Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU200003S
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00:11 And this is the record
00:13 that God hath given to us eternal life 00:16 and this life is in His Son. 00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:30 I'd like to welcome you all 00:32 to the 3ABN Australia Homecoming 2020, 00:35 and we are talking about preparing for eternity. 00:39 And in this series we're going through 00:40 a little book called Steps to Christ. 00:43 It's only a small book, 00:44 but preparing for eternity is really knowing about Jesus. 00:49 And we've been very privileged to have 13 different speakers 00:53 who gotta cover each chapter of this book. 00:56 And in our last presentation, Pastor Mike Browning 01:01 spoke about Chapter 2, The Sinners need of the Christ. 01:06 We really do need Christ 01:08 as we are preparing for eternity. 01:09 He becomes the focus of all our attention. 01:13 Mike summarized it in five different points. 01:15 One: Jesus is the source of life 01:18 and of immortal life for repentant sinners. 01:22 Two: Humanity is born with natural life 01:25 but not immortal life. 01:27 Three: Without immortality no human 01:31 can enjoy endless life. 01:33 Four: Humanity today is so crippled by sin 01:37 he is unable to resist evil. 01:40 And five: Through the life and death of Jesus 01:44 we may have eternal life now 01:47 and immortal life when He comes again. 01:50 Our speaker for today is Pastor Danny Milenkov. 01:53 And I know that you are aware of Danny 01:56 'cause Danny spoken on 3ABN many times before. 02:00 And he is really a man who wants to have 02:02 people prepared for Jesus' coming. 02:05 And he is going to be speaking on Chapter 3, Repentance, 02:08 an important part. 02:10 But before he speaks, 02:12 we have a special musical item by Helio Auguste 02:17 and he's gonna be singing "In the Garden" 02:19 and accompanying him is Desiree Sleight on the piano 02:23 and Henry Lorens on the guitar. 02:26 Thank you. 02:50 I come to the garden 02:57 Alone 03:01 While the dew 03:05 Is still on the roses 03:13 And the voice I hear 03:19 Falling on my ear 03:25 The Son of God discloses 03:39 And He walks 03:48 With me 03:49 And He talks with me 03:56 And He tells me 03:59 I am his own 04:06 And the joys we share 04:12 As we tarry there 04:19 None other 04:22 Has ever known 04:31 He speaks 04:34 And the sound of His voice 04:41 Is so sweet 04:45 The birds hush 04:48 Their singing 04:53 And the melody 04:59 That He gave to me 05:04 Within my heart 05:09 Is ringing 05:17 And He walks 05:26 With me 05:28 And He talks with me 05:34 And He tells me 05:38 I am his own 05:44 And the joys we share 05:50 As we tarry there 05:57 None other 06:00 Has ever known 06:08 I'd stay in the garden 06:14 With Him 06:18 Though the night 06:22 Around me 06:25 Be falling 06:30 But He bids me go 06:36 Through the voice of woe 06:41 His voice to me 06:46 Is calling 06:55 And He walks 07:04 With me 07:05 And He talks with me 07:11 And He tells me 07:15 I am his own 07:22 And the joys we share 07:28 As we tarry there 07:35 None other 07:39 Has ever known 08:03 What do you say? 08:04 Amen and amen. 08:07 Thank you so much for that beautiful item, 08:09 Helio, and Desiree, and Henry for their accompaniment. 08:15 It's so wonderful to hear that beautiful hymn. 08:17 I come to the garden alone, and we come to the garden alone 08:23 to connect with our best friend and savior Jesus Christ. 08:27 And I am just so blessed to be part 08:30 of the 2020 Homecoming 3ABN series. 08:34 Fitly named this theme, Preparing for Eternity. 08:40 And if ever there was a time 08:42 that we needed to focus on eternity, 08:45 I believe it is today. 08:47 I really do believe that eternity 08:50 is just around the corner. 08:53 I think of the words of Jesus where He said, 08:55 when you see all these things come to pass, 08:57 the things that we are beginning to see. 09:00 Look up because your redemption is drawing near. 09:03 And He says also that His coming will be near 09:07 even at the door. 09:09 And so, if ever there was a time 09:10 to draw nearer to Jesus, 09:12 if there was a time to take more steps towards Christ, 09:16 I believe it is today. 09:17 So, those of you who are out there watching, 09:20 wherever you may be watching from or listening, 09:22 I too wanna just give you a big warm welcome 09:24 to this 3ABN Homecoming series. 09:27 My name is Danny Milenkov, 09:29 and I want to thank my good friend John, 09:31 for giving me a warm welcome, 09:34 and it's just such a pleasure, such a joy. 09:37 And I count it a real privilege. 09:38 And I don't just say it, I count it a real privilege 09:40 to have an opportunity to be part of the preaching 09:45 of three angels' messages, 09:47 which is what 3ABN is all about. 09:50 And so, I praise God for that. 09:53 Today in this series, as we go through 09:56 this wonderful little book Steps to Christ, 09:59 it really is a beautiful book. 10:01 In this series, we are going 10:02 to be taking a look at Chapter 3. 10:04 The chapter focusing on repentance, 10:08 and I have titled my message today, 10:12 "God's Gift of Repentance." 10:19 Well, spelling the word isn't all that difficult, 10:23 but saying it is a little bit more of a challenge. 10:27 The word that most people are familiar 10:30 with is the word sorry. 10:33 Have you heard that word? 10:35 Have you ever had to say it? 10:39 Sorry. 10:40 I found it a real challenge to say sorry, 10:43 especially when I was young kid. 10:45 I don't know if you can relate to me 10:47 but it was always someone else's fault. 10:51 Anyone know what I am talking about 10:53 where it was either my younger sister's fault 10:56 or it was mom and dad's fault or it was my teacher's fault. 