Repentance: The Transformative Call of the Gospel

then Peter said Silver and Gold Have I None but such as I have give I Thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and Peter held out his hand took his right hand and just helped him to arise and suddenly the man found himself completely healed immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and in a few moments he was to be seen walking and leing weeping and praising God and entering into the temple and he was so excited he was literally clinging to Peter and John and wouldn't let them go [00:02:30]

the great question in the world it seems to me tonight is this what is Christianity what is the Christian Church what is our message I say this is the most urgent question because it's so pant that everything else has been tried and has been found wanting here is the greatest power that the world has ever known here has been the greatest influence that civilizations have ever known there is nothing that has in any way approached the message of the Christian church in its influence upon the human race [00:03:55]

our business is not to Vice our own opinions and theories and suppositions and conjectures our business is to deliver the truth once and forever deliver to the Saints and here it is if you want to know what Christianity is I suggest that you're in honesty bound to come back and consider these sermons preached at the very beginning and origin of the Christian church and thank God we've got a record of them and we've been analyzing this great sermon that was preached by the Apostle Peter [00:05:02]

Peter has expounded to them the positive gospel he said don't look at us don't look at this men you must look at this thing this men this thing that's happened to him and us simply as pointers don't look at us look at the god of your fathers he's done this we haven't we haven't done this by our own power and Holiness we are not magicians don't look at us and don't look at the men the god of your fathers the god of Abram and of Isaac the god of our fathers is there any explanation of this [00:06:34]

repent he therefore in the light of all this repent here's the focus the point at which the whole sermon comes to an end as it were and a point which pierces this is an essential and a vital part of the preaching of the Gospel now my friends I say that in order that I may say this that the first thing we have to realize that this message this gospel is not something theoretical and academic you know it's not just one of a number of years of life that you can take up and read about or listen to lectures or sermons concerning it [00:08:44]

this is the most practical thing in the world this is something that concerns life and living this is a life and death matter that's what the apostles s now it's very vital that we should get this note in this sermon it was in the sermon preached on the day of Pentecost in exactly the same way what is this great note well it's this it's a note of urgency a note of urgency repent he therefore says the Apostle he is urgent and insistent and this note of course is the great note that characterizes the whole of the New Testament [00:09:41]

he preaches to them like this because he's concerned about them and he's anxious to produce a great change in them he has a feeling of compassion for them he tells them as we've already seen and now Brethren I walk that through ignorance he did it as did your rulers he sees the condition therein and he's troubled about them he's concerned about them and for their own Soul's sake he tries to make them see this thing that he's got to tell them and he pleased with them to listen and to do something about it [00:11:06]

repentance is something that comes at the very beginning now it's amazing to me that anybody should be in any trouble over this it must come first for this reason that man's State and condition by Nature makes it an absolute necessity look at what the Apostle said about himself in that passage I read to you at the beginning he says here I am I'm an apostle and a preacher he couldn't get over the fact that he was in such a position because he says when I look back what do I see I see nothing but a man who was a persecutor and a blasphemer and injurious [00:17:01]

take your new testament start at the beginning of Matthew who is your first preacher John the Baptist what was the message of the first preacher here it is he preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins the first preacher preaches a doctrine of repentance he was called of God the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness and he began to deliver it and it was a message repentance who's the second preacher the Lord Jesus Christ himself what did he preach exactly the same the time is fulfilled kingdom of God kingdom of heaven is at end repent ye therefore and believe the gospel [00:18:21]

repentance has invariably come first in all the gospels and here it is again here's the beginning of the Christian church and the moment the Apostle begins to preach in the name of the church and anybody says what shall we do the answer is repent and here without their asking he says repent ye therefore in other words The Logical and inevitable result of true listening to this gospel is to produce repentance and then when you go on and you find the account of the ministry of the great Apostle Paul in the second half as it were of the book of The Acts of the Apostles you find the same thing [00:19:41]

I bear you must bear me witness the day and night in public and in private and with tears I preached what did he preach repentance toward God and Faith toward the lord Jesus Christ there are the twin PS of the Gospel so you see it is always something that comes first very well what is this vital thing that you and I must consider what does it mean what does repentance mean well it's a very interesting word you see how word repentance comes from the Latin and it means to think again but the corresponding Greek word is a word that means change of mind think again change your mind [00:20:33]

is it just a little bit of sub stuff should I be standing in this Pulpit not doing what I am doing but telling you stories telling you about myself anecdotes incidents illustrations telling you about how I've been reading novels during the week or what happened to me on holiday is that it God forbid that anybody should have such an idea no no my dear friend friends well is it here just to soothe people and make them feel a little bit happier for an hour or so to get them to forget their troubles this old world in which we live it's such a cruel world let's pull down the blinds let's forget it let's sing hymns and choruses and work ourselves up and feel jolly and happy and all is well is that it no no [00:21:40]