Christ Is All Sufficient: An Introduction to the Book Of Colossians.
Key verse: Colossians 2:9,10 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 6/5/09
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”
I thank God for our study of Jonah. Through our six week study, we have learned how God had grace on a reluctant prophet. We learned how God trained Jonah, through many hardships, in order to mold him into a servant of God who could deliver the message of salvation to a people in desperate need for the grace of God. We found meaning for all of our hardships of life and hope for ourselves to be used by God in our generation. Most of all we found direction for our summer ministry, to concern over the students of our great university, NIU. Now we want to get back into the New Testament. It is good to mix up our Bible study a little bit, with both the New and Old Testaments. It is good to learn more about Jesus. That is why we are going to study the Book of Colossians. Paul, in Colossians, proclaims that all the fullness of God dwells in Jesus. We can gain everything in Jesus. We can receive love, joy, peace and happiness and all the things that we are really searching for in Christ. It is a mystery, but through our study of Colossians may the desire to find in Jesus, your “all in all”, be kindled in your hearts. May we see Jesus and find him in the midst of today’s mixture of religions and philosophies.
Part l: The Church Of Colossae.
This book is a letter, by Paul, written to the church in a city called Colossae. Paul was in prison in Rome in A.D. 61-63. Colossians is one of the letters of Paul written during his stay there. Paul worked so hard to preach the gospel. Even prison could not stop him. His entire life was dedicated to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and his salvation throughout the Mediterranean region. He spoke boldly to the Jews and Gentiles alike. His main work was visiting the churches and strengthening the disciples through preaching and teaching the gospel. When he was not able to go there personally, he sent his co-workers. When he could not send his co-workers to preach the gospel or to solve the problems of the churches, he sent letters. In time, these letters became vital parts of the New Testament and became an important part of spreading the gospel in early Christianity. The book of Colossians is closely associated with Philemon, because the church in Colossae met in Philemon’s home (Phm 3) and because a person named, Onesimus, mentioned in Colossians (4:9) was Philemon’s slave. (Phm 16) The followers of Christ have greatly benefited from Paul’s letters throughout the centuries. We are blessed because of Paul’s prison letters.
The prison was actually a house where Paul was kept under close guard at all times. He probably was chained to a Roman soldier. He was given certain rights and privileges not afforded to most prisoners. He was allowed to write letters and to see any vistors he wanted to see. Maybe Roman guards peeked over Paul’s shoulder to see what he was writing. Maybe Paul asked them to proof read his letters. Maybe when a guard was sick, Paul asked him how he was feeling and prayed fro him. In this way some Roman soldiers could have met Jesus personally.
Colossae was a city in Phrygia. Some people from Phrygia were in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:10) and may have accepted Jesus then. These people could have started a church in Colossae. Paul had passed through this region on both his second and third missionary journeys. (Acts 16:6; 18:23). The church was also the result of Paul’s work in Ephesus. (Acts 19:10), for Colossae was near the border of “Asia” about 100 miles east of Ephesus. Epaphras (1:7;l 4:12-13), is thought to have been the planter of the Colossae church. Paul stayed in Ephesus and had daily discussions, for two years, in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Through this, “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” (Acts 19:10) During this time Epaphras and Philemon from Colossae, and Nympha from Laodicea also heard Paul’s message, returned to their homes and pioneered new churches. Epaphras could have visited Paul in prison and reported about the work of God in Colossae and the problems he encountered. Epaphras also pioneered churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis. (4:12,13)
In Colossae there were Greeks, Romans, Jews and immigrants from other parts of the Roman Empire. There were slaves and free people, rich and poor, educated uneducated. There were business people. It was truly cosmopolitan in nature. But one thing was for certain, a godless atmosphere pervaded over the entire city. Asia Minor, where Colossae was, had many kinds of religions. They worshipped various gods and goddesses and each city felt that its own god or goddess was superior to all others. Ephesus was home to Artemis, the huge female goddess whom they claim fell from heaven. Mystery religions were becoming especially popular. These religions did not focus so much on a god or a goddess, but on having some kind of mysterious knowledge, that if a person studied and understood it, they would have some fantastic spiritual experience. They involved some secret society with secretive initiations. Many of the meeting places of these mystery religions have been discovered by archeologists. Colossae was full of mystery religions.
