In this sermon, Pastor Steve Hopkins explores the doctrine of repentance using Psalm 86 as a starting point. He emphasizes that repentance is a command given by John the Baptist and Jesus, and it is a call for sinners to turn from their sins to God with grief and hope in His mercy. Repentance is a gift from God, and it involves a change of mind, confession of sin, shame for sin, hatred of sin, and turning away from sin. True repentance is ongoing and accompanies the believer's sanctification.

Thanks for joining us at Bernababal Church. This week Pastor Hopkins gives his sermon on the doctrine of repentance from Psalm 86 3. Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 86, beginning with verse 3. We're going to be taking a break from our study of the book of Romans this afternoon to look at the doctrine of repentance. Psalm 86, beginning with verse 3, and we'll go through verse 5.

Let's stand for the reading of the word of the Lord. Let's read together. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." Let's pray.

Father, we thank you, God. Your mercies are truly new every morning. And God, our hearts are filled with joy Lord when we consider that there is forgiveness with you. That you are good. That you are ready to forgive.

That you are plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon you for the sake of your son Jesus who suffered and died for our sins and rose again the third day. Oh God give your spirit now to open our understanding. Oh God, and change us thereby, for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Let's be seated. The Doctrine of Repentance.

So beginning In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter three, what you'll find is that the first word that is recorded from the lips of John the Baptist to the people in the wilderness of Judea was the word repent. It is an imperative, the word is an imperative, that it is a command. It is not a suggestion. John wasn't saying this is something that you need to do. He was commanding them And he was commanding them with authority to do so, to repent.

And he was speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit as the forerunner and herald of Christ. If you go further on in the same gospel in chapter four and verse 17, when Jesus appears for the first time in his public ministry, we hear the same call, the first word in his public ministry, repent, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The call to repent is a call to sinners to turn from their sins to God with grief of heart for having offended him, for having offended God. And it's a call to sinners not only to turn from their sins to God, but to turn from their sins to God hoping in the mercy of God offered in the gospel. No one ever came to God who didn't hope in his mercy, who didn't believe that he was merciful, that he was plenteous in mercy towards those who were penitent sinners humbling themselves before Him and coming to Him with faith and in humility.

At the end of Christ's earthly ministry, just before His ascension into heaven, we find Jesus instructing His disciples in Luke 24 in verse 47. He says, repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And that's exactly what happened. His disciples beginning at Jerusalem, just as Christ commanded, did just that. In verse 19 of Acts chapter 3 we find Peter preaching to the Jews repent Therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out It's no small matter that your sins may be blotted out.

He says, repent. Further on in verse 26 Peter explains that it was God's intent and purpose that the gospel would first come to the Jewish people. Under you first God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities. It's a blessing from God to repent and be turned from our iniquities. And then in Acts chapter 20 and verse 21, we find Paul, quote, testifying to both the Jews and also to the Greeks, that is to the Gentiles, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, we know that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, in His finished work alone, as the apostle tells us in Ephesians chapter 2. But one thing that is often left out of much of the preaching concerning faith in God in our world today is that true faith is always accompanied with by repentance. Jesus said in Luke 13, 15 that unless men repent, they will perish eternally. Again, it's no small matter that we're talking about. He said, I tell you, except you repent, You are going to all likewise perish.

And he's talking about an eternal perishing. The Puritans used to say, faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. And Thomas Watson said, they're the two wings, faith and repentance, are the two wings upon which men are carried to heaven. The person says he has faith, but there's no evidence of any repentance in his life. It's not true faith.

It's not true faith. Jesus said in Mark 1.15, the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe And we have to understand is that like faith to believe we have to understand that repentance is a gift Have you thought about that? We all know that faith is a gift, right? God gives us the gift of faith, it's a grace. Well, repentance is also given by God.

It's also a grace of God. It's also something that comes from God to us and not from within ourselves. Our Baptist confession correctly lays the foundation of repentance in the grace of God. It says repentance is an evangelical grace. It's saying that it is a thing that is granted by God, It's given by God.

