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Tag: God’s sovereignty (Page 2 of 2)

Commit to the Church: Pray Fervently

October 18, 2022 /
Sermon Series Graphic

I recently began a new sermon series called Commit at my church on what biblically committed church membership looks like. This post is based off of the sixth sermon in that series. You can watch the sermon here.

Today, we continue our sermon series on biblical church membership based on the pattern we see in Acts 2.

We started our sermon series in Acts 2 and I want to again look at a couple of verses from there. If you would let’s look again at Acts 2:41.

Acts 2:41

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

This verse summarizes the response to Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost which occurred a few days after Jesus had ascended back to heaven. Those present heard the gospel. Many responded by receiving Peter’s message, repenting of their sins (Acts 2:38), and trusting (believing) in Jesus. After trusting in Jesus, they were baptized and added to the church.

So, what happened next? Look at verse 42.

Acts 2:42

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers

The rest of Acts 2 describes how the early Christians committed themselves to one another. This is the paradigm we see in the rest of the New Testament – conversion, baptism, committed church membership.

Earlier in this sermon series we saw the importance of baptism and church membership. Since then, we’ve been looking at how we can be faithful church members. In other words, what should we do after joining a church?

Look at verse 42 again. It says that the early Christians “devoted themselves” to four things: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Last week, we saw that just as the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, we should submit to God’s Word both as a church and as church members.

Today, we are going to see how we can be committed to the church by being people that pray.

During the week of his death, Jesus made this statement: “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matt 21:13). The temple is no longer standing, but the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well. We do not gather in a holy place. Instead, we gather as those who have been redeemed by Jesus, our great high priest. And when the members of His body gather, they should gather as a prayerful people.

Just as these early believers devoted themselves to prayer, we should devote ourselves to prayer.

BIG IDEA: In order for our church to experience the fullness of God we must be devoted to prayer.

What is Prayer?

There are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to prayer. On one end of the spectrum, we may think that prayer is all about us and our needs. In this way, God is a means to an end. We only pray when we need something – material provision, healing, etc.

On the other end of the spectrum, some people believe that God has already decided everything so they believe that prayer is pointless.

But really, what is prayer? Graeme Goldsworthy writes, “Prayer is our response to God as He speaks to us.” That definition makes sense when you think about it. God has spoken through the gospel and in the Bible, His written Word. Prayer is our response to God as He speaks to us through His Word.

  • We pray because we believe God hears our prayers. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
  • We pray because we believe God loves and cares for us. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
  • We pray because we believe God answers prayer. Why do we believe that? The Bible.
  • We are commanded to pray. Why do we believe that? The Bible.

We pray because we believe God has spoken through His Word. We believe that He hears us when we pray. We believe He cares for us as a loving Father. We believe He answers prayer in accordance with His will. Therefore, we pray.

The Model of the Early Church

We’ve already seen that the early church was devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42). If you read the book of Acts, you’ll find that the early church prayed about anything and everything.

  • They prayed as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
  • They prayed as they choose leaders for the church.
  • They prayed for Christians who were in prison.
  • They prayed while they were in prison.
  • They prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel.
  • They prayed for the spread of the gospel.
  • They prayed for the sick.
  • They prayed for safety.

The early church understood two things. First, they knew they were totally dependent on God through prayer. Second, because they knew they were totally dependent on God, they set aside time to pray when they got together. They were not limited to two or three prayers in a worship service.

The early church could not have imagined not praying with one another. The truth is that if we want to see in our church what happened in the early church, then we need to pray like they prayed.[1]Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 165.

Like the early church, we need to remember the necessity of prayer. We must realize that without prayer our labor is in vain.

The Necessity of Prayer

Ps 127:1

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

Psalm 127:1

One theme of Ps 127 is that without the Lord’s blessing, all human work is worthless. The same holds true in our church. If we change the word house to the word church, here’s what it says:

“Unless the Lord builds the church, those who build it labor in vain.” That is the clear teaching of the New Testament. Look at the following Scriptures.

Matt 16:18b

I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Acts 2:47b

the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

1 Cor 3:6-7

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

If you’ve ever tried to share the gospel or plead with someone in unrepentant sin, you know that none of us has any power to change someone’s heart. The Holy Spirit has to work before there can be spiritual fruit.

In the Bible, God has given us His plan for building the church. Through prayer, God supplies the power for building the church.

When we pray, we are acknowledging that we have no power in and of ourselves. In John 15:5 Jesus told his disciples that apart from a relationship with Jesus, they could do nothing of spiritual value. When we pray, we are acknowledging that we are helpless without God.

Many churches today think if they do certain things that their church will grow:

  • If we get an eloquent preacher who doesn’t speak too long.
  • If we do enough marketing.
  • If we change our music style.
  • If we design our services around unbelievers.
  • If we have flashy children’s and youth programs.

To that, God says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

Many churches are in steep decline and it’s in large part because they are operating without the power of God that is supplied through prayer.

Our sound doctrine, our good works, our money, and our seminary degrees can never accomplish what only the power of God can accomplish. And the power of God never comes upon a prayerless church. It’s been said that “Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the hand of God.”

Our sound doctrine, our good works, our money, and our seminary degrees can never accomplish what only the power of God can accomplish.

If our church wants to experience a movement of God, then we need to be on our knees in the presence of God. This is something that’s been on my heart since I’ve been a pastor and I want to grow in this area. I want us as a church to pray together. It is wonderful if you are a prayer warrior at home, but churches need to pray together.

At this point, I hope I’ve convinced you that we need to pray. I want to now help us know how to pray and whom to pray for.

How to Pray

If you’re like me, then prayer is hard. We know that we need to pray and because we often don’t pray, we grow frustrated because we are not praying.

There’s obviously a lot we could say about how to pray. Books have been written on the subject. I’ll mention two things.

First, we should pray constantly (or consistently).