11:00 Today we go to the next step. 11:02 If it's not our teachers, or if it's not our parents, 11:05 if it's not the wife or the husband's fault, 11:07 it's the government's fault, someone else but me. 11:11 Sorry. 11:12 We are well familiar with that term sorry. 11:15 But there is a term that 11:16 we are not so well familiar with. 11:18 And that is the term repentance. 11:20 Now repentance is very different to sorry 11:24 and that's what we wanna unpack today. 11:25 We wanna take a look at God's wonderful gift of repentance. 11:29 And as we will discover, it indeed is a gift from God 11:32 'cause we in and of ourselves 11:35 don't have repentance within us. 11:38 It's just not within our DNA. 11:40 So we want to take a look at what God's Word has to say. 11:43 We want to take a look what the inspired 11:45 author Ellen White has to say in a couple of sections 11:49 in this beautiful little book Steps to Christ 11:50 but before we do that, and we open up God's Word. 11:53 As always what do we need to do? 11:56 We need to pray. 11:57 We need to ask God's Holy Spirit to be with us. 11:59 So let's just pause for a moment, 12:01 and let's bow our heads as we pray. 12:03 Father in heaven, we want to thank You so much 12:05 for the privilege 12:06 and the opportunity to be here today. 12:08 We're here in the 3ABN studios today. 12:11 And people are watching in their homes 12:14 or maybe listening in their cars, 12:16 wherever they may find themselves in, 12:18 by themselves or with their family 12:21 or with their friend, 12:22 Father, we ask and we plead for Your Holy Spirit 12:25 to be poured out upon us today. 12:27 We are about to unpack the words from Scripture, 12:30 the words from the Spirit of Prophecy. 12:32 And, Father, we dare not go there 12:35 without Your Holy Spirit leading and guiding. 12:37 So, we ask and pray that as we open the pages 12:42 of Holy Scripture that You will open our minds 12:44 and open our hearts, 12:46 that we may be ready and prepared to receive that 12:48 which the spirit has to say to the church. 12:51 For this is our prayer in Jesus' name. 12:54 Amen and amen. 12:56 I want to begin by going to Romans 2:4, 12:59 and notice these words. 13:00 In Romans 2:4, we read these words. 13:03 The Apostle Paul writes, "Or do you despise 13:06 the riches of his goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, 13:10 not knowing that the goodness of God 13:13 leads you to repentance?" 13:14 So right from the very outset we discover that 13:17 it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. 13:21 As I pointed out earlier, 13:22 we don't have these in and of ourselves. 13:25 It's a gift from God. 13:27 I love this beautiful statement from Steps to Christ, page 25, 13:31 where the author that examines this beautiful 13:35 and all-important message of repentance, 13:37 she makes this powerful point. 13:40 "A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach 13:44 of our own power to accomplish, it is obtained only from Christ 13:49 who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men." 13:53 So it's very, very clear the gift of repentance 13:57 comes to us only from Christ. 13:59 It's not something that we can manufacture 14:01 in and of ourselves. 14:03 I went to Wikipedia. 14:04 In fact, I went there just today. 14:06 I was impressed to go to Wikipedia 14:08 and just take a look at 14:10 what Wikipedia has to say on repentance, 14:12 and I was pleasantly surprised 14:14 that Wikipedia really nailed it. 14:17 And I just want to read these words to you. 14:18 They're not on the screen. 14:20 So you just need to listen to them carefully. 14:23 The doctrine of repentance as taught in the Bible 14:26 is a call to persons to make a radical turn 14:30 from one way of life to another. 14:32 Now notice these words. 14:34 The repentance called for throughout the Bible 14:37 is a summons to a personal, absolute and ultimate 14:41 unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign. 14:45 Though it includes sorrow and regret, it is more than. 14:50 It is a call to conversion from, 14:52 notice these words there, self-love, self-trust, 14:56 and self-assertion to obedient trust 14:59 and self-commitment to now live for God 15:02 and for His purposes. 15:05 Isn't that beautiful? 15:06 I'm gonna repeat those words, 15:07 because we're gonna come across those words again. 15:11 It is a real call to conversion from self-love, 15:16 self-trust, and self-assertion to obedient trust 15:20 and self-commitment 15:22 to now live for God and His purposes. 15:26 It's a complete turning away from the things 15:30 that I want to do, to turning to the will 15:33 that God has for my life. 15:35 In fact, the word repentance in the original, 15:39 the word is metanoia in the Greek. 15:41 And it means to do a U-turn. A U-turn. 15:44 We all have to do a U-turn, haven't we, 15:46 when we realize we're going the wrong way. 15:48 It's that 180 degree turn where you realize 15:52 you are heading in the wrong direction, 15:54 you are heading away from Christ 15:56 and through the goodness of God you realize 15:59 that the only way home is to go to Christ. 16:02 And so you make a complete turnaround, 16:05 you make a complete change. 16:07 There's a beautiful statement that defines 16:10 what repentance is once again 16:11 in that little book Steps to Christ. 16:13 Notice these words. 16:15 These words, "Repentance includes sorrow for sin 16:18 and a turning away from it. 16:20 We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness, 16:24 until we turn away from it in heart, 16:27 there will be no real change in the life." 16:30 So where does repentance need to begin? 