Jonah3&4- The Gospel Call- Wed. PM 4/10/19
Jonah chapter 3 our conclusion of Jonah and the who is your 1 series will come with both with but a little bit of relief and maybe a little bit of frustration. I'll explain that are emphasis and drive towards a reinforces of of going and telling that part shall remain. even when this study concludes going and telling is the very heart of God. From his throne to a stable it is exactly why Christ came to restore us to buy Grace extend the free gift that comes through right belief. We shall we shall see a contrast tonight of belief between Jonah and that of Nineveh. Will see a contrast between God's message that comes to the people. And the message that comes to his prophet and there's going to be a marked difference between both belief sets and their response. I just as a recap chapter one came down to an obedience issue when it came to the revealed word and to the heart of God with a marked difference in their belief sets.
We looked at Jonah running in contrast to the truer and better Jonah in Christ's willingness. What chapter 2 that was about responding to the call of God Joan has plans had to be swallowed up by God's plan.
For he was ready to respond and spy the end of chapter 2 with Thanksgiving in his heart. Jonah is making both of Val and sacrifice and and so tonight chapter 3 and 4 will be about believing in the call and relying on that call. We're still in the process of walking towards the heart of God and and while chapter 3 is leading us there somewhere between chapter summer before chapter 4 begins. We will have taken a wrong turn with Jonah. We shall miss the heart of God if we abide with the prophet Jonah instead of staying near the Christ, so he'll stay with me. We shall hear God's heart for our hearts.
Jonah chapter 3 reads this way when the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time saying arise go to Nineveh that great City and call out against it in the message that I tell you. So Jonah Rose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord was an exceedingly great City three days journey and breath began to go into the city going a Day's Journey and he called out yet forty days and then I shall be overthrown. The people of Nineveh believe God they called for a fast. And put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them. 4-6 the word reached the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne removed his robe covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. You should a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his Nobles let neither man nor Beast heard nor flock taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water. But let man and Beast be covered with sackcloth and let them call out mightily to God let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands who knows God may turn and relent and turn from his Fierce anger so that we may not perish When God saw what they did how they turn from their evil way God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them and he did not do it. Heavenly Father help us by Your Word to see your heart to help us to promptly respond as we see in the text this evening. It's in your name. We pray. Amen may be seated.
praise God for Second Chances
Jonah get to do over there's a gospel Mulligan if that's a thing. He he heads to Native of the great City. The text says now this isn't the point but just to give your mind some context if you were one who was an avid Walker 3 miles per hour is about a reasonable Pace unless you got an injury at 3 miles per hour over the course of 24 hours. You can cover 72 miles in a day. It would be a long day probably would not be an enjoyable day, but you could do it. At that pace, that's a that's a saunter between here and Wilmington and back in less than a day. Jonah walked the Bible says into a city that was 3 days wide. That's not a city proper. That would be all of the suburbs that was suburbs was kind of a modern idea. But all of the villages that spread out from there the city center to the outskirts. I would be there three days across now just for your own knowledge say you can walk across New York City. You can walk across La in about a day. It's 40 miles. I think in New York is the widest place. I think it's 30 something that you can't cover all of it, but you can go across it. Hi point that out so that we can understand that Nineveh was not just great in their evils. They had substantial geography. They had Regional influence chapter 4 where we'll finish tonight will will finish off with a rhetorical question that God will not an estimate of about 120000 people. In need of a light of Truth in this city of Nineveh this second chance that verse one speaks of will be tremendously good news to those who are spiritually blind to the men and women of Nineveh and it will be even better news to the defiant Jonah. That Jonah will receive Grace upon Grace. When are gut will likely expect he's about to receive retirement.
We need to be people. Pursuing our one at Christ's call people that believe in the call of the gospel and rely on it. So let's examine what that looks like at least from Nineveh side to start and to do so, I want to ask you a question just to show of hands. Have you ever been asked will say borderline forced by a parent or a employee to do something you did not want to do. couple of you everybody I wonder how much Gaston did you do that with that task?
Did you work as unto the Lord and not unto men? Probably not. Did you visit you don't do any magustos? I was just said.
Most of us I think in that situation week we might visibly comply while our heart grumbles inside of us and so I can't prove this part. But this this is mere speculation. I don't think that Jonah half-heartedly gave this message out. He had just come out of a fish. And dry land is no safety. From another fish when God is the one involved with your obedience. I think he was engaged in his task. But as we inch closer to chapter 4 where we finish where we're going to see John has heart upon his sleeve tonight, and and I wonder at what type of message maybe what attitude or how it was delivered in this state. Cuz we have a have a reluctant to preacher. Closing chapter will inform us that that he believed in God that that Jonah will say he knew God to be gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in love, but it's almost like Jonah's motivational message was was more like 1 that would be splashing gasoline around expecting God to answer by fire.
