Tag: repentance

Repentance and the Fire of “Victim Mentality” (Mk.1:14-15)

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on February 14, 2022. Posted in The Church, The Gospel, Theology.

from THE CHURCH UNDER FIRE sermon series . . .

You’ve got to love some of the comical billboards out there. For example, we’ve got a bail bonding company here in town called “Devil Made Me Do It Bail Bonds” with their ads around town. It’s a play on a common saying that’s been around a while. Sadly, when it comes to taking personal responsibility for their actions, the human race is very adept at blaming others for their wrongdoing. It’s a trait we’ve inherited from our common ancestors, Adam and Eve—Eve blamed sin on the devil, and Adam blamed his wife, and we blame just about everyone and everything else but ourselves when we sin.

Repentant Sinners and a Joyful Father

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on August 16, 2018. Posted in The Church, The Gospel, Theology.

Our second sermon in our Prodigal Son series at Grace Life zooms in on the nature of sin and the character of God the Father who loves to see sinners come home.

Repentant Sinners and a Joyful Father
Luke 15:13-24

We began the prodigal son parable by looking at the context and seeing that the Pharisees and scribes are offended that Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responds to their grip-ing by giving them three parables. All three have the same basic outline: something is lost, then found, followed by a celebration.

The prodigal son is the more detailed and intimate of the three parables. The prodigal’s sin is evident as he demands his inheri-tance, leaves home, and pursues a lifestyle of wastefulness resulting in devastation and destruction. This is what it looks like to be lost.

Luke 15:13-24—Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

The prodigal has hit bottom. He’s penniless and abandoned. But it’s at the bottom that he realizes there’s something far worse than pigs and poverty—the prodigal has abandoned his father. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!’ ” (v.17).

“ ‘But when he came to himself’ ” (v.17a). That’s a colorful way of describing repentance. Repentance is one of the missing links for most people that think they’re a Christian but really aren’t. So, it’s important that we know what it is.

1. Repentance is returning to “yourself” (v.17). Sin is senseless, and sin mars the image of God in which we’ve been created. Repentance is a return to your senses, to yourself (not to selfishness).

2. Repentance is confessing the foolishness of your sin (v.17). “ ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!’ ” (v.17b). The pro-digal was once elevated above his father’s servants, but he renounced his privileged position as son to pursue “independence”. The repentant person recognizes the stupidity of exchanging God as their greatest treasure for cheap reproductions.

3. Repentance is turning from sin to God (v.18). “ ‘I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” ’ ” (v.18). It’s pivotal to your salvation that you understand that true repentance isn’t merely saying, “Dear Jesus, I am sinner. Come into my heart and save me.” The prodigal demonstrates that words of true repentance will be followed by actions of true repentance.

True repentance is turning away from living life your way and toward living life God’s way. True repentance includes a hatred for your sin and a love for the Father and a love for obeying Him. True repentance is a lifestyle. Martin Luther writes, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matt.4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

4. Repentance is a sovereign gift of God’s mercy and grace (vv.19-23). “ ‘ “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants” ’ ” (v.19). This is the consistent testimony of the true convert. Christians know they’re “unworthy to be called” sons and daughters of God. Therefore, they’re con-tent with serving in the humblest positions in the Church with or without recognition as long as they can be in good relations with God the Father.

Jesus says the prodigal “arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (v.20). Typically, father’s in that culture didn’t run like this. It was undignified. And fathers didn’t forgive such sins of a son in that culture. It was disgraceful. But this father is different. He runs to the son and slobbers him with kisses.

This is an illustration of what our Father God is really like. He isn’t the angry deity that unbelievers imagine. God is angry with sinners every day and there is an eternal judgment for persistent rebels, but God doesn’t need anger management classes. He’s slow to anger and quick to show mercy, otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.

