Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/ccbrighton/sermons/87916/dealing-with-regret/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Welcome members and friends of Calvary Church Brighton, a growing evangelical church, preaching, teaching and living the gospel of Jesus Christ today. [0:10] ! We also welcome those who might be visiting, whether you are in Bilariki or Bangkok, you are most welcome. My name is Mark Rayfield, for those that do not know me, a member of this church. [0:23] Our desire is that the Lord would use these broadcasts to strengthen his church so that we will not drift away from him during this strange season and to reveal himself to those who are seeking. [0:40] If you would like to contact the church for any reason, just search online Calvary Church Brighton and there you'll find the details. Firstly, a word of encouragement. As most know, we are entering new challenges as a church, especially in terms of leadership. [1:00] However, we must keep going and not give in to despair, as we will be thinking about tonight. We have recently been challenged to keep our eyes on Jesus and live our lives to the glory of God. [1:15] In this season of uncertainty, we might not know what the future holds, but as we look ahead, we should be active in our faith. A number of things that we can do that we have recently been reminded of. [1:32] One is to live each day to the glory of God, whatever situation we are in. The other is to fix our eyes on Jesus. [1:44] And the last, to be prayerful whilst trusting that he is sovereign. All these things we have seen lived out in such a God-honouring way in our fellowship over the last 18 months. [1:59] This is a life that is faithful to God, without regret, where we can say, this is the day that the Lord has made. [2:12] We will rejoice and be glad in it. And use our time to honour and serve him. The Bible is full of examples of lives well lived. [2:23] But tonight we are going to hear about one which faces a tragic end. I'd like to read Philippians 3, verses 13 and 14. [2:37] Paul says this. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. [2:50] I press on towards the goal to win their prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. One of our elders often uses the phrase press on, which is used by Paul in these verses. [3:09] This metaphor of the life being a race and finishing well is a great help to us as believers. I remember running the 400 metres on sports day when I was 16. [3:22] I was disadvantaged as I was in the outside lane, lane 8. So I wouldn't be able to see any of the other competitors until the last stretch. Thankfully, the best runner in my year group wasn't running for some reason. [3:37] And I had a lovely pair of light athletic spikes to help. I did not expect to win the race, but I flew around the track like Eric Liddell. And as I came down the home straight, the crowd was cheering me on loudly. [3:52] I can still remember that feeling which was out of this world. A huge encouragement that greatly helped me reach the finishing line. I couldn't believe it. I had won the 400 metres and done it in less than a minute. [4:07] The exhilaration was immense. Brothers and sisters, be encouraged as you run the race. Let us spur one another on and let us endeavour to finish well. [4:19] Let us fix our eyes on Christ and press on, not looking back, but straining towards what is ahead. We have many challenges going forward as a church, but the Lord will help us and provide for us. [4:34] Our first song is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson. A sober line in the last stanza is prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. [4:49] Prone to leave the gods I love. This is thought to be particularly autobiographical, referring to Robson's early life, when his mother sent him to London to be an apprentice as a barber. [5:03] It was during this time, apparently, that he associated with a notorious gang of hoodlums and lived a debauched life. Until he came under the influence of Whitefield. [5:17] Perhaps this evening you are feeling like this, prone to wonder. May you fix your eyes on Christ and not go off the narrow path. Let us sing together. [5:27] Here I raise my Ebenezer. [6:24] Hither by thy help I've come. And I hope by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. [6:38] Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. [6:58] O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be. Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. [7:17] Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it. [7:32] Seal it for thy courts above. On that day when, free from sinning, I shall see thy lovely face. [7:48] Full arrayed in blood-washed linen, how I'll sing thy sovereign grace. Come, my Lord, no longer tarry. [8:02] Bring thy promises to pass. For I know thy power will keep me till I'm home with thee at last. [8:16] Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we praise you for who you are. [8:29] Thank you that you are a shepherd who cares for his sheep. Lord, with this uncertain time period, we come to you and we realize that we can despair. [8:45] Lord, we might be feeling different feelings this evening, but we know that you are sovereign and that you know the beginning from the ends. [8:56] You're the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. And we want to praise you that we can give our lives to you. Lord, we do not know what a day brings, what a week will bring, but we know that you are there beside us, looking after us. [9:13] Lord, we are sheep, we are prone to wander, and we need your loving care. Lord, I pray if there's anybody tonight listening to this that is wandering, that you would bring them to yourself, bring them back onto the narrow path. [9:28] Oh, Lord, you're such a good God to us. Thank you for keeping us this last week. Thank you for being with us through the highs and the lows. And Lord, we confess our sin to you. [9:40] We are so prone to sin, Lord. And we ask that you would forgive the things that we have done and the things that we should have done. And we give you thanksgiving. [9:53] We thank you for these opportunities during this strange season. Unexpected opportunities. We thank you for these broadcasts that go out that can reach anybody around the world. [10:08] We thank you for the street evangelism that goes on weekly here in Brighton. We thank you for the people that we meet. Lord, please keep bringing people along. [10:18] And also the people that we've seen, may you keep on bringing them along so that we might be able to proclaim you and save these lost sheep in this city. [10:29] We thank you for how you've kept us safe as a church during this season. And we want to praise you. We come in supplication as well. [10:43] We there are lots of things we can pray for. We particularly pray for our elder Chris Fry, for his wife Katie and Mitchie. Lord, Chris's desire is that he finishes well. [10:58] And we pray that for us as well. And we pray that we would be overcomers in our lives as we battle against sin. That we would serve to the end. [11:09] And we would have forever capacity that we have. That we stick close to you in every circumstance. Lord, that we will continue to serve you. [11:20] We pray especially that for Chris. That we would keep watch and protection over our lips, our attitude and our behavior. That we would cause no one to stumble in any way. [11:34] And we particularly pray for those that have heard the gospel over these last 19 months. By the testimony Chris has given. That their hearts would be melted. [11:46] And that they would cry out to Jesus. Oh Lord, be with us. The rest of this service in Jesus name. Amen. Okay. [11:57] Now we're going to sing our second song. How Deep the Father's Love by Stuart Townend. In the last stanza it says. I will not boast in anything. [12:10] No gifts, no power, no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection. Stuart is quoting Paul in 2 Corinthians. Paul could boast of lots of things. [12:23] He was an apostle. A learned Jew. He had done amazing things. And he had suffered much. Though he decided, no, I am going to boast in Jesus Christ. [12:38] This is challenging and difficult to sing. But we should sing it. Can we sing it? Can we boast in Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection. [12:50] Let's sing together. How deep the Father's love for us. [13:06] How vast beyond all measure. That he should give his only son. To make a wretch his treasure. [13:20] How great the pain of searing loss. The Father turns his face away. [13:30] As wounds which mother chosen one. Bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross. [13:45] My sin upon his shoulders. Ashamed I hear my mocking voice. Call out among the scoffers. [13:59] It was my sin that held him there. Until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life. [14:13] I