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Category: Sermon Notes (Page 12 of 13)

Finding Joy in Christ and Community – Philippians 1:3-8

May 20, 2022 /
Philippians

I recently began a sermon series in Philippians. Unfortunately, this sermon was not recorded. Here is an older version of the sermon I previously preached (click here).

An Overview of Philippians (PDF)

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”

Perhaps you’ve heard that song by U2. I looked up the song this week on YouTube, and it’s been played almost 140 million times.

That song is so popular because people are looking for something. Ultimately, whether they realize it or not, people are looking for something that will bring them purpose and joy.

Do you have joy in your heart as you’re reading this post? I hope that you do.

But I also know it’s very possible that you are not joyful. Maybe you’re discouraged for whatever reason. Maybe your job isn’t going well. Maybe you have problems in your marriage or with your children. Maybe your health is not good.

In Philippians 1:3-8, we see how that we can have joy, even during difficult circumstances.

Last week, I introduced the book of Philippians (see post).

One of the things that we looked at was the back story of the church in Philippi, which is found in Acts 16.

As you recall, Paul loved the church at Philippi, which he founded about 10 years before he wrote this letter. He wrote this letter in part because the church was discouraged that Paul, a missionary whom they had financially supported, was now imprisoned for preaching the gospel.

So, Paul wrote this letter to encourage these Christians who were young in the faith and discouraged. In the early verses of the letter, Paul writes with a tone of joy – that the Philippians (and us) can have joy because of Christ and the gospel.

Consider this: Paul was in chains because of the gospel, and yet he was likely the happiest man in Rome (if that is where he was imprisoned). How could this be? Ancient Rome was like a modern-day Las Vegas. There were games, sexual pleasures, parties, and more. And yet, the happiest man in Rome sat in prison.

Do you think you need something other than Jesus to find real joy? Perhaps you wish you could make more money or build a bigger house or build a bigger church. I agree with Tony Merida when he says that what we really need is a bigger vision of God. [1]Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians, 23

The reason that Paul was happy even in prison is this: when you come to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ, you can have a joy that can never be taken away no matter what is going on in your life. This morning, we see four ways we can experience joy in the Christian life from our text.

  1. We can know the joy of prayer (Phil 1:3-4)
  2. We can know the joy of gospel partnerships (Phil 1:5)
  3. We can know the joy of God’s work within us (Phil 1:6)
  4. We can know the joy of affection toward other believers (Phil 1:7-8)

Philippians 1:3-8 (click link for text)

First, I want to encourage you, to know the joy of prayer.

Know the joy of prayer (3-4)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,…

Every time Paul thought about the Philippians, he thanked God for them. As Paul thought of the Philippians, he was overwhelmed by joy.

Notice that Paul emphasizes that he was grateful for all of the Philippian Christians. In verses 4, 7, and 8, Paul makes it clear that he is thankful for all the Christians there. Even though the church wasn’t perfect, Paul was grateful for them.

  • Like Paul, we should look for evidence of grace in people’s lives.
  • If you’re a super critical person who is always focused on what’s wrong in the church, then you will not have joy.
  • Don’t allow something small or petty within the church rob you of your joy and gratitude for the church and its leadership.
  • Look at the big picture and give thanks to God!

A question you might ask yourself is this: “Are you the kind of Christian who brings joy to your pastors and fellow church members when they think of you?”

“Are you the kind of Christian who brings joy to your pastors and fellow church members when they think of you?”

When Paul interceded on behalf of the Philippians, Paul had great joy. Paul was faithful to pray for the Philippian church because he loved them.

Are we as a church a prayerful people?

Are we faithful to thank God for those who have ministered to us? Perhaps it’s a previous pastor or church member, or a family member.

Maybe you lack joy because you are too focused on your own problems instead of being thankful to God for those who brought you the gospel.

The great thing about having the joy of prayer is that God is always listening. No matter where you are or what you’ve done, God always listens to those who call out to Him in faith.

Paul was in prison for the sake of the gospel, but he knew the joy of prayer.

And like Paul, we can know the joy of gospel partnerships.

Know the joy of gospel partnerships (5)

“…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.“

Why was Paul joyful every time he prayed for the Philippians? It’s because, as v. 5 says, Paul had a partnership in the gospel with this church.

Last week, we saw that Paul planted the church during a missionary journey through Macedonia (Acts 16). Since that time, the church at Philippi had supported Paul’s missionary endeavors.