This is why I can’t overstress the weight of the phrase “while he was still a long way off” (v.20a) because it highlights the supernatural reality of repentance. Jesus is making the point that the father already had a predetermined plan to extend mercy and grace to the son prior to his actual repentance. Mercy is receiving undeserved forgiveness from God. Grace is receiving undeserved life and righteousness from God through Jesus Christ. The idea that God the Father plans to forgive and save specific sinners even before they repent corresponds with what we read in Isaiah.

Isaiah 65:24—“Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

Therefore, repentance is not self-induced regret but a miracle performed by God according to His sovereign mercy and grace. Two passages make this especially clear.

Acts 11:15-18—As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

2 Timothy 2:24-25—And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Because repentance ultimately depends on God, repentance is always relational in nature—meaning we relationally turn to God through faith in Jesus, and we live out our faith relationally with a local church family.

Repentance is seeing traces of God’s mercy and grace in everything, even the hard things. For example, who brought the famine to the far country? God. What would have happened had God not ordained that famine? The prodigal might have found a way to be prosperous again and die in his prosperity—or else he would have died of malnutrition. As John Calvin said, God’s ordained miseries are His “invitation” to repent and find life.

5. Repentance produces full restoration to God (vv.21-24). “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’ ” (v.21). Only people with this humble attitude can be fully restored because the idea of God’s grace either makes you mad or makes you glad because His grace gives undeserving sinners eternal blessing in place of eternal damnation.

Notice what full restoration looks like for the prodigal. “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate’ ” (vv.22-23). The robe, ring, and shoes are all precious pictures of how God’s salvation restores our status as sons and daughters. At the cross, Jesus exchanged our filthy rags, ring-less finger, and bare feet with His royal robe, ring, and shoes of sonship that sets us apart from the world.

If these images weren’t powerful enough, we get the strongest of all. “ ‘For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found’ ” (v.24a). Sin is so devastating and destructive that it leaves us spiritually dead. But God’s mercy and grace are so powerful that He raises us up to spiritual life. We were lost in our sin and couldn’t find our way out—worse yet, we didn’t want out. We loved our lives of sin every bit as much as the prodigal loved his. But God intervened, breathed eternal life into our souls, and gave us the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-5—But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.

6. Repentance is a cause of celebration (v.24). “And they began to celebrate” (v.24b). This is both our last point and basically the introduction for the next sermon. When lost sinners confess Christ as Lord, follow Him in baptism, and become a faithful member of His Church, we ought to be happy. Serving up the fattened calf back in verse 23 shows us just how overjoyed the father is.

Celebration over sinners come home will be different for each of us. For some it means clapping or shouting. For others it may be quiet tears or simple smiles. But nothing should excite or motivate us more than seeing a lost sinner found! Have you lost your joy over sinners coming home? Perhaps you’re the one still lost in your prodigal sinning? Won’t you repent and come home to God?

Remove the Persistent Agitator

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on August 12, 2013. Posted in Discipleship, The Church.

This is adapted from a manuscript of a recent sermon preached at Southside Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN.

As Paul brings his letter to Titus to a close, he wants to give some instructions on what to do with divisive church members who persistently disrupt the unity in the church with their wild theologies and controversies.

Titus 3:10-11—As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

1. The Church must be patient with divisive members (v.10a): Paul has already alluded to divisive members who promote “controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law” (v.9). He says they are “unprofitable” and “worthless.” Notice, Paul didn’t say that these divisive members were being unprofitable and worthless or that their theology is unprofitable and worthless, though those things are certainly true. Paul says that they, the members themselves, are unprofitable and worthless.

This is why the job of the shepherding elders is so tough. Not every person that enters our building is membership material, meaning that not every visitor is here for the right reason. The reason we exist as the Church is to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pt.2:9). But people come in all the time with their own agenda and motivations that are rooted in selfishness and not the gospel.

And sometimes, some of our own church members will become like those self-righteous visitors. Some of our own members will hear a weird preacher with weird views, or else they’ll hear a good preacher with good views but they misunderstand something he says. And then they begin to promote those weird views in the church, and before you know it divisions arise.

