I encourage you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel, chapter 7, for Samuel, chapter 7. In chapter 4 we saw the Philistines defeat the Israelites and so the Israelites bring the ark into battle, but they presume upon the Lord and they are defeated again and the ark is captured in chapter 5. The ark, far from being vanquished, in fact as it is placed in the temple of Deagon, their false god is smashed to pieces before the ark and in chapter 6 as great disaster before the Philistines seek away to get rid of the ark. And it returns by way of some bovine help to Israel, but once there some of the Israelites are killed as they look upon the ark. And so we come to chapter 7 and we see if the Israelites finally have learned a lesson in what Samuel will do as he judges Israel, follow along as I read verse 3 through the end of the chapter. And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, if you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods in the asteroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. So the people of Israel put away the bails in the asteroth and they served the Lord only. Then Samuel said, gather all Israel and Miss Pa and I will pray to the Lord for you. So they gathered at Miss Pa and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, we have sinned against the Lord and Samuel judged the people of Israel at Miss Pa. Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Miss Pa, the Lord to the Philistines went up against Israel and when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines. So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel but the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out for Miss Pa and pursued the Philistines and struck them as far as below Beth Car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Miss Pa and Shen and called its name Ebenezer for he said, till now the Lord has helped us. So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from background to gap and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Emirates. Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal and Miss Pa and he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Rama for his home was there and there also he judged Israel and he built there an altar to the Lord. There's no doubt that compared to almost any other place at almost any other time in history. We live lives on the whole that are healthier, more comfortable, much more prosperous. By many measures life is easier than it used to be. However, it's also more complicated. Sometimes if you look back and you hear of the reformers or these great heroes of the faith and you see how much they wrote fills up bookshelves and they wrote more than most people will ever read. And you think how did they do that? They didn't have typewriters and they didn't have electric lights. They had candles. They do so much and accomplish so much, well truly that was extraordinary in the Lord's grace, but they also didn't have insurance forms to figure out. They didn't have to get emissions for their car. They didn't have to fill out all the forms for their taxes and paperwork and regulations and there's so many specialists in no person no matter how talented or genius you are can know how to fix everything. We don't have any medical, electrical, digital and so we need specialists to help us any time there's paperwork and bureaucracy and red tape and regulations. It takes a lot just to live your life. It's very complicated. I moved far away from home for the first time so I went to college and it was just about a half hour away and still within striking distance for laundry and getting my parents to help with things parents. I mean mom to help with things and finally when I went out to seminary and Boston 15 hours away what stressed me out was not actually the coursework. I had planned everything out. This is on my pages I read each day and hear how I stay on top of all my classes and I had mapped out by the minute how I was going to spend my days until I realized that I actually didn't have every waking minute of the day to do what I wanted to do and I wasn't even married and didn't even have kids. But I quickly realized that I didn't have time in my schedule to figure out how to apply for financial aid or how to set up a phone service. Yes we had phones not digital phones phones in our room how to do my laundry how to get my car fixed when the transmission broke how to make sure I was covered by my insurance how to get my credit card statements sent to a new place and to how to get checks and how to sign up for a bank somewhere. All of these things and just life details and I was only 20 something and they just get more and more complicated it takes a lot of energy and effort just to live a quote unquote normal life. The Christian life can also seem more and more complicated. There's more and more activities to be a part of groups to be a part of it can seem as if you need to have this expertise and people expect of you not only that you try to pray and make it through your day and not make shipwreck of your faith but that you would play a key role in the transformation of society and the changing of the world and it can feel as if if you are going to be a truly successful Christian it would help if you're in off the charts extroverts and you're highly disciplined and you're amazing at time management and if you could find 35 hours in your day. Thankfully the biblical approach to the Christian life is much simpler and quite a bit more simpler than many of us realize. Now I did not say easier actually part of being simpler is that it's harder on a heart level but more manageable on your time. It is really