In chapter 4, Paul said that the Philippian church was the only one that helped him financially after he left Macedonia (Phil 4:15–16).

Notice in v. 5 that the Philippian church had partnered with Paul “from the first day.” From the beginning of its existence, the church at Philippi was supportive of Paul’s work of advancing the gospel.

  • When we share in the work of the gospel, it is a sign that God is working in us and through us.
  • We must remember that we are partners in ministry with other likeminded churches (association, SBC) and even churches that are from other denominations but preach the message of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
  • We are not competing with other churches – there are plenty of lost people to be reached with the gospel and discipled to spiritual maturity.
  • In partnering together for the gospel, we recognize our differences, but we celebrate our unity in Jesus and commit to the mission of making the gospel known.

The word that is translated partnership is koinonia, which is more commonly translated as fellowship.

As we see in this text, true fellowship, or partnership, is not just spending time with other Christians (although that’s not a bad thing).

In true Christian fellowship, the koinonia relationships exist because of the gospel (what God has done for us in Christ) and for the purpose of advancing the gospel (which God does through us).

D.A. Carson writes, “Both from Paul’s example and from that of the Philippians…we learn that the fellowship of the gospel, the partnership of the gospel, should be at the center of our relationships with other believers.” [2]Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, 19

What do you talk about w/ other believers? Weather? Sports? Politics?

It’s okay to talk about these things from time to time, but the point is that we are meant for deep, meaningful relationships within the church.

My encouragement for you is to find other church members who will help you become more like Christ and spend time with them!

We can know the joy of prayer and of gospel partnerships. And third, we can know the joy of God’s work within you.

Know the joy of God’s work within you (6)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Verse 6 speaks to both God’s work in the life of the church at Philippi and in the life of the individuals that make up the church.

Paul says that God has begun a work in the Christians at the church at Philippi and that he will bring it to completion.

This verse is important for a number of reasons.

  • First, it tells us that God is the one that begun a good work in us. Romans 5 says that even while we were weak, even while we were ungodly, even while we were sinners and enemies of God that Christ died for our sins.
  • Second, this verse tells us that God finishes what he starts. If we are united with Christ (that is, we have been saved), then God will eventually complete the work of conforming us to the image of his Son (Rom 8:29). We don’t have to worry about losing our salvation. If we are truly saved, then we can count on the promise of Scripture that God finishes what he starts.
  • Third, this verse shows us that we cannot be perfect (without sin) in this life (“will bring it to completion”). It’s rare, but occasionally you may talk with someone who believes in Christian perfectionism – the idea that someone can live without sin in this life. This verse, along with several others in Philippians (Phil 1:25; 3:12-14, 20-21) destroys this idea.

Typically, we think of salvation as a one-time event. But biblically, we have been saved, we are being saved, and one day we will be saved. This verse teaches all three:

  1. First, God began a work in you. That is justification, a one-time event when we were saved. In justification, God, through Christ has worked for us – we are justified.
  2. Second, God is working in us to make us more like Christ. This is called sanctification. Sanctification occurs from the point in time where you were converted, or justified, to the time that you die. All through your life, God is working in you and through you.
  3. And when Jesus comes back, He will bring the work of sanctification to an end. He will complete His work and we will get our new bodies. This is called glorification.

Here is a graphic illustrating this:

Salvation in Philippians 1:6
Salvation in Philippians 1:6

Kent Hughes, a longtime pastor, said it this way:

“As I reflect on my fifty plus years in Christ it is indeed God who has kept me. It is not my grip on God that has made the difference, but his grip on me. I am not confident in my goodness. I am not confident in my character. I am not confident in my history. I am not confident in my “reverend” persona. I am not confident in my perseverance.” (Kent Hughes)

John MacArthur has famously said, “If you could lose your salvation, you would.”

I can’t help but read verse 6 and have joy. I am convinced that if we mediate what God has done in our lives and what He continues to do in our lives that we will have joy.

And finally, may we know the joy of affection toward other believers.

Know the joy of affection toward other believers (7-8)

7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Clearly, Paul loved this church. He says that he holds them in his heart. That is, the Christians at Philippi have a special place in Paul’s heart.

Paul loved this church the way that grandparents love their grandchildren. He was proud of them and the work that God was doing both in them and through them. He goes on. He writes:

“…for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”

Paul is referring to the common bond that he shares with the Philippians. They are partakers with him of grace. They are united in fellowship because of the gospel.

