[table-of-content]
Key Text – Acts 2:38 (NIV)
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Our life is like a journey on a road. There are times we take the wrong turn and find ourselves heading down a road that shouldn’t be traveled.
I remember the time when Pas Toh Nee and I were back in Singapore for our furlough. Because of our long stay in the Philippines, we had become unfamiliar with the routes in Singapore. Countless of times, we were lost. But each time we were lost, we would always look out for a sign of hope- THE U TURN SIGN AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT JUNCTION. Once we spotted the U-Turn sign, we were able to make a turnaround, back-track our route and more often than not, find our right destination.
Our lives are like that too. It is too easy to take the wrong turn through wrong relationship, bad decisions, blindness, sins, mistakes and failures. The wrong turn makes us feel lost, hopeless and messed up. But God is waiting to help you turn your life around. He wants to show you the way.
This morning I would like to share a topic in line with our Life Evangelistic Theme –“LIFE’S TURNAROUND”.
(I) God’s Turnaround
Isaiah 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The Bible declares that “ALL” of us are like sheep (directionless) who have gone astray. We have each taken our own wrong path. Whether you are born- again or not, we all have committed this error. You may be a born-again Christian, yet you are taking the wrong path by stubbornly holding on to your old life like vices, immorality and rebelliousness. Or you may not be a born-again Christian, still you cannot confidently say that you are on the right track of life. Your conscience knows how many times you know what the right things are, yet you fail to do it – that is sin and that is also taking the wrong path.
There are so many stories about how drug addiction, poor relationships with your parents, one foolish decision about love, physical and sexual abuse have led you to live a life of painful consequences. Today, you are living under the sting of those wrong paths you have taken. Stings like guilt, condemnation, hopelessness, helplessness and a trapped feeling. You are sick and tired of this kind of life and wonder if your life can turn around.
Just as the Singapore government has posted U-Turn signs at certain traffic light junctions for motorists, our God has provided a U-turn for you and me. Your life can turn around IF you exercise true and continued REPENTANCE. That’s the key to our life’s turn around.
Example
C.S. Lewis says, “Christianity tells people to repent and promises forgiveness. It therefore has nothing to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of, and who do not feel that they need any forgiveness. It is after you have realized that there is a real Moral Law, and a Power behind the law, and that you have broken that law and put yourself wrong with that Power – it is after all this, and not a moment sooner, that Christianity begins to talk. When you know you are sick, you will listen to the doctor.
Do you know that your wrong path is causing you pain and trouble? Do you know you are sick spiritually today? Do you want your life to be up on its feet again; to be right on track again? Then take the medicine God has for you that can turn your life around. That medicine is REPENTANCE – that’s God’s U turn for you when you are at the junction of your wrong path.
(II) What is Repentance?
There are three kinds of repentance, according to the Greek word, that I would like to share with you this morning.
1. Metanoia (Change Of Mind)
This Greek word, “metanoia” (the noun) is used 24 times in the New Testament. Metanoeo (the verb “to repent”) is used 34 times. It was central to the message of John the Baptist (Matt 3:2, 8, 11); was used often by Jesus (Matt 4:17; Luke 13:3,5; 15:7, 10) and figured prominently in the preaching of the early church (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20).
The word “metanoia” simply means ‘CHANGE OF MIND’. The word originally meant an ‘AFTERTHOUGHT’. Often a second thought shows that the first thought was wrong and so the word came to mean “change of mind”. In other words, to repent means to see and do NOW what you will wish you had seen and done LATER. It is being able to do what you will be glad you did, especially when you stand before God at the judgment seat of Christ.
But if a man is honest, a change of mind demands a CHANGE OF ACTION. Repentance must involve both a change of mind and a change of action. A man may change his mind and come to see that his actions were wrong but be so much in love with his old ways that he will not change them.