rather simple repent believe obey repent believe obey and to the degree that we understand that sequence it seems to me that in the church and in our lives most of us put 80% of that emphasis on believe in 18% on obey in about 2% on repentance it's the part of Christian discipleship that we ignore and maybe that's one of the reasons that our Christian lives seem so complicated because we're actually trying to manufacture a certain kind of life and it's not really growing out of the humble soil of a repentant heart think about it when is the last time you repent specifically of a sin before the Lord and before someone else when's the last time and if it's been a long time it's not because you haven't sinned against someone else or I haven't sinned against someone else let alone against the Lord. We cannot get anywhere that we really need to go in our Christian life unless we start with repentance and this episode in the life of Israel in 1 Samuel chapter 7 shows us the beauty and indeed the simplicity of repentance. That's the next thing in fact that's the first thing that they must do if they are to find the Lord's favor again and walk in his ways. If you've been here throughout the summer and most people have been in and out but the story of Samuel is the story of things not going very well for Israel. Now things have gone fairly well for Samuel and he's going to judge Israel but for Israel as a whole we had Eli Hoffney Phineas things didn't go well for them they lose to the Philistines twice they lose the ark and then when the ark comes back no thanks to them it comes back some men look at it and they're killed almost nothing seems to be going right for the nation of Israel. And now finally in chapter 7 something goes massively right and what went right they repented again it's amazing how simple the biblical pattern of renewal is. You think what would it take in our church city country to experience great renewal times of refreshing from the Lord well certainly there are many different ways and it will use people writing books and people doing church ministries and people in their own sphere of influence the Lord will use all of that but at its heart it's very simple. What did it mean in John the Baptist day when people came to him and they said okay John we're listening to you tell us what do we do repent Jesus message repent it was the message of Pentecost repent now sometimes it's repent and believe sometimes it's believed because actually those things are two sides of the same coin it's turning from sin and it's turning to Christ repent and believe we see this. It's a great pattern throughout the Bible so often there's a period of great strength in the nation of Israel and then with this strength you think of some of the kings and he was marvelously helped until he became strong and when they were strong it led to stagnation and then apathy and then disobedience and then downfall and then finally desperation and sometimes even exile. It was the path back up it began with repentance and in God's rescue and salvation and then he made his people strong once again that's the pattern throughout the Bible it's the general pattern in church history moments of great triumph in the strength occur when there is a humility of heart to cast ourselves upon the Lord and to seek salvation for our sins. And then as the church does that there's different periods where they grow strong so the church is fledgling and weak and they seek the Lord and then you know Constantine and his famous conversion and then Christianity goes from a persecuted minority to the official religion of the empire. And over time then as the church crews wealth and prosperity and influence you have the proliferation of various monastic movements to say the church has grown corrupt and worldly and then those very monastic movements would get great wealth and influence and power and so another monastic movement would come and say these guys have gotten too strong and they're no longer humble. The Reformation comes along a Reformation of doctrine but also a Reformation of the heart to see this church has become worldly time and again we see this pattern in revivals in awakenings and it's no coincidence here that it coincides with the establishment of Samuel's leadership over Israel. Look at the passage look at the bookends it begins in the first two verses Samuel said to all the house of Israel he exercises leadership he tells them what to do if you are truly returning to the Lord you need to get serious about this and turn away from your idols and then the last three verses of the chapter Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life and it speaks of his ministry and the peace that they had during Samuel's reign. So what did this repentance look like for Israel what might it look like for you me individually maybe in your family maybe for us corporately. The anatomy of repentance in four steps now there's nothing rigid here that you always have these four steps or it happens in this order but you see here a good biblical picture of repentance in four parts contrition and confession turning and trusting those four anatomy of repentance look first at their contrition. Now we see this up in verse two from the day that the ark was lodged at curious jareem a long time past some 20 years and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord that's the wrap up of the episode from last week where they looked upon the ark and some of the men perished well it says a long time it took 20 years that's the biblical number for a generation it took a generation. So it took a generation in Israel to finally come to their spiritual senses and say you know what we need to