1 Thess 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

This verse doesn’t mean that we are always praying. It means that we have an attitude of prayer and we’re ready to pray at any time.

Rom 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Col 4:2

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Phil 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s been said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”[2]Quoted in Prayer by John Onwuchekwa, p. 17.

As church members, we need to be constant (or consistent) in prayer. Second, we need to pray in the Spirit. This doesn’t mean that you have a private prayer language or that you’re speaking in tongues. It means that as you are praying, you are being controlled (or filled) by the Spirit (Eph 5:18; 6:18).

Eph 5:18

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Eph 6:18a

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Again, when Paul says to be filled with the Spirit, he means to be controlled by the Spirit. He says don’t be filled or controlled by wine, but instead be filled by the Spirit. If you are filled with the Spirit  then you will pray according to the will of God which is of course found in the Word of God.

So we’re to pray constantly and in the Spirit.

What and Whom to Pray For

Pray for other church members (Jam 5:14-16)

I hope that someday we’ll again have a membership directory so that we can regularly pray through it. Pray for those on prayer list. Pray for those in your Sunday school group (or small group). As you begin to pray for those in the church, you will grow to love them more.

Pray for the preacher and his sermons (Eph 6:18-20)

Pray that the preacher will speak God’s Word accurately and in the power of the Spirit. Pray for those listening, that they would have ears to hear and obey God’s Word.

Pray for revival and reformation (Acts 1:14, 2:1)

Pray for a movement of God in our church and our community. Pray that we would be bold to share the gospel and that God would prepare the hearts of those who need to receive it. Pray for people to repent and trust in Christ.

Pray for gospel laborers (Matt 9:36-38)

Pray for missionaries that are sharing the gospel. Pray that many will receive the gospel and come to know Christ. Pray for God to raise up more pastors for our church and pastorless churches. Pray for other churches.

Pray for those in authority (1 Tim 2:1-3; Rom 13:1-2)

In Scripture, we’re told to pray for our government officials. This includes national, state, and local government. Pray that they would seek the good of all people. Pray that they would govern in accordance with God’s Word and that we as a church would be free to share the gospel without hindrance from the government.

Pray for those who persecute the church (Matt 5:46-47)

We are even called to pray for those who persecute the church. Pray for those who are persecuting the church and for the persecuted church.

I hope in that by now you’re seeing the importance of prayer. We need God to move in our lives and others’ lives. John Piper says this about prayer:

“Prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences.” [3]John Piper, Desiring God, 147.

The most obvious way to lose a war is to not realize you’re in one. Friends, we’re in the middle of a spiritual battle for the souls of men. If you were in a war and you desperately needed supplies, you would be on your walkie-talkie trying to get them. Let us never forget the power of God that we can only access through prayer. We’re in a battle and we desperately need God’s help.

Conclusion

Friends, how’s your prayer life? Are you seeking God daily through prayer?

How can we be more faithful in prayer?

  • Discipline yourself for prayer.
  • Plan times of prayer in your life.
  • Pray with others.
  • Attend church prayer meetings.
  • Be informed as you pray.
  • Pray God’s Word.

If we long for the blessing of God upon our church, then we must seek the face of God.

References

References
↑1 Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, 165.
↑2 Quoted in Prayer by John Onwuchekwa, p. 17.
↑3 John Piper, Desiring God, 147.

A Gospel Focus Leads to Joy – Philippians 1:12-18a

May 25, 2022 /
Philippians

This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here.

We are living in interesting times. Our culture is becoming increasingly secular and antagonistic to the Christian faith. Many people in our culture consider us to be narrow-minded because of our beliefs on sexuality, abortion, and other issues.

You may not have heard about it, but in January, the Canadian government passed Bill C-4, which effectively made it illegal to give biblical counsel with regard to sexual immorality and gender.

This bill could be used to make it illegal to evangelize the lost in Canada or to encourage someone to repent of homosexuality, transgenderism, and other sexual immorality.

Brothers and sisters, there may come a time when pastors may be imprisoned for simply preaching the Word of God. There may come a time when you lose your job because of something you posted on Facebook.

How should we respond if we have been wronged because of our commitment to Christ? What if we are persecuted, hated, or even imprisoned because of our Christian faith?

Today, in our text in Philippians 1, we see how Paul responded to being imprisoned and maligned for his commitment to Christ.

Paul was writing to the church in Philippi, a church he had founded 10 years earlier. This church had partnered with Paul through prayer and financial support in order to spread the gospel.

Paul loved this church and they were a great source of joy to him as he was imprisoned for his faith. In verses 12-18, Paul wants to update the church about how the gospel continues to spread.

Phil 1:12-18 (click for text)

BIG IDEA: We should care more about proclaiming Christ and the gospel than our own reputation.

We should trust God as we proclaim the gospel without fear (12-14)

The church at Philippi is concerned:

  • They have a personal concern about Pauls’ well-being, because they love him.
  • They have a kingdom concern about the advance of the gospel. Paul is in prison—how will the gospel go forth?

Paul wants to let the Philippians know that despite his imprisonment, the gospel is advancing (12-14).

Paul spent quite a bit of time in jail. Remember, in Acts 16, one of the founding members of the church was the Philippian jailer and his family.

Now, Paul says that his imprisonment for Christ “has become known throughout the whole imperial guard” (13). The imperial guard were elite Roman soldiers (around 10,000 of them) under the direct command of Caesar. Probably the best modern-day equivalent would be the secret service. In God’s sovereignty, Paul is in prison so that the gospel would be able to infiltrate a group of people who would presumably be hostile to the gospel.

Paul is essentially under house arrest. He was allowed to write letters and to speak with visitors, but he was chained to a Roman guard at all times. Every 4-6 hours, a shift change would occur and another guard would come in to guard Paul. So, Paul was sharing the gospel with every guard he came into contact with.

As Paul shared the gospel, others became emboldened to preach the gospel because of Paul’s faithfulness (v. 14).

