Why is genuine repentance so essential to our growth?

There's a New Testament word, repent. It means change your thinking. Literally. The Greek is metanoia. Changer thinking. And I really feel it's a key New Testament word that John. 

The baptist used and Jesus used. And Paul used. So it's important to know, what does it mean? How do we do it? And what's the fruit? And that's what we're going to talk about today. More the outcome or the. 

 

Outworking of this very, very important word. So the word repent, change your thinking. Doesn't mean feel sad, regret, it doesn't mean fee anything. It means change of the will, followed by a change in life. Really important. And yeah, where do want to go? Well, I guess we were saying that it's not necessarily. 

 

A style or. An emotion or it can look, it could look many different ways based off personality and culture and all of those kind of things. And so then I guess the question is like it kind of maybe it becomes hard to measure. Like, how do we know if repentance has actually occurred when it can look so different based off personal. 

Personality and culture and nationality and all that kind of stuff. So how do we measure it? And I guess that's where we come into this concept of the fruit of repentance. Like, what does it actually look like. 

 

And that is a biblical term, isn't it the fruit of repentance? Well, I love what Jesus said. We said this last time, the very beginning of the Gospel of My Jesus was baptized by John the baptist, who said repent. It says Jesus went to galilee and preached. 

Present the good news and say the Kingdom of God is here and now. And it's then repent and receive the good news. So Jesus message is broader than just repaired it's there's this really good news. A really great life that God has for you. But you've got to change, change your thinking and then you can have it. So I think the thing we need to really Hone at Hone in on is was their change. 

 

Was did change occur? So I said, Last time I've seen someone you know, cry tears where the tears formed a pool of water at the feet. For hours. But that person. Was unchanged. The person next to them, same thing. But they were changed. So the issue wasn't the tears. 

Wasn't the pool of water at the feet from the tears. The fruit was changed life. And so I just think and we also get the example of a stoic culture where people are just looking, you don't know what they're thinking. And one person. 

Goes home unchanged, and the other person goes home totally changed. Well, repentance happened in the second person. So the fruit of repentance is a is a changed life thinking and life thinking and life so revelation. And then, yep, I'm gonna do it. And you said you had that example. 

 

In tucky. I just want to talk about that again. And the change thinking you had. Yeah. Well, when I first came to lifehouse, I think there was a lot of things. I love Jesus, but had a lot of wrong thinking. 

And so there was a certain. Way of living out my christianity that I thought was right. And maybe some of that would be based on appearance or the way things. That you know, the way that things look or whatever. 

So God was speaking to me big time in those first six months of being in the Church. And a lot of it was about joy. You know, because I was just joyless coming in and. I was looking around, seeing. Joyful. 

Japanese Christians, who I knew a lot of them were like new combats(전투). And I felt very challenged by the new converts that I was lacking in a lot of areas that the joyful. Apparently, baby Christians were actually far ahead of me who grew up in a Christian family and has been in Church my whole life. And so that's a bit of my back story. So I came in and I had a lot of wrong thinking. 

 

And. I think I can't think of just, well, there's a few key moments that I can think of. But I'd say there were so many little moments as well. That I couldn't even remember them all. But it was moments of me. 

Either in Church or probably during journaling. Those are the two big ones. I had. Just like. Well, I'm sighing now, even as I say it's like. That's not good like that isn't working. That's. I've got to change that. And it wasn't. 

Always heavy. It was more just. In fact, sometimes it might be a bit of frustration like that's. Not working. And so yeah. I think the outworking of it was that I changed many times in lots of little ways and in a few really big moments and big ways. 

But sometimes. The feeling would be different. And probably especially early on. There was probably very little emotional response because. I probably looked down on that. That was that was probably part of my thinking was. 

Very much like don't be emotional and don't show joy. And you know, a serious Christian. So I think in the early days a lot of that was not expressed. In any tears or anything like that. Maybe later on. I think I softened up a bit. 

And. I was probably God was doing. More on that side of things. I might have been a bit more expressive, but I'd just say it was so many little moments and then a few major ones. Where I just said, I don't I don't want to do that anymore. Or I want to I want to be like that. I want to have fruit like that. 