The glue that holds the church together should be the gospel. It’s not the color of our skin, our social status, our income level, or our political beliefs or that we’re all Cowboys and like to ride horses.

This means that you should have more in common with a Chinese Christian than your neighbor across the street that hates God but votes the same way that you do.

The gospel must be the central focus in our church!

The reason we gather each week is because of what Christ has accomplished on the cross. We gather to celebrate the work of Christ, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow into Christlikeness. If something besides the gospel becomes our central focus, then we should no longer call ourselves a church!

Paul wanted to thank the Philippians for supporting him through prayer and the financial gift they had sent to him while he was in prison. In the ancient world, imprisonment was a source of great shame, and the Philippians had encouraged Paul with a financial gift as he preached and defended the gospel.

8 – “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Paul yearned to see the people he loved. His source of affection for them was the love of Christ. I hope you feel the same way about your fellow church members as well as other Christians that you know.

Paul couldn’t just Facetime these believers to check in. It would be many months before he would see them again. Fortunately for us, we are able to see each other almost every week.

I wonder though, do you yearn to see your brothers and sisters each week? Do you miss the fellowship of other believers when you are apart?

If you don’t love your brothers and sisters in Christ, then you need to check your heart.

When the gospel is central in our relationships with other believers, we will know the joy of affection toward them.

Conclusion

This morning, I hope that you can have the joy that Paul had. Even in difficult circumstances, Paul had great joy because of Christ and the community of fellow believers.

Do you have the joy that comes from knowing Christ as Lord and Savior?

Do you know the joy of prayer?

Do you know the joy of gospel partnerships?

Do you know the joy of God’s work within you?

Do you know the joy of affection towards other believers?

If you know Christ, then you have access to all these sources of joy. Take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ. Do not look at your circumstances. Look around and see God’s hand at work in your own life and in the lives of others.

Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith and our greatest source of joy.

References

References
↑1 Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians, 23
↑2 Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, 19

Introduction to Philippians – Philippians 1:1-2

May 20, 2022 /
Philippians

I recently began a sermon series in Philippians. This is the first sermon in the series, which can be viewed here. Please overlook the poor audio quality. We have fixed the issue for future sermons.

Here is another version of the sermon I previously preached (click here).

An Overview of Philippians (PDF)

Have you written or received an affectionate thank you letter lately?

Philippians is a letter to the church in Philippi from Paul. The church had sent Paul a financial gift to help meet his needs while he was in prison. Paul and the church had an ongoing partnership for the advancement of the gospel.

I want to introduce this book by giving you the back story of Philippians, the big picture of Philippians, and the beautiful introduction.

The Back Story (Acts 16:6-40)

The story of God’s work in Philippi begins with radical life change. In Acts 16, Luke tells us that through a vision, God called Paul and his associates to the region of Macedonia. Philippi was one of the first cities Paul visited in Macedonia.

City of Philippi

  • Philippi was a leading city in the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony (Acts 16:12).
  • Of all the cities Paul visited, Philippi was most like Rome in its architecture and customs.
  • Philippi was part of the Roman Empire and was made one of the stations along the main overland route connecting Rome with the East.
  • It was used as a military outpost, and was populated with Roman military veterans, as well as Thracians and Greeks.
  • Consequently, those who lived in Philippi were considered citizens of Rome and enjoyed all the benefits of Roman citizenship.
  • The city was inhabited predominantly by Romans, but many Macedonian Greeks lived there as well.
  • Its people were proud of their city, proud of their ties with Rome, proud to observe Roman customs and obey Roman laws, and proud to be Roman citizens (cf. Acts 16:21).
  • In fact, in Philippians 3:20, Paul appeals to their pride as Roman citizens, and emphasizes that those in Christ are ultimately citizens of heaven.

After Paul and his friends arrived in town, they went to a place of prayer on the Sabbath and found Lydia, a seller of purple goods. Evidently there was a very small (or maybe nonexistent) Jewish population in Philippi since there was no synagogue. If there were at least 10 Jewish men in the town, then a synagogue would have been present.

Because there was no synagogue, Paul attended a ladies’ prayer meeting and shared the gospel. The text (Acts 16:14) says that, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” After the Lord opened Lydia’s heart, she opened her home to Paul and his companions and asked them to stay for a while.

