Archives: Episode

Remember Whom We Represent

 

 

 

 

After the woman at the well questioned Jesus regarding why he was speaking to a despised Samaritan, he continued.

...“If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10 (NLT)

Principle: Remember Whom We Represent

The Bible says that disciples of Christ are ambassadors for God (2 Corinthians 5:20) who carry the most important life-changing message in the universe – the gospel.

Unfortunately, we often forget who we are and act as if we are insignificant with little to offer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus never forgot his identity, his message, or his mission. He was on point all the time, and so should we be.

But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence {in God} when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (GW)
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Talk to Unlikely People

 

 

 

 

 

When Jesus engaged the woman at the well in John Chapter Four, he broke the rules.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” John 4:9 (NLT)

He was a Jewish rabbi. She was a Samaritan woman. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. Rabbis did not talk to women. Jews would not drink from a cup or jar handled by an “unclean” Samaritan. What Jesus did in asking for a drink of water immediately got her attention and prompted her question. When people ask “Why,” it means we have made them curious and gives us an open door to share.

Not only did Jesus break social taboos, he also made himself vulnerable by asking for a favor. We like to present ourselves as self-sufficient, but people generally respond well when we admit that we need their help. She could have rebuffed him, but did not. When we ask for a favor, we open the door for people to be kind to us. Once a person does something for us, it is more likely that they will be more open in general.

Have you recently engaged anyone outside your normal comfort zone or pack of friends? Have you asked a favor from an unlikely person? Are you willing to launch a conversation just to see where it might go? These are all keys to being an effective fisher of men.

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Repentance: Being Honest with God

 

 

 

 

 

Repentance requires us to move from self-justification to admitting that God is right about our sin.

King David perfectly exemplified what it means to be on God’s side when it comes to sin.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)

Opposed to this, after choosing to eat the fruit God had forbidden them on the pain of death, Adam and Eve chose to play the blame game instead of honesty acknowledging their sin.

Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10  He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11  “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12  The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13  Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:9-13 (NLT)

The only proper way to repent is to be straightforward about our sin and to side with God.

The minute we try to evade the truth, deny our responsibility, shift blame, minimize what we did, or otherwise be less than candid, we fail when it comes to repentance.

Paul said it very well in his Letter to the Romans.

...Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” Romans 3:4 (NLT)

Since God knows all about us, even down to the hidden motivations of the heart, isn’t it reasonable and advisable to be absolutely honest about our sin?

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)

When we chose to repent, the Bible says that we come “into the light.” The act of exposing our sin to the light is part of what is necessary for us to experience God’s freeing forgiveness.

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:7-10 (NLT)

It is shocking to consider that refusing to admit the truth about our sinfulness is the same as calling God a liar, but that is what it says! The natural propensity of our human nature is to do just that, however. Jesus said it this way.

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20  All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21  But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3:19-21 (NLT)

Our refusal to be honest about our sins is based on fear.

We are afraid to admit how evil we are because it is so disconcerting to us. We usually imagine that we are far better than we really are. It is also based on the fear that God will reject us because of our sin, but that cannot be true. God chose us in Christ before he created the world. (Ephesians 1:4) He chose us in advance, knowing full well all our faults, weaknesses, and future sins. When Jesus died on the cross, the forgiveness he provided extended back through time to include those who died in faith before his resurrection and forward in time to include all future children of God.

Knowing that God chose us despite everything should give us great confidence to be honest with him. Do we believe he loves us or not?

Being honest about our sins and taking God’s side are marks of genuine repentance and a gateway into freedom. (John 8:31-32)

Prayer

Lord, I am tired of hiding from you and refusing to be honest about my sin. I choose now to admit that I am guilty of (state your particular sins). Thank you loving me and forgiving me. Help me to live “in the light.” Let me experience freedom in this area of my life. Amen.

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Repentance: Mind, Heart, Will, and Faith

 

 

 

 

A Matter of the Heart

Have you ever had someone apologize to you under duress, but you knew they did not mean it? It usually goes something like this: if I hurt you, I am sorry. This sort of thing is forced upon little children by well-meaning parents. We repent because we know we are supposed to do it, but our hearts are not in it.

Repentance that does not come from the heart is fairly worthless.

