7 24 11 HT AM

Luke 15:14-19 MSG

The attitude of repentance is not what you think, I am not talking about how to repent can confess your wrongs – which certainly one should do.  The attitude of repentance is an attitude that can easily and properly change its mind on a certain position when needed or necessary. Today is very practical end to our series on attitudes – quick review; we have covered Rebellion, Religion, Restoration and today Repentance.

What is the difference?

1. 1. Solid vs. Stubborn
2. 2. Diligent vs. Dug in
3. 3. Thorough vs. Thick Headed
4. 4. Rooted vs. Ridiculous

Certainly consistency is very helpful, even a trait we see in the nature of God. The difference in the above qualities going from good to bad is the attitude behind which one operates.

Matthew 3:1 NKJV

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

Matthew 3:2

and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

REPENT – Metanoeo – met-an-o-eh’-o -Verb

Definition; to change one’s mind, i.e. to repent; to change one’s mind for better,  a huge part of our salvation experience moves us to a place where we need to change our mind.

Our mindsets are a great battlefield between one another and God as well.

Romans 12:2  NKJV

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

This verse establishes that our mind is a pivotal point in the transformation process – John Maxwell teaches, ”attitude determines altitude”

Our theme story for the attitude series –

Luke 15:14 MSG

After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt.

Luke 15:15

He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs.

Luke 15:16

He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.

Luke 15:17

“That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death.

Luke 15:18

I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; ’

The prodigal found himself in this situation that called for repentance in his attitude toward others and himself – he needed a 180 in his mind! The day before he left home he knew it all – then he realized what he knew was not working.

Today I want you to really think about you and YOUR MIND! Apply today to every area of your life – spiritual, relational, family, financial, etc.

Developing an “attitude of repentance

1. Check your will -

The will must change before the mind can change

As long as the prodigal willed to run his own life and remove the father his mindsets about the father and his own future were all wrong.

Jesus in Gethsemane – if you do not genuinely examine your will, your MIND will never move

2. Clean out pride

pride disguises itself, pride must be removed

Proverbs 16:18 NKJV

Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:19

Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 16:20

He who heeds the word wisely will find good,

And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

Pride does not always reveal itself shouting “hey look at me” – it often reveals itself with mindsets that say “I am not wrong, I cant be wrong, or I simply refuse to change.

SIGNS OF PRIDE – probably more present than we realize! (Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins).

• Insecurity
• The need to be right

Galatians 6:3 NKJV

For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Galatians 6:4

But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

• Argumentative At the root of their argument is a belief that they are right and the other is wrong and that their will should prevail. It is appropriate to advocate for a point of view or position but not to do so in such a manner that you are more invested in your opinion than in arriving the truth.

• Anger. Anger is a self-justifying emotion. This means that the nature of anger is to prompt us to justify our position and blame another for the wrongdoing. Justification of self leads to denial of our own complicity or wrongdoing. The scripture warns that the “anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20).

• Inability to be submissive

• Hearing but not doing

Proverbs 29:1 NKJV

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,

Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

• Compare and compete.

Corinthian church had a bad case of the comparisons – both with others and self.

Developing an “attitude of repentance”

3. Choose humility

Humility is the virtue that destroys the vice of pride

Back to our prodigal son story – this story contains a series of mindsets that needed to change or will need to change –

• The Prodigal

• The Elder

• The Pharisees and scribes

James 4:6b

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.” ◙

So what about your life today? What mindsets have you had that are causing difficulty in your life? What attitudes have caused difficulty with self and others, have brought your resources to an end – distanced you from God (father).

Is it your will, pride, is it spiritual, relational, financial – an attitude of repentance is your to a new direction!  Today God can help your life!

Luke 15:2-3, 25-30 NKJV

Luke 15:2 NKJV

And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke 15:3

So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

Jesus then goes on to tell three separate parables all with a common thread of things lost.  The lost sheep was lost naturally, the lost coin was lost accidentally and the lost son (parable for our series) was lost willfully. Jesus by design takes the accusation of the religious folks and creates a crises of faith.

The lost son is the pinnacle of all the stories because it is this scenario that started their complaining in the first place.

Luke 15:25 NKJV

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luke 15:26

So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

Luke 15:27

And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

Luke 15:28

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

Luke 15:29

So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

Luke 15:30

But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

Revealing the attitude of religion

The attitude of of religion;

1. 1. Complains (vs. 2 & 30). Not just a casual complaint but an anger and emotional passion rising when you do not get what you want.  This chapter opens and ends with complainers!  We see this culturally as we watch various criminal activities – emotion is not a real good compass for judgment.  While there is a “biblical way to addres concerns, complaining is NEVER viewed in Scripture as a positive  (complaining is about your attitude and motive)

1. 2. Compares people (vs. 29) cannot overlook here that he NEVER showed any regret for the loss of his brother or joy for his return. He felt a sense of superiority; you cannot forgive as long as you feel superior!

