Preaching Repentance and Being Repentant

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In Luke 5:32 Jesus clearly states His mission: “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Of all the things that we do on Sundays during the teaching time, calling sinners to repentance is a huge part of it. C. S. Lewis once wrote: “Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of…” That means that my sermons need to consistently challenge my own sins and point the way to grace-induced or Spirit-empowered change. In Luke 5:27-32 there are two kinds of repentance needed. One by Levi, the rank sinner; the other by the squeaky clean religious leaders who were self-righteous. We hope, of course, that we’re preaching each week to the Levi’s who respond to Jesus’ teaching. However, in many of our well-established Bible Church-type churches, we’ve probably got our fair share of the other. Does your application factor in the Pharisees and Scribe-like congregants? If you decide to preach from the Gospels, Jesus’ numerous encounters with the religious leaders of His day will ensure your sermons deal with that kind of repentance.

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