The basic definition of repentance is a change of mind, but that does not mean it is mere intellectual assent. If it does not extend all the way to the heart, it is not real. It may start with mental comprehension of a wrong done, but it should impact the emotions, too. Paul wrote about the emotional side of repentance when he addressed a sin issue in the church in Corinth. Before his letter, the church members were not sorry for what was happening in the church. They had not chosen to deal with a man who was having sexual relations with his step-mother, a serious offense that even the pagans thought was heinous. Paul rebuked the church by letter, and thankfully they dealt with the situation, expelling the unrepentant sinner. Later he repented and was restored, which was the hope all along. Here is what Paul wrote in the aftermath.

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. 11  Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NLT)

Engaging the Will

Most of us have encountered people who have some besetting sin to which they have succumbed, such as alcoholism, for example. Plenty of alcoholics, if they are not in denial, will sorrowfully acknowledge they have a problem, while making little or no effort to overcome their addiction. This happens all the time when drunk panhandlers ask people for money. They are sorrowful, but unrepentant. They have not changed their mind about sinning: they simply admit they have a problem.

This is not repentance. It is not from the heart, and it is not a true change of mind because the will has never been engaged.

Real repentance was demonstrated by many people in the Bible. King David was a good example. He sinned against God and one of his most loyal friends when he committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, got her pregnant, and deliberately arranged to have Uriah killed in battle to cover it up. He concealed this sin for at least nine months, the opposite of repentance. After the baby was born, Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin. It was at this point that David broke, repented from the heart, and changed his ways. He chose to make things right as best he could. Here is the psalm he wrote at the time. This was heartfelt repentance that engaged the will.

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2  Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3  For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. Psalm 51:1-4 (NLT)

Combining Repentance with Faith

David revealed that, despite his sin, he had faith that he still could turn to God.

True repentance has a faith component.

The apostle Peter is another example of real repentance. After he denied the Lord, he wept, exhibiting a strong emotional component. But would he change his ways, too, or simply slink away in shame, never to be heard from again? After Jesus’ resurrection, when Peter saw the Lord, he ran to him to seek forgiveness and be reconciled. Peter’s repentance combined a change of mind, emotional sorrow, a choice to make things right, and it was accompanied by faith, making it real.

Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus to the Jewish leaders, also felt remorse, but he had no faith that he could be forgiven. Instead of running to the Lord, he hung himself. Faith makes the difference. It’s one thing to be sorry for something, but quite another thing to actively seek forgiveness, try to make things right, and turn to God in the belief that we can be forgiven.

Biblical repentance combined with faith leads to forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration.

Perhaps this meditation has made you realize that you need to repent in some area. Don’t delay. Strike while the iron is hot. It is easy to put things off… forever. Tell God you are sorry. Seek to make things right. Ask for and receive forgiveness. Choose to stop sinning, as you rely on the Spirit’s help. We cannot change on our own, but God will transform us from the inside out.

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Repentance Is Loving the Truth

 

 

 

 

 

In his Letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul teaches us that societies degenerate when they deliberately suppress the truth about God.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19  They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20  For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21  Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22  Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. Romans 1:18-22 (NLT)

What we believe about God affects everything.

Since we were designed by God to live in a vital life-giving dependence upon his Spirit, when we deny this relationship, everything breaks down, even our ability to think.

Today we see this all around us. Those of us who accept the Bible’s testimony look at some of our government leaders, media figures, and even our neighbors and scratch our heads, wondering how they could be so blind and foolish. The answer is simple, they suppressed the truth about God and have become utter fools.

When Jesus walked the earth, the Bible says that “the Word became human.” (John 1:14 NLT) In other words, he was God’s truth in human form. Jesus confirmed this.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

Satan stands in complete opposition to the truth. He brought down all of humanity and the creation by enticing us to believe a lie about God. Jesus called the Devil the “father of lies,” (John 8:44) who came to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10)

Lies have been the basis of Satan’s attack upon the human race since the Garden of Eden. Believing lies, therefore, is a sinful rejection of God.

Rejecting truth is a form of idolatry that permeates humanity. It is only as we come back into the orbit of God’s truth that we can be saved. Repentance is the process through which God helps us to do this.

Those who humbly embrace the Bible’s true testimony about Jesus will be saved.

Those who refuse pave their own road to hell. The apostle Paul wrote about this, with a specific reference to the end times.

This man [the antichrist] will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NLT)

None of us knows precisely where we are in the end times, but we do know that each day brings us closer to Christ’s Second Coming. We also plainly see that deception is increasing all around us. The mainstream media has been engaged in mass deception and propaganda for years. Our schools teach little children that humans evolved, thus suppressing the truth about God the Creator. Our government and Hollywood seeks to normalize homosexuality.