E.g. # 1
Dr Gene Phililips was a pastor at Ashland, Kentucky. He was a profound preacher. He had unusual power in the pulpit but also extraordinary charisma with people on a one-to-one basis. This may have had slightly negative fallout. There was a man in his church by the name of Marvin. His spiritual state seemed tied to Gene Phillips. When Dr Phillips moved from Ashland to another city, Marvin stopped coming to church and apparently went back into the world. But when Dr Phillip was invited to return to Ashland to preach, Marvin would be on the front row – and was the first to go to the altar after the sermon. But his “repentance” lasted only a few days. When the members heard that Dr Phillips was coming back to Ashland yet again to preach, they all said, “Marvin will be back in church this Sunday.” Yes, there he was – on the front row. It wasn’t Dr Phillip’s fault. It is just that Marvin has never exercised true “metanoia” – A CHANGE OF MIND RESULTING IN A CHANGE OF ACTION.
E.g # 2
A Christian gave an account of his travel:- “On my first trip to Israel in 1969, we stayed in a hotel on the Palestinian side of Jerusalem. A very colorful Arab- called Samir – sold beads and trinkets to the tourists day by day as we would leave hotel for the bus and he would be waiting for us when the bus returned to the hotel later in the day. With a pleasant smile, Samir would shout out, “Beads? Do you want to buy some beads? Jesus saves! Jesus is coming soon! Hallelujah! Do you want to buy some “beads?” We knew he had picked up a bit of the “language of Zion” after so many Christian tourists had come in and out of the area. On the following Sunday at the Baptist church near the Old City of Jerusalem, Dr Jess Moody preached. It was an unforgettable morning. Jess preached a wonderful sermon. And when Jess gave his appeal for people to come forward and receive Christ, who would come forward but Samir? We were all thrilled. Jess could already envision telling his people back home how he led a Palestinian to the Lord while in Israel. But our hearts sank when, as it turned out, Samir was first outside the doors as we were leaving the church. He shouted out, “Want to buy some beads? Jesus saves! Jesus is coming soon! Hallelujah! Want to buy some beads? Jesus saves!” Samir had a motive for walking forward in the Baptist church. He knew more of these people would buy beads from him rather than others who had trinkets to sell too. I suppose he had done this many times before. There was not the slightest thought of his acknowledgment that Jesus died on the cross or believing in his heart that Jesus rose from the dead – much less was there any change of mind – which is what repentance is.
Now a man may change his ways but his mind remains the same, changing only because of fear or prudence.
Example
How many times we witnessed drunkards hospitalized for cirrhosis or stroke and out of fear of death, they quickly accepted Jesus Christ, promising that if Jesus extended their life, they would stop drinking. And so our merciful Lord spared their lives. Once out of the hospital, they stopped drinking for a while. There is a change of action because of the fear of death. But after a period of time of wellness, you will find these drunkards back to drinking again. Why? Because there wasn’t a change of mind concerning drinking. They didn’t feel it was that wrong in the first place.
There has been a type of preaching, especially among some fundamentalist churches that might lead a person to believe that if he or she walks forward in front of the people after the sermon when the “altar call” is given, sign a card that Jesus is his Savior and Lord, and be baptized, that person has been converted. I’m sorry but this sort of thing has happened to tens of thousands. True repentance – a change of mind and turning from sin- sometimes does not enter the picture at all. True repentance involves a change of mind and a change of action, a 180 degree turn from sin.
In addition to turning from sin, people must TURN TO GOD. It does no good to turn from sin without turning then to the one who can solve the sin problem.
Then according to our key text, BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS. John the Baptist had called for baptism as a sign of repentance and a changed heart – an external, nonverbal expression or celebration of an INWARD REALITY. For believers today, baptism is visible proof of REPENTANCE AND COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW JESUS, THE MESSIAH.
The idea of baptism “for the forgiveness of sins” does not mean that baptism results in forgiveness of sins but rather that forgiveness of sins as a result of accepting Jesus as Savior should result in baptism – an outward display of an INNER CONVICTION. REPENTANCE, NOT BAPTISM, IS WHAT BRINGS FORGIVENESS.
When repentance comes, something happens to the PAST. There is God’s forgiveness for what lies behind. Let us be quite clear that the CONSEQUENCES of sins are not wiped out. Not even God can do that. When we sin we may well do something to ourselves and to others which cannot be undone.