The next week, while Paul and his friends were on the way to the prayer meeting, they encountered a slave girl that practiced divination. She followed Paul and his companions for days, telling everyone who they were. Paul eventually got annoyed with this and exorcised a demon out of her (Acts 16:16-18).

Her owners were not happy, and Paul and Silas are beaten and then thrown in prison (Acts 16:19-24).

As Paul and Silas were in prison, they were praying and singing. God sent an earthquake and all of the prisoners’ chains came off. The Philippian jailer almost killed himself, thinking that all of the prisoners had escaped. Paul told the jailer to not harm himself, and the jailer, moved by Paul and Silas’ love for Christ, comes to know Jesus. In fact, his whole household was converted. (Acts 16:25-34)

Paul and Silas were eventually released, and they went back to Lydia’s house (Acts 16:35-40). And thus, the church at Philippi was born.

The book of Philippians is packed with many memorable verses and rich theology, but it is also a tender and personal glimpse into the lives of Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus, and a church they dearly loved.

So that is the back story of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. Now I want to give you the big picture of the book.

Big Picture

If you’re like me, when you think about Philippians, you think of all the memorable verses that are contained in the book.

Phil 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Phil 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Phil 2:9-11 – Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil 3:7-8 – But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Phil 3:20-21 – But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

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. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:13 – I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Phil 4:19 – And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

These verses are some great ones to memorize. But Paul didn’t just write a few verses. He wrote a letter to the Philippians. Philippians is a wonderful letter about partnering together for the advance of the gospel and advancing the gospel with joy, even in the midst of hardship.

Philippians is a wonderful letter about partnering together for the advance of the gospel and advancing the gospel with joy, even in the midst of hardship.

As Paul and the Philippians had challenges advancing the gospel in their day, we too have some challenges facing us today as we try to advance the gospel. Philippians offers us encouragement in our task of the Great Commission.

Along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, Philippians is one of Paul’s prison letters. Paul is writing from a Roman prison (1:7) in either Caesarea, Ephesus, or Rome. When I say prison, it was more like Paul was under house arrest. He was able to see and speak to guests, and even write this letter.

About 10 years had passed between the founding of the church in Acts 16 and the writing of the letter. This was a church that Paul loved and knew quite well.

The Philippian church was discouraged and fearful because Paul and been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. When you read Philippians, think of Paul writing to a church filled with young, scared, and discouraged Christians.

Paul was hundreds of miles away from this church in prison, and yet Paul was thinking of the church, praying for them, and encouraging them. He served them even while in prison.

Philippians is a letter saturated with gospel living. The word gospel is found eight times in the book. In Philippians, we will see how the gospel comes to bear on our lives:

  1. We should partner with missionaries for the sake of the gospel (Phil 1:3-8; 2:19-30; 4:10-19).
  2. We should be willing to suffer and die for the sake of the gospel (Phil 1:12-30).
  3. We should have unity and humility because of the gospel (Phil 1:27-2:4; 4:2-3).
  4. We should rejoice in Christ because of the gospel (Phil 1:18; 3:1; 4:4).
  5. We should be content in all circumstances because of the gospel (Phil 4:11-13).

Other things we will learn from Paul in Philippians
• That Christ is to be treasured above all things
• That we can have hope in death because of Christ
• The importance of prayer
• The secret of having joy and contentment in any circumstances

We’ve seen the wonderful back story of the book. We’ve looked at the big picture. Now, let’s look at the beautiful greeting of the book, found in Phil 1:1-2.

Beautiful Greeting (Phil 1:1-2)

Three evidences of grace in this greeting

First, grace is displayed in the life of the senders of the letter: Paul and Timothy (1:1a).

Paul used to be a Jew that hated Christians. Now, he is a doulos, a servant or slave of Christ. When Paul speaks of his conversion in Phil 3, he explains that though he was a very religious person, he could not earn righteousness. We can only be righteous by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. He had heard the gospel and believed and was now a missionary along with Paul.

What’s your story? Have you experienced God’s grace and the transformation that comes along with it? Paul later says that “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Is that true for you? Is Jesus your greatest treasure? Are you a slave of Christ?

Second, grace is displayed in the life of the recipients of the letter: the church in Philippi (1:1b).

Paul calls them saints. These saints are “in Christ Jesus.”

You may regularly attend church, but that does not mean you are in Christ. To be in Christ, you must repent of your sins and put your complete trust in Christ and His life, death, burial, and resurrection and submit to Him as your Lord.

