LEARNING (how the Bible relates young women today)

The One Word Challenge to the Church

8/14/2017

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."- 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

Repentance

WATCH THE VIDEO at the bottom of page!
If you don't want to read all of my words, just skip to the end & watch the video :)

After having a deep discussion at our bible study recently, some questions arose:
Are there church members filling pews regularly, teaching classes & maybe preaching each Sunday that may not have a real, on-going Relationship with Jesus?

Is the American way of church making disciples or do-gooders? Could there really be people who walked the aisle, joined the church & baptized that know all ABOUT Jesus, but have not met Him personally? Is it possible to have a dedicated church member living in fear of Heaven or Hell being their destiny?

These questions are heavy on my heart because I think this happens each Sunday in every single church around our nation. The outside appearances and accomplishments look perfect. The words they say are just right. They may even know more theology than most. How and why can this be? Because...

REPENTANCE is no longer politically correct.
It's uncomfortable and it's judgmental.

Repentance: A complete reversal of one's attitude and values; i.e., a turning toward God. Repentance is a complete shift of attitude toward God and our sins. Repentance is not reforming our life. Nor is it penance or an attempt to atone for sins. Repentance is change - it is more than sorrow.
(excerpt taken from blueletterbible study tools)

Think about it....if a pastor started a 12 wk series on our need to repent of the mess going on behind the facade, would you would be excited & happy to get to each Sunday? Probably not. I'm betting we would be quick to think repentance is for those lost people, not me....I mean I am at church & those people are not. :/

THAT mentality is exactly why we, the church, need repentance.
The church is being called to repent and return to the first love...Jesus.
Only when the church gets right with God will we impact the lost around us.

Repentance is hard & it hurts.

Repentance acknowledges that we are not perfect. Admitting that we are not even 'good enough'. It brings us to confess that we have been doing our own thing, all the while knowingly against what God says. Who likes outing themselves??

Repentance means admitting we are not what we appear under the mask. Repentance is brokenness, before God and before others.

Repentance won't come naturally. Repentance is something we have to will to happen.
Repentance happens only when we decide & determine to compare heart with GOD's instead of our pew partner Patty.

Repentance only comes when GOD is given first place in our lives. Repentance won't come until we acknowledge and submit that God is The Ultimate Authority over everything, even our lives. Even our money. Even our desires. Even in our leisure time.

BUT GOD longs to bring Freedom, Peace, Joy and confidence in your salvation & back into our churches. Do we desire it enough to make room for it? Will we make room by getting rid of the hoarded & hidden sins that are overtaking the heart.

Our Spiritual lives will never grow until repentance becomes such a part of our lives that it seems normal. Then our churches will explode with & for God. When we, me and you, decide to get uncomfortable & real with repentance in our own lives.

Using the illustration in the video below, God is not going to shovel the ...'crap' out of the way for us until we acknowledge it and ask for Him to get rid of it.

Francis Chan illustrates this point perfectly in the video below! BE SURE TO WATCH!!

"We can't continue to be the church member content to dust the windows and vacuum around the pile of 'crap' in the middle of the floor. "