In verses 12-14, we see that Paul is much more concerned with the advancement of the gospel than he is with his personal circumstances. In fact, rather than telling the Philippians how he was doing, Paul talks about how the gospel is doing.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

What are some things we can learn from Paul in these verses? Three things:

(1) Trust in God’s sovereignty during your trials (12-13).

Paul was imprisoned for the sake of Christ (13). This should not be surprising. If we follow Christ, we will be hated. Remember Jesus’ words:

John 15:20a – Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

The Romans thought that by imprisoning Paul, they would keep him quiet and Christianity would eventually dissipate. Instead, they gave him a captive audience that he wouldn’t have otherwise had.

How do you respond when you have a trial? You have two options:

The first is that you can throw a pity party and feel sorry for yourself.

The second is that you can trust God and be a steward of the situation for His glory.

When we throw a pity party, we are really proclaiming that life is about us. We think that life isn’t fair and God doesn’t care about us.

However, when we see tough situations as something that God uses to make us more like Christ, then our whole perspective changes. We are to be more concerned about God’s glory than our own comfort!

Rather than being sad about what God has not done for you, rejoice at what God will do in you and through you as you submit to his sovereign plan!

There are people that God has placed in your life to help you grow in your faith or for you to share your faith with (family, neighbors, co-workers, and others). What if your chronic health condition is God’s way for the doctors and nursing staff to hear the gospel? God can use you for His glory if you will be faithful!

If you are focused on Christ and the gospel, then your problems and your pain can become your pulpit.

If you are focused on Christ and the gospel, then your problems and your pain can become your pulpit.

See your circumstances as opportunities to speak the gospel. God doesn’t just work in spite of your circumstances, but God works through your circumstances.

Consider the fact that the church at Rome had no doubt prayed that the Lord would open a way to witness to the elite and influential imperial guard. In God’s wisdom, He answered that prayer by making members of that guard captive to Paul for two years.

(2) Trust in the power of the gospel. (12-13; Rom 1:16)

Rom 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The gospel penetrated the toughest of the tough. These Roman soldiers were probably the manliest men and the toughest men on the planet at that time. And yet, the gospel was the power of God for salvation.

It is likely that Paul was a special prisoner of the emperor (Phil 4:22). The fact that he closes the letter with a greeting from “Caesar’s household” testifies to the power of the gospel over the most powerful family in the world.

Maybe you’re not in prison for the gospel, but do you ever feel chained to circumstances? Maybe you’re a woman who stays at home with her children. You can reach them with the gospel. Maybe you have a spouse who is an unbeliever or children or grandchildren who are living in sin. Never quit praying for them. Never quit sharing the gospel with them. The gospel is powerful!

(3) Trust that God will use your example to help others (14).

Paul’s example has helped other brothers be bold for Christ. When we take a stand for Christ, it helps others do the same.

We should love the glory of Christ more than our own (15-18)

There are two groups present in vv. 15-18.

There were the envious evangelists who preached because of envy and rivalry. They saw Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to tear him down and stir up trouble. They sought to elevate their ministries and to “afflict Paul in his imprisonment” (17).

Second, there were the empathetic evangelists who preached out of goodwill. They cared about Paul and continued his mission care about Paul’s mission to advance the gospel. They served with goodwill and love towards Paul.

What motives do we have as a church?

Is it possible that at times we are like these envious evangelists?

Do we tear down other churches that are preaching the gospel?

  • Their preacher is a Calvinist (or a non-Calvinist).
  • Their music is too loud and too repetitive.
  • They sit in chairs instead of pews.
  • They use a different Bible version.

Do we elevate our ministries and think we’re a better church because we do this or that?

When another church is held in high esteem, how do we react?

When another person is honored, are you jealous, or can you thank God for their ministry?

Remember, the envious evangelists were guilty of rivalry (17). But…sServing Jesus out of envy or rivalry is a warped motivation.

Notice Paul’s response in v. 18:

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Paul is so focused on the glory of Christ, that his only concern is that “Christ is proclaimed.”

Do you care more about Christ’s glory or getting recognition for yourself?

The gospel is so glorious. We deserve nothing but God’s wrath, but God adopts us as His own children. There is no room for envy and rivalry in the kingdom of God.

The glory of God and the spread of the gospel was Paul’s passion.

I hope the glory of God and the spread of the gospel is the passion of our church. For that to happen, we need to focus on Jesus, proclaim the gospel and love the glory of Christ more than our own.

As we live an attractive and joyful lives before people and share the gospel with them, then we will see people come to faith in Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Lesson for Jonah – Jonah 4:1-11

April 19, 2022 /
Jonah

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can listen to the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

How do you view God?

Maybe you think that God is watching your every move and looking for an excuse to smite you.

Maybe you view God as a grandfather that overlooks anything you’ve done wrong and sweeps it under the rug.

Maybe you view Go some other way. The important question to consider is this: does your view of God come from your experience or the Scriptures?

In chapter four, we get a glimpse into the character of God and His care for His creation.

There are four main scenes in Jonah:

  1. Jonah and the sea – Jonah runs from God’s will (1:1-16)
  2. Jonah and the fish – Jonah reluctantly submits to God’s will (1:17-2:10)
  3. Jonah and the city – Jonah reluctantly fulfills God’s will (3:1-10)
  4. Jonah and the Lord – Jonah questions God’s will (4:1-11)

Sermon Text – Jonah 4:1-11 (click to read the text)

There are two sections in Jonah 4.

In verses 1-4, we see Jonah’s angry prayer to the Lord. In verses 5-11, we see the Lord’s lesson for Jonah.

Jonah’s Angry Prayer to the Lord (1-4)

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. (Jon 4:1)

The fact that God had relented of his wrath upon the Ninevites (Jon 3:10) “displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry.”

Jonah is really upset that God spared the Ninevites. He hated these people and wanted God to bring judgment upon them.