Now we don't share. With the lost and the church today for a number of reasons.
But I don't think we have Jonah Among Us. That's not that the heart that I read here. But but we may I could be wrong on this there will always be a segment of the church that has hearts that are not open to change. Hearts that would want to keep the numbers exactly the same way keep the seats in the parking space is exactly reserved for who they her for keep the programs with the same because we serve a God who is unchanged now, that's partly biblical. When's that? Do you not want to rock the boat for any season or any rainfall? But as we saw back in chapter one The Boat rocking and the cargo unloading. Came by the initiation of God's storm not by the decision of the sailors. We do serve a God who is the same yesterday today and forever Hebrews has absolutely correct on that, but let me ask you. In your study of the scriptures how many Garden of Eden's have you encountered? How many arcs? How many Red Sea parting how many Jonah in the belly of the whale checks have you seen? each of these things is is a shadow that is pointing towards the substance and the person of Jesus Christ the one God is in the habit of having you rely on him. Not so much on his methods. On him not on what his Works before in fact that that might actually be worthy of writing down that the only things constant in this world are God and by extension his loving word. and change now his heart hasn't changed. But how is it how it is expressed in each generation by his word that
That matures and what's the optimal Choice Duvall? And so I guess we'll go with that. That's probably not the right word.
I don't think that we neglect to share because we're afraid that people will respond that kind of the reason that John is going to give us a way as to why he doesn't want to go. I don't think that we refuse to be obedience to the Great Commission because we just don't want to we don't want the Billy Graham notoriety reputation. I don't think that's anybody in this room.
I think it's much more basic than that. I think more often than that the obstacle to our obedience is What's playing her? I don't know what to say sounds an awful lot like Moses. I don't have the words for it. I don't know how to say it. We we get caught up with method style and content and and there's a hundred different ways. You can do things, but you just need one. We get we get distracted by all the options out there instead of being filled by the spirit of God in obedience. Texas the word came to Jonah it was in verse 1 and he walks to deliver that word. As a preacher. I like to imagine that he spoke for more than a sentence. That someone had to wait maybe an extra minute or two before they went to lunch. That's just me. But I'm not so sure that they did. For if we believe the word we shall rely on the word and and knowing that word particularly the word that becomes Flash and dwells Among Us.
We can know exactly what John has said for we have it preserved in Scripture. There's always one in the bunch typically is Casey that gives me a little bit of grief afterwards for the one preparing to ask me, you know, just a sentence for a Sunday sermon.
I'll make you this commitment.
When God only gives me a sentence to share from this Pulpit you will only get two sentence. This time that we have together is for edification. It is for challenges for exhortation. It is towards us as a body of Believers towards us avoiding an eternal sentence. And I assure you I don't know how many of had the opportunity to stand up and speak in front of others particularly out of God's word. I can tell you it is much harder to say these things looking this way. Then it is to sit looking that way.
We both preacher and member and guests a like we both need God's steadfast loyal merciful Grace for each day.
So what's the message Jonah delivers it yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. They get to Noah's rainfall special 40 days. The text doesn't tell us how many days of preaching Jonah had on his schedule but it does say how far-reaching of this message was. It's speculation to think that this message was repeated short so that he can walk and cover all of the ground over the long distances across all of those 40 days of Nineveh. But but there's a fast involved that I don't know that they would be prepared to do that long. So from the ears in front of Jonah to the heart of the king we see something amazing. We see something miraculous than Nation repents. To the point that even the livestock is commanded to comply which I don't know that God ever called Israel. To that level in the law with the exception of baby animals, that would be offered in holy sacrifice. Nineveh did not get a flowery message. They got a fourth right to the point message. And I think it's helpful for us to reminder. We look at a passage like this. It's it is not the style of the preacher. It's not that the wonderful music that we have leading in it's not the music that we have leading out. That is not what does the work of God? It's not what elicits change in human hearts.