know that it is finished. I will not boast in anything. [14:24] No gifts. No power. No wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ. [14:35] His death and resurrection. Why should I gain from his reward. I cannot give an answer. [14:49] But this I know with all my heart. His wounds have paid my ransom. No wisdom. Okay let's read our passage. [15:06] From Matthew 27 verses 1 to 10. And please keep this open during the sermon. Because you should check what I'm saying is true to the Bible. [15:17] Like the Bereans they search the scriptures. And if there's anything erroneous I'm saying. Then you can get back to me. So let's read Matthew chapter 27 verses 1 to 10. [15:30] For those that are listening. That have. That don't know. We have been going through Matthew in the evenings. And we have got to chapter 27. Early in the morning. [15:45] All the chief priests and the elders of the people. Came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him. Led him away. And handed him over to Pilate the governor. [15:57] When Judas who had betrayed him. Saw that Jesus was condemned. He was seized with remorse. And returned the 30 silver coins. To the chief priests and the elders. [16:09] I have sinned he said. For I have betrayed innocent blood. What is that to us? They replied. That's your responsibility. So Judas threw the money. [16:22] Into the temple and left. Then he went away. And hanged himself. The chief priests. Picked up the coins. And said. It is against the law. [16:33] To put this into the treasury. Since it is blood money. So they decided. To use the money. To buy the potter's field. As a burial place. [16:43] For foreigners. That is why. That is why. It has been called. The field of blood. To this day. Then what was spoken. By Jeremiah the prophet. Was fulfilled. [16:55] They took. The 30 silver coins. The price set on him. By the people of Israel. And they used them. To buy the potter's field. As the Lord. [17:07] Commanded me. This is the words. Of the Lord. Let's pray for the message. Heavenly Father. We come to your word now. [17:18] I realize that. I am. A fallible human being. Prone to error Lord. But we thank you. That you use. People. [17:30] To. Expound your truth. And. We. Thank you. That you've given us your words. And we pray now. That you would help us. To listen to your word. Attentively. [17:41] Lord. This is not just. A book. That's being explained. This is your words. So. If we're tired tonight. Please help us. [17:53] Not to be distracted. But to hear your voice. Lord. By your Holy Spirit. Please help speaker. And listener alike. In Jesus name. Amen. So. [18:05] Lessons to be learned from Judas. Part two. Dealing with regrets. How do you deal. With your regrets. King. Gwek. [18:15] Iav. Or better known. As. Comrade. Dutch. Who recently died. Sent thousands of people. To their death. In the killing fields. Of Cambodia. [18:27] He was in charge. Of the notorious. Toll slaying prison. In the 1970s. Where enemies. Or perceived enemies. Of the state. Of their regime. [18:40] The barbaric. Mayos regime. Were detained. And over extended periods. Tortured. Into confessing their crimes. Once. Once their confessions. Were deemed complete. [18:51] They were sent. To the killing fields. Where they were smashed. To death. On a list. Of 17 children. And teenagers. He scribbled the words. Kill them all. [19:02] How terrible. In 1999. He was found. In a remote corner. Of Cambodia. Working. As. A. Humanitarian. Aid worker. [19:13] And interestingly. As a lay preacher. Apparently converting. Cambodians. To Christ. He confessed. His heinous crimes. And admitted. That most. [19:24] Most detainees. Had been innocent. Of the charges. Against them. He claimed. To feel remorse. And begged. For forgiveness. In the end. [19:35] He got a life sentence. Most humans. Feel remorse. If not all. From Cambodia. Military officials. To Spanish midwives. And none more so. [19:46] Than Judas Iscariot. But how did he deal. With this. How should we. Deal. With regret. Matthew. [19:57] Has placed. This account. Of Judas. For a reason. No other gospel. Writer. Includes it. In their books. And there. Are many lessons. To be learned. [20:07] From Judas. So that we may not. Fall. Into the same trap. As he did. We must learn. From his mistakes. Seek always. To honor Christ. And not drift. [20:18] Away from him. So let's look at the background. From Judas. From part one. Let's recap. From Ben's. [20:29] Earlier. Homily. On