• Good vs. Bad
• Generation vs. Generation
• Insiders vs. Outsiders
• Haves vs. Have Not
• Churched vs. Un-churched
• Class vs. Class

My heart as a pastor is to see this room filled with 1/3

Mature believers, beginning believers and pagans!

1. 3. Connects behaviors with blessing. A sense of entitlement due to your good behavior… “ lo these many years”, I have been here a long time, I have made this place happen. His tenure and work efforts provides and implied priority.

1. 4. Challenges priorities (in short summary, all three parables are about the issue of priority).  The opening criticism was that Jesus was talking to a “lost” people “ sinners”. Christ responds with a three parables about lost things – clearly He is making a point!

Another time that Jesus priority was questioned – story of Zacchaeus

Luke 19:9 NKJV

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

Luke 19:10

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

You see what was wrong with the elder brother when you contrast him with the father (just like the younger brother)

Questions about the father –

1. 1. Which son did he love more?
2. 2. Which son treated the father wrong?
3. 3. Which son needed to repent?
4. Which sons condition was harder to see? (like Jonah and Ninevah, which one had a wrong heart)

Warning for all of us in this story- (and for those he was talking to). Listen close!

1. The elder brother was as far from the heart of the father as the younger ( elder brother was much like the prophet Jonah in the OT – who complained and criticized God for accepting the repentance of Ninevah (Irony)
2. The elder brothers condition was harder to recognize because it was buried below the surface of self –righteousness
3. The longer you have been home or away from prodigal living the easier become and elder brother

Removing the attitude of religion

Mover now from the father in this story to our Heavenly Father

1. 1. See what the father sees- the father had compassion on the younger – meaning he saw himself in him.
2. 2. Love like the father loves – know the heart of our Father and love what He loves
3. 3. Want what He wants

Peter 3:9  NKJV The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance

1. 4. Celebrate that you have always had the Father’s heart, and now another feels the same joy you feel.

7 10 11 HT AM

Luke 15:14-24 NKJV / Joel 2:23-25 ESV

Last week we looked at a profile of the younger brother as we discovered the attitude of rebellion. Today we will look at the attitude of restoration through the eyes of the father.

Luke 15:14 NKJV

But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Luke 15:15

Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Luke 15:16

And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Luke 15:17

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Luke 15:18

I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,

Luke 15:19

and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

Luke 15:20

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

Luke 15:21

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15:22

“But the father said to his servants, ◙ ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

Luke 15:23

And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

Luke 15:24

for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Question – Who needs restoration?

• Those who have wasted things
• Those who have made the wrong choices
• Those who have previously rejected the truth
• Those who have fallen or even ran away

Question – How will they be restored ?

Two tracks ;

• Their own efforts (vs.15 joined himself to another, went to work) Still convinced they can control things and work themselves out of the situation they are in.
• The fathers embrace (vs. 20 the embrace identifies him being brought back in – total openness and vulnerability between the son and the father)

Question – What does an attitude of Restoration look like?

Context – speaking here of the overall mindset you take toward others how have messed up, spent all or wasted things away.

Definition – Restoration is to return something to its former place of condition.

God the Father shows us the attitude of restoration –

Joel 2:23-25 ESV 23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years 
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.

Pulling for Joel and the book of Luke we see the attitude of restoration. Think of God restoring us and each of us restoring another; (Lords Prayer “forgive us in the same manner we forgive others)

An ATTITUDE OF RESTORATION;

• Reaches – the father saw him a great way off!  Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

• Re-establishes – your identity (from the time he told the father he was dead in his eyes, the son had lost the identity of himself when he rejected the father.
• Returns  – to equal or better status
• Removes – the barriers that have separated – lower the rungs on the ladder!
• Rejoices – with the journey back rather than dwell on the day they ran away. What really gets you excited in your Christian life?

We are the Body of Christ – we represent Him on the earth today and have been entrusted with RESTORATION.

2 Corinthians 5:16 NLT

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!

2 Corinthians 5:17

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:18

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.

Bottom line – the attitude of Restoration comes from a heart of compassion – compassion is seeing you in another’s difficulty, sin or brokenness.

It was compassion that caused Jesus to weep over Jerusalem it was compassion that caused the father to restore the prodigal and it IS compassion today that causes God to look at each one of us with an ATTITUDE OF RESTORATION and GIVE US THE GIFT OF RESTORATION!

Ministry Time; today you either need to be restored or you are steward entrusted with the Heavenly gift of restoration to see others restored.