Paul gives Titus, as one of the elders of the Cretan Church, the responsibility of rebuking such divisive people. But notice the patience with which the Cretan leadership is to have with them. They are to be warned not once but twice. This is very similar to Jesus’ teaching on church discipline in Matthew 18: call for repentance privately; then with two or three witnesses; and then tell it to the church.

In Matthew 18, however, sinning church members get three warnings. In Titus, Paul is dealing with a more serious problem, namely false teaching that is causing division. Someone who is committing adultery may or may not threaten the unity of the church. Someone who has been unfaithful in gathering with the church may or may not threaten the unity of the church. But false teachers spreading their gangrenous division is always a threat to the unity of the church.

Paul, however, is not saying that the false teachers ought to be ousted because of their false teaching, although that would be permissible. Rather, Paul is saying that false teachers that are causing division in the church ought to be ousted. And it is Jewish legalism that is especially in view in Paul’s mind. Today, it might be denominational legalism or American-pride legalism or self-made moralism. Yet in God’s grace, God calls for patience.

2. The Church must remove divisive members from its fellowship (vv.10b-11): Paul says to “have nothing more to do with” the divisive church member. It means that after two warnings, the agitator is to be excommunicated and ostracized. No more hanging out. No more game nights or Mexican cheese dip or guy outings of any kind or shopping trips for the gals.

Paul is very adamant about this, and he tells us why in verse 11: “knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Warped and sinful means that a person is beyond ordinary instruction. While they are not beyond the power of God’s grace to work in them, we must understand that the primary way that God works grace into a person is through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. If a person is unteachable, always arguing and debating doctrine with a know-it-all attitude, then they are beyond God’s ordinary means of grace.

The phrase, “He is self-condemned” is very interesting. Often people will react to church discipline by saying, “Who are we to judge?” But notice that Paul does not promote the judging of others. Rather, he makes it clear that such people are self-condemned, meaning they have brought judgment on themselves. The church is simply confirming the sinner’s unrepentant status.

Sometimes we react to a single teaching of Scripture like this as if it is an isolated instruction, but the teaching on church discipline is far from being a single teaching. Here’s a few examples of other places that mention the removal of and warning about unrepentant members:

2 Thessalonians 3:6—Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

2 Thessalonians 3:14—If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.

Galatians 6:1—Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Romans 16:17-18—I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.

The biblical evidence is clear. The church should not tolerate theologically divisive people, but we should lovingly remove them from our fellowship. For church discipline is love in three directions:

1) Love for the unrepentant person–It is better they suffer now than to suffer eternally in hell. The hope is that they will repent and get right with Jesus.

2) Love for faithful members–We hear a lot about harming the unrepentant sinner, but what about the rest of the church that is walking faithfully with Jesus? What is it teaching our children when a church member is living in adultery and the church stands by and does nothing about it?

3) Love for the glory of Jesus–Ultimately, it’s all about Jesus. The Church has been saved and set apart for the purpose of making Jesus look good, for shining the spotlight on Him.

May the Lord continue to purify for Himself a people who willingly remove unrepentant members from its fellowship with patience and love in the hopes of bringing them back to repentance.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Jeremy Vanatta

The Truth about Tragedy

Written by Jeremy Vanatta on June 9, 2011. Posted in Discipleship.

(This is a manuscript of a sermon I’ve preached in the face of great tragedies)
We live in a world full of tragedy. And sometimes it is difficult to know how we should react to the devastating things that go on all around us. Perhaps we should ask ourselves the question, what’s our disaster response look like? The list of possible responses could be quite long: from “Why me?”; to “I don’t understand.”; to “They’re getting what they deserve!” But are these biblical responses? Let’s look at what Jesus has to say about devastation and disaster.

1. Tragedy strikes all people regardless of who they are (vv.1-2, 4)
A. Tragedy can be deliberate as with Pilate’s rampage (vv.1-2). Over the course of human history, countless catastrophes committed by man could be recounted. One of the more recent in memory is September 11.