Matthew. He taught us. That. Judas. Was a covetous man. Who betrayed Christ. For several reasons. Firstly. For money. We learned. [20:40] That he stole. From the purse. A thief. And betrayed Christ. For 30. Silver coins. Not a massive sum. Incidentally. He was disillusioned. [20:51] Secondly. With Jesus. Perhaps he thought. He would be. A political figure. To rescue them. From the Romans. Thirdly. For his own self-preservation. To save himself. [21:03] From suffering. As a disciple. Of Christ. And lastly. Because he felt resentful. Of the fact. That he had been exposed. By Christ. For who he was. At Bethany. [21:14] When a woman. Poured perfume. On Christ's head. I recommend. That you listen. To that sermon. To get a real feel. Of who. Jesus. Judas was. If you have not. [21:25] Already. Remember. That Judas. Had been with. Jesus. Throughout his. His ministry. Which had been around. Three years. He had seen the signs. Miracles. [21:37] Seen the demons flee. Blind people restored. The sick healed. He must have known. Jesus. And the other. Disciples. Really well. Living life together. [21:47] Throughout Judea. Hearing. And preaching. The good news. Of the kingdom of God. He would have been one. To have witnessed. If there was any charge. [21:58] Against Christ. He had been in a very privileged. Position. To be one of Christ's apostles. Well my first point. Is false. [22:10] Repentance. False repentance. Repentance. Why has Matthew. Included. This interlude. In his narrative. Well. I think. [22:20] One reason is. To juxtapose. Judas. With Peter. Who we learnt about. Last week. Judas. His story. Is one. Of false. Repentance. [22:32] What does that look like? Let us get into the text. So you've got it. With me. With you. Sorry. Look at chapter 27. Verses. [22:43] Two. To five. Let's read them. They bound him. Led him away. And handed him over. To Pilate. The governor. When Judas. [22:54] Who had betrayed him. Saw that Jesus. Was condemned. He was seized. With remorse. And returned. The thirty silver coins. To the chief priests. And the elders. I have sinned. He said. [23:04] For I have betrayed. Innocent blood. What is that to us? They replied. That is your responsibility. So Judas. Threw the money. Into the temple. [23:15] And left. Then he went away. And hanged himself. Perhaps. Judas. Thought. That Christ. Would never die. Through his betrayal. Because in these verses. [23:27] It seems that. Judas. Was shocked. When he sees. Christ. Bound. And being led away. To Pilate. In verse two. He is seized. [23:37] With remorse. Another translation. Says. Regret. He regretted it. In older translations. It says. [23:48] Repent. Or maybe. He did think. This could happen. But it still. Hit him hard. Seeing the one. He had followed. In an undignified way. [24:00] Seemingly. Going to his death. A former preacher. Writes. It is possible. For a man. Or woman. To feel their sins. Be sorry for them. [24:11] Be under strong conviction. Of guilt. Express deep remorse. To be pricked. In conscience. And exhibit. Much distress. Of mind. And yet. [24:22] For all this. Not repent. With their heart. God. Like Judas. Saul. Saul. Is another person. Who repents. Falsely. [24:33] When he has sinned. Against the Lord. And has selfishly. Kept the spoil. In 1 Samuel 15. Instead of. Annihilating the enemy. Which he was told to do. [24:45] He keeps the plunder. I have sinned. He says. But words are not enough. Unlike David. There is no evidence. Of a contrite heart. [24:57] As later. We see him. Wanting to be reinstated. By Samuel. For his own good. To be honoured. By the elders. And the people. Saul. [25:08] Was a selfish man. Words. Are all too easy. To say. There must be. A sincere. Apology. To God. And a real change. Real obedience. [25:19] Is needed. We must be. Genuinely sorry. For what we have done. And seek not to do it again. It must be a godly sorrow. Secondly. [25:33] The result. Of folks. Repentance. Verse 5. I'll read it again. It says. So Judas. Through the money. [25:44] Into the temple. And left. Then he went away. And hanged himself. Judas. As a result. Of his false repentance. Despairs. [25:55] Indignantly. Throws the money. Back. Into the temple. And kills himself. We read. He was obviously. Angry. And perhaps. Wanted to blame. The chief priests. [26:07] For this awful treachery. It's your fault too. You're a part of this. In Acts 1. 