And did you change. In a little and the big. Was that when you actually did change? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, those were the most yes, changing weight years ever had moment, different. Yeah. I think this is going to answer a lot of that stuff. 

And. You're talking from a Christian point of view, just hearing what God's saying and what those changes. And then there's a big one of someone becoming a believer, which is the sort of(일종의) the big repentance if you want to put it that way, although some people won't like that term. 

Yeah. Same. I mean, for me when I got saved at 19, there was six months. I was searching for Jesus. The more I read about Jesus during that six months, not yet believer. The more I liked Jesus. I started to pray to Jesus, but I had not repented. I had not changed my thinking on a bunch of things. 

Until I opened my heart and said now, and it was everything like everything I'd read. Like now a huge. Change of thinking. And I walked away from that little Church that night. Different. And yes, there was the smaller things you're journaling, reading the word, hearing the message, talking revelation. Where. Yes. It's almost like a little yes. In the heart, isn't it? Yes. 

An assent(동의하다) or affirmation(확언). Followed by a life change. So that means repentance is quite hard to define, but certainly we can see it. There is a change. For my wife getting saved. There was she was saved somewhere in a period of months. 

At Church every week hearing, and she doesn't know the exact date, but. There was the act of changing the thinking to then believe in Jesus. And when was it? I don't know. But there was so. When does it happen to know it happens when God speaks and we respond. 

And say yes. We affirm which leads to a change, which also means that could be a moment. Or moments or journey could be big, could be small. So it's therefore, it is hard to define when does it happen? And how long does it take? But I think what is not repentance is spending all that time and they're being not a change. That's not repentance. I think we can say that that whether it's short or long. Moments, or instantaneous(동시에 일어나는). If there was no change, then repentance did not occur. The changing of the mind did not occur. 

What hope is it better for those people. I'd say to them, Well, you can make a change with God's help. So they're not hopeless. They just need to be informed you can actually. Make that decision. And I think also to say to some people, you know what? It's not going to be emotional. 

You're not going to want to do it. It's just the right thing to do. Will actually help people. Because I think some people think you got to feel sorry. To make the change you gotta feel it because sometimes you just don't feel it but you just Yeah. 

And I think you were saying that as well. Right. That's right. So we've got to remove again emotion from the actual. Emotion may help. It may be present. But the actual is a changed mind. Walking away from that moment. 

With a Changed heart. So therefore. Repentance could take a while or it could be instantaneous. I think this is the point I want to get to right now is that most of my repentance after receiving Jesus was instantaneous. Because I'm reading the word. And I know that there's good news. I basically believe that Jesus is so good. Whatever he says is for me is for my family. Even if it's a hard one. For example when Jesus says, forgive. And I said, I want to forgive, you know, I've got to come to the realization. I don't have to feel like forgiving. I just have to forgive. I've got to unlock the emotional and memory part of my brain to say no matter what I feel. 

I want what Jesus said. And I'm deciding. I'm gonna start forgiving that person today. That's an example for me that is certainly not a joyful moment. Of repentance. It led to joy. He led to incredible joy which I'm so glad. 

But when Jesus says things we've got has got to be convinced it's right? Yeah. And I guess. Like I guess another thing is I think maybe a misconception of repentance is that it just it only happens when you get saved. 

Like turning to God initially(처음에는). But how can any growth happen if you're not prepared to change your thinking? And even the even the business world knows this. They're constantly talking about mindset. 

You're thinking. And your will, your decisions. And they know that if. You change that. Then that leads to growth. In a nonspiritual way. It's great, mate. There's an old saying that anything that's not saying, it's a medical truth, that anything that's not changing is dead. 

And it's called death. So we're all live. And we've all got this supposed to be a relationship with God, right? And a good father. And you're a father. I'm a father. And what? What good father would not bring instructions. 

To children that need to get back on the path or don't get off the path or whatever it is and. We're not like God, the Father in His goodness, but we're good fathers. And it's part of life, right? So, Yeah. 

The whole thing of relationship is God will speak, God will talk and God will say, That's not good. That's not going to help you. And that revelation. Along with the power of the gospel power of Jesus to change. 