16:32 Where does it need to begin? It needs to begin in the heart. 16:35 Unless it takes place in the heart, 16:38 there will not be a genuine true turning away from sin. 16:42 We will not understand the consequences of sin, 16:45 we'll not understand what sin entails 16:47 until we have that heart conversion. 16:50 So it's about the heart being converted. 16:53 It's about our hearts being transformed 16:55 and that is why the Bible over and over again 16:57 speaks of a new heart. 17:00 A new heart, and a new heart is only something 17:04 that God can give to us. 17:06 Now this theme of repentance is absolutely critical. 17:12 In fact, John the Baptist, and I am going to, 17:15 I love to read and my Bible say, 17:17 the words are up there on screen for you, 17:19 but I want to read these words in my Bible 17:22 from Matthew Chapter 3, 17:25 and here the John Baptist is preaching. 17:27 He is preparing people for what coming of Jesus, 17:30 do you remember? 17:31 For the first coming of Jesus. Isn't that right? 17:33 For the very first coming of Jesus. 17:35 And notice what we read here in Matthew 3:1-2, 17:39 "In those days John the Baptist came preaching 17:41 in the wilderness of Judea," and saying, 17:44 notice the first word out of John the Baptist's mouth, 17:48 "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 17:52 This is John the Baptist. 17:53 He is preaching, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 17:55 You continue to read through that chapter 17:57 and you get into Chapter 4. 17:59 And in Chapter 4, we discover that 18:01 Jesus after being baptized, He heads into the wilderness, 18:05 where He spends 40 days fasting and praying, 18:07 preparing for what? 18:09 Preparing for His three and half year ministry 18:12 as was prophesied in the Book of Daniel. 18:14 Daniel 9:24-27, 18:17 if you are interested to discover there, 18:19 the prophecy concerning Jesus and how long He would minister 18:23 for before His crucifixion. 18:25 And then after His temptation there in the wilderness, 18:30 Jesus also begins to preach. 18:32 And notice the words that Mathew records 18:36 that came out of the mouth of Jesus, 18:38 the very first words as He begins His ministry. 18:40 In Matthew 4:17, "From that time 18:44 Jesus began to preach and to say, 18:46 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is," what? 18:50 "Is at hand." 18:52 It's the same message of John the Baptist, 18:53 repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 18:56 Could it be that 2,000 years later, 19:02 it's the same message that you and I, 19:05 that the world needs to hear, 19:06 repent for the kingdom of heaven is what? 19:11 Is at hand. 19:14 It's not only a message that John the Baptist preached. 19:16 It's not only a message that Jesus preached, 19:18 but Jesus also called on His disciples 19:22 to preach that same message. 19:24 Notice these words. 19:26 We have them in Mark 6:12, it says, 19:32 "So they," that is the disciples, 19:34 "went out and preached that people should" what? 19:39 "Should repent." 19:41 Let's fast forward three and half years, 19:43 Jesus has ascended to heaven. 19:46 On the day of Pentecost, 19:48 Peter preaches a mighty and powerful sermon. 19:52 We pick up the words in Acts 2:36. 19:56 Notice these words, Acts 2:36. 20:01 "Therefore, preaches Peter, let all the house of Israel 20:05 know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, 20:08 whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. 20:11 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart 20:14 and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 20:17 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'" 20:20 Okay, that's an important question, 20:22 what shall we do? 20:23 When we recognize our sin pardoning savior 20:26 is the one that we crucified 20:29 and now something begins to happen in their hearts 20:32 and they ask that all-important question, 20:34 what shall we do or what must we do? 20:36 And notice how Peter responds. 20:38 "Then Peter said to them, 20:40 'Repent and let every one of you 20:43 be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ 20:45 for the remission of sins 20:46 and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 20:50 So what is Peter's message? 20:52 Repent and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 20:57 It's the same message from the very beginning of time, 21:00 all the way through to the very end of time, 21:03 that same message, 21:04 "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 21:07 Repent if you want to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, 21:10 who alone can prepare us for the coming of Jesus. 21:15 Who alone can fill us so that we can be vessels 21:19 used at the end of time to prepare a people 21:23 who are ready to meet the Lord. 21:27 Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 21:30 Repentance and the Holy Spirit go together. 21:35 In fact, repentance and the Holy Spirit 21:38 and preparing for the coming of Jesus all go together. 21:41 They all work hand in hand. 21:43 Notice these words in the very next chapter 21:45 in Acts 3:19-20. 21:49 Notice, once again, Peter. 21:51 This is shortly after the day of Pentecost 21:53 and he's once again preaching, and here we have the words. 21:57 Repent therefore and be what? 22:00 Converted, that word repentance 22:02 and conversion they go hand in hand, 22:05 they're synonymous with the true heart conversion. 22:09 "Repent therefore and be converted, 22:11 that your sins may be blotted out, 22:13 so that times of refreshing 22:15 may come from the presence of the Lord." 22:17 Now what are those times of refreshing? 