Example
Premarital sex. If you have taken the wrong path by having sex with your girlfriend and she becomes pregnant. What happens next? You begin to feel bad for your sin and then you repent before God. Yes, it is a past misdeed which God can forgive if you repent but the consequence of your sin, which is pregnancy, cannot be undone. God can forgive you of the guilt of premarital sex but He cannot undo the consequence of your sin. You still have to bear the consequence of it.
Let us look at it this way. When we were young and had done something bad, there was an invisible barrier between us and our mother. But when we went and said we were sorry, the old relationship was restored and we were right with her again. Forgiveness does not abolish the consequences of what we have done but it puts us right with God.
Acts 3:19a (NIV) – Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out……
Here it promises that our repentance will not only affect our past but that our sins will be wiped out. This is a vivid word. Ancient writing was written upon papyrus and the ink had no acid in it. It therefore did not bite into the papyrus like modern ink but simply lay on top of it. To erase the writing a man simply wiped it away with a wet sponge. So God wipes out the sin of the forgiven man when he repents.
When repentance comes something happens for the FUTURE. We receive the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT and in that power we can win battles we never thought to win and resist things which by ourselves we would have been powerless to resist. Acts 3:19 continues by saying, “Repent, then, turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from the Lord.” Throughout this present age until Christ’s return, God will send “times of refreshing” (that is, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) to all who repent and are converted. Although perilous times will come toward the end of the age and a great falling away from the faith will occur, God still promises to send revival and times of refreshing on the faithful. Christ’s presence, spiritual blessings, miracles and outpourings of the Spirit will come on the remnant who faithfully seek him and overcome the world, the sinful nature and Satan’s dominion.
2. Metamelomai (Remorse)
The second word, metamelomai, means ‘TO EXPERIENCE REMORSE.” Whereas metanoia implies that one has arrived at a different VIEW of something, metamelomai indicates that one has a different FEELING about it. This is the word used in 1 Samuel 15:35 that “the Lord was GRIEVED that he had made Saul the king over Israel.”
An example of a person who has metamelomai and not metanoia is Judas Iscariot. Judas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus is my view of an apostate. An apostate is one who at the end of the day turns against the Christian faith but was never truly converted in the first place. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19). An apostate is different from a backslider. A backslider is a true Christian – a person who has been truly converted but who falls like King David. As C.H Spurgeon would say, he falls not off the ship but on it. I would not say this of the apostate who never was on the ship in the first place.
Judas betrayed Jesus, as you all well know the story. After he betrayed Jesus, the Bible says he “repented.” The Greek word here is from metamelomai, which the NIV translates “seized with remorse.” This indicates that metanoia was not given to Judas. He was only sorry that he got caught or found out. Even if he did have a bit of a change of mind (“I have betrayed innocent blood” –Matt 27:4), it came too late. Matthew does not dignify Judas’ repentance with the word metanoia, the word generally reserved in the New Testament for true repentance. Matthew apparently wants to make the point that Judas was ONLY SORRY THAT THINGS DID NOT WORK OUT FOR HIM AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS FOLLY CAME TOO LATE. Remorse is often an essential ingredient in true repentance, but such a feeling can still be short of a true change of mind. Someone said that “Remorse is sorrow over being caught and the pain of consequences that follow. Repentance is not being concerned for ourselves but having a contrite heart.”
People will certainly have remorse in hell. But it will not be a repentance that is granted by the gracious Holy Spirit. Judas had remorse before he died and will have remorse forever in hell. One of the things that will make hell, hell is that people will have their “memories” in hell. The word came to the rich man who went to hell, “Son, REMEMBER that in your lifetime you received your good things on earth, but now he [Lazarus] is comforted here and you are in agony” (Luke 16:25). Then the rich man requested that Lazarus be raised from the dead in order to warn his five brothers that hell really exists – and keep them from going there. The rich man assumed, “If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent [Greek metanoesousin]” (v30). But the answer came back –NO. It is too late. The granting of metanoia will not come to those on Earth if they do not believe the Scriptures. God works through His Word to bestow repentance. So if people do not repent because they hear God’s Word, neither will they be convinced even if one rose from the dead (Luke 16:27-31).
