Repentence

I want to read a few words of the Lord Jesus Luke chapter 24 verse 44 Luke 24 and 44 he's speaking to his disciples here and he said unto them these are the words which I speak unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and he said unto them thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things. Now turn with me to the book of the Acts chapter 17 Acts 17 please I'd like to read at verse 30 we're breaking into a message that Paul is preaching but we'll start at verse 30 Acts 17 and verse 30 and the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men and that he hath raised him from the dead and when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said we will hear thee again on this matter and one final reading please from the book of 2nd Peter 2nd Peter chapter 3 2nd Peter chapter 3 I'd like to read at verse 9 2nd Peter 3 and 9 the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us word not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance I trust all that is blessing to the reading of his precious word what I have upon my mind tonight in these few scriptures is the truth of repentance we were reminded of it this afternoon in the Bible reading about the affliction of the soul about the great importance for a person to have a time in their life when they realize the greatness of their sin before God and would cause a mourning in the soul and a realization that my sin is an offense to God and I need to be right with God let me ask you at the outset of this meeting individually in your own heart have you ever had a time when your sin has bothered you have you ever had a time when you realize that it's not so much about getting into heaven my problem is my sin my problem is my sin I want to think about at this outset of this meeting about the words of the Lord Jesus here he tells his disciples as he stands on resurrection ground that it must it was fulfilled it was fulfilled speaking of his sufferings and he says thus it was written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer that word simply means it was absolutely necessary for Christ to suffer have you ever thought about that dear one tonight that it was absolutely necessary for Christ to suffer if we could ever preach repentance and remission of sin you see when it comes to sin dear friend God doesn't take people's sin and bring them into heaven and take their sin and just put it under the rug but dear friend your sin must be dealt with your sin must be dealt with my sin had to be dealt with and the dealing with sin took place at the cross of Calvary and the Lord Jesus Christ says thus it was written and thus it was absolutely necessary for Christ to suffer we read about the sufferings of Christ in 1st Peter chapter 2 or 1st Peter chapter 3 Christ also hath once suffered for sin the just for the unjust you see dear friend the sufferings of Christ the New Testament is very clear they were for sin has it ever gripped your soul it wasn't just about the pierced hands by the Roman soldiers it doesn't wasn't just about the pierced side it doesn't wasn't just about the thorns on his head that's the physical sufferings were absolutely necessary but dear friend have you ever sunk into your soul tonight that the truth of the sufferings of Christ at Calvary were for sin they were for sin and each individual that has ever entered into the door ever entered into God's great salvation has come to understand that the sufferings of Christ were for sin were for my sin they were for my sin oh yes the world had a debt of sin but there was a time in each individual's life if you're ever going to be in heaven when the sufferings of Christ need to be made real to your own soul about your own sin this afternoon it was mentioned in the Bible reading about the 30 pieces of silver it was the price of him that was valued I wonder what kind of value you put on the Lord Jesus Christ tonight what kind of value do you put on the Lord Jesus Christ what kind of value do you put on his sufferings does it mean anything to you tonight has it ever meant anything to your soul the sufferings of Christ for me I thank God I found out when I was 14 years old that the sufferings of Christ weren't any just for everybody else but they were for me they were for me have you ever found out they were for you the Lord Jesus Christ says here thus it was written and thus it was necessary it behooved Christ to suffer but then he goes on to say and to rise from the dead you know we don't preach to you or present you tonight a Savior that is in the grave we don't preach to you tonight a Savior that is still near to a cross where he preached you tonight of a risen man in the glory one that is at the Father's right hand who read in the Psalms he could say thou art my son this day have I begotten thee sit thou on my right hand he's the Son of God tonight he's always been the Son of God he always will be the Son of God and he is the one that is seated on the right hand of the Father tonight he's not in the grave anymore and that's why I want to touch there on that verse there in Acts 17 that we read Paul is speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ no longer in the tomb but he's speaking about him as a risen man in the glory a risen man that has conquered sin and death and hell and Paul tells those in Athens that day that God commands all men everywhere to repent did you notice that he says all men everywhere to repent there's not a soul that is excluded dear friend from the truth of the Word of God and so the question tonight is have you ever found out personally that the all's in Scripture include me you know it's wonderful to read the verses in like Isaiah 53 all we like sheep have gone astray and we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all and oh it's a marvelous truth it was for all but has ever meant me has it ever meant me you'll never have an appreciation for Christ you'll never possess God's great salvation until you understand it was for me it was for me and here Paul says all men God commands all men everywhere to repent and you notice why he commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world by that man who is that man it's none other