TURN
My brothers and sisters in Christ, on Saturday morning my wife Pilar looked at
me with a humongous smile and her eyes were illuminated as they twinkled with
happiness. Now if you know anything about my wife, that look means one of three
things. “Honey, Andrea and I are going shopping. Why don’t you come with us.
It will be so much fun and you can bring something to read if you want while you
wait for us. You love to be with people and to talk with them. Come on, you’ll be
glad you went." My reply, “Honey, it sounds like that will be a lot of fun. I tell you
what, I’ll leave the living room light on so there will be a light on if it gets dark and
I’m asleep in bed.” “Honey, they have the cutest little puppy in the paper for
adoption at the humane society. Can we go look? Cookie & Sabrina would be
good mommy’s to a puppy. Come on, if we don’t look we don’t know what may
happen to the puppy if someone doesn’t adopt it." My reply, 'Humane Society,
I thought we were the humane society." Honey, it’s such a nice day out. Let’s
do something fun, like go on an ADVENTURE! Come on, let’s get in the car and
go for an ADVENTURE!" My reply, 'The Lord’s Prayer and the 121 Psalm'.
As I started the engine, I asked my wife, “Now which way are we going?” To
which my wife replied, “When you turn out of the driveway go for a little while and
I’ll tell you where we will turn. OH, THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!" My
brothers and sisters in Christ, the street in front of our house is one way, so I had
to turn right. Then we had gone a little ways when I asked my wife, "where do you
want me to go?" To which my wife replied, "at the next light we’ll turn." I asked my
wife “which way are we turning" and she replied, "left I think, I’ll know when we get
there." Upon arriving at the light I asked my wife, “Do you still want me to turn left?”
to which she replied, “RIGHT.” Our Father Who Art In Heaven”
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my strength come?
My strength comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the fourth letter of the word FAITH Is “t” which
is the beginning letter for the word “TURN.” In the sin of the flesh turn can mean
a direction or to “Turn Over” In God’s word “Turn” means to “Repent.” One of the
scriptures that many may be familiar with and struggle with is the scripture that
tells God’s children to “turn.”
Matthew 5:38-42:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if
anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also;
and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, let him have
your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go
with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not
refuse him who could borrow from you.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I do not believe God is saying in this Scripture
that thou shall permit another to take advantage of you.
Acts 26: 16-18
“But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for
this purpose, to appoint to you to serve and bear witness to the
things in which you have seen me and to those in which I appear
to you, delivering you from the people and the Gentiles-to whom
I may send you to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness
to light and from the power of Satin to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by
faith in me.”
Some misunderstanding of repentance are:
Repentance is sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7: 9-10,
“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but
because you were grieved into repenting; for you felt
a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to
salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief
produces death.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, sorrow leads one to repentance; sorrow itself
is not repentance. Earlier this week my computer totally froze up due to a virus
and now I must pay to have it cleaned up and reprogrammed. I am in sorrow as
a part of my life feels inadequate with the inability to receive and send e-mails! I
am in sorrow for a part of my life is ill, but this sorrow will not lead me to
repentance and a place in heaven.
Sorrow is not repentance, that is a changed life. Sorrow may lead one to
repentance and repentance may occur as a result of sorrow in one’s life.
Repentance is a changed life.
Acts 3:19,
“Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be
blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ
appointed for you, Jesus,”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the order is this: Repentance for one’s sin first
is sorrow, second repentance, and third, a changed life. A changed life meaning a
change of mind in which a child of God turns from sin and to God.”
A desire to not hear dirty jokes, watch smut on TV or at the movies, but to be
with God. Who are you taking that does not attend church, or may not know
Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, to see Mel Gibson’s new movie which
comes to the theaters on Feb. 25th, Ash Wed.? What a way to have
evangelism at a theater near you.
Turn the TV nonsense off and watch Christian programming.
Turn the radio from junk to Christian music.
Turn, from the Globe to reading the Bible.
Turn from looking at others to admiring the spouse God blessed your life with.
Turn from believing once saved always saved, to asking God for forgiveness in your
daily life.
