Retaining a Repentant Mindset

The title of my sermon for us today is Maintaining a Repentant Mindset. Maintaining a Repentant Mindset. You know, it was just over seven weeks ago we who are baptized observed God's Passover. We observed Passover in obedience to God's Word, willingly and gratefully, to remember that without the love of God of our Father, and also without the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, the death penalty for our sins would still be in our heads. Without God's love, we would indeed be without hope in the most miserable of people. That night, we also remembered the vow we made to God at baptism. Following Christ's example of humility, we bent down and washed one another's feet. We said we too would lay down our lives for one another, love one another as Christ loves us. We also ate and drank the Passover symbols of Christ's sacrifice, unleavened bread and red wine. We too, we said, would eat the bread of life, offer our lives totally to God, and live according to God's Word and way, which is love. Together we read many scriptures to remind ourselves about the depth of our Father's love, about the great price of salvation, and about the loving gratitude and the commitment to obey that we owe to God.

What was your state of mind that night during Passover? Think about it. What thoughts and feelings did you experience? Perhaps you felt peaceful and ready to learn. Did you feel humble? Contrived? Did you feel encouraged? Were you glad to be there in the presence of God and with your brethren too? That was nice. Did you feel clean, washed, and not just your little toes, but really clean? Were you focused on God? Were you awed by God's love and mercy towards you? Did you feel especially grateful that night to God? Now, together, these feelings and thoughts, I think, could be called a repentant mindset. The Passover service, like I said, ended over seven weeks ago, and we returned to our typical daily routines. However, that repentant mindset we experienced then may not have lasted that long. I, for one, have sinned since then. I'm not going to tell you all of them. But I do gripe too much. I'll admit that. And I don't always like my attitude. I want to keep that repentant mindset I had at Passover. Don't you? I don't want that repentant mindset we had at Passover to be a once-in-a-year thing in my life. How can I and you better keep a repentant mindset?

That's a question I want to address in the sermon today. How can we remain in a repentant mindset throughout our Christian walk?

How can we remain in a repentant mindset throughout our Christian walk? To address this question, let's review our understanding of repentance. I'll admit it right up front. It's a huge topic. Repentance. I think a lot of you know that. If you're interested, this is not an advertisement. We've got a lot of booklets about repentance in the back. Almost every one of them states something about repentance. But I'm going to focus on some of the important principles we all need to remember. We need to be sure that our young people, our children, understand what repentance is about. So they don't feel burdened and hopeless when they fight guilt and sin. And they do in their young lives, as we remember. Repentance is not an unfamiliar concept to us. Most people associate with the word repentance that feeling of remorse and guilt. Feeling bad for things we did, that we're not so good. But repentance is much more than just a feeling of guilt. The word repent in the Greek is metanonia, and it means to exercise the mind, to perceive again, to change for the better. The way I was taught, and it's correct, the way we understand it, is that it often means a change of direction, to turn around. Sometimes turn around and go the opposite way. But the opposite way really should be to turn around and go towards God. Turn around and head towards God.

Repentance, though, also means, along with some of those emotions that are appropriate, repentance really does mean a whole new way of thinking, a whole new outlook, a whole new viewpoint of what life is about, what we're about, what the people we know are about, what God is about. It's a whole new mindset. But our human mindset is not like God's. And alone, we humans cannot grasp the ways of God. Isaiah 55, if you turn there with me, please.

Isaiah 55, 7, 8 makes clear that the human mind cannot grasp the mindset of God. Not alone. Isaiah 55, 7, 8 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the eternal and he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. In verse 8, And also Romans 8, verse 5 through 7 You see, there's more than just not understanding the ways of God. Romans 8, verse 5 tells us that our carnal human minds just don't understand God. Our carnal mind does not want to understand God. It hates God. It does not want God's way. Note Romans 8, verse 5 through 7, please.

Romans 8, 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity. It's an enemy. It's against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. And yet, as we heard this morning, because of God's profound love, and despite our human animosity towards God in his way, God still wants us humans to receive salvation. He still wants us to be members of his family. And it's true. 2 Peter 3, 2 Peter 3, foundational scriptures. 2 Peter 3, foundational, but we really appreciate them and understand them. 2 Peter 3, verse 9 God wants everyone to have salvation, eternal life. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any, that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, that all should turn around and go towards him. But as this scripture states, then, we also see that God cannot accept us into his family just as we are. I think we've heard that phrase a lot in our lifetimes. He cannot accept us just as we are. We must repent. Everyone must turn from their carnal, self-centered ways and submit totally to God's loving will. This is a message Paul preached. He tells us in Acts 26. Paul preached the same message wherever he went. Acts 26, 20. He preached the message of repentance, too. In Acts 26, 20, here, breaking into thought, Paul is explaining the message that he taught. He's telling King Agrippa in his witnessing to him about his message. Acts 26, 20. Paul says, He spoke both to Gentiles and Jews that they should repent, turn to God, and do works. It is much more than just a thought or feeling, but there are also things we must be doing to be fitting repentance.