People will experience remorse as Judas did in hell but it does not result in any turnaround.
Example
A bank hired a fellow to be a janitor. They closed early one day and he was in a hurry to get home like the others, so he quickly gathered up the trash. In this particular bank, all the trash was shredded. So he emptied all of what he believed to be trash and sent it through the shredder. Just before he finished the last barrel, the closing cashier discovered he had shredded all the deposits of that day. Well, two things happened. You can guess the first one. And after he was fired, they brought in a number of people early the next morning and seated them at a long series of table. They tried to put together the shredded checks, attempting to match tiny, little pieces of signature, amounts of money, places, and events and so on. It made the headlines of the news with three words, “An Impossible Job.” You could never put together thousands of checks that had been shredded, no matter how many people you hire. It’s simply impossible. The remorse of the janitor could not change the outcome of this colossal mistake.
So if you have made a wrong turn in life, and you can only FEEL remorseful for what you have done, it is not enough to warrant a turn-around from God. God does not want you to feel remorseful only for your actions. He wants you to change your mind and actions.
3. Epistrophe (Turning One’s Life Around)
A third Greek word used that is sometimes connected to repentance is epistrophe, which means “TURNING ONE’S LIFE AROUND.” This would mean turning from every known sin. Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have TURNED BACK [Greek epistrephas], strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). When Jesus said that Peter would need to be turned back or turned around, Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing and instantly replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and death” (Luke 22:33), whereupon Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Jesus three times. The point is epistrophe is what characterized Peter’s repentance after his fall. This word is not always used in connection with repentance but the lesson from this is one the returning backslider needs to take on board. It would imply a much deeper and thorough repentance than the change of mind that might be assumed in metanoia. The returning backslider should therefore pray that he or she will be granted not only a change of mind but also a thorough turning around. A turning around from every known sin is assumed in epistrophe. Any fallen person who wants restoration must return to the Lord in a DEPTH OF COMMITMENT AND CHANGE OF ATTITUDE AND LIFE THAT SHOWS HOW STRONGLY HE OR SHE FEELS.
When we have fallen and want to be forgiven and used again, especially if you used to be a leader in the church, there is more needed than repentance that is a part of saving faith. You can say that metanoia is for those who are not born again and wants to be saved but for born-again leaders, your repentance goes beyond metanoia. When one has grievously fallen after having believed and having been in any kind of public service or ministry, it is essential that the deepest level of repentance which is epistrophe, characterizes the person who wants to be restored. Let there be no arrogant snapping of the finger to God as if to say, “OK, Lord, I’m sorry (that is metanoia) – now give my previous usefulness back to me”, expecting God to stand at attention as if to salute you.
Example
A couple who are leaders of this Church were caught in sin of fornication. The lady when brought to my office began to weep profusely and her whole body trembled. She kept telling me that she was sorry and how for the last one year, she felt so lousy because she was very convicted by Pas Toh Nee and my preaching and she felt she couldn’t take the conviction any more and wanted to run to Manila. She wanted to stop this sinful relationship but somehow the flesh overpowered her spirit. It was a grievous wrong path she has taken. She said that at the beginning of this year, she has already stopped this immorality but the guilt of what she had been doing the previous year still haunted her. I sat there and listened to her confession and my heart went out to her. On the other hand, the guy showed no remorse at all. He just said that he knew what he was doing was wrong. Now, what should be my verdict of discipline if I want to restore them? For the lady, I imposed 6 months of church discipline and removal from the leadership position.
For the guy, he has to leave our church because there wasn’t any indication of metanoia, metamelomai and epistrephas. It was just a simple admission of wrong, for that’s what I thought. However, the guy showed his epistrephas in a unique way. Despite our decision to let the guy leave our church, he still slips secretly into our 3rd service because he said he doesn’t want to lose his soul by not attending church and he couldn’t find another church elsewhere he wanted to attend. As a pastor, I did not insist that our region pastor chase him out because I can see his earnest repentance in wanting to turn his life around by pushing in with God. That’s real repentance. I seldom hound on this couple by monitoring on their progress because I was told that even though the lady was under discipline, she still did her best to be present in every service of EFC; even helping out the G12 unofficially by bringing souls to our church. So, I shorten the discipline period of the couple and recently the lady was reinstated to her full leadership position while the guy instead of being kicked out of Evangel, will be reinstated to full leadership by end of this year.
