Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: PHP
Program Code: PHP000006S
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00:00 Hello, I am Shelley Quinn.
00:02 Do you know the joy of repentance? 00:05 Yes, I said, joy of repentance. 00:09 Please join us today on "Pressing in to His Presence" 00:12 and we will see how God can empower us 00:16 to walk away from our sin problem. 00:41 Welcome to "Pressing in to His Presence." 00:43 This series is dedicated to learning 00:46 how to draw near to God in prayer 00:50 to seek His face and not just His hand. 00:55 We are flushing out the acronym 00:58 for the praise prayer. 01:00 P-R-A-I-S-E each of these letters 01:03 standing for different segment of our prayers. 01:06 And in our last couple of programs 01:09 we considered the "P" 01:11 which stands for the praise segment. 01:14 We learn the benefit to us when we enter into His gates 01:18 with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. 01:22 Today, we will contemplate the "R" 01:24 which stands for repentance 01:27 and our resource for this series 01:30 is a book I was privileged to write 01:32 also titled "Pressing in to His Presence." 01:34 So if you're following along today in your book 01:37 today, we begin on Chapter 4. 01:41 When I was first learning how to pray 01:44 in a more intimate fashion I was completely aware 01:48 of my total dependence on God to teach me. 01:51 I remember the first day as I was sitting at my computer 01:54 because I was trying journaling writing up my prayer to God 01:59 which isn't absolutely necessary 02:02 but it is greatly beneficial 02:04 to maintaining focus during you prayer 02:06 and if we increase our focus it increases our intimacy. 02:11 But anyway, as I contemplated in what I was to do 02:17 after I completed the praise prayer 02:20 I knew well, it's time to see God again 02:23 for the next step to press into His presence. 02:26 So I said Holy Father, what shall I do now 02:30 to come closer before You? 02:33 In King David's words from Psalm 24:3, 4 came to my mind. 02:40 Here's what David wrote. 02:42 "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? 02:45 Or who may stand in His holy place? 02:50 He who has clean hands and a pure heart." 02:55 You know, there is no doubt about it 02:57 sin erects a barrier of separation 03:00 between us and Holy God. 03:03 Sin hinders prayer. 03:06 Psalm 66:18 says, 03:10 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, 03:13 the Lord will not hear me." 03:15 And please take note the symptoms one have to be 03:19 what we mortals would categorize as major. 03:23 For example, in 1 Peter 3:7, Peter warns husbands 03:27 that if they don't honor their wife 03:29 as a cool air of the grace of life 03:32 dwelling with their wife and understanding. 03:35 Well, he's warned the God won't hear his prayers. 03:38 His prayers will be hindered. 03:40 Worse yet unconfused sin causes spiritual drought. 03:45 Please consider these words of David from Psalm 32:3-6. 03:51 He said, "When I kept silent Your hand was heavy upon me, 03:57 my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. 04:01 I acknowledged my sin to You, 04:03 and my iniquity I have not hidden. 04:05 I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' 04:08 and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. 04:12 For this cause everyone who is godly 04:16 shall pray to You in a time when You may be found." 04:21 So to overcome to his spiritual drought David just confessed 04:24 and said God forgive him, 04:26 so then he compress into the presence of God. 04:30 So here I am asking God what's the next step 04:32 of pressing into His presence 04:34 and He made it abundantly clear. 04:37 Of course, I needed to seek forgiveness from my sins 04:40 to draw near to my holy and righteous Father. 04:44 I must confess all the ways I had miss the mark 04:47 of His righteousness in repent if I did not 04:51 sin would spoil my success in seeking God's face. 04:55 So, what is repentance? 04:59 It is more than just remorse and mere confession of sins. 05:04 How do we truly repent? 05:07 It is crucial that we understand God's guidelines 05:10 and let's consider the process of repentance. 05:14 Repentance begins when-- with recognition of sin 05:20 and as we examine ourselves in this light of God's word 05:24 the character of our conduct is exposed 05:27 and under Holy Sprits conducting power 05:30 will begin to think differently 05:32 recognizing the foul essence of sin. 05:36 And as we begin to interpret God's marvelous love 05:40 and see how we've sinned against Him, 05:42 godly sorrow seizes our hearts, we regret our sins 05:47 and then this godly sorrow produces a change of heart 05:52 which leads us to repentance and unto salvation. 