Which is something we could talk about soon, but. That change often is fast when there's the revelation. Right? Is the key thing like this is bad. This is not good. Is there a better way. That's the awakening. 

And then Yes. I want what God's got. So for me, most repentances are very fast. And this is what we teach also a lot at lifehouse, right? That repentance doesn't have to take a lot of time. There might be process like forgiveness is a bit of a process. 

Especially if there's very deep wounding. And by the way, forgiveness doesn't mean you become their best friend again. Forgiveness means I release them from any need for me to take revenge. So. That's also important. Maybe we need to do a podcast on that word, forgiveness. I think it's big enough. 

But. Because Jesus said it and He's got the good news. That's good enough. I think I need to forgive and then repentance. Starts and the effects start happening. And I think this is really important because I've seen some people do. 

Repentance meetings. Where there's a lot of. Emotion. But at the end, people said they didn't really feel different. And I've seen people make decisions in a split second(순식간에) that's changed their life forever. 

So for me I would rather go for the quick one. I'm just just that guy that's gonna say if you need a time, fine. But for me, I'd really like to do it fast. Guide. I'd really like to make the decision now. So during a message during a reading the Bible. 

Drink prayer. Yep. Right now. Let's go. And I think at that time we've also got to believe in the power of God to change. Now he's where I want to bring the scripture because we're talking about something that. 

After believers are after becoming a believer. His growth is relationship. But there's also a thing called the renewing of the mind, which I think is related to this subject. It's a different subject. But Romans 12 says, Brothers, I urge you in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices wholly and pleasing to God. That's your spiritual act of worship. Here it is. Don't conform(순응하다) any longer to the pattern of the world. That's a decision not going to be like the world. Like those influences like that. 

Youtube thing that made me crazy or made me maybe not feel good or made me feel comparative(비교의) or whatever. Do that be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The word transformed. The renewing is that Greek word metamorphosis, which is the grub to the butterfly. 

That scientific. You can see it. You can go and look at a YouTube video of timelapse photography. It's beautiful. Where the grubber becomes. A butterfly. It's the same word. Metamorphosis(변형). The metamorphosized in the renewing of your mind. Then you'll be able to test and approve God's will His goodwill. So out of that is good news. 

Like this. I'm gonna be transformed at so much hard work. Yeah. But then it says, then, you'll know, the will of God, the good will have got. Then, you'll know, then you'll so the I think a lot of this repentance needs to be wrapped in the good news. 

Like better marriage, better lives, better health. Better sleep. And when God says something, he's not a kill. Joy. So when he's talking about sexual purity, God's not a kill joy. He is the author of sexuality within marriage. 

He's not saying don't because he doesn't want joy. He's saying it's a better life. But you got it. You got to make decisions for that. Better life. So it's the way we see God, isn't it the way we see the Father? Jesus is good. And then I want this renewing. There's metamorphosis. This. 

Incremental change process change of probably lots of little. Repentances. And all of a sudden, our attitudes better in our lifes. Better, right. Yeah? And it's something that we can never graduate from. 

Like. It's not like we get to some point where we're beyond change. So repentance has to be something that even very mature believers still have as part of their life. Yeah, we can't graduate from that. Ever. 

And that's actually the reason we get to those levels. Is. We've changed. Yeah. So we have gone to the next level. And the good news. And the more we. Yeah. The more we change and see the good news, the more we're committed to obeying. Because. it's like pleasurable(즐거운) to see the results. Isn't it like it was hard to make the decision. But the results are so good. I want to live this way. I'm committed to this lifestyle now. Yeah, it's good. You go as preachers. It gives us confidence to say, Hey. We could change. God could change us. You can. And to know that we're talking about your bet. Your best life is ahead. Like these decisions could make a great life. But I think that brings confidence to preaching on change. 

Not judgment, not judging people, but saying, hey, here's an opportunity. This is what God says. And then His power will help you to change, just like it says. It be transformed by the renew of your mind. If with God. 

With God in the middle. And you can do that. In the last episode, you talked about repentance being like, getting back on the path. And I was talking about Google Maps, you know, when you're lost. And it makes me think, like, how far can a car go if it can't turn. 

