Abridged Worship – September 8, 2024

Repentance is not a popular theme in most religious communities, especially in the more mainline and progressive camps of Christianity in the West. I think most pastors would be surprised to find one or two members of their congregation hungry for a deep look into the significance of repentance as a critical theme of the Bible.

But, regardless of how we as individuals feel about the topic, it is one that we cannot ignore.

If we look at the Bible we see this theme of repentance throughout the scripture, like a string tying the pages together. Even within just the Gospels, it reoccurs, like the ticking of a clock, for example, even before Jesus began his public ministry, we have John the Baptist, vigorously preaching, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” and told his audience to “bear fruit worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:2,8).

After John’s martyrdom, Jesus continued the same theme preaching the words from our scripture reading today, “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Not only does Jesus repeat these words of repentance, but repentance is the very first thing Jesus publicly preaches about. Jesus does not come out swinging with themes of God’s power or grace, he doesn’t come out first with ideas of love, or charity, he doesn’t start with promises of salvation or what heaven will be like, he doesn’t start with healing, or anything else. He starts with Repent, for the Kingdom is at hand.

The theme of repentance doesn’t end there, it is not a theme that sets up for a larger theme to overtake it, but it continues, for example, within weeks following Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter speaks inspired words to an audience of devout Jews, “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.

So, we are left with the question, why? Why does Jesus tell us to repent, why is this something that is laced throughout the scripture? What does it mean?

Now a few months ago during worship, we spoke about the meaning behind the Greek words used for repentance, in short, repentance is defined as a change of heart, disposition, and priority. When we understand repentance as a change of mind and heart, the first question that arises is, change towards what? And, the answer is written in the statement that John and Jesus both use, we repent to prepare for the Kingdom, we repent to be in good standing with the King. Repentance is a lived-out expression of faith that is willing to enter into the tension of clarity about where our lives differ from the will of our creator. Repentance is a medical response to the sickness of sin. It is a willingness to completely change oneself to serve the King and His Kingdom.

Like you, I am human and can still feel my historic reaction to this theme of repentance in my body. My body wants to recoil from this idea because there is a part of me that fears the Lord, but also fears what the Lord might ask of me; what he might want me to add to my life, and what he might want me to remove. I fear that. So, I like a child, fearful of how cold waters of a pool may shock me, I desire to wade in slowly into the waters of a faith with repentance. I can feel my mind say, let’s not start with that repentance part, it feels too deep, let’s start with the mercy, grace, and church potluck, and later on when I’m comfortable, I’ll work on that whole changing life thing.

But Jesus does not put off repentance, he starts with it. He starts with it because the subject of repentance is so vital as it puts in our hearts a understanding and tension which is critical to faith.

When we understand repentance, we understand that,

1) God is the ultimate authority of the universe, including our lives

2) that God, as that authority, has a will and standard for his creation

3) we as individuals and as a whole species who have rejected God’s will and fallen into sin, we changed the focus and priority of our life from the Creator to the created, we are now lost in a sinful state,

4) that a sinful state leads to death; a death that only the Creator of the Universe could save us from, but we rejected him, and

5) that, even though we rejected God, and sinned against God and his creation, God is going to invite us back into his creation because he loves us, so he is willing to let us back into a relationship with him.

Repentance becomes the avenue for us to realize the truth of the reality we are in, and encourages our hearts to welcome God’s help in molding us to people who will accept his will, with God’s grace, mercy and creative power He will transform us into the image we were always meant to be.

Those five points are interwoven into this foundational piece of repentance. We cannot begin to understand salvation, we cannot begin to understand serving the Kingdom, we cannot begin to understand a relationship with God, and what it means to be in the body of Christ until we are ready to change our mind, heart, and soul to bring focus on Jesus Christ, our Lord, and King, the authority of the Kingdom which is at hand.

Repentance, in a way, is like the deep waters which teach you how to swim by being tossed in, and the best part about repentance is that when you know you need to dive in, but you’re not sure how to do so. You can ask God to help you. You can ask God to send you the Spirit, to begin to challenge you, to convict you, to take you down to the waters, to help you be restored, through grace by faith, to what you were always meant to be.

Now here is the thing, remember how I said, repentance is a theme throughout the whole Bible and the Gospels, it should be the same throughout your life. Those underlying principles that repentance holds, 1) God’s Authority; 2) God’s Will 3)Our Rebellion, 4)Our Death, 5) God’s invitation to reconciliation,  will stay with you, you will see the glory in these because it leads to 6) God’s sacrifice; the cross and the glory in the resurrection, and 7) God’s triumph a new creation, the Kingdom come fully revealed into a new heaven and new earth.  

And because you will be able to see, and even feel that glory through the waters of repentance, those waters won’t be so cold, you will know how to swim, and you will even enjoy it. You will enjoy the capacity of repentance. Repentance will become a disposition of your heart. You will not dread it but relish it. You will welcome God’s conviction, and the capacity to be repentant because you know that it ultimately serves God, his Kingdom, and your very well being.  

It will even begin to shape how you call upon God in prayer. Your prayer will invite God in, deeper into your heart, you will ask God every day for him to show you where in your life you need to repent, change direction, and get more focused on him. This will all your roots of faith to grow deep in trust for the Lord, and because your roots are deep, you will begin to produce fruit for the Lord and in the Kingdom.

So in fact, let us pray like that now…

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your command to repent. It hits us hard Lord, and our hearts recoil, but we know that You gift us with this capacity for change, to redirect our eye upon You, because you want what is best for us, and what will serve the will of the Father. So, Lord Jesus, we repent, we repent of the sin, the iniquity, and the transgression we have made, we repent of the pride and idolatry in our lives, we repent of the ways we have dishonored Your creation, and Your image which has given life to humanity. We repent for the ways we have caused sorrow and suffering in others, we repent for the fact that often we degrade ourselves, for we too are loved by You. Allow our repentance to be transformative, allow our hearts to change their disposition of focus and desire upon You. And we thank You for your Son Jesus, who made it possible for repentance to reconcile us with You, our God and Creator. Amen.