05:55 Confession is the next critical step. 05:58 This demonstrates that we have had a change of mind 06:02 regarding our sin sick behavior and through confession 06:05 we seek forgiveness, forgiveness of our sins 06:09 acknowledging our need for our Savior. 06:12 So when confession is accompanied 06:15 and then with God like sorrow and our sincere desire 06:19 to change God forgives us and He cleanses us 06:23 of all unrighteousness, hallelujah. 06:26 Our challenge is to learn to receive God's forgiveness. 06:31 This is how we disarm the devil and extricate ourselves 06:35 from this quick sand trap of condemnation. 06:38 And now, we are ready to do a 180 degree turn around 06:42 but we can't achieve this by human willpower alone. 06:46 It is God who gives us the power 06:49 to change our conduct. 06:51 Repentance is a gift granted by God to the penitent. 06:55 It is His power working mightily within us 06:59 that enables us to turn back to Him and to do His will. 07:04 Now let's sum up this five step process of repentance. 07:09 The first step is, recognition of sin. 07:15 We recognize and think differently 07:18 about ungodly behavior. 07:20 This second step is, Godly sorrow 07:23 causes us to regret our sin. 07:26 Our attitudes are altered. 07:28 We confess our sins asking for forgiveness. 07:33 And then the forth step is we receive God's forgiveness 07:37 applying His healing balm to our wounded souls 07:40 and finally step number five, we receive God's power. 07:46 This is the most important step. 07:48 We receive god's power to change our conduct 07:51 and make a "U" turn in the right direction 07:54 straight toward Him. 07:57 There is real joy in true repentance. 08:01 It wasn't until several months after the Lord taught me 08:03 the joy of repentance that I recognize 08:06 His continual leading 08:08 in this continuation of the sanctuary theme 08:11 and that's how the prayer pattern was being laid out. 08:15 Before the priest of old could enter into his holy place 08:18 drawing near to God they first encountered 08:22 the altar of burnt offering in the outer court 08:25 where the sacrifice for sin was offered. 08:27 And in the book Pressing into His Presence 08:30 I provide a brief overview as a matter of observation only 08:34 of the similarities between each prayer segment 08:38 in the ancient sanctuary theme. 08:41 So with that in mind let's take a brief look 08:44 at the altar burnt offering 08:47 that's first article of the outer court 08:49 and consider how it relates to repentance. 08:53 The outer court was enclosed with linen hangings 08:56 and there were 150 feet long by 75 feet wide. 09:01 As the worshipers entered the court 09:03 the most conspicuous item in front of them 09:06 was the impressive site of the altar of burnt offering. 09:11 It was centered midway between the gate 09:13 and the door of the tabernacle. 09:16 It was overlaid with bronze, four square form 09:20 seven and half feet on each side, 09:23 four and half feet high 09:25 and it was up on a large platform 09:27 and large horns projected from each corner. 09:32 The blood stained exterior witnessed against the guilt 09:37 and hoer of sin which deserve the rapt of righteous God. 09:42 Smoke ascending from a continuously burning fire 09:47 served as a manifestation of God's mercy 09:49 and forgiveness secured through a subsidiary sacrifice. 09:54 Man did not kindled the flame for this fire. 09:58 Leviticus 9:24 explains that the altar had been 10:01 supernaturally set ablaze when fire came out 10:05 from before the Lord to consume the very first offering. 10:09 And this divine flame was never allowed to go out, 10:12 it was transported in a fire pan. 10:14 So when the portable sanctuary moved the fire went with it. 10:19 This testified to the fact that only God has the power 10:22 to consume the sacrificed and absolve the sinner. 10:27 The altar of burnt offerings was also called 10:29 "the Table of the Lord" upon which 10:32 no imperfect sacrifice could be offered. 10:35 As part of the daily service 10:37 the priest made an offering for the nation 10:40 that consisted of two male lambs 10:43 each in their first year without blemish. 10:47 One was sacrificed at the dawn of the day 10:50 and the second in the evening. 