Red-Faced or Repentant?…Mar. 29th

It’s a reassuring thing when you hear someone apologize for doing wrong. We call that ‘repentance.’ Cookie-JarBut not everyone is sorry for sinning, some are just sorry for getting caught sinning. We used to say, “He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.” And that usually meant punishment. But are we really sorry for committing acts of disobedience, or are we just embarrassed we were caught ‘red-handed?’

In the 7th chapter of 2nd Corinthians, Paul writes to the church and makes an interesting claim. He writes, “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it…” If you think that’s a little harsh, you’re missing the message. You need to keep reading. Paul wrote to correct those whose hands were ‘caught in the cookie jar.’ And because he corrected them, they came to repentance. Notice the following verse; I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.” Perhaps when we examine our life and acknowledge our sins, we’ll come to see our need for repentance. Otherwise we’re just red-faced because we were caught with our hand in the cookie jar.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, March 29, 2015

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“I Will Call Upon the Lord” – 63

Supporting our opening scripture reading we sing the words to Psalm 18:3, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.” Notice, the second part of this verse is not a question, “who is worthy to be praised?” It’s a statement as if to say “He is worthy to be praised!” Singing with understanding…

“A Wonderful Savior” – 508

Serving as a medley with our opening song, we’ll segue into this older spiritual song from Fanny J. Crosby. The chorus swells as we sing how our wonderful Savior hides our soul, and our life in the depths of His love. 

bowed in prayer“I Stand Amazed” – 147

Taking the first four verses of this spiritual song I can “…sing of His love for me.” Read what you’ll be singing, “For me it was in the garden He prayed, ‘Not My will, but Thine;’ He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine.” And the verse some of us might not have in our books, “In pity angels beheld Him, and came from the world of light to comfort Him in His sorrows He bore for my soul that night.” Did you see the scripture references? If not, read Luke 22:42-44

“Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God” – no book

A psalm (or maybe it’s a hymn) that we sing straight from the scripture. You’ve read the passage from Psalm 51:10-12; this is David’s prayer to God as he is comforted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. It’s clear that David was repentant of his sinful actions, and not just red-faced. True repentance will lead you to say things like, “Cast me not away from Your presence, O Lord, and take not Your holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and renew a right spirit within me.”

“Victory in Jesus” – 470

Before our lesson this morning we’ll sing of the victory we have in Christ. We win the victory over sin when we cry out, “…come and heal my broken spirit” and when we repent of our sins, but only because of “His precious blood’s atoning.” That’s why we sing, “He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.” Truly we can have Victory in Jesus!

“Lord, I’m Coming Home” – 936

Our invitation song has a specific verse we must recognize as we consider our lesson on repentance. Notice how the author, William Kirkpatrick, phrased the 2nd verse. “I’ve wasted many precious years, now I’m coming home; I now repent with bitter tears, Lord, I’m coming home.” How long has it been since you cried because of your sin-sick soul? Maybe the contemporary song is right, maybe ‘my eyes are dry.’

“I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord” – 609

No better way to finish this message of repentance and being more than just ‘red-faced’ than for us to sing; “I’m not ashamed to own my Lord, nor to defend His cause…”  Face it, we will all sin. We will all, at one time or another, get caught with our hand in the cookie jar. And yet the question will remain, are you red-faced or repentant?