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All
Preachers Are Commanded to Preach Repentance
Here's
a Simple Sermon to Help You Do Just That
by
Pastor John Hamel
I
was once standing in the parking lot talking casually with a Pastor after
one of his services. I was sharing with him the importance of preaching
inspirational messages on Sunday morning and informational messages on
Wednesday evening. Using a
fishing analogy I put it like this, “We are to catch them on Sunday and we
are to clean
them on Wednesday.”
The Pastor
immediately stiffened and became highly defensive as he shot back at me,
“Oh, no, I don’t clean them. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job.”
He later said to me, “I am not called to correct anybody at anytime
for anything.”
How
shocking and distressing that a popular Pastor who had been preaching and
teaching the Pentecostal Gospel for well over 35 years would make such an
irresponsible statement. Apparently he had
never read (or was simply ignoring) all of Paul’s admonitions to Ministers
to be continually on the alert as to where their people needed correction.
“Herald
and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and
ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable.
[Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or
unwelcome, you as Preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their
lives are wrong.] And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and
urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience
and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2 Amplified Bible)
The
Pastor’s job description is very clear in the Bible. One of the primary
things he is called to do is to correct people when they are clearly wrong
and to encourage repentance.
I
had opportunity to be around this Pastor and to even preach for him on
occasion. I soon discovered that
because of his weak spirit, his people were weak-spirited as well.
His congregation had some of the worst problems with fornication and
adultery, and their consequences, as I have ever seen.
He allowed his people to live openly in sin and to serve in
Ministry positions such as worship leaders, evangelism, altar workers,
ushering and even to serve on his Church board. He and his wife often had
lunch with a wealthy Church member and her known adulterous lover. The
woman's husband was also a member of this Pastor's Church.
It is no small wonder that
this backslidden Pastor refused to correct people when they were wrong.
He himself refused to repent when he was wrong.
Listen
to something the Apostle Paul said about repentance.
“…I
kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and
have taught you publicly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the
Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our
Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts
20:20-21)
Notice
Paul made reference to the fact that he preached repentance first and faith
second. It is just not possible
to experience the supernatural when you refuse to repent if you have been
living with sin in your life. Paul
knew this which is why he encouraged people to repent to God for their sin
before attempting to release faith to have their needs met.
Repentance
is a subject frequently and deliberately overlooked by Christianity today.
Actually, it has become popular in this day to preach that it is not
necessary for Believers in Jesus Christ to ever repent of their sins because
“sin is automatically forgiven.” I
call this doctrine of demons “Hyper-Grace.”
You can read more about it in our JHM Online Book “The Dangerous
Error of Hyper-Grace.”
Some
preachers, such as the backslidden Pastor I mentioned above, are actually more afraid to
offend their hearers by talking about repentance than they are of offending
God by refusing to talk about it.
Dr.
Billy Graham said, "In this society we are concerned about not
offending anyone but God."
Dr.
Graham also said, "My
heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that
our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance."
America
in her wealth has become unconcerned and self-centered. She needs to hear
the message of repentance now more than any other time in her history.
Repentance
means “To regret having done wrong” and “To turn around and change
directions.” The word
“repentance” is used 101 times in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
When the Holy Spirit is moving upon us to fix an area of sin in our
lives through repentance, it is because He is wanting to protect us, to provide for us and to
perform supernaturally for us.
The
Earth is full of sick, suffering Christian people who continually ignore the
Holy Spirit telling them to repent for their sinful lifestyles.
You know when you are in sin and you know when the Holy Spirit is
calling you to repentance. To
harden your heart is to miss your miracle.
Hell
is full of people who continually ignored the Gift of Repentance when the
Holy Spirit was calling them to salvation in Christ
alone.
Heaven will also be full of people who, once they were
saved by Jesus, refused to live a life of obedience to Him,
refused to repent when they were wrong and thereby had rewards
stripped away as opposed to given at the BEMA Judgment Seat of
Christ.
I.
All Old Testament Prophets Preached Repentance
“Yet
the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets,
and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep My
commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded
your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” (2
Kings 17:13)
Notice
the Lord said “all” of His Prophets and Seers preached repentance.
New Testament Prophets today still preach the message of
repentance because sin is still a major issue.
Human nature has not changed and the power of sin has not changed.
Some New Testament Prophets and Preachers, Pastors included, would not dare
to preach Christ’s message of repentance because it makes the sinners with
the most money the most uncomfortable and angry.
“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear
from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2
Chronicles 7:14)
When
nations and individuals are in trouble, no longer receiving God's Blessings
from Heaven and even being
judged, the solution comes through humility, prayer, seeking God's face
and turning away from wickedness. That is just another way of describing the
power of repentance.
II.
John the Baptist Preached Repentance
“In
those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of
Judaea
, And saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom
of Heaven
is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2)
Just
like all the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist preached repentance.
Just like the Apostle Paul, John preached repentance towards God
first and experiencing the Kingdom by faith second.
Repentance must always come first in order for faith to be made
effective.
John
the Baptist’s style of preaching was as unpopular in his day as it
is today. Irregardless, it is as necessary to preach repentance
today as it was in John's day.
