Repent and Believe

This tells you that you are's head of this, you cannot come out.

Someone has pull you out.

Just heard a portion of the pastor of the church in Henderson, North Carolina Clearview.

Our focus is on making Christ visible from the way we worship to the way we serve the way we love one another.

Come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd., Henderson for visit us online to Clearview B.org join us for the rest of this week's message I need you to help me finish. N jelly chips and salsa okay mashed potatoes and gravy, salt-and-pepper is always those twos's.

Also it comes to our salvation. We have repentance and belief, repentance, and believe repent and believe they go together.

It's almost like two sides of the same coin repentance without believe will only lead to perpetual guilt of all you have is repentance. You're going to live in this the state of guilt and shame but on the flipside, if all you have is believe, but no repentance.

You will lead live in perpetual carnality which means nothing but sin, you have believe I believe in Jesus, but there is no change in the way you think about sin. If all you have is repentance. You will never see the grace of God.

If all you have is believe you will never see the holiness of God.

You see grace of God that he will forgive our sins and holiness of God that he hates sin. Those two things come together and our response is repent and believe they work together hand-in-hand and one more thing before we read our Scripture.

You cannot truly repent.

Unless you truly believe in you cannot truly believe unless you truly repent this morning to see what that truly means. The passages will read are from Mark chapter 1 and that also accepted 20 is on the screen is on the block side many ways to keep up. Let's all stand once again for the reading of God's work versus Mark chapter 1 and verse 14 and 15 now after John was put in prison.

Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus came not just healing the sick, feeding the hungry he came preaching the gospel, and not just any gospel. The gospel of the kingdom of God.

Jesus came and brought the kingdom down here with us. I want you to pay attention to the what did Jesus say and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. I've stay with me.

Repent and believe in the gospel. You see the two sides of the same coin.

Repent and believe in the gospel. Now go to acts chapter 20, this is Paul saying these words accepted 20 verse 20 is is how I have Back. Nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also the Greeks with what Paul's about to say is not just for one group of people, not just the chosen ones of God but also the Gentile world is the same thing that he has been preaching what has he been preaching. Can you say with me is on the screen, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. You see how again repentance and faith was not just what Jesus said in the gospel, but this was the gospel of the early church and is still our gospel today. Repent and believe me, go see what that truly means. Have you repented of your sins. Has there been a change of mind, a change of heart towards sin and have you believed every believe in Jesus Christ.

Are you trusting in him for removing your sin are you trusting in him, for forgiving you of your sins and forgiving your total life, but this morning to come to the final message in the series were the learn how salvation is both a result of repentance and believe they go together.

They are the final steps of following Jesus Christ.

There is a declaration of the gospel. But then there's also a decision that has to make, to be made in that decision. There is repentance and belief. First, I want us to look at repentance. I will focus on repentance and then believe and then bring the gospel together. What is repentance are some people have unjustly inserted the idea of remorse and regret, and tears in repentance. So when you hear the word repentance which immediately think or see is someone just bent over and just so much in shame and sorrow and just feeling awful about their sinful condition you seen someone just tears are flowing down and there is so much brokenness and we immediately think that's what repentance is there when you study the Bible, even the old and the New Testament. What you find is that's not the meaning the Bible gives to repentance, to start with. I don't have time to go to the Old Testament just focusing on the Greek witches the language and when the New Testament was written, the Greek word is met annoy her met annoy which is used about 24 times as the noun form and then there's a verbal form met annoy overtures found about 34 times, and there is also met on the loan live which is found about six timeout as we are going. I don't care. But the reason I am giving you all this these statistics is to help you understand that the core idea behind this word met annoy or is a change of mind is a change of thinking it was never how sorrowful I am.

How beaten-down I am.

