WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.740 Good morning. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.179 Good morning, everybody. 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:11.620 I love this time of year. 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:19.480 Every year, I know like many of you, I love that basically from Thanksgiving on, starting 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:24.560 really the day after Thanksgiving, we all began to prepare for Christmas. 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.320 And you begin to see lights going up. 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:29.060 You begin to see trees being set up. 00:00:29.059 --> 00:00:31.279 You begin to see stores advertising. 00:00:31.919 --> 00:00:35.960 And people start shopping and start, you know, thinking about what they're going to bake 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:36.799 and what they're going to cook. 00:00:36.839 --> 00:00:38.600 And all of the preparations begin. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:41.600 And I love the mood that that casts in the city. 00:00:41.659 --> 00:00:43.539 I think it's a beautiful time of year. 00:00:44.259 --> 00:00:47.379 And so I was thinking, you know, a lot of people are thinking about preparing for Christmas. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:50.679 And so I'm just interested to know how people go about doing that. 00:00:50.899 --> 00:00:54.099 So I did a Google search, how to prepare for Christmas. 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:57.399 And there were about several billion hits. 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:02.899 One of the top hits that I really appreciated and got a lot out of was from Martha Stewart. 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:08.700 She says, here's the article, get your home holiday ready in eight steps. 00:01:09.219 --> 00:01:12.039 I'm not going to give you all eight, but I thought a couple were pretty helpful. 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:13.739 The first one is this. 00:01:13.739 --> 00:01:22.319 When decorating your entryway, so those of you who have an entryway, you should reinvent traditional red and green hues. 00:01:22.619 --> 00:01:24.039 Because nobody needs that. 00:01:24.099 --> 00:01:25.099 We've been doing that for years. 00:01:25.339 --> 00:01:28.699 By pairing them with metallic and textural accents. 00:01:29.299 --> 00:01:30.319 So that's a pretty good idea. 00:01:30.399 --> 00:01:33.239 She says, low maintenance artificial greenery. 00:01:33.319 --> 00:01:35.819 So not the real stuff that dies and turns into dust. 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:40.959 But artificial greenery is going to ensure that your entryway always looks its best. 00:01:41.639 --> 00:01:45.859 Because one time we did put out real greenery and it looked good for a week. 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:49.299 And then it was just these brown sticks on our porch. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:50.819 And, you know, that's not a good idea. 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:52.379 So another thing she says is this. 00:01:52.759 --> 00:01:57.939 For your Christmas tree, consider swapping ornaments for a light dusting of glitter. 00:01:58.339 --> 00:02:00.299 And the addition of pine cone decor. 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:02.259 So, you know, that's creative. 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:05.600 I thought, like, everything in our house has a light dusting. 00:02:05.800 --> 00:02:07.760 You know, I'm not sure what it is. 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:09.620 But we got that covered. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:13.200 So there's a lot out there on preparing for Christmas these days. 00:02:13.300 --> 00:02:15.819 You can find a lot of great information, helpful stuff online. 00:02:16.939 --> 00:02:18.860 It would have been different in the first century. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:25.640 If you had done a Google search in the first century, how to prepare for Christmas, you would have only gotten one hit back. 00:02:25.920 --> 00:02:27.879 And that would have been Luke chapter 3. 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:33.219 And it would have not come from Martha Stewart, but from a guy named John the Baptist. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:38.699 And John the Baptist is slightly different in his approach to preparation. 00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:43.400 You know, Martha's pretty focused on the house, wanting to make sure the house looks good. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:48.139 John's focused on the heart and how to prepare our hearts for Christmas. 00:02:48.780 --> 00:02:51.699 And unlike Martha, it doesn't take eight steps. 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:54.019 It just says, well, you just really need one step. 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:56.139 Repent. 00:02:56.139 --> 00:02:56.539 Repent. 00:02:57.579 --> 00:02:57.939 Repent. 00:02:58.339 --> 00:03:01.519 He says, if you want to prepare for Christmas, you have to understand repentance. 00:03:02.119 --> 00:03:03.559 And so we're going to look at repentance. 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:05.899 We're going to look at what John teaches us about repentance. 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:08.839 We're going to look at Luke chapter 3, really through verse 20. 00:03:09.279 --> 00:03:14.779 We're not going to do an in-depth look because we're really focusing on just what we can draw from this passage about repentance. 00:03:15.519 --> 00:03:16.939 And we're going to see three things. 00:03:16.979 --> 00:03:18.219 We're going to see the nature of repentance. 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:19.459 You know, it's often misunderstood. 00:03:19.719 --> 00:03:20.179 What is it? 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:25.039 We're going to see the obstacles to repentance, the major challenges and why people don't repent more. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:26.620 What stands in the way of that? 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:28.319 And then ultimately the fruit of repentance. 00:03:28.959 --> 00:03:30.159 How do you know you've repented? 00:03:30.419 --> 00:03:32.340 What difference does it make in our lives? 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:35.899 So the nature, the obstacles, and then the fruit of repentance. 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:36.399 Let's pray. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:38.980 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:43.080 We thank you that we have the freedom to gather in relative safety around your word. 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:44.840 That we can proclaim your lordship. 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:46.599 That we can sing songs of praise to you. 00:03:46.659 --> 00:03:48.980 That we can open your word and do so in safety. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:51.879 We thank you for this warm building. 00:03:52.099 --> 00:03:54.180 We thank you for the shelter that it provides. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:56.520 We thank you for the amazing family gathered here. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:01.420 We pray now that you would honor your promise to be a God who is with us and who speaks. 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:03.379 We need to hear your word. 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:08.699 Please, by the power of your spirit, in the name of your son Jesus, fulfill that promise in our midst. 