2

And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O 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 God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. (Jon 4:2)

Verse 2 tells us that Jonah fled to Tarshish because he knew God’s character. Jonah gets this language from Ex 34:6-7, which is the Old Testament text that is most used to describe God’s character.

Here is some context of Ex 34:6-7:

Ex 32 – Moses had spent 40 days with God on Mount Sinai and had received the 10 Commandments, written by the very finger of God.

While Moses was meeting with God, the Israelites fashioned the golden calf and began to worship it. God threatens to pour out His wrath and Moses intercedes for the people.

In Ex 32:14, we read, “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.”

Moses came down from Mount Sinai and had the Levites run through the camp with their swords out. That day, 3000 people were killed.

Moses then mades His way back up Mt Sinai to once again meet with the Lord.

As Moses was on the mountain, the Lord provided new tablets of stone with the 10 Commandments written on them and then He proclaimed these words:

Ex 34:6-7

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Jonah knew the Scriptures. He knew that the Lord was merciful and had extended mercy to Israel so many times. He also knew that God would be kind enough to show mercy to the Ninevites if they repented.

3

Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jon 4:3)

Because the Lord did show mercy to the Ninevites, Jonah prays that the Lord would take his life. Jonah says it is better for him to die than to live.

4

And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” (Jon 4:4)

The Lord gently corrects Jonah: “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah had rebelled against God and was shown mercy (Jon 2).
The Ninevites had rebelled against God and were shown mercy (Jon 3).

When the Lord showed Jonah mercy, He was grateful. He offered a long prayer of thanksgiving (Jon 2) because he was spared from death.

When the Lord showed the Ninevites mercy, Jonah was angry. He prayed in his anger that he would die. Think about this: Jonah is speaking to the author of life, who should be the only real source of meaning in his life, and he is asking to die, because he doesn’t think his life is worth living.

Jonah is speaking to the author of life, who should be the only real source of meaning in his life, and he is asking to die, because he doesn’t think his life is worth living.

Have you ever been there?

Perhaps your life wasn’t going as you thought it should and you just asked wanted to die. Friends, this attitude is ungodly and suggests that God is not sovereign, wise, or good.

Jonah believed that Nineveh’s repentance was not in the best interest of Israel. His love of country had trumped his obedience to God. If your love of country leads you to wish for the spiritual condemnation of others, then you have made your country an idol.

Jonah was angry that God would show mercy to the Ninevites.

One of Jonah’s problems was that he saw himself as morally superior to the Ninevites.

It’s easy for us to compare ourselves to others. We think that we deserve God’s mercy, but “these people” do not. It’s easy to look down and condemn “greater” sinners, while believing we are good (see the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14).

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:1-6 that we should not see the spec in our brother’s eye without taking the log out of our own eye. Jesus said we will be judged according to how we judge others (Matt 7:2).

How many of us hate the moral downgrade that has happened in our country but at the same time do not hate the sins that live in our own hearts?

We condemn homosexuals but let our children and grandchildren live in fornication under our roof. We give them devices that they use to look at porn.

We condemn transgenders but we fail to fulfill biblical gender roles in the home and in church. Women are not submitting to their husbands and men are not leading their families to serve Jesus.

We wish we could vote out corrupt politicians, but we refuse to confront unrepentant sin in the church. Church discipline is almost extinct in American evangelicalism.

Ironically, it is so easy for us to judge Jonah without examining ourselves. It is as easy for us to judge others as it was for Jonah to judge the Ninevites.

The story of Jonah is something that we all need to learn and to remember every day. We are all sinners (Rom 3:23). We are all in need of God’s mercy and grace. It’s easy to look down on someone else, but the fact is that without Jesus, we would all be in hell along with the worst sinners than come to our minds. Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners. Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners.

Until we understand the depth of our own sin, we will never appreciate God’s grace or have a true love for lost sinners.

In vv. 1-4, we see Jonah’s angry prayer to the Lord.

In vv. 5-11, we see the Lord’s lesson for Jonah.

The Lord’s Lesson for Jonah (5-11)

Notice the parallel structure of Jonah between chapters 1-2 and 3-4:

The parallel structure of Jonah

The end of Jonah is the only section of the book that doesn’t have a counterpart. Thus, Jon 4:5-11 is the object lesson of the book and leaves us with a question that the author wants us to ponder.

5

Jonah went out of the city and sat 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.

Jonah went out to the east of the city and made a booth for himself. A booth is a shelter of branches that gives some shade. Jonah sat in his little booth in the shade, waiting to see what would happen to the city.

It seems that Jonah was hoping that God would in fact send his wrath upon the city. Jonah wanted Nineveh to go up in smoke like Sodom and Gomorrah. So, Jonah waited in the heat under the shade of his booth.

Once again, Jonah is oblivious to his own hypocrisy. When Jonah was disobedient to the Lord, He was grateful for God’s deliverance through the fish (Jon 2). But when it came to the Ninevites, whom he perceived to be more sinful than himself, He had a front row seat to what he hoped would be the fireworks of God’s wrath.

It’s been said that in Jonah is similar to both brothers in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). In chapters 1-2, Jonah is the prodigal who is in rebellion against his father (God). In chapters 3-4, Jonah is the older brother, who is angry that his father (God) would forgive the sins of his younger brother (the Ninevites).

6

Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.

But God knew what Jonah was doing and more importantly, He saw into Jonah’s heart. In His kindness, God used a plant, a worm, and a wind to show Jonah the condition of his heart.

Verse six says that, “The Lord God appointed a plant” in order to give Jonah some shade “to save him from his discomfort.”

The text also says that Jonah “was exceedingly glad because of the plant.”

Remember in v. 1 (Jon 4:1) that God’s mercy toward the Ninevites displeased Jonah exceedingly, but here he is exceedingly glad because of the plant that is now giving him shade.

