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers, fear came
upon every soul. Many wonders and signs were done
by the apostles, and all that believed were together, and they
had all things common. And they sold their possessions
and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Continuing daily with one accord
in the temple, breaking of bread from house to house, yet eat
their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising
God, having favor with all the people." It's identification.
And then last, confess Christ in your walk, in your walk. Everybody with whom we are identified
and associated and come in contact with is influenced some way by
our walk. by our talk, by our conduct,
by the way we live, by the way we live. We either confess Christ
or deny him by the way we live, and by the way we act, by the
way we talk. That's confessing Christ. We
confess Christ daily. daily, hourly, in the home, on
the job, on the streets, that's confessing Christ. When I mistreat
someone, that's not confessing, that's denying Christ. When I'm
rude and arrogant and dishonest, that's denying Christ. All of
these things. When I'm lazy, don't fulfill
my promises, that's denying Christ. You see, that's confessing by
my walk. Pray God will bless the message
and make it profitable. All right, Mike, come leave us
in a closing here.

What Shall We Do?

What does the Bible say about repentance?

How do we know that Jesus' resurrection is true?

Why is justification important for Christians?

Why should Christians confess Christ?

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What Shall We Do?

What does the Bible say about repentance?

How do we know that Jesus' resurrection is true?

Why is justification important for Christians?

Why should Christians confess Christ?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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