Repentance

Our first presentation today showed the Kingdom of God as the solution to this world's problems. We have a lot of problems in this world, but we see that the solution is there. God has the solution. Many Bible prophecies paint a beautiful and inspiring picture of this world to come that will replace this deeply troubled world that we live in today. God's Kingdom is coming, and frankly, the sooner, the better. In Matthew 6, verse 9, we should all be praying, "'Thy Kingdom come.'" It should be a daily prayer of ours, because this world desperately needs the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. Again, we ask, who is going to be a part of God's Kingdom? Who will be in that Kingdom? And how can we prepare to enter the Kingdom of God? In Acts 2, verse 37, the apostle Peter gave a sermon, a very inspired sermon, on the day of Pentecost when the New Testament Church began. And there was a mob who was listening, or a group of people who were listening to what he had to say. Some of them had been somewhat active in actually crucifying Jesus Christ. Some were no doubt there at the time. And when they heard what Peter said and the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'" That's a question we should all ask ourselves from time to time. What shall we do? Based on the fact that Christ gave his life for us, what shall we do? What does God expect of us? What does he want us to do?

We know that Jesus Christ came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. And notice what he says we all must do, repent and believe. Have faith in the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Repent. What does it mean to repent? What is repentance?

Repentance is something we all must understand. We all need to have the knowledge of what repentance is about. In Matthew 4, verse 17, Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven as at hand. In other words, God's Kingdom is coming. Get prepared. Get ready. Repent for God's Kingdom as at hand. And frankly, it has been at hand for all of us. And as I said, some of us have been here 40 and 50 years listening to the message of the Kingdom of God. And our lives have been dedicated to this message and to our personal Savior, Jesus Christ, and to His Father. John the Baptist also came saying, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Now is the time when God is calling you. God isn't calling everyone out of the world today, but He is calling you. You're here for a reason. You're here because God wants you in His Kingdom. He wants you as part of His first fruits. That's why you're here. Maybe you're not normally here, but why are you here today? Because God wants you in His Kingdom. But you have to do something to be in His Kingdom. You can't earn your salvation, but God expects you to do certain things if you want to be in His Kingdom at Christ's return. God is opening your mind to His truth in your way of life. He wants you to repent. So have you repented? Have you repented of your sins?

Or are you a religious hobbyist who's intrigued by the Word of God, intrigued by the Bible, but really has done very little to change his life? Have you repented? How do you know if you've repented? Notice 2 Corinthians 13. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. The Apostle Paul says we, as Christ's disciples, should be examining ourselves. Are we in the faith? Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus is in you?

Christ is to be formed in you. You are to walk as Christ walked. You are to keep the commandments as Christ kept the commandments. If you're not doing this, then you haven't repented. You frankly have not repented unless you are walking with Christ. Following his example, he says, do you not realize that Christ is in you unless, of course, you fail the test?

Christ is to be formed in you. You are to be different. You are to become like Christ. Remember, Christ was perfect when he walked the earth. He never sinned. Sin is the transgression of God's holy and righteous law. And Christ set the perfect example for us by never sinning. We are to follow his example. Since we're in the flesh, it's not an easy task. Putting sin out of your life is a lifelong process.

When God calls you, He calls you to repentance. And it is a lifelong process. No matter how long you live, it is a lifelong process. So here in 2 Corinthians 13, it shows us that we must take a long, hard, realistic look at ourselves. Let's be honest today. Let's be honest with ourselves. Have you repented? Have you repented of your sins? Are you living differently? Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. Most people think they're pretty good at heart. They probably think they're mostly okay with God, that they're pretty much on the same page, on the same team, and that God accepts them just as they are.

In fact, there's a popular song that says, Just as I am. Frankly, God doesn't want you just as you are. He wants you to change. He wants you to become like Him. He wants you to see that living His way of life makes a difference. It makes a big difference in your life. So most people think they're good at heart. The problem with that idea is that it's not only completely unrealistic, because Paul says nothing good dwells in it.

Christ said nothing good dwells in the flesh. It's the Spirit of God that makes us different. So there's a big problem with that idea. It's completely unrealistic, and it can be fatal. To repent, we have to come to see ourselves as God sees us, to see us as we really are. In Jeremiah 17.9, notice what it says here. The prophet Jeremiah, under the inspiration of God, says the heart is deceitful.