22:20 That's the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 22:23 That's what Peter is speaking of. 22:24 He's speaking of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 22:26 Now how do we know that Peter is specifically 22:29 speaking of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 22:32 that latter rain power that will be poured out 22:36 that John in the Book of Revelation 22:38 18:4 speaks of, 22:40 sorry in verse 1 speaks of this angel 22:43 that illuminates the whole world 22:44 with the glory of God, with the character of God. 22:47 How do we know that these words 22:48 from Peter are specifically for the Second Coming? 22:52 Because notice, he goes on, and he says, 22:54 "This refreshing that it may come 22:56 from the presence of the Lord and that He may send" who? 23:00 "Jesus Christ who was preached to you before." 23:04 So before Jesus comes, 23:06 the message of repentance needs to be shared 23:10 and received. 23:13 The message of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 23:16 needs to be shared 23:17 and that too needs to be received 23:19 another gift from God in order to prepare us, 23:22 in order to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus. 23:25 Isn't that clear, yes or no? 23:27 It's absolutely crystal clear from Scripture. 23:31 So the question is, how can I receive this gift 23:36 from God called repentance. 23:39 It's a gift. How can I receive it? 23:41 How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? 23:43 How can I be ready for the soon return of Jesus? 23:48 Isn't that what this 3ABN camp meeting is focused on? 23:53 Preparing for what? Eternity. 23:56 Preparing for the coming of Jesus, 23:58 preparing for eternity. 23:59 It's one and the same. 24:01 So how can I be ready? 24:03 Jesus shared a parable. 24:06 He shared a story. 24:07 And we find that in the Book of Luke. 24:10 And this time, once again, 24:11 I'm going to open up in my Bible, 24:14 you see when I'm just reading of the screen, 24:17 it's not the same I like to read in my Bible. 24:20 I don't know about you. 24:22 I don't know one of these Monday pastors 24:24 that read from tablets 24:27 and they read the scriptures from their phone. 24:29 I like to have the book in my hand. 24:31 Amen? 24:32 It is just something about having, 24:35 you know, the Bible in one's hand. 24:37 And so I just wanna read this passage, 24:39 it would be up on the screen for you to follow. 24:42 If you have your Bible at home, 24:44 I would encourage you to follow along 24:46 and read this passage from Luke Chapter 18, 24:49 and I'm beginning in verse 9. 24:51 That's Luke 18:9. 24:55 "Also He, that is Jesus, spoke this parable 24:59 to some who trusted in themselves 25:02 that they were righteous, and despised others." 25:06 You remember that definition earlier, 25:09 from Wikipedia, 25:11 of what is at the heart of repentance. 25:16 A call from self-love, self-trust and self-assertion. 25:22 A call from that to be taken away from that. 25:26 Let's keep reading. 25:28 Verse 10, "Two men went up to the temple to pray, 25:31 one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 25:34 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. 25:38 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men, 25:42 extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 25:45 or even this tax collector. 25:49 I fast twice a week, 25:51 I give tithes of all that I possess.' 25:53 And the tax collector, standing afar off, 25:57 would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, 26:00 but beat his breast saying, 26:03 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 26:08 And Jesus then finishes off by saying, 26:10 I tell you, this man, that is this tax collector. 26:17 "This man went down to his house justified 26:21 rather than the other." 26:23 The self righteous Pharisee. 26:26 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, 26:29 and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 26:34 Jesus here talks about two worshipers, 26:38 two worshipers that went to church, 26:42 one a self righteous Pharisee, 26:46 the other a self confessed tax collector and sinner. 26:52 One a saint, the other a sinner. 26:56 Now, where do you and I come into the picture? 27:01 Who do you and I identify with? 27:04 Now you may be thinking, 27:05 well, I really don't want to be portrayed 27:08 as the Pharisee because the Pharisee 27:09 does not look good. 27:12 He does not look good according to what Jesus said. 27:14 So what you do is you kind of, you kind of come up 27:17 with some trifle little sin, you know, I might eat, 27:22 I do eat chocolate, I know I shouldn't. 27:26 And so you come up with something, 27:28 because you don't want to be the Pharisee 27:33 which makes you very much a Pharisee and me a Pharisee, 27:38 if that's how we're gonna go about. 27:41 Whereas the tax collector, if you're the tax collector, 27:47 your sins are not chocolate, your sins are not this... 27:53 You've got other sins. 27:55 It's a laundry list long of sins. 27:59 And you've got and your sins are so crushing. 28:03 When you think about your sins, when you seek to examine them, 28:07 they bring you to the point 28:10 where you even don't want to go to church. 28:14 You find yourself like the tax collector 28:16 there at the back of the church, 28:18 not wanting anyone to really notice you. 28:20 Because you just feel down, you feel guilty, 28:23 you feel rotten, you feel like you're a total failure. 28:27 And you cry out, Lord, have mercy upon me a sinner, 28:31 you just don't feel worthy at all. 28:37 There are some powerful words that give us an insight, 28:41 an insight into this story of Jesus. 28:44 And once again from the book Steps to Christ. 