Summer of Prayer 7: Repentance and Confession
REPENT is the most hope filled word in the English language. The word repent is loaded with hope and the promise of a future that is not defined by the past - and yet it has a negative connotation.
The Bible shows that the opportunity to repent is a wonderful gift to be received with joy and gratitude. A good example is in Luke 19…
Key Scripture
Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
The word REPENT is the most hope-filled word in the English language.
Defining Repentance:
“REPENT” Definition (literal Greek) = to change one's mind or purpose in response to something
“REPENT” Definition (in New Testament context) = to [deeply and completely] change one's [heart, mind, & soul] and their [entire life’s priorities and] purpose in response to [Jesus’s love and grace]
Repentance and prayers of repentance are continual and frequent. It’s a part of the work the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of believers.
What does it look like to repent?
People Repenting with Joy
When we read about repentance in the Bible - we read about it being a moment of joy!
Luke 19:6b…great excitement and joy…
People Repenting with Sorrow
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”
God Responds with Joy
Luke 15:4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 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!
Luke 15:8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
What keeps us from repentance?
Pride
We’ve not yet come to our senses.
We disagree that something is harmful.
It hasn’t collapsed yet.
The Truth about Repentance.
The other side of repentance is joy and freedom.
Repentance is an invitation to something good.
Repentance is not a negative - it is filled with hope and the promise of a different future than we're living today.
SIN is the unforgiving prison cell and REPENTANCE is the undeserved escape route.
The pattern of declaring the need for repentance runs throughout the Bible…
Romans 15:2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
What happens when we pray with repentance?
Prayers of repentance change how we think and consequently how we act.
The church comes alive. There is no revival without repentence.
To preach the gospel we need to talk about the role and the importance of repentance.
REVIEW & CONCLUSION
If Zacchaeus can find repentance, so can you.
Prayers of Repentance:
Ask for forgiveness
Acknowledge new way of thinking
Admit you need help
Act on the Holy Spirit’s guidance
