Tag Archives: repentance

The Thief Comes …

Posted on May 1, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

When we left Judges chapter 9 we saw the false judge Abimelech (the concubine son of Gideon or Jerubbaal) ruled (not judged, but ruled) over Israel for three years. God allowed Abimelech to slaughter all but one of the other sons of Gideon (Jotham) to set up his kingdom. After three years, everything fell apart. The men of Shechem who conspired with Abimelech to do evil were utterly destroyed, and Abimelech himself died when a woman dropped a millstone on his head (Judges 9:53; 2 Samuel 11:21). This reminded me of what Jesus said:

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Something interesting happens between chapters 9 and 10. The general pattern of the Book of Judges that we have seen so far is…

Israel rebels against God
God disciplines Israel with an unbelieving nation
Israel repents
God raises up a Judge to restore Israel

Failure To Repent And Pursuit Of Sin
Brings Hardening Of The Conscience

This pattern is disrupted in chapter 10. As we enter this chapter 10, we see two judges in the first FIVE verses of chapter 10:… Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God, repent, repentance, sin is death, sin kills, sin not my master | Leave a comment

Your Sin Will Find You Out, Abimelech

Posted on April 24, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Judges 9:1-3 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

The great Prophet Moses warned us all a long time ago:

Numbers 32:23 … be sure your sin will find you out.

Sin is nothing to wink at. When Cain sinned against God by offering the wrong sacrifice, God told Cain:

Genesis 4:7 (ESV) … sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it

Because Cain would not rule over his sin by repenting, and doing as God said, he ended up murdering his brother Abel. The stepbrother of Jesus said:

James 1:14-15 (ESV) … each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The Bible describes sin as if it is a living thing. And it is. The Apostle Paul spoke of sin inside his own life, saying “it is no longer I who do it, but IT IS SIN LIVING IN ME THAT DOES IT”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God, repent, repentance, sin, sin is death, sin kills | Leave a comment

Jesus Came To Defeat Sin And Satan

Posted on March 30, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Let’s turn in our Bibles to John 3:26-36. Last week we finished studying the words that Jesus said to Nicodemus, telling us that He is the Savior of the world. John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the world as the Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

John is still preaching, and John’s disciples hear that Jesus is preaching, and baptizing people. This bothers John’s followers, so they come to John and tell him:

John 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

What Does John The Baptist Think About Jesus?

What do you think they expected John to say? They expected John to speak harshly of Jesus. Jesus is getting followers from John. Jesus is hurting John’s Church. But what did John reply? He said:
Continue reading →

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged gospel, repent, repentance, Simple Gospel, sin | Leave a comment

Othniel And The Spirit of God

Posted on February 27, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Every preacher of the Gospel has wrestled with this. The Prophet prayed:

Jeremiah 12:1-2 (ESV) “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts”

How is it possible that a pervert named Hugh Hefner entice and deceive young women, and build a Playboy Empire worth $412 million? How can God allow Pablo Escobar – the King of Cocaine – to amass over 33 billion dollars of wealth? How many people did his drugs enslave, how many lives ruined? How is it that actors like Alec Baldwin can kill an innocent person, and get only a slap on the wrist? That ancient preacher Job asked:

Job 21:7 “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”

God answers His people. The wicked have not escaped judgment, but a judgment day is coming. We who are mortal want this to come today. Our God tells us:

Psalm 37:1-7 (ESV) “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes”

There Are Two Reasons The Wicked Are Blessed

The Bible tells us that God allows the wicked to prosper for two reasons. The Apostle said:… Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christian responsibility, Judges, obedience, repentance, Savior, serving God | Leave a comment

False Prophets and False Teachers Bring Fast Destruction

Posted on November 13, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

My final target is the text of 2 Peter 2:9, but I want to read the verses that lead up to it. These are dark verses, but very applicable to the Church today. Let’s read:

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

The Wise Pay Attention To The BUTS Of Scripture

Let’s stop right there. The Apostle begins with “But”. Anytime you see the word “But”, you know that it is giving you and EXCEPTION to something else. Peter tells us that there WERE “false prophets also among the People”. He’s talking about the Old Testament People, God’s Israel. False prophets came in among Israel.

Why would false prophets come in to God’s people? Because the devil is real, and will do all he can to destroy God’s people.

God has given a sure word of prophecy to His people. He has given us the Bible. Peter spoke of the Bible on the left side of this BUT. The POWER of God to save and to sanctify is found only through God’s Word. It is God’s Word that speaks life to the dead, and light to the darkness. God gave His Word through faithful prophets and apostles. We read:

2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Prophecy is the Word of God. Prophecy is what we have in the Bible. True Prophecy does not come by “the will of man”, but it is Holy Spirit driven. This is plain. “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”. False prophets plagued Israel. God warned Israel to be careful of the false prophets. He told them in:… Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Peter, God's Children, gospel, grace, Great Commission, Sermons Preached | Tagged children of God, hell, Lord Jesus, punishment, repent, repentance, salvation, torment | Leave a comment

Three Judean Kings

Posted on July 1, 2022 by bibleteacherorg

Because Ahaz did evil and led Israel to do evil, “the LORD his God delivered Ahaz into the hand of the King of Syria” (2 Chronicles 28:5). “Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the King of Israel (Northern Israel)”, who killed many citizens. Southern Israel or Judah lost 120,000 “valiant men” in one day on the battlefield – a horrendous loss. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 28:19 … the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of {Southern} Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.

