A Lesson In Repentance
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Typical Intro
We’ve been going through the book of Jonah. A narrative book about the historical prophet written in a satirical fashion.
So far in the book…if you’re looking through the passage we’ve seen…
Read Passage and make sure to explain the first 3 verses and how they relate to the previous message:
1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Last time in Jonah we talked about having a lesson in Sovereignty. Today what we learn from God’s word is a lesson in Repentance.
A Lesson in Repentance
Just like last time we started with a definition of sovereignty, I want to start with a definition of repentance.
Definition of Repentance: “the act whereby one turns from his or her sin, idolatry, and creaturely rebellion and turns to God in faith.”
In faith for what? In faith for forgiveness. Why? For salvation.
Repentance:
It is required for salvation.
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
It begins with hearing God’s Word (v.1-4)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Back to Jesus’ words in Mark,
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
You can’t lead someone to Christ without getting to what God says about sin and repentance. If the gospel you preach is void of that, then it’s not the gospel.
And if your Christian life is void of repentance, then it’s void of the gospel.
In your Christian life…you need to be hearing God’s word…and pair that with believing God’s word.
It requires believing God’s Word (v.5)
We need to not only hear God’s word and put ourselves in a place to hear it…but we need to believe God’s word.
And how do we know we believe it? By truly acting upon it.
First of all, acting upon it by repenting. It says not only they believed…but because they believed what did they do? They put on sackcloth…they repented.
Sackcloth: A rough cloth made from animal hair, usually that of a goat or camel. In both Greek and ancient Near Eastern literature, it refers to a type of material used in various household duties such as the construction of clothing and sacks; the word can also refer to the clothing or sack itself. In the ancient Near East, the use of a garment made of sackcloth came to symbolize sorrow or submission
Sorrow…and submission.
Back to our passage in Mark.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
It is needed for all people (v.5b-6)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
It must be thorough (v.7-8)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
It ends with God’s grace (v.9-10)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.