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:10.239 In your son's name, amen. 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:13.519 So first of all, the nature of repentance. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.000 I love this passage because Luke gives us a really striking image. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:25.060 But I want to tell you a little bit about how this image is delivered and who it's delivered through. 00:04:25.699 --> 00:04:33.079 Luke starts this passage, this chapter, by giving us a kind of snapshot of the political and religious landscape. 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:37.000 And this seems just like filler information, but it's actually pretty important. 00:04:37.860 --> 00:04:44.120 Luke starts listing out in this text all of the people who are in charge from Tiberius down. 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:48.720 And so this would be, you know, this is Luke the historian, right? 00:04:49.019 --> 00:04:50.879 Not Luke the storyteller. 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:52.360 This is Luke the historian. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:58.519 And so he's saying this is a very specific historical context when this message was first delivered. 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:04.740 It would be like us saying, you know, it was in the time when Donald Trump was president, when Muriel Bowser was our mayor. 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:09.500 It was the time when Foley Beach was our archbishop and Steve Breedlove was our bishop. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:11.660 It's sort of rooting us in a time and place. 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:17.280 And if people back then were to have read that, they would have interpreted that. 00:05:17.380 --> 00:05:21.380 They would say, oh, oh, Tiberius, oh, that was that point in the history of the temple. 00:05:21.580 --> 00:05:23.439 And here's essentially what they would draw from this. 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:29.280 They would say, oh, that was a time of political chaos, moral confusion, and religious darkness. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.240 That's what, if they read those names, they would say this is a time of political chaos. 00:05:35.780 --> 00:05:37.940 This is a time of moral confusion. 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.560 This is a time of religious darkness. 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:44.380 And that third point is very interesting, religious darkness. 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:49.600 God finally raises up a man to speak his word, but it's not a man in the temple. 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.780 That tells you the state of religion in that day. 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:54.560 It's a man who lives in the wilderness. 00:05:54.700 --> 00:05:55.620 His name is John the Baptist. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:56.800 He's a wild man. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:06:00.420 You know, wears camel's hair, but not like the nice camel hair that we sometimes wear. 00:06:01.200 --> 00:06:03.520 Stuff is a lot nastier, a lot less fashionable. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.100 He's eating locusts and wild honey. 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:07.240 He's living in the wilderness. 00:06:07.340 --> 00:06:08.400 A lot of people think he's crazy. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:10.279 If you saw him, you might think he's a homeless person. 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:17.479 And he raises up John the Baptist, not the kind of guy who would be invited to Martha Stewart's holiday party. 00:06:18.159 --> 00:06:23.639 And yet, this is who God uses to teach the world how to prepare for Christmas, the very first Christmas. 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:31.120 And Luke says, if you want to understand John, if you want to understand John's message, you have to go back to the Old Testament and read Isaiah 40. 00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:32.199 And that's what's quoted here. 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:33.800 He says this, 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:36.000 The voice of one crying in the wilderness. 00:06:36.139 --> 00:06:37.120 This is John the Baptist. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:38.159 He's the voice. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:39.719 And here's what he says. 00:06:40.099 --> 00:06:41.319 Prepare the way of the Lord. 00:06:42.039 --> 00:06:43.579 Make his paths straight. 00:06:44.060 --> 00:06:45.680 Every valley shall be filled. 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:47.740 Every mountain and hill shall be made low. 00:06:47.919 --> 00:06:49.719 And the crooked shall become straight. 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.200 And the rough places shall become level ways. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:55.280 And all flesh shall see the salvation of our God. 00:06:55.300 --> 00:06:57.140 This is a magnificent passage. 00:06:57.820 --> 00:06:59.720 Because the image is of someone coming. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:09.080 A king with such authority that creation itself is bending and folding and warping to accommodate him. 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:12.200 Mountains are being brought low. 00:07:12.460 --> 00:07:14.460 Valleys are raising up. 00:07:14.880 --> 00:07:16.640 Rough places are being made smooth. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.879 And reality itself conforms around this king. 00:07:20.659 --> 00:07:21.839 It's a magnificent image. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:27.740 In the ancient Near East, here's the context of the image. 00:07:28.539 --> 00:07:36.339 When a king wanted to go out and travel and go on a trip or to survey the land, there were no roads really. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:38.779 There were some roads, but not many. 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:46.319 And so for that king to go out and to go on the trip, literally people would go out ahead of the king and they would make a road. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:47.439 They would build a road. 00:07:48.139 --> 00:07:48.979 The king's highway. 00:07:49.599 --> 00:07:52.779 You know, wherever that king wanted to go, they would build the highway so that that king could go. 00:07:52.839 --> 00:07:54.879 So they would do whatever necessary. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:00.379 They would fill in the potholes and they would clear away all the stuff that might impair the progress of the king. 00:08:00.459 --> 00:08:01.159 Because the king is coming. 00:08:01.239 --> 00:08:01.839 It's the king's highway. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:08.319 Anyway, and whenever I read this, I'm reminded of a trip that I went on about 20 years ago. 00:08:08.819 --> 00:08:18.139 I went with a small medical team, some Christians who went to Nicaragua to work among the mosquito people who live in Nicaragua along the coast. 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:20.959 And I went with this team as just kind of somebody there to help out. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:27.839 And the goal was to get this truck full of medical supplies there and to spend a few days doing medical work there. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:33.579 And so we're going and I was so shocked to realize when we got there and we were driving out there with a truck, 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:38.899 I began to hear some of the people talking about the way that these people were preparing for our arrival. 