The Missionary's Trick

So I would like to start out with a few points of information while you open to Jonah 1. I know, I know we finished it last week, but I have more words to say. Hard to believe I know.

Some Preachers may plagiarize their sermon. Well I don’t do that, we know because they would be better. Nothing worse then plagiarizing a “C” paper. But all my jokes, including today, are found on the internet. I will not be citing my source week after week, I will act like I came up with them. And you just need to know it’s happening, and I’m not really that funny. There are many ways to preach a sermon. You will find I switch determined on the type and context. For instance last week was narrative so I went very points driven, themed, and application. Where as Corinthians is very theological and practical. So I stick to the text with an application at the end. I will do this a lot. Some times the text, like today holds a bit of apologetic or theological controversy to it. So we will look at several different understandings of the text. Show you the strengths and weaknesses of these views. Now I know you all have your favorite way I preach…..and your favorite way you wish I preached. Now if I had all of you come tell me those after service, Mrs Jennie will get very upset with me for delaying lunch a week….and a half. So if you’d like you can tell me on three. One…Two…

A priest and a pastor are in a car crash and it's a bad one. Both of their cars are demolished but amazingly neither one of them is hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the pastor says, "So you're a priest. That's interesting; I'm a pastor. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace."       The priest replies, "Oh, yes, I agree. It's a miracle that we survived and are here together."       "And here's another miracle," says the pastor. "My car is destroyed but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink the wine and celebrate our good fortune," he says, handing the bottle to the priest.       The priest nods in agreement, opens the wine, drinks half of it, and hands it back to the pastor.       The pastor takes it and puts the cap back on.       "Aren't you going to have any? asks the priest.       "Not right now," says the pastor. "I think I'll wait until after the police make their report."

Not My Joke…..And this joke wouldn’t work with a Baptist pastor . I’m so sorry, but a Baptist pastor wouldn’t have drunk in public or admitted to buying a bottle of wine.

Jonah 1:17

And the Lord appointed[d] a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

So today as we look back at this verse I want to look at

The 3 differences between a Miracle and Magic.

And So I have brought in my good friends and magicians to show us a trick so dangerous, so scary we had to change it to this more church appropriate trick and do this one instead. Penn, Teller would you come on down. You’re the next contestant on Journeys Got Talent.

So thing first thing you have to about the difference between Magic/Illusions and miracles is that there is an explanation behind magic. Not always for miracles.

This doesn’t mean all Miracles are inexplicable, but many are. Magic always has an explaination

So lets look at Difference 1: Explanation vs Inexplicable

So there are some who don’t believe this book, Jonah, is historically or scientifically accurate. The Big Fish in particular. They believe like magic it has to have an explanation.

Now this is relatively new thoughts.

It started in the 19 century, which is, jan 1, 1801- dec 31, 1900. I think I got that right, but I am sure you historically goodish people will correct me afterwards if I’m wrong, but the jokes on you! Because the Grammar police will get there first with all my botched sentences, pernuncitions and definitions of literary terms. So it will be a long line. Sorry Jennie no lunch till next week. I’m just glad they don’t read my notes.

Point being is that for 24-25 hundred years there was no argument on its non-fiction status. Means it happened, not fake for my true people in here.

And so in the 1900’s people, Smart Godly people by the way, decided they needed to fix the problem of understanding this Narrative.

Because with science its understood that a whale couldn’t have swallowed Jonah. Wellllllllll thats a bit of an arguement too. Some believe it could have been a sperm whale. But not only that.....

The description of the size of Nineveh was not considered correct either . It wasn’t a three day town. Not that Big. So they decided this is a fictitious narrative.

So the Grammerly Good people decided it might be actually one of these terms

An allegory, midrash, parable, prophetic parable, legend, prophetic legend, novelle, satire, didactic fiction, satirical, didactic, short story,

novelle : a story with a compact and pointed plot

al·le·go·ry - a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Midrash - an early Jewish interpretation of or commentary on a Biblical text, clarifying or expounding a point of law or developing or illustrating a moral principle.

a collection of such interpretations or commentaries, especially those written in the first ten centuries a.d.

didactic - 1a: designed or intended to teach b: intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment

parable - a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

legend- a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated. "the legend of King Arthur"

sat·ire - the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

So some people tried to understand Jonah and came up with what really happened was Jonah spent three days recovering from this storm in an Inn called the big fish. And the story change over time and boom all of a sudden he’s in a whale.