He's talking about the human heart. We all have human hearts. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? That's the question. Do you think you know yourself that well? Who can know the human heart and the darkness of the human heart? God has to reveal this to you through the light. Christ is the light of the world.

That's how we come to see the darkness that's in our hearts. It's through the light. We must come to the light. In Romans chapter 3, the apostle Paul says, there is none righteous. No, not one. He's speaking about human beings. Every last one of us is a sinner. You are a sinner. If you think you're not, you're deceived. And the truth is not in you. We're all sinners. Breaking the law of God makes us a sinner, and we've all done that.

In fact, we continue to do it even though we strive against sin. We're still not perfect. We're not spirit yet. We haven't changed totally. We haven't changed completely. It's a process, and we're in that process. There is none righteous. No, not one. There is none who seeks after God in the fullest sense. They have all turned aside. When God looks down on this earth, he sees billions of people, and they have all turned aside to one degree or another. There is none who does good. No, not one. Not good like Christ did. Christ was perfect. There's no one perfect like Jesus Christ, and the way of peace they have not known.

Now, this was written a couple thousand years ago, and we've had war ever since. Ever since Adam and Eve were created, and ever since Cain killed Abel, we've had war on this earth. The way of peace they have not known, and there is no fear of God before their eyes. That's what we really need to fear. Not man, but we need to fear God.

Repentance is so important. There are some powerful words, actually, that were written down in Matthew 3, verses 5-10. We don't have it on the screen, but I'd like to read it to you. 2 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to Christ, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Root of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Bear fruits that show your repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our Father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the axe was laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Frankly, the Bible says, To whom much is given, much is required. If God has opened your mind to truth, He expects you to live it. He expects you to keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing to Him. So if you're here today, that means God's calling you, and God wants you to change your life. These are powerful words. If we are to flee from the wrath to come, and there is a wrath that's coming upon this earth, we must repent. And repentance must be demonstrated by what the Bible calls fruit, which refers to clear and visible evidence of repentance. Fruit has size, it has shape, it has color, and it has flavor. All very real and tangible, and not to be mistaken. We know an orange, we know a grapefruit, we know fruit, and there are fruits of repentance, and you can know by seeing how a person lives his life.

And the result of not bearing good fruit, as it says here, is to be cut down and thrown into the fire. This tells us that we must prove by the way we live that we have repented of our sins and turn to God. So what about you? Have you repented? Where is the evidence of your repentance? To use a computer analogy, are you ready to spiritually, emotionally, and mentally reboot your life with an entirely new operating system? A heart-wear package, if you will, that will change every aspect of how you live your life from this point on.

Again, we need to take a hard look at ourselves. The heart is deceitful above all things. It is desperately wicked. If we think we know it, we're mistaken. There is none good, but one, that is God. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments. That's what God clearly tells us.

In Romans 3, verse 23, it clearly says that all have sinned and all have fallen short of the glory of God. We're all sinners. We've all fallen short of God's glory. We all must repent. In Romans 6, verse 23, Paul says the wages of sin is death. Wages are what you earn. When you go out and give a hard day's work, you earn something. You earn money. You earn something for working. The same thing is true in regard to how you live your life. What are you earning? The wages of sin is death. If you're living in sin, then you are earning death. On the other hand, there is a gift that God gives us when we accept Christ as our Savior. But that doesn't mean we can go on sinning without regard, without repenting when we sin. It means we live a changed life. The wages of sin is death. That's what we all deserve. It says very clearly in Romans 6, 23, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We know that we will never earn salvation by lawkeeping. We know that we are saved by grace. We know that it is a gift that God gives us. And it is a wonderful, beautiful gift that God gives us. God knows what we are. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. And He offers us forgiveness and cleansing by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And why? So that we might become a part of His family. God wants you to be a part of His family now. Again, those of you who are here, who have lived this way of life, you're part of a family. We are all a big family here. We are learning to love each other. We are learning to respect each other. We are learning to give to one another and to help each other. We are to be a part of a family. God is calling family today. He is calling His children, and His children will reign with Christ at His return. Christ is rewarding His children, who are faithful and obedient.