Part ll: The Purpose Of The Letters
When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned, Epaphras visited him and told him how the church in Colossae was suffering from heretical threats from false teachers. Epaphras asked for Paul’s help. (1:8; 2;1,2; 4:12,13) For this reason Paul wrote Colossians, to protect the young Christian church from these heresies. He wanted to reveal who Jesus truly is and to let believers know that they have everything they could ever need in Christ. Paul makes his purpose clear in 2:1-3, where he writes, “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” None of these mystery religions could hold a candle to the mystery of God, namely Christ, and Paul wanted them to know why.
The church had been infiltrated by religious relativism, with some believers attempting to combine elements of paganism and secular philosophy with Christian doctrine. As a young Christian community, they were attacked by the influence of many secular and religious groups. The Colossian heresy seems to have been a mixture of Greek, Jewish and Oriental religions, a sort of “higher thought” cult, masquerading itself in the name of “philosophy” (2:8), promoting the basic principles of this world. (2:8,20), calling for the worship of angels as intermediates between God and man. (2:18), and insisting on the observance of certain Jewish requirements almost to the point of asceticism. (2:16,21). The dangerous part was that they were including it as part of the Gospel of Christ. These false teachers were attacking the uniqueness and supremacy of Christ and making Christ relative, that is, just another choice among many choices. They were denying the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and that he alone is enough for salvation. Paul answered the various tenants of the Colossian controversy that threatened the church.
Listen closely as I explain deeper about each of these areas and see if you can see some of their influence on our own times. Let’s see.
First, hollow and deceptive philosophy. At the time philosophers traveled around to the different cities trying to prove their false teachings. They used many beautiful words and expressions, but they were nothing more than hollow and deceptive theories trying to take peoples’ hearts captive. Nowadays they may not travel from town to town, but they may use the internet and propagate their ideas through film, or books or television. Our universities are churning with many hollow and deceptive philosophies that take students’ hearts captive and lead them away from Christ. In fact 50% of Christian freshman leave their faith by the time they graduate. What do they leave their faith to? Is it not to hollow and deceptive philosophies of this age?
Second, the basic principles of this world. People followed a certain worldview, defined by certain principles. In ancient Colossae, they thought that the world was ruled by earth, wind, fire and water and by the signs of the zodiac. The Jews thought the world was ruled by angels and demons. Astrologers believed man’s happiness depended on the stars. Some worshipped and served the stars. Some thought they could change their future, that was determined by the stars, through mentioning some secret formulas. There were as many world views back then as there are today. What is your world view? What principles guide your life? I have heard that only 3% of those who say they are Christians actually have a Biblical world view. As the moral principles in our society move further and further from Biblical ones, the importance of world view looms ever larger. We need to formulate and live out a Christian world view according to the principles in the Bible and not of this world. Otherwise, “we may know our Bible well and even cite chapter and verse, but we will lack the broader framework that connects our moral and spiritual beliefs to the issues we face in a secular culture.” (Chuck Colson… http://www.equip.org/articles/apologetics-for-the-church-why-christians-are-losing-the-culture-war) Not only that, but we can never stand against competing philosophies of the world.
Third, Judaistic legalism. In 2:16, Paul mentions to “eat or drink.” He is referring to the Jewish laws of clean and unclean foods. “A religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day” refers to all the sacred days of the Jews. Religious festivals were held almost every month. Among them, Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles were the major one. They believed they could please God by keeping religious rules meticulously. But these rules were only a shadow of the things to come. The reality was found in Christ. (2:17) After Christ had come, these things were voided. But some Jewish-Christian converts were twisting the Gospel, insisting that even Gentile Christians were to keep these rules, otherwise they could not be saved. Paul, on the other hand, had taught the young church that only believing in Jesus is enough. To subject new Gentile converts to these meticulous rules was too much for them to bear. A modern day example is when some Christians become very legalistic and claim that one needs Jesus, “plus” something else to be saved. This is not true. Jesus is all sufficient for salvation. Their lives of faith are reduced to trying to obey rule upon rule.
Fourth, worship of Angels. Those who worship angels claim that people could not approach God, who is holy and the Almighty Creator God on their own. They said that they people need angels as mediators. These people were nullifying Christ’s role as the mediator. (1 Tim 2:5) “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” It also nullifies what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. For when Jesus died on the cross the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The way to the “Most Holy Place” was open wide to any who are forgiven by God through the blood of Jesus. (Mk 15:38) That is why we can pray directly to God and be heard. Jesus is our mediator. Those who worship angels and focus on angels more than Jesus seem to be humble, but they are actually very proud, holding onto their own ideas.