than the Lord Jesus Christ the one who was once on the cross the one who once suffered the one who was once the smitten shepherd the one who was hung up between heaven and earth the one who was lifted up the one that was nailed to the cross it's through that man God is gonna judge this world I wonder tonight how are you looking for him you know it's a thrill to our souls when we sit down at a Bible reading conference like this and we study the truths of a Savior the risen Christ that his kingdom is gonna be furthered and he is gonna come again soon to the air and give the shout but I wonder are you waiting for him as a Savior are you waiting for him as your Savior tonight or would you have to fall into this category of Acts 17 I am under the judgment I am among those that he is appointed a day in which he is gonna judge me he is going to judge me is that your portion tonight pointing a day when she is gonna judge the world by that man that he hath ordained he has given assurance and that he raised him from the den and then there is the response of the people of that day to the message there are those that when they heard of the resurrection of the dead they mocked when they heard about a man who was once on the cross and now he's in the glory they mocked the message it was folly to him it was foolishness to him but there were those that received the message and you know it's no different than a night like tonight in 2026 there is still a dividing factor and in audience like this there are those that receive the message and realize we will hear thee again on this matter but there are those that mock and find the truth of the resin resurrected Christ a message of foolishness now tonight you might say I would never mock the gospel I would never mock the truth of a risen Christ but have you ever received him as your own have you ever received him as your own have you ever received him as your Savior as the truth of his sufferings ever sunk into your soul to realize that was for me it was for me you know if you're among an individual tonight and you have never trusted him and you have heard the gospel before you're among the mockers you're among the mockers and never receive him as mine and when you hear of the resurrection of Christ when you hear about the one that's in the glory that's going to come again and judge the world in righteousness and you've never received him as your Savior you're among those that mock him you're among those that mock him if you never receive him for yourself and the sad reality is there in 2nd Peter chapter 3 we read about how God is long-suffering I said it's a sad reality I was just filling in a few words but the truth is this it's a wonderful message tonight that the Lord is long-suffering God is not slack concerning his promise you know there are those that Peter writes about who were mocking saying where's the promise of his coming and it's no different today for Saints we're looking for his coming but then there are those that are mocking and saying where is he but God is long-suffering tonight God is long-suffering tonight not willing that any should perish you know any means me have you ever has it ever contemplated your mind to think that tonight God is long-suffering to you not willing that you should perish but that all should come to repentance has it ever sunk in tonight dear friend that I'm included in the halls of Scripture he is not willing that any should perish it's not God's desire that any would perish you might ask yourself well then why can't I seem to figure this thing out why can't I get saved maybe I have a desire to be saved have you ever seen the reality of your sin different tonight if I could tell you anything I would tell you to get your eyes on the cross we sung about the cross tonight the cross the cross the blood-stained cross the cross of Christ I see it tells me of that thorn-clad brow that once was bruised for me have you ever got to the cross have you ever considered the sufferings of the Savior I often think of the words of that hymn oh why was he there as the bearer of sin if on Jesus my guilt was not laid have you ever considered the cross tonight I want to tell you there's good news tonight God is long-suffering he's not willing that you should perish but he desires for men and women tonight to get their eyes to the cross they get their eyes to the sufferings of Christ they get their eyes to the man that hung on the tree the one that was wounded the one that was bruised for sin you know we were thinking about Israel earlier today already and there's a day coming when they're going to understand that oh they thought he was he was despised and rejected of God they thought that he was afflicted of God but then they're gonna find it oh but he was wounded for my transgressions he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed I was it ever sunk into your soul to see that the truth of the Word of God it's not just for everybody else but it's for me it's for me might it be your portion tonight that realize that God is long-suffering to you tonight he's long-suffering to you he's not willing that you would perish but he desires that you would come to repentance that this your sin might bother you tonight I wonder if your sin bothers you I want to encourage you to your friend tonight that if your sin bothers you according to the Gospel of John that is the work of the Spirit of God if your sin ever bothers you the Lord Jesus says the Spirit of God when he has come he will convict of sin and if your sin is bothering you tonight it's a work of the Spirit of God and Hebrews tells me it's a work of grace the grace of God upon your soul to cause your sin to bother you tonight that you might turn to Christ realize that my sin has taken me to an awful place called hell and it's my sin that's gonna bar me from heaven and I need a Savior I need a Savior that suffered for sin the one that suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God might it be your portion tonight to realize that what Christ accomplished at the cross of Calvary was yes for the whole world but you might come into the good of it tonight to realize that it was for me it was all for me may God bless his word