It was a privilage, honor, & joy to finally preach for the first time at my home church in Louisville, KY. It was the first time my pastor, my family & friends have ever heard me in a formal setting at our Sunday night service. My text was Psalms 51 & my sermon was titled "True Repentance".... my goal was to explain what repentance means, why we must repent to be saved, & what true repentance looks like in a believer's life.
Before I got to examples of true repentance in a believer's life from Psalms 51, I wanted to clearly present one of the greatest problems in the Bible. That is: how can God uphold justice & still forgive guilty sinners (David & us)? Many know the story of David & Bathsheba... full of lust, adultery, decite, murder, shame, etc. Well then how can God be a just judge & just forgive David as if He is letting David go unpunished? And of course, sins will not go unpunished.... God is just and God is love! He has made a way for sinners to be forgiven, sins to be punished, & justice to be upheld: It is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness & the law by living a sinless life & then died on a cross to pay our sinful debt to God the Father. We, as rebels, have broken God's law but Jesus removed God's wrath against our sin by stepping in to take our punishment for us.... Amazing grace: Jesus took our bullet, our death sentence, the judge stepped down to take our prision sentence! This is how God is just & yet justifer the one who has faith in Christ.
As I took the pulpit-though I was armed with prayer, hours of study, & a burden from God... it was extremely surreal looking out at all the faces of my life. I saw the lost, faithful brothers & sisters in Christ, mentors & friends I have witnessed too...all in expectation to hear what I would say. But I knew no words of mine, no eloquence, no pleading, nothing could save a single soul or geniuenly encourage a believer unless the Holy Spirit opened hearts. But I feel like the Holy Spirit blessed our time as the gospel was preached & the call for repentance & faith made & I know God's Word will take root in hearts. I encourage you to listen to this sermon if you get a chance. To God be all the glory, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to recieve the reward for his suffering.
