JONAH: What Then Is It

 What Then Is It Jonah 1:1-3 Jonah is a book designed, by God, to give you a kind of whiplash. Yet, we get distracted by something shiny, like a raccoon in the trash looking for that next snack, we find a discarded PBJ wrapped in shiny crinkly aluminum foil, and we’re satisfied. The story of a whale that swallowed man - that was supposed to show us Christ and show us grace and shows us forgiveness but we’re simple and satisfied by the subtext. Jonah is a book with hooks and sub plots, packing so much punch in it’s short 4 chapters - it’s a book that is to drive us to see how great our God is and how far from Him we are, so that we’d repent of trusting ourselves and turn to the God who: A) Created us B) Seeks after us But we’re stuck on a whale. My prayer as we continue here in our study through the book of Jonah is that we don’t get high centered on a whale, but rather that we learn to appreciate and identify the main story line, and their subtexts/plots as we go. We don't ignore the whale and Jonah’s living in a whale to be faithful, but we understand them in the right role, subservient to the main point - God is great and good and powerful and merciful and uses found people to find people. I pray that we’ll see all along how this is designed to help us see God for who He is (powerful, loving, perfect, grace filled creator) and us for who we are - needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued. Here me again, we are needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued. Even today as we look at these first 3 verses we’ll see that the book of Jonah is unique, that Jonah is about God’s plan/design for salvation, and we’ll come to understand better that the current state of affairs in the world isn’t a sign of God’s absence, but rather His grace and patience so that we’d arise and go and show the God we know, because found people find people The Church Jesus’ gathered people are to point to Him through our lives to help others find grace, and mercy and peace, because as Christians as the gathered church we’re needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued. Jonah 1:1 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Jonah is a book of firsts, like I said designed to snap your neck and get your attention - and this introduction is no different. This is a book that starts with force and purpose; it’s a book that you’ll soon realize is the ONLY book in the Old Testament that sends a prophet to Gentiles. That’s a big deal, and here is why: At this point in the story, God has been dealing with people for nearly 2000 years. Salvation is always by the same mode: Through Faith, By Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through faith in God and His plan by our faith in His Word, His word made flesh in Jesus (John 1:1-4) and so God dispenses that Grace of His salvation in different ways in time, but always we’re saved by our faith and His grace. And so now God in telling a story through needy humanity changes the mode of dispensation of His grace, He establishes a covenant with Abraham He Declares His blessings to the Gentiles, He shows that they’ll be mediated through the Jews - and we see this on a small scale in the Old Testament in Rahab, the Syrian General, Ruth, the Moabitess and Nebuchadnezzar - recorded examples of Gentile salvation aren’t all over the Old Testament (I’ll note here that they’re not really the purpose of what God was doing this doesn’t mean it was rare)- but this book, The book of Jonah, is a glowing example that demands to be seen - and it starts out Now the Word of the Lord Came To Jonah.. Why? That phrase isn’t unique being found over 92 times in all of the Bible - but here in Jonah, it is unique because no other book in all of scripture starts of “The Word of The Lord came….” first mention, only use, these are keys to knowing scripture more and so the book of Jonah stands alone Why? When your tempted in this book to find a “natural explanation” you’ll have to be brought back to this first neck snapping statement “the word of the Lord”. This book is initiated and driven, and for, and about God - don't be distracted by subtext. Jesus will quote this book in providing evidence for His resurrection in Matthew 12 and Luke 11, in case we’re tempted to wash this book away with natural explanations and chalk it up as a good story - we’ll have to wash away the resurrection of Jesus with it, which Paul says if that one fact isn’t true we’re to be pitted 1 Corinthians 5:13. No this book is history and fact, and it’s all initiated by God the pursuit of man, initiated by God, the plan for the gentile and the Jew, initiated by God, ensuring the was completed - charged by God. Jonah 1:2 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” Ok, this is rich but lets go in order. “Arise, go” this is a starting off of a plan. Don’t mean that Jonah was laying down napping (necessarily maybe he was who knows) but this phrase is one of preparation and purpose. Maybe I say to you, come on let’s get after it. That has nothing to do with location, we’re not ordering behind something we’re starting with purposes, and so the book of Jonah, starts with God commanding Jonah - come on, lets get after it. So why is God so full of purpose and action for Jonah? Jews and gentiles alike all man kind are needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued. And so this is a pursuit. God is after His people. And how does God do it, how is he after His people? And this is a HUGE subtext to the story…. it’s important to us today: God uses His people to pursue His