Sep 23rd, 2012 Working for Unity Part 2 Repent

Taking a short break from our series in the book of Acts to touch on the subject of Unity among the body. This is part 2 in the series titled “Working for Unity” and focuses on Repent.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Working for Unity, Part 2: Repent

September 23, 2012  by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passage: Luke 17:3-4 and others

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, ⁴ and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” 

-Jesus  in   Luke 17:3–4

Review: Jesus teaches a rhythm of rebuke, repent and forgive as a regular part of healthy community life together (7 times a day) so that wedges can be removed and authentic unity can be forged so that the power of the Spirit can flow through in and through us most powerfully to bring his Kingdom.

What is repentance?

• Repent is not a dirty word. It’s not about all about judgment and _____________.
• The bible says that its “God’s ____________ that leads us to repentance” in Romans
• Repent simply means to “ ________ or _________ your mind.”

So what does repentance look like?

Jesus said that the “gospel” (Mark 1:15) is the invitation from God to lay hold of more of ____________ in your life through _____________ and faith.

We all naturally try to do life in our own direction with our own thinking as our guide. So to repent is to ________ directions and change our thinking and come more into ___________with God’s heart and will.

We should be __________ to repent, looking for those areas that we could line up more with God so that our lives bear more _________ of the kingdom of heaven.

But how can we receive a rebuke in a way so that it doesn’t wound or threaten us?  

Even if the rebuke is completely true, it doesn’t define your ___________ in God’s eyes

In our world, we have a performance based acceptance system.  When we perform well and do the right things, we get accepted, admired, loved, and feel successful. That is not God’s world.

In God’s world, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8

God loved you ________ you were “good” and even when you are _______ “good.”

Because of what Jesus did on our behalf, our ___________ in God’s eyes is that we are his beloved children, with whom he is well pleased.

When we can wake up with the ___________ from heaven as our primary identity we are set free from the bondage of trying to earn the __________ of man.

…And Instead of receiving a rebuke as a threat against us or a painful wound, having our identity from God will give us the strength to _________ to look for areas to repent, knowing that repentance lines us up with more of God’s ways of doing things and thus opens ourselves up more of heaven pouring into lives.

Who should be ready to repent when a rebuke is communicated?

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?   Matthew 7:3 

In the context of working toward unity by speaking the truth in love with one another, Jesus teaches here that we should _________ that _______ (or everyone) involved will have something to repent of.

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