So to be a part of God's kingdom, we must do something. Scripture says we are not to be hearers only. If you're here listening today, that's good. But unless you do something about what you hear, then frankly, what you've heard has fallen on deaf ears. You've got to take this and do something with it.

We must do what we've been talking about. We must repent. Again, there is evidence of repentance. It's tangible. It's real. You can see it in the way a person lives their lives. Maybe we think we've already repented and have no need for further repentance. But what does God say? There are keys to repentance, and God reveals them in His Word. There are keys to repentance. So let's look at some keys from the Bible about repentance. Today, I'm going to give you six vital keys regarding repentance. What is repentance? Let's talk about the first key. Repent means change. Now, I've talked about that some already, but that's exactly what the word means. It means to change. In Acts chapter 3 verse 19, it says, Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Converted means to change. Repent means to change, to turn around.

So, repent means to change one's mind, to change the way we think. And be converted means to turn. It means to change direction.

It means, again, to make a difference in how you live your life. To change your mind, to change the way you think. To be converted means to turn, to turn from doing evil, to go in a different direction, to change course, and to be different spiritually, to become more like Christ. That's what it means to repent and to be converted. It means a turning from something and a turning to something else. It means to turn from your old way of life, your life of sin and selfishly serving yourself, to serving God in a new way of life. That's what it means to be converted, to be changed, to change course or direction. These are keys to understanding repentance. Repentance means to turn our lives around from serving Satan and ourselves to surrendering and serving God. This brings us to our next point, our second point, which is, you must repent of actually being a sinner.

Repentance means not just repenting of individual sins. That's where it starts. Repenting of individual sins and beginning to change your conduct, your way of life. But it also means changing your character. It means repent of being a sinner.

So what is sin? Sin is the transgression of the law of God. Sin is the transgression of God's holy law. Now, the New Living Translation says this about 1 John chapter 3 verse 4. It says, everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. So sin is breaking God's law and doing anything contrary to that law. And as Jesus Christ explained in the Sermon on the Mount, sin goes far beyond just physical acts. It goes beyond the letter of the law. We must consider the spirit of God's law. And this is when people really think you begin to meddle. You know, they don't like ministers meddling in their lives. But I'm going to do some meddling right now. Christ said, if you look at a woman with lust for her, you have committed adultery in your heart. He said, if we have anger and hatred for others in our hearts, if we have anger and hatred toward other people, if we consider them worthless and good for nothing, that's not all that different from murdering them. We have murdered them in our hearts. That's what your Savior says in the Bible. Matthew 5, 6, and 7, the Sermon on the Mount, he said, learn to love your enemies. Learn to pray for your enemies. Pray for those who despitefully use you. That's a hard thing to do. But that's what we must strive to do as God's people. Repentance is not only a matter of turning from what we've done, but of what we are. The problem is not only the product that comes forth, but the factory that it comes from. You are that factory. Sometimes you don't produce very good things. So you have to admit that you're a sinner and that you need to change your life. So repentance is not only a matter of turning from what we've done, but turning from who we are, becoming a better person, a different person. In Romans 8, 7, it says simply, the carnal mind, the fleshly mind, the mind focused on the self is enmity or hostile against God. It hates God. It is opposed to God. It rejects God. This goes against the grain of human philosophy and our own opinions about humanity or ourselves. There were basically good tinged with just a little tiny bit of evil. That's how we tend to think of ourselves. But the Bible says otherwise. The apostle Paul understood this well. Notice what he wrote many years after he was called and baptized and received God's Spirit. Notice what he said about the battle and the struggle that still went on within him between his carnal fleshly mind and its desires and what he knew he ought to be doing. Don't you sometimes do things you know you shouldn't? Don't you sometimes not do things you know you should? That's God talking to you. It's your conscience motivated by the Spirit of God. Notice Romans 7, verse 21. This is from the New Century Version. Paul says, So I have learned this rule. This was twenty-some years after Christ had died. I have learned this rule. When I want to do good, evil is there with me. This was long after he'd been converted and changed. He says, When I want to do good, evil is there with me. In my mind, I am happy with God's law. But I see another law working in my body which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin. And it makes me its prisoner. It takes me captive. It makes me its prisoner. What a miserable man I am!