Paul mentions the two offices of the church: overseers (the same office as elders/pastors) and deacons. Overseers are the men are to shepherd the flock through the teaching of the Word and prayer. Deacons are to serve the church and help others serve within the church.

Third, grace is displayed in the name of Jesus Christ (1:2).

Many people wish that they could experience grace and peace, but they look for them in all the wrong places. Grace and peace ultimately come from God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul writes that Jesus Christ is Lord. You may not know it, but in the first century, you could be killed for saying that Jesus, not Caesar, is Lord. Paul was saying that Jesus is King, not Caesar!

Is Jesus your king?

Can you, like Paul say, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain?”

If not, repent of your sins and believe the gospel!

The Sign of the Resurrection – Matthew 12:38-42

April 20, 2022 /
Image Source

This blog post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. Unfortunately, the sermon was not recorded.

Did you know that the sinfulness and lostness of people are not always apparent to the naked eye?

John MacArthur says it like this:

“Many outwardly religious, moral, and decent people say they believe in God and are kind and helpful to others. Even completely irreligious people sometimes live law-abiding lives and behave as good neighbors. Sometimes the kindly attitude and good works of unbelievers even put the behavior of some Christians to shame.”

He continues, “Many of them speak well of God, have high behavioral standards, are loving husbands and wives, caring parents, fair employers or employees, good citizens, and faithful friends.”

In other words, on the outside, many people appear to be what we would call good people. It is hard for us to imagine that these same people who may be our neighbors, family, friends, or even us could actually be separated from God and in danger of eternal hell.

The reality is that the most important evidence of godliness in our lives is not our behavior, but our attitude toward Jesus Christ. A person can look great on the outside, but at the same time can be an enemy of God.

In our passage (Matt 12:38-42), we see these kinds of people. We see devoted religious people who believed in God but were still looking for a sign.

What is a sign? A sign points to something greater than itself.

Consider a road sign. Road signs are important today, but they were even more important before GPS and Google Maps. When I was a boy, our family would often visit St. Louis during the summer. As we made our way from Arkansas into Missouri, we would of course look for road signs that told us how many miles we needed to travel to arrive at our destination. But there was always a sign that we looked for to know we were getting close – the Gateway Arch. Once we saw the big arch, we knew that we were drawing near.

Similarly, the Pharisees were men who were looking for a sign or evidence that would (dis)prove that Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed One prophesied about in the Old Testament.

Sermon Text: Matt 12:38-42 (click link for text)

Context

When this dialogue occurred, Jesus had been ministering for at least several months or perhaps even a year or more.

During Jesus’ ministry, He had started to become somewhat famous for a number of reasons:

  1. His teaching – He taught with authority.
  2. His healings – He physically healed people.
  3. His exorcisms – He cast out demons/unclean spirits.
  4. His power to raise the dead.

Jesus had become popular with the common folk of Palestine, but he had received some negative attention and criticism from the Pharisees.

Up until now in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus had a few recorded interactions with the Pharisees. But in chapter 12, things had started coming to a head.

Look at Matt 12:22-24

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

After Jesus healed a man that was blind and mute, in v. 23, notice that the people begin to wonder if Jesus is the Messiah, the prophesied Son of David. But look at how the Pharisees responded in v. 24 – they attributed Jesus’ power to demonic power.

Now, back to verse 38.

Matt 12:38

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Jesus’ day. They were zealous students and teachers of God’s law as found in the Old Testament. They sought to apply God’s law to every single detail of life.

The problem with most of the Pharisees is that they were legalists, meaning that they believed they could earn God’s favor by their obedience to the law. They thought that if they studied enough to understand God’s law and tried hard enough to obey God’s law, then they could be righteous before God.

The Pharisees burdened people with their demands. They added to the requirements of the law. For example, if the law said you couldn’t travel on the Sabbath, they would ask, “What is traveling?” They would then get together and come up with a pharisaical law.

In so doing, they often missed the heart of the law. One example is found right here in this chapter – Matt 12:9-14. The Pharisees were angry with Jesus because He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. In their minds, Jesus was guilty of breaking the Sabbath.

The Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign – “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

In chapter 9, the Pharisees had seen Jesus heal a paralytic (9:1-7) and a mute man (9:32-34). Here in chapter 12, the Pharisees had seen Jesus heal a man with a withered hand (12:9-14) and a demon-oppressed man who was blind a mute (12:22-24).