It is important that you understand what belies true repentance. So many young people have taken the wrong road and instead of making a U-turn through true and continued repentance, are still playing “Hide and seek” game with the church. Last week I shared about the two groups of young people who have sinned against the Lord by drinking and smoking. Most of them are leaders of this church. Of course, all of them have to step down as leaders. My requirements upon them is simply to test how committed they are to the Lord in their attitude and heart. I simply asked them to attend the 1st SCG, 1st Main Sunday Service, Tuesday Bible Study and HOF. All of them failed to conform to these requirements. I told the pastors to let them go and don’t run after them like “Tom and Jerry” anymore. It is pointless pushing God’s ways upon people who do not want to change their mind about sin; who do not feel remorseful about their sins and above all who do not want to turn around even though U turns have been provided by God.
Conclusion
Are you now in the wrong path of life? Do you feel lost, messed up, unforgiven, hopeless and helpless? Do you want God to turn your life around? If so, exercise true and continued repentance:-
- Metanoia – change your mind and your actions about your sins.
- Metamelomai – feel remorseful about your sins.
- Epistrephas – do all you can to turn your life around. Stop the downward spiral road. Stop the sins you are committing.
My Testimony
I remember my life as a unbeliever, how as a teenager, with broken family, a bankrupt family business and pressurized expectation to make it in the academic world, I took the wrong path of life by looking for love in the wrong places. I got myself involved with a guy that had pursued me when I was in High School third year. I did not succumb to his courtship until I finished my 4th year board exams. When I entered Junior College, I was already in a serious relationship with him. I was a Buddhist and yet I found myself in a Christian college where my principal would share the gospel every morning during the assembly time.
The seeds of the gospel were sown in my heart but I still clung to my own security – my relationship with my boyfriend. Somehow things didn’t turn out well between both of us and nine months before my college board exams, he broke up with me. I was very broken and hurt to the point I couldn’t concentrate on my board reviews and I didn’t do well. When the College Board results were released, I felt ashamed before my parents that I did not make it to the National University of Singapore. Then my college classmate shared the gospel to me and one night I knelt beside my bed and gave my life to the Lord. By reading the Bible that she gave me and by listening to the preaching of my classmate, I took the U-turn God gave to me.
After I graduated from college, I was invited to Evangel Singapore on a holy week the following year. There, I really repented of my sins – I told God how foolish I was as to fall in love at the wrong time and at the wrong age. Five months later, God baptized me with the Holy Spirit during the Spiritual Emphasis Week and three months after the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I took the step of water baptism during the C.A Camp. Since then, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive my father, whom I blamed for the downfall of our family, to forgive my boyfriend for rejecting me and also to forgive myself of my failure in school and my foolishness as a teenager. Gradually, God began to turn my life around. Instead of being stuck in the wrong road of pain, guilt and condemnation, God turned my life around to be a missionary and a pastor.
The mistakes and sins that I committed before I was saved, were used by God to help turn other people’s lives around for Christ. I felt like I was like Peter, after he failed the Lord 3 times. He repented and Jesus turned his life around to strengthen the other believers. There was great remorse, a great change of mind (for a Buddhist to turn Christian is a great miracle) and a great turning around of my life for Jesus. My loved ones as well as my Barcadas were all shocked that today I have become a missionary. They wondered how this could happen when once upon a time, I was a vehement critic and persecutor of Christians in the high school. That’s my life’s turnaround story.
It can happen to you too, if you repent. My ex-boyfriend called me up 2 years after we broke up and was implying of getting back but to show my real repentance to God over this wrong relationship, I rejected his offer because I knew it wasn’t God’s will for me to get along with an unbeliever. I was already a faithful Christian in Evangel when he called up. God later turned around my love life and opened the door for me to marry Pas Toh Nee who is also a missionary like me – same faith and same calling.
End of Sermon
[/table-of-content]
