Welcome to Bible Believers Fellowship and the ministry of bbfohio.com as we begin our study titled, Repentance is Not Words. Any Christian who accuses you or me of preaching or believing in, quote, works of salvation, unquote, because you call on men to repent and believe the gospel, is a lying heretic. Repentance is not a work done by the sinner, but is the work of God in the sinner. We will prove that beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt in this study. If you have any questions, comments, or prayer requests, you can send those by email to bbfohio at protonmail.com Or you can send those along with any check or money order donations to contribute to this ministry by addressing them to Bible Believers Fellowship PO Box 662 Worthington, Ohio 43085 You can also donate at our website bbfohio.com Use the PayPal donation button to the right on the desktop version or use the drop-down menu in the mobile version. Also, remember you can listen to our Bible studies and good congregational singing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at bvfohioradio.com. Now we begin our study titled, Repentance is Not Words. This is Part 1 of 2. Alright. there you go the current events update I left that light off on purpose. I hope that helps you see it a little better. I just want to talk about this for a minute as our current events update. We're getting steady. Trump has made some waves in that shot. The fact is that John McCain peddled the fake dossier, garbage, to the media and the FBI just as as Donald Trump said. Now, Trump then responds with understandable and legitimate outrage. You know, when someone does something so ridiculously, put it this way, if Donald Trump had done what John McCain did, let's say he had done that to Hillary, it would be 24-7 calling for his impeachment. But John McCain did it, and he's in thick with the liberals. So President Donald Trump ripped the late Senator John McCain on Sunday for passing on the bogus opposition dossier to the FBI and the media. Trump mocked McCain for being, quote, last in his class. after reading reports that the deceased senator and his associate David Kramer helped spread the dossier compiled by Christopher Steele to reporters and government officials. Quote, this is Trump, so it was indeed just proven in court papers last in his class at Annapolis, John McCain, that sent the fake dossier to the FBI and media hoping to have it printed before the election. He and the Dems worked together, failed as usual. I just, I can't help it, I love Donald Trump. I mean, you know, some people have this sense of duty that they have to act like they don't love their president. I never thought I would. I never thought I'd have a president I could say, I love this guy, but man, I love this guy. If the news media were really concerned about Russian interference in our elections, that's what this whole thing we've spent, I don't know how many millions on this Mueller investigation and millions being spent by Congress. Because they act like they're concerned with Russian interference in our elections. If they really were concerned about that, they'd condemn John McCain. But he's a hero. See, that's my point. This isn't about John McCain and Donald Trump. This is about the fact that over and over, I'm going to repeat until the rapture, we live in an Orwellian society. Our news media is fake. They are the enemy of the people. The people have got to wake up to that reality. This news media, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and that includes the locals. Most of the locals are just like airheads and they sit there and read the script and if you ask them a question, they can't even answer it. But when you talk to the ones who can, you'll find out that they are rank liberals. They get into journalism in order to be propagandists. They don't get into journalism so they can report the news from an unbiased, You know, clear, fair, they get into this because they say they want to make a difference. And what they mean by that is being a social justice warrior, SJW. So instead of condemning John McCain, they condemn Donald Trump for his justified outrage at McCain. Now think about that. Here's just a sample of the headlines. Trump renews a tax on John McCain months after Senator's death. Trump attacks McCain, who died last year, over dossier leak. Trump lashes out at McCain seven months after the Senator's death. Trump attacks McCain over dossier, and poor little Megan, she swipes back, makes it look like she's going... The fact that a man is dead does not excuse his criminal acts. John McCain, that's who tried to undermine our democratic elections. John McCain tried to undermine our elections. Not Donald Trump. He did it with a fake dossier, political intrigue, and lie after lie that he took to his grave. All to try to undo the will of the American people. John McCain is our Benedict Arnold. Benedict Arnold was a war hero too. before he became a traitor, just like John McCain. And I don't care who don't like it because the guy's dead. He's a creep. I've told people for years, if you look at the way John McCain treated POW and MIA families, if you don't know about that, you need to look it up. He treated them like dirt. And he, back when he ran for president against Bush, he slammed Christians for being involved in politics. Slammed them. and basically declared Jerry Falwell and some of those guys, Pat