And yet, the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign to prove that He is the Son of David. In essence, they were demanding Jesus to prove that He was the Messiah. The scribes and Pharisees were the uncontested experts on the law, and they figured that the common people would look to them to be able to properly determine if Jesus was the Messiah. Thus, any “sign” that Jesus offered they would be the authority so as to disprove

So, what happens? Jesus refuses to play their game. One thing you have to remember about Jesus was that He did not come just to be an on-demand miracle worker. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Mark 1:38; Luke 19:10). He performed miracles out of love and to validate his message, but He would not be manipulated by those who had ulterior motives.

39

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

What Jesus means by the phrase “evil and adulterous generation” is that the spiritual state of Israel is such that they are unfaithful to God and unresponsive to Jesus. In other words, this generation asks for a sign in the midst of Jesus’ obviously supernatural ministry, even after 400 years of silence between Malachi and Jesus.

Jesus continues, “no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

If you remember, Jonah was an Old Testament prophet who was called by God to go to Nineveh. Jonah disobeyed God and fled to Tarshish. God sent a storm to get Jonah’s attention and eventually Jonah was thrown overboard by pagan sailors.

Now, after Jonah was thrown overboard, he began to sink down into the sea (Jon 2). When Jonah was near death, God spared Jonah’s life through a fish (Jon 2:10).

Jesus continues his conversation with the Pharisees:

40

For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

What does Jesus mean? Just as Jonah experienced a great and surprising deliverance, Jesus will experience a great and surprising (a surprise to the Pharisees, not to Jesus) deliverance in the resurrection. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days, so Jesus will be entombed for three days in the heart of the earth.

As an aside, the phrase “three days and three nights” doesn’t have to mean a literal 72 hours or three complete days. It was an idiom that meant any part of three days.

Once Jonah started sinking, the sailors who threw him overboard thought He was dead. Once the Romans crucified Jesus, the Pharisees through that Jesus was dead for good.

Without a miracle of God, Jonah was dead. If Jesus wasn’t God, He couldn’t have walked out of the tomb on His own power. After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he did, yet shall he live” (John 11:25-26).

The point that Jesus is getting at is this:

BIG IDEA: The resurrection is the decisive sign that shows us Jesus was and is God in human flesh.

The resurrection is the decisive sign that shows us Jesus was and is God in human flesh.

Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they would get a miraculous sign. To anyone with spiritual eyes to see, it would be obvious that Jesus was the Messiah, the ultimate deliverer of Israel and the Gentiles, and the very Son of God. Only God Himself can walk out of a tomb of His own power (not to mention predicting it in advance) and that is exactly what Jesus did.

The same holds true today. While many are seeking a sign from God to know if He exists or if He is good, God has given us the greatest sign. Not only has He given us His Word, the Bible, but God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, became a man. Truly, God became flesh.

  • He was prophesied about in the Old Testament.
  • He was conceived of the Holy Spirit.
  • He was born of a virgin Mary.
  • He lived a perfect life of obedience to God’s law.
  • He proved his divinity through his miracles.
  • He was crucified on a Roman cross as an atonement for the sins of the world.
  • He rose from the grave three days later, conquering death.

And one day, He will come again to gather his people and then he will judge the living and the dead.

I say all that to say this. If you refuse to see the sign of Jonah, then you will be condemned just as the Pharisees were condemned. Let’s look at verses 41-42.

If you refuse to see the sign of Jonah (the resurrection), then you will be condemned just as the Pharisees were condemned.

41

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

During Jonah’s day, the Ninevites were enemies of Israel and considered wicked Gentiles. This must have been a gut punch to the Pharisees. You can imagine, the self-righteous teachers of the law being condemned by wicked Gentiles.

Jesus says that the Ninevites will condemn this generation because the Ninevites repented at Jonah’s preaching, and yet God in the flesh stands before them, and they refused to repent. If they continued to harden their hearts, then they will be condemned on judgment day.

Likewise, if you’re reading this article and you will not repent of your sin and trust in Jesus, then you too will be condemned to hell.

And finally, v. 42.

42

The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus uses another example to prove His point. Just as the Ninevites will rise up on judgment day and condemn this generation that refuses to repent, so will Queen Sheba, another Gentile.

