Don’t be Afraid to Call for Repentance

Psalm 69:1–18 (BCP)

1 Save me, O God, *

for the waters have come up even to my neck.

2 I sink down in the deep mire, where there is no ground; *

I have come into deep waters, so that the floods run over me.

3 I am weary of crying; my throat is dry; *

my sight fails me from waiting so long for my God.

4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; *

those who are my enemies, and would destroy me wrongfully, are mighty.

5 They bid me restore things I never took. *

O God, you know my foolishness, and my faults are not hidden from you.

6 Let not those who trust in you, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; *

let not those who seek you be confounded through me, O God of Israel.

7 Surely for your sake have I suffered reproach; *

shame has covered my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, *

unknown to my mother’s children,

9 Because zeal for your house has consumed me, *

and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me.

10 I wept, and humbled myself with fasting, *

but that was turned to my reproach.

11 I put on sackcloth also, *

and I became a byword among them.

12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me, *

and the drunkards make songs about me.

13 But, Lord, I make my prayer to you *

in an acceptable time.

14 Hear me, O God, in the multitude of your mercy, *

even in the truth of your salvation.

15 Take me out of the mire, lest I sink; *

O let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.

16 Let not the floodwaters drown me, neither let the deep swallow me up, *

and let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.

17 Hear me, O Lord, for your loving-kindness is good; *

turn to me according to the multitude of your mercies;

18 And hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; *

O hasten and hear me.

 

 

Romans 5:15b–19 (NIV84)

16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

 

 

Matthew 10:16–33 (NIV84)

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17 “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

 

Matthew 10 (NIV84) 7  “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

• We should be doing this as well, because of Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV84)

 

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

• “shrewd” means
• “innocent” means threatening or offensive (as much as it relies on you, though they might misunderstand)

17 “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.

 

• Politicians and government leaders will arrest you and persecute you

18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 

• Family members will turn on you

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.

 

• You’ll be hated and might have to flee because of persecution

22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

 

• You’ll be called names and face false accusations – even of being in league with the devil

24 “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

 

Looking at Matthew 10:17-25 (NIV84), why would people do this to the disciples?

 

Why did Jesus tell the disciples they should expect persecution? 

Mark 6:7-13 (NIV) 7  Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.. 12  They went out and preached that people should . 13  They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

 

The kindness of God leads us to repentance.

 

Romans 2:4 (NLT2) 4  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

• God says:

Hosea 4:6a (NIV) 6  My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

 

Isaiah 5:13 (NIV) 13  Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.

• We can’t just do whatever we want and be blessed. We pay a price when we don’t follow his ways

 

• Moses’ reasoning and passionate plea to the people to always remain close to God through their obedience to him:

Deuteronomy 30:15–20 (NIV84) 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 

• The Lord is our life; following his laws is not what gives us life. But our disobedience leads us away from Him, and leads to death and destruction.

 

What were some of the common things in Jesus’ time and place that he called people to repent of? What did they need to know?

 

What are some of the things in our time and place that people need to know?

 

• Jesus commanded his disciples

26 “So do not be afraid of them… 28  “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31  So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

 

• Still be willing to call them to repent. Be smart about it, and be as inoffensive as possible – as much as it relies on you – even though they may misunderstand, because:

1 Timothy 2:3b-4 (ESV) 3  …God our Savior, 4  …desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

32  “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33  But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”