Repentance is not something that men dead in trespasses and sins can stir up within them and offer to God. It is a thing given to men by God. In 2nd Timothy 2 25 Paul writes, if God, peradventure, will give them repentance, will give them repentance. In Acts 5.31, speaks of Christ having been exalted to, quote, give repentance to Israel. Again, repentance like faith is an evangelical grace that's given to us.

Acts 11, 18 says, then to the Gentiles also has God granted repentance unto life. But what exactly is repentance? How many think you got a good grasp on what repentance is? What does it mean to repent? What repentance is?

Repentance, the Greek word that is used for repentance in the New Testament means to have a change of mind. Our mind is changed about God and who He is in His holiness. Our mind is changed about us and what we are and who we are in our sin. And our mind is changed about God's Son Jesus Christ and what he came to do. There's a change of mind that takes place and it's a change of mind that involves a change in our actions and our attitudes with regards to our sin in relationship to God.

Repentance is a conversion from sin to God. This is Webster. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice. That means you stop doing it with the intent never to return to it from a conviction that it has offended God. Is that the way you think of repentance?

Before we go a little further into what repentance is, I think it's helpful to understand what true repentance is not. First, true repentance is not the abandonment of a particular sin or lust for fear of the consequences. Being troubled or even stricken with fear because of the consequences of sin, either in this life or in the life to come, is not a part of biblical repentance. Thomas Watson writes in his book, The Doctrine of Repentance, quote, Ahab and Judas had some trouble of mind. They were troubled.

It's one thing to be a terrified sinner and it's another thing to be a repenting sinner. Repentance depends upon a change of mind or heart. There may be terror, yet no change of heart. A person can have terror for sin, afraid of the judgment to come, afraid of the consequences on earth, but never have had a change of mind and a change of heart. Watson says, the man who quits his sin when the lightning's flashing all around and will always return to it when the storm has passed.

God may use fear as a part of his plan for, you know, renovating a particular soul, but fear or terror of some calamity can never produce genuine repentance." End quote. Men may also be motivated to set aside particular sins on account of all kinds of different reasons. A man might say, you know I fear that if I continue in this sin it might cause my estate to be affected. I might lose some of my stuff that I've accumulated in this life. I might suffer some financial loss.

I might lose my job. I might lose this account. That's not Biblical evangelical repentance. True repentance is not the setting aside of some particular sin for fear of losing something, either losing a reward or in hopes of gaining a reward. That's not biblical repentance.

True repentance is not saying to yourself, well, if I don't abandon this sin, God may cause my plans to fail. Or if I go on in this, God might take away some of my wealth or he might affect my health. So I'm going to set aside this sin so that my health or my estate or my body, my whatever won't be affected negatively. That's not true repentance. Think about it.

These are merely self-centered motivations grounded in self-love and they'll eventually give way to the power of a cherished sin. Similarly, some men will think to themselves, well, if I abandon this particular sin, God will increase my riches. Self-love. Comfortability in this life is the motivation. Not a view to the offense that the sin has in relationship to God.

These kinds of notions see sin as something to be bargained away with for something that's more appealing. It's not repentance. Neither is true repentance to relinquish a sinful practice in hopes that God would deliver one from trouble. Lord, how quick this, if you'll only get me out of this fix I got myself into. It's not repentance.

It's not biblical repentance. True repentance is not a matter of seeking deliverance from ill circumstances or even afflictions or bodily discomforts. Historically, sickbed vows are rarely honored. Once the healing that sought has been granted, the vow is soon forgotten. Thomas Watson says self-love raises the sick bed vow, but the love of sin will eventually prevail against it.

The true penitent will prefer the loss of his estate and even the loss of his health to prospering in sin. The true penitent is not so much motivated by material loss or gain in this life or the life to come as he is that his sin is an affront to the God who loves him and gave his son to die for him. In all things we have to do with God. Some men will set aside a particular sin for fear of exposure, for fear of being found out, for fear of getting caught. But departure from a particular sin on account of the fear of detection or exposure is also grounded in love and just self-preservation.

