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FAMILY NEWSTHANKSGIVING WEEK: Thanksgiving this year finds a number of us traveling to be with family. For that reason there will be no Wednesday night class on November 27. The monthly devotional at Claytons' is also canceled for November, but our potluck and our devotional/worship at Timbers are still on for December 1. KEEP SAMANTHA IN YOUR PRAYERS: She will be in the Dominican Republic Thanksgiving week on her mission trip working with mission doctors as they do surgeries on people who have cataracts and other eye problems. LADIE'S FUN DAY: Brenda Ebersol is coordinating a bowling party on Monday, November 25 at 4:00 P.M. at Joey Armadillo's Bowling, 2732 S. 11th St. in Niles. Only $1.00 per line. Meet there at 4:00 P.M. Call Brenda for more information. The alley phone is 269-687-5555. THE NILES CHURCH INVITES YOU to their annual Christmas potluck. It is December 7 (Saturday) at 1:00P.M.. Bring a potluck dish and enjoy good food, good fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Niles, Christmas songs and a lot of laughter and the joy of the season. If you have any questions call Rose Marlin. TODAY'S LESSON
INTRODUCTION: GOD WANTS EVERYONE TO REPENT.
A. Acts 17:30 — Paul speaking to the intellectuals.
I. In the Old Testament “REPENTANCE” is seldom used.
B. Mark 1:4 — John the Baptist preached repentance. C. Luke 5:32 and Mark 1:15 — Jesus calls us to repent. D. Mark 6:12 — The apostles preached it. E. Luke 24:47 — Repentance is global. F. Revelation 2:5, 16; 3:3 — Congregations need to repent. G. Luke 15:7,10 — Joy in heaven over repentance. A.“Naham” In Hebrew refers to God's repentance.
II. In the New Testament the Greek word “Metanoed” means a change of mind. “A radical transformation of thought, attitude, outlook, and direction” (Vine's dictionary).
1. Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; Judges 2:18; 1 Samuel 15:1
B. God is immutable in his being but changes in his relationship and attitude.
1. From complacency to wrath — Exodus 32:12, 14.
C. Human repentance is not “naham,” but “sub.”
2. From wrath to favor and blessing. 1. 2 Kings 17:13; 23:25
2. Ezekiel 18:21-22 A. Acts 3:19 — to blot out sins.
III. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF REPENTANCE:
B. Luke 24:45 — global implications. A. Nineveh — Jonah 3:5-10; Matthew 12:41 — level of change.
IV. WHAT DOES REPENTANCE DO?
B. Zacchaeus — Luke 19:8-9 — change of thought. C. Peter — Matthew 26:75 — level of sorrow. D. Prodigal son — Luke 15:19-21 — accepting change. E. Congregation at Corinth — 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 — response. F. Jews on Day of Pentecost — Acts 2:38-41 A. Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:20; Nineveh
B. Be remade — Ephesians 4:22-14; Colossians 3:9-11; Romans 6:4. C. We have a new walk, in light of God's love — 1 John 1:5. D. Spend some time this week in repentance. (See SONG: “If I Have Wounded Any Soul.”) THE BACK PAGETHE CHALLENGE OF REPENTANCEWhen my daughter Wendy was getting ready to go to college, she had still not been baptized into Christ. This girl had been with me in numerous lectureships and challenges from people hostile to belief in God, and she had been a strong supporter of what I was trying to do. I was mystified as to why she had not decided to be a Christian and now she was leaving home and would no longer be under my direct influence. I wanted to know what was holding her up in her faith as she entered life as an independent young woman. We were driving home from a week long seminar to train others in handling apologetic issues. The program had gone well and she had been a big participant, so I thought it was a good time to ask her about her beliefs as she was leaving for college in a few days. I told her how much I appreciated her help, and how much joy I had in being her father and then I asked her why it was that she had not been baptized so that she could start her adult life as a child of God. Her response was that she just did not have anything to repent of. “I've been a pretty good kid,” she said. The question in repentance is whether we have to be a really bad person to have something to repent of. When I became a Christian I had a ton of things that had been in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ, so I had a lot to be sorry about and a lot to change. My child had lived in a home that valued Christ and his teachings and that invested a lot of time, money, and energy to the church. She had not been a rebellious child, and her past was not a past of opposition to us or to Christ, so how could she repent? The definition of repentance in today's lesson is that the word in the original language involves change. “Metanoia” comes from “meta” meaning change and “noia” meaning mind. The primary act in repentance is to change one's mind. The dictionary quote in the lesson is “A radical transformation of thought, attitude, outlook, and direction.” My daughter's thinking was to be a veterinarian. My hope for her was that she would become a teacher. Her motivation to be a vet was that she thought that working with cute puppies would be fun. My motivation was that I felt God had given her a gift that could be used to benefit humans and bring young people to know and value the Lord, I thought God had called her to this. We need to pray to God to help us with our thoughts, attitudes, outlook and direction as we travel through life. Repentance is not a one time thing, it is a shaping of how we look at things. It affects our family life, our professional goals and our happiness. A part of our daily prayer life should be to repent — to change and to become more like Christ and to what Christ wants us to be. Baptism is to wipe the slate clean and repentance goes with it. To think differently and to turn our lives over to God. “Repent and be baptized” in scripture go together for a reason. — John Clayton Our sign by the street! Scripture links/references are from BibleGateway.com. Unhighlighted scriptures can be looked up at their website. www.dowagiaccoc.org |