28:47 Notice these words. They're on the screen for you. 28:51 "God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude, 28:56 there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, 28:58 as well as in that of man, but however trifling this 29:02 or that wrong act my seem in the eyes of men, 29:05 no sin is small in the sight of God. 29:08 Man's judgment is partial, imperfect, 29:11 but God estimates all things as they really are." 29:14 Let's continue. 29:16 "The drunkard is despised." Let's fill in the blanks, 29:20 the gambler, the womanizer, all those outward sins 29:25 that are so easy and obvious to pinpoint, 29:29 the ones that we see on Facebook 29:30 and so on and so forth. 29:34 "The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin 29:37 or her sin will exclude him or her from heaven, 29:40 while" notice these words, "pride, selfishness, 29:44 and covetousness too often go on rebuked. 29:48 But these that is pride, selfishness and covetousness, 29:51 these are the scenes that are especially offensive to God 29:55 for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character." 29:59 We continue reading. 30:01 "He who falls into some of the grosser sins 30:03 may feel a sense of his shame and poverty, 30:06 and his need of the grace of Christ, 30:09 but, notice these three, 30:10 notice these four words, "pride feels no need, 30:15 and so it closes the heart against Christ 30:17 and the infinite blessings He came to give." 30:22 Wow. So what are the sins 30:24 that are especially offensive to God? 30:27 They are pride, selfishness and what? 30:30 And covetousness? 30:32 Why are these sins so offensive to God? 30:34 We're told in that statement. 30:36 It's because they are completely contrary 30:39 to His character. 30:42 These are the sins of character. 30:43 And guess what? 30:45 The last time I checked in the mirror. 30:48 I don't know about you, 30:50 but the last time I checked in the mirror, 30:51 they are the problems that I have. 30:54 They are my big problems. But guess what? 30:57 We find that those are not the problems 31:00 that we look to when we're in a church board meeting, 31:04 or an elders meetings, or in a business meeting, 31:07 or in any meeting between one another. 31:11 These are the sins and I have to say it, 31:14 these are sins sadly found 31:17 and festered often in the remnant. 31:24 These are the sins of the self righteous. 31:29 And we can all fall into that trap. 31:31 And don't think for one minute that you're immune, 31:34 because pride feels no need. 31:37 Pride feels no need. 31:39 I looked up that word pride. 31:41 And it appears in Ezekiel 28:17, 31:44 I don't have the words, 31:46 you may want to make note of those, 31:47 Ezekiel 28:17, where God describes Lucifer. 31:53 And he says your heart was lifted up 31:56 because of your beauty, that word there lifted up. 31:59 In my Bible, I have a footnote next to the word lifted up 32:02 and it's the word pride. 32:05 So when we sense no need, 32:09 or we think we are better than someone else, 32:12 we are exhibiting the character of Lucifer. 32:15 And that is why pride is so repugnant to God. 32:20 It is completely contrary to His character, 32:23 which is the complete opposite, isn't that right? 32:27 Selflessness rather than selfishness. 32:34 Notice, the last time the word repent appears in the Bible. 32:39 Notice to who it's addressed, no coincidence. 32:42 Revelation 3:19-20. 32:45 These are the words of Jesus to His final end time church, 32:48 the final end time group of Christians on the planet. 32:53 To the church of Laodicea, Jesus Himself says these words, 32:57 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 33:00 Therefore be zealous and" what? "Repent." 33:03 The last time in Scripture that word repent appears, 33:06 it's to the Laodicean Church. 33:08 Behold says Jesus, I stand at the door and knock. 33:11 If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 33:14 I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me." 33:17 Can you see the plea of Jesus? 33:20 You don't need to read between the lines, 33:22 you don't need to pull out your Greek. 33:24 It's there in plain simple English 33:27 for a five year old to understand. 33:29 Jesus says, you have a problem and your problem is pride, 33:35 because Laodicea, Laodicea, 33:37 if you read the whole letter says I am rich, 33:41 I'm increased with goods, I have need of what? 33:45 Nothing. 33:46 And Jesus says you have got no idea 33:49 that you are wretched, 33:50 you're miserable, you're blind, you're poor. 33:54 And worst of all, you're naked. 33:57 The worst possible situation for a Jew, 34:02 for a Middle Eastern Jew, or a person in the Middle East 34:05 to be found was to be found naked. 34:08 The worst possible situation is naked. 34:11 And Jesus says that's who you are. 34:14 That's who you are. 34:16 And I want to help you, I want to help you. 34:19 I'm here to chasten you and the word 34:22 there really is the word 34:25 that relates to training up a child, paideia. 34:29 In the original paideia, train up to, 34:32 you know, pediatrics, the study of children 34:36 and things related to children. 34:39 And so Jesus said, "I want to train you up, 34:42 but are you willing to be a child? 34:44 Are you willing to be like a little child?" 34:47 Didn't someone say that unless we become like little children, 34:50 we're not going to enter into the kingdom of God? 34:52 Didn't someone say that 2000 years ago? 34:56 Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." 35:00 I'm standing, I'm knocking. 35:02 And by the way, those words, I stand at the door and knock 35:06 are in the continuous tense. 35:08 Do you know what that means? 