10:52 This was a confirmation 10:54 of the nation's concentration to God 10:58 and it was a constant dependence upon Him 11:01 before atonement from sin. 11:03 So on this altar offerings for individual sin were also made. 11:10 The death of the animals demonstrated 11:13 that sinners deserved to die for their sins, 11:16 but were reconciled to God by transferring their sins 11:20 to a sacrificed victim which served as a substitute. 11:24 A guilty party could also flee to the blood smeared horns 11:28 of this altar and cling to them for asylum. 11:32 Today, Hebrews 13:10 tells us this. 11:35 It says, "We have an altar from which 11:40 those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat." 11:45 The altar had burnt offering 11:47 pointed to Calvary's blood strained cross. 11:51 Our New Testament altar which is witness of our guilt 11:55 and our great need to be reconciled to God. 11:58 The sacrificial animals were a type of Christ. 12:02 The lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. 12:05 "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." 12:08 Isaiah, 53:5, 6 tells us 12:12 that "The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. 12:15 "The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 12:20 Christ is both our substitutionary sacrifice 12:24 and our priest. 12:25 He died the death that we deserve 12:27 so that we might live the life that He deserves. 12:31 And Hebrews 7: 25 promises that as our high priest Jesus Christ 12:38 ever lives to make intercession for us 12:41 and He is able to save to the uttermost. 12:45 Hebrews 12:28, 29 says this, 12:49 "Let us have grace by which we may serve God 12:54 acceptably with reverence 12:57 and Godly fear for our God is a consuming fire." 13:02 Because we know God has a loving Heavenly Father. 13:05 I think perhaps we take for granted 13:08 the Holiness of His character. 13:10 Yes, God loves the sinner 13:12 but sin is an abomination to Him. 13:16 Without the Blood of Christ covering us, 13:19 sinners like us could not stand in the presence of a Holy God. 13:23 We would be consumed by His brightness. 13:26 In 1 Corinthians 10:21 Paul warned 13:30 that we can not partake of the Lord's table 13:32 and of the table of demons. 13:34 He said, "What fellowship or what partnership 13:37 has righteousness with lawlessness?" 13:40 What fellowship has light with darkness 13:43 to enjoy communication in prayer 13:45 in the presence of our Lord we must first stop 13:48 at the cross our New Testament altar. 13:53 1 Peter 1:18, 19 requires our serious contemplation. 13:59 It says, "Knowing that you were not redeemed 14:03 with corruptible things, like silver or gold, 14:06 from your aimless conduct 14:08 received by tradition from your fathers, 14:11 but with the precious blood of Christ, 14:15 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 14:20 Our communion with God is through the blood of Christ, 14:24 we are accepted in His beloved Son 14:27 and in Him we receive the riches of God's grace, 14:32 the redemption through His blood 14:34 and the forgiveness of sins. 14:36 Our daily sacrifice of confession and repentance 14:40 is the process of applying the blood of Christ 14:44 who offered Himself without spot to God 14:46 that we might be cleansed, 14:49 our consciences might be cleansed 14:51 to serve the living God. 14:53 In this way, it's like we're grabbing 14:55 hold the horn of our salvation. 14:58 We make peace through the blood of His cross 15:01 and Christ presents us holy and blameless 15:04 before the Almighty. 15:06 Hallelujah this is the true joy of repentance. 15:10 In our next program we're gonna take a closer look 15:13 at repentance but today we will first spend 15:17 a few moments in the study of sin. 15:20 Now, don't sigh, I know this is something 15:23 you might not eagerly embraced 15:25 but I promise it will serve a great purpose 15:28 and it will offer a personal benefit to you. 15:31 Why? 15:32 Because the recognition of sin is the beginning of repentance 15:37 and repentance brings times of refreshing. 15:42 I fully expect the combine teaching of today's program 15:45 in the next to make your heart leap for Joy. 15:48 But I want to give you fair warning 15:50 this will correspond with the joy of child birth. 15:52 It's-- we'll go from solemn recognition 15:55 of our pitiful sin condition 15:57 followed by the joy and learning to receive 16:00 God's forgiveness and recognize His power to change us. 16:05 But don't let the devil discourage you 16:07 as we examine the nature of sin. 16:10 Don't tune out until you get through the good part, 16:13 the God part, He does have a solution 16:16 for our sin problem and He will deliver us. 16:20 You know, I view the word sin, "S-I-N" as the perfect acronym 16:26 for what lies at the root of it. 16:29 S is for Selfishness, the I is for Ignorance 16:33 and the N is for Neglect. 