Robertson, his enemies. This guy is bad news. There's no evidence of him being saved and there's no evidence that he recanted or repented of any of this stuff before he died. On the Obama thing, the last thing he did was make sure that he got the attention of the world, because that's what he's after. He's a political whore is what he is. And he got the attention of the world by voting down Obamacare reform. So that's in times of apostasy. This is what it's all about. You're going to see this. John Kasich's one of these guys. And Jeb Bush and all the Bushes. Jeremiah 9-5, and they will deceive everyone as neighbor and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies and weary themselves to commit iniquity. And that's going on in politics, it's going on in the news media, and it's going on in the pulpits. And we're gonna talk about something right at that line as we get into our Bible study. So let's open the word of prayer and then we'll get into the study tonight. Father, we thank you, Lord, for this time. We open the book. We thank you that you've given us discernment. We pray that more churches will discuss the current events so their people won't be ignorant. and that there'll be more education and information, that people can not walk around like zombies, and when they're asked a question, just give you a blank stare. We ought to be able to discuss the events of our time, the events of history, the events of politics, the events of religion, the events of culture, and be able to engage and give an intelligent answer, as we read last week, As Peter said, we should give an answer for the hope that is in us. And Lord, our hope is not in this world. We are so thankful that this is not our home. We're just passing through. Help us, Lord. Help us to fight the fight, to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. And we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, I said we're going to start Acts 5, 29 to 32, and the title of the message or the study tonight is Repentance Is Not Works. And we'll discuss as we go through this some of the things that are taught about this, but just to give you an idea of why this is important, number one, I've been asked about this numerous times in the last few weeks. The reason I'm asking is because there's a growing number of men, pastors and so-called soul winners, who want to preach the gospel and tell people, flat out tell people, that they do not need to repent of sins. That there's no repentance, and a lot of them don't even mention repentance, and they say there's no repentance when it comes to the gospel. And when someone like me or some of my friends in the ministry do preach and call on people to repent toward God with faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, as we'll see I'm quoting scripture there, they'll accuse us of preaching a works salvation. And some will even say that we're teaching lordship salvation, which proves they're just ignorant and they don't know what those words mean. I should have used that meme. You've seen that meme where the guy says, because in the Princess Bride where the guy says, you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. And that's what a lot of guys do with words and phrases like lordship salvation. Before we read, I just want to lay down the groundwork. The word repentance, that's the definition most teachers today will tell you is that's the definition for repentance, change of mind. Now, they get that out of going to the corrupt Greek lexicons. They don't get it from the Bible. When you see repentance in the Bible, and we're not going to do a study across the board of repentance tonight, we've done that in the past, we'll do it in the future. But if you do that study, you'll see that repentance is not just a change of mind, Repentance in the Bible, and that's the thing, let the Bible define its own terms. And the repentance in the Bible is a change of mind and heart that leads to a change of action. And they'll say, well, you're teaching works salvation. No, you have a reading comprehension issue. Just tell them that. Change of mind and heart that leads to a change of action. The action isn't repentance. The action is what repentance results in. See the difference? There is a difference. So here in Acts 5 beginning verse 29, it's a great passage to memorize. Verse 29 says, Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. That's a great verse to remember. We quoted that in our study in Colossians recently. Let's go ahead and read. Start with verse 29 with me and read that again and then go all the way through verse 32. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him. Now in verse 31, Tell me if I'm wrong, if I'm mistaken, but I believe it says that him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, which I love that. Next words say, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Now, does it say God gives repentance there? That's how I read it. for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Is everyone in agreement? It says God gives repentance. Is that what it says? God gives repentance. Now, wasn't that easy? We can close our books. We're done. Repentance is something given by God. And my phone's, that's a reminder for me to take my medicine. I forgot to turn it off. Now, if I give you something, it is a gift, right? What? Most likely? Which is a gift, that's right. That's the point. If I just give it to you. Now, how many of you had a cookie? We got those cookies downstairs, all right. Now, how many of you paid for them? Did you put the money on the table? You didn't see the sign? No, those were a gift. So you just took them, right? Yeah. But if I had put a sign down there telling you you had to give something to get or do something to get, it wouldn't be a gift anymore, right? See, that's what people just are... it's that simple. Peter and the other eleven apostles spoke as one. Now look at it, verse 29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered. So they're speaking as a unit here. I believe Peter is probably the mouthpiece. But they're in unity here. And they say that repentance is a gift. All the apostles present here in Acts 5 agree with that. Now you got the hyper-dispensationalists and some say, well this wasn't Paul. And they make a, they say that after Acts 9 or some say after Acts 15 and some even go further than that, following the teachings of Bullinger. And they'll say that until then, this doesn't mean anything. Well, first of all, it doesn't matter as far as the definition of repentance being a gift. That much is clear, amen? Alright, so that's where we're going to make our first point. Repentance is a gift. It's not works, it's a gift. God gives repentance, not only in the book of Acts chapter 5, but look at 2 Timothy chapter 4. I'm sorry, chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2 is a Pauline epistle. Start in verse 24, I'll read that verse while you turn there. And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, and patient. Now that doesn't mean that men are supposed to be feminine and it doesn't mean you have to blow kisses and all that. People translate that, be gentle unto all men. I'm nothing against the guy but everybody thinks you're supposed to be like Mr. Rogers. He was talking to little children. Amen? But, moving on, that's for another time. Verse 25, read verses 25 and 26 with me. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Now again, can it be any more clear? It says if God, per adventure, will give them repentance. So repentance is a gift, amen? I know some of you are looking at me like, why are we even having to study this? I'm telling you, this is one of the major things that is causing churches to go to the pit. Now, the church of Jesus Christ, the gates of hell will not prevail. Amen? That's not true about local churches. And I can take you to a number of local churches right here in Worthington who have gone to hell. They once had preachers who preached the gospel and called on sinners to repent, and then they stopped preaching against sin and calling on sinners to repent, and then one thing leads to another, and they're a bastion of hell and Sodom. That's where you're going to take your churches if you stop preaching what God has told us to preach. Amen? Now God could not give it if it were a work. I know I'm rephrasing things, I'm putting it in different ways, but it's to help you think this through. When you talk to these people, you'll have to speak to them. Maybe you do have to be like Mr. Rogers and talk to them like children. Because they have a real hard time with this. To the point they accuse me of being a false preacher and a false teacher. There are people out there who have made videos and told people I'm a heretic. Now it doesn't matter to me because anybody who picks up a Bible can see the truth of the matter. But I feel sorry for those people. Titus 3.5 makes it clear, not by works of righteousness which we have done. but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." So as we see that we're told to preach the gospel and call on men to repent, then repentance is not a work. It's not by works of righteousness, which we have done. Here are some things that are works, just for clarity. I had somebody here recently that was removed, dismissed, asked to leave, or however you want to say it, because they insisted on trying to convert me and then others here to the idea that baptism saves. Baptism does not save. We are baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost because we are saved, not in order to be saved. Partaking of the Lord's Supper. There are Roman Catholics and others who think that that's how they received Jesus. So you better be careful if you're preaching the gospel and you say, have you received Jesus? There are those people who say, yes, I've received Jesus. And you're thinking, praise the Lord, they're saved. And in their mind, they're thinking of the time they took that wafer from the priest and drank the wine from the priest. And that's how they received Jesus. Sorry, but that's not it. Church membership. There are people who died and went to hell thinking that because their name was on the rolls, that's not the roll you want to be on. When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. Amen? Church membership, don't get it. Tithes and offerings. There are people who think they can live like the devil, and then when they die, they leave a lot of money and leave part of their life insurance and part of their estate to the local church or whatever, thinking that's going to help get them in. And that's not going to work. Johnny? you get saved in order to join the church. Well, that's the body of Christ universal. We're talking about local churches and the role in the church office. Yeah, it's true. If you're