00:08:39.299 --> 00:08:41.759 And there were no roads to get into their village. 00:08:41.899 --> 00:08:46.439 And so what they had to do was to actually come out days before our truck was scheduled to arrive. 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:48.240 And they had to literally clear a road. 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:54.939 So they had been out for days clearing fallen trees and brush and just clearing a path so that our truck could get through. 00:08:54.940 --> 00:08:59.060 And at one point we came to this really deep ravine with a river running through it. 00:08:59.300 --> 00:09:01.960 And it had rained earlier and so there was a lot of water in this river. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:02.940 It was a pretty deep ravine. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:07.840 And these people had been out since the previous day literally building a bridge out of logs. 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:16.000 So that our medical truck could get across this ravine and into the village and get those medical supplies to the people who needed them. 00:09:16.380 --> 00:09:23.020 And it was a shocking image but it's very much like what Isaiah 40, what John the Baptist, this image that they're trying to give us. 00:09:23.019 --> 00:09:26.439 There's a need to clear a path. 00:09:27.819 --> 00:09:32.120 And so the point that I want to make is that this is how the Bible talks about repentance. 00:09:33.179 --> 00:09:34.720 Which is very interesting to me. 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:39.439 Because I think a lot of us think of repentance and we think of repentance as sort of hanging our heads. 00:09:40.299 --> 00:09:46.419 And feeling really sorry and feeling really bad and feeling a lot of guilt and feeling a lot of shame. 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:51.959 And repentance is about coming to God and trying to convince them that this time we're truly and really sorry. 00:09:52.079 --> 00:09:52.959 We really mean it. 00:09:53.219 --> 00:09:55.000 We really regret the bad things that we did. 00:09:55.219 --> 00:09:56.719 And we want to pull our life together now. 00:09:57.319 --> 00:09:59.719 And that's not the image that we're given here. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:05.759 According to this image, repentance means building the king's highway. 00:10:06.959 --> 00:10:08.219 That's what repentance is. 00:10:08.479 --> 00:10:10.259 Repentance is building the king's highway. 00:10:10.259 --> 00:10:18.139 You know, those people in Nicaragua, they knew that those medical supplies would transform their lives. 00:10:18.220 --> 00:10:19.360 They knew that they were sick. 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:21.960 They knew that they needed that medicine. 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:25.480 And they knew that in order to be able to receive that medicine, they had to clear the road. 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:36.159 And so the point here is that repentance actually means admitting that we need the life-saving power and grace of Jesus Christ. 00:10:36.259 --> 00:10:37.220 That we need that. 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:38.580 That without it, we're lost. 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:40.200 We have no hope. 00:10:41.259 --> 00:10:45.960 And once we realize that, we realize that when somebody announces Jesus Christ is coming, 00:10:46.940 --> 00:10:51.020 Jesus Christ is on his way, that the first thing we have to do is to clear a road. 00:10:51.280 --> 00:10:54.480 We have to make sure that there's nothing standing in the way. 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:56.740 We have to clear the road to our hearts. 00:10:57.540 --> 00:11:03.120 And so even the word repentance, metanoia, actually means making a U-turn in life. 00:11:03.480 --> 00:11:06.860 Now a lot of people hear that and they think, you know, I'm doing the bad things and then I make a U-turn 00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:09.240 and I stop doing the bad things and I start doing the good things. 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:12.279 There's a lot more nuanced than that, right? 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:18.100 Because this U-turn is essentially turning away from anything that could be an obstacle. 00:11:19.060 --> 00:11:20.779 Anything that might block the road. 00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:24.460 It could be bad things, but as we'll see in a little while, it could be good things. 00:11:24.460 --> 00:11:27.500 Anything that is standing in the way. 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:29.460 And John is saying that the time is here. 00:11:30.060 --> 00:11:30.800 Look at your heart. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:36.259 Any obstacle, anything that's going to block your ability to receive Christ, you need to clear that out now. 00:11:37.280 --> 00:11:38.680 The time is nigh, right? 00:11:39.060 --> 00:11:40.900 And so this is the nature of repentance. 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:45.980 And so now what I want to do is to look at some of the obstacles that may be in the road 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:51.680 that block our ability to receive Christ as he is intending to be received by us. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:57.060 For John's audience, the obstacle was fairly clear. 00:11:57.139 --> 00:12:02.519 And if you follow down in the chapter, you'll begin to really see what John's focus is for his audience. 00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:06.019 Their obstacle, we might say, was the obstacle of entitlement. 00:12:07.019 --> 00:12:08.139 It was a sense of entitlement. 00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:15.200 They assumed that because they had been born Jewish, that they were automatically in. 00:12:15.980 --> 00:12:20.560 You know, surely when Christ comes, he would be honored to stay at my house, right? 00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:24.560 And so they assumed that they were insiders with God. 00:12:24.899 --> 00:12:26.820 And, you know, most of us here aren't Jewish. 00:12:26.980 --> 00:12:28.360 Some are, but most of us are not. 00:12:28.420 --> 00:12:30.379 Most of us are not coming from that framework. 00:12:30.680 --> 00:12:32.300 But, you know, I talk to a lot of people. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:39.360 And in 10, going on 11 years of ministry at Advent, I've talked to a lot of people and asked the same question to a lot of people. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:41.879 What makes you right with God? 00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:44.639 How do you know that you're right with God? 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:46.539 How do you know that you have a relationship with God? 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:48.799 And I hear all kinds of answers, right? 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:51.500 Well, you know, I always just grew up going to church. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:52.799 I've always gone to church. 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:54.759 You know, I grew up in a Christian home. 00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:56.059 My parents were strong believers. 00:12:56.220 --> 00:12:58.100 I grew up with parents who really took faith seriously. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:59.100 So I take faith seriously. 00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:01.720 Well, you know, my dad was a pastor. 