You know it'll never get to the destination. That God has. Has for it if you can only if you're locked in on your way of thinking. Or your way of living. And yes, a turning is obviously it's a key element of a car and how something would get from A to B. It's going to navigate all of this stuff. 

 

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Yeah. That's that's called a plan. A good plan. Right. For A to B. Let's get on the good plan of God. His word, his style, that's great. Can I change the subject a little bit here? Because we've talked a lot about the relationship we have with God, and it's all good. And it's like Sands and Daughters of God listening. But there are people that also go to the other extreme of feeling continually sad. 

And continually bad. And saying, I need to repent. And as a pastor, I've heard this for well, as a part of a 35 years, I've heard people in that category, and we'd call that condemnation. And I've had to say that multitudes of people. 

You need to forgive like God has forgiven you. Need to know you're forgiven. You need to know what you repented from is now forgive and you need to move forward. Does that make sense? I think. Let's talk about that. Because. 

I would say. This condemnation. Feeling bad for something I've done. Makes people pull out of Church leadership a lot. They come and say, just not doing well. At the moment, I've had a bad time. The more you talk it's realize it's actually not that outwardly serious. I'm not saying it. You know, let's take that at face value. They don't look like you've done something terrible, but they've been living with this. 

Condemnation. Where. I believe it's the devil kicks in and start saying yeah? You might have been forgiven. But you're bad. And that's condemnation at that point. And that doesn't need repentance. That needs. 

Teaching that you need to resist condemnation. Because this is now done. And I love the scripture in romans Eight, One, it says, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. And romans Eight talks about being Sands and daughters of God and calling him abba Father. And a lot of that is. 

Stopped by this intense sense that I've done wrong and. I can't get over it. And the more I feel it, the more I want to repent again and again and again. And I know people have done this for years. Over something that happened years ago. 

And. I like to bring in a little analogy that. If my boys their big boys now. But when they were little like your boys and they come in and say, daddy, I did something wrong. And what did you do while I stole some candy or whatever they did? I'm not saying your boys did that. 

But. That actually did happen with one of my boys. As though growing up. And so what are you gonna do. I'm really sorry, daddy. And okay, well, let's pray. And how do you feel? God forgive Him. And. Then you see he's feeling relieved. And so let's go play some Mario kart. Let's go, let's go and get some ice cream. And you feel good as a father, that your kid felt wrong. 

And. Fest up. And and now we're moving on, right? That's good. And that has happened. And then we played baracka. But imagine. And this did not happen with us. But imagine if the next day, my boy came to me and said, daddy, what I did yesterday. I'm so sorry. I said, Well, yeah, well, we dealt with that. And then the next day, dad, I was feel bad about what happened two days ago. And yeah, let's move on. And next day, you could imagine day and then weeks and then months. 

And years. You could imagine. This is not the life of God. This is not repentance. This is now condemnation. Repentance happened when I changed. And I said, Sorry, and God said, okay, that was it. Repentance has finished with my change of life. 

And I think that this is really important that I say to you need to be free from condemnation, because. Now it says there is no condemn. In Christ. And what you're feeling is the spirit of lor and death on you. You throw it off. So at that point, you don't need more repentance. You need teaching and friendship to say, people say. 

Just move on. So with my analogy, the boys that say, hey, you need to forgive yourself? You need to move on. And I think this is one of the things that's really stopped a lot of people from serving the Lord. 

With joy is that they're living in the shadow of something that happened. And God forgave them that's not repentance anymore. That's condemnation. And again a little analogy I use with people. The Bible talks about the Holy Spirit convicting us. And he taps. He taps on their heart and says, hey, Rod, that wasn't good. Need to change. I go. Okay. Thank you, Lord. I change the end of conviction. But when it keeps tapping, keeps tapping. That is now identified as condemnation because the. 

Devil just smashes, smashes, smashes in on your bad? And how could God use you? And that's when people. Often either back away from prayer or serving because they were deceived by the devil. My advice by advice is there's no condemnation. Come on, let's throw that off and say, God, you've forgiven me. I'm moving on. I'm preaching right now, but this takes people out right. 

