Repentance as an Act of Worship

 REPENTANCE?! UGH! That's like the dirty word in our current culture - both national culture and church culture.  It's typically not a happy little Christianese word because let's face it, how fun is it to admit you might be wrong about something, especially in a culture that wants everyone to believe that we're all okay and naturally good with your truth vs my truth, etc. and yada yada yada. Nonsense! We're all not okay nor naturally good. Place an Oreo in front of a 4 year old and tell her she can't have it. GOODNESS goes right out the window, quickly replaced by selfish, instant gratification. This is the core of humanity! 

I've been studying the story of John the Baptist in Matthew 3 in a Bible study I attend. John's message was very simple:  "Repent for the Kingdom of  God is coming!" His life mission was to prepare the way for Jesus by making paths straight for Him, like they'd do for the roads when a king would come to town. Only John wasn't sent to straighten roads. He was sent to straighten hearts.

Repentance is so much more than admitting your sin or the areas of your heart that need straightening out for the King. It's so much more weightier than that. Included in a repentant heart is humility, an admitting upon self-examination that the way you're going isn't working or holy and it's time to choose a different way - God's way. Repentance comes down to this - who is on the throne of my heart...my sin or my God? Repentance is the act of removing my sinful self off the throne and placing the King of kings back on it. In essence, repentance is an act of worship...a "crown Him with many crowns" moment. Because of this, it can't be a one time thing, but rather, it needs to be a daily or moment-to-moment worship event! 

Let the King of my heart
Be the wind inside my sails
The anchor in the waves
Oh, He is my song
Let the King of my heart
Be the fire inside my veins
The echo of my days
Oh, He is my song

How can we sing the lyrics to a song like this while sin holds the kingdom of our hearts? Unconfessed sin makes for a very crowded throne room that is meant to be a dwelling place for Jesus. If we call ourselves worshipers of Jesus, then we (I) must be masters of repentance, a professional, Olympic champion of repentance!  

I've heard that the church, in order to be seeker friendly or progressive it's called these days, we shouldn't talk about repentance. We don't want people to feel judged or uncomfortable.  Oh man! Please, Jesus, come and make me uncomfortable! Search me Oh God and find ANY, ALL ways within me that would crowd You out of Your rightful place as the King of my heart. This is freedom. This is the cross. This is what He died for and this is what He's worthy of. He will not be made to bow to my lifestyle. His Word will not be made to fit into my thinking.  No. Bend me, Jesus, that You will be worshiped through my life. 

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