Sin will make you miserable. If you want to do what's right and you've sinned, sin will make you miserable because we know better. We should turn from that sin. Paul says, Who will save me? He asks the question, Who will save me from this body that brings me death? He gives the answer, I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, Christ died for you and he died for me. But he didn't die so you could break his law.

He died so you could be forgiven of breaking his law and so you could walk in newness of life so that you could repent and change your life and change the way you think. So we should all thank God through Christ. So in my mind, I am a slave to God's law. That's what we all want to be. We want to be slaves to God's law, doing what he says. But in my sinful self, I am a slave to the law of sin. Sin will drag you down. Sin will hurt you. God has to give you victory over sin. God can help you be an overcomer. And it's only to those who overcome will God grant repentance. God wants us to change our lives and God grants repentance. Now that leads us to a third point here, a third vital key to repentance. And it is realizing that it's not just sorrow or remorse. When we sin, we should feel sorrow. We should feel remorseful. But that sorrow, that remorse should lead us to change our lives so that we will be better in the future. If we fall down, we get back up spiritually. And we march on, walking more faithfully than we've ever walked before. And when we fall again, we get back up. And we walk more faithfully than we've ever walked before. That's what repentance is all about. It is a lifelong process. Just being sorry is not enough. Just being remorseful is not enough. In 2 Corinthians 7, verse 10, For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Worldly sorrow leads to spiritual death.

In other words, if your repentance is just a temporary remorse or sorrow that isn't accompanied by a determination to completely turn your life around to begin following God, then it's not enough. It's ultimately useless and can lead to death. It can lead to being burnt in the lake of fire, frankly. That's what the Scripture tells us. If we don't repent of our sins, we will be burnt in the lake of fire. It can deceive people into thinking they have repented when they really haven't. This sorrow. They then think they're all right with God when really they're still stuck in their sins and they're not changing their lives. And there is no real fruit of true repentance. And that leads to our next point. Our fourth vital key is a change of mind and a change of life. We must change our minds and we must change our lives. In Mark 12, verse 33, man must love God with all of his heart. This rich young ruler came to Christ and he asked, what must I do to have eternal life? Christ said, you must love God with all of your heart and with all of your mind and with all of your strength. And you must learn to love your neighbor as you love yourself. We all love ourselves and we must learn to love our neighbors. It's a much different way of life. We must change our way of thinking.

Jesus noticed how wise his answer was and so he told him, you are not far from the kingdom of God. Man must love God with all of his heart, with all of his mind, and with all of his strength. He must love his neighbor as he loves himself. These are the two great commandments. Love toward God and love toward neighbor.

In Isaiah 55, verse 7, in the Old Testament it says, let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord our God. He is merciful and he is quick to forgive. So the Greek word translated repent, now this is a Hebrew word that also means the same thing. To turn. Let them turn or repent. Let them turn to the Lord our God. He is merciful and quick to forgive. We are to turn from our sins. We are to turn around and go in a different direction. We are to change our minds. We are to change our lives. In Romans 6, verse 4, Paul says, For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. Baptism is essential for salvation. That's what Peter said. Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins.

Most people don't teach a true baptism, a true repentance, a true laying on of hands by God's ministers upon a person for the receipt of the Holy Spirit. A person can have God's Spirit working with them, but until God's Spirit dwells in them, they are not God's true children. Not in the full of sense. The Spirit of God must dwell in us. So a person must repent of their sins and be baptized and have their sins washed away in the waters of baptism, having their sins forgiven. And then coming out of that grave, walking in newness of life. That's what it pictures. We immerse people fully because that's what the Bible teaches. We immerse them completely under the water. They come out of the water and they are to be a different person, a new creation.

And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives, walking in newness of life.

Now that leads us to a fifth point here, and that is a fifth key is repentance involves a change of direction, of meaning, and purpose of life. You should go about your daily lives differently once you've repented. It makes a whole new difference in how you live and how you think. You get up in the morning and you pray because you want to. It's on your mind. You study God's Word because you want to. You want to learn more about God. You want to be taught by God. You change your life. It's a change of direction. It's a change of meaning. It's a change of purpose. Christ's disciples are even told to fast. How many people do that today? How many people take 24 hours and fast without food or water? Not too many people do that. Not a true godly kind of fast, a spiritual fast, but that's changing everything you do in your life. It's turning your life over. It's surrendering to God. It's a change of direction, a change of meaning and purpose. Notice Romans 12. Paul says, And do not be conformed to this world. Satan is the God of this world. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That's what God wants you to do. He wants you to prove Him. Prove Him. The Bible says prove God. Prove that He exists. Prove that He's real. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. A life has changed for the better. Which leads us to a sixth and final point, unconditional surrender to God. Unconditional surrender to God. Now, perhaps you've heard the old saying, God is my co-pilot. People say that. God is my co-pilot. But there's a corollary to that, and it says this. If God is your co-pilot, then you need to change seats.

