Repentance
A Sermon on Acts 3:19
Originally preached June 13, 1965
Scripture
19¶ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Sermon Description
Peter addresses the Jerusalem crowds in Acts 3 with the very same call that all sermons should have: repent. In this sermon on Acts 3:19 titled “Repentance,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses Peter’s words in this passage not from a theoretical standpoint, but as a practical step that should occur at the end of every message that is shared about the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes repentance as a “thinking again” on what one may think they know to be true. At the heart of humanity is wickedness and prejudiced thinking, yet the inerrant word of God calls each and every listener to think again about who God is and who they are in relation to God. One’s own intellect drives one’s emotions and by extension, their actions. Because of the worldly intellect, repentance requires all to think again about what they are convinced in their intellect that they already know. In order for one to truly change their ways and turn away from sin, they must allow for the possibility that their intellect may be wrong and look to the Bible for knowledge to change from pride to humble submission to God, and to turn away from flesh and the world. This is true repentance.
Sermon Breakdown
- Peter calls the people to repent and be converted.
- Repentance means to think again and change your mind. It involves reexamining your beliefs and presuppositions.
- We must think again about God. We have false views of God that must be corrected. God is not only love, but also just and holy.
- We must think again about ourselves. We are not as righteous and self-sufficient as we think. We are sinners in need of grace.
- We must think again about Jesus. We cannot dismiss him as just a good teacher. He is the Son of God and the only way to salvation.
- Repentance involves feeling godly sorrow over our sin. We must confess our sin and brokenness before God.
- We must prove our repentance through action by turning from sin to God. Repentance changes our whole life and priorities.
- If we do not repent, we face eternal destruction. But if we do repent, our sins will be forgiven.
The Book of Acts
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.