take our Bibles tonight and look to the third of Matthew continuing our study and the subject of repentance I am persuaded tonight that one of the most needful messages of our day is repentance I was listening to some testimonies in a young people's camp special testimony night. And as I listened to those young people in another state some great while ago, I got to wondering and began to ask myself some question. Now, Lord, if someone was here tonight that's not saved, would they really get the message? It seemed to me that what they were saying was that the Lord Jesus Christ was coming along in their life sort of on a nice little train or a nice covered wagon. And they just decided they'd just start to get on the Jesus wagon and go along with him. You know, I can't believe that that's really the typical picture of Scripture. The typical picture of Scripture is that before a man is saved, Jesus doesn't appear to be a very lovely man until the Holy Spirit begins to work in his heart and so convince him of his sin and his awful condition. Like my brother Bill was seeing a moment ago. second verse of that old hymn, he said, The old account was large and larger every day, for I was always sinning and never seemed to pray. I looked up ahead and saw such pain and woe. I said, I'll settle. I said a long ago. So you see, it's only when we begin to see ourselves as sinking sinners that the person of Christ has any real significance to us. And I think what's happened is the devil tried to circumvent this teaching and doctrine of repentance because people don't really like to admit that they're dreadfully sinful. And repentance, you know, involves sin. Repentance involves the sin question, the sin issue. And it was this man that God raised up, rather a miracle child, being born in the old days and old age of Zacharias and Elizabeth. His name was John. name is not John the Baptist. Let me clear that before we go any farther. Though the Scripture says in our King James Version John the Baptist, it is literally John the Baptizer. You don't believe that you look it up for yourself. It's a participle. And so this is a verbal adjective. A participle is a verbal adjective indicating someone who does something. John the Baptizer or one who baptizes. Now in those days came John the Baptizer. preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now we find that John was the very first one who came preaching this message of repentance. I'm wondering if there are those in the audience tonight that feel as though that repentance is for a dispensation past. I tried to labor on that a little bit last evening, that I am absolutely convinced and persuaded of the scripture that it's the message tonight. But there are some... because of the way they try to divide the scripture that teach that it's just believed today and repentance is not necessary well let's see if that's so you say well the scripture would have to be the final test and the final rule of authority so let's examine the scripture on the subject of repentance look at chapter four and verse seventeen chapter four and verse seventeen now John came announcing the Lord Jesus Christ And he's the forerunner of Christ. He's the one who was to prepare the way of Christ, and he was preaching repentance. And then in chapter four, Jesus has already had the experience of being in the presence of Satan and being tested. He was actually tested and found to be absolutely sinless, and it was impossible for the Lord to sin. We find in verse seventeen, from that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent. Repent. Then, of course, last night we looked at Mark chapter one. So let's return to that verse and once again refresh ourselves with the message of the Lord when he was there preaching. Verse fourteen and verse fifteen. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. Look, if you will, to chapter six and verse twelve. I'd like to go over these verses. as fully as possible. Chapter six in verse twelve. Now the Lord has sent the twelve out by two. He gave them power over unclean spirits and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey and so on. And after giving this admonition, he gave the message that they were to preach. And notice in Mark six in verse twelve, and they went out and preached that men should repent. Why is it necessary that men repent? Is there an absolute necessity of repentance? And if so, what is that necessity? Why should men repent? Well, let me suggest, first of all, that God is absolutely beyond any shadow of a doubt perfectly holy. God is the only perfect being that ever exists. And God is manifested in three persons. And oftentimes when we see the Scripture, in the Scripture the term God, we limit it to the Father. But remember, Jesus Christ is God Almighty in glorified flesh tonight. We find also that the Spirit Himself is God. He is God's Holy Spirit, and he is the Spirit of God. And so when the term God is used, it many times refers to all three persons of the Godhead. And so we find, as we mentioned a moment ago in Mark one, Jesus says that men should repent and believe the gospel. And then, of course, we saw that parallel last night where the Apostle Paul preached the same message many years later saying that it was repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. So the reason that men are to repent is because that God, as holy as he is, has been sinned against. And so they went out, the disciples, preaching that men should repent. Look, if you will, at Luke chapter thirteen. Current events had taken place. Probably today would have been in the newspapers, and people were discussing something