True repentance means we no longer choose for ourselves how to live. If you're aware of what's going on in the world today, teachers or parents with kids in schools, you can all decide for yourselves what you want to believe. You can believe in God, you cannot believe in God. If you want to worship a crayon, you can worship a crayon. Whatever you want to do is okay. I wouldn't recommend it. But it's not up to us how to live or how and what to worship. It's not up to us to define how to treat people. It's not up to us to decide what laws to obey or disobey. True repentance means choosing. It is a choice. It means choosing to follow God's way of life as revealed through His Holy Scriptures, His Bible. We choose to obey because God reveals to us that the only way to salvation, true life and eternal life, is through Jesus Christ who died for the remission or forgiveness of all our sins. And not just yours and mine, but for every human being who ever has lived or ever will live. Genuine repentance leads to baptism. Genuine repentance leads to baptism, that outward expression that we accept the shed blood of Christ for our sin. And baptism pictures the death of our former life in what we often call the watery grave of baptism. Baptism also marks the beginning of our conversion process. It's an outward sign of an inward change of heart, change of mind, of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, putting on Christ. And if we look in Colossians 3.9, we see this very clear reference to this sort of shift in our way of thinking, our way of being. It sounds so simple to repent and turn around, but those of us that have experienced repentance and have been walking this path with God already in our lives, we understand what a change it is. Let's read Colossians 3, verse 9 through 10.

Colossians 3, verse 9 through 10. Why? Do not lie to one another, since or because you have put off the old man with his deeds, our old way of thinking, that carnal, fleshly way of thinking. In verse 10, and have put on the new man, after our baptism, after repentance, we have put on the new man who has renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. We're putting on the new man. We're trying to be like God or Father, like his Son, Jesus Christ. After baptism, we receive God's gift to the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. This is the process. And God's Spirit strengthens us and motivates us to keep his laws and to resist our carnal nature so that we can become more like God. And as Romans 8 tells us, God's Spirit in us helps us make repentance. Let's turn to Romans 8. God's Spirit in us helps us keep repentance, to repent, to make this about-face more steadfast, constant, and true in our lives. Romans 8, verses 9-10, and we read, And then skipping down to verse 13. So God's Spirit in us allows us to conquer the flesh and to mature spiritually. And as we feed from God's Word, draw near to him, as James 4-8 tells us, draw near to God and he will draw near to you. As we feed from God's Word, drawing near to him through our actions of prayer, Bible study, fasting, fellowshiping, serving, all that we know to do. If we do that, he will also keep drawing close to us, and we need to be close to him. We need to be close to him.

We need to learn to feed steadily, though, from God's Word. Another accolade to Mr. Crane. Last week he talked to us in a sermon about not being a binged Christian. Do you remember? Not just eat God's Word, then starve, starve, then eat God's Word. I think of it this way. I'm on this little tricycle, I'm trying to move along, right? So I pedal, pedal, pedal. Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal, coast, coast, coast. That's how I see me doing sometimes with God's Word and staying close. I pedal, pedal, pedal like mad, and then foolishly I coast, coast, coast.

Maybe some of you are peddlers, too. But what we really need is this consistent and constant daily reading and studying of God's Word. Because that's the only way we're going to get that steady spiritual nutrition we need for that true spiritual growth. That doesn't grow and slump back and grow and slump back again.

It certainly makes it much easier to resist the flesh, resist the old temptations and sins in our lives if we're constantly close to God and maintain close to God. And it certainly makes it easier to keep that repentant mindset. Now, repentance is necessary for baptism, but repentance is not a one-time thing.

It's not a one-time thing. Our human nature constantly struggles against God's divine nature in us, in our efforts to practice living his way of life, practicing his lifestyle, his way. And as much as we strive to change, as we've heard today, that carnal self, that old man, is still in us, pushing back, tugging in the wrong direction, throwing every obstacle and distracting the world. It's an action in front of us to keep us from doing what we know we should be doing. And inevitably, we sin. Even after baptism, even after receiving God's Holy Spirit, we sin.

Note what...let's note again...we read this yesterday, but we've got to read it again today. Let's note again 1 John 1, verse 8. 1 John 1, that didn't make sense. 1 John 1, verse 8. There are not 8 chapters in 1 John. 1 John 1, and let's read from verse 8 through 10. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to clean us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. If your kids have ever asked you, Dad, why are you so perfect and I'm so crummy? My kids have asked me that when they were much more believing that I was purely good.

I had to remind them, oh, no, no, no. Dad, I want to be like you. Oh, I know what you mean. But if you knew me the way I know me, but we get it. We need to make sure our children understand that no, Mom and Dad are not perfect, but we're trying to be. Mom and Dad know you're not perfect, but we want you to try as well.

But we can only get there with God's help. So we continue to sin throughout our lives. Despite our very best efforts to resist the sin, we always need to repent. We always need to repent. No matter what we do at times, we're going to slip up, we're going to disobey God, be a little rebellious, break His law, and sin.