I don't want to be caught. This Temporary relinquishment of a sinful practice is nothing more than a means of self-preservation. Same thing, self-love, self-preservation. It's all about me, it's not about God. If I go out into sin, someone sees me, what will they think of me?

I care what other people think about me, so I'm gonna set this thing aside. It's not biblical repentance. The man who truly repents doesn't need to fear exposure or being found out or getting caught because he's not trying to hide anything from God or anyone else. He's transparent, an open book for all to see. Thomas Watson records six ingredients of true repentance if you want to list these.

Sight of sin, sorrow for sin, confession of sin, shame for sin, hatred of sin, returning from sin. You know, you've got to have sight of sin. It's the first. How can you repent of a sin you don't have sight of? In Luke chapter 15 verse 17 we read that the prodigal son came to himself.

He saw his sin and he came to himself. He realized, what in the world? Look what I'm doing. Unless a man comes to himself until he sees his sin as sin and utterly sinful, he's not going to repent. The true penitent will beg God to show him his sin he'll beg God to show him his sin I'm Watson says he'll say I'm poor I'm miserable I'm blind I'm naked Lord open my eyes to see all the ways in which I've offended you I acknowledge that I can't see my sin unless you open my eyes.

Unless you give me eyes to see. Second ingredient he mentions is sorrow for sin. We've read this passage many times in Luke 738. The woman stood at Jesus' feet behind him, weeping and began to wash Jesus' feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head. There's an element of true repentance.

The sacrifices of God are a broken heart, a broken and a contrite heart. Watson says, he that can repent without sorrowing suspect his repentance. Do you have sorrow for sin? When is the last time that you shed a tear for your sin because it was an offense against God? Do you have sorrow for sin?

And there's a difference you know between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. St. Corinthians 7 10 says godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world works forth death. You might say, well give me a biblical example of worldly sorrow. What's not in the Bible?

Is there someone in the Bible that's that they're expressing sorrow for sin but it's not godly sorrow Hebrews 12 17 Esau Esau he found no place of repentance he says we know afterward when he Esau would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. And The thing we have to remember about Esau, of course, is that Esau wasn't sorry for his sins. He wasn't sorry that his sins had offended God, only that he had lost his birthright. He lost something. That's why he was sad.

He wanted, he repented, oh, I confess, I'll repent, I'll shed tears. Oh God, let me get my birthright back. For Esau godliness was nothing more than a means to gain. Noah Webster put it this way in his definition of repentance, It involves sorrow or deep contrition for sin, whereby the true penitent views the sin from which he is turning as an offense and dishonor to God. I have dishonored God who made me.

I've taken the very breath and life God gave me and I've taken and used it against him I've offended my holy Savior who gave himself for me. Confession of sin. Third, Nehemiah 9 2 says the children of Israel stood and confessed their sins. The prodigal son confessed in Luke 15 I've sinned against heaven and against you against heaven and against you my father. He confesses his sin both to God and to men.

To God who made him and to his father whom he had hurt deeply. A true penitent will confess his sin also, particularly. Not just that he's a sinner. You know, it's easy to do that. God, I'm a sinner.

Please forgive me, God, I'm a sinner. But what about getting down to the specifics? Here are the things that I've done that offended you God, that I've sinned against you God. Israel confessed, we've served Balaam, Judges chapter 10. There's a tendency also you know to confess like little sins in our lives, to kind of take some of the pressure off, but not the big ones, or to confess small parts of big sins, to ease the conviction of the heart but if we only confess a sin in part how can we expect to be pardoned of it all in the process of our our sanctification have you ever noticed God tends to deal with all we refuse to deal with and he does it for our good brother Eric said it earlier God finishes the work that He starts.

He completes it. Also, confession should not be an apology but a self indictment. You understand the difference between an apology and self-indictment? An apology for sin. Adam said, the woman you gave me, she gave me of the tree that I did eat.

That's not a confession of sin. That's an apology for sin and it's an excuse. Adam was saying, if you hadn't given me that woman to tempt me, I wouldn't have eaten of the fruit. It's not my fault, God, it's yours. That's what he was saying.

