“…People Should Repent”

Mark 6:7–13 (ESV) ⁷ And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³ And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

• Repentance was foundational in Jesus’ message

Matthew 4:17 (NIV84) From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Repentance is

an internal change of mind and heart

regarding sin and righteousness

that is put into practice.

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

Luke 3:8a (NIV84) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

• Repentance is not the , but the inward change that bears the fruit of new deeds.

• The Pharisees and Sadducees questioned Jesus on why he did what he did

Luke 5:30–32 (NIV84) ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  ³¹ Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

• Jesus did miracles and healings SO THAT people would repent

Matthew 11:20–21 (NLT) ²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. ²¹ “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.”

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

• Jesus healed the Paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda, and wanted his repentance

John 5:14 (NLT) Afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”

• When Jesus sends his disciples with authority over demons, and to heal people, and even to raise the dead, his purpose is that it would result in changed lives. 

Matthew 10:5–24 (NIV84) ⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “⁷ As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons…

• We can safely assume “repent” was part of the message because it was always a part of Jesus’ message.

¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. ¹⁵ I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.  ¹⁷ “Be on your guard against men… ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry… ²² All men will hate you… ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.”

Why these warnings?

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• Repentance begins with choosing how we think and what we think about.

Romans 12:2 (NLT2) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

What was the last scripture verse you memorized and thought about? And when did you memorize it?

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Repentance is

an internal change of mind and heart

regarding sin and righteousness

that is put into practice.

• Romans 1:18-32 describes the spiral of consequences if we remain unrepentant.

Romans 1:18–32 (NIV84) ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

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²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

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• But when we refuse to repent, what’s the Next step?

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

• Woe be unto us if God ever .

²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

(MULTILINE REVEAL BIG)

• What happens next? God lets them go farther

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.

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²⁸ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

• And yet, even then, God is patient

Romans 2:4 (NLT2)  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

• Paul directed Timothy to be kind to those who are far from God:

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV) ²⁴  And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵  Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶  and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

1 Timothy 2:4 (NIV) [God our Savior] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Luke 24:46–47 (NLT) ⁴⁶ And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.'”

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• Jesus told the parable of the Lost Sheep to make this point:

Luke 15:7 (NLT) In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

• Are you right with God? Or are you on a spiral heading away from him?

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Paraphrase of Ps 139:24-25:

Search me, O God, and know my heart

Find out everything I’m thinking

See if there is any wicked or broken way in me

And lead me in the path of everlasting life.