Whenever that happens, whenever we sin and feel its guilt, we must repent. Turn our heart and minds back to God. Admit to Him quickly our sin, where we've gone wrong, what we've done against Him. On our knees before God, we must plead for His mercy and His forgiveness, no matter how often we sin. And as long as our repentance is real, God will not condemn us.

He will not condemn us for our sin, but extend to us mercy. Romans 8, verse 1, it's so important that we remember God will not condemn us if we're honestly, constantly trying to beat this sin that has its hold on us. We've had sermons in the past, Dr.

Ward has talked to us, about habitual sins. We all know what those are, but we can't stop fighting those rotten habits we have, those things that keep creeping back. Just like the old cat you think it went away and it's not coming back, you look out and one morning there it is on your step again. These sins keep coming back. We've got to keep fighting against them. Romans 8, verse 1, this is where Paul tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. God's Spirit is in you if you're working with God, following God.

There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but walk according to the Spirit. That means whenever we step off God's path, we must judge ourselves, examine where we went wrong, what we're doing wrong, be quick to repent, get right back up on that path. We must get our spiritual noses pointed in the right direction towards God and get busy walking. Feeling sorry for ourselves, but repentant, close to God, and moving forward.

Now, because our battle against sin never ends in this physical life, there is a very real danger, a very real danger, that we may weary of the constant battle and let our guard down. Why do you think you came in and ate one more potato chip when you've told yourselves not to? You're tired of saying, no, I'm not going to do it, give me the bag. Well, sin is not always like a potato chip, but for some of us it is. We don't want to let our guard down. We can become lackadaisical, can't we? And we can become complacent about sin. A complacent attitude about sin sets in when we become careless, lazy, even unworried about sin. We may know what sin is. We may know that we should not do something. However, if we get cozy with sin, we get a little less sensitive to it, feeling less guilty about it, we're going to sin.

That is a very deadly, spiritually deadly situation to be in. And no matter who we are, high or low, however you might perceive yourself or perceive others, becoming complacent about sin is a very real danger we must all avoid.

I'd like for us to turn to 2 Samuel 11. I'd like for us to spend a little time in the message today taking to heart the example of King David. We're familiar, but familiar doesn't mean we shouldn't keep remembering. I'd like for us to take to heart the example of King David and his affair with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11-12. I'm not going to read the whole chapters. I learned many years ago as a dad that the quickest way to put people to sleep is just to read. I'm not going to do that to you today. I know what I'm up against. I will summarize the first part of the story of King David with Bathsheba. Do you remember how it goes? One day King David saw Bathsheba. She's a beautiful, probably dropped dead, gorgeous wife of his loyal soldier Uriah the Hittite. She's bathing on the rooftop. That's a cultural thing. I don't recommend we do that here. But that's what they did in that day and age. So he sees Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop. To cut to the chase, David lusted for her. And then, while Uriah was literally fighting battles for David, David slept with Bathsheba. After Bathsheba became pregnant with his child, David tried to hide his adultery from Uriah by giving him leave from battle to be with Bathsheba. But when Uriah refused to be with his wife, David connived something even more desperate and sinister. He plodded to have Uriah killed by the enemy in the midst of battle.

That plan worked. Bathsheba became a widow, and after her period of mourning was over, David married her and she bore him a son.

When I consider this story, I find it not incredible. I find it almost incredible. Because I know a little bit of how the human mind is. I find it almost incredible that David is so indifferent, careless about his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah. David had such a close and submissive relationship with God. Remember? This is the David, the boy with the slingshot, that knocked down Goliath, right? This is the David that the Philistines had captured him and he prayed to God and he got away from him. This is the David that several times had a chance to kill Saul, and he didn't because he so respected God and was so humble before God and did not want to sin against God's anointed. This is that David. How can he be so indifferent to sin? Yet, we see, he must have given into the temptation. He sinned grievously in several ways and several times. I have to suspect that David had become complacent about sin. He must have actually felt no guilt or remorse for what he had done. That kind of hurts because I looked up to David. How can you do that?

But David is very blessed. You see, God loved David. God loved David. God knew exactly how to shake David out of his complacent attitude. That's where I'd like to pick up the story. You can read along with me if you'd like. Let's pick up this part of the story in 2 Samuel 12, verses 1-7.

Notice how God worked a way to shake David up out of his complacent attitude. 2 Samuel 12, verse 1.

Then the eternal sent Nathan to David. Nathan is the prophet. He sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, a little female lamb, which he had bought and nourished. And the lamb grew up together with him and with his children. That little lamb ate of his own food, drank from his own cup, and lay in his bosom. He snuggled with it.

It was like a daughter to him, David. But then a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

Verse 5. So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the eternal lives, the man who has done this shall surely die, And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

Then Nathan said to David, You, you are the man. You are the man. So Nathan pronounced God's anger and punishment, then, for David's sin, reminding him and us that God knows everything we do, both the good and the bad. Yet I'm impressed by David's reply. Here. In reply, verse 13, David could only utter the simple confession of his guilt. I have sinned against the eternal. That's all he said here. But that was plenty. And Nathan said to David, The eternal also has put away your sin. You shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the eternal to blaspheme, you've made me look bad, David.