Others at this time tried to explain Jonah as being true. They did things like search for a fish that would meet the criteria for being able to swallow a man whole. Sperm Whale, Great White Shark, and Whale Shark were some that was come up with. But when you start to look into digestion and the lovely digestive juices this gets harder. Not impossible. Maybe. Who knows unless it happened to someone else.

So another group looked for people who was swallowed by a whale and survived. Like James Bartley, a whaler on the vessel Star of the East, who reportedly was swallowed by a whale and survived. However, there are a number of questions as to the authenticity of this story, and it should not be used as a "proof" of any kind

SO what do we do with this.

Well lets look at the fiction part.

1st – the author doesn’t imply this as fiction in any way. None of the tale tale signs of parable, legend, satire, allegory, or midrash. For 2400 yeaars it was considered true.

Jesus held it to be true – not a prophetic parable/legend – we talk about it last week.

The Sign of Jonah Matthew 12

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus seemed to hold to the person of Jonah and the great fish. – whale – or great fish

so was he swallowed by a whale, shark? We don’t know and it might have been neither.

What we know is this

And the Lord appointed[d] a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

This story can be inexplicable and true at the same time. That’s called a miracle.

So if Jonah has to be fiction because we don’t understand it, then the whole bible would easily follow along. I don’t know why this book is picked apart but we accept miracles throughout the other books of the bible. I guess there are some who don’t accept any miracles, but I usually call them unbelievers.

In fact my good friend Penn would like to share his views on the miraclous!!!

I am sure there are some who believe in God but not miracles, I truly don’t know how but I leave it open to the miricles of God. Many of us probably believe in God and miracles unless they involve them happening to us.

Difference 2 – Power of God vs Power of Mind

With Magic there is a power of mind. People design tricks and put a lot of thought into them. Some of the creative genius behind magic is amazing. Amazing. But we are not dealing with the power of human minds here. We don’t have to figure this out for it to be true.

We can simply believe in the Power of God.

This God we serve created the heavens and the earth with his word. Science is cool and I love science but truly the why/how of creation isn’t explained in science. Now I am talking about what cause the big bang or whatever theory someone holds. Its inexplicable. Unless you just believe God and his power

This is the God who controls the seas, land, sky, animals, and life. Not only life but death. Not only life and death but

Resurrection of the dead.

Compare the power of God with the power of human mind, the human mind is very little. Now don’t get me wrong. I think its great to search into this story for the how. The entire bible for that fact. I believe God can give us those answers. But I am also ok with when we cant understand to just rely on the power of God not our minds. Trinity for example. I don’t get it. I can try, but I am not sure anyone could. Power of God.

Power of God in Salvation

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

How God can indwell in a human? Power of God

Difference 3 – Faith vs Understanding

There is nothing wrong with understanding. I love math. I love to solve problems. Drives me. But Faith comes and should come first.

My kids might not understand how I take care of them, but they have faith that I do. I have proved myself over and over. Ok fine we have. Ok ok Jennie has. Way less then God has so it’s ok to have faith

Like if I told you there are some people who can stand on two hand, hand stand. You have probably seen this. Some people can stand on one hand. You have probably seen this. But I tell you I can stand on just one finger. You might not believe but I hope you have faith in me. So boom I stand on one finger. Learned that from Barney. Season 1

Hebrews defines faith as - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Its ok to have faith in a given circumstance. Its ok to know there are miracles that cant be explained. We don’t have to plot everything.

Much like my joke. It could have been a miracle for them to meet, but the pastor used that as an excuse to create a magic trick that made the priest seem guilty. He focused on the power of the mind, not the power of God.

So what do you focus on in life?

Do you live by faith or by understanding? I do both. Don’t quit a job till you got another one always comes to my mind.

Do you focus on the power of you mind, or the power of God?

Do you make you plans, rule your life, choose your job, wife, husband, house or do you seek God for his power to lead you.

Do you have to know the meaning of why God wants you to do whatever before you will go through with it or do you believe you can trust him?

Are you ok with miracles, inexplicable things – or do you know there’s a scientific reason behind everything.

So here’s what we know about this story

Jonah 1:17

And the Lord appointed[d] a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.