lament for our sins the Hebrew word naha this particular word used only three times in the Old Testament here and ex Ezekiel 32 and Micah chapter two notice it says they lamented after the Lord there's a direction. They're not just wailing for their failures they're lamenting after the Lord there's a difference and eternal difference between regret and repentance. You don't need the work of the spirit to feel regret we all feel regret when we have bad consequences for our bad decisions and you regret and you think I shouldn't have done that shouldn't have cheated on the test now I'm getting kicked out of school I shouldn't have gossiped about that person because now our relationships in a bad way I shouldn't have started drinking again because now my life's a mess and we feel regret for bad things and bad consequences this is not simply regret it is lamenting after the Lord it's a strong word in Ezekiel it's translated whale and Micah it's translated moan this is not a begrudging sort of repentance. Alright alright I admit it I made a mistake I could have done better there when you try to lead your children I want you to go to your brother or sister I want you to say sorry sorry I want you guys to just hug it out this is a genuine moaning and wailing there's a certain desperation about it. It's the heart that cries out before God I'm ruined I'm a goner I'm wrecked Lord we have been sinking down for 20 plus years this cannot go on like this any longer there's a genuine contrition their hearts are pulverized. Have you ever seen with people maybe in your own life people get to the precipice of repentance and they almost jump but they pull back their lives are a mess and they can see they're running into the same dead end again and again and they've got the same bad habits that are leading to a disaster and their marriage and family and they get to that point to the very edge and they're about ready to with great heart contrition confess that they can't do it anymore and admit their sin before the Lord and before others and that's what they ought to do that's one precipice they ought to jump off of but what do they do they pull back I've seen it time and again I've seen it even in my own life your life is so uncomfortable and you've made a mess of something and you're just about ready to dive all the way into repentance and then you have a day that feels a little better and so I think I can manage this I think I can figure this out I think I can really get my life back on track without actually having to change fundamentally at a heart level I think if I just get some things in better order I can figure this out again and then they pull back and it's not genuine repentance. Repentance begins with contrition, a lament, a moan, a whale, a hatred for our sin. You see the next step confession go down to verse 5 and 6 Samuel exercising leadership said gatherer Israel at miss but I will pray to the Lord for you so often there's power in praying for people when it comes to their sins. Sometimes we need to hear others praying for us this isn't all just done privately go figure it out sometimes we need someone I will pray for you. We need others to confirm forgiveness for us. Samuel gathers them he prays for them notice they draw water they pour it out and they fast on that day. Fasting indicates many things in the Bible but at its heart fasting is an expression oh God I want you I want your mercy I want your forgiveness more than I want food on this day or this season or whatever you might be fasting from. It's an indication that they are broken that they're lamenting and as an expression of that desire and that confession they fast and notice they plainly admit their fault in the verse 6 we have sinned against the Lord. Plain simple language we would do well to use this plain simple language there's a reason why people don't like the word sin they don't like to be thought of or called sinners because it still carries a sting and awaits no one as a problem admitting I could have done better. I could be a better person there are things I can improve on or to put in a generic passive sense mistakes were made. I regret the decision I apologize for any offense you may have taken as I read the statement which my lawyers have no doubt written for me. I regret that I have hurt others and let down many people now those may be appropriate statements at different times in different ways but by themselves they do not confess sin. Notice they don't just admit regret they don't just indicate bad circumstances it is not just a statement of horizontal consequences. Here's what's gone wrong in my life it is a statement of vertical offense we have sinned against who the Lord is not just a mistake it's not just a growth edge it's not just a learning curve. It's not just an area for improvement it's not just one thing that could have been better in my life it is a sin a transgression an iniquity against the God of the universe. The Westminster Confession has very good statements about repentance let me read two of them to you. Chapter 15 article five men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance but it is every man's duty to endeavor to repent. Here's a famous phrase because it is so odd sounding to repent of his particular sins particularly. Now the confession is not expecting that every day you have to do a minute recollection of all your sins we are never going to get through all of our sins you have to mark them down that would be a morbid kind of introspection. But the confession is certainly wise to call us not to just a blanket Lord I don't messed up and I could have done better sorry well that's a start but to repent of particular sins