2023.02.26. Sermon Notes. Repent and Return to ME. A message for LENT
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA. GOD desires our full commitment to HIM. HE wants us for HIS OWN, HE wants…for our whole heart. HE calls out to us to “Return to ME with all your heart” Joel 2:12
JESUS GAVE US THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL COMMANDMENTS IN GOD’S WORD…
Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST RESIDES IN US
Galatians 4:6 (NLT)
And because we are HIS children, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of HIS SON into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
GOD CALLS OUT, DESIRES, WANTS, YEARNS FOR US TO TURN OUR LIVES AROUND TO HIM
Joel 2:12-13 (NKJV)
12 “Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
"Rend your heart". Tear your heart from the things of this world that distract you from GOD. Our hearts get attached to things of this world. FATHER GOD is pleading with us to tear away from those things, and return to HIM
GOD’S WORD TELLS US THAT HIS SPIRIT YEARNS FOR US
YEARNS, DESIRES, CRAVES, ACHES, LONGS FOR... A PASSIONATE NEED
James 4:5-10 (NKJV)
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
LENT IS A TIME OF REPENTANCE LEADING UP TO THE CROSS.
A time of fasting and moderation, repentance, self-denial and spiritual discipline. To set aside time for reflection on JESUS, considering his suffering and sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. A time examine ourselves, and RETURN to GOD.
40 days and 40 years
Jesus fasted 40 days and nights in the wilderness.
GOD led the people of Israel through the wilderness over the course of 40 years.
40 days and nights
Lesson learned. Man lives by the WORD of GOD. This is Supernatural and requires a change of heart, mind and spirit (Repentance) in order to understand.
WE LIVE BY THE WORD OF GOD. WE LIVE BY CHRIST JESUS AND HIS WORD.
JESUS CALLS TO US TO CHANGE, REPENT, BECAUSE NOW IS THE TIME. WE MUST MAKE THIS CHANGE DURING OUR LIFE.
Matthew 4:1-4, 16-17 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE. SELF DISCIPLINE.
FULLY COMMITTED TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID IN HIS WORD TO US AND BY HIS SPIRIT IN US.
Deuteronomy 8:1-6 (NKJV)
1 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers.
2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.
4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.
6 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
WHY 40 DAYS? WHY 40 YEARS?
TO HUMBLE YOU, AND TEST YOU. TO SEARCH OUT AND KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART, WHETHER OR NOT THAT YOU WILL KEEP (OBEY, FOLLOW, LIVE) HIS WORD.
IS GOD’S WORD IN YOU?
ARE YOU LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD?
ARE YOU ALIVE BY THE WORD OF GOD?
When we understand WHO GOD IS, and who we are, we realize our shortcomings, our failures. GOD is holy, we are not. GOD is perfect, we make mistakes. These ideas and truths humble us as we compare ourselves to our GOD.
Scripture tells us that GOD resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
Repentance begins with humility in knowing that we lack and are in need of help. We can’t do it on our own, we are not GOD, we fall short.
We must realize that our time is short, with a beginning and end.
We must put aside our pride and empty ourselves of thinking that we are something more than we actually are.
When we view ourselves in comparison to GOD, we realize our shortcomings, our lack, our need, and our failure to measure up to WHO GOD IS.
And through GOD’s WORD we find that our ONLY way to GOD is by salvation through the Cross and Sacrifice our JESUS.
LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD IS TO LIVE, WALK, IN THE LIGHT OF HIS WORD. NOT IN THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD.
WE COME TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, THAT WE HAVE BEEN RESCUED FROM THE DARKNESS, AND NOW CAN LIVE BY HIS WORD AND IN THE LIGHT OF HIS HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE ARE FORGIVEN AND SET FREE FROM THE DARKNESS AND NOW CAN SEE TRUTH IN THAT LIGHT.
1 John 1:5 - 2:2 (NKJV)
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES AND BRINGS THE WORD OF GOD INTO OUR LIVES. MAKING US ALIVE BY HIS WORD.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS OF SIN, SHOWS US THE LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THAT DARKNESS BRINGS JUDGEMENT.
HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US IN TRUTH, LEADING US BY THE WORD BECOMING ALIVE IN US.
MAKING US TO SHINE AND GLORIFY GOD IN THE PROCESS.
John 16:8-14 (NKJV)
8 And when He (HOLY SPIRIT) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
Let's Pray.
FATHER GOD,
We come into your presence because YOU have called us to be YOUR Children.
We see the brevity of life and have come to the knowledge of salvation through JESUS, by HIS blood, by the cross, by HIS death, burial and resurrection. We see life beyond our current time here, and know by YOUR SPIRIT that there is more than we can see here and now. It is YOUR calling us, pleading for our hearts to turn from the things of this world, and return to you.
We hear YOU FATHER, calling us. We come responding to YOUR voice, YOUR love and mercy towards us. We need YOU, FATHER GOD. We are broken FOR YOU LORD.
FATHER, forgive us for our pride, forgive us for our sin and wrongful desires. Purify our hearts today and lead us by HOLY SPIRIT into all truth. Guide and direct our hearts, our minds, our actions and thoughts to put YOU first in every moment of every day that YOU give us. That we may glorify YOU to this lost world around us. Let us shine forth and help others to come to the saving grace and mercy that YOU have given to us, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD, Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