of the news. Chapter thirteen, verse one. They were present at that season, some who told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. Now there's been a great tragedy there, and so while Jesus... is in their very presence, we find that they begin to tell the Lord, Lord, what about this? And Jesus answering, said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things. I tell you, nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, thank ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem. I tell you, nay, but except you repent, Ye shall all likewise perish. Turn, if you will, to the fifteenth chapter of this same book. The fifteenth chapter of this same book. You remember it's broken down into various sections. I think it's very important to note that in verse three it is a singular parable. When we have a singular parable, we have a singular teaching. It may have many ramifications. It may have various aspects. But remember, if it's a parable singular, it has a singular interpretation. And so in verse three, he spake this parable unto them saying, And then he gives us the man who had a hundred sheep. And if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine and so on. And look at verse seven. After the sheep has been found, which was lost, he says, I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents more than over ninety and nine persons which need no repentance. It might be also noteworthy to mention that this chapter does not teach. It does not teach. This is the case of someone who was saved, backslidden, and then returned to the Lord. I'll grant you that there are nice applications here. But remember, the Scripture is to have a strict... interpretation. And the word lost is one of the key words in the chapter. It appears five times. The word dead appears also. And so we find here the Lord is saying that in heaven there's joy over just one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance. And of course we see down in verse ten, after the lost coin has been found, The words are like this. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents. Just one sinner that repents. I went and did a wonderful thing tonight that someone would repent and be saved. Oh, that would fill our hearts. But you know, I'll tell you, it would not only fill our hearts, but heaven would be rejoicing according to these verses of Scripture. There's going to be joy and rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God. over one sinner that repents. Chapter sixteen and verse thirty. The case here is that message that the Lord gave. And the word, I warn you, the word parable does not appear in verses nineteen through thirty-one. Some have alluded this to be a parable. I do not understand it in that light. If it had been a parable, I believe the Spirit of God would have told us that it was a parable. However, it seems to be, to me, a very true statement, a historical account of a man that died and went to hell. And in that place in hell where suffering takes place, we find that he was in agony and torment. And he's in conversation with Father Abraham. And in verse thirty, he said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said, or Father Abraham said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. That is representative of the word of God. So, once again, repentance. Then we see also in Luke chapter twenty-four, the Lord Jesus is getting ready to go back to the glory. And he spent some forty days with the disciples speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And then in the forty-fourth verse, these are the words which I say unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. Then he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it is to whom Christ has suffered, and to rise from the dead to their day. Notice now, verse forty-seven. And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and ye are witnesses of these things. I pray, tell me tonight, dear loved ones, Did the Lord intend for this message to go into all nations or not? As best I can read my English here, it says among all nations. That would include Gentiles, wouldn't it? So do not be trapped into the thinking that repentance is a message necessarily and just for Israel, notwithstanding anyone's interpretation of Acts two thirty-eight. Now let us go to that particular verse tonight and once again refresh our memory on what we had last evening. Peter said unto them, Repent. Here we find the verb is second person plural. Peter is calling upon everyone there. All those Jews out of every nation under heaven have gathered there for the feast of Pentecost. And as a result, God is using these disciples who have been empowered by the Holy Spirit, in dwelt by the Holy Spirit, been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and using the sign gifts of tongues, we find that they get the attention and ear of those unbelieving Jews. After Peter is preached, they cried out after they were pricked in their hearts, saying, Amen and brethren, what should we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So repent is second person plural. It's everyone there. But be baptized is third person singular. Third person singular. Then, of course, the last verb in the verse is shall receive, and there once again it is, as it is in Scripture here, second person plural, corresponding with the first verb, repent. Literally, you repent and you shall receive. Let's see how that supports with chapter three and verse nineteen. Chapter three and verse nineteen. Listen to Peter, the same apostle speaking to the same type of people. preaching to the Jews who gathered there