It is the word of God carried by the spirit of God that draws men and women God's word is power God's word is Grace. It is key in our lives and it need only be rightly pronounced. and God he can call the four-year-old as easily as he calls the 40 year-old with the exact same message. It is not our intellect not of the speaker and not of the here it is the word of God believed. Belief is the response that God is after Faith Like A Child. Jesus said at one point not to exclude Faith even as a child. Belief You Look Back Down 2 verse 10 when God saw what they did how they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them did not do it. Talk to be fair God's relenting expressed here. I think is for our understanding. He doesn't actually change a message is delivered to them in Nineveh 40 days and then it will be destroyed. This is the message if you don't change your direction. if you don't respond to Grace, if you don't hear God's call and believe those ifs are still in place today. There is still a judgement to come for those that would not respond to those IFS. Unless Christ is your salvation.
Church God didn't change Nineveh dead.
If you do not see your sin separating you from God from the Holiness of God. If you do not repent that word. We use often means simply to turn around to acknowledge that God's way is better and different than our way whether we find ourselves running in the wrong direction like Jonah or whether we've just you just wandered off course.
We need to come back over and over again.
Judgement is coming for those who are not found in Christ. And overthrowing judgment that's yet forty days and none of it will be overthrown. I almost wonder if if Jonah win stat that idea of being thrown over again. A holy God will eternally judge sin because a holy God sent the word of God made flesh to deliver us his message of Grace and deliverance has been given to us freely. You do not have to adopt the old Hellfire and brimstone preaching Style. Certainly not to a preach to approach winning the Los you you do not have to scare the hell out of people. I don't believe that to be a faithful delivery of God's message. God's message is one of rescue and Redemption we are to introduce love into people for God is love a man. Love motivates in a way that fear never could. And we serve a God that will meet you where you are, but he will not leave you there. Luther says of another went when Paul went to Athens to speak at the areopagus. He he didn't destroy the idols there by force. He proclaimed the word of God just as Jonah is doing Jonah's not knocking over Idols. He's just proclaiming God's truth. It is the word that miraculously transforms Hearts, not the Messenger Christian the message.
For it is by grace that you've been saved. It's not your works. We say that one pretty routinely faith is not of your own doing Ephesians 2 would tell us and and to prove my point. I want did you catch the miracle that has preceded this message? I wonder if you saw a God on display over the not tonight specifically but over our course of study as we have been looking at Jonah. I know that often times you guys suspect that. I'm trying to pull a fast one on you. I'm not trying to sneak one past tonight. Not exactly.
I hope to show you that we walk so much in the natural that we miss. Supernatural That in our study of Jonah so far.
There has not been a miracle.
There have been seven to date.
Leading up to one that I would say the one that you might would expect to categorize as a miracle. I tip my cards already a little bit that that Rough and Tumble Hellbound not and just two or three people not in small groups, but from King to Servant nationally they respond and I think that qualifies as miraculous, but that's number 8 we're going to cover the ones prior. And I believe the dots God's word at work. I don't think that this nation coming to repentance has anything to do with Joan is ability to Win Friends and Influence People. Seven miracles just a jot down quickly. It's it's there but in the familiarity again, we miss it in chapter 1 verse for me ask you just a quick reminder question who caused the storm which God he can start them. We can stop them with just a word. I wonder if we caught that. He is our creator. He knows best. He controls all forces and verse 7 chapter one. We we tripped over the first couple just right out of the gate.
God controlled the lot falling to Jonah if you remember them back on the boat at maybe a little bit less Christian speak of it this way, but I think this makes sense the house advantage of Las Vegas in is small in comparison to God's Sovereign will think of how the Sailor state would have changed in this scene If instead when they cast lots if they say instead through Johnny off the boat instead of Jonah. That old adage of clothes only works with Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. We can say that God has pinpoint accuracy and human games of chance. They don't stand a chance with a God who is sovereign. number 3 and verse 15 the same storm that God whipped into frenzy stop the moment Jonah hit the water.
imagine that occurrence when you when Kai is in the bathtub and she's splashing around and we tell her to stop I can tell you that water does not doesn't stop not for another couple minutes at least. Thomas wunder text says in chapter 1 verse 16 that the sailors feared God when they saw this seen how God promptly stopped the storm may be at this point when seeing that the relief came across them. Maybe they motion for Jonah to come back. I don't know if that's the case. But because vs17 gives us our next miracle in this place the fourth God commanded. He appointed a fish. I trained a couple of animals in my day. I have seen dolphins and whales do tricks at SeaWorld. I've never had the opportunity to train one of those but I have never seen anything like this not even close. Here is a fish that is trained by God appointed for this moment before the end of the book. We're going to see language that that Jonah will say God appoints shade trees. We can use more that summertime. I think God appoints shade trees. He appoints worms. He appoints a scorching wind and thankfully by the end of this. He also appoints Grace. He is God and he is good and Jonah was in God's grip more than he was in the belly of the fish.
number 5
God transports Jonah I don't have a verse so much for this one as I have just the entire chapter 2 from point A of the storm to point B with the assailed ship on the shores of Nineveh. God provided the first and only Uber by Phish.