If you have truly repented and turned to God, you're no longer the pilot. He's the pilot now. You surrender to Him. And you're more or less along for the ride.

Of course, it takes ongoing effort on your part to yield to God and allow Him to rule your life, but that's exactly what we need to do. We need to let God be the pilot in our lives. We need to let Him direct our lives and guide our lives. So, this sixth point is unconditional surrender to God. Repentance involves complete, total, and unconditional surrender.

In Luke 14, verse 26, it puts it this way, If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers or sisters or even life, more than he loves me, he cannot be my follower. God wants you to choose life. He wants you to choose the life of the world. Christ gives us life. He wants us to choose life. He wants us to be different. There are blessings for choosing life, and there are curses for choosing death and disobedience to God. So, we must choose. No one must come between us and God. No one should be more important to us than God. Obeying God is what really matters. That's what the Scripture says. Keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Obeying God. If you love me, keep my commandments. That's what God says. That's the test of true love. If you love God, you keep His commandments. You do those things that are pleasing to Him. You don't care what other people say. You don't care what your wife says. You don't care what your minister says in another faith. You care what God says. And that's how you live your life. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. I was 18 years old when I was called by God. When God opened my mind and my life has changed dramatically ever since. I gave up a career. I gave up a business that I owned. And I was making a lot more money then than I am today. But we have to become Christ's disciples. We have to give up everything. I haven't been perfect by any means. I'm still striving to become like Christ, and I have a long ways to go. But it's been an exciting life, and it's been an abundant life. Now, in Luke chapter 18, a certain ruler asked Christ, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good but one that is God. You know the commandments. Keep them. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother. And he said, All these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come and follow me. Be my disciple. But when the rich young ruler heard this, when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And sometimes it's our riches that get in the way of our obedience to God. Will you take the challenge from God and change to follow his guidance and instruction rather than your own way and the way of this world? Only you could answer that, but here's what God Himself says through the prophet Isaiah.

We ask the question, What shall we do? What should you do? Isaiah 55, verses 6 and 7, we won't have it on the screen, but I wanted to read it to you. Seek the Eternal while he may be found. Seek him while he is near. Call upon him while he is near, and let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts. Let him return to the Eternal, to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him. Let him return to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. God is very merciful. God is loving. He wants us to learn to become like Him. That is our goal, is to become like Christ, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, to become like Him. So what is this saying in its most basic terms? It's saying, Repent. Turn to God and seek Him with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your might, with all of your strength. Turn from your own ways and thoughts, and turn to your God and His ways and His thoughts. And when you do, He is ready and willing to forgive you. But the choice is up to you. It's a lifelong process to become like Christ. We're all sinners in this room, but we are made new in Christ. Christ gives us the victory over sin. When we acknowledge our sins and when we repent of our sins, and when God grants us repentance for our sins. So what should you do? In Acts 2, verse 36, Peter again says, So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be, both Lord and Messiah. Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles' brothers, what should we do? What should we do? Peter replied, Repent and be baptized. Every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Repent of your sins for the forgiveness of your sins. Peter said to them, Change your hearts and lives and be baptized. Simple obedience is what God requires. Do what he says. It's not complicated. There is simplicity in Christ. So what should you do?

