Importance of Repentance

The point: Pray to God for hearts made good soil by His Spirit, so that the seed of the Word may bear fruit.

The parable of the sower is used to illustrate that the 'state of the soil determines the fate of the seed,' emphasizing the importance of a receptive heart for God's Word.

I was thinking of the verse in Romans 1 where Paul said to the believers at Rome, I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oft times I purposed to come unto you, but was hindered hitherto. On several occasions we actually had the dates of some meetings arranged, and then in the providence of God we were hindered from coming and sharing in a series of meetings with you, but we're grateful to God, as your pastor has mentioned, that we are here together for these few days to share in the ministry of the word of God, and I trust that we shall be careful, that we shall come in expectation for ...

0:03 - 0:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This idea that we say certain things are essential and others non-essential, I think is an insult to God. Anything God's revealed is essential and important.

This analogy categorizes doctrines by their relative importance, arguing that while all revealed truth is important, repentance is a 'root doctrine' foundational to Christian experience.

This idea that we say certain things are essential and others non-essential, I think is an insult to God. Anything God's revealed is essential and important. But there are relative degrees of importance. Anyone who would place the Bible doctrine, say, of the form of baptism on the same level with the Bible doctrine concerning the deity of Jesus Christ and say that they were of equal importance, there's something defective in his thinking.

7:56 - 8:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin presents the first biblical evidence for repentance's importance: it is the only alternative to perishing. He expounds Luke 13:1-5 and references 2 Peter 3:9, defining…

A contemporary example of an airliner crash making headlines is used to relate the ancient disasters in Luke 13 to modern events that capture public attention, setting the stage for Christ's spiritual lesson.

I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Our Lord takes the occasion of these two natural disasters that were contemporary events present in the minds of all of these people, such as we would have when an airliner crashes and emblazoned on the headlines of all the newspapers from the New York Times to the Lancaster Intelligence or Journal, is it? What is it? What's it called?

11:33 - 12:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second evidence is that the only gospel authorized by Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance. Martin discusses the Great Commission accounts (Matthew, Mark, John, Acts) and…

The authority of a traffic policeman is used to illustrate the authority by which Christians preach the gospel, not by inherent power but by the delegated authority of Christ.

You better believe. You say, I tell you that message on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, that's the authority by which we declare such a message. You see some fellow standing down there at the corner of King and, King and, not King and Queen, what are the two streets?

21:08 - 21:27 Read in full sermon

The point: When preaching the cross, declare to men why there had to be a cross, bringing in the law of God and man's sinfulness.

The modern understanding of civil courts (reformative) is contrasted with the biblical concept of retributive justice, explaining why the average person struggles to grasp the necessity of Christ's suffering for sin.

Of the God of the Bible who punishes sin with what the theologians call retributed justice. There's something about sin that demands the wrath and the stroke of God. The average person in our day doesn't have that concept anymore. We've lost it in the structure of society with our civil courts.

25:37 - 26:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He examines how the apostles took Christ's commission seriously, demonstrating through Acts (Pentecost, Simon the Sorcerer, Mars Hill, Ephesian elders, King Agrippa) that…

Martin contrasts Peter's direct call to repentance with a common, soft-pedaled modern gospel invitation (bowing heads, closing eyes, raising hands) to highlight the dilution of the biblical message.

Notice. When they cried out, verse 37, and were pricked in their heart, a literal rendering of the original would be, Stabbed in the heart as with a dagger, pricked in the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, I don't want to be facetious. Please don't anyone say that I'm trying to be funny.

38:55 - 39:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third evidence is that there is no saving faith divorced from repentance. Using the analogy of a dollar bill, he explains the inseparability of repentance and faith, arguing…

A genuine U.S. dollar bill with George Washington on one side and the pyramid/eagle on the other is used to illustrate the inseparability and interdependence of repentance and faith.

You see, they're like a genuine one dollar bill.

51:23 - 51:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third evidence is that there is no saving faith divorced from repentance. Using the analogy of a dollar bill, he explains the inseparability of repentance and faith, arguing…

Being delivered from quicksand by someone named Joe is used to illustrate that believing in Christ as a deliverer from sin inherently means desiring to be delivered from sin.

If I'm wallowing and sinking in quicksand and someone comes and says my name is Joe and I have come to deliver you from quicksand will you believe in me and trust yourself to me? The minute I say yes I'm saying in as loud terms as I can say I walk out of the quicksand. And that's obvious. And so when the Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ it means to believe on him as he's set before us in the gospel.

55:01 - 55:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent, as it is the only valid preparation for the day of judgment that God has appointed.

The stark reality that 'the worms are going to eat it' (our bodies) is used to emphasize the certainty of death and the need for preparation for judgment.

We don't like to think of it but there's only one thing certain of every one of you who sits before me tonight and that's that you're going to die. And that body that you spend so much time feeding and resting and clothing and shaving and powdering and deodorizing and all the rest the worms are going to eat it.

57:02 - 57:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent, as it is the only valid preparation for the day of judgment that God has appointed.

Martin shares a personal anecdote of driving past a cemetery every Sunday as a reminder of death, serving as a 'best sermon to a preacher' before he preaches.

I'm glad for the reminder I get of this every Sunday as I drive to the place we were meeting now in the school for our church meeting just across the street with the best sermon to a preacher before he goes to preach is to die.

57:45 - 57:58 Read in full sermon