People asked me what you think it came from. It could be. It came because of the Roman Catholic translation for this word as penance or penitence so you have this image of someone you know with a with a whip, trying to whip themselves they're going doing penance for all the bad they've done focus of repentance was. I can feel bad for all I've done and pay for all of done that. You don't need Christ you have just negated the cross now know when you talk about repentance is a change of mind is a change of thinking now sorrow may come when you repent. There may be tears when you repent. But that doesn't have to be. For example, when I was four years of age. I received Jesus as my Savior and my King and I remember very distinctly mom and I would pray at night and I was sitting in the corner of the bed and mom was talking to me about the gospel and what it means, received Jesus as your Savior and I told her you know I want to do that to and she explained to me the gospel. I remember it very distinctly. But she explained to me what it means and I asked Jesus to come into my heart but I remember very distinctly. I do know the word repentance. But I need this much from this day life will have to be different. Sorrow may be there but that does not mean that that's necessarily repented you while you sharing these things because a lot of people coming to cry and they have tears there is no change in their life. Engulfing people like that they come down the hall of the what my life is a mess of his in the garage back into it and my question is what happened.

What were all those tears and all those tears were tears of regret there were tears of remorse that I have blown it. There was no change of mind that if I go back into it. I would do it again. Sometimes people quote this passage, which is second Corinthians 710 which says it's on the screen for godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation. So this is very go there is sorrow, pay attention to the adjective godly because there is another kind of sorrow which is not godly what happens many times is you have this ungodly sorrow, but there is a godly sorrow which will do what it will produce repentance.

You see, godly sorrow is not repentance godly sorrow may produce written sentence leading to salvation not to be. What's the word there so there is regret in your repentance. That's not godly sorrow but there may be regret, there may be some remorse for decisions you made. But listen, that is not necessarily repentance. Repentance is a change of way of thinking. Melissa and the rest of the passage by the sorrow of the world produces death doesn't mean that because if you sorrow like the world is that next thing you know are planning your funeral. What it does mean it, but now you have it yet. Like existence. Your dreams died you had a dream of how your family was gonna finish but the dreams have.you had a dream of how your children were going to be successful in and prosperous and and having a family and all this in the dreams have died and now you have the sorrow over this death of a vision of an ideal. That's not godly that's worldly sorrow, godly sorrow, true repentance is a change of thinking regarding three things is a change of thinking regarding sin is a change of thinking regarding self and is a change of thinking regarding the Savior prior to true repentance.

Sin was okay.

I can look at trash is all right if I was doing it I can cause is all right if I was doing it I can be hateful to my spouse, my husband, my life is all right. He deserves it or she deserves it. You don't know what you using prior to this sin was okay.

True repentance is that's not right. There is a disdain against sin prior to true repentance, self you read the center of the universe. Everything is about you. Everything has to be just right for you to look good to repentance removes itself from the center and puts who God Jesus Christ at the center before true repentance, you need a Savior. All you gotta do is matter better tomorrow I will be nice person. I need to get away for a while, you will need to be rescued, but true repentance tells you that you are stuck in the pit of despond you you cannot come out. Someone has to come and pull you out. Someone has to save you is a change of thinking. How important is repentance for salvation. Listen to Luke 13 verse three is on the screen unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Which means this Jesus said, he says it twice without repentance you will stay in your sins, you will die in condemnation. You cannot circumvent repented.

You cannot say well you know everybody makes mistakes and it just you know this life to the best you Know sin is sin self is that the center Savior is needed, you have to change the way you think about those things, and by the way, who does the repenting is an interesting question is the answer is all I do. Yes and no, you are dead in trespasses and sins, in more immense with that one on your own cannot repentance. We know that. Listen to what John Jesus said in John 1670s and nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the helper whose the helper, the Holy Spirit, the helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you and what will the helper do one of the Holy Spirit do when he has come, he will convict the world of three things number one you convict the world of sin all righteousness and all of judgment who stars my heart up who begins to unravel my mind and change the way I think and I feel is the Holy Spirit convicts me and tells me you know what you thought was okay, that is sin. You know you are trusting in your self-righteous know you thought you had enough good works to get to heaven. Guess what buddy you don't and you thought that your letter you know finish the race of life with flying colors. There's a judgment waiting for you. You have to stand before God. Sometimes when people come to Clearview to get all know that grandma heat. He is so dramatic. He is seen on heat, he gets all of you know trying to talk and all this stuff why are we doing all this stuff I don't understand it folks. But God has chosen us earthen vessels to put his treasuring is our job to persuade people yesterday when we were at Kendall downtown from 11 to 1. People were coming in. You know what we were doing really. We were showing the love of Christ by serving hotdogs by giving close by giving caravans we were showing the love of Christ to people you know what we were doing we were persuading them come to Christ.

