1) THE GOOD NEWS OF REPENTANCE

Matthew 4:17 (ESV): From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

2) THE HEART OF REPENTANCE

What kind of heart do we need to experience repentance?

Acts 2:22–24 (ESV): “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Acts 2:36–37 (ESV): Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Joel 2:12–13 (ESV): Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.

We need to pray for sorrow over our sin.

3) THE ACT OF REPENTANCE

Acts 2:36–38 (ESV): 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 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 will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“What a wonderful thing it is, that after years of running from God and years of rebellion and denial, I person can no longer resist the Spirit of God and simply says ‘“What must I do?” —John Piper

4) GOAL OF REPENTANCE

Acts 3:19–20 (ESV): Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

Jesus to the Church at Laodicia

Revelation 3:15–20 (ESV): I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Luke 17:26-30 ESV Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

There is a word here for the modern-day church, that we too are liable to be taken up by our real estate deals, building houses, going to work, going to school, passing the exams, getting the kids to school and all their sports activities, going to the grocery store, text messaging, mowing the lawn, cooking dinner, going out to dinner, that its almost like we are living in Sodom. It’s the frenzied pace of one thing after another that makes us loose sight of the coming of the Son of Man. —Ralph Davis

Revelation 3:19–20 (ESV): Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.