18. Peter. Peter. Is talking to the disciples. [26:17] And says. With the payment. He received. Judas. That is. For his wickedness. Judas. Bought a field. There. He fell. Headlong. [26:29] His body. Burst open. And his. And all his. Intestines. Spilled out. Everyone. In Jerusalem. Heard about this. So they called. That field. [26:39] In their language. Akeldama. That is. Field of blood. So from these. Texts. It shows. How Jesus. Died. [26:49] By hanging. Himself. And the result. In Acts. Is that his body. Fell to the floor. And opened out. This would be the case. If he hanged himself. [27:00] In the valley. Of Hinnom. As some say. There are trees. That hang. Over the precipices. There. And there is a sizable drop. To the valley floor. [27:12] What a sad end. To one of Christ's. Disciples. In the end. His sin. Found him out. This is a prime. [27:23] Example. Of those. Who live. In ungodliness. They are never. Genuinely. Happy. The money. He had stolen. And had got through. [27:34] His treachery. Gave him much. Discomfort. In Galatians. Six. Verse eight. It says. Whoever sows. To please. [27:45] Their flesh. From the flesh. Will reap. Destruction. Whoever sows. To please. The spirits. From the spirits. Will reap. Eternal life. It's pleasures. [27:58] Are for a season. That is sin. But it's wages. Reap corruption. And death. We see this. Regularly. On the news. [28:09] Celebrities. Ending their lives. Unhappy. In their sin. Judas. Is an example. Of an ignoble. End to a life. Which seemed to be. [28:21] Full of promise. And opportunity. That ended badly. He finished. His race. Tragically. Thirdly. True repentance. [28:34] We saw. Last week. That Peter. Having disowned. Christ. Three times. Goes outside. And weeps. Bitterly. In chapter. [28:44] 26. Verse. 75. He feels. Remorse. Yet. Peter's. Is different. As he. Evidently. [28:54] Confesses. His sin. And comes back. To Christ. After. Jesus's. Resurrection. He is. Restored. Peter. Is reinstated. As an apostle. And is. Forgiven. [29:05] His guilt. Is taken. On the cross. His. Repentance. Is genuine. A restoration. Occurs. Later. In John. Chapter 21. Peter states. [29:17] You know. That I love you. Lord. His. Is a temporary. Lapse. As Aaron said. In his sermon. Last week. The Lord Jesus. Had prayed. [29:27] For him. Previously. That he would. Turn back. And he did. True. Repentance. The Puritan. Brook. States. That the Greeks. Have two words. [29:38] Which express. The nature. Of repentance. One. Signifies. To be careful. Anxious. Solicitous. After a thing. Is done. The other word. [29:50] Denotes. After. Wisdom. The mind. Recovering. Of wisdom. Or growing. Wiser. After. Our folly. The Hebrew word. [30:00] For repentance. Means. Returning. Going back. Turning away. From your sin. Going to God. True repentance. Is a thorough change. [30:11] Of both the mind. And manners. In Matthew. Chapter 5. Verses. 29 to 30. It says. If your right. Eye. [30:21] Causes you to stumble. Gouge it out. And throw it away. It's better for you. To lose one part. Of your body. Than for your whole body. To be thrown into hell. And if your right. [30:32] Hand. Causes you to stumble. Cut it off. And throw it all away. It is better for you. To lose one part. Of your body. Than for your whole body. To go into hell. This is hyperbole. [30:45] Exaggeration. Not to be taken literally. This is in a context of adultery. We must be active. In cutting out sin. In our lives. [30:57] I remember. I had to throw a TV. Away. Because it caused me to sin. Let's be ruthless. And not dabble with it. Destroy it. Or it will destroy you. [31:09] Sin is a hard task. Master. Though it seems sweet. There are other references. In the Bible. To those who have felt guilty. Because of sin. [31:20] And have repented. Sincerely. The thief on a cross. Is an example. To those who feel guilty. He felt guilt. Because of his sin. [31:32] And he asked. To be remembered. When Christ entered. His kingdom. Oh sorry. He entered his kingdom. He realized. The innocence of Christ. Also notably. [31:44] King David. He says. I have sinned. Against the Lord. To Nathan. After committing adultery. With Bathsheba. He is sincere. In his repentance. And recalls it. [31:54] In Psalm 51. Verse 10 onwards. Create in me. A pure heart. O God. And renew. A steadfast spirit. Within me. Do not cast me. [32:05] From your presence. Or take your Holy Spirit. From me. Restore to me. The joy. Of my. Of your salvation. And grant me. [32:15] A willing spirit. To sustain me. True repentance. To salvation. So. Thinking back. This last