What is the key to experiencing really experiencing the presence of god? The bible tells us that the holy spirit dwelling within us is the key to experiencing god in our lives. In fact, the holy spirit, job to convince christians that nothing can greatest from god love today that's I'm lifetime killer helps us understand the holy spirit, transformative role in the life of a christian after you listen mean you to go online, gospel, dot com and sign up for email updates. When you sign up you'll start receiving our quarterly newsletter with articles from doctor keller, as well as other great gospel, centered resources subscribe today at gospel and life dot com, the passage printed in the bulletin, which is the basis for our teaching tonight at psalm, thirty, two blessed is he whose transgressions are forgive.

Whose sins are covered unless it is the man who, since the law, does not count against him and in whose spirit has no deceit. When I kept silence, My bones wasted away, through my groaning all day long for data Your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was sapped, as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said I will confess my transgressions to the lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore, everyone who was godly prey to you, while you may be found, surely, when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. you are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I was council you and watch over. You do not be like the horse or the mule which,

have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle, or they will not come to you any other woes of the wicked, but the lord's unfailing love. surrounds the one who trust in him. Rejoice in the world And be glad you righteous sing, all you who operate in heart. This is god's word now. What are we doing here and evening services over knowing as we're looking at experiencing god? Lessons on experiencing on we talked about experiencing, got in prayer. We ve talked about experiencing god in guidance asking his presence in in our decisions we ve talked about experiencing, experiencing, got in suffering in trouble and distress. How do we get the presence of god in prayer and distressing

and now tonight, and really over the last in a series of looking at the psalms for these things tonight we want to talk about experiencing god through repentance and in a certain sense, it's not Well, it's not parallel to experience god in prayer to experience, god in decision making to experience, got in in distress and difficulty. It's not exactly parallel because, for me at least repentance is the way I experience god prayer, it's the way I experienced gus presence and suffering. It's the way experience god, in my guidance, very very, very seldom does anybody seem to have you ve read a book on guidance very seldom. Do they put up at the very front? The first thing you need to do if you want guides us to repent, look at your motives, look at what you're hiding and look at the they don't say it generally. They don't say that very often

about distress and suffering, or they say well if the suffering was brought on by something you've done. You know if you've worked too hard near for you have and also repent of working too hard, but no, I would I go further than that. Repents is the secret repented the secret to experiencing s presence in everything, repentance is the secret. Actually, I was. I was reading an article in the new yorker magazine some time ago and was an article of off. It was political arc? Was an article on NEO conservatives and I don't know much about neo conservatives at least not enough to know. If this is true- and I know they're only talking about political philosophy, but it struck me because this is the opening line or one of the opening lines. It is that this is the only political party, where the requirement is to admit that you had been completely wrong. You can't be part of this group unless you admit that for now everything you thought everything you wrote. Everything was wrong and now you ve you ve turned around and I don't know they first lesson

I know political philosophy and I dunno, if that's true of this particular party, but I do know that this, the christian church is one place where the requirement is, you have to admit, you've been completely wrong. There's no way in unless you say I have been totally wrong about the way in which I've approached myself approach. God approach the world, everything just for your information before we move in this is one of the seven penitential song so called they're, not it's not in the bible, but over his throughout history. as students of the bible have noticed that in the psalms there are seven songs that are particularly focused on the issue of confession, repentance and forgiveness, and this is the second of the seven and for those of you who want to know they are the seven penitential. Psalms are some six thirty, two thirty eight, fifty one one one, two one thirty and one forty three.

Gay six, thirty to thirty, eight, fifty one one or two one, thirty one, forty three, and if you think by red nos seventeen of central, sounds when you're done, you feel bad If you feel that way, you do not understand repentance. Yet I'm glad you're here, some thirty two. You can break it down a cup away. and here's what I like to do. I see in verse three and four: it discusses the power of guilt, and you know we've got to spend a little bit of time talking about this, in fact, of all the penitential psalms. This is one of the strongest statements of the power of guilt power of our conscience. The difficulty that the that we come into constantly with our conscience, then verses one and two will jump up to that. Secondly, because that shows us something about the power of repentance, then. Lastly, we can take stand back and sort of look at the whole psalm.