The child also who is born to you shall surely die.

And we remember in this story David was so brokenhearted about that. He pleaded with God for days to spare the child's life. But God wouldn't have it.

And so we see here in this episode that God intervened and forcibly shocked David out of his spiritual complacency. He reminded David that he was not above God's law and that he could not, literally, get away with murder. The child did die despite David's pleading, as we know. But David, to his credit, never ever blamed God. He knew whose fault it was. But God's correction humbled David and alerted him to his dire spiritual condition. David's repentance was quick and remorseful. And we know this because of Psalm 51. Let's turn there and look at that. Let's turn and look at Psalm 51. We're going to just read a few scriptures here.

We know David's repentance is quick and remorseful because what we read here is genuine confession in Psalm 51. And if you haven't learned this yet, young people, you need to know this if your folks haven't already told you. Psalm 51 is a place we all need to go when we feel especially bad and remorseful and despairing for sin. You've got to go to Psalm 51.

David's repentance, you see, in Psalm 51, really is a model of the mindset we should maintain, a repentant mindset we should maintain.

Let's read Psalm 51. If you read with me, verses 1-4, I want us to pay particular attention to David's attitude and tone here. Psalm 51, verses 1-4, notice his plea for God's mercy and forgiveness. David writes here, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out, that means to erase my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, my sin, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions. Sometimes this word is translated rebellions.

He was like a disloyal soldier. He rebelled against God. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. He's not going to condemn God at all. And then let's skip down and also read verses 10-12. There's more of this genuine confession here. Verse 10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me by your generous spirit.

If we have ever felt true remorse for sin, then we can truly identify with David's plea for God's mercy.

He's desperate to turn from his rebellious ways and to receive God's forgiveness. He's desperate to be right with God again. And especially poignant here is David's plea that God not take his Holy Spirit from him. Isn't it amazing that David seems to have understood what a precious gift God's Spirit is? What a precious gift God's Spirit is. And as we've heard today, we must pray that God never takes his Spirit from us.

David's humility, remorse, and total faith in God's mercy, it all reveals the sort of repentant mindset we need to have any time that guilt for sin we have committed strikes in our hearts. Such a humble and obedient heart or mindset pleases God. In fact, turn with me to Acts 13.22. Please turn with me to Acts 13.22. Notice what Paul had to say about David, specifically about David's heart. Acts 13.22. A humble and obedient heart or mindset pleases God. In Acts 13.22, note what Paul had to say about David. Paul writes, And when God had removed him, that is King Saul from being king, he, God, raised up for them David as king, to whom God gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will. Now, why would God say that of David? It wasn't because David was perfect. It wasn't because David had never sinned. We just read it.

Why did God say David was a man after my own heart? Let's turn back to Psalms. I'm going to keep you awake a little bit by doing some back and forth exercises. Psalm 25, please.

Then we'll stand in Psalms for a little bit.

So again, my question is, why would God say of David, he was a man after my own heart? It can't be because he was perfect and he had never sinned. What is it? Is there something here for us to learn? Psalm 25, verses 4-10. Notice what David says here. He writes this Psalm, this prayer, as it were. David says, Psalm 25, verse 4, Show me your ways, O Eternal. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. On you I wait all the day. Remember, O Eternal, your tender mercies, and your loving-kindnesses, for they have been from of old. But do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to your mercy, remember me. And for your goodness sake, O Lord.

Let's also continue verse 8. Good and upright is the Eternal.

Therefore he teaches sinners in the way. The humble he guides in justice, and the humble he teaches his way. All the paths of the Eternal are mercy and truth, to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

I wonder, what seems to be David's mindset in this psalm?

Now let's turn to Psalm 27.

Let's turn to Psalm 27, verse 4.

Here, let's know what David claims is his one desire, the main goal of his life. Psalm 27, verse 4. One thing I have desired of the Eternal, that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Eternal, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Eternal, and to inquire in his temple.

Wow! Like us. David desired a close and personal relationship with God. That's interesting. And then, once more, let's go back to Psalm 51. Psalm 51, and this time let's read verse 17. Psalm 51, 17.

Psalm 51, 17.

David writes, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise.

Here, David shows that he understood the sacrifice God values the most. It's a truly humble and repentant mindset. It's that repentant mindset God values. When we consider these psalms that David himself wrote, I believe we can better understand why God called David a man after my own heart. David desired to follow God, to obey him.

Not pedal, pedal, pedal, coast, coast, coast. He consistently wanted to get it right, and when he did sin, he was quick to repent, quick to have remorse and go to God and plead for mercy.

He desired to follow God, to obey him. When he realized he had sinned against God, he reacted immediately with humility, that true repentance. He wanted that right relationship with God. And he did it, and he kept it, by being quick to respond to sin and to put on a repentant mindset. This should be our goal as well.

But there's another aspect of repentance I'd like for us to consider. Here's a question I have for you. What should we do after we're forgiven?