Fifth, asceticism. Ascetics made all kinds of rules and regulations to control their bodily desires, saying, “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21) The rules they follow seem to be wise because they require strong devotion, humility and severe bodily discipline. People who followed them seemed to be very holy. But forcing your body to comply had no effect when it comes to conquering inner evil thoughts and desires. Asceticism is man-made attempt to make yourself holy and sanctified without simply trusting in the blood of Jesus and the grace of God. It is practiced today. There are people who bow their heads to the ground in repeated prayers until their heads look like a leathery camel’s knee cap. There are those who keep their arm raise in religious devotion until their arm fuses in place. There are Christians who punish themselves through endless self condemnation and seek redemption through paying penance etc. The list of ascetic practices goes on and on. Colossae was full of ascetics. To be certain, they were not fun people to hang out with.
We are living in a post-modern era. Post modernism is a philosophy that claims that there is no absolute truth, and it tries to make all belief systems relative. Post modernists cast off time honored traditions and what people claim as truth, and only trust their own thoughts and ideas. Each person, therefore, adopts his or her own truth and world view. To them, theirs is as good as any other. So today, many religious forms have become popular, including atheist religions like materialism and hedonism. Angel worship and demon worship exist. There is New Age religion and “Kabala”. Many people develop a kind of “smorgasbord” religion, taking ideas they like from here and there and call the end product their own “religion”. In this environment many young people are confused and wandering without clear life direction. Even Christian young people can not see how Jesus is the only way, truth and life…the only way to the Father. (Jn 14:6) They ask themselves “How can Jesus be the only way? It seems too boring to only believe in Jesus.” People want to be entertained. They want their own ideas honored even though they may be totally wrong. But Paul, in Colossians, proclaims that all the fullness of God dwells in Jesus. We can gain everything in him.
Throughout this letter, Paul showed his thanksgiving to God for the Colossians. He thanked God for their faith in Christ Jesus and the love they had for all the saints. Paul also shared with them his personal struggles and his sufferings for the sake of the church. He encouraged them to continue to live in Jesus, rooted and built up in Christ, strengthened in the faith, that they may be overflowing with thanksgiving and glorify Jesus in a confused world full of spiritual darkness.
Paul reminds Christians that they have been raised with Christ. They are those who have put to death their earthly selves and have put on new selves. He presented to the Colossians the lifestyle and principles of a new people who are raised with Christ. They are those who, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. They are those who are called to peace, to be thankful and to have the word of God dwell in them richly. Paul said that the new people of Jesus are those who, in whatever they do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Paul encouraged them to pray for him so that God might open a door for his message. Finally, he reminded them of his chains, which had hindered Paul’s travel, but had not hindered the gospel.
Part lll: Conclusion.
The Book of Colossians was written by Paul while in prison. He refutes false teachings that threatened the spiritual lives of the young church in Colossae. He counters the false teachings of mystery religions that taught hollow and deceptive philosophy, operated according to the basic principles of this world, contained elements of Judaistic legalism, the worship of Angels and asceticism. Paul wanted the Colossian Christians that everything they ever wanted and needed is found in Christ. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form ….” May you discover this truth personally through our study of Colossians.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Jonah Overview/ Conclusion
The Book Of Jonah: The Grand Overview
The Entire Book Of Jonah In One Message
Key verse 4:11 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU 5/31/09
“But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
This week draws a conclusion to our six week study of the Book Jonah. Through the study we followed the transformation of Jonah from a rebellious prophet to an unhappy, reluctant, yet obedient prophet. We learned about God and how he trains his chosen servants until they can obey him and share in his heart to bring his salvation to all people of all nations. We also discovered the wideness of God’s mercy, the mercy that embraced Jonah in all of his rebelliousness and that embraced the Ninevites in all of their wickedness and that embraces all of us. We learned that God is a God who hears and responds to cries of repentance. Let’s see look back and take a glance at the book of Jonah and may one word of God be embossed on each of our hearts. Let’s see.
Part 1: Jonah Flees From The Lord (1:1-11)
In this chapter we meet the prophet Jonah. He preached to the people of Northern Israel under Jeraboam ll who reigned from 793-753 B.C. Jonah wrote this prophetic book around 780 B.C. Jonah was a man of God who had a personal relationship with God. God came to him and spoke his word to him. (1:1) Though Jonah was rebellious, he had some spiritual qualities to him. He had received years of training as a prophet, which probably included lots of Bible study and religious observances. He was sensitive enough to hear God’s call to mission and have some sort of response to that call. This means that he had an inner spiritual life. We too can have such an inner spiritual life, when we have an identity as a servant of God and determine to “tune our hearts” into God and his word.