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:04.480 And so, you know, I just always grew up. 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.179 And I've always kind of seen behind the scenes. 00:13:06.319 --> 00:13:07.600 And, you know, I've always just been part of the church. 00:13:07.899 --> 00:13:08.639 Well, I don't know. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:10.200 I've always believed in God. 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:12.840 I just, I remember always believing in God. 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:13.919 I've never not believed in God. 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:18.519 Well, you know, I really try to live the way Jesus wants us to live. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:20.899 I care for the poor. 00:13:21.479 --> 00:13:23.419 My entire job is trying to end homelessness. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:29.339 You know, I worked for several years in, you know, in Central America trying to kind of do development work there. 00:13:29.740 --> 00:13:31.579 I really take the teachings of Jesus seriously. 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:33.399 And that's kind of what, you know. 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:34.860 And I hear these answers. 00:13:35.219 --> 00:13:37.039 And they're all great things. 00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:39.099 They're all things that I would hope would be true of many people. 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:41.840 But then I sort of ask again, okay, that's great. 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:45.300 So what makes you right with God, you know? 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:46.960 All that's great stuff. 00:13:47.060 --> 00:13:49.740 But how do you know you're right with God, you know? 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:52.300 John's response is a little less nuanced. 00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:54.820 He says, you brood of vipers. 00:13:56.100 --> 00:13:57.600 You brood of vipers, right? 00:13:58.460 --> 00:13:59.879 Maybe I should be saying that, right? 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.080 John's not necessarily concerned with growing a church. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:06.279 He's not trying to be, you know, he's not trying to be kind of like, you know, palatable to people. 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:07.879 You know, John says, oh, really? 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:09.360 Yeah, you're a bunch of snakes. 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:12.680 And he's actually saying you're children of vipers. 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:13.720 You're children of snakes. 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:16.379 Which is a way of saying what in the Bible? 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:18.399 You're children of Satan. 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:20.300 This is what he's calling them. 00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:21.320 Oh, really? 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:22.139 You were born Jewish? 00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:22.639 Oh, really? 00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:23.480 You've always kept the law? 00:14:23.540 --> 00:14:23.879 Oh, really? 00:14:23.920 --> 00:14:24.779 You've always done good things? 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:25.200 Oh, really? 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:26.120 You've always cared for the poor? 00:14:26.200 --> 00:14:26.480 Oh, really? 00:14:26.580 --> 00:14:30.800 You believe that God exists and you've just never known a day when you didn't believe in God? 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:32.100 You're a snake, you know? 00:14:32.259 --> 00:14:33.340 You're a son of the devil. 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:36.639 And that's calculated to shock people. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:39.920 It's calculated to shock them out of their spiritual complacency. 00:14:40.160 --> 00:14:41.759 Because what he's really saying is this. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:46.919 You have given in to the lie of Satan that has been told since the beginning of time. 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:48.139 Since Genesis chapter 3. 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:49.620 What's that lie? 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:53.379 You don't really need God. 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:57.139 You can't even really fully trust God. 00:14:57.240 --> 00:14:59.840 You're going to be better off on your own. 00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:02.679 You're going to be better off doing this for yourself. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:05.139 In fact, I think you have it in you. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:06.080 You have a lot of potential. 00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:09.179 I think that you have the ability to be your own savior. 00:15:09.179 --> 00:15:11.879 Heck, why not even your own God? 00:15:12.199 --> 00:15:13.459 It's going to be better for you. 00:15:13.599 --> 00:15:14.659 It's going to be better for God. 00:15:14.739 --> 00:15:15.979 It's going to be better for the world. 00:15:16.719 --> 00:15:19.000 This is the satanic lie. 00:15:19.359 --> 00:15:21.459 And he says if you've given in to that, then you're a child of Satan. 00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:28.859 So he's saying don't dare assume that because your family were believers that you're in with God. 00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:31.559 Don't dare assume that because your parents were believers that you're in with God. 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:39.379 Don't dare assume that because you grew up in church or because you do amazing good things for people who are needy or poor or marginalized that you're in with God. 00:15:39.439 --> 00:15:40.199 None of that matters. 00:15:41.139 --> 00:15:42.639 You know, the implication is this. 00:15:42.859 --> 00:15:48.319 There are many, many, many, many people sitting in churches all around the world right now, including in this very room, 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:51.379 who assume that they are Christians. 00:15:52.459 --> 00:15:53.559 And they are not. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:56.979 And this is meant to wake us up. 00:15:57.439 --> 00:15:59.139 That's the entire tone of this passage. 00:15:59.819 --> 00:16:00.919 The point is clear. 00:16:01.899 --> 00:16:05.679 Without repentance, there can be no salvation. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:10.979 Without repentance, there can be no forgiveness for sin. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:16.419 Unless we repent, we have no relationship with God. 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:20.939 So, you know, somebody says, well, what about the prayer that we pray? 00:16:21.419 --> 00:16:25.500 You know, every week we pray that our children would never know a day apart from God. 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:26.379 We just prayed it. 00:16:26.699 --> 00:16:27.699 That is a beautiful prayer. 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.179 I love that prayer. 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:31.639 But we should also pray that our kids repent. 00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:38.399 Because if they don't repent, they will spend an eternity apart from God. 