REPENT, GET UP, AND GO AGAIN
He only is exempt from failures who makes no efforts. -Whately
Psalm 44:5, Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
When we attempt to do something for the Lord, sooner or later we will probably make a mess. We get ahead of the Lord sometimes. We get in the way of the Lord sometimes. We do it our way sometimes. No matter what the mess may be, we can always ask for God’s forgiveness. We can always repent, get up, and go again! When we do, He will push down the enemies, and through His name we will walk over our flesh, the world, and Satan himself! He will give us victory!
ARE YOU READY?
There is only one way to be ready, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!
Luke 12:40 - Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Some of us prepare for college classes. Some of us prepare to go to work. Most of us prepare in order to get a promotion. But do we prepare for eternity? Have we settled the account of sin we have with the Lord? Are you prepared to meet the Lord and give account of your life?
Hey friend, there is only one way to know for sure you’re going to Heaven, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN! Be ready, repent and trust Jesus as your Saviour today!
IF YOU WILL…HE WILL!
What we mean by salvation is this-deliverance from the love of sin, rescued from the habit of sin, setting free from the desire to sin. -Spurgeon
And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: Luke 15:21-23
The progression of slipping away from the Lord is staggering. One glimpse at another woman or one touch from another man is the beginning of the end for some marriages. A night out with the fellas or an evening shopping with the girls starts out really innocent but ends up leading you away from what you once held to high esteem. A click of a mouse leads to some of the wickedest temptations on this planet causing men, women, boys, and girls to lose focus on the lord.
Don’t sit there and think this cannot affect you! I know some men who use to attend church, ride a bus ministry, sing in the choir, serve on some board at church, and even preach but now they are so far away from God you couldn’t tell them from a lost man. I know some women, who use to attend church, play the piano, serve on some committee, sing in the choir, and even taught Sunday School but now you couldn’t tell them from a lost woman. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman we are all tempted. Some of us were drawn away but we didn’t have to and we definitely don’t have to stay away!
As with the story of the prodigal son, you have never gone too far! There is still hope for you that have slipped off into some heinous sin. The Lord offers second chances and third, fourth, fifth, etc. Will you be delivered from the love of sin, the habit of sin, and be set free from the desire to sin? Will you acknowledge your sin to God? Will you humble yourself before God? Will you repent and turn back to Him? If you will…He will forgive you! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
WHAT EXCUSE WILL YOU USE?
It is easy enough to excuse yourself to hell, but you cannot excuse yourself to heaven. -D.L. Moody
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20
I never read it anywhere. I never saw it on CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. No one ever told me. All of these and more will be some of the excuses the Lord may hear when we stand before Him and give an account of what we did with the Lord Jesus. These and many more will be of no excuse. It will be way worse than giving your Mom and Dad and excuse why you were out late! For where Mom and Dad may have believed the lie or they chose to overlook your rebellious heart—God will know the truth and you will be held accountable!
What excuse will you attempt to use? You don’t have to use any! You have the opportunity to trust Jesus as your Saviour today! Right now! Repent and believe!
NOTHING BETWEEN MY SOUL AND THE SAVIOUR
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you,” Matthew 6:33.
As we read in Exodus 20 we see the first of the Ten Commandments where it says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” When our vertical relationship with the Lord is right our horizontal relationships with our fellow man is correct as well. But when we become our own god, thinking we know what's best for our lives, when we, like Lucifer, exalt ourselves before our Lord and Saviour, judgment stands knocking at the door.
Make sure there is nothing between you and The Saviour this morning. If there is, confess and repent of it!
HE IS SEEKING FOR WHOSOEVER WILL!
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
Several years ago we went on a Mission Trip to Montana. We had a buddy system but it failed at the airport while leaving North Carolina. One of the adults got missing! We were looking for him outside of the airport, in the restrooms, and in the restaurants but he wasn’t in any of them. He went ahead of everyone to the gate but failed to tell his buddy! When we found him he said, “I was wondering what happened to y’all, I was looking for you.”
When Zacchaeus went looking for Jesus He didn’t know Jesus had already arranged to meet him that very day. What a blessed thought; Jesus is seeking whosoever will! He is even seeking you! Will you come to Him like Zacchaeus did; humbling yourself, repenting, and having His grace change you?
Salvation came to this Zacchaeus’ house, it can come to yours as well!
LIFE WITHOUT JESUS IS HOPELESS
Tho' Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if He's not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn. --Johannes Scheffler
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:12
John the Baptist came with a message, “Repent!” Peter went forth with a message, “Repent!” Pastor, Preachers, and Evangelist proclaim the message to you today, “Repent!” That single message is what will make a difference in your life. Have you repented? Have you been born again? Has Jesus washed your sins away? There is hope for the hopeless in Jesus!
Repent or run?
True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. –Taylor
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
When you sit there after you have heard the Word preached you have a decision to make, do you repent or run. That is really what it boils down to; either you repent and ask God to forgive you of your sin or you run from God’s best for your life!
After you heard the Gospel the first time, what did you do? When you heard the second, third and so forth, what have you done? Friend, if you don’t repent now you will pay the consequences later! Stop running from God’s best for your life! Ask the Lord to save you today!