In 1 Kings 10, she traveled a great distance (around 1200 miles) to meet King Solomon. She had heard of this wisdom and riches, but she wouldn’t believe it until she witnessed it with her own eyes.

“And behold,” Jesus says, “something greater than Solomon is here.” Solomon was the last king of Israel before the kingdom split. And yet Jesus, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, was standing before the Pharisees clothed in human flesh.

Conclusion

Even though the Pharisees had seen Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, and forgive sin, they willfully refused to believe in Him despite the undeniable evidence that had been put before them.

The Pharisees rejected Jesus not because a lack of evidence, but because of their spiritual pride. They refused to acknowledge that they were sinners in need of repentance. They refused to acknowledge that their obedience was not sufficient to make them righteous – that they needed God’s grace and mercy as much as the prostitute and the tax collectors.

The Pharisees rejected Jesus not because a lack of evidence, but because of their spiritual pride.

Today, there are still people looking for a sign from God. They are looking for a certain feeling during worship. They wish to hear from God in dreams. They long to speak in tongues. They wish that God would heal their bodies, grant them a promotion at work, or provide a mate. They think that if God would do this, then they would know that God is real and that He loves them.

The Bible says differently. The Bible says that God has already shown us His love through the giving of His Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Friends, God has given us all the signs we need. He has given us His Holy Word. In the Bible, we are told of a God who created men and women in His image. Adam and Eve fell into sin. But God did not leave us on our own. He spoke through prophets, and He speaks now through His Son.

Listen to Hebrews 1:1-4

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

As you read this article, you have two options:

Will you harden your heart before God when he has given us the sign of Jesus and His resurrection?

No matter how good your life appears to be on the surface, if you refuse to see the clear signs that God has given and trust in Christ and submit to his lordship, then you, like the Pharisees, will be damned to hell.

Or will you humble yourself before God, knowing that Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection was a work of almighty God? Do you acknowledge that Jesus was truly God in the flesh and that He is coming again?

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?

God’s Mercy for the Wicked – Jonah 3:1-10

April 5, 2022 /
Jonah

This post is adapted from a sermon I recently preached. Unfortunately, the sermon was not recorded.

An Overview of Jonah

Introduction to Jonah

In chapter one (Jon 1), we read about Jonah and the storm. In chapter two (Jon 2), we read about Jonah in the fish. Today, we will be reading about Jonah’s experience in the city of Nineveh.

Jonah 3:1-10

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

BIG IDEA: God will pour out his wrath on sinners, but He shows mercy to those who repent.

That’s a pretty basic theological statement, but it’s not a popular message for modern minds. Many don’t like the idea of God, especially the God of the Bible. Even more despise the idea of God’s wrath and the thought of us being sinners in need of repentance. In fact, the only part of that sentence that most people like is that if there is a God, He is merciful. Nonetheless, our views of God must come from Scripture and not from ourselves or the culture.

1

After the fish spit Jonah out (Jon 2:10), in verse 1 we’re told that “The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time.”

In the Old Testament, prophets were to take the word of the Lord that came to them and proclaim it. Today, there are no prophets as there were in the Old Testament. Today, God does not speak through prophets, but through His written Word, the Bible. The job of every preacher of God’s Word is to communicate the meaning of Scripture as it was intended by the author, as inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20-21). As Christians, we are to read God’s Word and have it change our hearts and minds (Rom 12:2). We cannot expect to be faithful to the will of God when we refuse to open the Word of God.

We cannot expect to be faithful to the will of God when we refuse to open the Word of God.

2

We’re not told where Jonah was spit out, but once again, the Lord tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. At the very least, Jonah would have had 550 miles to travel, which would have taken at least a month if he was riding a camel or donkey and much longer if he was on foot. The Lord tells him to call out against the city of Nineveh and to speak “the message that I tell you.”

As Christians, we are not free to alter the message of Scripture. We are to proclaim God’s message even when it is unpopular. We preach the truth of God’s Word and we do not apologize for it. To alter or soften God’s Word is to be disobedient to God Himself.

Jonah was given a second chance even though he was disobedient to the Lord. If you are not a Christian, you may be surprised that even though God will judge every sin, He is also a God of second chances.

Though God was displeased with His prophet, He never deserted him, as evidenced by His sending of the great fish. As God was merciful to Jonah, He will offer mercy to the Ninevites as well.

How about you? How many times have you disobeyed God and deserved His punishment, yet God has shown you mercy?

