Calvary Chapel Tampa

Hello Calvary Tampa, I attended your online broadcast today on the topic of repentance (Psalm 51) and came away with a very uneasy sense of guilt, I must admit. I acknowledge my need for repentance whenever I sin. But I have some concerns over the way I heard it preached from your pulpit. Yes, you are correct with how repentance looks, what it consists of socially, emotionally, and in thought. Also, you were quite accurate in what the consequences of repentance and of refusal to repent both look like. In these things you were quite accurate. As for me, I have had the unfortunate experience of being with several churches who, in the same way were correct about the appearance of repentance, but who had such a hardline focus on that subject such that fearful and intimidating tactics were taught and used by the leadership and congregation to “bring sinners to repentance” if you will. The only thing this achieved in my life is to make church a very difficult thing to deal with. The discomfort I felt, seemed to drive me from God rather than to God. This doesn’t seem right. Something was missing. So, as I thought about this, Romans 2:4 came to mind: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)? The very next verse says, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). As I thought about this, I began to separate consequences from motivation. I began to see them as the two separate wings on the same airplane. This is what I concluded: God will judge sin at an appointed time. During the interim time He dispenses his grace in His kindness, working with sinning man, having paid the debt for our sin in His Son on the cross. He dispenses His kindness to sinful men through who else than His children, who win sinners to the cross and salvation. Those who refuse will eventually face judgment and wrath at an appointed time. But are we as His children going to have the courage to be vessels of God’s grace to the lost and to those who, being saved, have allowed sin back into their lives? Martin Luther writes in the 95 Theses, “When God said to repent, He meant that the entire life of the believer is to be one of repentance.” We can either choose to take hold of repentance in response to God’s kindness, or we can choose to presume and consume it, eventually facing His wrath and judgment at the appointed time. So, in conclusion, your sermon was spot-on about what repentance looks like, but seemed to me to lack direction as to how we as His children are to be vessels of grace, leading men to repentance. So, which is more effective? Scaring someone out of hell like Jonathan Edwards or loving them into heaven?

My friend Linda Gaudette is in an induce coma from fall. She has 13 stitches on her small, neck n back injuries. She is from Seabring FL. But is in a Tampa hospital. Please have your prayer warriors pray for her healing in God's will. I witnessed to her but not sure she is saved. Her an I are like sisters growing up. I live in Menifee CA my Pastor is Jonh Miller from Revival Christian Fellowship. I am not sure what hospital she is in, Tampa. Phil 4:4 Mrs. G