particularly not just Lord this past week I could have been better I'm sorry Lord I was angry with my children that was a sin. Lord I wondered where they shouldn't have gone that was a sin Lord I spoke ill and gossiped about my friend that was wrong Lord I've had bitterness I've been I've been dreaming about revenge Lord that was a sin forgive me particular sins confessed particularly. And then here's the next paragraph as every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God praying for the pardon thereof upon which in the forsaking of them he shall find mercy so he that scandalizes his brother or the Church of Christ ought to be willing by a private or public confession and sorrow for his sin to declare his repentance to those that are offended were there upon to be reconciled to him and in love to receive him. There is a time both for private and for public confession of course we must be wise about this the general rule of thumb is public repentance as wide as those who have been sinned against back in my college days and there are these you know earnest sort of maybe they were even some level of revival kind of happening. And there was one night a this is a year before I was there there was a into the wee hours of the night students were coming forward and confessing sins. Powerful one student came up and confessed that he had slept with his girlfriend who was there and that was not the way to confess your sin. Not that sin in front of everybody that was really wrong and probably would count as a me too moment that was really inappropriate. That's not what we're talking about we're not talking about all of our private sins confessed in front of everybody but when we sin against others we must make no not just our sin before God. But when especially they are of a notorious character or they are known publicly the rule of thumb let our repentance be as well known as our sin. So often we think that it's only between us and God and that's true in many occasions and there are many things you don't need to go track people down sometimes for minor offenses. But the confession rightly tells us that confession is both public and private here in Israel it is very much public because corporately as a nation they have sinned against the Lord and they state as much. Contrition confession turning go back up to verses three and four. Samuel says if you are returning to the Lord with all your heart then put away the foreign gods and the astronauts from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve him only. Talk is cheap the borrow phrase from the theologians in the rock band Boston repentance must be more than a feeling. It takes the work of God in our hearts to truly change us repentance may start with that but true repentance is more than a feeling terrible about your sin. So here Samuel says if you are returning if you're serious about this if this is more than just talk and we feel so terrible. Samuel we've really blown it we've lamented after the Lord this is what a what a rotten mess we've made of things Samuel says okay that's good now if you're really returning to the Lord here's what you do. You're going to put away the false gods and you're going to turn with all your heart to the true God notice this repentance is not easy but it's not complicated simple put off those gods go to the one true God. Turning means you don't just stop at a loud lamentation and wailing God is not interested that we just lie around and cry about it and we don't actually change. Repentance would not have been real repentance if they had not actually put away their foreign gods God is not interested listen very carefully because a lot of church people misunderstand this God is not interested in having you mope around every day sometimes even as reformed Christians we feel like that I'm really walking with the Lord if I'm moping and if I'm constantly just feeling really really bad and not feeling too happy about things because that would probably mean I'm doing something wrong. God did not want them moping around he wanted them to turn to change. There's the perfect illustration of this in Joshua chapter 7 Israel goes out to fight against the city of AI after they had had their great victory a Jericho but the people of Israel Joshua 7 tells us broke faith in regard to the devoted things. So Aiken among them had stolen some of the things they didn't realize it at first and so they lost a little AI after this great victory at Jericho. And then we read Joshua tore his clothes fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening he and the elders of Israel they put dust on their heads and Joshua said alas oh Lord God why have you brought this people over the Jordan to give us into the hands of the Emirates to destroy us. Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan oh Lord what can I say when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies for the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it and surround us and what will you do for your great name. It's a loud lamentation that's good contrition for sin Joshua and all the elders say what has happened this is terrible we've made a mess of it. But here's what we read next in verse 10 of Joshua 7 the Lord said to Joshua get up why have you fallen on your face. Israel has sinned they have transgressed my covenant that I've commanded they've taken some of the devoted things. Therefore Israel cannot stand get up consecrate the people consecrate yourselves there are devoted things in your midst. In other words God says enough already I'm not interested in you moping around God doesn't want us just in a perpetual state of groaning sometimes he says okay get up you