I WISH I COULD START OVER

LUKE 15:11-24

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, & here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, & say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven & in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went to his father…” —Luke 15:17-20a

A SPIRITUAL RUMSPRINGA

The Amish have a tradition called “Rumspringa” that allows adolescents to live “in the world” for a period of time to know what life on the

is really like.

It’s not just the Amish that go through this kind of season. We all have our own

Rumspringa as well.

Today’s message will be on the spiritual awakening to

. We will attempt to gain a biblical understanding of repentance.

THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTANCE:

In the Christian life, there is no more

practice than that of repentance. It’s the key that unlocks the door to everything else in your relationship with God.

Our culture thinks repentance is

: a sign of weakness and disempowerment.

Repentance is not a sign of weakness but of

. It’s not an experience of disempowerment but of liberation.

THE ESSENCE OF TRUE REPENTANCE:

There is a difference between

-based repentance and -based repentance. True repentance involves three crucial actions.

1: up:

External circumstance make you “come to your senses.” God initiates it and you

to it.

2: up:

You see

as the most offended person by your sin. You’re not just sorry you got caught.

3: back:

You go back where you

; rejecting the slavery & misery of the “sorry-cycle.”

THE POWER FOR TRUE REPENTANCE:

Law-based repentance says you have to

your way back home. The focus is on what you do (or have done.)

Gospel-based repentance says you’re welcome back home because of God’s

. The focus is on what HE did.

With the Law, it’s your

that initiates and animates God’s love. With the Gospel, it’s God’s that initiates and animates your repentance.