B. Tragedy can be natural as in the case of the Siloam tower (v.4). Again, history is full of persistent natural disasters. Today, we might could argue that such disasters pay the bills for the media. A prime example of a tragic natural disaster is the recent Haitian earthquake.

C. Tragedy can strike both the rich and the poor (vv.1-2,4). In verses 1-2, we see devastation affecting both the Galileans who were the working class poor (vv.1-2) and the Judeans who were the upper class rich (v.4). Hurricane Katrina is a convincing modern day example of a disaster that was no respecter of persons.

D. Tragedy can always be traced back to the will of God. God’s very nature proves this, His providence being the prime example. We as Southern Baptist are in agreement on this as made plain in our unifying statement of faith. In Article II of the Baptist Faith & Message, it says:

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Not only does our Baptist statement of faith affirm this, but God’s very word declares that God’s will ultimately will be done, and what He did to Jesus is the prime example, for Isaiah 53:10 tells us:

Isaiah 53:10a—“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;”

The greatest tragedy ever to have occurred on the planet was at the same time the greatest act of God on behalf of sinners, all for His glory and our joy. Therefore, we can say with confidence that God uses all things, even tragedy, to glorify Himself, and no tragedy is purely accidental or coincidental. But not only does tragedy strike all people regardless of who they are, but . . .

2. Tragedy leads believers to abandon all self-righteousness (vv.3, 5)
A. Tragedy proves that no one is more righteous than another. This is true for at least two reasons. Man is incapable of producing his own righteousness. Man is only capable of producing self-righteousness. Now he may produce some things that are good from man’s perspective, but the Bible is clear that “none is righteous . . . no one does good” (Rom. 3:10, 12a).

Commenting on Harold Kushner’s book, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People,” someone asked one pastor what he thought the answer to that question was. He said, “I haven’t met any good people yet, so I don’t know.” We see this affirmed in the New Testament in Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, and we can learn at least two things from their negative example:

1) Self-righteousness is always hypocritical in some way (Matt.6:21-22). For example, it is easy for most people to affirm that murder is wrong and say, “I’ve never murdered anyone.” But what about anger? Have you never been unrighteously angry at another person? Jesus says,

Matthew 5:21-22—“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Again, it is easy to affirm that adultery is wrong and for many to say, “I’ve never committed adultery.” But what about lust?

Matthew 5:27-28—”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

It would be even easier for most Southern Baptists to agree that homosexuality is wrong and that they have never committed such atrocious acts, but what about the disgraceful things that flash across our television or computer screens?

2) If the Pharisees could not achieve righteousness, how can anyone? (Matt. 6:20). And the answer, of course, is that we can’t. We simply have no righteousness of our own that would make us acceptable to God.

B. Tragedy reminds us of every person’s need of repentance. Tragedy is not a time for anger, revenge, complaining, or bitterness. You see, each of these is the opposite of repentance. All tragedies, whether something that affects us personally or not, are God’s gracious reminder of our need of repentance.

III. Conclusion
So we come back to our original question. What is your typical response to tragedy and suffering in life? Whatever it is, it tells a lot about the state of your soul. Tragedy is no respecter of persons. It strikes all people in all circumstances all over the world. If you find yourself responding to life’s tragedies with anger, vengefulness, bitterness, cynicism, or despair, then you must ask yourself, “Do I really know God?” For you see, tragedy leads believers to abandon all self-righteousness through the gift of God that is repentance.

So today, what’s your disaster response look like—worldly self-righteousness or humble repentance? Instead of asking, “Why me?”, shouldn’t you ask “Why not me?” Instead of saying, “I don’t understand.”, shouldn’t you say, “God knows.” Rather, than screeching, “They’re getting what they deserve!”, shouldn’t you cry out, “Lord, unless I repent, I too will perish. Be merciful to me a sinner, O Lord.”

For His Glory,
Jeremy Vanatta