16:37 Self-centered behavior causes us to commit sins 16:41 intentionally to carry out ungodly conduct 16:44 even though we know in our hearts it's wrong. 16:47 Now ignorance is the root of all unintentional sins, 16:52 but neglect is another intentional act of sin. 16:56 We know what it's right but we fail to do it, 16:58 perhaps because we're overly busy. 17:01 Our great adversary Satan 17:04 has calculated sin to a science. 17:07 You know, during my school days 17:09 math and science were my two favorite subjects, 17:12 I enjoyed the critical thinking those classes required 17:15 but I had never thought to apply similar analysis to sin. 17:21 Sin is the most serious of humanities problems. 17:25 Don't you agree that we should explore 17:28 the inner workings of it more carefully 17:30 so that we may be on guard against it? 17:33 James 1:14-16 spells out the anatomy of sin for us. 17:39 James writes, "Each one is tempted 17:42 when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 17:47 Then, when desire has conceived, 17:50 it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, 17:55 brings forth death. 17:57 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." 18:02 You know, we frequently apply this passage 18:05 to so called heathens, the people that we think 18:09 don't know the Lord but I hope that you noticed 18:11 that James was addressing his beloved brethren. 18:15 Christians were not immune to Satan's devices. 18:17 He is masterful at using secular influences 18:21 to seduce the complacent. 18:23 In 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that Satan roams around 18:28 like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 18:32 Sin crouches at the door ready to pounce. 18:36 Why would we open the door to temptation 18:38 that we might be trapped in the devil's teeth of tyranny, 18:42 in one word, pleasure? 18:46 Yes, pleasure. 18:48 Don't be shocked this is biblical. 18:50 Unlike the stereotypical picture that we paint 18:54 with broad strokes to illustrate sin 18:57 as an event bankrupt of enjoyment. 19:00 the Bible refers 19:04 to the passing pleasures of sin. 19:08 Satan is stalking us, offering us his sin candy, 19:14 providing testimony of sins pleasure through the media 19:17 and our peers. 19:19 If we don't recognize the nature of sin, 19:22 how fleeting the pleasure, 19:24 how devastating the destruction, 19:27 we will be unprepared to resist the devil's temptation 19:32 and we will yield to Satan's suggestions. 19:35 Please consider this as you counsel with your children, 19:39 tell them the truth of sin. 19:42 Satan is out to squelch the sacred deposit 19:46 that Christ has placed in our hearts, 19:48 he schemes to catch us off-guard 19:51 luring us by deceit and doubt 19:54 and beguiled by our own selfish desires, 19:57 we might blindly choose to follow 20:00 the downward path of brief pleasure. 20:02 Just consider King David, God called him a man 20:06 after my own heart. 20:08 Surely it can be said that the Lord bore him 20:12 on eagle's wings and brought David to himself. 20:15 Yet, David, inflamed by torrid lust 20:20 plummeted to the pit of disgrace 20:22 when he took another mans wife Bathsheba to lay with her. 20:27 A series of wrong moral choices escorted him further down 20:31 the path of disobedience and degradation. 20:34 And in an attempt to cover his sin, 20:38 he plotted to have Bathsheba's husband killed. 20:41 David was headed straight toward the cliff 20:45 of spiritual death blinded to his own condition, 20:50 but God in His mercy send the prophet Nathan 20:55 to sound the alarm. 20:56 Nathan told the king the story of how a wealthy man 21:00 with many flocks of sheep had taken a poor man's 21:04 only little ewe lamb, 21:07 his cherished position and served it up for supper 21:11 and enraged David was ready to have the rich man put to death. 21:16 Imagine the abrupt reversal, when his fury 21:21 must have really just gone-- 21:23 when Nathan said you are the man. 21:27 We will consider this further in a moment. 21:31 You know, you and I share a common problem. 21:34 It was common to David and it's common to us. 21:38 All too often, we hastily judge the transgressions of others 21:42 are being slow to identity our own sin tainted condition. 21:47 Who will save us from our blindness? 