God decided to use his prophet in his great redemptive history. He gave him a great mission to go and preach to the people of Nineveh. God said, “Go and preach to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it’s wickedness has come up before me.” (1:2) Ninveveh was a very wicked city and a threat to the national security of Israel. They were not part of God’s chosen people, but God loved them anyways. He had mercy on them seeing that they did not know their left hand from their right. God also cared about their cows, which could mean that he cared about their local economy. God wanted to save them and the only way that could occur is if they repented before the word of God. For this reason God wanted Jonah to preach the message of salvation to them. What a blessing it is to be called to preach such a message! Romans 10: 14-15 read, “ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Praise Jesus that chooses to work through us in is work of world salvation.
Jonah could do many things for God. He studied hard. He served at the temple. He taught thousands of his own people, but he could not do this particular mission. It was because Jonah despised the Ninevites. The last thing he wanted was to see was them saved. He knew the power of the word of God and that if he obeyed God and preached what God wanted to say, then they would indeed be saved. And so he made a great effort to run as far away from Nineveh as he could. Perhaps he thought that God would soon forget about him and choose another prophet to perform this very difficult mission. Jonah was the opposite of Jesus, who embraced his mission to suffer and die on the cross as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world, with crying out prayers. But God would not let Jonah escape so easily.
In the course of running away from the Lord, Jonah caused so much suffering for himself and to others around him. While escaping in a merchant vessel the Lord sent a great storm. The men of the ship were terrified. Each cried out to his own idol. They lost much cargo by throwing it overboard in a frenzied attempt to save themselves. All of this was happening because of Jonah’s sin. It is true. When we hear God’s call and avoid it, trying to run from Jesus and his will, we suffer and other people who are in our “life boat” suffer because of us. In contrast stands Jesus, who embraced his difficult mission, and became a source of eternal salvation to all who were in his life boat. (Heb 5:9) He led many to the Kingdom of God and showed everyone the way.
We could get some insight into Jonah’s inner character through his reaction to the storm. When everyone was fighting hard, Jonah was sleeping below deck. He did not lift a finger to help. He even knew what was required to stop the storm, the throwing of his own body overboard, (1:11) but he did not offer himself to stop the storm. He slept, not carrying about others’ loss and possible death. It was only after he was confronted by the sailors did he make the offer. How could a person’s heart turn so cold? It is possible when we spend our time running away from God, rather than embracing God and his good, perfect and pleasing will. (Rom 12:2) May we be like Jesus who prayed, “Not my will but yours be do.” (Lk 22:42) Then we can be compassionate to others and help them in their time of need, rather than sleeping and ignoring those in the throws of physical or spiritual death.
Part ll: “You Listened To My Cry” (1:12-2:10)
Jonah did not know it, but God was about the subject him to very tough divine discipline. Jonah, when confronted, finally gave in and told the sailors to pick him up and through him into the sea. (1:12a) When they did the sea became calm. Jonah had resigned himself to a certain death. But God had not led Jonah all of these years, training him as a prophet and giving him his word, only to see him die a miserable death, entangled in the kelp beds of the Mediterranean Sea. He would intervene in a very miraculous way in order to change Jonah’s rebellious heart and lead him to true greatness in the Lord.
As Jonah was sinking in the sea, he felt that all was over. He was about to give up his struggle and take that fatal last gasp of sea water. At this point of desperation, God revealed his saving grace to Jonah. “… the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.” (1:17) At the last moment…just when Jonah thought he was going to die, He was swallowed by a great fish, possibly a whale. It was a miracle! He was alive! But not much more. Can you imagine spending 72 hours in the stomach of a whale? It was like dying itself. But through it all God was going to teach many important spiritual lessons.
When most people would have cursed their fate and God, Jonah became more spiritual. In the midst of his intense suffering, Jonah turned his heart to God. He prayed God. He looked to heaven. He remembered the grace of God saying in verse 2:7, “when my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you in your holy temple.” Jonah was not embittered but full of the grace of God. He also got insight into why idol worship is so bad. He said, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” (2:8) Jonah, a true worshipper of God, discovered the grace of God personally. Perfect environments do not drive us closer to Jesus or teach us faith. Remember that it was through the storm that the sailors began to cry out to the God of the Jews and make vows to him. It was Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great fish that helped him to hold onto the grace of God. More often then not it is the difficult moments of life that teach the greatest lessons and reveal Christ to us. Let us be thankful for the hard times in life and grow spiritually through each one of them.