Springs of specifics this fish You guys are accustomed to seeing fish in the water right by the scriptures. Tell us God dropped Jonah on dry land in verse 10 chapter 2. I don't think that Jonah was complaining that the ground was drier than he was. But we won't bring that up again.
7 Miracle is that we shall is the same as it would that we shall see in the dates that the miracle that I led within our introduction. There is a heart that is transformed. Through all of this chapter 2 is the miracle of heart change from from Defiance to worship before the fish finished his meal. We see the heart of Jonah transformed from a figurative place of death while inside of a literal place of death at least under normal circumstances, right? You don't get swallowed and then survive on a day-to-day basis Jonah went from Death to life. No matter how you look at it. God was involved in all seven of these miraculous actions.
And that yields the same impact. upon Nineveh God's word delivered it evokes change. That's why we must not seek to entertain at the expense of gospel truth, right you do not have to sugarcoat God's word. You just need to speak his message with Grace and was true.
You have to believe that God is gracious to save you which means he will be gracious to save others.
that whole by faith and not works verse that we like to quote in our lives will be his free offer not just for you but to your neighbor and then of a
the Puritan Thomas Watson and that said knowledge without repentance
will be but a torch. to guide men to hell we need box. Your belief and obedient action to God's appointment are all that is necessary. Your life and my life is the Fertile ground that we see God plant the seed we see God water the seed. We see God makes the seed grow. He sustains all life that it almost sounds like a parable and it's certainly going to sound like the finish of chapter 4. If uncertainty is our obstacle if that's the reason why we are not sharing our faith. We must believe a fresh in the gospel truth is that Jesus loves you in that Jesus addresses your sin by Calvary and that he raised from the dead so that you could have newness of life and he offers that new life abundant and free that abiding life. Because the only thing that we contribute to Salvation Calvin said is the sin that made it necessary.
Christian Judas called Christ Lord and yet he betrayed him. Thomas Brooks goes on to say how many judases have we? That kiss Christ and yet betray Christ. And their words they profess in their Works they deny.
Those that bow their knee yet in their hearts. They despise him and they will not obey their lord.
Belief is the response that God is after verse 10 affirm that for us in belief motivates Us in the action. You saw that in chapter 3, we see the people they repent they respond in sackcloth and Ashes from the King to the Catalan. And I'm sure it was an emotional day. But this is not an emotion that were after although emotion is always rarely absent. This is an encouraging response that we see that you are not saved by your works, but you are saved unto works. You have a purpose that God has laid before you. And that's what's missing from Jonah's side of the response. This is where we know that he took a pit stop for a pity party in chapter 4, you'll look back to the screen or back to your Bible in your lap or going to cover chapter 4 it short and will.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly. That's not the response that you probably were expecting. It displease Jonah exceedingly and he was angry and he prayed to the Lord and said oh Lord is not this what I said when I was yet in my country that is why I made haste to flee to tarshish for I knew that you are a gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster there for now. Oh Lord, please take my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live. And the Lord said do you do well to be angry? Jonah went out of the city and site to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade till he should see what would become of the city. 469 Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be shade over his head to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant When Dawn came up the next day God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered. when the sun rose God appointed a scorching East Wind and the Sun Beat Down on the head of Jonah so that he was fainted and he asked that he might die and said it is better for me to die than to live. God said to Jonah do you do well to be angry for a plant? He said yes, I do well to be angry angry enough to die. The Lord said you petty the plant for which you did not labor nor. Did you make it grow which came into being in a night and perished in the night? Should I not pity Nineveh? That great City in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left hand. And also much cattle. As much as Joe not believe God he didn't rely on him at least not in a healthy way. The very thing Jonah wanted was to see none of that wiped off the map. On this journey to see the heart of God. The very thing God wanted was to see his compassion and his grace for his image bearers spread across the map. the gospel saves your enemy as much as it saves you and I because that's what the gospel does the gospel saves enemies while we were Sinners while we were defiantly running away from God Christ died for us.
Jonah was Jewish. He believed the laws of God as a Jew and and the law rarely has room for Grace. Law Firm ending appears as a justifying life preserver We will set something like this on Sunday. I am better than the next guy. So my righteousness is my Reliance instead of God's grace.