The thief on the cross next to Christ confessed rightly, we indeed are condemned justly. That's how we have to come to God. Lord, I am condemned justly and I condemn myself for the ways that I have offended you. Confessions should be made to God first. 1st John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But there's also situations where it's appropriate to confess to men. James 5, 16 says, confess your sins one to another. Why, That you may be healed. So, you know, a burden may be lifted. There are times where it's appropriate.

In Roman Catholicism, they take this passage and they use it to compel confession to priests, confess your sins one to another. But Watson says they're doing violence to the passage because he observes it would just as well mean that the priest should confess to the people. Nevertheless, there's circumstances that warrant confession to one another. He says to ease a guilty conscience, for instance, a man having confessed to God, his conscience is still burdened, he may choose to confess to a minister or a spiritual friend a child to a parent it's okay if there's a thorn in the conscience it's good to make use of those who may help to pluck it out says Watson but sin should be confessed I've heard ministers say sins that are private, privately confessed. Sins that are public, publicly confessed.

Watson says the man living in incest in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 no doubt confessed what was publicly known. A man's repentance should be as visible as this scandal. In cases of slander or as in Matthew 23 verse 4, if a brother has something against you we're told to go to the brother and reconcile. How can there be reconciliation if there's no admission of wrongdoing or confession? But where there is confession and restitution, even total reconciliation is achievable, Watson says.

Number four, shame for sin. Remember the publican in the Pharisee. The publican is so ashamed for his sin, he won't even lift his eyes to heaven. The prodigal Son was so ashamed that he thought himself not worthy to be called a son anymore. Just let me be a servant in your house, Dad.

This is an ingredient of true repentance, shame. According to Zephaniah 3.5, the unjust know no shame. The unjust knoweth no shame. The Bible speaks in Jeremiah 6.15 of men who are no longer even able to blush. They can't even blush for their sin.

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they weren't ashamed at all. Neither could they blush. Therefore shall they fall among them that fall. At the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down, saith the Lord." They couldn't even blush over their sin.

The consciences had become so seared, like as with a hot iron, They couldn't even feel shame for certain sins anymore because they practiced them for such a long time. That's a serious condition. It's a cause for great shame to men that the devils, think about it, were damned for a single act, one act of rebellion, one act, one sin against God, and yet men go on sinning and sinning against the mercy and patience of God daily. One third of the host of heaven fell following Lucifer's revolt when he tried to ascend the heights and rise above the chair of him and Jesus said I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. These creatures of God weren't given a second chance.

Think about that. With true repentance a man is so ashamed that he abhors himself for a sin. Job 42.6. Job, who is presented to us as a righteous man, a godly man, he says, I abhor myself. Have you ever had that sense?

Has that ever come over you for your sin? I abhor myself. That's that's a deep hatred The world says you just gotta learn to love yourself more Job says I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes Element five hatred of sin and then the last one True repentance the change of mind, will result in hatred of one's sins. It's incompatible that the Christian profession, that with the Christian profession, one can go on as he did before his conversion, loving what God hates and hating what God loves. We read it from Webster, Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice from the conviction that it has offended God.

We begin to hate what God hates and love what he loves more and more after we are regenerated and raised from death to life. But to not relinquish that which so greatly offends God is really the basis in gratitude towards God for his incredible benevolence. The mercies of God are new every morning and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. Many in the churches of our land today, they think that repentance is a one-time event. You ever heard that?

You know, well, repentance is the one thing. I did that once. It's like one preacher put it. It's like getting inoculation. Yeah, I did that.

Yeah, I was in a church and I walked the aisle. I did this. I said the sinner's prayer. I did whatever. I repented.

I did that. They think it's a one-time thing and that it's not ongoing, but yet The scriptures show us that repentance is a part of the persevering of the saints that Eric was just talking about. We persevere in the faith and part of the faith is that when we're made aware of the sin in our lives, we're grieved by it and we turn from it and we repent of it and we confess it to God and we once again forsake it. A man in his 70s came into my office when I was in Cedar Park, had the business there and I was repairing a message on repentance and he came in and and we're talking and he's just this great Christian, everything's talking about God and everything all the time and he's been healed of this and God healed him of this and healed him of that and all this kind of stuff. Big smile on his face and then he starts telling me about being at the mall.