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.980 This is a serious message. 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:43.699 Right? 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:47.659 So, this is one of the obstacles that we have to face. 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:49.240 This obstacle of presumption. 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:50.559 Entitlement. 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:51.100 Right? 00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:57.080 One of the other obstacles in the road to our hearts, I think, is the obstacle of apathy. 00:16:58.139 --> 00:16:58.460 Apathy. 00:16:59.540 --> 00:17:02.019 You know, there are times in my life when I wonder. 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:03.440 And I think, you know, I'm a pastor. 00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:04.180 Right? 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:06.519 And I think about kind of my calling. 00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:13.060 And I just think, but you know, in my daily life, there are times when I really struggle to have any real sense of need for Jesus. 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:16.940 You know, shouldn't I have this daily awareness of my need for Jesus? 00:17:17.060 --> 00:17:18.480 Shouldn't I be modeling that for people? 00:17:18.560 --> 00:17:20.880 And I just think that I, there are times when I just don't feel it. 00:17:21.420 --> 00:17:22.620 You know, I feel like life's pretty good. 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:25.039 And I don't really need anything. 00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:27.759 And I wonder, why is that? 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:35.000 And then I realize, pretty quickly, most of the time, oh, it's because I've built my entire life to insulate me from need. 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:35.759 Right? 00:17:36.179 --> 00:17:42.439 My entire life is built, custom built, to insulate me from feeling any sense of need at all. 00:17:42.500 --> 00:17:44.279 And I think about the society that we live in. 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:44.519 Right? 00:17:44.679 --> 00:17:47.859 I think about the fact that when I get a headache, I can immediately take a Tylenol. 00:17:48.659 --> 00:17:51.599 You know, I start to get a headache maybe, you know, 10, 15 minutes in. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.240 When it's really starting to kind of grow, I'm like, oh, I pop a Tylenol, it's gone. 00:17:54.279 --> 00:17:55.019 Don't have to worry about it again. 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:57.659 You know, when I get hungry, I can go to any restaurant, any store. 00:17:57.759 --> 00:17:59.539 They're in every direction from where we live. 00:17:59.659 --> 00:18:04.099 You know, if I need to get somewhere, I can immediately jump in my car or jump on public transportation or jump in an Uber. 00:18:04.299 --> 00:18:06.240 If I want clean water, I can just turn on my faucet. 00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:06.419 Right? 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:07.419 Relatively clean water. 00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:07.679 Right? 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:11.339 This is, this is the kind of society that we live in. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:11.919 Right? 00:18:11.959 --> 00:18:15.719 And I realize how many little decisions I make that I don't even think about. 00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:17.579 But the decision I'm really choosing is comfort. 00:18:19.439 --> 00:18:20.299 Insulation from need. 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:31.799 You know, we may go through a day, you know, this time of year, we may go through a day or a week where my biggest concern is that that Amazon package is not going to arrive before Christmas. 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:34.960 That's the thing that's like stressing me out, you know. 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:39.500 Or I may go through a day where, oh my gosh, I need to go to Costco, they might run out of rib roasts. 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:42.220 I'm not even kidding. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:42.680 Right? 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:42.720 Right? 00:18:43.019 --> 00:18:51.180 And for most people, many people in this city, many people around the world, many people throughout history, the biggest concern was just not dying. 00:18:51.860 --> 00:18:53.180 You know, before sunrise. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.299 Just having clean water to drink. 00:18:56.100 --> 00:18:57.279 You know, just having enough food. 00:18:57.380 --> 00:18:57.519 Right? 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:07.000 And so the difference between the common normative human experience throughout history and our experience in this society is vast. 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:08.160 And most of you know this. 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:09.119 I don't have to tell you this. 00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:18.980 But what we need to understand is we need to see not just the bad things in our lives, you know, the things we know we need to turn away from, but also the good things. 00:19:18.980 --> 00:19:22.980 We need to see those and treat them carefully. 00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:28.099 You know, I look, you know, I look at my amazing family and I look at the fact that we have transportation. 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:29.500 I look at the fact that we have all these things. 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:35.240 We have this great house that we love and we see this house as like a provision of the Lord and yet I'm also terrified of it. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:39.220 I'm terrified of what it might do to my heart if I let it. 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:40.339 Right? 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:41.440 How it might insulate me. 00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:48.960 So the greatest obstacles to receiving Jesus, I believe, the greatest obstacles in the king's highway are not necessarily the most important. 00:19:48.980 --> 00:19:49.860 Not necessarily the bad things. 00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:51.460 I think they're often the good things. 00:19:52.120 --> 00:19:55.980 They're the good works that we do because so many of us in this room are such good people. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:59.000 They're the good works that convince us we don't need mercy. 00:19:59.980 --> 00:20:05.500 And they're the good blessings, I think, provisions of the Lord that we use to convince ourselves we don't need the Lord. 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:14.200 And I think that this is very often why God allows us to experience massive failure and suffering. 00:20:14.380 --> 00:20:17.319 We say, well, how could God let me go through something so hard? 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:19.419 How is God so unloving? 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:20.799 How is God so unfair? 00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:22.159 How could God let this happen? 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:26.819 When you need to build a highway through the mountains, what do you do? 00:20:28.839 --> 00:20:30.439 Well, sometimes you have to use dynamite. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:33.059 Sometimes you have to use dynamite. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.919 And the hard thing that we have to wrestle with is this. 00:20:36.139 --> 00:20:37.899 Sometimes God loves you so much. 00:20:38.259 --> 00:20:42.819 Sometimes God adores you so much that he drops a stick of dynamite in your life. 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:46.480 Because he knows that you're dying. 00:20:46.919 --> 00:20:48.419 You're withering on the vine. 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:48.899 Right? 00:20:48.980 --> 00:20:52.119 As John says, the axe is laid at the root of the tree. 00:20:52.599 --> 00:20:53.919 He knows it's urgent. 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:56.159 And he's trying to blast his way in. 00:20:57.139 --> 00:20:59.379 And he says, oh, you didn't clear a road. 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:00.779 You didn't clear the road. 00:21:00.819 --> 00:21:01.700 But that's not going to stop me. 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:03.200 I'm going to blast my way in. 00:21:03.639 --> 00:21:04.779 And it's going to take dynamite. 00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:05.700 It's going to take pain. 00:21:06.919 --> 00:21:07.279 Right? 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:11.859 So if you're somebody, like many of us are, if you're somebody who's struggling this holiday season, 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:16.399 if you're grieving, if you're lonely, if you're depressed, if you're anxious, 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:19.279 you know, this time of year brings up all kinds of things for people. 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:28.139 Don't immediately medicate yourself with booze or shopping or food or Netflix. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:30.079 Don't immediately medicate yourself. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:37.240 Don't immediately assume that God has abandoned you or that God is unfair or that God doesn't love you. 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:42.819 What I would encourage you to do if you're feeling those things is to sit with the pain. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:45.000 Don't avoid it. 00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:45.799 Don't run from it. 00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:47.279 Sit with it. 00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:49.960 Allow yourself to experience it. 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:54.480 Because chances are, if God is the God that the Bible says he is, 00:21:55.059 --> 00:21:56.599 it's not because God is angry at you. 00:21:56.839 --> 00:21:58.220 It's not because God is judging you. 00:21:58.299 --> 00:21:59.740 It's not because God is punishing you. 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:03.859 Chances are, if you're experiencing that, it's because God loves you. 00:22:03.859 --> 00:22:12.419 And it's because God is doing everything he can to clear the road for Christ to come all the way in and take up residence. 00:22:13.819 --> 00:22:13.899 Right? 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.839 So repentance is the king's highway. 00:22:16.019 --> 00:22:17.639 It's the king's highway into our hearts. 00:22:17.959 --> 00:22:26.179 And repentance means clearing the obstacles, clearing the way, opening the way for Christ to come fully in as savior and king. 00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:30.720 And the way we know that we've repented, John says, if you go on down the passage, 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:35.000 the way we know that we've repented is that we begin to see fruit in our lives. 00:22:35.100 --> 00:22:37.740 We, as he says, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:44.700 And after he says that in verse 8, he begins to give them a number of concrete examples of what that fruit looks like. 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:45.980 They say, well, what should we do, John? 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.200 And he says, well, here's some examples. 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:52.000 And we don't have time to go through example by example by example, but I'll just tell you this about the examples. 00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:53.940 They fall into three major categories. 00:22:55.380 --> 00:22:59.480 He says, if you have truly repented, if you've truly cleared the way, 00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:02.940 you've truly received the presence and the grace and the mercy of Christ, 00:23:02.940 --> 00:23:08.960 you're truly doing all that you can to allow him to define you and his mercy to remake you, 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:12.100 then you're going to see evidence of that in your life. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:16.460 And so he gives three categories of examples, and they fall into these three categories. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:19.299 Sex, money, and power. 00:23:20.860 --> 00:23:22.559 Sex, money, and power. 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:23.559 And you ask, well, why these? 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:25.259 Why are Christians always talking about sex? 00:23:25.340 --> 00:23:26.420 Why are Christians always, you know? 00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:29.259 Are these worse than other sins? 00:23:29.340 --> 00:23:30.200 No, absolutely not. 00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:32.720 Aren't there a lot of things the Bible says? 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:33.980 Yeah, absolutely, right? 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:35.400 So why these? 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:40.420 It's because all of these categories are like barometers. 00:23:41.600 --> 00:23:42.380 You know, they're barometers. 00:23:43.980 --> 00:23:48.100 Sex, and money, and power, and specifically our relationship, 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:49.960 and the way we think about each of these things. 00:23:51.100 --> 00:23:55.519 These specific things, our sexual fidelity, the way we handle power, the way we use our heart, 00:23:55.740 --> 00:23:56.740 these are primal. 00:23:57.299 --> 00:23:59.279 These are deeply rooted forces. 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:03.240 These come from the very core of our being. 00:24:04.139 --> 00:24:06.960 And so John is essentially saying, if you've truly repented, 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:09.779 and this has gone down to the very depths of your heart, 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.039 then we're going to see the things that emanate from the depths of your heart begin to change. 00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:16.319 We're going to see the way you think about sex, the way you think about power, 00:24:16.379 --> 00:24:17.119 the way you handle your money. 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:20.059 These are going to begin to bear fruit in different ways. 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:21.440 This is what we saw in the early church. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:29.279 radically different view of sexuality, of money, of power, upside down, the opposite of the surrounding culture. 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:34.539 And so it's worth us asking ourselves, you know, not only do I want you, 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:38.519 and I'm explicitly saying this, not only do I want you to think during this time together, 00:24:38.879 --> 00:24:39.680 have I repented? 