In Colossians 1, verse 13, it says, God has freed us from the power of darkness, and he's brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. God is in the process of bringing us into his kingdom. The Son, Jesus Christ, paid for our sins, and in him we do have forgiveness. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 12 We are to walk worthy of God. I gave a sermon about that not long ago. Do you remember that? Are you worthy to take the Passover? Are you worthy? We are to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Are you worthy? Will you walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory? What should you do? Again, it's never too late to change your life. It's never too late. What should you do? So, repent of what? Repent of breaking God's law. 1 John 3, 4, sin is the transgression of the law. When you leave here, we have booklets at the back table. We have a booklet on the Ten Commandments. It will show you what sin is. The Ten Commandments are the framework for the law of God. The Ten Commandments. Christ showed that we are to go beyond the letter of the law to live by the Spirit of the law. The Ten Commandments booklet will direct you. So, if you haven't ever read the Ten Commandments booklet, please get one on your way out. Also, we're here on the Sabbath because this is God's day of worship. It isn't Sunday. That's a lie. It's a huge lie that's been foisted off on the world and on the world's religions.

It's a day that anciently people worship the Son. That's why it's called Sunday. We keep the Sabbath. It's the seventh day. God sanctified the seventh day at creation. He set it aside. He made it holy. You can't please God by keeping Sunday.

You will please Him by keeping the Sabbath, the true Sabbath. So, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. We have a booklet on that. Sunset to sunset. God's Sabbath rest. It goes into detail and shows you many scriptures in God's Word, Old Testament and New Testament, that shows clearly that Christ indeed was the Lord of the Sabbath. Christ observed the Sabbath and He told us to keep it. It's in your Bible.

And there's another booklet called Transforming Your Life, the Process of Conversion. If you haven't read any or all of these books, please, we have copies at the back table. Take a copy with you. Read them. Live by them. We take you straight to the Bible. That's where our booklets come from. It comes out of God's Word.

Now, let's ask ourselves, what is Jesus Christ's title when He returns to earth? What will His title be? He will come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That's what the book of Revelation tells us. Who are those other kings and lords? Frankly, they are His saints. They are the ones that God is calling now. It's harder now to be a Christian. It's tougher to do the right thing. It's tougher to come out of this world and be different. It's easy to continue on and do what you've always done for years and years and years. It's tough to be a true Christian and to follow Christ. Those who Christ will rule over will be also kings. He is King of Kings. They will rule with Christ at His return. They are His saints, those who are set apart to Him, having surrendered their lives to Him in true repentance. With God's help, they have changed their minds. They've changed their thinking. They've changed the course and direction of their lives to follow God the Father and Jesus Christ wherever that path goes. Ultimately, that path leads right into the Kingdom of God, that glorious Kingdom that we heard about in the first session today. How wonderful it's going to be in God's Kingdom!

Will you be there? Will you be a part of the Millennial reign of Christ? You can be. As we read in the prophet Isaiah, seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. God is still very near. All hell has not yet broken loose on this earth. It's going to in the future. It's going to get very difficult upon this earth. Times are going to get very, very hard. Now is the time to seek God with all of your heart because He is near. Thankfully, we don't go it alone. None of us have gone it alone. I've been with God for years now, many, many years, almost 40 years. We have Almighty God to help us, and His desire is to save us. If He is calling you now, He will help you in every way to succeed. So don't be fearful. Don't shrink back. He will help you succeed. Christ died to pay the penalty of your sins and mine. He died to free us from death and open up the pathway to eternal life in the glorious Kingdom of God. And frankly, the 1,000-year reign is the beginning. It's just the beginning. God's Kingdom will expand forever for all eternity throughout the entire universe. Eye is not seen nor ear heard, neither is entered into our hearts the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. Our future is wonderful. We have a future ahead of us. That pathway to life is the way of repentance. And here, too, the Father in Christ will help us to live the right way as we submit our lives to them. Moreover, God is preparing a people. He's preparing His Church, the Church of God, who will walk the path of repentance together. We are to strengthen and encourage one another as we follow God's lead. Think deeply on all this that we've talked about today. Think deeply on these words. Are you ready to live a transformed life? As Jesus Christ said, the time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe. Have faith in the Gospel. Have faith in the message that Christ brought to you today. Now, brethren, in our next seminar in a few months, we're going to talk about what it means to truly believe in the Gospel and to act on what that means. We're going to take it a step further than what we've done today. We've taken it pretty far today, I think. We've laid out, frankly, what needs to be done. What you need to do. So I've appreciated all of you being here today. It is wonderful to know God's truth. It's wonderful to be led by the Spirit of God. So we have a wonderful life ahead of us. Let us be always grateful.