Yeah, I was at the mall earlier And there was this really attractive young lady there. He was saying, do you think I have to repent, you know, for feasting my eyes upon her or however he put it? You know, and I'm looking at her saying, so I'm trying to figure you out. What are you saying? Well, I repented.

So it doesn't really matter what I do now. I'm covered. Wow. Now we are forever justified the moment we rest on Christ alone for our salvation, But that's the moment our sanctification has just begun. And we will continue to trust in the Lord, and we will continue to turn from sin, and we will continue to have shame for sin.

We'll continue to confess our sins. We'll continue to forsake our sins the rest of our lives. It's not a one-time thing and now I repented, so now does it really matter what I do? That's a bizarre thinking. At any rate, we know from the Word of God that the law was made for lawbreakers.

And that was a justifying of the breaking of the seventh commandment. Jesus said to look upon a woman, the lust after her, is to commit adultery with her in your heart. It's adultery. So I didn't go out and commit adultery with her, but you're looking with lust. Jesus says you're committing adultery in your heart.

You're breaking the seventh commandment. The law is made for lawbreakers. The impenitent soul testifies by his willing continuation and that which grieves the heart of God that he's not truly of God. I mean, the hard sayings of Christ, 1 John 3, 8, he that commits sin is of the devil. What does he mean there?

Everybody commits sin. We've sinned since we've been in this room today. Whoever practices sin and lives in sin, goes on in sin, known sin, how can they be of God? The man who continues to live in a particular sin without repentance or conviction on his life, how can the Holy Spirit possibly be indwelling that man? And we read it last week, if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is what?

He's none of his. Again these are serious things that we're talking about. Jesus talking to the Pharisees in John chapter 8 Verse 44 said, you're of your father the devil. How do I know? The lust of your father you do.

They were identified. The lust of your father you will do. The man who is regenerate, born again, not of corruptible seed, but of the Spirit of God will have to be dragged, kicking and screaming by the remnants of His corrupted nature to the door of sin. He's gotta be dragged back into it. He's not willingly going to the precipice of the cliff and plunging off as he did in the unregenerate state.

Because he's been changed by God. He will abhor the very thing that's begging his flesh to bow down before it. And finally, when God continues his work in him, doing whatever it takes to purge him of that particular repetitive sin, the man will turn. That's evidence of someone who is truly regenerate. They persevere in the faith, and they persevere in repentance.

He'll turn. He's been given a new heart from God. He can't go on living a life of fill in the blank. What is your blank? He can't go on living a life of bitterness.

Can't go on living a life of bitterness. Anger, outbursts of anger. He can't go on living that way. Doesn't mean that we don't struggle with these things, but a person can't go on living in these things of the old nature, if they're truly regenerate, backbiting, slanderers, uncleanness, living in sexual immorality and uncleanness and lust, giving yourself over to lust. No restraint, no turning from sin, no conviction for sin, just giving way, yielding way.

Rebellion against parents, covetousness, You can't get enough of what's going on. Drunkenness, gluttony, thievery, what have you. He doesn't go on living that way. Which brings me to the sixth and last ingredient of Thomas Watson's list that accompanies true repentance, which is turning from sin. True repentance is ultimately turning from sin.

If a man says he's repented and yet continues to practice the very sin he claims to have repented of, he's living in self-deception. When a person truly repents, he's headed in the opposite direction. Not perfect, doesn't mean he doesn't take some steps backwards. No, but he's heading in this direction. He's heading in the opposite direction.

He may fall again, but his repentance will be renewed again. He's trusting in the mercies of God in Christ continually and he's experiencing victories in the progress of his sanctification. He's not handed over to sin. The true believer no longer practices sin. Paul says in Ephesians 428, let him who steal, what?