And taken a look at what the process of repentance is because we live in a wholesome, there's, a whole list of instructions which you can go round down, one two, three, four: five, six, seven, eight nine, maybe we'll see so we, The power of guilt, the power plants in the process of repents and the power of guilt. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long for day and night for him, was heavy upon me. My strength was sapped, as in the heat of summer, at the most extreme to you. The writer here is, first of all, saying that, because of his guilt he's having physical symptoms, my bones wasted away. Secondly, the second thing he he sang is: he has he's obsessed, he's there's an indelible worthy about guilt is an indoor abilities. One of one of the authors spent a lot of time for the sermon looking through. Other literature, and so on, the amazing plead people have talked about give a boy

the great writers, all the great thinkers, have a lot to say about guilt and when it comes to this theirs doubt what one of the writer says this is says: there's an indelible What about gill? Nothing is more characteristic of human guilt as its thou ability its power to assert itself with unabated poignancy. In spite of all lapse of time all changes in self or environment. There was ts, elliot. in other words all day long. My groaning all day long you try to get it out of your mind. You try to get it out of your head and you walk along its something triggers into suddenly the tapes play again. all day long and suddenly, there's tightness the chest. You know there's there's that there's a kind of construction in the throat. Don't you know this.

Guilt and and then not only that he goes on a little further here and says: not only is there physiological symptoms and there's a sense of obsessiveness and in dell ability and a sense in which your conscience in a very poignant way continues to push it up in front of you, no matter what you do, no matter how much you change yourself, interesting, no matter how much you reform yourself, what t s eliot saying there is, as you can, reform and reform, and you cannot forget that thing. You've done And I think that you can change environments and you can change people and many years go by its amazing, it's there and then It goes on and says your hand was heavy upon me and see there. That's the third thing. You have a physiological symptoms. You can actually get sick, very sick, physically sick. It doesn't matter. If you say it's psychosomatic, psychosomatic pain in the chest still hurts. You know. There's also I mean your body's still wasting away. It doesn't matter where it comes from and then there's the the

Instead of of obsession we talked about and then thirdly a sense of separation from god. If you have a specific and defined concept of god, you sense he's displeased with you, but I would suggest that if you don't, you still get a sense of alienation, a sense of not belonging here of not belonging. Here. You know, kafka gives half gig as tremendous examples of how non theistic people expert in skill? It's one of the most difficult things for non theistic people, people who say, I don't believe in god. I don't believe in Hell. I don't believe in judgment and kafka. You know tells that the members, The trial with any of you've ever read that it's about a man who basically wakes up one day and he's arrested and he's in prison and he's, but he's never told what he's guilty of he's hounded any noses under under Our condemnation, but he's never to always. Galileo is a sense of alienation.

Thy hand is ever upon me and lastly, my strength is sapped as in the heat of summer, and maybe that's just talking about the physiological, but it could be a summary of the whole thing it could be. The psalmist is saying: there's a malays. I don't want to do anything. I have no desire for anything guilt. Saps me utterly. The you know. Literature is just filled with great examples of this, and even not so great literature did you ever seen the movie, which we like very much, but never never, really got off the ground much the fisher king has the story of Jeff bridges who's a dj hero. New york, of course, and his is a career, is on the ups. It's on it's way up and he's actually got he's up for a part in a new tv program, a sitcom and he's probably going to get the job and he's he's practicing the lines for the audition. He's probably gonna get it. His career is on the way up and the character in this particular sitcom whenever he gets miffed there's a punchline whenever he gets minute.

There's something he looks at the person in the islands is well, forgive me, so you and that's gonna, be the punchline, so he's practising it in the bathtub and all that one night. Somebody calls into his call. His collins show is a talk, show, host and he's a hot dog. Some guy calls it and says I can't stand women or a particular woman is heard me Jeff bridges just into sites, and mrs look, you can't take this anymore. You gotta tell it person was a show that person don't take it lying down. Don't don't let her walk all over you and that night the guy goes into a crowded restaurant with a shock and starts shootin. Everybody people are killed and jeff bridges, jeff bridges life is absolutely ruined, and you know you see a couple years later, he has his life has ruined. He has no desire to do anything is strength, its actors in the heat of summer and in that line, forgive me in their party never gets, but it becomes a very famous character on tv that line, forgive me, forgive me, becomes the theme of his life.

