Ongoing Repentance

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Passage: Luke 15:8–10 ““Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””

Transition:

Main Exposition

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Main Point: No one is ever to far gone for Jesus, Jesus diligently finds the lost and calls them to a life of Repentance.

Transitional sentence

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Point: Have you ever felt to far gone?

There was a time in my life where I felt I had committed to great a sin to come back to church. I felt so embarrassed and ashamed of my sin that I couldn’t show my face to my church family.

Not to long ago Ethan asked me for my testimony and just a brief snippet of that is…

Grew up in a great home with awesome parents who taught me the Bible

When I was in middle school my church started having these problems

At the same time I started to deal with some sexual sin that quickly became an addiction.

In high school I very publically broke some relationships and started to drift away from the church. I stopped showing up and I felt very ashamed of my sin

I knew I needed to change but I felt to far gone and to embarrassed to see my church family.

I felt to far gone for repentance but now I k now that's a lie.

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What is Repentance?

Luke 15:10 “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.””

Repent means to change mind. Its more than that, it means to have a new outlook, a new perspective.

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Repentance means to acknowledge your sin, feel the conviction and change. It’s not just saying sorry but true repentance is making a change in your life.

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,”

We are called as Christians to repent of our sins and activity turn away from them.

If you struggle with gluttony, repentance looks like acknowledging to the Lord you have the problem, asking for forgiveness and then throwing the snack food away for example.

Repentance leads to Salvation and Joy in heaven and in the believers heart.

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No one is to good or to far gone for Repentance.

No one is ever to far gone for Jesus. No one has ever committed to great a sin to come back to the church family.

The word coin In Greek is drachmas and it’s a coin that was worth about a days wage.

Everyone here has been given a coin. I want you to keep this coin and hold it in your hand. It seems worthless and insignificant. Sometimes we feel like that coin. But to Jesus you are valuable.

Jesus doesn't wrote off the 1 percent loss, he finds the unreachable.

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

You may feel that you cant come back to church because of something you’ve done or said, you may feel embared if you made a public sin but those are lies from the enemy.

You may not know this but Satan does not want you to have a relationship with Jesus and will do everything he can to stop you from having one.

In the parable the woman is diligently seeking her lost coin. The coin seems like a small loss but yet she lights a lamp and sweeps the house until she finds it.

And in the same way Jesus is doing the same thing for you.

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Point: Jesus diligently seeks out his sheep and We need Jesus to sweep the house of our heart.

The lady in the story does two things she lights a lamp and sweeps the house to find the coin.

She is diligent. What does diligent mean?

Diligent describes someone who is careful and persevering in carrying out tasks or duties with work or duties performed in a conscientious manner aka you think about things and are throughough , do it to the best of your ability.

Jesus today has given us a lamp that helps us be found. Scripture describes the Bible as a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

The light of Scripture shines in our hearts and directs our steps. It helps us find Jesus and stay close to Him.

Did you also notice the woman has a broom? Before she finds the coin she has to clean her house. And in the same way our hearts have a couple cobwebs that Jesus needs to clean.

When I look at my heart, man I got some problems. Theres pride, rebellion, hate, a critical spirit.

These problems are spiritual dirt that I need Jesus to clean through the power of repentance.

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Application: Live a life of TRUE Ongoing Repentance.

What is something in your life your holding onto? Last week we talked about pride. Is it pride, lust, greed, selfishness what ever it is for you take a moment to think what are you holding onto? What are you currently struggling with?

Now ask yourself am I honest with God about this sin? Are you ignoring God? Do think your to far gone?

True repentance is ongoing, your never to small to good or to far gone to be forgiven and make a difference.

How do you do that?

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Action Steps: 1. Acknowledge Your Specific Sin. 2. Be honest with God by confessing your sin. 3. Make an action plan for how your going to change your hearts desires - repentance is more than a change of behavior its a change of heart and mind

This can only done through the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life

The woman in the story was diligent, intentional. Are you? Are you living a life of true repentance?

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Conclusion

Remember that coin? You are valuable to God. You are a child of God when you repent.

Jesus says - Revelation 3:19 “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”

Be zealous for the Lord and live a life of repentance.

Outline

Main Point: No one is ever to far gone for Jesus, Jesus diligently finds the lost and calls them to a life of Repentance.

True repentance is making a change in your life.

No one is to good, to small or to far gone for Repentance.

Jesus diligently seeks out his sheep and We need Jesus to sweep the house of our heart.

Application: Live a life of TRUE Ongoing Repentance.

Small Group Questions

Take a moment to read Luke 15:8-10. What is True Repentance? What does that mean?

Why does the believer need to live a life of repentance? How do they do that?

Why is repentance is more than a change of behavior but a change of heart and mind? How does true repentance differ from simply saying sorry for our sins?

What is the fruit of repentance? Why does it produce joy in heaven and in the heart of a Christian?

Are some people to far gone for Repentance? Can everyone be forgiven?

Take a moment to read 1 John 1:8–10 Do Christians need to repent multiple if they are already saved?

Why is it important to Acknowledge Specific Sin in your life? What is confession and why is it important?

Reflect on a time when you felt too far gone from God. How does this passage speak to that experience?

What practical steps can you take to illuminate and clean the 'cobwebs' in your heart as mentioned in the sermon?

What specific sin are you struggling with right now, and how can you approach God about it?