35:10 That means that Jesus is standing at the door 35:12 of your heart and my heart, at the door of your heart, 35:15 wherever you may be watching from. 35:17 And He is knocking, continually knocking, 35:19 and He doesn't stop knocking, He does not stop knocking. 35:26 He's so much wants to come into our hearts, 35:29 to give us that gift of repentance 35:30 to unite us to Himself, 35:33 to deliver us from selfishness, pride, covetousness, 35:39 from all things that are associated with the enemy. 35:45 2 Chronicles 7:14, we read these words. 35:49 And these words are familiar to most, 35:52 if not all, who are here today, 35:54 and many of you who are watching. 35:57 God said to Solomon, "If My people who are called 36:02 by My name will" do what? 36:04 "Will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, 36:09 and turn," do what? 36:10 "Turn from their wicked ways." 36:12 There is that U-turn, that metanoia that U-turn, 36:15 turn from their wicked ways. 36:18 "Then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins 36:21 and I will heal their land." 36:24 I will heal their land. 36:27 Pride, pride, pride. 36:32 How many marriages could have been saved 36:38 if pride was crucified? 36:41 How many children could have grown up 36:43 in a home with a mother and a father 36:47 if pride would have been crucified on the altar? 36:54 I think of my own experiences, 36:56 and I think of one in particular, 36:59 has been a number of times. 37:01 I've been married for some 25 years now. 37:04 My wonderful wife has been hanging around me 37:07 for 25 years. 37:08 Amen? Praise the Lord for that. 37:10 Often when she gets cranky with me, I'm like, Dea. 37:14 Her name is Jasna. 37:15 I'm like Dea, the Lord placed me in your life 37:19 to develop your character. 37:21 So you'll be ready for the kingdom. 37:25 I'm character development material in your life. 37:29 But I remember on one occasion, on one occasion, 37:33 we had a disagreement, and I was just 100% sure 37:40 that she was in the wrong and I was in the right, 37:42 is that ever happened to you? 37:44 Where you thought you were in the ride 37:46 and she or he was in the wrong. 37:49 And I was like, I was pretty upset. 37:51 And I was like, until she admits 37:55 that she's at fault, I'm not gonna talk, 37:58 I'm not gonna, I'm just not going to be the one. 38:02 When she is good and ready, I'm here, 38:04 I'm ready to receive her confession, 38:09 to receive her apology. 38:12 And then I'll think of forgiving her. 38:14 No, I would forgive her. 38:16 And so, I'm on my knees and I'm praying 38:18 and I'm really cranky, and I'm upset. 38:21 And I'm like, Lord, this is just not advocating you, 38:23 please impress upon my dear wife 38:26 that she needs to come and say sorry. 38:28 Can you please impress that upon her? 38:32 Silence, silence. 38:34 I'll repeat my prayer. 38:36 God maybe didn't hear me the first time 38:37 or the second time or the third time. 38:41 And then when I've quit my praying, 38:45 he prayed within himself that we read that earlier. 38:49 The Pharisee prayed within himself, 38:50 so this is Danny praying within himself. 38:52 And when Danny stops and pauses to pray within himself, 38:57 he hears a little voice, a still small voice. 39:00 Danny, you need to go and apologize. 39:04 What? I need to apologize. 39:07 It's clear to the world that I'm not in the wrong, 39:09 she's in the wrong. 39:12 Why would I go and apologize. 39:13 I don't want to affirm her in her wrongdoing. 39:17 I don't want to condone 39:19 something that is blatantly wrong. 39:23 I thank God that I did follow that still small voice. 39:26 And I went to my wife. 39:28 And I said, "My dear, 39:30 I'm really sorry for what I said" 39:32 or how I said it. 39:34 And I can't even remember the situation now. 39:36 But I'm really sorry, please forgive me. 39:38 I love you. Please forgive me. That was it. 39:40 We didn't even talk about the problem. 39:42 I don't even know what the problem was. 39:44 But all of a sudden she smiled and said that's okay. 39:47 We gave each other a big hug. And that was the end of it. 39:50 That was the end of it. 39:55 If only we would be willing to follow 39:57 in the footsteps of Jesus 40:00 and not be concerned about the issue. 40:03 Who cares about the issue? 40:04 Who cares about who is right and wrong? 40:07 Who cares about who is right and wrong right there 40:10 and then deal with that in another time. 40:13 But may be at the very outset that the first thing we do 40:17 is ask the Lord to humble our hearts, 40:20 ask the Lord to give us the spirit of repentance, 40:22 ask the Lord to give us 40:23 the gift of initiating reconciliation. 40:27 The last time I checked my Bible, 40:30 when Adam and Eve sinned, when they broke 40:34 the covenant of love relationship 40:37 that God has established with them, 40:38 they didn't come to God, they didn't initiate. 40:42 The last time I checked my Bible, 40:44 they went running and God came looking. 40:48 And He came looking with the words, where are you? 40:52 Which are the words 4000 years later that Jesus cries out? 40:57 It is finished. 40:59 Which are the words there John, 41:01 in 1 John Chapter 4 cries out, God is love. 41:05 You see genuine love initiates. 41:08 It doesn't wait for the other person. 41:12 Genuine love doesn't focus on who is right and who is wrong. 41:16 Genuine love focuses on reconciliation. 41:25 So how can I have the gift of repentance? 41:30 Would you like to have the spirit of repentance? 41:34 Do you want to have the spirit of repentance? 41:38 I pray that you do. I want to give you two steps. 41:40 Two steps of how you can continually 41:42 have the spirit of repentance. 41:44 The first step, pray the prayer of David. 41:48 Pray the prayer of David. 41:49 Now what's the prayer of David? 