Jonah's Unbelievable Mission

One of the greatest inventions in human history is a pair of glasses. It helps us to navigate through the world, read complex languages such as body language and written language, and also to adjust our vision. Without glasses for some, people would stumble, connect with others and have faulty perspective of their environment. Which is why it’s so important for everyone to has bad eyes, to have a pair of glasses to help them.

But now, what if you take your glasses from neighbor and places them on your head. What happens? Might be fuzzy, everything seems off kilter, and perhaps your perspective has changes. Everything you saw before was changes with placing glasses on your face. You got to see a glimpse into their view of life.

Another word for “view of life,” is known as worldview. Just like glasses, our we see the world through the lenses of our worldview. Our worldview is made up of our beliefs, values, opinions.

So if we could imagine these pair of glasses as Austin’s worldview. The moment you set them on your face, you would start seeing what I believe that Jesus is more than God, he is live. You would value making disciples and reaching people for the kingdom and you would hold the opinion that Argyle is the best town to live in.

Wouldn’t that be neat if worldviews could be exchanges as easily as passing your glasses? If you didn’t like that one, you could swap it for a better one. Because truly our worldview influences our daily actions.

And our actions are directed by our perspective. My prayer, if for you and myself to take off our broken glass, bent frame glasses and replaced them with heavenly vision, so we can see God wants us to do and have his perspective - dare I say, for his church to have a biblical perspective on everything.

This moves us towards the story of a man who wore the wrong speckles and this is Jonah son on Amittai, he is prophet from the land of Israel.

And many of us remember this story of the guy who got swallowed up by a large fish, but the story is more than that. I believe when we come to understand the story of Jonah according to God’s perspective then our actions will change. Which is why it’s critical for us to really know him.

History lesson about Jonah is he was from the city of Gath Hepher, a town in lower Galilee near Nazareth and Gath Hepher was within the tribal territory given to Zebulun. so it is likely Jonah belonged to that tribe. Also Jonah served God in the past and declared great news to for the expansion of Israel during the reign or king Jeroboam II. His name in Hebrew means “Dove,” and his father’s name Amittai means “truth” or “faithfulness.”

Which ironically if you know the story, Jonah never willing goes to where his master send him like a good dove and he really struggles to be faithful and preach the truth, but not giving up to much let’s go to the story of Jonah for ourselves and find a God-centered perspective which impacts our worldview.

Now when we read the text, just picture Jonah doing life. Gathering food, building a fire, hanging out with his neighbors across the road and suddenly God speaks.

Jonah 1:1–3 ESV

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 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.

Yahweh is conversing with his man, Jonah. Remember this isn’t the first time God used Jonah. So it’s not like Jonah is yelling, “Are you talking to me?” Because Jonah knows where better. It’s like when we call out to our children especially when we want their attention. God is doing the same to Jonah. “Hey, Jonah, I’m talking to you. Also I want to give you this unbelievable mission. I want you to go up to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrians - your most despised enemies and I want you to call out against their evil with includes their violence, immorality, and idolatry.”

Rather than embracing the mission from God like he did before, Jonah runs as fast away as possible. See how the bible said, but. It’s like immediately after Yahweh gets done speaking Jonah is like goodbye God. I can’t do that for you today, so get up as quick as possible and tries to flee away God himself. That’s a really desperate move on Jonah’s part.

I don’t know why he though Tarshish would be a great city to go to. Maybe Jonah thought God was restricted to staying in the land of Israel and then he can escape God’s mission for his life.

In all reality, Jonah hated his Assyrian enemies - in his mind they resist the one true God, they live in lifestyle of sin, and they are not God’s chosen people. Which is the real reason why he resisted God and choose to run away from his presence.

Which leads us to the first people to ever run from the presence of God, the first man and woman - the pinnacle of God’s creation. Both perfect and without flaws. Interestingly, Jonah and Adam have a lot of parallels. 1. Both God’s words 2. Both are given instruction. 3. Both after failing God, flee away from the presence of God.

Genesis 3:8 ESV

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis

Both Jonah, Adam and Eve thought they could run away from God. Now that’s funny. Have you ever tried to run away from God? Or maybe, you knew you can’t run away from him, but you decided like Jonah, Adam and Eve you live according to your plan or perspective?

I think we all have at times, run away from God’s unbelievable mission for our lives. It’s tough to go where we don’t want to be and do as God has commanded us and we don’t see from God’s perspective, but our own.

However, just as listed people from the bible who turned away from God, we do find one person who accepts God’s word, listen to his instruction and remains in the presence of God forever. This individual is Jesus of Nazareth.

The best example of example of Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane before he is betrayed.

Mark 14:32–42 ESV

32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Mark 14:32-3

What sticks comparing Jesus and Jonah is Jesus listen to the Father. He heed the instructions of God and then in verse 42, Jesus rise up and followed the presence of God. Rather than running away like Jonah did.

Jesus is a better example than Jonah

So the question is what kind of perspective did Jesus have compared to Jonah? The answer is a God-center perspective and that influenced everything else he did in life.

You and me are not to be like Jonah and his failures but to be like Christ in all ways. Let’s go back to Jonah and see what God desires us to do as his church. If we see with Yahweh’s glasses we will do according to God’s will.

Jonah 1:1–3 ESV

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 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.

God’s mission for his church

First we are us to truly listen to God, not just hear him. But to understand what he is calling us to do. Second, we are to preach a message of truth and calling out sin. Lastly, we are to abide in God’s presence, even if it cost us something. For Jesus following the presence of God, got him hung on a cross. But without that we have no hope, no faith, no life.

When we put God’s perspective over our own, then we are equip to carry out God’s worldview. At the end of the day, our actions are directed by our perspective. Let your perspective be from heaven and let everything you do intersect with God’s will for your life.

Follow Jesus,

The mission given to us by God is to listen, preach, and be in his presence.