in the city of Jerusalem, repent ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. Now, if water baptism was necessary in the salvation, why didn't he tell them how to be saved in this chapter? He said, Repent you, therefore, and deconverted it, that your sins may be blotted out. You see, repentance brings about real conversion. And that's exactly what we have in Acts chapter thirty-eight. And the crux for all the crowd, it seems to interpret Acts thirty-eight as in any way having water baptism as a part of the gift of the Holy Spirit, or the remission of sins taken that far meaned in order to, which is a wrong and an unscriptural interpretation. The passages that I used last evening to support this and to prooftext it were Matthew three, eleven, Matthew twelve and forty-one and mark one and forty-four. In each of those passages there is the word unto, the word at, and the word for, and each time the context forces it to mean because of rather than in order to. Now that's what we mean by taking scripture to interpret scripture. Just recently a dear Christian young person came to me and said, I don't understand this biblical passage. It seems to indicate that a person could lose their salvation. And I said to that, dear soul, I said, well, there are a lot of passages in the scripture that really have me stumped. I don't understand them. I can't explain them. And I've gone to others and they can't seem to explain them. But one thing I do, and I hope this will be of help to you, and I put it like this. I said, you know, in the Bible, I always try to reason from the simple to the sublime. I go from those easy verses of scripture like John three sixteen for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not marry but have everlasting life. I go from verses like that and then I read them into the verses I don't understand and it helps me. I turn the passages like John three and thirty six. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life. And so I just believe that and stay with it. And when I read something that looks like I might not have everlasting life, will I interpret it in the life of John three thirty six? I turn to John five and twenty four and see Jesus says, Amen, amen, I say to you, he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me has everlasting life. And if you ever notice, it picks up one of the new Catholic translations, the Confaternity Edition. It says, Amen, amen, I say to you. He that hears my word and believes him that sent me, and they have the right idea. You see, being saved is agreeing with God and believing God. What God has said about his beloved son, how that he died for us was buried and rose again. And so I hang on to that verse. And, of course, I go to that memorable passage in John chapter ten where Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice. I know them. They follow me. I give to them eternal life. And they shall never perish. I said, Oh, I just hang on to that right there. They shall never perish. And if one of them perish, Jesus lied. And God cannot lie. Titus chapter one, verse two. And it's impossible for God to lie. Hebrews six and eight. Let's see there. Now, when I read any verse of Scripture that seems to indicate I might lose my salvation, I want you to know I turned those easy passages and just hang on to them. Well, that young person went away, hasn't he? And I hope it was a blessing and a real help. So, in Acts chapter two and verse thirty-eight, the Apostle Peter is getting a simple message that has been preached down from the very time that John stepped on the scene in the wilderness of Jordan with a leather girdle about his loins and perhaps grasshopper legs sticking out of his beard and honey running down. I don't know. The scripture said his food was locust and wild honey. And so here he was not a very pretty looking fellow. And I'm sure that he couldn't get into a lot of assemblies of Christian with a kind of attire because, you know, he didn't wear a tie. He said, well, he didn't wear a tie in those days, but they had lots of rolls. John just had a leather girdle about his lawn. He was a rather rusty looking person, as best I can tell from Scripture. But he had a real message. He said, Repent! And men repented, and people turned to the Lord. So Peter is preaching precisely the same thing. Then we go a little farther in the Scripture. I'm just wondering if it might not be well to look at several other passages of Scripture. Someone said, well, you know, that's to the Jews, and that's after all, Peter's still preaching to the Jews. Well, remember what the Savior said in Luke chapter twenty-four to all nations. say, well, did they really do that? All right, I'm glad you asked. Acts chapter seventeen, let us notice. I don't know how Gentile is, you'd like to get it, but I think if we get to Acts seventeen, it's pretty well Gentile. Wouldn't you agree with that? Let's pick up our reading at verse twenty-two, Paul is standing in the midst of Mars Hill, or the court of the Areopagites. And so there he is at the amphitheater in Paul stood in the midst of Mark Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotion, I found an altar with this inscription, and then he quotes, To the unknown God. Now notice what Paul says. Whom, therefore, you ignorantly worship Him. declare I unto you. In other words, this is the one I want to talk about. The one that you're intimately worshiping is the one I want to preach about today. He says, God who's made the world in all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, where else not in temples made with hands. And this is the second time in the book of Acts