Part lll: Jonah Fulfills His Mission (3:1-10)
Through God’s divine training was very difficult, there was a time that the training was over. God saw that Jonah’ heart was changed. God never gives us more than we can bare. It was almost more than what Jonah could bear, but not quite. Again, at the last moment, “The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.” (2:10) 1 Corinthians 10:13 reads, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Let us grow through God’s divine discipline to the end.
Jonah had learned many things. But there is one thing that he learned, that we should all learn, and that is we need to obey God sooner than later. Jonah had suffered a lot because of his rebellious spirit. But after much hard training he was not longer rebellious. He discovered the hard way, how useless and painful it is to run away from the Lord. If only he had submitted to God early. Our human reality is that we usually wait until some type of disaster comes up on us before we choose to obey Jesus. But God, who knows what is lying just around corner, urges us to turn from our course and follow Jesus…even today. 2 Corinthians 6:2 reads, “2For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”
God is so gracious. He came to Jonah and gave him a second chance. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” (3:1) Nobody would fault God if he let Jonah sink the bottom of the sea, never to be seen again. After all, it was Jonah’s fault. But God, in his grace rescued Jonah. He came to him a second time to answer his call. Praise the Lord, that our God is a God of second chances! We are all in need of second chances in life and ministry and God is more than willing to dole it out on us, when we repent of our sins and put all of our hope and trust in Jesus.
God told Jonah to preach the message that he would give him. “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (3:2) Why? It is because God’s message was the only message that would lead the people of Nineveh to salvation. Jonah could not give his own message, full of his own ideas, in his own way. Such a message would not save anyone. He needed to obey God and preach the difficult message of repentance. We are tempted to preach messages that are not linked to the Bible. We are tempted to preach messages that bring some practical benefits to our lives, like how to manage our money or how to raise our families or how to get along in relationships. These are good things to think about. But we can never change the gospel message to satisfy what our “itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim 4:3) We must stick the message of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. (1 Cor 15:2) We need to teach the world about repentance unto faith. (Acts 20:21) Then God will bless our Bible teaching with souls that are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
We discover that Jonah obeyed, reluctantly, but he obeyed. 3:4 reads, “On the first day, Jonah started into the city, He proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’” Despite his unwillingness, God worked through this man. God can work through unwilling people, but he would much have willing volunteers among his people. In 1 Peter 5;2, Peter says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you willing, as God wants you to be…” There are many conflicting desires, that wage war in our hearts, but when we submit them all to the authority of Christ, we can be willing shepherds of the flock of God and deliver the words that change hearts and bring eternal life.
When Jonah obeyed a miracle happened. “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least put on sackcloth” (3:5) Wow! The greatest revival in history occurred. A whole city repented. Not only that…the king repented and led the entire populace to repentance and faith. Who would have thought that such a revival could be possible? But it was and still is. When servants of God deliver the Gospel message, just as it is, uncompromised, then God can do great things through it. We have before us a great campus filled with 25,000 students, 60% of which are freshmen. We may be intimidated to even begin preaching the gospel. We may think, “What is the use! People don’t want to listen anyways.” But we need to see things from God’s point of view. God can move hearts. God will do his part when we do our part. Indeed when we go fishing and teach the gospel, God will move the hearts of 12 students this summer. God will bring 15 people to our Summer Bible Conference from NIU. God will double our leaders and SWS attendants by 2010. Ask great things from God and expect great things from God. All things are possible for him, or her, who believes. (Mk 10:27)
God saw their repentance and he relented. 3:10 reads, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” God is a God who responds to our repentance. When we choose to live in sin, God is patiently waiting and watching. He allows us to continue on our destructive course with a hope that we will change before destruction comes upon us. But there is great news! God is very sensitive to our repentance. With even one, faint word of repentance, loud speakers go off in heaven and God changes his course. He responds with compassion. Jeremiah 18:17-18 reads, “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” Let’s grab hold of God’s grace and be forgiven. God may be saving you from a disaster that is just looming around the corner.
Part lV: The Wideness Of God’s Mercy. (4:1-11)
Before we get into God’s lesson to Jonah, we can see some more good things about Jonah. He prayed to God, even when he was angry. Most people can not do this. He also did not stew in his anger. He opened up to God and talked and confessed all that was on his heart. Have you considered how blessed it is that we can come directly to God and open up to him and confess all that is on our hearts. This is a gift and a privilege given to us by Jesus. For when he died on the cross the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The way to the Most Holy Place was opened to all who put their faith and trust in Jesus. We can now come before the throne of God in prayer and unload all of our burdens before him in prayer. And God answers. I would advice you all to do so because if you stew in our anger very dysfunctional things will happen to you inside. We need to also thank God for raising up shepherds in our lives, someone we can talk to and who will listen, someone who can lead us to Jesus.
