Sermon Outline- What is Repentance?

Text: Acts 17:29-31

Repentance is not simply a one-time action. There are two different kinds of repentance.

The first kind is the major, life changing repentance from sin into the Christian life, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19.
The second kind is the minor, life adjusting changes that all Christians must do to stay faithful unto God, Acts 8:22. Like Simon, who was a Christian, we will all sin from time to time and must repent and turn back to God. I John 1:7-9 speaks of Christians who have momentarily fallen out of the light, and are restored again by confessing their sin and repenting.

Repentance is not:
1. Sorrow. II Cor. 7:8-10. We should not be sorry we got caught in sin, like the world does. We must be sorry enough to change, this is Godly sorrow, not the sorrow of the world which brings death.
2. Conviction. Acts 2:37. These people were convinced that they had sinned by putting Christ to death, yet Peter said they must “repent, and be baptized”. Acts 9:1-8, parts of Acts 22 and 26, Paul’s conversion. He recognized he had sinned, and he asks Jesus what he must do. He was convinced he had been living in sin, and Jesus tells him what he must do, repent and be baptized.
3. Empty words. Matt. 3:1-9. The Pharisees came to listen to John the Baptizer, not to repent, but just to hear what all the people were hearing. People must “bring forth fruit worthy of repentance”, not just say “I repent”.

Repentance is:
1. A gift. II Tim. 2:25-26. God gives people repentance. How? By the “acknowledging of the truth”. Rom. 2:4. God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering lead us to repentance. (See also Acts 11:18 etc.) Therefore, repentance is also:
2. A Choice. Acts 3:19, 26:20. People have the choice to repent or not to repent. II Pet. 3:9, God wants us all to make the right choice.
3. A change. Matt. 21:28-31 is a good illustration of change. But it must be followed by results, Matt. 3:8, Acts 26:20.
4. An Imperative! Luke 13:3. The people speaking to Jesus in the previous verses were telling Jesus how evil the Galilleans were. Jesus here makes it clear, it does not matter how wicked or evil a person is; if people do not repent, they perish.

We all must repent and become Christians. We all must repent from time to time as our lust makes us sin, James 1:13-15. But repentance is not sorrow that we got caught, it is not simply conviction of wrong doing, and it is not empty words. Repentance is a gift from God, a choice, a change, and an imperative!

Please take this sermon, tweak it, and make it one of your own.

Purity and Contentment

The prophet Agur, son of Jakeh, prophesied in the Book of Proverbs a simple yet profound truth concerning purity and contentment before God. “Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 30:7-9.

Agur asks of God two simple things, purity and contentment. The prophet makes a request of God that he keep him pure and holy by removing pride and falsehood far from him. Agur realized that vanity leads to pride, and pride leads one away from God. God states through his prophet- “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Proverbs 8:13. God makes it plainly clear that he hates pride, arrogance, evil, and froward, or perverse actions. Agur also recognized that God hates lies, as the inspired writer claims- “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood…” Proverbs 6:16-17.

Agur also realized the importance of contentment before God. Agur asks of God that he neither make him rich or poor; simply give him what he needs to live, and no more. Contentment is a characteristic that God loves in his creation. Paul said “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1 Timothy 6:7-8. We need to learn, as Agur did, that contentment is pleasing to God. It is very sad that people who have prospered the most in this world frequently deny God. Paul goes on to say in I Timothy 6:17 “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” Jesus likewise said in Mark 10:24 “And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” We need to trust in God, not in our material possessions, and realized that it is God who gives us all the wonderful blessings we enjoy.

Please remember to always be content with the things God has given you in this life. Let us all be like Agur the prophet and request purity and contentment from God.