This is the Holy Spirit who works when he works through us. He uses us this mess is the Sunday school class. The small groups of circles. All these things are meant to help us come to the point of repentance.

Or here's a question again. Have you repented of your sins. Has there been a change of mind because that's gonna happen. First before you can go to the other side of the coin, which is belief, not just like repentance. The Greek word behind believe is also very significant as found in John's Gospel as the active word and the word is pistil year in which means not what you would think it's found about 96 times in the meeting is trust in the rest of the epistles.

That word is found again but is more like the noun form pestis. But again, the idea is trust is not just I believe it when people say I believe what they're really saying is I hope I believe it's gonna rain today. Maybe you don't and I hoping that what you're saying is, think maybe it's gonna rain. I believe the package is going to come today as I hope it comes today when the Bible uses the word old and New Testament were focused on the new. The Greek idea behind it is trust.

It's like a lifejacket is like a harness that you're putting yourself in that if this lifejacket doesn't work you are sinking in. This harness breaks uniform ground that several years ago, our family went to this camp and we been going through for years and years and this was a family camp week so typically when we go over the summer we take our children our church kids go. It's a children's camp but there's also a family can be used to have and several families would come from all over the state and then they would ask me to speak. So it was a lot of fun. We we stayed in one cabin the boys and I and the Nicole and the girls were another cabin and then other families were in different cabins was a lot of fun and they would have outings they would have activities just like they would for regular camp for children. One of the activities was to climb the big tower.

The kids climbing the tower's fine adults climbing the tower were way out of shape to climb the tower, but we decided to do that.

We said okay let's do as we went over there in the end of the younger kids the been to camp before they were real climbing of this.

How tall is that tower I forgot my close 9000 feet way up there and so the girls knew what they were doing. But then it came time for Nicole to climb the tower and she put the harness on him. He got a get a just ride the helmet and all these things all set up in the camp director himself not as the head guy was the one going to do the blade you have a real none when talking about you. You gotta pull the rope and tightening the watch nipple. You cannot be distracted looking around going to be just right. Low slagged just right. Halfway up your there there ledges there. Nicole stepped off on a ledge to come away for a few minutes. He said want to do this, my God, I don't exit what you been watching you can do this and so guess what he did he turn it over to me as I'm putting it on and I got this ready. Nicole looks down one looking to I said so you may find is, and now I'm not also trust me I'm not a drop is right here and I'm I'm and I'm sweating.

I am sweating because I can imagine the guest speaker drops his wife on the tower and I was I'm like I'm I'm I'm ready. She climbed halfway when the other guy was hanging onto the rope I got on there. She went maybe of footages I can do this.

It heard me but anyways, but I knew her point.

The point is, the trust was gone. The reason is I've never done it and how do I know for sure this man down there that I'm married to for all these years does he know what he is doing when we talk about pistil even when we talk about this word believe it's the same contrast which means this. I am trusting in Christ that he can remove the guilt of sin and that he can give me eternal life is done as I wanted to get so dramatic because many of us have a safety net if that's what you trusting in is a denomination you trusting in a church given trusting in a set of beliefs somewhere.

Listen, that is not Christ how important it is to believe in Christ. Listen to these verses is on the screen now. John chapter 1 verse 12 but as many as received him, who is him Christ you Jesus Christ, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, and you know this one John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes whoever trusting him should not perish but have everlasting life. Listen to John 336 he who believes in the son.