Another good thing is that Jonah knew a lot about God’s character. Look at verse 2b, “…O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” Most people know a little about God. They know vague things, like God is love and God is all powerful. This is good, but it is only scratching the surface about God. We must study the word of God and put it into practice until we know Jesus very personally, in detail. This comes from walking with Jesus.
Though Jonah knew God, Jonah was not so happy of the fact that God’s mercy was extended to the Ninevites. He was greatly displeased and angry. God called Jonah on this and reminded him that he had no right to be angry. And he taught him why through the lesson of the vine. Look at 4:5-11. The whole point of this lesson was to teach Jonah the wideness of God’s mercy. Jonah was concerned only about his own blessings. He liked receiving the blessings of God more than offering other people the blessings of God. He was self-centered and very small minded. God wanted him to grow to be a big hearted shepherd who can embrace the flock of God with the love of God. And what is the heart of God? Look at verse 4:11, “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" God’s heart is full of genuine concern. He is concerned about the Assyrians and all people of all nations, from generation to generation. He even wants his enemies to repent and be saved.
May God widen our own hearts to be filled with such a concern for others. May God free our hearts to obey him willingly. May we determine to be faithful to deliver the message of salvation to all people, starting at NIU. May we grow spiritually through all kinds of training, until we can realize many things about God and know him very personally. Then thousands of American young people will come to know Jesus through our lives of faith.
The Entire Book Of Jonah In One Message
Key verse 4:11 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU 5/31/09
“But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
This week draws a conclusion to our six week study of the Book Jonah. Through the study we followed the transformation of Jonah from a rebellious prophet to an unhappy, reluctant, yet obedient prophet. We learned about God and how he trains his chosen servants until they can obey him and share in his heart to bring his salvation to all people of all nations. We also discovered the wideness of God’s mercy, the mercy that embraced Jonah in all of his rebelliousness and that embraced the Ninevites in all of their wickedness and that embraces all of us. We learned that God is a God who hears and responds to cries of repentance. Let’s see look back and take a glance at the book of Jonah and may one word of God be embossed on each of our hearts. Let’s see.
Part 1: Jonah Flees From The Lord (1:1-11)
In this chapter we meet the prophet Jonah. He preached to the people of Northern Israel under Jeraboam ll who reigned from 793-753 B.C. Jonah wrote this prophetic book around 780 B.C. Jonah was a man of God who had a personal relationship with God. God came to him and spoke his word to him. (1:1) Though Jonah was rebellious, he had some spiritual qualities to him. He had received years of training as a prophet, which probably included lots of Bible study and religious observances. He was sensitive enough to hear God’s call to mission and have some sort of response to that call. This means that he had an inner spiritual life. We too can have such an inner spiritual life, when we have an identity as a servant of God and determine to “tune our hearts” into God and his word.
God decided to use his prophet in his great redemptive history. He gave him a great mission to go and preach to the people of Nineveh. God said, “Go and preach to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because it’s wickedness has come up before me.” (1:2) Ninveveh was a very wicked city and a threat to the national security of Israel. They were not part of God’s chosen people, but God loved them anyways. He had mercy on them seeing that they did not know their left hand from their right. God also cared about their cows, which could mean that he cared about their local economy. God wanted to save them and the only way that could occur is if they repented before the word of God. For this reason God wanted Jonah to preach the message of salvation to them. What a blessing it is to be called to preach such a message! Romans 10: 14-15 read, “ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Praise Jesus that chooses to work through us in is work of world salvation.
Jonah could do many things for God. He studied hard. He served at the temple. He taught thousands of his own people, but he could not do this particular mission. It was because Jonah despised the Ninevites. The last thing he wanted was to see was them saved. He knew the power of the word of God and that if he obeyed God and preached what God wanted to say, then they would indeed be saved. And so he made a great effort to run as far away from Nineveh as he could. Perhaps he thought that God would soon forget about him and choose another prophet to perform this very difficult mission. Jonah was the opposite of Jesus, who embraced his mission to suffer and die on the cross as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world, with crying out prayers. But God would not let Jonah escape so easily.