in the body of Christ, then you are saved, but that's not what saved you. You're in the body of Christ because you're saved, not in order to be saved. Even preaching the gospel. You know there are going to be people in hell who preach the gospel. Judas. Judas preached the gospel and he's in hell. Never knew you. They didn't lose their salvation, they never had it. Amen? Discipleship. They're going to be people who went through discipleship training, got a little certificate, and all that sort of thing, and they'll still go to hell. Ain't that something? Church work. You can show up on church cleaning days. Brother Dan put the little stripes out there that keeps us from making the parking lot look like a bunch of drunks. We try to get in between the lines and everything, but Dan didn't do that thing that's going to save his soul. Did you? Amen. So, comparing repentance to those things. Repentance is something that happens inside your heart, for starters. It's not a work. When the Bible talks about works for salvation, it's talking about things you do. And they cheapen the discussion by making an act like, there's people who even say that if you prayed a prayer when you got saved that you were, that's a work and you weren't saved. Do you know that? There are people getting people to come forward and get saved and really getting saved again. Just because when some soul winner led them to the Lord, they had them say a prayer. The prayer doesn't save, but the Bible does teach, all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now, I believe you do that because you're saved. The moment you're saved, then you want to talk to the Father. And to say that that's a work, that there are people out there saying that saying a prayer is a work, and so if you said a prayer when you got saved, you probably aren't even saved. Yeah. See, that's kind of nonsense that you have to... Now, I know some of you may have never even heard some of this stuff, but I'm telling you, if you live much longer on the earth, I think you're going to hear a lot of this. God produces repentance through His Word. You receive His Word, and you will repent. So the problem is people don't receive his word. That's the problem. Doug and I have had this discussion recently. I've talked to John Albaugh about it, because we've gone out and done the ministry. We've gone, you know, you go out and preach the gospel, you do street ministry, go door-to-door, whatever. Man, when I was a kid in the 80s, especially the early 90s when I got saved, we used to see people getting saved. I mean, there's people getting saved like every, you know, every few weeks at least. Well now, you don't see that. You hardly ever see that. Hardly at all. So, I'm going to throw this in there for free. I think that's some of the reason why these guys don't preach repentance. Because they figure if they don't bring up sin, and don't call on men to repent, and they say, all you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross and was buried and rose again. You believe that? Yes. Well say this little prayer with me. And a little one, two, three, repeat after me thing. And they can brag about how many people they led to the Lord. I've thought about that. I know this one guy who's boasted of thousands, he said, he's led to the Lord. And then when he told me how he did it, I'm thinking, what a sham. Won't that be something if Jesus says, you know, because I'm not saying the guy's not saved. So let's say he's at the judgment seat of Christ. Then Jesus says, come up here, pal. All right, everybody, you said, how many people did you tell people you said you led to the Lord? Led to me. He's talking, not me, but you know. And you go, 15,000? Really? Okay. Would all those 15,000 who were led to the Lord by this fellow come forward? And see one here, and one there, and one there, and maybe 20. And now, how many of you were talked to by him and then later got led to the Lord? Maybe more. Because maybe that did help plant a seed or something. But ain't that going to be something some of these guys get up to heaven and don't see their converts? Because they wanted numbers instead of preaching the pure gospel message and then calling on men to repent? That's what I think is going to happen to a lot of these guys. Now this is what I said, that you receive his word and you will repent. 1 Thessalonians 2.13, quoted often, should be on your memory list if you're memorizing scripture. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, he's talking about the apostles, ye received it not as the word of men. You getting that? But as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. That's how, just break it down. They have to receive it. And they have to receive it not as the Word of men. There are a lot of people who read the Bible, and we'll talk to you about the Bible, but they think it's just a book written by holy men. It's a good book. It's not infallible, it's not inerrant, but it's a good book. A lot of people say that. They can't be saved. This is something I get flack for saying, I'm going to keep saying it. A liberal cannot be saved until they repent of being a liberal. Because a liberal, by definition, does not believe this book is the Word of God. And that verse says that you have to receive it as the Word of God. And the more liberals you see, And even in politics, a lot of the conservatives, they're liberals in religion.