Matthew 3:1-12 continuing…
“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 2).
The next thing we see is the message of the herald. It was a message which needs to be proclaimed and heard today. The world does not need to hear little mamby, pamby, sissy messages of movie previews and reviews, and learning social skills. The message the world needs, and that religious people need is the same one John came preaching – repentance. The world needs to know they have sinned and grieved the heart of God, and that He is angry with their sin, but loves them, and has shown that love by judging sin upon His own Son on the cross. Repentance equals change – a complete reversal in direction. Repentance is a sorrow for abusing the glory of God, and changing your actions, your thoughts, your beliefs accordingly. When we look at those that came to hear John we see several religious elites who came, seeking the baptism of repentance, but John was quick to see that their hearts and lives were not in it. One’s religious heritage makes no difference; if there is no repentance they are without Christ.
The world today is in peril. The return of the Lord is closer than it has ever been, and the wickedness of mankind keeps degressing from worse to worse. Now, I know that sounds really negative, and I guess it is, but sometimes negative is the truth. A battery has no power without the negative; but when you put the negative and positive together you get POWER. If you do not believe it just go out to your car, truck or whatever you drive, and disconnect the negative cable from the battery; go ahead and see if it will start. I will guarantee that it will not. Put a piece of tape on the negative side of a regular “Energizer” type battery, put it in your i-Pod or whatever; see if you have anything. Again YOU WON’T. Positive has nothing without Negative. Before there is a positive response of people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ they must know that they need a Savior. With murders, rapes, robberies, home invasions, carjackings, and just out and out debauchery occurring daily it is time we proclaimed the fallenness of mankind, not be trying to tell them how good they/we are.
REPENT. Turn to the One who paid the penalty for your sin. That is King Jesus.
The Fire and Hammer 
Buddy and Eric,
Thanks much for your comments. It is an encouragement to know that there are others preaching and believing the Word of God. I also know there are many others.
Thanks again.
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It is sad the majority of evangelicalism has avoided the term repentance in the proclamation of the gospel, and is certainly not an issue isolated to the prosperity gospel. This is the result of the seeker-sensitive agenda that has pervaded churches all across America and much of the church has been brainwashed into believing that this is the only way people can be reached with the Gospel. What has resulted is the proclamation of a truncated gospel, since repentance is a key component. We have become so afraid of offending people, yet we have forgotten that Scripture teaches that the gospel by its very nature is an offense to the unsaved man. (1 Corinthians chapters 1 & 2) Paul’s command to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-4 was to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season”, meaning that whether or not people in our culture want to hear it, we are to preach it anyway. Unfortunately, the church today thinks that “preaching” is somehow outdated and no longer relevant. But Scripture commands it. It means to proclaim something verbally, as that of a herald, an urgent message that desperately needs to be heeded and obeyed, and is an important exhortation to take action in response. It is tragic that that type of exhortation seldom takes place today.
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We have this argot in Christian circles, and so often we assume people just understand what things mean. The term “repentence” is a great example and you make such a valid point: “repentence = change”. It is sad, but the truth that I see in speaking with some (even within the church) is that they have redefined the meaning of many of the terms that we use away from the meanings that are expressed in scripture. There are some that have redefined “repentence” to mean nothing more than simply begin sorry that you got caught; or contrite because your conscience is bothering you, etc.
I believe that one of the reasonsthat John was so powerful in his preaching is that His life and message represented something visibly counter to the culture of his day. (He lived in the desert, eating bugs and honey, and dressed in animal skins for crying out loud!) It was dramatic! It was effective! When he screamed “repent!” the people knew that he was calling them to something totally different from what they were experiencing but that he was living right before them. I fear that the reason so many don’t understand what it means to really “repent”, may be because they don’t see that dramatic of a change in the lives of the people who have already reportedly “repented”.
To repent is to change, by putting Christ before any person or anything; and as you have said, to make Him King. I am in complete agreement that this message needs to be proclaimed and heard. I would add only that part of the proclamation is that it needs to been seen, so that people truly understands what it means. God help us to be that light!
Great post! I really like your site and plan to visit often.
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Bro. Tony,
I couldn’t agree more. If John Baptist came preaching repentance, and Jesus preached repentance, then that is good enough for me.
Thanks, for your comments.
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Brother Tim,
Repentance runs so counter to what the word-of-faith and prosperity teachers proclaim it is a wonder repentance even has a place in the pulpit anymore. Jesus’ first message was and remains, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” It is time the world hears the message of Jesus and no longer the message of Joel Osteen and the others on the Top 50 Christian list. Repentance is what brings true prosperity in the Lord.
Blessings.
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