know what they're devoted things make it right take care of this sin turn from it turn to me and then you will find favor again. Talk is cheap God doesn't want a perpetual state of moaning for our sins he says all right you felt the blow now deal with it and get up there's the scene in the movie getty's burg. Where Robert E. Lee is upset furious that Jeff Stewart has been missing and without him he doesn't know where the union army is and in this scene he calls in and finally Jeff Stewart is there and he calls in Jeff Stewart and I could try to do the southern accent because martin sheen southern accent is really bad. But Jeff Stewart comes in and he gets a addressing down from the general general steward you are the eyes and the ears of this army I told you it was bad and then as he gets dressed down and rebukes general steward you could see that Jeff Stewart takes off his sword and he begins to hand it in to his superior generally. And then my one of great scenes in that movie he barks back there is no time for this no time and he tells him put your sword back on he says you're one of the best officers in this army and I don't have time for this and he says you need to take it like a man does. In other words yes you messed up yes I rebuked you and don't turn in your sword I don't want you moping around we don't have time for this you need to get back into the battle I admit I've used that line even with my children at times you need to take this like a man alright. Yup yup done that to feel good but I'm not looking for a flood of tears about this okay you're going to take it I love you and I want you to get back we need to hear that because so often we think he has repentance it's terrible I'm nothing I'm horrible I can do anything good. Stop it get up Joshua I don't want you to turn in your sword I want you to get back into the battle. I want you to make this right I want you to turn from your sin we can be paralyzed in a kind of lament which seems very holy but it's actually self-absorbed and we never change from moaning to moving we never get up we never stop wallowing we never make things right. Contrition confession turning and finally trusting we see when the Philistines here in verse 7 that the people of Israel have gathered at MISPA they summon their men for battle. It's quite possible that the Philistines had prohibited any sacred assemblies they've gathered together for a religious purpose but the Philistines we don't want you to do that and if we know you're gathering for whatever purpose this could be the marshalling of troops. And so the Philistines react and they assemble for battle and notice this time there's no presumption on the part of God's people they don't say okay we know what to do bring in the ark. This time out of a spirit of fear proper fear and humility the people of Israel verse 8 said to Samuel do not cease to cry out to the Lord for us which you pray for us. I don't even know if he'll listen to us but he'll listen to you Samuel would you pray for us that he would save us there's no presumption this time they're afraid of the Philistines and more than that they fear the Lord. And they offer a burnt sacrifice in the Lord response he sends a mighty sound thunder with a mighty sound was it literally thunder was it an earthquake something. Frightened the Philistines and the Lord rescues the Israelites as they fight and we have the raising of another Ebenezer verse 12 this line which will sing in a few moments perhaps you've not realized that come now found this line comes directly from the Bible and the Bible hitherto the Lord has helped us verse 12 presumption apathy disobedience lead to ikabad the glory has departed repentance action and obedience lead to Ebenezer. And as they trust in the Lord and call out upon him for their salvation notice the Philistines are subdued the cities are restored and there is verse 14 apiece between Israel and some of the other Canaanite people the Emirates and don't miss this subtle message here in the text. Do you remember if you were here over these weeks where did they first lose the ark. We go back to chapter 4 verse 1 now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines they in camp at Ebenezer chapter 5 verse 1 when the Philistines capture the ark of God they brought it from Ebenezer. So there was an original city already called Ebenezer Ebenezer stone of help the ark had been captured they lost the ark at Ebenezer. And where do the Israelites finally defeat the Philistines chapter 7 verse 12 well at a new place with an old name another Ebenezer. And I think we are meant to hold in contrast what's the difference between the loss at one Ebenezer and the great victory at the next Ebenezer because it's the same name it's the same spiritual word. And I think God wants us to see that the difference is not found in ultimately the rituals that they will perform in the spiritual words that they may say but in repentance the difference between the first Ebenezer and the second Ebenezer was repentance. That doesn't mean God gives us whatever we want when we say we're sorry for our sins but it does mean that there are many blessings we will only experience on the other side of contrition and confession on the far side of turning and trusting the name was the same but the heart was different. God is interested in more than our nice sounding words and phrases he wants more than ritual observance he wants a heart that acknowledges sin and looks to him as our only savior could it be that in your own life. You're saying well I was in the church I was putting in an offering putting an offering I was going to my smoker but what's the difference what's missing. Same ritual