What produces godly repentance? The account of the rich man and Lazarus reveals what does not and does produce godly repentance. Miracles do not produce godly repentance. Scripture (Moses and the Prophets) does produce godly repentance.

Table of contentsFamily Worship GuideSermon NotesLesson One: Godly repentance allows people to avoid the rich man’s fate.Lesson Two: Being Abraham’s descendant is no substitute for repentance.Lesson Three: Miracles don’t produce godly repentance.Lesson Four: Scripture can produce godly repentance.

https://youtu.be/Yj5KXyAF2fE
What produces godly repentance? Miracles do not produce godly repentance, but Scripture (Moses and the Prophets) does.

Family Worship Guide

Directions: Read the following verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 3:7-9, 16:30, Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 3:7, John 8:32-4 cf. Luke 16:24, 27, 30: Why did the rich man want Lazarus to visit his brothers? How did Abraham respond and why did he respond that way? Why did many Jews think it was guaranteed they would go to heaven?

Day 2: Luke 16:31, Exodus 12:30, Hebrews 4:19, Judges 6:21, 36-40, 7:10, Matthew 11:20, John 2:23-25, 6:2, 66, 11: 53, John 12:10, 37, Acts 4:16-18, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 2:1-4, Acts 8:5-6: Why don’t miracles produce godly repentance? Can you think of any miracles in Scripture that seemed to produce faith or repentance? What are some miracles in Scripture that were not mentioned in the sermon that did not produce repentance or faith?

Day 3: Luke 16:31, John 6:63, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, Jonah 4:4-5, 2 Kings 22:11, Acts 1:15, 2:40-41, 4:4: Why is Scripture able to produce godly repentance when miracles are not? Think of some examples in Scripture of people hearing preaching but failing to repent. What are some examples of people receiving preaching followed by repentance?

Sermon Notes

The title of this morning’s sermon is, “What Produces Godly Repentance?”

On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 16:30 toward the end of the account of the rich man and Lazarus.

Let’s start at verse 27 for context…

Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house 28 for I have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

Moses and the Prophets is a New Testament way to refer to the Old Testament.

The rich man objected to the idea that his brothers could listen to Moses and the Prophets, probably because he knew that his family did not take Moses and the Prophets seriously. He didn’t think Scripture would work, because he had such a low view of Scripture.

He never obeyed Scripture, so why would they? Instead, he thinks they need a miracle to repent.

And this brings us to lesson one…

Lesson One: Godly repentance allows people to avoid the rich man’s fate.

This is very interesting. The rich man knew what his brothers must do to avoid the torment he’s experiencing: repent,

This also means he knew why he was in torment: he didn’t repent:

He wasn’t lost because he was rich.

He was lost because he wouldn’t turn from his sin. Many will also be lost for the same reason.

And something interesting about the rich man’s lack of repentance in his earthly life is there’s no evidence of repentance, or change, in the next life either.

Let me explain what I mean by getting you to notice some things about him…

First, two times he tried to order Lazarus around and treat them like a servant who is inferior to him:

Luke 16:24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and SEND LAZARUS TO DIP THE END OF HIS FINGER IN WATER AND COOL MY TONGUE, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

Luke 16:27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you,