that this statement appears. It appears also in Acts Neither is worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything, seeing he gives to all life and breath and all things, and has made up one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth. And it's determined the times before appointed them, the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord, if happily they might steal that drink. And you know, I've had the opportunity and the privilege of talking with many souls about being saved. And I find that so many people are mixed up on this thing of stealing. And about the only place in the New Testament, I can find the word feel attached in any way to the way of salvation is in this verse. That they should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. I think what Paul is simply saying here is that the Lord is very present. He's very present. They're available. And so if happily they might feel after him, that is, they would search for him. Here's a picture of one who's in darkness and he's blind. And you see, before we're saved, we're spiritually blind. Jesus could say, except the men be born again. He cannot see. And you say, it's the kingdom of God. That's true, but he's spiritually blind. And so the Lord is saved through Paul. They should seek the Lord if happily they might feel after him. He's there. He's available to everyone who will repent and believe. So he says, though he be not far from every one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own voice that says, for we are also his offspring, for as much them as we are the offspring of God. We ought not to think that the Godhead is likened to gold or silver or stone graven by arch in man's device. Now look at verse thirty, and the one I want to become to them. And the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now command, notice, notice now, all men everywhere to repent. all men everywhere to repent. Lord, if there's any one thing that I nailed in tonight, I hope it's the it, that there is no salvation if there's no repentance. There's got to be repentance. And we want to go in more fully into the subject in a moment. But I'd like to introduce what the Scripture has to say about the subject of repentance. Acts chapter twenty, and once again the passage that we had last night paralleling what our Lord had said in Mark chapter one. Our Lord has said in Mark one and fifty, repent ye and believe the gospel. And we notice that the word believe. It's the rendering of the same word that translated faith in Acts chapter twenty and verse twenty one. Paul says testifying to the Ephesian elders now to whom he's speaking, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance for God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Why was it added? Why did he say here, repentance toward God? Well, it's God that we've appended. It's God we've sinned against. So it's God in view that we must repent. With him in view, there must be a change of mind. And with Christ in view and his finished work at Calvary, we must exercise faith in him, or we cannot be saved. Let us notice also in Acts chapter twenty-six. Acts chapter twenty-six. The prophet Paul is on trial for his life. And he says in verse nineteen, whereupon O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles. Now notice he's brought in the message both to the Jews and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God. Repent and turn to God. You see, repentance is actually pictured as an about faith of the mind. The word metta means with, and lull means mine, and it's with the mind. It changes raw. And so here is the picture of changing the mind and turning to God. And do work, meet for repentance. Look, if you will, to Romans chapter two and verse four. Describeth thou the riches of its goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance. the goodness of God leads thee to repentance turn if you will to the book of Hebrews the epistles of the Hebrews I like to sometimes take up this epistle and give three reasons why I'm convinced that the Apostle Paul was not the author the wonderful epistle full of such precious food that we need vitally Hebrews chapter thirteen excuse me, chapter twelve and verse seventeen. Hebrews twelve and seventeen. Here's the case of Esau. We'll read sixteen in connection with it. Let there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one marshal of meat, stole his birthright. Now notice, stole his birthright. For you know how that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected for he found no place of repentance. though we thought it carefully with tears. Here's the men who carefully thought repentance with tears, but it was to no avail. What a tragedy. And then in Second Peter chapter three and verse nine, as though the Lord is saying, look, I'm going to give you a final message on this. You'll find this in the book of Revelation, the various things of the churches. Second Peter chapter three and verse nine, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. as some encounts likeness, but is long suffering to us, we're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. I think the uniformity of Scripture is overwhelmingly in the eyes or the eyes for this matter of repentance, notwithstanding what who may say, or who may say what, or what may be stated, or what theological premise may be presented, God's word, clearly, unequivocally, makes it absolutely certain that if one would ever be saved, he's going to have to repent. My question tonight is this, to begin the message. Have you repented? Have you really repented? If not, why not? There's a verse of Scripture