And then you have it's interesting this week in the new yorker talk about great literature in the new yorkers. Very interesting article about dostoevsky, spook, kremlin punishment and crime and punishment is about a man named raskolnikov and raskolnikov is an incredibly modern person. Here's a person who could live in new york city. Absolutely raskolnikov decides that guilt is a, is a petit bourgeois ridiculous. trap, it's the idea of morality and guilt is ridiculous. He says no he says I scorn accepted conventions. I decide was right and wrong for me. Nobody! size what's right and wrong. For me, I decided guilt is ridiculous. You know actually I've ever. I think it's invalids over broadway worm,

It was a isn't it rob reiner, you know, places sort of a downtown artist type and he says that guilt is petit, bourgeois crap and so of course, that's not great literature, raskolnikov boy, that's great literature, he's saying the same thing: guilt is petit bourgeois crap. Does the esky at one point, has raskolnikov decide to kill a woman It has this theory, a woman who is very mean a woman that everybody hates the one who's a scourge on society, a woman who is making your body's life miserable and he kills her and and and he stained any soil and and his bones waste away, and Here in his groaning all day long and when he finally confesses and he gets away with it, he does so well so great detective novels.

He does so well that he realizes he's gotten away with it that there there's not enough clues that the police will never find him and he, but he goes and confesses to the police anyway, and when he confesses he experiences such a joy that he feels like he never lived before then, because it's psalm thirty, two c. When I covered my sin, when I kept silent, my bones wasted away from my groaning all day long, then I acknowledge my sudden and did not cover up my iniquity and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Alison guilt is inevitable. Somebody says: well, that's interesting. Jeff, bridges, raskolnikov, in all the great literary figures, but they are all the guilty. These very, very big things. There are guilty of these very terrible things. That's not a problem for the rest of us! Yes, it is absolutely it's a problem for the rest of us.

You cannot live without guilt, you aren't living without guilt, Samuel Johnson, you know the famous samuel johnson, the biographer boswell samuel Johnson, the british kind of thinker, pundit type guy. He had all he felt tat. He had failed his father. He remembered something that he did wrong when he was a young boy. His father on market days kept a kind of a grocery store in the public square at oxford. Her and one day he asked they miss johnson ago and stay there for two hours and John. He never never got their years later. That represented all so many of his failures. His failures to love his father's failures to respect his father years later after his father was dead, trying to deal with his own guilt. One day, Samuel Johnson walked to the spot on the public square it out

exeter where his father's grocery store had been there for years and years and years ago, and in the pouring rain stood there bareheaded for two hours trying to do with his guilt? Couldn't do it? Well. That's not a very big sin know: why is it that the little sins are putting people in the metal institutions they do? Why is it you can't live without guilt there? What what is there about our hearts, but there they there it is, and before you get onto the what you know but before I get off of this real quickly here, let me just suggest that if anybody thinks that this is unnecessarily negative, say well, you know what you can deal with guilt. If you go to a good counselor. Let me ask a good question: are you saying all guilt feelings? All guilt feelings are false. Well, no, of course not look at risk illness cough, he thought all good fillings were false and he found out they weren't. Now. Let me ask you a question

If you don't say argued feelings are, for some things are truly, you should be guilty for you. On the other hand, you see that some good feelings are false. We're. you draw the line you just up your own mind. Go ahead. Try it! You don't have to be a severe raskolnikov to find out. You can't make up your own mind the conscience there. You do not programme your conscience, you honor it. You can't programme it. You can't just redefined it out of existence. What are you gonna? Do? There's a lot of things to do with guilt and we are all dealing with it, but here's the! Let me just give you a quick list of all things except repentance. Then we'll look at repentance. Let me give you a list of seven things. Some of the things that you're doing with your guilt, one is wayne shift. It's not my fault! My mother made me. Do it my father? Maybe do it my friends, let me do it No, I haven't these extenuating circumstances, blame shifting number to define it away, say it's not really wrong. Raskolnikov way, number three deaden yourself

