Born into the Kingdom #1: Repentance

 Note:  The following post is the first post in a three-part series called Born into the Kingdom.  These posts are really designed for new Christians but may be helpful to pioneer pastors in presenting simple Biblical truths to a young congregation.  - Chris

When we’re Christians, Eternal Life is what we’re aiming for; to enter into Heaven – The Promised Land.  Eternal Life, that’s the goal, right? It’s all about knowing God! 

John 17:3 (NKJV)
^17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

John 17:3 tell us that knowing that God and Jesus is Eternal Life.  There are a lot of gods in the world, but there is only one true God.  The key to knowing that God is to follow through on praying, reading your Bible, attending church, believing the promises and following the commands.  In short, living out the things of God, day after day – following God.

Hosea 6:3 (NKJV)
^6:3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

This is what we call the process of discipleship – becoming and making disciples.  It’s our great commission. 

Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
^28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

A disciple is a “fully devoted follower of Christ.”  It's not just someone who’s born again but someone who continues to pursue God after the initial glow of salvation wears off through the difficulties and struggles of life, enduring until the end. That’s a disciple.

People don’t become disciples on their own.  They’re taught to be disciples.  Just like after birth there are certain things that have to be done for the health of the baby.  The umbilical cord must be cut, and breast feeding must begin.  You have to show baby Christians the way. 

The book of Acts shows us the process of birthing someone into the Kingdom of God and what’s necessary to ensure their spiritual health.  Repentance, water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This is a three-part series.  This post will look at repentance.

Repentance requires three things in order to be genuine and effective:

Acts 2:36-39 (NKJV)
^2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Repentance Requires a Teacher

In Acts Chapter 2 the Holy Spirit fell on those who were praying in the upper room.  It caused quite a commotion as three thousand people gathered in the street to see what was happening.  They must have been making a lot of noise. Peter stood up to preach.

The one hundred-twenty people in the upper room had choices.  They could stay quiet, they could pray, or they could preach.  Peter got up to preach.

If people are going to repent, they need to have someone tell them that it’s necessary.

Romans 10:13-15 (NKJV)
^10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." ¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

Peter stood up and explained to them the phenomenon of the Holy Spirit and a changed life.  He specifically preached two things.  These were not his feelings or opinions.

First, he preached the Word of God.  He quoted the Old Testament three times.  He’s preaching out of the scriptures.  We can talk to people and offer our opinions, “This is what I think…”, “I feel like this…”, but we end up in arguments and discussions.  What people need to hear isn’t our opinions or feelings but the Word of God.

1 Peter 3:15b (NKJV)
^3:15 …always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Second, He preached Jesus with conviction and without fear.  “This Jesus, whom you crucified…”

This reminded me of the story of Philip and the Ethopian.  In Acts Chapter 8, the Ethopian is traveling along and he’s reading the Book of Isaiah, but he’s not understanding it all.  Philip asks him whether he understands or not and he answers, “How can I know unless someone guides me?’  He needs a preacher!

Acts 8:35 (NKJV)
^8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

So, a preacher is needed to bring someone to a place of repentance; so, they can hear and understand the Word of God.

Repentance Also Requires Faith from the Hearer

Acts 2:41 (NKJV)
^2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

This is talking about faith.  They heard Peter’s words and accepted them as the Word of God.  They believed.  They heard what Peter was saying to them and they believed that he was right.  They were convicted that their sin – their personal sin – crucified Jesus.  That comes from the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit.  In order to repent, you have to be convinced that you’re wrong. Convinced that what you’re doing is against God and that your sin is the reason that Jesus had to die.  If you never come to that you’ll never come to repentance.  The Pharisees and the Sadducees never believed, so they never repented. 

Repentance requires the thought that my sin is wrong and that it needs to be judged.  That’s why we preach on sin. It is in order to bring people to a place of repentance.

Think about your own life.  What was it that made you realize that you needed to get saved?  You had to come to a point where you realized that the way that you’d been living was wrong in God’s eyes.  You had to recognize that you were guilty.  That’s what happened in our text.

The people in our text heard Peter’s words and realized that they had played a part in Jesus’ crucifixion.  “This Jesus, whom you crucified.”  They felt the guilt and shame that goes with that.  The Word of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit led them to the faith they needed in order to repent.

Repentance Requires Confession

Acts 2:37 (NKJV)
^2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

This moment right here is the moment of confession.  They’re admitting their guilt.  It’s like them saying, “We know we’re guilty.”  “We know that we have sinned and deserve our punishment!”  “We know that we will face the wrath of God.  What shall we do to make it right?  What shall we do to be right with God.”  That’s a confession of guilt.

In order to repent of sin, you have to know what it is.  You have to know what it is that you have done.  So we confess that sin before God.  That’s why we have an altar call, to give us an opportunity to bring that sin before God. 

You hear the Word of God and Jesus preached.  You feel the conviction of sin, believing that it’s true.  You confess that sin before God.  Then comes repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind or a change of heart.  I know what I’ve been doing is wrong and I’m not going to live like that anymore.  Repentance is a change; the word translated as repent literally means to turn around.  It’s as if you’re going one direction away from God and you turn around and go in a different direction toward God.  Allof this begins with a confession.

Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
^10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

That’s the starting point – Confessing before God; declaring your sin and guilt before God.  This is when the real work starts, beginning to pursue God.  It starts with repentance.  I would encourage anyone who prays for salvation to go home and continue to confess before God.  Think about your sins and bring them before God.

A friend of mine who is a pastor, told me that one man told him that he went home and confessed for an hour and a half.  He really thought about his sin specifically  “I’v done this, I’ve done that…” That’s real repentance.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)
^1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, God does his job and forgives.  He even goes so far as to take that sin away.  Then it’s time for you to do your part and change.  Be different – Follow God’s laws and live for Jesus.  Repentance is turning around and walking away from your sinful lifestyle.  I know this can be hard but God helps us.  Peter preached:

Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
^2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

First, we repent of our sin.

Second, we’re baptized for the remission of sin.

Third, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!

The next post will be about Baptism for the remission of sin!