Stop it. I was listening to a sermon by Martin Lloyd Jones, he's on mortification last week, and he said, you know, there comes a time where you know you're, and I don't have his quote right here in front of me, but I'll just paraphrase where you're saying, you know, well, I'm struggling with this, I'm struggling, I'm struggling, I'm struggling. So there comes a time where you just need to stop it. Just stop it. And I've heard Paul Washer repeat that from Martin Lloyd Jones.

It's a time where you just have to stop it. Just stop it. Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands, the thing which is good so he can give to those that are in need. That's about faith's turn. He's turned completely around, is heading in the other direction.

He was stealing from people, now he's working to try to give to people. See that? That's the beautiful way that God works in our lives. He's no longer a thief. He may war against temptation, you know, to covet just his whole life or struggle with some of these things, but he's no longer carrying another man's silver under his coat and bearing it in his tent, like the guy in the Old Testament.

He's now trying to find a way to use his money that he's earned to help those in need. After Peter repented of denying Christ, he didn't go on continuing to be a Christ denier. Could he have struggled with it? Sure. We don't see him going on.

After he repented, He was finished with denying his Lord. I'm not preaching perfectionism, but progressive sanctification. We are progressively made more and more like Christ. And there's more and more distance between us and the last time you spoke that way to your spouse. More and more distance between the time when you did that that's in your mind right now and repented of it and confessed it and asked God to forgive you of it and trusted Christ and looked at his cross alone.

There's more distance as you're growing in Christlikeness. Do we become perfect? No. In Galatians chapter 2 verse 11, Peter after he'd repented and he'd gone on and God had restored him and everything, what happens? The Apostle Paul has to go and rebuke him one day.

He was, you know, going, hanging out with the Judaizers. And he confronted him. And what did Peter do? Peter repented. Why?

Because he's a Christian. Because he's a believer. That's what we do when God shows us our sin in the Bible. Or just by His grace convicts us by the Holy Spirit. Or when he sends someone else to us and says, my brother, what are you doing?

Sister, what are you doing here? Please. In each instance when he's confronted with a sin, he relinquishes the thing. He abandons it. He rejects it.

He forsakes it with the greatest abhorrence of it and with the intent never to return to it. The true penitent by definition is a changed man and a changing man. And in the process of his sanctification he becomes to look more and more like Christ. Has it ever come to the place where he says I've attained, I mean the Apostle Paul said that right? He said not as though I've already attained Philippians 3 verse 12, not as though I was already made perfect.

He said Paul's saying that. No, so we're talking about perfectionism here. But I follow after that I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth into those things which are before. Amen? Pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Is that your life's goal? I want to end this afternoon with the tragic story, but a victorious story, account of Peter in the scriptures. It's Peter in the courtyard. How many are familiar with Peter in the courtyard and what happened in the courtyard out when Christ was arrested? How many, raise your hand.

Familiar with that? Okay, so he's in the courtyard after the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He's standing by the fire warming himself. Jesus is inside the building. He's been taken inside the building.

Peter's outside warming himself by the fire, kind of what's going to happen here. Jesus is inside the building being abused. Jesus is inside the building being spat on. Other men spit running down his face, pulling his beard out, Isaiah said, being falsely accused. Peter's approached by a maid, a young girl, who identifies him as a, you're one of the followers of Jesus.

Aren't you one of those man's disciples? Peter says, I am not, first denial. Inside the building, Jesus is being mocked, he's being ridiculed. A guard strikes him on the mouth with the palm of his hand. Scripture says, outside in the courtyard, Peter is given a second chance to confess, aren't you also one of his disciples?

Another one asks, denial number two, I am not. Inside the building, the court, Jesus is still standing before the court. Blood is dripping from his mouth. Spit is running down his face. They're laughing at him.

They condemn him to be taken to be put to death. The guards are ordered to take him out to stand before Pilate and down the corridors in the flights of the stairs they go. Outside, one of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, accuses Peter a third time, third denial, of being Jesus' disciple. Didn't I see you with him in the garden? Third time Peter denies.