medicated- go shopping, get drunk another, medicated do pleasurable things that try to forget. The pain number for here is a very important one: criticism and gossip and run other people down, get cynical. Why do you think there's an awful lot of talk about the fact that we don't trust power? actions in other ways to elect them back and why I think, I think, is important for us to feel that everybody's, a crooked makes us feel better about ourselves. Apps the it's important to say everybody's on take more than me. everybody sleeping around more than me, everybody's breaking promises more than me. That's how you do with it. Why do we like Why do we like it went away tv, and why do we, like magazines, tell us the dirt it's a way of dealing with your own guilt? Absolutely fifth, you try to achieve, you deal with you go by saying. Look at what I have achieved. Six you give incredibly generously, don't you think

So many of the guys- and I guess it s- little real women to so many guys that have made partner in the Firms in their honour third, wise and they ve got bitter children. all over the world? Why do you? They want their name on a hospital wing. Why are they being so generous see? So much of your anger is really give. So much of your shame is really give so much of your drive is really go. So much of your kindness is really guilt. So much of your bitterness so much of it so much of your cynicism so much the drive. You is really your way of dealing with guilt. How are you gonna do with it? None of these ways work. shifting defining it away dead yourself to criticise. In one of the people down over achieve give generously they won't work. One more thing, they won't work and that's penitence. What's penitence reading yourself up and say,

and I know I did wrong, but I'm going to show what a good person I am because I'm going to make myself miserable and I'm going to make myself feel miserable, and that shows that, even though I failed here, I must be an incredibly moral and good person where I wouldn't hate myself. The way I do that doesn't work either. What works repentance. Take a look quick here at the power of repentance. plus it is he who sins are forgiven whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man who sin the lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit, Allah makes you go you that the power of repentance is what look at verse five and look at verse one. I acknowledge my son and did not cover up my negative S. First, five adverse one presidency whose transgressions forgiven who sins are covered. Wait a minute, wait a minute hold it first five says I uncovered my sin and verse ones. and god covered it and that you will understand the power repentance there, it is

all this work about covering. What is all this talk about covering this is getting back to the root of our problem. This is getting to the root of what killed is all about. Do you remember that The worry I made. No noise is telling us about it. Everybody's in the genesis. Five hundred different new translations go re genesis, one two and three it's hot. You will look, you can even regenesis on the subway and nobody look at you funny you'll say: oh, you know he. She is with it. Okay, you won't have to be worried and when you get there, you will that I believe every single nightmare god naked uncovered. It was always ok and one god shows up and they dive into the bushes and they hide and gods is what wrong in item uneasy because I'm naked now? This is the best. I have truth because, as you know, I didn't say this bodies could have said, but Adam every night, you're naked, you're, always naked. If your

I think, because you're naked, why haven't you didn't before variable can't be the nakedness Adam. There's something else going on and here's what it is when he sinned. He couldn't stand transparency when Adam and eve sinned. They couldn't take naked whats naked nakedness. Is you don't control? What people see nakedness, as you are and cannot control makeup, doesn't help the nakedness of your notice. That makeup helps the face. It was incredible. Nakedness can't do too much about fat. Nakedness can't do too much about your naked body. Your nakedness means you have no control over what people see people see all the way in You ve lost control and until you sin there's no problem with that, why wasn't that suddenly, Adam and eve couldn't stand being looked at? They had to control what people saw they had hide. Well, we had a cover up. Why I tell you why? What is it

and what did they do when they said they decided to be lord of their own lives? Have you ever had a job that you are totally unqualified for? Have you ever had a job that you are absolutely under? while over underqualified for you just you, don't know this stuff, you don't know enough about it. You're going to be a nervous person, it can be a scared person, you're going to be a defensive person, you're going to be a person and no, no, above all, you know, when anyone looking over his shoulder. finding out how you made the decision to be made, and you see is how to be more of your own life. When you decide to be your own god, you know, and you heart of hearts in your soul of souls. You are not qualified for this job. You know you done wrong the way the theologians put it. The reason anatomy ducked was because they lost their the clothing that they had before, which as the original righteousness. What do we mean by that? One of the theologians mean Adam