In the course of running away from the Lord, Jonah caused so much suffering for himself and to others around him. While escaping in a merchant vessel the Lord sent a great storm. The men of the ship were terrified. Each cried out to his own idol. They lost much cargo by throwing it overboard in a frenzied attempt to save themselves. All of this was happening because of Jonah’s sin. It is true. When we hear God’s call and avoid it, trying to run from Jesus and his will, we suffer and other people who are in our “life boat” suffer because of us. In contrast stands Jesus, who embraced his difficult mission, and became a source of eternal salvation to all who were in his life boat. (Heb 5:9) He led many to the Kingdom of God and showed everyone the way.
We could get some insight into Jonah’s inner character through his reaction to the storm. When everyone was fighting hard, Jonah was sleeping below deck. He did not lift a finger to help. He even knew what was required to stop the storm, the throwing of his own body overboard, (1:11) but he did not offer himself to stop the storm. He slept, not carrying about others’ loss and possible death. It was only after he was confronted by the sailors did he make the offer. How could a person’s heart turn so cold? It is possible when we spend our time running away from God, rather than embracing God and his good, perfect and pleasing will. (Rom 12:2) May we be like Jesus who prayed, “Not my will but yours be do.” (Lk 22:42) Then we can be compassionate to others and help them in their time of need, rather than sleeping and ignoring those in the throws of physical or spiritual death.
Part ll: “You Listened To My Cry” (1:12-2:10)
Jonah did not know it, but God was about the subject him to very tough divine discipline. Jonah, when confronted, finally gave in and told the sailors to pick him up and through him into the sea. (1:12a) When they did the sea became calm. Jonah had resigned himself to a certain death. But God had not led Jonah all of these years, training him as a prophet and giving him his word, only to see him die a miserable death, entangled in the kelp beds of the Mediterranean Sea. He would intervene in a very miraculous way in order to change Jonah’s rebellious heart and lead him to true greatness in the Lord.
As Jonah was sinking in the sea, he felt that all was over. He was about to give up his struggle and take that fatal last gasp of sea water. At this point of desperation, God revealed his saving grace to Jonah. “… the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.” (1:17) At the last moment…just when Jonah thought he was going to die, He was swallowed by a great fish, possibly a whale. It was a miracle! He was alive! But not much more. Can you imagine spending 72 hours in the stomach of a whale? It was like dying itself. But through it all God was going to teach many important spiritual lessons.
When most people would have cursed their fate and God, Jonah became more spiritual. In the midst of his intense suffering, Jonah turned his heart to God. He prayed God. He looked to heaven. He remembered the grace of God saying in verse 2:7, “when my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you in your holy temple.” Jonah was not embittered but full of the grace of God. He also got insight into why idol worship is so bad. He said, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” (2:8) Jonah, a true worshipper of God, discovered the grace of God personally. Perfect environments do not drive us closer to Jesus or teach us faith. Remember that it was through the storm that the sailors began to cry out to the God of the Jews and make vows to him. It was Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great fish that helped him to hold onto the grace of God. More often then not it is the difficult moments of life that teach the greatest lessons and reveal Christ to us. Let us be thankful for the hard times in life and grow spiritually through each one of them.
Part lll: Jonah Fulfills His Mission (3:1-10)
Through God’s divine training was very difficult, there was a time that the training was over. God saw that Jonah’ heart was changed. God never gives us more than we can bare. It was almost more than what Jonah could bear, but not quite. Again, at the last moment, “The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.” (2:10) 1 Corinthians 10:13 reads, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Let us grow through God’s divine discipline to the end.
Jonah had learned many things. But there is one thing that he learned, that we should all learn, and that is we need to obey God sooner than later. Jonah had suffered a lot because of his rebellious spirit. But after much hard training he was not longer rebellious. He discovered the hard way, how useless and painful it is to run away from the Lord. If only he had submitted to God early. Our human reality is that we usually wait until some type of disaster comes up on us before we choose to obey Jesus. But God, who knows what is lying just around corner, urges us to turn from our course and follow Jesus…even today. 2 Corinthians 6:2 reads, “2For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”
God is so gracious. He came to Jonah and gave him a second chance. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” (3:1) Nobody would fault God if he let Jonah sink the bottom of the sea, never to be seen again. After all, it was Jonah’s fault. But God, in his grace rescued Jonah. He came to him a second time to answer his call. Praise the Lord, that our God is a God of second chances! We are all in need of second chances in life and ministry and God is more than willing to dole it out on us, when we repent of our sins and put all of our hope and trust in Jesus.