Yeah, absolutely. People just feeling bad. They don't. They don't want to lead others. They're feeling bad themselves. And again, back to the Old Testament. Word for repent is sure of which means get back on the path. I think it's a beautiful picture. A mental picture of. Yep. You know, in that case of the candy. Well, he's not gonna do that again. Not going to steal more. He's back on the path. It's over. 

It's done. There's no more need for repentance. And when I do something wrong, think something wrong? Sorry, Lord. I'm back on the path. And some people mean say, Well, that sounds like greasy. Grace said, no, no, it's called a relationship with God. I'm working with God. And I want to be right and get right. 

But I know I can repent at any moment. On the bus. In the train, on my bed, you know, like in the toilet. Like, just get it right and move on. And I think that revelation of Grace here is really important, isn't it, that you don't have to keep repenting of the same thing? And I think sometimes. 

Repentance meetings can be repenting of the same thing. And God saying, as a good Father, what we deal with that. Let's move on. Let's talk about the Holy Spirit power and love and joy and how we're going to serve people. 

Which is that message of joy. I'm thinking. Also of another kind of phenomenon that I think also. Occurs with the repentance, in that people process things differently. And sometimes you get. Someone who maybe they've been maybe someone's been honest with them and told them about an area of weakness in their life or something like that. And then. 

Their reaction at first. Is kind of not great, like they don't receive it that well. But then they go away. And you know, the Holy Spirit really speaks to them on it. And you see genuine change happen. And maybe even the next day or the next week, they say, you know, yeah. Thank you for saying that. Or yeah, something like that. And so the initial reaction was bad, yet the change was good. 

And. There is fruit of repentance. There's evidence of it. But then the opposite is also true. Where someone. Is looking very sorry or. Like they're receiving what has been said and yet goes away. And you know, has completely rejected it. And so there's no change. 

I think what in the process of it can look different. I think one of the greatest stories of repentance true repentance in the Bible. Is that what we call the prodigal son, Luke 15. The sun goes away. Give me my stuff. I'm going. 

Wastes it. And it says in that faraway land he ran out of money and he was feeding pigs. And that's not good for a Jewish boyfriend. Start. But he says I will go back to my father and I will tell him at that point he's awakening. But he hasn't gone back yet. Repentance has not yet happened at that point. But he's awakening. 

I think that's what you're saying. There's points of awakening. To the need. Which is all our relationship. It's all about our relationship with garden. And then he says he actually got up and went to his father. That's repentance. 

When the action happened. There was repentance. But there was an awakening leading to the action. I think that's all repentance. That whole process. Sure. But then it says the older brother was angry that the younger brother was received. 

And the father said, You've always been with me. Everything I have is yours. And the older brother was angry. Well, he needed to repent. And he didn't. In that one story, we do see what you just said. Actually, it's a really important story. Luke 15. 

Verse Eleven to 32, I think is a great picture of true repentance and fake repentance. Yeah. So it's it's so interesting. It can it can look so different. From person to person. And yet the fruit of it is clear. It's change. 

It's living at a new level, sure. But I think as pastors and preachers, as I said before our teachers. The reason we keep teaching this is we see the good stuff, right. We could say, Well, I see the bad stuff, too. 

And sorry about that. But we see so many testimonies. Have changed lives. You were saying one this week about a guy in your Church. It just started journaling, and he looked different. He was different, right? Because. 

We don't even know what happened. I don't think. But God and Him meant business. And he came out different. And it's affected his life, right. Yeah. That's why we teach this. Well, we've said a lot about repentance. Obviously a huge topic. So pastoral just to finish us off. Do you have any kind of final words around. 

Yes, everyone repaired. Which means change your thinking. Receive the good news. Change your thinking. God has a great future. God has something for you. Repentance needs to be a positive change. In a positive future. And I think when we see it that way, the word becomes huge. 

Hugely helpful in our lives. I'm praying for great lives for every one of you listening to this today. Fantastic. Well, thanks, everyone for being with us today on the broadcast and we'll see you in the next episode. Byebye. 

Thank you so much for joining us today. And if you enjoyed today's episode with Pasta Ride, why don't you subscribe on whatever platform you are listening to this. And we'll see you next time. 

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