This time cursing. You want to identify with the wicked, you curse, right? Just like someone who never knew him, and swearing with an oath. I tell you, I don't know the man. And then the scripture records one of the most heart-wrenching scenes ever recounted, I believe, in history, a cock crows in the distance.

And Peter's memory is jarred. And before the cock crows twice, he remembers the words, before the cock crows twice, you will have denied three times that you even know me. And at just that moment, as the words of Christ are echoing in Peter's ears, Peter turns as a commotion is heard behind him, And there's Jesus being rushed out of the building. And it's as if time stands still for a brief moment. Because the scripture records that Jesus stops for a moment.

And he looks directly at Peter. And that is all it takes. One look from his Lord and Peter just falls out. All the guilt, all the memory of his sin comes crashing down on his conscience and he goes to tears and he weeps the Bible says he went out and wept bitterly Jesus looked at Peter This is repentance and the repentance is real. Peter's no longer a Christ denier.

He's no longer a Christ denier. So far from denying Christ, Peter will go on to follow Jesus to a cross. Jesus predicted it in the Gospels, and it happened. He said, they're going to take you where you don't want to go, and they're going to stretch out your hands. And they did.

Tradition tells us that he was taken out to be crucified and he requested his executioners to crucify him upside down because he didn't see himself as worthy to die in the same way as the Lord. Peter's life was changed. He wasn't perfect. We went through that. He had to be confronted with sin again in his life.

He had still had sin in his life. But when he was confronted with it, he would repent of it and he would forsake it and he would go in the right way. He was tender, had a tender conscience toward God and towards his sin. His life was now all about serving Christ and living in obedience to him who died that he might live. This is such a wonderful example for us.

And then despite all that he's done, God uses him and his experience and his past failures to help others. Jesus told him before in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, after you've been converted, that is after you've come back and turned back to me after you deny me Go and strengthen the brethren And the scripture says that's exactly what Peter did from that day forward God Grant us lives of ongoing repentance and abiding faith. God grant us everyone to live lives of forsaking sin whenever we're made aware of it, not in our own strength but in the strength of the Lord. Looking to Jesus, looking to Him, looking to Him suffering and dying for the very sins we're struggling to overcome. And finally, as I've said so often in past sermons, please hang with me for just this last paragraph.

If you've been under any conviction this afternoon, you feel any weight at all, any conviction at all, because of some of the things that you've heard, you should be encouraged. Because that's what happens with people who are truly born again and have the Spirit of God indwelling them. They feel conviction when they hear the Word of God preached. And the unbeliever doesn't really care. Doesn't really bother them.

They're not troubled by anything. They can hear the Scriptures preached, call to repentance of faith, a life of repentance and faith in Christ. They can hear all of these things and they're not moved at all. If you feel some conviction, If you feel just a yearning to just live a life that's pleasing to God and you just want to serve Him with your whole life With all your life all your words all your thoughts all your deeds if that's just the delight of your heart is to Just obey Him who suffered and died for your sins and rose again. Be encouraged.

If you say, but I'm struggling with some sin in my life and it grieves me, be encouraged because it grieves the Holy Spirit too. And it's a sign that the Holy Spirit is indwelling you and he's doing a work in your life. And as brother Eric said earlier, the work that he began, he's not going to leave it unfinished. It's a good thing. Praise God for it, thank him for it.

Ask him to continue the work in your life and continue to trust Christ and trust in his mercies, trust in his mercies. His mercies are new every morning. He will never abandon you. You can keep trusting in Him and looking upon Him who died for your sins and rose again the third day, trusting knowing that He will carry you safely through to glory and present you unreprobable and unblameable in God's sight. Amen.

Amen. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. I pray God that your Spirit has done a work this day. I never know, God.

We never know. We hope and we pray. Oh, God, I pray that you would continue to take the things that we've heard today, in the teaching and the preaching today, and you continue to bring it back to our minds this week, oh, God, and help us, Lord, to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Christ, in greater trust of Christ, and grant us, God, more obedient lives, more holiness in our lives, O God, more love for you, O God, more love for one another O God for we ask it in Jesus name amen