Sometimes you're so worried about being forgiven. Okay, I'm done. Thanks, I'm clean. Is that it? What should we do after we're forgiven? We need to think about that because we don't want to keep pedaling and coasting all the time, do you? From one crisis of sin to the next? I'd like to get out of that aerobic exercise, aerobic spiritual exercise. I don't want to keep doing that. What should we do after we're forgiven? What I'd like for us to do is take time to notice some examples of individuals who received God's mercy and forgiveness. One of them is David. We're going to look at their examples of what they did after they received God's mercy and forgiveness and how they responded to God. In fact, I'll even give you the two responses they had. So right up front, you'll know what to look for when we look at these scriptures. The responses of these two individuals who were repentant and received God's mercy and forgiveness, they had two actions they took. I think it's what we should do as well to help us maintain that repentant mindset. Here are the two things that they did and we should do. They offered thankfulness to God. They offered their thanks to God.

And they fulfilled their vows to God. They thanked God and they fulfilled their vows to God.

Let's turn to Psalm 116. And we're going to start here in Psalm 116. Psalm 116 presents a progression of thoughts, you might say. It's a progression of thoughts and attitudes from an individual who is humbly seeking God's deliverance in the time of need. So it's kind of a step-by-step progress in their mind, what they're going through, what they're thinking, what they're saying to God as they seek God's deliverance. So let's begin in verses 3 through 8. Let's notice here in Psalm 3 through 8 how the speaker, first of all, is pleading for God's mercy and intervention, much like any of us when we sin are going to go to God. Psalm 116, verse 3, The pains of death encompassed me, and the pangs of shewel, the grave, laid hold of me. I found trouble in sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Eternal. O Eternal, I implore you, deliver my soul. Verse 5, Gracious is the Eternal in righteous. Yes, our God is merciful. The Eternal preserves the simple. I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Eternal has dwelt bountifully with you. For you, meaning God, for you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. And I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. Here we see, I believe, how God heard this individual, heard the speaker, heard his request to deliver him from death. I find that rather interesting because isn't that what we're asking God to help us do when we sin? Deliver us from our death. Deliver us from the way of death. Help us to get right. And it's even what Jesus Christ did for us through His sacrifice. He saved us from death. Now let's skip down to verse 12. This is an interesting verse. Verse 12. Notice here that the speaker now asks a very vital question. One, I think we need to ask ourselves. Verse 12. What shall I render to the Eternal for all His benefits towards me? What shall I render? What shall I offer and give to God for all His blessings towards me? It's a great question, isn't it? For all God has done and does for us, what are we going to give Him? The answer is verse 17-19. Verse 17-19. Here are the two actions I mentioned earlier. Verse 17-19. The speaker says, I will offer to you, I will offer to God, the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

And I will call upon the name of the Eternal. I will pay my vows to the Eternal. I will pay my vows to the Eternal now in the presence of all His people. In the courts of the Eternal's house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem, praise thanks to the Eternal. Praise and thanks is often the same word. Toda. T-O-D-A-H. Toda.

So here are the two things we will do. Offer God thanksgiving, and we're going to fulfill our vows to God. Let's next turn back to Psalm 56. We're going to see this pattern. This is what gratefully repentant people do.

Psalm 56, verse 11, please.

Psalm 56, verse 11-13. The subtitle in my Bible tells me that David wrote this psalm about that time when the Philistines had captured him in gath.

Note the two things here again that David says he will give to God. Verse 11, In God I have put my trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? He's more worried about his relationship with God. Vows made to you are binding upon me, O God. There's the vows. And I will render praises. This is the same word, toda, for thankfulness. I will render, give praises to you.

Because for you have delivered my soul from death. Have you not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? So again, David says he will praise and thank God. David says he will fulfill his vows.

Let's next turn to the book of Jonah. Remember Jonah? I bet the kids do.

Remember Jonah? Now we remember Jonah's predicament. We're going to look at the book of Jonah, chapter 2.

It's not quite as hard to find as haggy-eye.

Okay, Dr. Baker's still awake. I heard him.

Book of Jonah, chapter 2. Now we remember Jonah's dilemma, don't we? He stuck there three days and three nights in the belly of a fish. But do we remember what Jonah said he would give to God?

I didn't. I had to go back and look at this. Let's read Jonah, chapter 2, verse 7 through 9. Jonah writes, When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the eternal, and my prayer went up to you into your holy temple. I bet he was praying. Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy. Those who turn, in other words, mercy means God. Anybody that turns away from their mercy turns from God, for anything else are fools. He says, verse 9, But I will sacrifice, I will offer to you, God, with the voice of thanksgiving, and I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the eternal. Same two things again. Jonah will also give God thanks and fulfill his vows to God. Now, in case you're knowing if people that read the New Testament need to do anything like this, I did. And I found something, I didn't want to spend the whole hour on these two items, but I would like for you to look at Romans 7. If Paul says something here in Romans 7, it is quite fitting with what we've already read. It's this common thread. It's a common action. We're talking thousands of years ago, or two thousand years ago, or today. We should have the same response to God in his mercy. Let's look at Romans 7, 23. Romans 7 and verse 23. Here's Paul talking about that struggle against sin and flesh. Starting in verse 23, Paul says, But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members, my flesh. He says in verse 24, O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me, who will save me from this body of death? Sounds similar to what we saw in Psalms. Verse 25. What's his answer? I thank God, giving thanks to God again, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ has made salvation possible. So then, he adds, So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. So the struggle between the old man and the new man is continuing, but he's going to focus on obeying the law of God. That is the vow. Christians today with God's Spirit in them, those are the vows we pay. Our obedience is now to God. Like the Psalmist and Jonah, Paul recognizes God's benefits in his life, I think. He knows God has rescued him from death. He too thanks God. And he will also fulfill his vows. In this case, again, he's going to fulfill his vow to God by submitting to the law of God. And so should we. So should we. So giving thanks and fulfilling our vows to God are most appropriate responses for those who have repented and received God's mercy.