didn't mind what people saw what Gaza, because what each other saw, because originally they were clothed with moral beauty, personal view they knew they were beautiful. They knew they were morally beautiful, they knew they were beautiful in every way and they did not mind being seen, but the minute they lost that righteousness, they couldn't stand being seen and what do they have to do? They began to cover The sums can profoundly shape the way you approach, god, even Jesus relied on the sands to face every situation, including death. Intimate happy killers, devotion of both the songs of Jesus you'll, find Lee readings through the psalms with fresh biblical insight. If you have, no personal life. Yet this book is a wonderful way to start and if you already spent time in study in prayer reading and praying through every first that the sums in help you just. a new level of intimacy with god, wilson determine caterpillars devotional. As our thanks for your get

gospel, unlike share the level Jesus with more people, just visit gospel a lifetime, tom slash, give that's gospel life dot com. Slash give now here Dr Keller, with the remainder of today's teaching, and one of the most profound things in the bible is, if you don't have is, is to understand yourself in light of genesis. Three Look at your life. Why are you some of you perfectionists? Why are some of you work holocaust? Why are some of you so worried about your boss? how you look. Why are so many of you actually spinning most I'm doing all the things we're talking about blame shifting and and running people down and being cynical you're, covering here, covering your nakedness you're, trying to patch up a right, business to deal with a with lost righteousness, you're trying to create a sense of being, to deal with a law sense of beauty and hiding desperately from what everybody says in policies, including yourself.

and god says that I believe, if you cover yourself I'll, never be able to cover you, but if you are willing to uncover yourself, if you are willing to be naked to me again, if you're willing to show me your sin and admit it, And make no excuses, then I will really truly cover you again. If you cover yourself, I will have to expose you. If you expose yourself, I will cover you and the old testament is filled with these incredible illusions: incredible allusions to it and metaphors, for example, had god says this is this is how it relates to his people, Israel, in exodus in pardon me in ezekiel. Sixteen, He makes a reference to to Israel his people, and he makes an allusion to the fact that in those days, very very often when a baby was born. If it was a girl baby, it was thrown out just thrown out and he says. Let me tell you how I relate to you.

White people. He says Jerusalem on the day you were born, your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, or were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in clothes? No, Looked on you with pity, or had compassion on you. Rather, you we're through- into the open field from the day, were born. You were despised and when I passed by You kicking about in your own blood, I said: do you live and I spread the corner of my garment and covered your nakedness, and I bet You with water and wash the blood from you and put ointment on you, I close with fine linen and your fame spread among the nations because of the splendor. I gave you to make your beauty perfect. How can you do that? He says a viewer. He says the ebony. If you expose yourself, I will cover I'll, make you beautiful again I'll give you back that view.

You won't have to spend all of your lives trying to cover trying to deal with that. Deep sense of shame. You know, ts Eliot has a very interesting spot where he believes that children are misbehave because they're already guilty and they want to be punished to deal with that he's. He says children aren't punished because just because they misbehave, then they misbehave, because we all have a primordial sense of guilt and sometimes in order to get the attention even punishment. Attention. It makes us feel better interesting theory, but I'll tell you this. I dunno! If it's, if you can apply it to child behavior, but I know in general, you can stand back and you can say we have a problem here is is very deep. In fact, you can look at your whole life and understand the strategies of your life, as you, trying to in a pitiful way, put together fig leaves to cover that sense of lost righteousness, and god says

Give it back to you only if you admit you don't have it at all. Only if you completely uncover go. I cover you. If you cover, I will have to expose you. How could you do that? How can I say it talks about, I say said I will rejoice. I will rejoice, for you have closed me with the garments of salvation and wrap me with a robe of righteousness. How can you do that? Well call tells us in romans, for when he quotes this song, the song thirty two, and this is what he says to the one who does not work but trust in god who justifies the wicked his faith is credit to him is anxiousness David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom, god credits righteousness apart from good works, less that are those whose transit actions are forgiven, who sins are covered, whose seeing the lord will never count against him, but Paul says in for chapter four romans.