God told Jonah to preach the message that he would give him. “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (3:2) Why? It is because God’s message was the only message that would lead the people of Nineveh to salvation. Jonah could not give his own message, full of his own ideas, in his own way. Such a message would not save anyone. He needed to obey God and preach the difficult message of repentance. We are tempted to preach messages that are not linked to the Bible. We are tempted to preach messages that bring some practical benefits to our lives, like how to manage our money or how to raise our families or how to get along in relationships. These are good things to think about. But we can never change the gospel message to satisfy what our “itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim 4:3) We must stick the message of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. (1 Cor 15:2) We need to teach the world about repentance unto faith. (Acts 20:21) Then God will bless our Bible teaching with souls that are redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
We discover that Jonah obeyed, reluctantly, but he obeyed. 3:4 reads, “On the first day, Jonah started into the city, He proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’” Despite his unwillingness, God worked through this man. God can work through unwilling people, but he would much have willing volunteers among his people. In 1 Peter 5;2, Peter says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you willing, as God wants you to be…” There are many conflicting desires, that wage war in our hearts, but when we submit them all to the authority of Christ, we can be willing shepherds of the flock of God and deliver the words that change hearts and bring eternal life.
When Jonah obeyed a miracle happened. “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least put on sackcloth” (3:5) Wow! The greatest revival in history occurred. A whole city repented. Not only that…the king repented and led the entire populace to repentance and faith. Who would have thought that such a revival could be possible? But it was and still is. When servants of God deliver the Gospel message, just as it is, uncompromised, then God can do great things through it. We have before us a great campus filled with 25,000 students, 60% of which are freshmen. We may be intimidated to even begin preaching the gospel. We may think, “What is the use! People don’t want to listen anyways.” But we need to see things from God’s point of view. God can move hearts. God will do his part when we do our part. Indeed when we go fishing and teach the gospel, God will move the hearts of 12 students this summer. God will bring 15 people to our Summer Bible Conference from NIU. God will double our leaders and SWS attendants by 2010. Ask great things from God and expect great things from God. All things are possible for him, or her, who believes. (Mk 10:27)
God saw their repentance and he relented. 3:10 reads, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” God is a God who responds to our repentance. When we choose to live in sin, God is patiently waiting and watching. He allows us to continue on our destructive course with a hope that we will change before destruction comes upon us. But there is great news! God is very sensitive to our repentance. With even one, faint word of repentance, loud speakers go off in heaven and God changes his course. He responds with compassion. Jeremiah 18:17-18 reads, “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.” Let’s grab hold of God’s grace and be forgiven. God may be saving you from a disaster that is just looming around the corner.
Part lV: The Wideness Of God’s Mercy. (4:1-11)
Before we get into God’s lesson to Jonah, we can see some more good things about Jonah. He prayed to God, even when he was angry. Most people can not do this. He also did not stew in his anger. He opened up to God and talked and confessed all that was on his heart. Have you considered how blessed it is that we can come directly to God and open up to him and confess all that is on our hearts. This is a gift and a privilege given to us by Jesus. For when he died on the cross the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The way to the Most Holy Place was opened to all who put their faith and trust in Jesus. We can now come before the throne of God in prayer and unload all of our burdens before him in prayer. And God answers. I would advice you all to do so because if you stew in our anger very dysfunctional things will happen to you inside. We need to also thank God for raising up shepherds in our lives, someone we can talk to and who will listen, someone who can lead us to Jesus.
Another good thing is that Jonah knew a lot about God’s character. Look at verse 2b, “…O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” Most people know a little about God. They know vague things, like God is love and God is all powerful. This is good, but it is only scratching the surface about God. We must study the word of God and put it into practice until we know Jesus very personally, in detail. This comes from walking with Jesus.
Though Jonah knew God, Jonah was not so happy of the fact that God’s mercy was extended to the Ninevites. He was greatly displeased and angry. God called Jonah on this and reminded him that he had no right to be angry. And he taught him why through the lesson of the vine. Look at 4:5-11. The whole point of this lesson was to teach Jonah the wideness of God’s mercy. Jonah was concerned only about his own blessings. He liked receiving the blessings of God more than offering other people the blessings of God. He was self-centered and very small minded. God wanted him to grow to be a big hearted shepherd who can embrace the flock of God with the love of God. And what is the heart of God? Look at verse 4:11, “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" God’s heart is full of genuine concern. He is concerned about the Assyrians and all people of all nations, from generation to generation. He even wants his enemies to repent and be saved.
May God widen our own hearts to be filled with such a concern for others. May God free our hearts to obey him willingly. May we determine to be faithful to deliver the message of salvation to all people, starting at NIU. May we grow spiritually through all kinds of training, until we can realize many things about God and know him very personally. Then thousands of American young people will come to know Jesus through our lives of faith.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)