week. Did you really feel sorry. [32:27] For your sin. This day. Do you feel. Guilt. Of a sin. Sin. Perhaps you are living in sin. Sin. For those that. Perhaps do not know. What it means. [32:38] Is like missing the mark. Like an archer. Misses the bullseye. We are all like that. We haven't lived up. To God's standards. And we must acknowledge that. [32:49] Before him. Another picture is. A picture of trespassing. Going over a line. Which. We should not. Perhaps someone's property. [33:00] We all trespass. We all go over that line. Maybe you have treated. Your husband's wife. Children badly. This week. Being rude to them. Said unkind words. [33:12] Perhaps you have been. Thinking lustful thoughts. About someone. Who isn't your wife. Maybe you've been gossiping. About someone behind their back. Stolen something. Which is not yours. [33:23] Fail to act in kindness. When you should have. You need to repent earnestly. And contritely. Like David. And you'll be restored. Like Peter and David. [33:34] And endeavor. Not to return to that sin. We need to be truly repentant. Then we will feel free. And joyful. [33:45] Ready to sing a new song. So to conclude. The life of Judas. Is an example. To us. Of how we can shipwreck. Our faith. He had the chance. [33:57] To repent. Honestly. And be forgiven. But he did not. Christ. Who had called him friend. On the same day. Goes. To the cross. To pay for the penalty. [34:10] Of our wrongdoing. We must learn. We must learn. To repent sincerely. We are not in a position. Of despair. Because we have been forgiven. [34:20] If we are genuine Christians. And we live with the benefit. Of looking back. Towards the cross. Even. If you have lived most. Of your life. And have ignored God. [34:32] If you cry out genuinely. He will save you. Today. Is the day. Of salvation. And you should not wait. Come to Jesus. And you'll be forgiven. [34:44] Jesus goes to the cross. And one of those reasons. Is that. We should not be under the weight. Of sin and shame. And we should live in freedom. For Christ. [34:56] Has set us free. Let us sing triumphantly. Tonight. In our homes. That he's done that. Let's sing our last song. When I was lost. [35:06] By Kate Simmons. A beautiful grace. [35:25] That gives to us. Oh. That we don't deserve. Oh. That we cannot earn. But it's a gift of love. [35:37] When I was lost. [35:49] When I was lost. When I was lost, you came and rescued me. [36:05] Reached out into the pit and lifted me. Oh, Lord, such love. I was as proud of you as I could be. [36:19] You know all the things I've ever done. But Jesus' blood has canceled everyone. Oh, Lord, such grace to qualify me as your own. [36:39] There is a new song in my mouth. There is a deep cry in my heart. [36:50] A hymn of praise to Almighty God. Hallelujah. And now I stand firm on this rock. [37:05] My life is hidden now. With Christ in God. The old has gone. And the new has come. Hallelujah. [37:18] Your love has lifted me. Now I have come into your family. [37:35] For the Son of God has died for me. Oh, Lord, such peace. I am as loved by you as I could be. [37:49] In the full assurance of your love. Now with every confidence we come. Oh, Lord, such joy to know that you delight in us. [38:07] There is a new song in my mouth. There is a deep cry in my heart. [38:20] A hymn of praise to Almighty God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And now I stand firm on this rock. [38:34] My life is hidden now. With Christ in God. The old has gone. And the new has come. Hallelujah. [38:48] Your love has lifted me. Many are the wonders you have done. Many are the things that you have had. [39:00] A period of all the grace that gives to us. Hope that we don't deserve. Hope that we cannot earn. But it's a gift of love. [39:13] There is a new song in my mouth. There is a deep cry in my heart. Father Him, I pray to Almighty God. [39:28] Hallelujah. And now I stand firm on this rock. My life is hidden now. [39:40] With Christ in God. The old has gone. And the new has come. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. There is a new song in my mouth. [39:57] There is a deep cry in my heart. A hymn of praise to Almighty God. Hallelujah. [40:07] Hallelujah. And now I stand firm on this rock. My life is hidden now. [40:19] With Christ in God. The old has wonk. And the new has come. Hallelujah. Your love has lifted me. [40:32] Dear, dear, dear Make your love Yeah, praise you all! [40:54] Praise you to the Lord!