that I purposely overlooked that I'd like to take up tonight, and as I take it up... I'd like to try to do a little explaining and then use some illustrations as report what I'm hoping to present as the truth of God concerning the subject of repentance. It's Second Corinthians chapter seven. Second Corinthians chapter seven. So notice in this he said, folks, that the Corinthians have been commended. They've been commended for their repentance. They were harboring sin in the assembly. That's one of the worst things that can happen. It was Achan who harbored a wedged gold, a goodly Babylonian garment, and I think sobered, in his tent. And because that he did, that raised it back to the team that it did. Any time that there is hidden sin, the effect of God's will and doesn't run the way of the earth. So the Apostle Paul has pointed out that even though they were puffed up over sin of account, they must rise and act. And so Scripture was written out as to explain the path of genuine repentance and the correcting of the problem at Corinth. And after the problem was corrected, they were commended for this. And in this seventh chapter of Second Corinthians, we find, he says in verse nine, Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrows of repentance, for you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. Now he's going to have a principle here that's going to carry over from Genesis through Revelation. It's not dispensational. This is a statement that actually covers every phase of God's work with mankind on the earth. For godly sorrow, work, repentance, to salvation. Not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world where it's dead. Can we find in God's holy word some examples of this. Listen to your friend tonight. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans three and twenty-three. There's none right to know not one. There's none that understands. There's none that seeks after God. They're all gone out of the way. They're together become unprofitable. There's none that do it good, no not one. You see, every one of us evolved in this terrible blight and sickness of sin. And there's only one way out. That's through the Lord Jesus Christ because he said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. But the only way we can have the way, which is Christ, is repent. And so God tells us tonight that godly sorrow is that element which works repentance to salvation. Oh, please tell me how that actually works like that. Good. We'll look in the scripture and see if we can't find it. First of all, let's take up the primary aspect or the positive aspect of this. Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Look, if you will, and follow me, please, to the book of Luke. The book of Luke, and the case is Simon Peter. Simon Peter was one of the apostles of the Lord. Simon was a man who was devoted to the Lord. Simon was a wonderful person. And in verse thirty-one, The Lord said, Simon, Simon. And at this time, I'd like to mention that, as far as I know, in New Testament scriptures, this only happens two times, where Jesus mentions someone's name twice like that. Simon, Simon. He's talking to him. And then the other time, Martha, Martha. And each time, it's in the context of a rebuke. Simon, Simon. The whole Satan has desired to have you, that he may shift you as we, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and when thou convert it, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both in the prison and in the death. And Jesus said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice tonight, that thou knowest me, and so on. And Peter, I think, really didn't understand it. Peter didn't really believe that he's going to do this. And I believe we can prove it from Scripture. that Simon Peter really meant to die for the Lord. I don't know how many of you agree with me on that, but I think it's pretty clear. The Lord had said, and I think it's brought out in one of the other accounts of the life of our blessed Lord Jesus, that Simon had made this statement, though all be offended, yet will I not be offended? Now, you see, Simon had declared he wouldn't be offended at the Lord. Jesus had indicated some were going to be offended at him at that very night. And Peter just real quick to say, Lord, though I'll be offended, I'll not be offended. Was he? Sure was. But this statement here, Peter said, Lord, I am ready to go, but will be in the prison and to death. Now he was ready to go to death. Why do you say that? Why do you say that? I'll tell you why I say it. The moment he pulled out that sword, And the moment he challenged the oncoming mob, as far as I'm concerned, he proved not there. He was good to die. Did you ever notice the overwhelming odds that were coming out against him? There was a whole band of people coming out after Jesus and eleven little things. And they only had this Lord. Peter had one of them. He said, no, Peter had it fixed. And Peter whipped it out. And I'll always believe Peter intends to kill that man. If you've ever done any study in antiquity, as the swords they used in those days, or at least what's supposed to be in the swords they used in those days, it took a pretty heavy man and a hefty man to lift those swords. And some history seems to indicate that they sharpened them and pointed them to a razor day. And can't you see that great husky fisherman lifting that heavy sword? And when he did, mouth must have dodged just a little bit and caught his ear. I think that Peter intended to make two men out of one. I think he's trying to cut him right in the hand. I believe he meant that. I don't think he was that good of the sword, especially the weight of those swords. I don't believe that any man could have willing to save the Lord only. But I believe Peter really meant, so die for the Lord and die with the Lord. I think he thought the end had come, we're going to fight till the finish. And though he was willing to do that, and many of us might be willing to do that, the truth is, we get caught in certain circumstances here. not even mention the name of our good and good in that friendship. And so that night we find that Peter gets into the wrong crowd. Verse fifty four. Then they took him and led him and brought him in the high priest house. Peter followed up far off. That's a dangerous thing to do. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he said by the fire, earnestly looked upon him and said this man was also with him. He denied saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while, another saw him and said, Thou art also of them, and Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed saying, Of the truth, this fellow also was with him, for he's a Galilean. And one of the other writers, historical writers of the life of our blessed Lord Jesus said his speech betrayed him. In other words, his accent. Tend him down. I see hung tonight. There were no sections allowed in his faith because I guess my accent was giving me away. But anyway, Peter's accent, he was a Galilean and his accent betrayed him and he said, I just don't know him. Man, I know him not. Peter said, man, I know not what thou say. I said, immediately. While he had faith, a rooster crowed. A rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. Now here's the picture. Jesus was among the praetorians. Suppose that this goes out here in the courtyard, where Peter down there was a crowd of the morning fans of the devil's fire. He came with a long company, a yogi club with the right of rejectors. And out there on the recording of the Lord Jesus, he's been on trial. So Peter denies a third time in the rooster crow. About that time, the Lord Jesus turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. how he had said unto him before the cock-rode, that I shall deny me Christ. Peter got the challenge. One, two, three times I've denied the Lord. You hear that old lucid trope. Oh, listen, friends. Look what happens to Peter. Peter went out and went bitterly. The Lord looks dead at Peter, and it's a great possibility that Peter saw those burning irons of love. stand as he went out and he knew he'd sinned. Oh, what a tragedy he'd sinned against his Lord. He'd denied it three times. He could have owned it. He could have owned it. He refused to do it. My brethren, I think, without a doubt, we see a real character evidence of Godless God. Oh, that we've returned to this. That we've returned to this. I was reading one day a little pamphlet written by Mr. J. and Darden. My brethren, the Lord, that's going to be with the Lord many years ago. Certainly not my sister, Mary. He indicated that in the little pamphlet that he had heard a group of Christians that had gathered in a little meeting room. And he said that they sat there in that meeting room without one word for something like two or three hours, not a word being uttered. And he said, on the floor were the little puddles of water and tears on those that met with all the provisions among the things of God. Mr. Darden summed it up by saying this, would God we had more of those houses and that we strengthened those houses of Jesus? Thank you, brethren. God's holiness has been sinned against, and God's character is being detained by those of us who claim the name of Jesus, the ugly and awful division, the fact of brethren not walking together, the strife and contention, The immorality is compromised. And yet, no fear. Peter went out and wept bitterly. I believe this is an absolute evidence of godly sorrow. And it works to repentance, to salvation, not to be repented of. Now, the other side of Second Corinthians chapter seven and verse ten goes like this. But the sorrow of the world works this. Now, let's put a few things down. Number one, Peter was an apostle. Number two, Peter sinned against the Lord. Number three, Peter is in. Now, let's go to Matthew chapter twenty-seven. Matthew twenty-seven. We're going to take up another apostle. Judas Iscariot was an apostle. Point number one. First one, when the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people to counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had found him, they led him away and delivered him unto the Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, who 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. Now notice what was happening. Both were apostles and both sinned against the Lord. One denied that he knew him three times before the rooster crowed. The other sold him or betrayed him, led the others to where he could be found for thirty pieces of children. Both sinned. Both were apostles. Now notice. In Judas who had betrayed him when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priest and elder saying, I have sinned. In that I have betrayed the innocent blood, and they said, What is that to us? See thou to them. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went, and hanged himself. The sorrow of the world works there. This is the only expression that I can find like this in the entire New Testament. Looking at it, you will see in verse three the word intended. But remember now, as I brought out last evening, the word repent that we're dealing with primarily is the word metta measate. That is with mine. But this is a different word. It's the word that we get melancholy. You've heard of the English word melancholy. Well, that's actually where the word comes. It's a Greek word. And that's the word that's supplied in this text. And what I'm saying is simply this. Judas and Scariot was not disturbed and broken in his heart that he sinned against the Lord of glory. He was not ashamed that he kissed the door of heaven and then betrayed him for those thirty pieces of silver, but rather he was sorry that he was condemned and caught and his conscience was racking his mind. He takes the thirty pieces of silver, goes back to the temple, and said, I sinned. In that I betrayed the innocent blood, he throws the money down and walks out and hung himself. I tell you, many of people are taking their lives today. I'm confident that the newspapers don't report them all, at least to the public, where they can get knowledges. But a lot of people are taking their lives today. People are committing suicide by the score, much of it, simply because S-I-N has dropped the bet. As a matter of fact, I'd stick my neck out and go this far to take sins at the bottom of all of us. All of us. Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world works dead. Now, we find that Godly sorrow works it, and the goodness of God leads it to it. Romans two and four. But now what does repentance really involve? And it's this that I'd like to close out with tonight, and hope to make it so clear, so vivid, that no one could misunderstand the subject. Well, repentance is in three dimensions. I think we can find all three in Scripture. Let's just see now what really is involved in repentance as far as breaking it down to the person. How does it apply to me? Number one, it has to be intellectual. It has to be intellectual. I saw a pamphlet one time written, Saves Without Knowledge. Now, I'm not trying to challenge my brother that wrote that. But I'm going to say this. That's a dangerous statement. a very dangerous thing, notwithstanding the offer of the family. Because you see, no one has ever been saved apart from knowing that he was a sinner. It takes some knowledge. You've got to know you've sinned against God. Until people come to the place that they know their law, they'll never be saved. Lift their some knowledge. So you see, I can't really endorse that kind of faith. You see, repentance involves the intellect. It is intellectual. There must be a change of view, because after all, the very word itself means to change your mind. So, a change of view. Look, if you will, to the book of Job, the forty-second chapter. Here we have one of the most graphic pictures of genuine, genuine change of view in the Scripture. Job has been an arabic, self-righteous man. at the end of the book God brings me to the end of himself look at verse four of Job forty two here I beseech thee I will seek I will demand of thee and declare down to me I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine I see of thee notice now upon seeing the Lord he says wherefore I have harmed myself and repent in dust and ashes oh he says I can't stand myself I know I'm wicked I'll tell you that's the best thing that a person becomes is when they're in their unsaved age. It's to come to the place when they know they're ungodly, they're wicked. It involves the intellect. There must be a change of view. If there's not, there'll be no salvation. Secondly, it's emotional. There must be a change feeling. I quoted the verse a moment ago. We read it together. Godly, sorrow, works, repentance. Notice, if you will, in Psalm fifty one, Here the psalmist is recounting something, of the Lord's dealings with him. And he gives us these words, Have mercy upon ye, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me against thee, the only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou seekest, and clear when thou judgeest. Then, if you will, notice in verse sixteen, for thou desire's not sacrifice, else would I give it. Thou didst not in burnt offerings. That's not the delight of God, burnt offerings. What is it? What is it, Thomas? Tell us. Oh, he says, I'll tell you, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. Oh, God, thou will not despise. Isaiah sixty-six. Isaiah sixty-six. This is a verse that I remember one time the Lord brought to my heart as I was meeting with a young woman. I was preaching in another state in the Mississippi Valley and we had a tent put up on a hill and we had a day camp going and kids were coming in from the towns nearby and kids were just seemed like crawling all over the hills when we had them out there and I was speaking in the mornings and speaking in the afternoons and having a wonderful time with John pre-sixteen in the afternoons and Psalm twenty three in the mornings and had five wonderful days. And this woman who happened to be one of the counselors at night, we were having family meetings and people were coming in from the towns to the kent to bring their entire families. And so at the end of the fifth day, everyone had gone, but dear Sarah, and there she sat on the front bench, one of the front benches. We had two tiers of benches there. And so I was picking up some of my material there and getting it all together and kind of hoping that maybe she'd gone down the hill with the rest of the counselors. And I was wore out, but she wouldn't leave. And when I had just stalled as much time as I could solve, I just finally folded myself up and I said, Sarah, there's something wrong. When I began to walk the reporter, she was crying. And oh, how she cried. And she cried so I couldn't even help it for a while. And after a long while, it seemed like a long while, probably wasn't over