The assault on truth is so pervasive that it is hard to know what to believe any more, unless we have the Bible as our anchor.

Truth suppression is the devil’s strategy to take as many people with him into the lake of fire as possible. Repentance and embracing the truth is our only hope.

Prayer

Perhaps you have never surrendered to Jesus, the Truth, or accepted God’s revealed truth in the Bible, but now you want to do that. Here is a sample prayer you might use to take care of business with God right now.

Jesus, I am worn out by trying to live apart from you. I admit that I need you. Today I surrender my life to you. Jesus, I acknowledge and receive you as the Truth, the Lord, and my Savior. I give you my life, my all. Please forgive my many sins. Spirit of God, help me to embrace your truth found in the Bible and help me to yield to your leading in my life from this time forward. Amen!

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What Is Repentance?

 

 

 

 

 

When Jesus started his public ministry, his first message was to repent.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 (ESV)

The Greek word for repentance” is metanoia, which means a change of mind or thinking.

Simply put, to repent is to alter our way of thinking so that it conforms to God’s truth and his will.

Repentance has a broad application. Whenever the Holy Spirit and God’s Word convict us that our thinking or behavior is out of step with God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we must turn away from our old way of thinking and acting and toward God’s new way. This means that we agree with God and stop insisting on going our own way.

A change of thinking, if heart felt, will always eventually lead to a change of behavior; otherwise, repentance is not real.

The most fundamental type of repentance necessary for a person to become a follower of Christ is to recognize who Jesus is and act accordingly. Notice how Peter called his hearers to surrender to Jesus the Lord.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:36-39 (ESV)

True repentance does not merely focus on some specific sin or behavior: it addresses our determination to live independently from God.

Repentance calls us to lay down our pride and admit that we have a serious problem: we are fatally flawed at the core of our being and hostilely oriented toward God. Our fatal flaw is an inherited sin nature, which is the source of our hostility.

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Colossians 1:21 (NLT)

Admitting we have a sin nature requires us to admit we need a Savior and cannot save ourselves. We do not have the inherent goodness or moral fortitude to live a life of perfect obedience and submission to God. If we did, Jesus died needlessly. Although the admission of our sinfulness and need for a Savior is difficult for us because of our pride, it is easier than the next aspect of repentance, which focuses on Jesus’ Lordship.

It is one thing to admit we need forgiveness and saving, but it is something else to relinquish the “right” to our lives to Jesus. There are plenty of so called Christians who have opted for eternal security from hell’s flames but who have never bowed the knee to Jesus as the Lord of their lives. This is a complete contradiction of the meaning of repentance.

The source of our desire to be independent goes back to the garden of Eden. Our insistence of doing life on our own is a fundamental rejection of God, who is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. He never intended for us to go it alone. He wants us to live in a joyful and fulfilling partnership with his Spirit. Repentance opens the door into our experiencing through Christ what alone brings eternal life and happiness.

The most fundamental and necessary form of repentance is surrender to Jesus in every aspect of life.

If we fail to do this, it is doubtful that we are his disciples. If we fail to repent of our independent orientation, we remain essentially hostile toward God. It is rebellion all dressed up in Christian clothes.

Repentance, then, is the everyday act of surrendering ourselves to Jesus.

As we read the Scriptures and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will be tested in this area on a daily basis. Repentance is not a one time event. We are born again once and for all, but we must repent daily. It is vital that we  maintain a heart that is open and pliable in regard to repentance. Otherwise we run the risk of becoming hardened in sin and deceived.

Application

  • If you have never consciously and intentionally surrendered everything to Jesus the Lord, now is the time.

Here is a sample prayer. Jesus, I recognize that you are the Messiah King of Israel and the Lord of my life. I surrender ownership of my life and all I have, including my dreams, relationships, money, hopes, family, friends, ministry, job, health, and everything else to you. I recognize your right to my life, since you are my Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. You can ask me to do anything, and I trust you with my life. With the help of your Spirit, I will obey you. Amen.

  • Each day as we spend time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and in prayer, we should listen attentively to the promptings of God’s Spirit and seek to obey them. This will include turning from sin and embracing areas of obedience that are difficult for us.

Here is another sample prayer. Jesus, open my heart to hear your voice as I read the Bible, pray, and go through my day. Thank you for grace to always obey you in every area of my life. Forgive me when I fail and help me to truly repent day by day as my life is transformed by the Spirit to be more and more like yours. Amen.

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Be Appropriately Provocative

Gospel in a Minute

Paul concluded his testimony by relating how God commissioned him to take the gospel to the Gentiles, which angered his listeners.