21:50 Who is able to deliver us from the sway of sin? 21:54 We find the answer in Hebrews 7:25 21:57 which promises there is therefore also-- 22:04 "Therefore He is also to save to the uttermost 22:09 those who come to God through Him, 22:12 since He always lives to make intercession for them." 22:17 Oh, Christ is able. 22:21 He is able to sound the alarm to arrest our attention 22:26 and bring us to Godly sorrow that produces repentance. 22:31 He is able to wash away the stain of sin 22:35 with His cleansing blood, 22:38 able to save us completely from the sway of sin. 22:43 If we will abide in His everlasting arms of love, 22:47 He will rescue us and throw us out 22:50 our arch enemy claiming destroy. 22:55 You know, I think of myself as a good person. 23:01 Well, most likely you consider yourself 23:03 to be basically good as well. 23:06 But Jesus said, there is none good 23:11 but one and that is God. 23:14 Perhaps our limited understanding 23:16 of His view point on sin causes us to think of ourselves 23:21 more highly than we ought. 23:23 Many will be refused entrance into the Kingdom of God 23:28 because they failed to recognize their sin 23:32 and their great need for the Savior 23:36 to better appreciate our need to repent. 23:40 It is important that we dwell a little deeper. 23:44 And let me share a portion with you of an eye opening study 23:48 through which the Lord lead me. 23:51 Numerous words in the original language of the Bible 23:53 are used to define sin, 23:55 but rather than subjecting you to a lesson 23:58 in Hebrew and Greek, 23:59 we'll review the English translations 24:02 of some sin categories. 24:04 To sin is to miss the mark of God's righteous requirements. 24:10 It's like shooting an arrow from a bow 24:12 and missing the bullseye of the target. 24:15 To Sin is to transgress or to trespass 24:19 to step over the line. 24:22 To sin is to commit iniquity, its lawlessness, 24:26 which means an intentional or unintentional 24:30 offense against God's law. 24:33 To Sin is to commit wickedness, evil. 24:38 To sin is to be unclean or impure 24:42 and these words describe sexual sins. 24:46 To Sin is to be unrighteous, 24:51 any deviation from God's character. 24:55 Wow. 24:57 I don't know about you but at this point in my study 25:02 I was already swarming under the scrutiny of my own sin. 25:08 You know, our own sin is not something enjoyable 25:11 to consider but this helps us to recognize 25:15 how much we need our Savior Jesus Christ. 25:20 Let me tell you this quick story. 25:22 I met a woman who had been in the Church all of her life 25:28 and she was close to my age, in her 60s and she said that 25:35 I'm a third generation Adventist 25:39 and she said but I never got it. 25:42 I never understood why I needed a Savior. 25:46 I didn't do any thing bad, she said. 25:50 I wasn't out carousing and drinking. 25:54 I wasn't doing things that I felt like 25:57 I really needed forgiveness for. 25:59 You see, she had not even really been born again yet, 26:05 she couldn't recognize her own sin. 26:08 And that's why I said this is an important step 26:11 because recognition of sin is what gets us to that place 26:17 where we are ready to confess our sin 26:21 and then God can do a work in our hearts. 26:26 Oh, I praise God for the Godly sorrow 26:30 that He puts in our hearts 26:32 that will lead us to repentance. 26:36 I praise God that once we confess our sin 26:41 and we call out on Him in full dependence, 26:45 He is the one who will work in us to will 26:49 and to do according to His good pleasure. 26:52 He is the one when we're headed in the wrong direction, 26:55 He is the one who will turn us that 180 degree 27:00 because repentance is a gift. 27:04 I thank God for His five step process of repentance 27:10 because it is by His power that He can walk us 27:16 out of the sin problem 27:18 and we all still have areas of sin 27:22 that we need to call up on Him with earnestness 27:26 and just saying, Lord, open my eyes, 27:29 I want to come before You 27:31 with clean hands and a pure heart. 27:34 Lord, I want to be able to know what my sin is 27:39 so that I can confess my sin 27:41 and receive Your gift of repentance. 27:44 I hope you will join us on our next program 27:47 as we consider how confession 27:50 is the clearing house of the conscious. 27:53 Now our prayer is that the grace of our 27:57 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the 28:01 fellowship of the Holy Spirit will be yours always. 28:06 Please remember God is waiting for you 28:08 to Press in to His Presence. 28:12 Bye-bye. |
Revised 2025-05-06