He who trusts in the son has everlasting life, and he who does not trust the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Here's one more. John chapter 824 therefore Jesus that I said to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe if you do not trust that I am he, you will die in your sins. Was Jesus just you know exaggerating he meant it when he came preaching repent and believe he meant it does gonna be a change of mind. This got me a change of thinking, but there's also business the this this harness, like trust in Jesus and his name. That's why was so hard for the Pharisees and the scribes to follow Jesus because they were like we got the temple of the temple here and sacrifice his leg. No, I would tear down the temple got mugged good deeds. Much of the law would can we keep the law.

The Torah no me.

I come to abolish it, but it's in my name, see heretical divorce and by the way when it comes to repentance is the Holy Spirit who helps you right.

He's the one who convicts you of sin, righteousness and judgment when it comes to belief is not the Holy Spirit who does it. You have a choice now you get to decide he's not out. I thought faith was a gift to the believer, the more you grow in the Christian life.

God gives you more faith but not when you are receiving Jesus. It's a decision because if you were to coerce you is not your decision anymore repentance.

He opens her eyes. Belief, what you do I get to put on that harness name Jesus you still trust in something else or someone else have you believed in Jesus. Have you trusted in him, not just with your sins, but also with your life. This is the. The essence of this series.

The gospel has two parts the first part is a declaration. What is a declaration of the gospel. We we studied this in the series. The declaration is this Jesus brought God's kingdom into this world. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus inaugurated the kingdom's name is Christ, which means God's anointed king, a kingdom without a king is no kingdom at all. Jesus began the kingdom. He is the king he came in he died on the cross. According to Scriptures.

He was married, but he rose again the third day according to Scriptures, and he was seen by many. This is the declaration of the gospel. Now comes the second part of the gospel. The decision decision is your part. First is repent. There's gotta be a change of thinking a change of mind regarding sins self and Savior. The Holy Spirit helps you with that he came to convict the world of you of sin and righteousness and judgment to come. The second part in this decision is believe you have to believe in Jesus, not Jesus plus Jesus Christ. He came to die for your sins. He came to rescue you. He came to bring you eternal life, trusting him in the third part that I have emphasized throughout the series is you have to follow him. If he is your king, your listening if he's your king, he deserves your allegiance. You cannot say no to the king. If I begin this journey by saying no, I will get saved but I'm not giving up.

This I will get saved but I'm not stopping this you're not ready go back and sit down.

I'm not saying that you will be free before you can be saved and you don't need Jesus but you should be willing to say whatever it takes God, I have decided to follow Jesus there is a declaration and then there is a decision repent, believe and follow without this element of follow the gospel is not the true gospel. You have to make the decision. First, maybe one day you will have to be tested. Some something is gonna put you in that place or something will happen in your life work. There will be a test, have you truly decided to follow Jesus.

I think my mom and dad. You know he was 20 years of age he left Islam and became a Christian. That was tough decision.

He came from a good home wealthy home, educated home when he you are there son. They will do anything for you but if you switch religion in that way, you are dead to them baby cost is high over there is not. When he told his dad. His dad's told a very simply, if I get up in the morning and I see you still here. It will not be good. Long story short, he left it all and he followed Christ using the decision was made, then the test came in there was no turning back. The problem with many of our decisions is was never a decision to follow Jesus cry. That was only oh yeah you know I'm a sinner and I need Jesus must save you and obey him. Well depends you see the dog. The harder part is not giving up your family or your wealth, I believe, and sometimes that can be easy sometimes the harder part is the way you have done things all your life previously.

Can you can pick and how you can get angry but now you can do those things because bitterness and outburst of wrath is not of the Holy Spirit.

Are you willing to give that up even to give you children up to God to got do whatever you think is right now. When a raise in the right women to protect them, guide them, guard them, but ultimately, Lord, if you call them to go to the other side of the universe that yours is tough. That's what it means to follow Christ. Thank you so much for joining us for this message. Repentance and belief are two sides of our response to the gospel is not enough to just hear what Jesus is done for us, turn from our sin or trust respond to the gospel today and trusting Christ for salvation. For more information visit us online@clearviewb.org for this sermon's notes. Check out Pastor John's blog about on shelf.com