41:50 It's in Psalm 139:23-24. 41:53 Notice these words, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, 41:57 try me and know my anxieties, 41:59 and see if there is any wicked way in me, 42:01 and lead me in the way of everlasting." 42:05 Search my heart. 42:08 Search my heart, O God. 42:10 You know my ways. 42:12 You see, my heart, my judgment 42:15 according to Scripture is deceitful. 42:19 It says the human heart is deceitful 42:22 above all things desperately wicked. 42:25 Isn't that true? 42:26 Your heart and my heart is desperate... 42:27 When I take the magnifying glass 42:29 and I place it over my heart and my mind, guess what? 42:32 It doesn't look too bad. 42:34 But when God places His magnifying glass 42:37 called the Holy Spirit over my heart and my mind, 42:39 it's a different story altogether. 42:43 Almost 16, 17 years ago, somewhere there 2003, 2004, 42:47 I was ministering in New Zealand at the time, 42:50 had a wonderful time in New Zealand, 42:52 spent six years there. 42:54 Six of the best years of my life. 42:57 And I don't know, any Kiwi, Kiwis here, 42:59 anyone here from New Zealand? 43:00 Okay. Oh, there is one hand went up. 43:02 One of our cameramen, he is from New Zealand. 43:05 If there's anyone out there from New Zealand, 43:06 you are blessed. 43:08 New Zealand, a beautiful country, 43:10 and I was blessed to spend six years ministering there 43:12 in Palmerston North and in Hamilton 43:14 there in the north island. 43:16 I remember one minister came over 43:18 and he's probably well-known to many of you, 43:20 well-known to 3ABN, 43:22 and his name is pastor or Dr. Derek Morris. 43:26 He does a Hope Sabbath School. 43:29 And he's just a wonderful man. 43:32 Anyway, Derek Morris, he came along 43:35 and he talked to us about this message of repentance 43:38 and many other messages. 43:39 And one night, I remember was a Friday night 43:42 and he challenged us pastors, this was a group of pastors, 43:44 pastors that had come to a place 43:47 called Palmerston North. 43:49 They're in the bottom half of the north island. 43:51 We had come from all over New Zealand 43:54 and all over the Pacific. 43:55 Okay, so there's probably about 150 pastors 43:58 gathered there with their spouses and families from... 44:02 Yeah, from all over the New Zealand 44:05 Pacific Union Conference 44:06 as it's known in that entire region. 44:08 And on the Friday night, he challenged us 44:12 to go back to our rooms, 44:14 after he shared this scripture from Psalm 139. 44:17 And he asked us to go back to our rooms 44:20 and to pray the prayer of David, 44:22 pray the prayer of David. 44:24 If we genuinely wanted that gift of repentance, 44:26 that's the first step, pray the prayer of David. 44:28 And I remember going into my room. 44:31 And I was nervous, I wasn't quite sure 44:33 what was going to happen. 44:34 He said, what you need to do is you need to have 44:35 your Bible open, you need to read the passage. 44:38 And then you need to have a notebook. 44:40 And you need to have a pen ready, 44:43 because God is going to reveal to you what is in your heart. 44:49 So be ready, be prepared. 44:52 And my, oh my, God is my witness. 44:55 It was a Friday night that I'll never forget. 44:57 As I prayed that prayer of David, 44:59 search my heart, O God, 45:01 and see if there is any wicked way in me 45:03 and lead me in the way of everlasting. 45:04 As I prayed that prayer, had my notebook, 45:06 had my pen, God began to reveal to me. 45:09 Wow. It was such... 45:12 I can't even begin to describe, 45:14 but it was such an experience that was overwhelming 45:18 beyond words that I could use to describe. 45:21 I just realized how much I was falling short of God 45:27 and His glory and His plans for my life. 45:30 And I began to write, and as I was writing, 45:33 I was praying and praying. 45:35 And as I was writing, there were tears 45:37 just streaming down my face, 45:39 and I could barely see what I was writing, 45:41 as God began to reveal to me what my true condition was. 45:49 But I thank God, I thank God 45:53 that Pastor Derek Morris said, "Do not take step one. 45:57 Do not pray this prayer 45:59 unless you're willing to take step two." 46:02 Unless you're willing to take step two, 46:04 do not pray this prayer, because it'll be overwhelming. 46:07 It'll be completely destructive. 46:12 You won't be able to get up if God truly reveals to you 46:15 or begins to reveal to you, and God does that in His grace. 46:21 Step two, what's step two? Here is step two. 46:24 Look to Jesus. 46:26 Look to Jesus, your sin pardoning Savior. 46:29 Notice these words from John the Baptist, 46:32 as he encountered Jesus in John 1:29. 46:35 "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away 46:37 the sins of the world." 46:39 Behold the Lamb of God 46:40 that takes away the sins of the world. 46:42 Jesus Himself in Matthew 11:28, He said, 46:47 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 46:51 and I will do" what? 46:52 "I'll give to you rest." 46:54 So do not take that first step 46:57 in praying the prayer of David, 46:58 unless you're willing to look to Jesus. 47:03 Go to your sin pardoning Savior, 47:05 and He will forgive you. 47:08 For the Bible clearly tells us in 1 John 1:9, 47:12 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful 47:15 and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from" 47:18 most of our unrighteousness. 47:21 No, no, "all of our unrighteousness." 47:27 All of our unrighteousness 47:28 if we are willing to come to Jesus, 47:31 if we are willing to look to Him, He will, 47:34 He will forgive us. 47:37 And where is the epicenter of that forgiveness? 47:41 Where is the epicenter of God's grace? 