Sermon for 4/2/14 Repent, Believe, Obey

Sermon: Rinseand Repeat? Repent, Believe, Obey


The kingdom of God comes. As we confess, it comes without our prayers, but we pray that it may come to us and that we may rejoice in it.


When God’s kingdom has broken into this world, when we believe on Jesus, you’d expect us to change.
 thoughts
 attitudes
 values
 resulting words and deeds


Why doesn’t it seem that much has changed?
 still become discouraged
 still become angry
 still jump to a worst case scenario
 live many parts of many days as if God were not true


Or maybe it seems a lot has changed
 a lot more holy than some people
 more patient than those others
 give faithfully to the church
 attend church regularly
 pat ourselves on the back - yet fall into sinful pride and arrogance


What will we do? How does God’s kingdom come?
 Remember the instructions on shampoo?  Lather, rinse, repeat?
 How about this biblical idea? Repent, Believe, Obey


Repent
 sorry for sins
 humbled before God and man
 admit, apologize
 mea culpa
 don’t want to go down that path any more


Believe
 Jesus’ forgiveness is for me
 Jesus’ care lasts forever
 There is no sin that we can confess that Jesus will not forgive
 There is nothing that can separate a repentant heart from God.


Obey
 We’re hesitant about this one, but Ephesians 2:10 says God has prepared good works for us.
 How will we love our neighbor as ourselves? By service. By obedience
 I’ll show you my faith by trying to obey our Lord.


What happens when we obey imperfectly?
 Never get the idea that we will get it right.


Repent, Believe, Obey, Repeat.
Trust our Lord’s mercy.
Expect that He will show mercy through us to our world, starting at home, in our congregation, in our community, and in ever-spreading ripples.