Is the reason David knows this, though, doesn't understand all the reasons? Why is because the covering that, god this is not a cover up, not watergate cover up he's, not just saying. Well, I'm just not a cover up the since he imputes them, so place. He doesn't count them to you any more. The accounts them somewhere else. He sends them somewhere else to Jesus Christ, who was clothed in a sense with our arson. He was stripped naked as very important. Why did they cast lots for his garment? Why was the garment removed he was made naked, so we could be clothed now. Do you understand this? You honest and what repentance is at heart? If you look carefully, let me just go through nine things that believe it or not. In next five minutes, I am going to give you nine things, but it's going to be quickly, but if you take keep in mind what I'm saying you'll be what I just said

covering then you ll, be able to understand what real rights would repentance is repent he's not running in beating yourself, I'm his thing. I will change honest, honest, honest, honest, no, look! It goes like this. I just do it this way. Number one! First to hear no deceit. First thing be honest: no more deception, number to saving yourself number to saving every anybody else. First thing be honest. Secondly, use verse, three and four and think of the danger of sin. think about it. If you want to repent, admits yourself that there is a gilt going on here, that the reason for your bones wasting away in some cases literally the reason. The groaning that's going on, so it really the right

and for your loss of strength right now, don't psych over psychology eyes it. It could be underneath it's a sense of your nakedness and a desperate desire to cover it over. Think of the danger of that you're never going to be able to deal with it through blame shifting our overwork all sorts of generosity. You're, never gonna be able to do that. Since first be honest. Secondly, think of the danger of sin, but thirdly, oh boy. Thirdly, make sure look first, five that you really uncover, but with a view to verse tuna, six hiding in god, you see in verse five. It says I acknowledged my sin. I did not cover up my iniquity, but I want you to know that that is more than just saying I admit my behavior Danvers seven. You are my hiding place now here.

Is what I mean, if you really want to repent, is not enough to say I did something wrong. You have to ask yourself: why did you do it wrong. and the answer always is not just simply. I broke a rule, but I'm trying to cover my nakedness, I'm hiding in something I'm trying to close myself with something and only he can be my hiding place only he can be my clothing. Only heating over my nakedness. Only he can make me beautiful again of very very if you have, if you have lied, for example, just say lord, I lied, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm! So sorry, please help me. Why did you lie? You lied because something You're hiding place. I don't know what it is. Who knows you have to tell me is because something is a way for you to clothe yourself I'll, tell you something it's possible for people to go and repent and actually try to cover themselves. In a sense,

great figures by being so breastfeeding sale, or I will show you how your. I am over this and in a sense, you're trying to cover. office at letting him cover you? Well, you ve got to do is not just receive christians. Do not just repent of their sins. Viruses. Repent of their sins, religious people, repent of their sins, but christians also repent of their righteousness. You've heard me say that before and put it to you again the difference between a moralist and a christian every day, don't just repent christians and marvelous repent for their sinful behavior, but a christian goes underneath and repents, even for the things that you're doing as efforts to to create a righteousness of your own instead of relying on what Jesus has done for you and that's the reason why the sin underneath all the sin is always true. Four against sending against the grace of Jesus, the love of Jesus, say repenting over not loving him enough, and I was so interesting is there's a repentance. It says, oh lord, I blew it

I'm gonna get it all. Please help me as repentance. It says. Oh lord, I have not been willing to admit how much you love me. You see them You do that had melted, it makes you feel bad, but the minute it makes feel about it. Also bliss! You up, you see. And therefore what you really got to do is not just uncover your sin by repenting for the action verse five, but you have to hide in him. I have to say: where have I, hiding it's not an you. I wouldn't have done this so be honest. Think of a danger, uncover the behaviour Look at your motivation and basically repent of not hiding in him, hide in him now that was what two three four right. Let me keep on and how do you do that? Look at this number

five verse. Ten many are the woes of the wicked, but the lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. How can you be sure he'll? Forgive you his unfailing love Unfailing love you have to think about his oath. You have to think about. His promises. You have to think about. Is covenant, think about him. Think about the promise made to Abraham walking going between the peace saying, I will bless you even if I have to be ripped to pieces like these animals think of Jesus on the night and what she was betrayed. He said I will not eat or drink of the fruit of the vine until I eat and drink with you in the kingdom. That is an oath by the way. Friends, in the old days? If you said I'm going to do something and you made a solemn values that I will not eat again until the battle, I will not eat again until I've done this, they said I will not eat or drink with the people in the book of acts that they would they swore not to eat or drink till they kill snakes,

