Turn, Turn, Turn: How I First Believed
Chapter 1: The Need to Turn
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Chapter 2: The Power to TurnChapter 3: Turn
Chapter 4: False Turns
Turn, Turn, Turn. Nice song from the 60’s. But it is a repeated song of our Lord in the Bible. Over and over again he urges us to turn. Turn from what we are. Turn to what he offers. Over and over again we refuse to listen to that same old song, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” or we have to re-listen to it. Why do we have to turn? What does it mean to turn? How can we turn? We’ll look at these issues and others as we look at the doctrine of Conversion.
Chapter 2: The Power to Turn
The Valley of Dry Bones Revisited (Ezekiel 37.1-14)
After God’s people had been taken into Captivity, the only future apparently awaiting them was destruction as a nation and, with their destruction, the destruction of God’s promises of a Savior. God gave them a prophet, Ezekiel. In a vision, Ezekiel sees the plight of God’s fallen people and the hope of God’s powerful Word. It is a prophecy of the future of God’s people, but it is also a telling tale of how God turns the dead into the living.
Why is Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones a great illustration of the sinful human condition?
What can these dry bones, by themselves, do?
Can these bones live?
Then how did they come alive?
The Power of God
God has power. Consider these aspects of his power.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11.3
How powerful is God in creation?
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The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1.3
How powerful is God in the governance of this world?
He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. Ps 147.15-19
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. Genesis 8.22
How does this show in our daily lives?
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Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Psalm 103.20-21
How powerful is God in the heavens?
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They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching-and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." Mark 1.21-28
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4.8-11
Over whom does this power also extend?
How does God exercise this power? Consider all the above mentioned passages. They are very typical of other passages describing God’s power.
What do they all have in common?
What does God use to exercise his power?
What is so special about his Word?
How different is sinful man’s view of things! Consider these questions:
How does sinful man think the world is governed?
How does sinful man think the universe came into being?
What is sinful man trying to do to God?
A Life-Giving Power of God Alone
God uses his Word in the exercise of his power. Things don’t just happen—God commands them to happen. In the same way God’s Word is involved in turning. His Word turns people from their sins and turns them to him. His Word grants repentance, gives people a change of mind.
We have seen that the dry bones cannot come to life by themselves. What brought them to life?
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How can God’s Word do that? What is special about God’s words?
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4.12-13
The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 6.63
Through the prophet Jeremiah God promised a change would come over his people through his Word. Here’s what he said:
"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Jeremiah 31.31-34
What was wrong with the Old Covenant? Whose fault was that?
What change will be seen in the people who live under the New Covenant?
What will they know?
Do you see any mention of the cause for this change?
What are the terms of this New Covenant?
Who is responsible for this New Covenant? Who does all the work?
We call this unilateral, undeserved exercise of God’s power GRACE. It is undeserved love. The best and most familiar passage to a Lutheran, is Ephesians 2.8-10.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Compare Ephesians 2.8-10 with Jeremiah 31.31-34
Since we have spent so much time on Ezekiel, let’s take one last look at one of his prophecies.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekiel 36.26-27
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Which Word of God Has the Power?
God uses his powerful Word to turn people to salvation. But he has two “words,” two distinct messages—what are they?
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1.17
Recollect Adam’s fall into sin. Which “word” did God use when he first came to Adam and Eve, Law or Gospel? Explain?
Did it work?
Which “word” did God use when Adam and Eve refused to repent? Explain.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1.17
Which “word” has the power to turn people?
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After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15.7-9
Why did the Gentiles believe—what made them turn to God?
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10.17
What message causes people to have faith?
Discussion
1. If the Gospel is God’s power for salvation, the power to turn people to God, who gets the glory? Isn’t there anything for man to do?
2. The Gospel is so weak and ineffective—that’s why most people don’t believe! We need to do miracles to prove that God is real and that people should believe in him.
Analyze this sentiment and either prove or disprove it from what we’ve seen in this lesson and what you know about the Bible.
3. Describe how God’s use of his Word in conversion is different than the use of his Word in the creation and sustaining of this world.
Next week: Turn