19 July 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - What Does Repentance Really Mean?

19 July 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - What Does Repentance Really Mean?

Micah 6:8 - We should do justice, but LOVE mercy.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 NKJV)

Everything left to itself degenerates. Evolution is just a theory. The Bible does not deal with speculations - it deals with "Thus says the Lord...".

God wants to bless us. God's hands are so full of blessings and He can't wait for someone to receive those blessings through faith.

God's desire to heal us is greater than our own desire to be healed. Just like how parents want their sick child to be healed, more than the child wants to be healed. Descending love is always greater than ascending love.

Pastor Joseph Prince's commission from God is to pick up the original gospel, dust it off, and preach it.

There is a heresy called "Lordship Salvation" - repent from your sins and you'll be saved. This is a dangerous teaching because it presupposes man's own ability to turn from his sins. The truth is the opposite: We have to get saved through Jesus Christ first, before we are empowered to overcome our sins.

Repentance is "metanoia" which means "change your mind". It does not mean being conscience-stricken or remorseful for sin.

If we sneeze and use a tissue to cover our nose, we will throw the dirty tissue away after using it. God is the only one who doesn't throw away defiled things (we are defiled by sin), but loves them instead! His love is not of this world.

Mark 1:14-15 - Jesus was telling the people to change their minds about Him, to believe that He is the Messiah.

"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”" (Mark 1:14-15 NKJV)

Acts 20:20-21 - Repentance must happen towards God first - changing our minds about God. After that, we will have faith towards Jesus.

"how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:20-21 NKJV)

Jesus came to save us all. Lazarus was dead for four days before being raised back to life by Jesus! There's no such thing as degrees of dead. The Bible says that we are all dead in our sins if we do not receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. In Christ, we who are dead can be made alive!

We don't be a better man to get saved. We get saved to be a better man.

Salvation and God's blessings are free gifts. If something is free, it's free. If you give a brand-new Lamborghini away to someone in exchange for $1 from him every month, it's no longer free, and it's no longer a gift.

It's easy for us to believe in Jesus and be saved, but that does not mean that it's cheap! Jesus suffered for us at the cross and paid a huge price for our sins on our behalf.

Jesus came to save us all. There's no such thing as degrees of dead. The Bible says that we are all dead in our sins if we do not receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Exodus 32:14 - God likes to bless people, not to destroy or execute justice. God waits to be entreated to be merciful.

"And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." (Exodus 32:14 KJV)

Repentance is "Teshuvah" - the Hebrew letters of this word says "turn to grace".

Jesus did not come to be emulated, He came to be used. He is the Bread of Life and Water of Life. He expects us to eat and drink Him.

Jesus is a better Savior than we are sinners. He is better at saving us than we are at sinning.

Luke 15:5-7 - God does not reprimand us when we are saved, but He rejoices! The sheep consented to be loved by the Shepherd. When we consent to be loved by God, that's repentance.

"And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:5-7 NKJV)

Luke 15:16-20 - The son was only thinking about satisfying his own hunger. His whole motivation for going home was to satisfy his hunger. He came home for the wrong reasons. Regardless of our reasons for coming to God, He will run to us in love. After we get saved, then we will get a better understanding of the eternal secrets of God.

"And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." (Luke 15:16-20 NKJV)

Matthew 27:3 - When the devil is done with using you, he drops you. The devil HATES you. He may give you riches for a period, but then he'll cut you off in the prime of your life. On the other hand, God loves you! Whatever you give to God, whether it is your finances, your time, your youth, He will multiply them back to you.

"Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!"" (Matthew 27:3-4 NASB)

"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." (Matthew 27:3-4 KJV)

Matthew 27:5 - Some people say "I'll rather die than to receive forgiveness!". That's presumptuous pride. Even though Judas felt remorse, brought back the thirty pieces of silver, and hanged himself, he did not repent.

"Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:5 NKJV)

Some people say "I'll rather die than to receive forgiveness!". That's presumptuous pride. Even though Judas felt remorse, brought back the thirty pieces of silver, and hanged himself, he did not repent.

Acts 10:43-44 - Peter did not use the word "repent". However repentance is still going on.

"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word." (Acts 10:43-44 NKJV)

Acts 11:2-4, 15:18 - Peter did not use the word "repent" in his preaching but the Jews could see that there was repentance going on in the Gentiles.

"And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:

And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”" (Acts 11:2-4, 15-18 NKJV)

John 20:31 - This is the purpose of the Book of John - for us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, so that we may have eternal life. The word "believe" appears 85 times in the Book of John, but there is not even one mention of the word "repent". When we believe, repentance is going on.

"but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31 NKJV)

Acts 2:41 - These three thousand people were saved and baptized on the same day. The moment people put their trust in Jesus Christ, they are saved.

"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (Acts 2:41 NKJV)

Luke 23:39-43 - We don't have to do restitution first before being eligible for salvation. It is easy to be saved - we only need to believe in Jesus. Thank God it's easy, but the price that Jesus paid on our behalf isn't cheap!

"Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”" (Luke 23:39-43 NKJV)

We don't have to do restitution first before being eligible for salvation. It is easy to be saved - we only need to believe in Jesus. Thank God it's easy, but the price that Jesus paid on our behalf isn't cheap!

I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "19 July 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - What Does Repentance Really Mean?".

Want to receive Jesus into your life, be saved from your sins and inherit unmerited favor and eternal life as a child of God? Go this link and simply pray the salvation prayer aloud!

Welcome to God's big, happy family! :)

Be blessed and walk in divine favor,

Milton Goh
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19 July 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - What Does Repentance Really Mean?