observance same sort of words what's missing perhaps is a heart of true repentance Samuel will be judge very quickly the people will ask for a king and Saul will be chosen king and Saul is not the right king but Saul's kingdom will then give way to David. David was the great king of the Old Testament the one who would make a way for the Messiah. Of course David famously it says in the book of Acts was a man after God's own heart have you ever thought what made David so great. Why did all of God's people look back and think so much of King David when there was so much why wasn't he marked out finally is oh that king David you know the one who committed adultery the one who committed murder the one who lied and covered it up the one who had a messed up family why wasn't that finally the reputation for David but instead the great king David a man after God's own heart. What made David great here's what I think it was he was great because he was willing to overlook the sins of others and unwilling to look over his own sins. How often David was extraordinarily generous to those who sinned against him eager to give his enemies a second chance twice while his friends advised him to strike down their enemy David spared Saul's life. Saul opposed him but David did not rejoice at his death he wept for the king David welcomed Abner when he defected from the phony king isbosheth he mourned for him when joeab struck him down David was unnecessarily kind to mfbosheth. He was patient when this this rabble rouser should I curse him later David would pardon those who rebelled against him when his son absalom led an insurrection time after time David showed himself unlike the sons of Zeruaya who were eager to settle score seek revenge hold grudges David knew how to forgive. Perhaps more than anyone before Jesus David loved his enemies he was willing to welcome rebels back into the fold. But amazingly David's kind hearted attitude toward his enemies did not mean a soft attitude toward his own sin because that's usually how it works. The people who are really soft with other people sins are soft to their own sins that's just their personality and the people that maybe are really really hard on their own sins are really hard and nasty with other people sins because that's just their personality. But this was David's greatness as much as he sinned he was never unwilling to own up to his sin. I cannot find a single instance where David was rightly rebuked for his failings where he did not own up to and welcome that rebuked. Nathan could front of David for his adultery and murder. David says I've sinned against the Lord. Joav sent the woman of Takoa to change David's mind about absalom and he listened to this woman in disguise. Joav rebuked David because David was more loving to his treacherous son than he was to all of his loyal servants and David did what Joav told him to do. After his census, David's heart was struck and he confessed I've sinned greatly in what I have done. David, in other words, knew how to forgive and how to repent. He never blamed others for his mistakes. He did not make excuses with his family history or peer pressure or the demands of leadership or I was having a bad day and what was she doing bathing out there? He didn't use passive language, he didn't refer to his sin in euphemistic terms. He simply confessed against you only have I sinned. And even when people who were beneath him in their station and in their office showed to David his sin, he candidly and clearly took responsibility for it. He dealt more kindly with the sins of his enemies than he did with his own sins. Something for each of us to consider. What are you more gracious toward? What are you more likely to overlook the sins of others against you or your own sins before the Lord? David was a man after God's own heart because he was quick to forgive the sins of others and he was willing to see sin in himself. What better example of God could there be? Except God, of course, doesn't have sin in himself, but God's son, great David's greater son, actually became sin. The one who knew no sin. God doesn't just welcome his enemies in, he died for his enemies. Always eager to show mercy, always willing to give traders a second chance. And yet God has never soft on sin, that's not what the cross is about. He exposes it, he calls us to exterminate it, to put it to death. God showed his condescension not because he needed to be rebuked, no he never sinned, but by humbling himself to take on human flesh and die even the shameful death on a cross. David was great, but not nearly as great as his greater son. Friends, there is mercy for your sin, but you must embrace God's mercy in showing you your sin. Surely there are some here. God is shining a light right now, or he will do it by his spirit this week, shine a light. May he do it in my heart for any blind spots, may he do it in yours. To shine a light to say you have been missing it, you've been duplicitous, you've been ignorant, you've been blind. You're basically obedient, but you have a high place, or you've been fooling yourself because you have the name, Ebenezer, and you have the spiritual trappings, but you're not truly sorry for your sin. Or if you think you're sorry, you haven't actually turned from your sin. Confess your sin. Turn from your sin. Turn to Christ. Repent, believe, obey. It doesn't have to be that complicated. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we are prone to wander, Lord we feel it, prone to leave the one we love. So bind us to yourself. Be our stone of help. Give us grace to repent. Repentance is itself a miracle. And grace to believe, and then grace to obey. And Jesus we pray. Amen.