“An Example of True Repentance” Luke 15:11-32 Sunday, February 6, 2017

Introduction: The “Crown Jewell” of ’ parables is the parable of son. It is one of the most familiar parables. It is one of the longest and most detailed parables. Unlike most parables, it has more than one lesson. It is only recorded in the of Luke.

The in the parable is an example of true repentance. The elder brother is an example of self-righteousness. The father pictures God.

Text: Luke 15:11-32

1. In a spiritual sense, there is within us a desire to run our own lives.

• We see this in the parable. The younger brother said, “Give me the portion of goods that fall to me” (15:12).

• By Jewish law, this would be half of what the older brother would receive (Deut. 21:17).

• The younger brother wanted to be independent of his father’s control and authority and run his own life.

Illustration: There is nothing new about this. This is as old as mankind. It started with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis chapters 2 and 3).

Application: Over 6,000 years later it is the same. We still have a desire to run our own lives.

Illustration: I can relate to this. My father had a rule, he had a lot of rules. One of his rules was, “As long as you eat with your feet under my table you will obey my rules. As a teenager I would say (to myself), “One day I will not eat with my feet under your table and I will go by my own rules.

2. This desire to run our own lives can lead us to a far country.

• It may not, but it can.

• It led the prodigal son to a far country.

• A far country represents a world where God is not or where God is forgotten.

• It is interesting that the younger son did not immediately leave his home— “and not many days after” (15:13).

Application: The apostasy of the heart precedes the apostasy of the life. (Apostasy is the abandonment of what you once believed).

Illustration: The younger son in the parable thought about what he was going to ask and do before he asked and did it. It started in his heart and then he proceeded.

Illustration: This is why the says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Everything originates in the heart.

3. Living in a far country results in bondage.

• Away from his father’s control, the younger son enjoyed the worlds attractions and the pleasures of sin—“prodigal living” (15:13).

• Quickly his “gathering” (v.13) became “scattering” –“when he spent it all” (v.14).

4. True repentance involves action.

• The prodigal son first thought what he would do (v.17-19).

• Then he acted on his thoughts (v.20-21).

• Without action there is no true repentance.

• There are two Greek words for repentance.

1. One of the Greek words is metonoia which means a change of heart and life manifested with action. The first public word recorded in Scripture that Jesus preached was “repent” (Matthew 4:17). This is a translation of the Greek word metonoia. This is the word Peter used preaching at Pentecost. This is the word Jesus used when He said there was joy in heaven over a sinner that repents.

2. The second Greek word translated “repent” is the Greek word metameleia. This word means sorrow and regret for something done. The idea of this word is that you wished what was done could be undone. An illustration of this is in Matthew 27:5. The King James Bible translates the word “repented himself” referring to Judas. The NKJV and the NIV translated the word correctly “remorseful” and “remorse.”

True repentance involves action. To regret something or wish it could be undone is not true repentance. True repentance takes action.

Conclusion: This is true for salvation and this is true if you have drifted from God. It is one thing to feel remorse, but a different thing to feel remorse and take action.