I had another question for you. I'm sorry. I was a kid full of questions. Hope you don't mind. Too bad. I got another question for you. I mean that in love. I got another question for you. Why are these responses so appropriate? Why is it appropriate that we thank our God? Why is it appropriate that we keep our vow to Him?

Let's start with thankfulness. Do we really understand what thankfulness means? I thought I did. I discovered I really didn't. Here's one. I'm going to share it with you. What does thankfulness really mean? That's what we're going to give to God. Thankfulness. I know we do, but maybe we can think about it a little bit more. The Hebrew word for thankfulness, as I've told you before, means giving thanks. Sometimes it's translated as praises. It's toda. T-O-D-A-H. Toda is also translated as confession.

But its deeper meaning isn't conveyed all that well in English. English is a great language, but it doesn't capture everything from ancient languages very well.

In his book, Buried Treasures, Secrets for Living from the Lord's Language, I've mentioned this book before, and it's interesting. Rabbi Daniel Lapin explains that toda also means, as I just said, confess, but it also means to admit or to acknowledge. Here's his explanation about thankfulness. He refers to it as if someone is thanking him. I'm just going to read it first person as he's talking about people thanking him. But we can apply it as our thanking God. By thanking someone for what they gave me or did for me, or we could say, by thanking God for what he has done for me and for you, by thanking someone for what they gave to me or did for me, I am admitting that I needed their contribution. I needed what they gave me. I am acknowledging that prior to their gift, I was incomplete. I didn't have what I needed. And yes, yet, I am even confessing that whatever they did for me changed me. It made me different. It changed my situation. He says, deep down, we recognize that our expression of gratitude is an eloquent confession that our benefactor has just repaired one kind of shortcoming or another in ourselves.

That's an interesting explanation about thanking us. This is what I get out of it. When we give our humble thanks to God, we not only recognize what God did and does for us, but we also admit that we need God in our life. I never thought of it that way. God, I'm sure, loves to hear us when we say thank you. Just as we love to hear our children say thank you. No matter how we express our attitude to God, then, whether it's through singing, as we heard today, or sharing experiences about what God has done for us, or in our worship together, in our prayer, quiet prayer, just pureness in God, however we thank God, we are also telling God thank you, God, for changing me, for making me better and complete in ways I didn't even know I needed to be made. I needed to be made complete. I'm an English teacher. I know better. I'm sorry.

Giving God our thanks should be easy, then, right?

Right? No. I don't find it's always easy to thank God. And I hope I'm not the only one feeling that way.

Giving thanks to God should be easy.

But when we thank our Father for His mercy and love, do we also thank Him for the not-so-good things that happen in our lives?

What about those not-so-good things in our lives, like trials and suffering? Do we thank God for those?

I'm really not being thankful when I'm suffering, until I get my head on right.

Being grateful to God during those tough times is not easy, and we know it. It requires faith to trust that God is doing what's best. At those times, especially, though, I think we need to remember the words of Romans 8. Let's look back at Romans 8. I bring this up because I know we all suffer, and there are many in our congregation and elsewhere, perhaps listening in today, they are going through some very tough trials right now. It can be hard to listen to some guy like me who looks like I have no cares in my world, and to talk to us about, oh, you've got to thank God for sorrow and suffering.

Well, there's a reason. I'm not saying it because I think that's what we should do. It's what God says we should do. Let's look at Romans 8, verses 16-18. Paul tells us, actually, inspired by God. Romans 8, verse 16-18. These words of Paul are very comforting.

Romans 8, verse 16, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. That's comforting. That's good to remember. And if we are children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Yes, he's our brother. If, indeed, we suffer with him, we've got to go through the same difficult path he had to walk on, the Christian walk with God. In verse 18, Paul writes, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And if you'd also turn back with me to 1 Peter 4, verse 12.

1 Peter 4, verse 12.

Peter's words are also something we need to keep in our hearts, tucked away from those tough times.

1 Peter 4, verse 12-13. Beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. As though some strange thing has happened. Don't be surprised when bad things happen. Persecution or worse, someday. Instead, he says, verse 13, Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's suffering, that when his glory is revealed, you also may be glad with exceeding joy.