Turn from being intoxicated with alcohol to being intoxicated with the Holy Spirit in
your life. Acts 2: 14-15.
Repentance, TRUE REPENTANCE is a change of mind in which a child of God
makes the choice in their life to change their ATTITUDE which can affect their ability
to forgive and to live. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, DID YOU HEAR
WHAT I JUST SAID? "TO FORGIVE AND TO LIVE."
I know at this very moment there are vultures in God’s house who claim to have
repented but live in the past looking for dead meat to eat on. You know the vulture,
they always look mad and nobody is really certain as to what the problem is. It just is
and there is nothing to discuss!! To turn, to repent, means to live like a hummingbird,
living on what is, instead of what was. Godly sorrow can and does turn one from being
a vulture, to living as a hummingbird as you fly over the dessert of life.
You know the hummingbird. My house burnt down, I lost my job, my car stopped
running, my kid ran off to live with someone I never met. Oh well, at least I’m this
side of the grave. So, how’s your day going?
2 Corinthians 4: 7-10
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the
transcendent (transcendent: something beyond what we can imagine
in the sin of the flesh) power belongs to God and not to us. We are
afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken (forsaken: to not be forgotten);
struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death
of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, do you know what happens when you forsake the
treasures in your life? You can become so hardened that you forget what it is like to
have the soul of a child. In the darkness of your life you may wake up one morning
and it may seem as though your life has passed you by as you wonder what has
happened to you as you call out, FATHER, ABBA.... As you fall to your knees in
despair. Fall to your knees in despair wondering. Deep down inside wondering
what happened to my life?
You know them, Lawrence Taylor, Left Over The Edge. Tackling Quarterbacks, Drugs,
and a World Beyond Football. PETE ROSE. MY PRISON WITHOUT BARS.
The child of God living being bars, that you may be sitting beside at this very moment,
may work with and associate with at the gas station, grocery, and your favorite place
to go. They are without hope, homeless in spirit, full of anger and resentment for what
you have done to their life. They do not know of God’s word and of His wisdom..
Acts 2: 37-39:
“Now when they (the house of Israel, Acts 3:36) heard this they
were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles,
“Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.”
My brother’s and sisters in Christ, a prominent theme in God’s word is the call to
repent.
Jesus wanted the call to repent preached to all nations: Luke 24: 44-47
Peter proclaimed the call to repent in his first two sermons: Acts 2:36-42; 3: 17-20
Paul spoke of the need to repent to philosophers and kings: Acts 17: 30-31: 19-20
Sadly in the year 2004, there are some who preach faith only, and stress salvation by
baptism of water. God’s word states there are only two ways to receive true salvation:
Confession of our sin to God. And, the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 John 1: 5-10:
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light and in God is no darkness at all. If we say we have
fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just, and then will forgive our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we have
made him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
My brothers and sisters in Christ as God’s children who have repented of our sins
and know the true means of salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may
we answer God’s command to lead the lost to have a personal relationship with Jesus
and the promise of eternity in heaven. May we lead others to:
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light
of his glory and grace.”
1 Corinthians 15: 50:
“I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the
imperishable.”
One day we shall die as we know life in the sin of the flesh and at that last breath our
eternity shall be decided.
As for me, I have made the turn to repent and asked for forgiveness of my sins and
invited Jesus Christ into my heart and soul. In that Forgiveness¹, my life has been
blessed with a new Attitude² and a perception that with God nothing in God’s will is
Impossible ³, for with the perception of God, all things not in my, but in God’s will are
possible. If you have not made the Turn to repent then do so at this very second, for
you are beautiful just the way God has made you and worthy of His love and
forgiveness in your life.
May we be in prayer,
Father, thank you for the gift of forgiveness and eternity that was
given to us all through your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for seeing
our imperfections but loving what is in our heart. You are everywhere
but my life is so blessed by your presence and unending love. Thank
you Father for loving me and telling me that I am beautiful just as
you, not the world, but as you made me, Father.
Amen
02/22/2004 JWM
Back to Sermons
[¹Forgiveness: sermon # 1 in series,
² Attitude: sermon #2 in series,
³Impossible: sermon # 3 in series]