Sunday Sermon

Sorrow & Repentance Levi Sisemore June 20, 2004	Levi with his parents, Jerry & Pam

I. Sorrow

A. Biblical sorrow is of the greatest degree:

1. Jacob refers to death

But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow."  - Genesis 42:38

2. Esther says that sorrow was when the whole nation was to be destroyed

Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.  - Esther 9:20-22

3. Psalmist used it when his enemies were to overtake him. Also those who worship idols

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.  - Psalm 6:6-7

4. Our Lord was a man of sorrow

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  - Isaiah 53:2-6

5. Jesus was sorrowful to the point of death as a result of our sin

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ... Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."  - Matthew 26:30, 38

B. Rule: Knowledge of fact sets feeling, not the other way around.

1. Wisdom brings sorrow

I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge." Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.  - Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

2. “Your husband has been killed, how do you feel?” “Devastated!” “Later you find out they made a mistake, he’s alive – does that change how you feel?”

3. The woman’s husband died and every morning after that she still sets out two pieces of toast, a couple of eggs, and some bacon. When emotions establish reality we call this a hallucination.

C. What knowledge (wisdom) would make us sorrowful?

1. Knowledge of Sin

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God  - Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  - Romans 6:23

a. Knowledge of Good and Evil
SHAME

b. David and Nathan  - II Samuel 12
SORROW

c. Pentecost  - Acts 2
CUT TO THE QUICK

II. Repentance

A. Godly sorrow leads to repentance that hurts, but not deadly

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  - II Corinthians 7:8-10

B. Repentance is turning around

C. Happy are the sorrowful

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  - Matthew 5:4

D. Results of Sorrow

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.  - II Corinthians 7:11

1. Earnestness – bare, sincere honesty

2. Eagerness to clear yourselves – realization of unholy state, make self acceptable

3. Indignation – at sin, at self, at world

4. Alarm – at sin’s death clause

5. Longing – personal holiness/righteousness

6. Concern – for others

7. Readiness to see justice done – “God’s will be done”

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