HEART OF REPENTANCE –
REPENTANCE WITH DEEP SORROW
"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning."
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
Joel 2:12-13
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1. INTRODUCTION
A young man cut my queue and said "sorry".
2. SURVEY OF THE TEXT
a. Historical survey of this prophecy:
i. Who - prophet Joel to Judah.
ii. What – God urges Judah to repent from their sin of idolatry.
iii. When – Around 830 BC, during the reign of King Joash. 2 Chron. 24:19
iv. Where – Land of Judah.
v. Why – A time of devastating judgement is coming. Joel 2:1-11
b. Repentance is relevant to everyone.
3. REPENTANCE IS THE RIGHT RESPONSE FOR OUR SINS
a. Knowing that we have offended God by our sins but refusing to repent.
b. Knowing what our sins are but refusing to repent. Jer. 17:1
c. Knowing that God has graciously given you time to repent. v.13
i. The flood in Noah's days.
ii. Israel's conquest by the Assyrians.
iii. Judah's conquest and exile by the Babylonians.
iv. The city of Nineveh in Jonah's days.
'The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.' Matt. 12:41
Do not waste God's lifeline to you!
4. REPENTANCE FOR SIN MUST BE GOD-CENTERED
a. Repentance must be directed towards God. "Turn to Me", "Return to the LORD".
b. David's God-centered repentance in Ps. 51.
i. 51:1 – "Have mercy upon me, O God".
ii. 51:4 – "Agai |