maybe ten minutes, but you just sit down beside somebody crying for ten minutes and it seems like an hour. And Sarah had run out. It was a summertime and the hay fever went bad and the... she'd round these little cleannesses, you know. And if she was wearing one of these type of blouses that you ladies wear that's kind of like a one-man shirt tail, you know, got a shirt tail that's kicked down in the trousers or their, or it's not trousers either. They kind of resemble trousers and they don't. It's a skirt looking thing, and then it gets hacked off in the middle and sewed up the middle there. I told my wife one day, I said... She was disturbed about making some, and I said, well, I can make you a pair of tendons. Oh, she said, oh, you can't make a pair of tendons. I said, you give me that skirt, I'll show you. And so I slipped up to the sewing machine. And about five minutes' time, I come wagging back, and I done. All I did was I just laid that skirt out there, and I run me a nice seam up here, and a nice seam here, and I just took the scissors and whacked the middle. And I said, here they are. Of course, she never did wear it. I just ruined the skirt. Anyway, she was wearing one of those little good ads, and she had her shirt tail down there. And finally, she had so run out of these Kleenexes that she just pulled her shirt tail, and she wasn't sniffing and blowing her little nose. I felt sorry for her. And after a little bit, she said, and her stammering voice and her sobbing voice, she said, Oh, she said, Brother Don said, I don't know if I'm lost or saved. I think I'm lost. And I can't stand it any longer. And so this verse came to my mind. I said, Sarah, You're the fourth soul I ever thought. And I looked at Isaiah sixty-six in verse two. But to this man what I love, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembled at my word, and point for point she said that. And every time I beat one point, she'd have another squall, and she cried some more. But you know, it wasn't long till the whole account was settled. My, she, when it was settled, she ran down the hill to the camp where the other counselors were and where the women were cooking and doing all the other odds and ends. And she began to tell everybody, I said, I'm saved and I'm saved forever. Then she went out in the field where the kids were playing and the men counselors were. And she made the rounds out there. I've been saved. I'm saved forever. And when she got back to town, she started going all over the neighborhood. She was telling everybody around her about being saved. And my what a crowd we had that night. She's wrapping up people. It reminded me of John chapter four. My, she got the people out. But the truth of the matter was she was broken up. And repentance is emotional. See, if there's no sorrow, there'll be no repentance. And she was sorry she sinned against God and couldn't stand it any longer. And her emotional being was brought into play. You see, it was a change of feeling. as well as a change of view, which is intellectual. There was a change of feeling, which is emotional. But if it stops there, it's not repentance. Not repentance. What else is needed? It's got to be volition. The will has to come into play. The will has to be brought in. And the joy of leading a soul to Christ just a few days ago. A woman who is professionally saved. for many years. Had been received in fellowship in an assembly of Christians that gathered just in the Lord's name. Had been breaking bread with those Christians for years and years. After a few nights of ministry meetings, closing out, coming out to the very end of the meeting, I was in a Bible study one morning, the last day of the meeting. There was a Bible study in a home where I had been doing some counseling and having some Bible readings and some folks had gathered there. And I got a call from the woman of the home where I was staying. The sister called and said, John, you have a call to make. And I said, well, do you think it's urgent? I'm right in the middle of the Bible class. He said, well, I sort of think it's urgent. I think maybe you'd better call. And so I said, well, give me the number. I better call. And so I just told the folks to wait just a minute. I had a call to make. And so I made the call. At the other end of the telephone conversation was a sobbing, bleeding woman. And she said, can you come and can you come quick? I said, well, I'm just yearly through this Bible class. Could you wait till I finish this class and I'll come straight over? She said, that'll be fine. Her. And so I completed the Bible class and rushed as fast as I could to the home. When I got there, the dear lady said, you know, for years, I've been so troubled in my bosom, I've been afraid to go to any one in trouble, that I'm lost. And I have it on what to do. Are you saved to me that you're not saved? And that's what I'm saying. I said, well, surely you're just a little emotionally upset and you need a little help and a little comfort of the Scripture and a little encouragement and perhaps you'll be on your way rejoicing. And I tried to give some help like that. And finally she said, it's enough. I don't want it. I'm lost. I want you to know I've known it for years and I can't stand it any longer. Would you tell me how to be saved? I began to cry to the face of that woman how to be saved. And I opened Scripture after Scripture after Scripture until I was insulted. And finally, now listen to me, this will shock you. I want to get out of poker to you. I said to you, do you want to be saved? She said, I did. I said, I'm not going to be saved. I said, will you be saved? Come.