And as we know, if we suffer because we did something not so nice to somebody and we get socked in the nose, we may not have that coming. But when we suffer because we're trying to live life God's way and do things the right way, God very much respects that. And he wants you and me to know that he sees that and he values that. He's letting us go through that for a good reason. And so, yes, it's hard to be thankful when we or others we know are suffering. And even if that suffering seems pointless to us at that time, and sometimes it does to me too, even when suffering may seem pointless, we still can be sure that God allows it because whatever he gives us can make us more spiritually complete and prepared for the future. We have to receive it the right way. Our Father has eternity in mind for us. And Jesus Christ has made it possible. So no matter what suffering we may undergo in this life, we still have every reason to thank God for His ultimate purpose, and that is to welcome us as His Spirit-born children in His kingdom. With humble hearts and minds, we need to always be ready, willing to thank God, be thankful to God, grateful to God for His mercy and love.

And what about the vows? What about fulfilling our vows to God? The second thing we should do, we read. Why is that also an appropriate action to take in appreciation for God's mercy? Vows? That sounds like something old, old days, right? Well, a vow, if you don't quite remember, a vow is voluntary. A vow is a voluntary commitment or solemn promise to complete an action or requirement. Examples of vows that we take nowadays? Well, there are things called marriage vows. We typically get married voluntarily. We won't talk about shotgun weddings. Those have got to be a thing of the past. No, a marriage vow. That's a voluntary commitment, a solemn promise we make. A lot of times I notice your kids have vows. They sign a piece of paper. In a sense, they give a vow, a solemn promise to follow the school's honor code. That's quite common now. You've got to follow the dress code. You've got to come to school every day, and you sign this because you're admitting, yes, I'm going to do this. That's another way of a vow. We hear things of vows of secrecy. A lot of those in government for some reason. And of course there are vows we make to God. Now, the vows we make to God we really need to take seriously because God takes vows seriously. Notice what God says about vows in Deuteronomy 23. Deuteronomy 23.

What about vows?

We need to fulfill our vows together. Deuteronomy 23, verse 21.

23-21. When you make a vow to the eternal your God, remember that's a voluntary commitment, when you make a vow to the eternal your God, you shall not delay to pay it. For the eternal your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. It's a sin not to keep your vow to God. It's your solemn promise. But if you abstain from vowing, that means if you don't make a vow, it shall not be sin against you.

No vow, you're okay. You don't have to keep that promise in that sense. Verse 23.

So we see God takes vows seriously. The word for vow is nadar, n-a-d-a-r, nadar. And it literally means in Hebrew to promise, and most specifically to do or give something to God. To do or give something to God. It's the very same word we saw used in Psalms and Jonah when it said, I will pay my vows to God. It's that promise, that promise we made to God. So it's generally good practice, then, I think, to keep our not only our promises and commitments to God, but our promises and commitments to everybody. Why would we keep our promises to God but not to people? We're supposed to treat people with love, too. We especially need to keep our vows to God. And I assume that all of us, even those who are not baptized, such as our children, I would hope that we're also teaching our children that they need to keep their promises, especially their promises to God, their commitment, in their case, in our case, to keeping God's commandments. We're a little older kid since they're old enough to chew on a little book. We start teaching on God's commandments. And that's good. We should do that. We've got to take seriously our commitment to obey God because our willingness to obey God's law, well, it really determines whether we actually love God or not, doesn't it?

Remember, Jesus said in John 14, 15, you don't need to turn there. It's one you should know. In John 14, 15, Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments.

You can be turning with me to 1 John 2, 3-6. You see, keeping God's commandments, we are told to do that if we love God. But keeping God's commandments also tells us, lets us know whether we're on the right path or not. Look at 1 John 2, verse 3-6.

Now, by this we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. We read this yesterday, didn't we? He who says, I know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar. And the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps His word truly, the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says He abides in Him ought Himself also to walk just as He walked. We ought to be on the same path with God, keeping God's commandments. They define God's love, what it is, and how to love neighbor. Now, most of us here... Now I'm going to talk to the grownups here. Most of us here made a vow to God at baptism, didn't we?

And we need to remember it. Not just remember it, but we need to examine ourselves to see just how well we are keeping our vow to God. And not just at Passover, like I mentioned in the introduction. When God called us, if you remember, we took to heart these words in Acts 3.19. This is from Acts 3.19.

Acts 3.19. Peter says this, Acts 3.19. At baptism, we said, I'm quoting from the baptismal script, the lines we read, the vow we make. We also said, We accepted Jesus Christ as a personal Savior, our Lord and Master, our high priest and soon coming King. That's what we said at baptism. With our sins erased, we were baptized, hands laid on us, received God's Spirit, and we began the process of conversion willingly. No one forced us to be baptized. We willingly did that. So now we must continually strive to fulfill that most important vow, the most important vow we have ever taken, we have ever made. And that's the total and lifelong commitment to serve and obey God. We must live the words of God. Obey Him. Follow Him. Do you remember Luke 14? Remember how we counted the cost at baptism? What we said we were willing to do in order to pay our vows to God, in order to obey God? This is part of our examining how well we're doing here in our Christian lives, our Christian walk. Luke 14, verse 26 through 27. Christ said, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, you cannot be my disciple.

