 Materials Needed:
White board or easel.
Notes to the Leader:
To many people, repentance is always what the other person should do.
It is often one of the most misunderstood Christian concepts.
Repentance is the cornerstone of our faith. This study looks at what
it means when we profess our faith in Christ and are "called to repent."
You will be able to make good use of a white board or easel since many of
the questions lend themselves to a discussion and opinions. Take
time to build lists of what your group comes up with. It is an
excellent way to practices sharing with each other.
Introduction
How would you define
the word Repentance?
- Webster: Repent - To
turn from sin and dedicate one's self to the amendment of one's life; to
feel regret or contrition, to change one's mind.
After reviewing
Webster's version, where do you think that people today go wrong and
misunderstand its real meaning?
- Many people feel
regretful of the things that they do. Feeling bad, however, is not
repentance. The robber who is caught is caught is usually regretful of
being caught. But unless he turns from his lifestyle, the robber is not
repenting. To repent is, yes, to regret but also, to seek a new way with
dedication and conviction.
Section One: Sinful Activity
Have someone in your group read Ezra 9:1-2
Note: The people had left captivity and
entered Jerusalem full of commitment with high expectations. Upon
Ezra's return, he found them living as if they had forgotten their
covenant with God.
Why do you think the
people who arrived in Jerusalem with such a strong commitment to follow
God's commands ended up with such a low regard for His commandments?
- The people arrived in
Jerusalem with a sense of mission. This was to restore and rebuild the
temple. When the work was stopped on the temple, they lost this strong
"mission" and drifted back to their sinful ways.
How is this lesson
relevant to today's Christian church?
- People need a strong
sense of mission. Without one, the results are typically the same as
those Ezra found.
Do you know the
stated mission of the church you attend?
- Most mission
statements are centered around a desire to be a sharing body of
Christians serving both a congregation and the outside community.
What caused the
leaders of Israel to come to Ezra with their confession?
- Ezra and his group
arrived full of a sincere faithfulness to God and His Law. For
approximately four months, Ezra's new group mixed with the old group
(early arrivals). The old group became convicted of their own condition
when they saw how the new group behaved.
How do you think this
relates to each of us today and to your church?
- The life of a few
committed Christians can have a powerful impact on the world around
them. Each day, the actions of our lives impact our community. As with
Ezra's small group, a small group of committed Christians can have a
positive impact on their world around them.
Why do you think that the
leaders of Israel had waited almost 50 years to come to grips with their
sins and finally make their confession to Ezra?
- Tolerance of sin is a
slow and creeping disease. Accept once, one little sin and each time
later, it becomes easier and easier to accept another.
How do we accept sin
in today's world?
- List some examples one
the white board or easel.
- We invest in
companies that do not adhere to moral or ethical values just because
they make money
- We subscribe to
magazines, news papers, watch TV shows, go to movies that border or
cross the line of indecency
- We associate with
people who we should not associate with just to be sociable, fit in
or get ahead
- We compromise our
families, our duty to community and mission in the name of career
advancement
- We separate the
morality of our political leaders from their elected role
Do you think the
response of the leaders (one of their confession) was sufficient?
- By Ezra's response we
must assume it was not sufficient. Missing was any sign of the second
key part of repentance, a commitment to change, make restitution and to
obey the Law.
Section Two: An Unexpected
Response
Have someone in your group read Ezra 9:3-4
Note: It must have been a shocking sight
to see Ezra, tearing his clothes, pulling his hair, his head splotched
with bleeding bald patches. This shock treatment worked. The Israelites
were suddenly drawn to see the consequences of their actions.
Do you think that God
uses this same "shock treatment" method in our lives today?
- Yes and members of
your group may have examples that they wish to share
When we are exposed to
the sinful acts of others, How do you think God would like us to
respond?
- Many people require
the "shock treatment" to come to grips with their sin. God expects us to
be equally shocked at the sins of others. Sin is eternal death and,
therefore, requires a serious response.
Read Ezra's Prayer (Ezra 9:5-15) prayer
to your group and "Ask them to look for three
things that Ezra expressed to God:"
- Our fathers sinned and
were punished.
- God gave his
generation a break.
- They followed in their
ancestor's footsteps and now deserve God's wrath.
What is missing from
Ezra's prayer?
- Ezra did not ask for
mercy. He acknowledged their guilt and God's righteousness; and accepted
whatever God chose to do about it.
Is this type of
behavior indicative of our society today?
- We are not an
accepting society. Rarely does anyone accept responsibility for their
actions. Whether it is the actions of corporations or the actions of
individuals, our world teaches and rewards us to win at all costs. It is
the world that tells us we can just do it ourselves; and the only thing
that counts is the individual.
List some
examples of how society does not accept responsibility:
- The criminal justice
system and how we justify the behavior of people by the way they were
raised or where they were raised.
- The political system
and how it is accepted that you misrepresent the truth until caught.
- The educational system
and how teaching to the "test" has become the norm instead of teaching
to the child.
- The family and how
parents are more apt to defend a child's behavior for the sake of
freedom rather than for the long term interests of society.
Section Three: Repentance
Have someone in your group read Ezra 10:1-4
Note: The Israelites were coming to grip
with their sin. At first, they were fearful of God's wrath. However, as
Ezra's lament and behavior continued, a change of attitude began to take
place.
How would you explain
the difference between a "bitter fear of the Lord" and "godly sorrow?"
- Read 2 Corinthians 7:9
to your group - To be sorry or to be fearful is not repentance. To
change direction, away from sin, to seek restitution, to correct the
problem, that is repentance. A godly sorrow is the response of the heart
when true repentance exists.
Have someone in your group read Ezra
10:5-6
The Israelites may
have expected Ezra to somehow take the lead in correcting the problem.
How did Ezra handle things?
- Ezra provided support.
Many times, the repentant not only need godly counsel but also godly
guidance. However, the responsibility to correct the problem was given
to the leaders. While we may hurt along with those who have fallen
victim to their sins, this is an example of how letting someone work out
their own problems can be part of the cure.
Have someone in your group read Ezra
10:7-8
Here is outlined the
punishment for not following through with compliance to the Law.
Do you think this was too harsh or unfair? What about those
(non-believers) who had married the Israelites? Was it fair for them to
be cast out?
- Consequence is always
painful. However, it was the Israelites who had sinned. God had been
overly generous to them. Without this type of consequence, is doubtful
if repentance could have occurred. Always keep in mind that it was not
God who did wrong.
Note: The ending of the Book of Ezra ends
with a simple list of those men who had married outside their faith.
This is not a typical end where a summary of things to do or rules to
follow were given.
What is your
response to this simple ending?
- The rules were already
published for all generations to read:
- Read Exodus 34:11-16
- Read Deuteronomy
7:1-5
- Ezra wrote his story
for the people who had lived through this period with a direct
connection to the events. Prosperity was in existence at the time. They
did not need an ending that summarized a moral to a story.
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