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:42.500 Because if you haven't, you need to. 00:24:43.379 --> 00:24:44.180 Have I repented? 00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:48.700 But you also need to be thinking, if I have repented, and if I am repenting, 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:50.340 and if repentance is something that is a part of my life, 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:53.860 do I see fruit coming out of that repentance, right? 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:57.340 So you ask yourself, no matter what life stage I'm in, 00:24:57.400 --> 00:24:59.840 do I pursue sexual fidelity in my life? 00:24:59.840 --> 00:25:04.799 Because I know that sex is this sacramental, beautiful reflection of the beauty of the gospel. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.900 Does that matter to me? 00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.360 And do I want to reflect that in my life? 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:14.259 So, you know, whether you're married or single, you know, even if you're woefully addicted to pornography, 00:25:15.379 --> 00:25:21.659 you can repent and repent and repent every single day. 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.839 You can repent again and again and again and again. 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:28.399 And somebody might say, well, it doesn't mean anything in that point. 00:25:28.479 --> 00:25:29.159 Yes, it does. 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:34.819 Maybe the fruit in your life right now is just the fact that you're fighting it, right? 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:38.059 Maybe the fruit right now is just the fact that you want freedom, 00:25:38.419 --> 00:25:40.960 and you're striving for that in the Lord. 00:25:42.619 --> 00:25:45.139 So repent and repent and repent. 00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:46.960 Continue to repent, right? 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.279 When we think about the relationship we have with money, 00:25:51.399 --> 00:25:54.099 is there fruit in my life when it comes to my money? 00:25:54.139 --> 00:25:55.379 When I think about giving to the poor, 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.740 do I discriminate between the deserving poor and the undeserving poor? 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:04.279 Or am I generous not because I think people deserve it, 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:10.179 am I generous because I have so experienced the generosity of Christ in the depths of my heart? 00:26:12.439 --> 00:26:12.639 Right? 00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:15.539 Am I generous with the church community? 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:16.480 Right? 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:19.539 This is a great time to think about our relationship with money 00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:22.279 and the relationship with our primary church family, right? 00:26:22.399 --> 00:26:24.259 And I know, I don't know any specifics, 00:26:24.399 --> 00:26:26.379 and we have a system set up to keep me from knowing that, 00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:29.899 but I do know that there are some people in our church who are extravagantly generous. 00:26:29.900 --> 00:26:32.500 And they're not necessarily the people that you would expect. 00:26:33.820 --> 00:26:36.420 You know, it's not the people who have the really high-paying jobs 00:26:36.420 --> 00:26:38.460 and married with kids and they own their own home who are, 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:39.920 you know, it's not always those people. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:43.800 You know, there are people who are at very different stages of life, right? 00:26:44.080 --> 00:26:46.360 You wouldn't think maybe would even be giving to a church 00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:48.640 who are giving extravagantly, generously. 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.560 And we know probably giving in massively sacrificial ways. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:56.519 And, you know, with just knowing that and the kind of general sense that I have of that, 00:26:56.839 --> 00:27:00.019 that encourages me more than you could possibly believe. 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:02.639 It's one of the greatest measures of the spiritual health of a church. 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.819 I also know that there are roughly 11% of member households, 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:09.639 members who actually have committed to giving, 00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:12.000 who have not given anything in the last year. 00:27:13.179 --> 00:27:14.039 Now, I don't know who. 00:27:14.480 --> 00:27:15.460 I don't know any specifics. 00:27:15.919 --> 00:27:18.799 And I'm not trying to kind of create any sorts of undue guilt or shame, 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:20.619 but this is a very practical way to think, 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:23.339 am I bearing fruit in keeping with repentance? 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:26.819 Is my relationship changed with my finances, right? 00:27:26.879 --> 00:27:28.519 And then lastly, he talks about power. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:32.399 And this is power is something that we all need to be taking seriously. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:33.879 What is my relationship with power? 00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:36.839 Most people in this room, relative to most people in the world, 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:39.399 have an extraordinary amount of power and privilege. 00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:41.919 Extraordinary power in this room. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:43.940 So what are we doing with it? 00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:45.859 How do we steward it? 00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:50.919 Are we actively thinking about how we use our power and our privilege 00:27:50.919 --> 00:27:55.059 to help those who don't have power, who don't have a voice, 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:57.839 who don't have the ability to change their circumstances? 00:27:58.519 --> 00:28:03.339 Am I actively using my privilege and power to help others who don't have it, right? 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:08.299 Do I criticize, you know, those of you who are in charge, who manage, who lead, 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:11.000 am I critical of the people under me? 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:12.659 Do I demean them? 00:28:12.859 --> 00:28:14.799 Do I complain about them behind their back? 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:16.680 Do I avoid conflict with them? 00:28:18.019 --> 00:28:21.859 Or do I see my primary role with those that are under my leadership, 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:25.759 do I see my primary role is that I exist to serve them? 00:28:27.019 --> 00:28:31.919 You know, do I have a kingdom vision for leadership as servanthood and stewardship? 00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:34.359 You know, and what does that look like, right? 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:38.440 And as you get promoted and as you're in more and more and more responsibility in your jobs, 00:28:38.740 --> 00:28:41.480 this should be the defining feature of your leadership. 00:28:42.279 --> 00:28:44.559 Servanthood and stewardship of those under your care. 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:46.180 Right? 