Text: 2 Corinthians 7:8–11
Topic: How repentance leads to revival

• Revival is a renewed interest after a period of indifference or decline.
• Revival is God in my life, experienced and enjoyed.

• Repentance is the funnel through which all revival flows.
• Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their sexual sin and rebellious spirit.
• It is good to grieve over sin; sometimes you have to get to a bad place before you can get to a good place.
• Repentance was the message of every Old Testament prophet.
• Repentance is a key theme in the New Testament.
• The definition of repentance is a change in me and my behavior.

• The Greek word for "grief" is used 26 times in the New Testament.
• In the Scriptures, people who make real contact with God feel kind of low.
  • Genesis 18; Job 42
• Worldly sorrow is regretting being caught.
• Godly grief is feeling shamed at our rejection of God in favor of sin.

• Repentance is accompanied by an increased sense of urgency, an eagerness to get business done with God.
• The thing you once desired is now repulsive.

• Repentance causes an energetic pursuit to fix the fallout of your sin.
• Zacchaeus is the poster boy for this kind of restitution (Luke 19:1–10).
• Watch out for people who say, "I'm right with God," but have no interest in being reconciled to the people their sin has injured.

• The joy of the Lord comes back to our hearts and we want to experience more of him.
• Our overall passion for the things of God returns.

• With worldly repentance, we focus on our mistakes and what we should have done.
• Godly grief produces grace and cleansing.

• Repentance never takes you to a bad place, only a good place.

For the full text of this sermon, go to "Self in the Dirt: A Picture of Repentance."