Ahaz would not repent and return to the Lord. Rather than admit his sin, Ahaz tried to build an alliance with Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria. Ahaz robbed the Temple of God (verse 21), and instead of turning to the Lord our God he adopted the gods of his enemies.

2 Chronicles 28:23-24 For {Ahaz} sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel. 24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

Ahaz robbed the Temple, taking away all furnishings, altars, and equipment used to worship God. Then Ahaz locked the doors of the Temple so no one could enter in and worship the Lord, and offered Israel false altars made for false gods to worship. Throughout Jerusalem – previously known as the City of God’s Temple – Ahaz established altars to false gods. Not satisfied with this, we are told:… Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Sermons Preached | Tagged God is love, God loves everyone, gospel, Narrative Sermons, repentance | Leave a comment

The Dog And The Sow

Posted on September 12, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

This verse is unique in that it is the only place in the Bible that mentions a dog and a pig in the same verse. The Chief Apostle, Peter, tells us that he is quoting a “true proverb”. Peter is not quoting a Biblical proverb {for the closest verse proverb that comes to this text is in Proverbs 26:11, “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly”}. Peter is quoting a proverb that was common among the people of that day. It was a proverb much like the often stated:

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

This is not from the Bible either, but probably was adapted from the English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer who wrote “Idle hands are the devil’s tools”. That’s a true proverb. When we’re not working for God, we’re working for the devil. When Adam & Eve stopped laboring in the Garden of Eden, it was then that Satan as a serpent presented himself. When King David… Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Peter, Sermons Preached | Tagged false prophets, repent, repentance, salvation | Leave a comment

Without Repentance

Posted on July 8, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

Before I knew the Lord Jesus, I desperately sought to fit in with the crowd. As a young boy I discovered the “joy” of eye glasses when only 7 years old. My test scores were horrible in first grade. One day the teacher noticed I was squinting as I looked at the blackboard. The school nurse recommended I go to an eye doctor. Boom! I had to wear glasses.

Throughout most of my school years I was picked on, bullied, and made to feel less than. Overweight, I was “fat boy”. With eye glasses I was “four eyed”. So I drifted toward the others who were outcasts, the shunned. I don’t say this to make you feel sorry for me. I don’t feel sorry for myself. The truth is, the devil has done this to many people throughout the history of man. Frequently I read in the obituaries of those who “died suddenly at home”. I suspect this is the result of drug abuse (which I toyed with before Jesus found me) and suicide or suicidal behavior (again, thank you Jesus for saving me). This is what the devil does. He wants to devalue us. I see the devil in so many things today.

The devil is in the Church that refuses to speak the truth in love.
The devil is in the racist of whatever color who devalues others.
The devil is in the classroom that teaches all ___ people are racist.
The devil is in the young girl shunned, until she gives her body away.
The devil tells us to be proud of sin, that there is no sin.
The devil tells us to hate one another.
The devil confuses us, drawing us away from the Bible.
The devil calls us back to Egypt, tempts us, tells us to follow lies.

My salvation came when one young man, Ricky Allen, invited me to Church…. Continue reading →

Posted in Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged calling, Gifts, repent, repentance | Leave a comment

Failing Forward

Posted on March 14, 2021 by bibleteacherorg

After Jesus had celebrated the Passover Meal with His Disciples, and instituted the “Lord’s Table”, we read:

Matthew 26:30-32 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

“All shall be offended”? Not just Judas Iscariot, but all the disciples who followed Jesus for 3 ½ years shall be “offended”. This is an interesting word our Lord used here. It is the Greek σκανδαλίζω skandalízō, (pronounced skan-dal-id’-zo), from which we get our word “SCANDALIZED”. It means “to be morally offended, shocked at, to be brought into reproach, or to be maliciously or falsely spoken of”. We have all seen scandals in the world, and even in the Christian community. Not too long ago we learned that a noted Bible Scholar and Preacher was involved in a scandalous relationship with women. A well respected Pastor I knew many years ago was accused of, and convicted of, child molestation. That was a scandal…. Continue reading →

Posted in Matthew, Sermons Preached | Tagged failing Jesus, repentance | Leave a comment

3. The MUSTS Of Christianity: The MUST Of Decreasing Self

Posted on June 22, 2020 by bibleteacherorg

If you think you have everything, you will never seek the more. Many profess Christ, think they are saved, but when I ask them “Are you saved?” they tell me “I hope so”. Now “hope” is a fine thing. The Bible tells us “and now abideth faith, HOPE, and love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Biblical hope is not human “hope so”.

Biblical hope is a certain knowledge that, though you have not received the promises, you will receive the promises because God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). Continue reading →