Jonah is completely self-absorbed. He is more worried about his own comfort than the fate of the Ninevites. This is a pattern in Jonah’s life. Remember, he slept during the storm while the sailors were deathly afraid. Now he is enjoying some shade while hoping for God to destroy Nineveh.

And so, God uses a worm and a wind to confront Jonah’s narcissism.

7-8

But 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 faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

After a day of enjoying the plant that provided shade, “God appointed a worm” and “God appointed a scorching east wind.” After the tree was gone and the wind blew, the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he was faint.

Once again, Jonah desires to die – “It is better for me to die than to live.” This is the second time that Jonah has asked to die.

Jonah had called the Ninevites to repentance, but he refused to repent himself. Jonah refused to repent when the storm came and he continues to be hard-hearted in the face of God’s love and mercy.

It’s easy to condemn the sin we see on the news. It’s harder for us to look in the mirror and to see the sins in our own hearts.

It’s easy to condemn the sin we see on the news. It’s harder for us to look in the mirror and to see the sins in our own hearts.

9-11

But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

The Lord once again asks, “Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah, in v. 9, for the third time, desires to die.

The Lord uses the plant to prove His point. If Jonah pities the fate of the plant, who only lived for a day, then should not the Lord pity the city of Nineveh, which is home to more than 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left? The phrase “do not know their right hand from their left” means that the Ninevites are spiritually blind and do not know what to do about it.

Conclusion

We are not given Jonah’s answer to God’s question. The real issue is how we answer the question.

What is your attitude towards people who are spiritually blind and living in sin?

Do you know that they will experience God’s wrath without Jesus? Do you care?

Do you have compassion for the lost?

Do you rejoice when sinners repent?

Imagine if God treated us the same way we sometimes wish He would treat others.

We are to look on even those we think are wicked sinners with compassion. Instead of condemning others, we are to pity them and show compassion for them. This doesn’t mean that we excuse or overlook sin. It means that we recognize that we, too were once dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). Instead of condemning sinners with an attitude self-righteousness, we share the truth in love, offering them the hope of the gospel.

Does your heart reflect the heart of Jonah, or the heart of Jesus?

The story of Jonah is proof that God loves sinners. The message of Jonah points to the message of Jesus.

The story of Jonah is proof that God loves sinners. The message of Jonah points to the message of Jesus.

Consider the similarities and differences between Jonah and Jesus:

Jonah preached a message of judgment, but Jesus preached a message of grace and salvation.

While Jonah almost died for his own sins, Jesus died for the sins of the world

Jonah’s ministry was to one city, but Jesus was and is the Savior of the world

Jonah’s obedience was reluctant but Jesus always submitted to the Father and willingly laid down His life.

Jonah hated the Ninevites but Jesus loved those He came to save

Jonah went outside the city to watch Nineveh be judged. Jesus was crucified outside the city so that we would be spared from God’s judgment.

In Exodus 34:6-7, we saw that the Lord is:

  • Merciful and gracious
  • Slow to anger
  • Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness
  • Forgiving of iniquity and transgression and sin
  • But he will by no means clear the guilty

If you’re reading this article and you are not a Christian, I am warning you: God is merciful, but he will by no means clear the guilty. We have all sinned and are all guilty of breaking God’s Law. We all deserve God’s wrath and to spend eternity in hell separated from Him.

But the good news is that you can be forgiven this very day. Repent of your sin and trust in Jesus alone, and God will extend mercy and grace to you because of the work of Jesus Christ – His life, death, burial, and resurrection.

For Christians, our attitude towards sinners should reflect the compassionate heart of Jesus rather than the calloused heart of Jonah.

What lost people are you praying for?

Have you shared the gospel with anyone recently?

How many times have you complained about how things are going in our country?

Considering your answers, does your heart for sinners reflect the heart of Jonah, or the heart of Jesus?

Our attitude towards sinners should reflect the compassionate heart of Jesus rather than the calloused heart of Jonah.

The way things get better in our world is when Christians start loving people the way God loves people. The gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16).

If you want to see change in the world, love God with everything you have, and love your sinful neighbors as you love yourself and share the gospel with them.

Jonah hated the Ninevites but God loved them.

Who are the Ninevites in your life?

Will you see them as God sees them and love them as God loves them?

Salvation Belongs to the Lord – Jonah 1:17-2:10 (Part 2)

April 1, 2022 /
Jonah

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can watch the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

Jonah 1:17-2:10

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

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
    and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
    and you heard my voice.
For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows
    passed over me.
Then I said, ‘I am driven away
    from your sight;
yet I shall again look
    upon your holy temple.’
The waters closed in over me to take my life;
    the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head
    at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me forever;
yet you brought up my life from the pit,
    O Lord my God.
When my life was fainting away,
    I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
    into your holy temple.
Those who pay regard to vain idols
    forsake their hope of steadfast love.
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

In part one, we saw that our disobedience leads to despair and death.

In today’s post, which covers verses 6b-10, we will see that God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

Jonah’s disobedience had led him to despair and it was leading to his death. But when Jonah was drowning and the waters were closing in, God’s mercy finds him.

Look at v. 6b:

yet you brought up my life from the pit,
O Lord my God.

Just as Jonah recognized that God was responsible for him being thrown overboard, he now recognizes that God brought him up from the pit. When God disciplines and afflicts His children, it is always for our ultimate good – to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom 8:28-29). God does not waste any of our suffering.

Just as Jonah had sunken down to a pit and hit rock bottom, we were destined for the pit of hell until God intervened (Rom 5:6-8).

Jonah said, “You brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God” (v. 6b).

That is something we need to remember every day. There was nothing we did to earn our salvation (Eph 2:8-9). God brought us out of the pit of hell through His Son Jesus Christ.

Even as believers, we go through dark times – we could call it a metaphorical pit. Even in those times when God’s people are in their deepest anguish, He is there.