I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’ ...‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’” 22  The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” 23  They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. Acts 22:18-23 (NLT)

Principle: Be Appropriately Provocative

Why did Paul say what he knew would inflame his listeners? Surely he was not naive! Was he led by the Spirit? That we cannot know for sure, but we would assume so. Paul addressed one of the major sins of Judaism, its racist assumption that God did not include the  Gentiles in the blessings of Abraham. In their pride, Paul’s hearers hated the idea of non-Jews being part of God’s plan. Paul knew his statement would anger his listeners, but he said it anyway in order to highlight the sin that was dragging them to hell.

In today’s politically correct world, Christians are warned that we must color inside the lines and not say certain things – or face the consequences.

What are the egregious sins of those who hate the gospel today? Abortion and homosexuality immediately come to mind. Call out these biblical sins and we will surely set off an explosion of hatred and persecution, and yet these sins, and others, must be confronted if our listeners have any hope of repentance and forgiveness from God.

Gospel preachers must be unafraid to be appropriately provocative, regardless of the consequences. It’s part of the cost of discipleship. It is one of the reasons we need to be led and baptized in the Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses [Greek: martyrs], telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
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What’s the Point?

Gospel in a Minute

Paul continued his testimony by relating what his encounter with Christ meant.

“I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’ Acts 22:10 (NLT)

Principle: What’s the Point?

Here is where the “rubber meets the road” in Paul’s testimony. It is all well and good to have a religious experience. Plenty of celebrities bandy about the name of God in their award acceptance speeches, but a bigger question is, “What difference does knowing God make? What’s the point?” Many people who profess to be Christians live as though they are not. That was not the case with Paul. His encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus profoundly altered the course of his life. The key is his using the word “Lord.”

The point of the gospel and a good testimony is that Jesus is the Lord.

In fact, if we were forced to reduce the gospel to three words, these three would suffice. Paul immediately comprehended that the One he encountered was and is the Lord.

When we share our testimonies, we should make sure we include how we too came to this realization. Knowing that Jesus is Lord is vastly different from knowing him as savior. Being forgiven makes no demands upon us, but when we surrender to Jesus the Lord, are lives are no longer our own.

Perhaps this is a good time for each of us to consider if this is actually our story. If not, now is the time to make Jesus our Lord, too.

Prayer

Jesus, I never completely realized that your being the Lord means that my life belongs to you now. I surrender to you every aspect of my life from this day forward. Help me to faithfully love and serve you. Amen.

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Share How God Showed Up

Gospel in a Minute

Paul continued his testimony by introducing the supernatural part of his story.

As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8  “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ Acts 22:6-8 (NLT)

Principle: Share How God Showed Up

A testimony is essentially the relating of how God intersected a life.

Unless God intervenes, we are headed for hell. We don’t need any help to pull that off. That was certainly the case with Paul. He was “hell bent” on persecuting Christians in an attempt to stamp out what had become known as the Way. He was the chief enemy of the faith and perhaps the most unlikely of all people to have an encounter with the risen Christ, and that is exactly the point.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16  But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NLT)

A good testimony invites people to consider that God is real, cares about us, and is able to communicate effectively. Most people are unaware that this sort of thing can happen, and, even if they know it can, they do not believe it will.

If we have successfully made people realize we were just as unlikely a candidate for divine intervention as they are, our testimony may require them to come to terms that the gospel might be for them, too. When I share with people how God intersected my life and revealed to me that Jesus is truly who the Bible says he is, I always tell them that God does not turn away any sincere seeker. If our listeners will honestly turn to God and ask him for help, the Lord will not turn his back on them.

A testimony offers people hope that God will intersect their lives, too.

However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. John 6:37 (NLT)
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Share Your “Back Story”

Gospel in a Minute

Paul continued his testimony by telling his listeners that he previously was an enemy of the gospel.

And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5  The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. Acts 22:4-5 (NLT)

Principle: Share Your “Back Story”

If people are meeting us for the first time, they have no context for understanding how Christ has impacted our lives. After establishing solidarity, It is important for us to relate what we were like before we became followers of Christ. People need to know that we were not always as we are today. We had a life before Christ of which they know nothing.

Sharing our “back story” is another way for us to establish common ground with our listeners and sets the stage for relating how Christ gives purpose to our lives and transforms us.

People may argue with our doctrine and conclusions, but they cannot deny our personal story. Related properly a testimony can be a powerful corroboration of the gospel.

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