saint Paul now those are serious oath. I will not eat or drink till. I have done my duty and when Jesus says I will not eat or drink, he says I committed to you, I'm gonna die for you, I'm gonna eat or drink again until I've done it. You know one of the most moving things I ever read. one of my heroes, Jonathan Edwards, when he was dying and he was in a delirium, he got he got smallpox and he was in a delirium one of almost the last things he said when he was really out of his head. He's our looking around the room and start to say, and now he said, whereas Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never failing friend, in a delirium, You know, you know what in your delirium was in your heart of hearts comes out and he looks around. says, whereas use of Nazareth, my true and never failing my unfailing front job edwards had met. They did so long, on what all those promises made and what the lord supper means and what they, what the problem abraham means. God is saying, I will not fail you. Why are you here

like I will I, love, you why you acting as if I don't that's the sin, You're not hiding in may say you have to look at the covenant. You have to look at that. You have too few have to build yourself up. I've lost count, here's one more thing, verse number acres, I gotta stop inverse aid This is god speaking to the penitent. He says you are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble when verse, eight. Suddenly it says I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over. You do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle, where they will not come to you. That's god's speaking, and what god is really saying is don't be like a horse. In other words, why are you here you here because of consequences? Are you here because The consequences of yours in real repentance is not being sad about the consequences of this. In our way

I screwed up now, my life is all messed up. Real repentance is is is for the sin. Why? Because the consequences of sin is what's hurts you, but the sin is: what's hurt, god the one who died for you and if you feel your mind enough with the unfailing love you will find yourself in repentance going to him. The way you know a person who understands the gospel is repentance is not an isolated incident is not something that you're, tortures you it's not something that you hate. It's not it's. I noticed a number of religious people for whom repentance is like this stop breathing because for them the day in and day out of what really relate them to. God is being good and when you repent, you have to admit you're, not good, and it's almost like they stop breathing to repent. It's tortured. It's it's! It's! It's anomalous! It's it's bad! It's hard!

but if you're a christian and you understand the gospel repentance- is like starting to breathe again. Repents is like getting back to your roots and saying: oh, that's the reason why I have a relationship with god, not my performance, his performance, not my promises. His was not my past his past, not my record his record and therefore, when you get repentance when it says on that really sorry for the consequences and let it come? I need some consequences. I need some accountability, I'm sorry what I've done, the one who loved me- and that means that you're not like a horse or a mule, being dragged to god by the consequences of sin. But the person who understands the gospel is is a person who repents quickly repents joyfully repents, immediately repents constantly all of life is repentance, you're, looking forward to it when you meet,

but he like this boy, you know there's so teachable there so accessible their concentrating on you, they're, not self absorbed. You can talk to them and criticise them in and instead of beaten themselves up are getting real defensive. I say oh yeah and you and you find yourself getting closer and closer to us. It is the man who sends are forgiven whose sins are not counted against him. Who sins are covered, god says cover and I'll expose expose and I will cover and then you will lead a life of blessedness here it do. It must pray our father. We ask that you grant that. We know these things, but now we should do them. There's a place where Jesus says, though you know

is things now. Blessed are ye if you do them and for many of us we've we've been at redeemer for awhile we've heard about repentance before and for most of us we really don't see it as the first thing. We should do, it's always the last resort. It should be something we're eager to find instead of being forced on us. We don't want to be like a horse like a mule by bit and bridle forced to repent teach us to repent at the drop of a hat. Teach us to repent, joyfully teach us to repent and be more and more like your son, who is willing to humble himself and the more he humbled himself, the more exalted he was. We ask that the more we repent, the more we will find, Ironically and paradoxically, our joy being filled. We pray these things and Jesus name amen. Thanks for listening to gas button life and after college teaching and the holy spirit, you can get more content, like

they seeking when you connect with gospel life life on facebook, instagram grant you for twitter this month, sermons were recorded in nineteen, ninety seven and two thousand and thirteen the sermons and talks you hear on the gospel and live podcasts were preached from nineteen, eighty nine to two thousand and seventeen. While Dr Keller was new pasture ever deemer presbyterian church.