Jonah’s rebellion has brought him low, but God’s mercy will raise him up. In vv. 7-8, Jonah humbles himself before the Lord.

7-8

When Jonah’s life was fainting away, he remembered the Lord. In chapter one, we saw the word of the Lord came to Jonah, but Jonah ran away. Instead of going up to Nineveh, he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship. He laid down and went to sleep. Now, Jonah has gone down into the sea.

In chapters 1-2, the trajectory of Jonah’s life is down, down, down. The sailors urged Jonah to cry out to his God, but He would not. Jonah finally cried out to the Lord when he began to feel the life going out of him.

God heard Jonah’s prayer, and He sent the fish that He had already appointed (1:17).

When your life feels out of control or when you feel your life fainting away, cry out the Lord. He will hear your prayers.

When your life feels out of control or when you feel your life fainting away, cry out the Lord. He will hear your prayers.

In contrast, Jonah says in v. 8, “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” We saw this with the sailors. When the storm was raging, they each cried out to their gods, but of course nothing happened. There was no salvation with the false gods/idols they were praying to. Anyone that worships idols will not be delivered.

This message was also for the Israelites who would later read Jonah’s story. As you know, the Israelites had a bad habit of forsaking their love for God and intermarrying with pagans and worshiping false gods. Jonah knows that if his people do that, they forsake their hope of God’s steadfast love. The word translated “steadfast” is a word that is often used when describing God’s covenantal love with Israel. The message for Jonah’s first readers was this – do not trust in idols, or you will forfeit God’s steadfast love.

Do not trust in idols, or you will forfeit God’s steadfast love.

Likewise, we cannot live for ourselves and put our hope in idols such as money, sex, power, or status and expect to experience God’s steadfast love. When you come to Christ, you are to die to yourself and live for Him. Any other way of living will prove worthless and vain in eternity (Luke 9:23-25).

When you’ve hit rock bottom, put your hope and trust in God. The false gods that you are living for for will not save you. Only God can save you from the pit.

9

And that’s why we see tone of thanksgiving in v. 9:

But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

Jonah offers thanks to the Lord for His great salvation. He vows (or commits) to make a sacrifice to the Lord. If you recall from Leviticus, animal sacrifices were to be made with animals without blemish. Jonah is very thankful to God for His deliverance and will offer a costly sacrifice.

Today, we no longer offer animal sacrifices because Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial laws. He died as the once and for all sacrifice (Heb 9-10). In response to our salvation, we read in Rom 12:1-2 that we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We are to live our lives as holy and pleasing to God. That is how we best thank Him today – by living completely for Him.

In the last part of v. 9, Jonah says, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” This is the message of the book of Jonah. In his prayer, Jonah acknowledges that there was nothing he could do to save himself. His deliverance was not a result of his efforts, but the result of God’s mercy and grace.

This is the message of the book of Jonah – “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”

The clear teaching of Scripture is that no one is good enough to be justified before God (Rom 3:10-11, 23). In our natural state, we are dead in our sins and destined for hell. We can only be justified, or made right with God because of the work of Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1). Salvation is not of man. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

This is the message that we should proclaim: Sinners drown in their sin and devotion to idols and false gods, but God saves through His Son. Salvation belongs to the Lord. There is salvation in no other name except Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).

10

Finally, “the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.”

Again, the fish was not sent to punish Jonah, but to deliver him.

Conclusion

Jonah 2 offers us hope. While our disobedience leads to despair and death, God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

We see this in three ways[1]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/mercy-at-the-bottom:

  1. God still listens. Despite Jonah’s rebellion, he cried out to God. God heard Jonah’s prayers, and he is always ready to receive our most desperate cries. No matter what you are going through, God still listens.
  1. God still reigns. Jonah knew that God was in complete control. We saw that in verses 3-4. When you are going through a difficult time, know that God is not asleep. Jonah’s situation reminds us that we can trust God even in the most dire of circumstances. God is sovereign even when we feel like we are drowning.
  1. God still delivers. Jonah experiences God’s salvation and concludes that God saved him for a purpose. Jonah has been spared to once again worship God in his holy temple and to go warn the Ninevites of God’s coming wrath. God saves us for a purpose – namely so that we worship him and minister to others.

God’s deliverance of Jonah reminds us of how He has delivered us through Christ

Jonah was entombed in the belly of a fish for 3 days. Jesus was entombed in the heart of the earth for 3 days.

Jonah felt grief when He was in the water. Jesus felt grief when He was forsaken by God on the cross.

Jonah experienced God’s wrath because of his sin. Jesus, in contrast, took God’s wrath upon himself for the sins of others and to atone for them

Jonah entered a watery grave, but he didn’t stay there. Jesus was laid in a tomb, but he didn’t stay there.

Jesus was raised from the dead, and appeared to many witnesses, ascended into heaven 40 days later and sat down at the Father’s hand where he now reigns in glory.

Have you been running from God?

Are you on your way to hitting rock bottom? Is your marriage on the rocks? Are your kids destroying their lives? Are you living in unrepentant sin?

There is hope in God. The same God that saved Jonah from death is the same God that offers us spiritual life through the life, death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, trust in Jesus today. If you are a Christian, hold fast to the promises of God. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

References

References
↑1 https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/mercy-at-the-bottom

The Revealing Storm – Jonah 1:7-16 (Part 2)

March 16, 2022 /
Jonah

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can watch the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

Jonah 1:7-16

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

In part one, I covered verses 7-10. I asked this question:

When you are going through a storm, how do you respond?

Though Jonah and the sailors were literally in the same boat, in the midst of the storm, they responded to God in vastly different ways. Thus, I argued that:

BIG IDEA: Our response to God during life’s storms reveals the condition of our hearts.

In this post, I will cover verses 11-16.

The situation has become clear. God has sent a raging storm to discipline His rebellious prophet, and everyone onboard is in grave danger.