47:44 Where? 47:46 On a place called Calvary, Gethsemane, Gethsemane. 47:51 Go to the garden 47:55 and go all the way through to Golgotha. 47:58 You see pride cannot survive at Calvary. 48:04 The only antidote for pride, selfishness, 48:08 and covetousness is Calvary. 48:12 Notice these words, powerful words, 48:17 written by that same author, 48:18 not in the book Steps to Christ. 48:20 Ellen White writes and lift him up, page 43. 48:23 "Pride and self-esteem cannot flourish in the hearts 48:28 that keep fresh in memory, the scenes of" what? 48:31 "Of Calvary." It just can't. 48:33 It just can't. 48:34 The only vaccine and we've been talking about 48:37 vaccine lately, haven't we? 48:39 The only vaccine that is able 48:44 and capable to deal with pride, 48:48 which is at the very heart 48:52 of not experiencing true heart repentance. 48:59 The only vaccine is found in the blood 49:03 that flows from Calvary, from Calvary. 49:07 Roger Morneau, who is now passed away, 49:11 awaiting the coming of Jesus. 49:12 He's written many books on the power of prayer, 49:16 his testimony and the power of prayer. 49:19 And he would go every single day 49:23 to the Book of Matthew, 49:24 Matthew 27:24-54, 49:27 those 30 verses every single day, 49:30 he would read the passage of Christ 49:35 from Gethsemane to Golgotha every day, 49:41 every single day. 49:44 Notice these words. 49:46 Once again from Acts of the Apostles, 49:51 Ellen White writes, 49:52 "The sinner may resist..." 49:54 Sorry this is from Steps to Christ. 49:57 "The sinner may resist this love, 49:58 may refuse to be drawn to Christ, 50:00 but if he does or she does not resist, 50:03 he will be drawn to Jesus, 50:04 a knowledge of the plan of salvation 50:06 will lead him or her to the foot of the cross 50:09 in repentance for his sins, 50:11 which have caused 50:12 the sufferings of God's dear Son." 50:15 If you and I will not refuse this gift, 50:20 we will receive it. 50:22 God so much wants to give us this gift of repentance. 50:25 It's our only hope. It's our only hope. 50:30 They will never ever be genuine, 50:32 true heart conversion without the gift of repentance, 50:39 and the gift of repentance is just that 50:41 it's a gift that comes from God. 50:45 If you and I will simply open our arms 50:50 and allow Jesus to embrace us. 50:52 If we will simply open the door when He says repent. 50:58 I want to come in, 50:59 we will receive that wonderful gift. 51:04 There's a beautiful statement that I want to read 51:07 from Acts of the Apostles, 51:08 and I hope it will be up there up on the screen 51:11 regarding how repentance deepens. 51:14 Notice these words, "The nearer we come to Jesus, 51:17 and the more clearly we discern the purity 51:19 of His character, the more clearly 51:21 shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, 51:24 and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. 51:28 There will be a continual reaching out 51:30 of the soul after God, 51:32 a continual, earnest, 51:34 heartbreaking confession of sin 51:36 and humbling of the heart before Him. 51:38 At every advance step in our Christian experience, 51:42 our repentance will" what? 51:44 "Will deepen. 51:46 We shall know that our sufficiency 51:47 is in Christ alone 51:49 and shall make the apostle's confession our own: 51:52 'I know that in me, that is in my flesh, 51:55 dwelleth no good thing.' 51:56 God forbid that I should glory, 52:00 save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 52:03 by whom the world is crucified unto me, 52:05 and I unto the world.'" 52:07 Romans 7 and Galatians 4:6. 52:11 The closer we come to Jesus, 52:13 the more we will see His beauty, 52:17 the more we will see our need. 52:19 And our repentance will deepen, deepen. 52:24 The less we will want to exalt ourselves, 52:27 the more we will seek to uplift Christ, 52:30 and the more we will seek to preach the message 52:33 of John the Baptist, 52:34 "Behold, the Lamb of God, look to Jesus, 52:39 the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." 52:42 He has taken away my sins. 52:45 He has given me the gift of His repentance, 52:48 and He wants to do that for you. 52:50 My, dear friends, as we seek to land, 52:54 there has been no better time, no better time 52:56 in earth's history than to point people, 52:59 men and women, boys and girls 53:01 who are experiencing confusion, 53:04 chaos, and hopelessness. 53:08 No better time than today than to point them to Jesus. 53:11 Point them to the one that has promised, 53:15 if we confess our sins, He is faithful 53:17 and just to forgive us and to cleanse us 53:18 from all unrighteousness. 53:20 Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 53:23 It's time to make ready a people 53:25 who are prepared for the Lord's coming. 53:27 Amen. It's time, it's time. 53:30 Jesus is on His way. He's on His way. 53:33 And He wants you and I, He wants all of us to be ready. 53:37 So those of you who are watching out there, 53:39 as I close in prayer, I just pray that 53:41 you will give your heart and life to Jesus. 53:44 Invite Him into your heart and He will bless you above 53:48 and beyond all measure 53:49 and draw you to His heart of love. 53:52 Let's pause and pray. 53:53 Father in heaven, we want to thank You 53:55 for the gift of repentance. 53:57 Father, we want to thank You so much for Jesus. 53:59 We want to thank You that He has opened up 54:03 His nail stretched hands wide. 54:07 And He's able and willing to embrace all. 54:09 Bless us, Father, 54:11 as we continue to look to Jesus, 54:13 the author and finisher of our faith 54:15 in preparing for His soon return, 54:17 and everybody said amen, and amen, and amen. 54:20 And God bless you. |
Revised 2021-01-22