Do not miss your miracle because you are too prideful to repent where
you know you have been wrong.
III.
Jesus Preached Repentance
“From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent:
for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
The
Bible says Jesus is our Example in all things.
If Jesus preached repentance, all preachers should preach repentance.
Ministers who avoid the subject of repentance are denying and defying the
Master Jesus.
Without repentance
it is absolutely impossible for people to have faith for the things of God.
Whatever people need, or whatever people need to be rid of, will not
be made manifest if weak-spirited, disobedient Ministers refuse to encourage
people to repent for their sins.
For
three and one-half years of public Ministry, Jesus never stopped preaching
repentance.
“…For
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew
9:13)
“I
tell thee, Nay: But except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke
13:3)
Ministers
who refuse to preach repentance to
God's sheep will one day stand before the
Great Over-Shepherd, Jesus, to face His charge of “You deliberately handed My
sheep over to the wolf in your weakness, fear and disobedience.
All the good you have done will now count for nothing.”
“…and
his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered.” (Ezekiel
3:20)
IV.
All Jesus’ Disciples Preached Repentance
“He
called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and
gave them power over unclean spirits; … And they went out, and preached
that men should repent. …And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many
that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:7, 13)
Here
again, as with all of the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist and the
Master Jesus, the Disciples of Christ first preached that men should repent
and then, and only then, did the supernatural occur.
Jesus knew what He was doing when He taught His Disciples to preach
repentance first and then to release faith for the supernatural second.
Five
times in the first eleven chapters of the Book of Acts, immediately after
Christ's ascension, the Apostle Peter
preached a bold, strong message of repentance. (Acts 2:38; 3:19;
5:31;
8:22; 11:1-18)
We
saw in our opening text, Acts
20:20-21, that everywhere Paul went he preached repentance first and faith
second. Everywhere.
In case you are not familiar with the Greek language, the original word for “everywhere” actually means
“everywhere.”
Listen
to what the Apostle Peter also wrote in his second Epistle.
“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)
Here again we have clear Biblical evidence of the fact that repentance
towards God must always come before exercising faith for whatever one needs from
God.
V.
Repentance Is a Gift in Manifestation
“Lest
there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of
meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have
inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” (Hebrews
12:16-17)
If
repentance was something that could be worked up in the flesh, Esau would
have worked it up. He tried to
work it up with many tears but he just could not bring himself to do
so. Esau, although he desperately tried, could "find no place of repentance.”
Why
could Esau "find no place of repentance"? The
answer is because repentance is not something we work up ourselves.
Repentance is a gift sent to sinful individuals by the
Spirit of God. It is not
something a sinful person conjures up apart from the supernatural working of
the Holy Spirit.
“Or
despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
(Romans 2:4)
Repentance
is a God-given gift. He sends it to the
wayward out of His goodness. It is imparted to
individuals supernaturally when the Gospel is preached.
Isn’t it wonderful that God would do that?
He could take a Jolly Green Giant stance and start throwing lightning bolts from Heaven but instead He
grants the wonderful Gift of Repentance. It is a supernatural impartation. Do not miss it
when it comes for it may not come again.
“And
the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to
teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God
peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may
recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by
him at his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
So,
it is clear from the Scripture. Repentance
comes as a result of God, in His goodness, sending it to those who are in sin.
This is why it is a gift. It cannot be conjured up. It cannot be
earned. It cannot be purchased.
It is given only by the Spirit of God.
The
Gift of Repentance is imparted to the sinful, individually and corporately, as the Servant of the Lord humbly
encourages those who are in sin to repent.
Forgiveness
does not come as a result of listening to the heretical teaching of
Hyper-Grace. Hyper-Grace says,
“God does not send repentance. If you think He’s calling you to repent,
it’s really the voice of condemnation and you should ignore it. God does
not send repentance to anybody.
He doesn’t need to because all sins are automatically forgiven the
moment they are committed.”
To
listen to the lie of Hyper-Grace is to submit oneself to a death sentence.
When God sends the Gift of Repentance it is not to condemn anyone for
any reason. It is to convict one
of their sin in order that they would repent, enabling God to protect them
and provide for them once again.
Believers
in Jesus Christ absolutely must come to an understanding of the difference
between condemnation and conviction.
The
devil’s condemnation is intended to bring the individual down and under.
The
Holy Spirit’s conviction is intended to bring the individual up and over
through repentance.
Believers
must read their Bibles for themselves and learn the difference.
There
will be no one in Heaven boasting about “All the good things I did to get
here.”
Everyone
in Heaven will be forever talking about, “Thank God that He granted me the
Gift of Repentance when that Preacher preached to me and I had enough sense
to yield to it!”
Believers
in Jesus Christ must understand that repentance for sin always comes before
faith for the miraculous for the
Holy Spirit will not go where the Blood of Jesus has not cleansed.
Remember,
repentance first. Supernatural
manifestations of the Holy Spirit second.
“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)
Go
to "Minister's New Testament Prayers
for Holy Spirit Utterance."
Be Blessed ... John and Barbara Hamel
How
to Be Born Again (Receive Christ as Your Savior)
How
to Receive The Holy Spirit & Power
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