00:28:46.259 --> 00:28:49.519 So these are the kinds of things that John is saying, very practical things. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:54.960 So repentance is not stop doing all the bad things and start giving my money away and start doing all that. 00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:55.700 I don't want you to hear that. 00:28:55.819 --> 00:28:56.559 Repentance is this. 00:28:56.859 --> 00:28:59.279 I can't do that stuff on my own. 00:28:59.419 --> 00:29:00.200 That's the fruit. 00:29:00.339 --> 00:29:01.039 That's not repentance. 00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:01.839 That's the fruit. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:05.419 I'm not capable of that unless the king resides in me. 00:29:06.059 --> 00:29:13.240 And so repentance is clearing the king's highway so that the king can come in and begin to change me so that I begin to live like the king. 00:29:13.240 --> 00:29:17.579 And this is the image that John wants to leave us with. 00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:21.579 So I'll close by just sort of bringing all this together. 00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:27.059 This Christmas there are at least two possible ways we can prepare for Christmas. 00:29:27.059 --> 00:29:37.119 The one way is simply to focus on the house and the entryway and the Christmas tree and the greenery, fake or real. 00:29:37.220 --> 00:29:42.579 And listen, that stuff is fun and it matters and our kids love it and we should be doing that. 00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:48.059 But let's not spend all of our time and energy only focusing on the cookies and the roast. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:55.619 Is there time this Advent season, which is what Advent is for, for us to prepare by examining our hearts? 00:29:57.059 --> 00:29:57.159 Right? 00:29:57.199 --> 00:30:05.559 Be examining whether or not we have ever repented, whether or not we need to repent again, recognizing that repentance is not just a one-time thing. 00:30:05.679 --> 00:30:10.299 It's not, you don't say, well, when I was 12 at summer camp I repented and so that box is checked. 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:13.460 Now repentance is something we need to do all the time as believers. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:14.440 Right? 00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.639 It's the posture of the Christian life. 00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:19.720 We're always clearing the road for Christ. 00:30:19.859 --> 00:30:21.460 We're always turning away from sin. 00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:23.700 We're always turning toward and embracing him. 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:25.539 But that doesn't mean we have to do it perfectly. 00:30:27.899 --> 00:30:29.099 Last little image I'll give you. 00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:32.159 The parable of the prodigal son. 00:30:33.899 --> 00:30:34.819 We can repent. 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:35.619 We should repent. 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:36.319 We need to repent. 00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.559 But we're never going to get it right. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:38.960 We're always going to have mixed motives. 00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:41.539 We're never going to turn fully away from all of our sin. 00:30:41.700 --> 00:30:44.740 We're always going to do it in less than ideal ways. 00:30:45.460 --> 00:30:47.059 But think of the prodigal son. 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:48.160 Right? 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:49.500 Tells his father, I wish you were dead. 00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:51.620 Robs him of his money, essentially. 00:30:52.200 --> 00:30:52.840 Goes off. 00:30:52.940 --> 00:30:53.660 Spends it all. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:56.779 Is sitting there and, you know, covered in pig dung. 00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:57.440 Miserable. 00:30:58.360 --> 00:30:59.420 Life's not worth living. 00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:00.980 Filled with regret. 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:02.460 But what does he decide to do? 00:31:03.340 --> 00:31:07.240 He doesn't say, I have, you know, I'm so filled with regret. 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:09.539 And so heartbroken over the ways I wounded my father. 00:31:09.620 --> 00:31:12.079 I'm going to go back and I'm going to ask my father's forgiveness. 00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:14.799 His concerns are much more mundane. 00:31:15.160 --> 00:31:15.960 Much more fleshly. 00:31:16.620 --> 00:31:18.140 He says, I'm cold. 00:31:18.259 --> 00:31:19.120 I have nowhere to live. 00:31:19.220 --> 00:31:20.120 I have nothing to eat. 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:20.799 I'm starving. 00:31:21.299 --> 00:31:28.940 Maybe if I go back, I can finagle away into my dad's household and get a job there so that I'll have something to eat and a place to sleep. 00:31:29.099 --> 00:31:30.019 It's so practical. 00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:31.960 It's 100% focused on his needs. 00:31:32.140 --> 00:31:33.700 There's nothing selfless about that. 00:31:33.980 --> 00:31:35.640 There's nothing altruistic about that. 00:31:35.640 --> 00:31:37.940 So he's like, maybe I'll convince my dad to give me a job. 00:31:38.040 --> 00:31:39.620 And he starts going down the road, right? 00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:41.200 And he's going down the road. 00:31:41.280 --> 00:31:42.460 And what does the parable tell us, right? 00:31:42.580 --> 00:31:49.020 The father, while his son is still a long way off, just leaves out, goes running down the road, embraces his son. 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:51.220 His son doesn't have a chance to say, I'm sorry. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:53.320 His son doesn't have a chance to say, will you forgive me? 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:55.759 His son doesn't have a chance to own his sin in any way. 00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:58.880 Before his son has uttered a word, the father embraces him. 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:01.020 And he puts a robe around his shoulders. 00:32:01.280 --> 00:32:02.640 He puts a ring on his finger. 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:05.540 He calls for the fatted calf to be slaughtered so they can throw a feast. 00:32:05.900 --> 00:32:06.300 Why? 00:32:06.620 --> 00:32:13.620 Because the son came hoping to get a job as a servant, but the father received him as a son, as a child. 00:32:14.340 --> 00:32:14.560 Right? 00:32:14.620 --> 00:32:16.560 And this is the extravagant grace of God. 00:32:16.820 --> 00:32:22.300 We repent imperfectly for selfish motives because some guy on Sunday told us we needed to. 00:32:22.380 --> 00:32:25.640 We repent doing the best we can, but knowing we're misguided and imperfect. 00:32:25.800 --> 00:32:27.560 And it's all kind of mixed up and muddled. 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:31.679 It doesn't ultimately hinge on us getting it right. 00:32:32.279 --> 00:32:37.759 It hinges on the fact that we worship a God whose eternal nature is to have mercy. 00:32:37.859 --> 00:32:45.099 A God who is waiting to embrace us, to throw a robe around our shoulders, and to proclaim that we belong to him. 00:32:46.299 --> 00:32:46.940 Let's pray. 00:32:46.940 --> 00:32:46.960 Let's pray. 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:47.000 Let's pray.