In v. 11, the sailors ask Jonah what they need to do so that the storm will end: “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.” When we’re going through a difficulty in life, isn’t that what we all want? We just want it to stop and for life to be quiet for us. We usually think there is a formula: we need to go church more, pray more, stop sinning, etc.).

In v. 12, Jonah instructs the men to throw him overboard. Jonah explicitly states that the storm is because of his rebellion against the Lord: He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

Though the text isn’t explicit, it seems that maybe Jonah started to care about the sailors. While it was easy for Jonah to cast of the Ninevites, who were a great distance away, it may have been harder when he saw the hurt and pain on the sailors’ faces and their fear of death. This is similar to the experience that many have when they go on a short-term mission trip.

The sailors don’t like Jonah’s answer to throw him overboard and they are now in between a rock and a hard place. If Jonah, in his unrepentant state, remains on the boat, then they are dead. But if they throw Jonah overboard, they have killed God’s prophet. Remember, Jonah just told them that His God is “the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land (v. 9).”

Instead, the sailors try to get back to dry land. Verse 13 says they “rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.”

Let’s review all that the sailors have done to try to save themselves:

  • Cried out to their gods (v. 5)
  • Threw cargo overboard (v. 5)
  • Awakened Jonah up & asked him to call out to his God (v. 6)
  • Cast lots to try to figure out who is at fault (v. 7)
  • Questioned Jonah (v. 8)
  • Rowed hard to get back to shore (v. 13)

But in the end, their attempts to save themselves were in vain. And that’s when things began to change for the sailors.

When the sailors quit trying to save themselves and looked to God, things began to change.

So, it is with us. When we acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers, we should look to the One who does. When we are out of strength, we should look to Almighty God. When we are on the brink of death, we should look to the One who holds the keys to life and death.

Often, God has to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we will come to know Him or to know Him more. During Jesus’ ministry, it was the desperate people that sought Him out while the religious leaders sought to destroy Him.

The sailors were desperate and dependent. Jonah was downcast and despondent.

Are you desperate for God or downcast?

Are you dependent on God or despondent?

Even after we become believers, God uses life’s difficulties to teach us to trust in His goodness & His sovereignty (see Rom 5:1-5).

Once the sailors realize they cannot save themselves, they finally submit to the Lord’s will.

Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” (Jon 1:14)

The sailors call out to the Lord, using his covenant name (Yahweh) and ask for mercy for throwing Jonah overboard. They are acknowledging that the Lord has every right to strike them down for throwing Jonah into the sea and they ask for mercy.

They submit to God’s will and His sovereignty (“you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you”). That’s an amazing statement. Many people that claim to be Christians, sometimes for decades, still cannot pray that prayer with a pure heart.

Again, note the irony. Pagan sailors are crying out to God while Jonah refuses to. Jonah knows the Lord, but He refuses to bow the knee to Him. Jonah refuses to repent and so God does not relent. The storm is raging, but Jonah refuses to cry out for mercy.

It’s easy to see that Jonah is stubborn, but what about you?

What are you refusing to repent of?

Has your spiritual pride kept you from submitting to the Lord and His will?

Are you like Jonah and refuse to love your enemies and extend grace to them?

Do you refuse to bow the knee to the Lord in certain areas of your life?

Finally, the sailors see no other choice. Look at vv. 15-16.

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

I find it interesting that Jonah is willing to die in his rebellion, but at the same time he makes the men throw him overboard. Nevertheless, the men picked up Jonah and “hurled” him into the sea. Just as the Lord “hurled” a great wind on the sea and the men “hurled” their cargo overboard, now they hurl Jonah overboard. And the text says, “and the sea ceased from its raging.”

The wind and the waves obeyed God, just as one day they would one day obey His Son.

The wind and the waves obeyed God, just as one day they would one day obey His Son.

And finally, the sailors worship the one true God. They feared Him “exceedingly” (v. 16). They were afraid of the storm (v. 5), “exceedingly afraid” of the storm in v. 10, but now they fear the One who has authority over the storm. They offered a sacrifice and then made vows. When the text says they made vows, this means that they are submitting to God and His authority. They are making a commitment to Him.

Notice the pattern and see if this doesn’t sound familiar:

  • The sailors hear the truth about the Lord; that He is the ruler of all.
  • They learn that this Lord pours out His wrath on those who are disobedient to Him and worship false idols.
  • They hear that they need a substitute who must die in their place.
  • They realize they must repent of their self-effort and come to God on His terms.
  • They cry out to the Lord for mercy because they are guilty of killing the prophet.
  • They trust that Jonah’s death will satisfy God’s wrath.
  • God relents from His wrath.
  • They put their faith in God, worship Him, and make vows to Him.

Although the text isn’t explicit, this seems like genuine conversion!

That’s what it meant to be a follower of God and that’s what it means to be a Christian. We don’t just make a one-time decision and then live our lives as we please. We submit to God’s authority over our lives in all things, the good and the bad, and we trust in His goodness and His sovereignty over our lives.

God doesn’t just want to change your behavior. God wants to change your heart.

God doesn’t just want to change your behavior. God wants to change your heart.

Consider this:

If you were an Israelite and you read the story of Jonah, your world would be turned upside down.

The Israelites thought of themselves as a special people who deserved the Lord’s mercy and the Gentiles as wicked sinners who do not.

And yet, in this story, the Israelite prophet is the wicked sinner who experiences God’s judgment, while the pagan sailors are shown the Lord’s mercy and respond in worship.

We as the people of God can act just as sinfully as anyone else. We deserve God’s judgment as well. This should humble us – We deserve God’s wrath in hell and the only reason we don’t get it is because God is compassionate, patient, and kind.

Conclusion

Life’s storms reveal the condition of our hearts.

They will lead you to flee God’s presence or to bow before Him in worship.

Jonah knew the Lord, but he didn’t trust in His goodness and sovereignty and thus fled from Him.

In the middle of the storm, the sailors came to know the Lord and bowed before Him in worship.