Whole Bible is given to you that you would understand that the law. Reveals God's character and the law reveals God's nature. And it's simultaneously flaunts our rejection of him. The laws what declares a center? the law kills It's the spirit that gives life.
God's grace is our only Reliance for addressing that in Christ. Now we don't get the answer that I want from Jonah. We close instead with a question God provides shade and then he takes it away. He provides a scorching wind and a hot son. So that Jonah might again see through God's appointments. My God is in control. That his grace provides shade and sun. He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust but but weather is not the heart of God. Humanity redeemed is And that is what we must rely on. The God's word is before us we we say rightly that it is inspired. It is literally god-breathed. We spoke in Genesis of God exhaling air into Adams lungs for the first time God's word is god-breathed for our appointments. We are to rely upon his instruction and his grace and anyting void of that. Will be just like the scorching wind and hot sun the discomfort that Jonah indoors in the process of being driven back to the understanding of God's heart.
As much as Jonah believe that God was good. He didn't want God to be good for them. That's a dangerous road to walk down friends.
I don't think that's why we don't share with those who are lost if it is you need to repent. if you're unable to do so you you must take additional steps to question whether or not you even have a grain of understanding of what God did by giving us a Jonah and demonstrating a second chance upon that Sandy Shore by giving us a second Jonah. the second Adam named Jesus
No, my heart is convinced that the majority of us in churches believe that God is good.
But we don't rely on that truth. Nor do we rely on him for our daily lives. We aren't convinced that God can save others just as he once saved us.
I think that that has to be true. The only other option is that we don't share because we don't possess it ourselves.
We don't understand The Greatest Story Ever Told then we won't share it. I mean, how could you? With a short Jonah glance that we've taken I would have you received the final verse of this book with an understanding that it is. It is the undercurrent that carries us from the very beginning. God says should I not pity?
a great City Which there are more than a hundred twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left hand. I don't think I knew that that was God's expression before it came pulled into popular culture. So let's make sure we understand what he's saying there. Should I not have pity on those who do not know any better? Should I not lovingly send them my message?
Is come do that. He's going to send more than a message. He's going to send his messenger Jesus who happens to be both message and Messiah the one who will take away the sin of the world to those that would believe.
Church Easter is just on the horizon. We use terms like lost. Lost is a good word to describe. Well the heart that does not know where it was created to go. Unsaved is another word that we use in the church. That only makes sense coming from the mouth of one who has been transformed by the saving power of the Gospel that we might have life and not condemnations wage. That would be earned through sin.
Until it all of this when we look at Jonah. I think there's a frustration here. Dez look down on Jonah. That's far from where we should be the frustration is inherent in this in this book that That I want to be able to maximize every opportunity. I want by my actions to about a thousand. That's right. That's good. Right Connie batting a thousand perfect. By my works and intentions. I want to see people say that I know some of you do as well many of you do. It's a great heart to have and I pray that that you are the same that we have. We have been at this now. 2000 years not us personally, but from the time of Christ walking this Earth. We've been at this for 2,000 years. Why aren't we done yet?
If obedience and intensity did it. what we need the spirit for
there are those pridefully taking credit for saving the lost. That's much like the postman. That delivers the treaty between warring Nations congratulating himself for ending the war. That's crazy. He's just a messenger, right? He's not not even the message. He certainly not the author.
I think Paul's words will be good for us to close with tonight. Paul will famously say in Romans 10 how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him? Whom they have not heard. How are they to hear without someone preaching and how are they to preach and less they are sent. As it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.
Jesus left this Earth for a very short while with an Express appointment in our hands. You call yourself a follower. If if you would say that you are saved than the scriptures would say that you are also sent.
And the relief is that's the frustration. I want to say. We just try harder do better, but that's not the message of the Gospel. The relief is that you are not responsible for the response. You are to rely on him you believe in him you responded to him and he shall handle the rest and Lord willing in that process. We shall see others come to Christ as we see our own family. Our neighbors are co-workers come. those that we have prayed for decades for
our country needs Believers that Will Stand and Deliver this message. And then comes the difficult part then not get in the way.
We are often Our Own Worst obstacles to the gospel. Harlan worst obstacles to his grace
This is Jonah. This is the very Heart Of God that you might know him and walk with him that you would see the futility of running from him that you would see that you are created in the image of God for for you were created to be like him to follow him to worship him for the rest of your days. But you weren't meant to do that by yourself.