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. And verse 33, So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. At baptism we took a vow and we said, I'm willing to do this. I am willing, God, to love you more than myself. I'm willing, God, and committed to loving you more than anything else in my life. That's our vow. As we've heard today, are we keeping first things first? Well, if we're not, we need to get that repentant mindset back on, don't we? We must stay true to our vow to give our all to obey God and to live a new life in the spiritual body of Christ. There's another aspect, one more little aspect here, about this vow. I think it's important because this is something I've struggled with through the years, and I feel like I'm becoming a little more brave about it. Hopefully it's not too late. There's another aspect of fulfilling our vows to God I don't think we should overlook. It goes back to Psalm 116. One more thing there. I want you to see in Psalm 116, please.

Psalm 116, and again, let's look at verse 18-19. This is where we first saw the two things that people appreciative of God's mercy and forgiveness do. Thank God and keep their vows, right? Let's look again at Psalm 116, verse 18-19. Again, it says, I will pay my vows to the Eternal now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Eternal's house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem, praise the Eternal.

The psalmist here makes clear that he will fulfill his vows to God openly for all people to see, and especially those in God's house.

The Scripture suggests that when we live our lives committed to God, keeping our vows, being thankful, we must do so openly for all people to see, and not just before one another as brethren.

To me, this reminds us of the admonition Christ gives us in Matthew 5.16. To let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Now, I don't think it's saying we should be like the self-righteous Pharisees standing on a busy street corner and telling everybody how great a person they are. I don't think that sort of thing is what it's talking about. But I think it's something we must be living openly, but not quite, in such a self-serving way. I think the point is that while we fulfill our vow to obey God and live by faith, we must live life God's way before everyone without shame, without embarrassment. We should never be embarrassed about practicing God's way of life.

Again, I'm not suggesting we toot our own horns and loudly praise God and stand on our soapbox or something like that. Look how good we are. What I'm talking about is things like this that I haven't always been so good about in my past. I'm getting a little more brave. I don't want to be brave in the right way. If someone asks, why don't we shop on Saturday?

Why don't you observe Christmas? You didn't get your children any gifts this year or the poor deers.

I've heard that. I also heard it one night. What are your children going to dress up for Halloween? Oh, we don't keep Halloween. Really? No, we think it's satanic. There's the word. We think it's satanic. We don't do that. It's not in the Bible. Really? Yeah. I say it nicely. Or if I explain to people why I don't eat crawfish. You know, I don't hide the fact. First thing I'll tell them is I don't eat bait. It looks like bait. Sorry. But if they're really curious, I'll explain. Well, you know, in the Bible there's some health laws. And God says we shouldn't eat certain things. And I'm trying to live by what God says. So that's why I do that. I don't say it in a condemning way, in a self-righteous way. A couple years ago, I couldn't do that. I just kind of hide it, I was afraid. But as I've gotten older, I'm thinking, that's not right. And I'm not... You know, you've got to be in your own comfort zone. But I'm just suggesting this says we keep our vows, and I think we can be very good about it, even at services in our own homes. But when we get out there in public, sometimes it's like, okay, we can be different out here. No. That's not being consistent, is it? So I think part of what this says is we have to be open, honest, and genuine in living that walk of faith. You can consider it this way. I came across it somewhere, and I kind of changed the wording, but I think it works. Mercy and repentance. Repentance and mercy may come in secret, but obeying God must be lived openly as well as thankfully. Does that make sense? Repentance and mercy may be in secret between us and God, but obeying God must be lived openly and as well as thankfully.

So, when it comes to repentance, as I said, there's so much more that I could say. I see the clock. I'm not going to say. Okay? You've been very good. No sleeping. That's good. I don't always have that effect. So when it comes to repentance, as I said, there's so much more that could be said. Again, I refer you to many booklets, churches, lotus churches. There's tons of things. And even if you think you know all about repentance, I challenge you to read, because I think you may not, as I have discovered, may not know everything. And I know I don't know everything, but there are some things I forget and become kind of blurred through time. So read up on repentance. That's your homework assignment. And mine too. But today, I hope that we have seen that God's Word teaches us this. God's Word teaches us that we need to quickly respond to sin with a repentant mindset to keep our hearts and minds right with God. We are going to sin. But, as we heard yesterday in the Bible study, we are going to sin, but we mustn't become complacent and practice a lifestyle of sinning. We can't let sin become a habitual way of life for us. Instead, we must practice God's way of living that includes true repentance, as well as our eagerness to thank God and to fulfill our vows to obey Him. We must constantly, continually practice this humble, godly lifestyle and to maintain a repentant mindset always. And so, I encourage all of us, and you encourage me to do it too, I encourage all of us to keep our focus on God, to keep our feet stepping in God's path that leads to salvation. It's a difficult path. But the gate is narrow, and it opens to the kingdom of God. Let's stay on that path together, and together, let's all maintain a repentant mindset.