When the storms come, do you seek Him, or do you get bitter and run away from God?

If you run away from God, you will one day come to the end of yourself. You will crash and burn.

Don’t wait until then. Do not run from God. Run to Him, and like father of the prodigal son, He will wrap you in His arms and call you His own (Luke 15:20-24, 27, 32).

The Revealing Storm – Jonah 1:7-16 (Part 1)

March 14, 2022 /
Jonah

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. You can watch the sermon here (forgive the audio and video quality).

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

Running from God – Jonah 1:1-6

Jonah 1:7-16

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

When you are going through a storm, how do you respond?

BIG IDEA: Our response to God during life’s storms reveals the condition of our hearts.

In the middle of the raging storm, the sailors cast lots in order to figure whose evil (sin) has caused the storm (v. 7). Casting lots is similar to rolling dice or drawing straws. The sailors probably tossed rocks of multiple colors, and if a certain color fell toward someone, then that person was a guilty.

Today, we don’t ascertain God’s will by casting lots. We find God’s will by reading His Word (Rom 12:2).[1]For more, see Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung.

Of course, the lot fell on Jonah. This was not by chance. God is sovereign over all things, which is a major theme of the book. God is sovereign over the winds and the waves, the lot, the fish, the plant, the worm, and the wind.

After the lot falls on Jonah, the sailors realize that the storm has come upon them because of Jonah. They then proceed to ask Jonah several questions (v. 8). The sailors are trying to figure out who Jonah is so that they can figure out how to appease his god (God).

Jonah answers the sailors’ questions by telling them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (v. 9). Jonah was proclaiming that he worshiped the Lord who is the Creator of everything that exists – the skies (heaven), the sea, and the dry land.

The LORD (Yahweh) is the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

After hearing Jonah’s answer, the men were “exceedingly afraid” (v. 10). Jonah had fled the presence of the Lord in disobedience and the sailors were caught in the consequences of God’s judgment upon him.

At this point in the story, most people would assume that the main problem for Jonah and the sailors is the storm that is threatening to break up their ship, which would ultimately lead to their deaths.

While the raging storm is certainly a problem, the reality is that the storm is not the sailors or Jonah’s biggest problem.

The fundamental problem for the sailors is this – they do not know the LORD. They do not know the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

The sailors seem to be at least somewhat religious, because they had each cried out to different gods. But the reality is that none of their false gods had any power to save them from the storm (see Jon 2:8).

Often, we are like the sailors. In the middle of storms and difficulties, our focus is usually on our circumstances (job loss, loss of loved one, bad diagnosis, children destroying their lives). However, our greatest need is to make sure that we truly know God and that we are prepared for eternity.

In this life, the most important question you need to answer is, “Do you truly know God, or have you made a god in your own image?”

“Do you truly know God, or have you made a god in your own image?”

Up until this point, the sailors had never considered the question. It’s probable that many professing Christians have never considered the question.

Many people in the southern US [2]Fore more, see The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra. have grown up in church, consider themselves to be good people, attend church regularly, have been baptized, are church members, and even faithfully give to the church. The reality is that you can do all those things and still not truly know Jesus (see Matt 7:21-23). Here are some diagnostic questions:

  • How has Jesus changed your life?
  • Are you seeking to build God’s kingdom or your kingdom?
  • Are you seeking to bring God glory or are you seeking your own glory?

In God’s kind providence, because of the storm He had sent, the sailors came to know about the LORD, the one true God (v. 9). As you know, you can come to know the Lord until you know about Him (Rom 10:14-17).

If you’re going through a difficult time, the most important thing you can do is to truly know God through His Son Jesus Christ. In this world, you will have trials, difficulties, and painful circumstances, but they all pale in comparison to the judgment seat of God.

The fact is that we are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. We deserve God’s wrath just as much as Jonah, the sailors, and the Ninevites. But God has been so kind to us through His Son, Jesus.

The sailors’ problem was that they didn’t know the LORD. But what about Jonah?

Unlike the sailors, Jonah knew the LORD. He knew God’s heart. He knew the Scriptures. Where did Jonah go wrong?

For Jonah, the storm was not the problem. The storm was God’s discipline.

Jonah’s problem was that he didn’t trust God. Jonah didn’t trust that God knew what was best for him or the Ninevites, and so he rebelled against God. He could not accept the mission God had given him nor the possibility of God extending mercy to the Ninevites.

Jonah’s heart was not in tune with the heart of God, and Jonah had sought his own way. We often, like Jonah, seek to live our own way (Prov 14:12).

A second question we need to answer is this: Do you trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty as revealed in His Word?

Do you trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty as revealed in His Word?

Remember, Jonah could answer all the questions. He gave the right Sunday school answers. Jonah knew who he was – “I am a Hebrew”. Jonah knew who God was – “I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Let Jonah be a lesson to us. Having some knowledge of God is not the same as having a heart that wants to please God.

Instead of seeking to obey God and trusting in His goodness and sovereignty, Jonah decided he knew better. And so, he fled the presence of the Lord (vv. 3, 10).

Jonah thought that if we got away from the presence of God and the people of God that everything would work out. He wouldn’t be the prophet that helped save the wicked Ninevites, the Ninevites would be destroyed, and Israel would be spared from future harm.

And isn’t often the same reaction that you and I have when we go through life’s difficulties. Instead of trusting in God’s goodness and his sovereignty, we decide we know better than God, we get bitter, and we flee from His presence. We neglect to spend time with Him. We neglect His Word. And many neglect fellowship with other Christians.

We let the dark clouds of the storm to cloud our judgment. Instead of trusting in God’s goodness and sovereign care, we run away, thinking we know better than our Creator.

I’ll post the rest in part 2 (forthcoming).

References

References
↑1 For more, see Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung.
↑2 Fore more, see The Unsaved Christian by Dean Inserra.
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