Best Year Ever: Salvation Follows Repentance
January 17, 2021

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Best Year Ever
Week 3: Salvation Follows Repentance
Brad Saab
One Missoula Church
01/17/2020

God has provided salvation and put the ball in our court

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.” —Deuteronomy 11:26–28
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’ 19 “But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’” —2 Chronicles 7:13–22

Salvation follows repentance

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. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. —Acts 2:36–41

Jesus Christ’s solution for our nation is a bottom-up strategy of evangelism and discipleship, not top-down force and coercion from politicians or political parties

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18–20

THINKIT. DOIT. CHANGEIT.
These questions are written to help you think about how this message applies to real life. You can use these questions for personal application, or you can use them for discussion with others who heard the message, like a spouse, friend, kids, parents, roommates, co-workers, or your Bible-study small group. You can even use these questions as an excuse to get together for coffee or a meal 1-on-1 to strengthen and encourage one another. The key is to take the truth that God reveals and act on it (James 1:22). Don’t settle for just accumulating head knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1) – flourish in all God has called you to be and do, and encourage others to do the same!

  • What impacted, challenged, or encouraged you most about this message? What one thing are you going to change in your thinking, speech, habits or behaviors because of this message?

  • What role does repentance play in salvation? Can a person claim to be a Christian with their words while disregarding or disobeying Christ with their thoughts and actions?

  • 2 Chronicles 7:14 has been posted a lot on social media in recent months. What are that Scripture’s requirements for God to “heal their land” and what would that look like in our current climate and environment?

  • When people pray for God to rescue America or save America, what do you think they typically have in mind? What should they be doing in addition to praying that prayer?