future-people. Have you ever thought in that light as you looked around at the world, maybe I’m talking to God’s future people or His future person - when we realize our selves as needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued we’ll be more willing to GO to God’s future people. Arise and Go. If you were a cheater, and peaked ahead in this book you’ll see that God’s call came the same way, twice. Jonah 1:3 arise and go… Jonah 3:3-4 Jonah arose an went, some stuff went down, God was SUPER active with Jonah in making this happen, but God’s person, went to God’s future-people. I love looking at my life in this way: God works on us, as He works through us - and so we’ll come to see God’s project of salvation play out through the project of the person of Jonah. He does it all in love. Normally we’d think, what that’s using Jonah - and YES that’s right, God is using Jonah, as he loves on and molds Jonah, and to what end for some personal gain, for a promotion, for wealth or selfish fame, no - God uses Jonah to perpetuate His love and salvation. This book is a book of first and onlys just like God. It starts out, “the word of The LORD came” the only book to start this way, it leads into a story of God sending a prophet to a gentile nation for salvation (the only example of this), and shows the ONLY example of a prophet running from God’s command - Arise Jonah and Go. Jonah 1:3 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. Lets look at some geography, and as the map comes up lets talk about this - we can find the place mentioned on a map, I’ve traveled there - in fact, here is a picture of me in <<Joppa>>, on the <<map>>, you can see what Jonah did there, right? He receives a word from the Lord - arise and Go - he’s up and gone but in the wrong direction. In fact, here is how I think this went down. Jonah is struggling y’all, these people he’s called to go and preach to are terrifying - he’s going down by himself to stand a scrawny man, maybe, among fierce warriors to preach repentance and call them to change their evil ways - this is God’s call, to go to beggars (who don’t yet know their beggars) and show them the bread. He’s working on Jonah as he’s perusing future-people, through his boy, Jonah. God still works like that - He’s sending you and me, His people, through His church, to His future-people, who ever they are. SO, what’s the map? Here is Jonah’s - what is yours? That’s a sub-text of this book that cannot be denied. This is how God works, He offers up salvation, by faith through grace, dispensed largely through His church, both gathered and scattered (right now we’re gathered, in 40 minutes we’ll be scattered) He has us with a commission (to go into the world and make disciples, and teach them to be obedient) isn’t that what happened in Jonah. God could have sent a message of salvation in the sky that they all would have responded to, or whatever, rather, He sends Jonah as He works on Jonah. As we talk about discipleship at Transcend Church as the leaders of the church, we’re struck that discipleship can happen a myriad of ways 1) The Heart: The heart is disciples as parents point to Gods activity in our lives - you see that in Jonah, God isn’t disengaged from the people rather God says in verse 2 that he’s fully aware and involved in the world, discipleship happens. The heart is disciples as we among one another show how good and precious God is to us, as we share from weakness together about His goodness our hearts are discipled together. 2) The Head: The head is discipled as we engage in the study of scripture. We engage the mind Sunday’s but more specifically as we more deeply engage the study from Sunday in a home group. Also, as we study together on Sunday mornings at 9:30 - this is discipleship of the mind, are you a part of that? Are you seeking discipleship? if you say - I want discipleship and this stuff isn’t something you’re engaging in or taking part of, are you reading the book that we’re studying during the week, are you reading Jonah, praying through Jonah you’ve got to seek after discipleship you cant wait for it to hit you in the face - maybe your map is like Jonah’s? 3) The Hands Serving in the Church isn’t just getting stuff done. No God works on us, as he works through us! Guys when we serve meals together down stairs, that’s discipleship as we’re reminded functionally we’re the hands and feet of Christ as the church think I’m making this up, read 1 Corinthians 12:12-21 and so as we serve together, preparing for Christmas outreach(s) as we bless others as we’ve been blessed (Proverbs 11:25-31) Church Jonah was called out of his daily life to Arise and Go because God was after - needy beggars not worthy or deserving, but pursued. He still does that today, He uses us to call out to those who are lost - it may happen as you just go about your life, church be so willing to share of your weakness with those around you. Church celebrate your church family, don’t smack talk it. Lets be about being arisen and gone - not down and here - lets be sent into a world of beggars, and lets celebrate as we Go because God is working on us as He’s working through us, He’s powerful as evidenced in ALL of scripture and in Jonah and he’s after those who don’t know Him, maybe today we have a whiplash from this book, it’s firsts, it’s only’s and its purposes to show us a God who is our God, by our faith in Him and His grace towards us. Because God uses His people, to pursue His future people. After This JONAH: What Then Is IT Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 5 of 5 Sunday 9/10/2017