God showed mercy to Jonah because He cared about the Ninevites. But God also cared about Jonah. He wanted Jonah’s heart to reflect the heart of God (Jon 4:9-11). God is not simply interested in obedience out of duty, but He wants us to delight in Him (Ps 37:4).

This time, Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord (v. 3).

3

In chapter one when Jonah received his commission, he “fled to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (1:2). This time, Jonah realizes that he should not and cannot run from God’s will and so he goes to Nineveh in reluctant obedience.

Scripture does not give us every detail of the story. As I mentioned earlier, we are not told where Jonah was spit up onto dry land. We’re not told if he went to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice (Jon 2:9). We are simply told that Jonah “arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.”

The text says that Nineveh “was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.”

Nineveh is called a great city four times in Jonah (Jon 1:2, 3:2-3, 4:11).

There is some debate about what exactly the text means when it mentions “a three days journey.”

  • One possibility is that it would take three days to get through the city and its suburbs.
  • A second possibility is that it would take three days to go around the outside of the city.
  • A third possibility is that “three days’ journey” is an idiom that is meant to communicate how long it would take to get to Nineveh. In other words, this phrase is meant to communicate that the city is far away from Jonah when he began his journey.

The clear thing about the text, however, is that Nineveh was a significant place. As we will see in chapter four (Jon 4), this great city greatly mattered to God.

4

When Jonah arrives in the city (in v. 4), he began to warn the Ninevites of God’s coming wrath. His message was simple – “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that those were the only words that Jonah spoke, but it was the core of Jonah’s message.

In Scripture, the number 40 is often identified with testing or judgment.

  • During the great flood in Genesis, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
  • The Jewish spies explored Canaan for 40 days.
  • The nation of Israel was tested in the wilderness for 40 years.
  • Goliath taunted Israel’s army for 40 days.
  • Here, the Lord gives the Ninevites 40 days to repent of their wickedness.

The word “overthrown” is the same word that was used in the warning to Lot about Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:23-29). It’s clear using this word and the number 40 that the author is communicating that Jonah’s message was a word of judgment. Notice, Jonah did not name their offenses. He didn’t tell them what they ought to do. He did not explicitly offer any hope of avoiding judgment.

He didn’t even mention God’s name. Remember, in chapter one (Jon 1:9) he told the Gentile sailors that He feared the Lord, and Jonah used the name Yahweh. But when it came to the Ninevites, it seems that Jonah shared very little. He simply warned them of coming judgment. As we will see in chapter four, Jonah did not want the Ninevites to repent. He wanted God to wipe them out.

Like Jonah, we are called by God to give people bad news. We are called to warn them of God’s coming wrath against them. It is only when people understand the depth of their own sin against a holy God will they be ready for the good news that He offers forgiveness through Christ. The good news of the gospel only makes sense to people if they understand their condemnation without Christ.

We are called to warn others of the wrath to come, even our enemies.

We are called to warn others of the wrath to come, even our enemies.

Jonah was not a missionary that preached a message of hope but was a reluctant prophet that preached a message of judgment and doom. In what must have been a shock to Jonah, the people of Nineveh believed his message.

5

Verse five is a summary statement of what happened, and vv. 6-9 contain the details.

Perhaps you may be asking this question:

Why would a city full of wicked people believe Jonah, who was a prophet from a different place and who worshiped a different God?

There are several possible reasons:

  • One is that around the time of Jonah’s mission, Assyria had experienced a series of famines, plagues, revolts, and eclipses, each of which would have been interpreted as omens of far worse things to come.
  • It’s also possible that someone saw the fish spit Jonah up onto dry land and that news had spread to Nineveh.
  • Perhaps the pagan sailors spoke of Jonah as well as the mighty power of the Lord to still the sea. Maybe they had told traders that went into Nineveh and told the tale.

One or more of these were contributing factors, but the most likely cause is that they had a guilty conscience (Rom 2:15) because of their wicked ways and that God had begun to till the soil of their hearts.

The text says that the Ninevites “believed God”, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they were converted. There seems to be no indication that they entered into a covenant relationship with God. Notice, there is a mention of God (Elohim), but not of Yahweh (the Lord) as there was with the sailors (Jon 1:14-16).

We also are not told that they removed their idols or understood God’s law. In the ancient world, people believed there were all sorts of powerful gods, but they only worshiped ones they believed had power over their lives.

It seems that they didn’t really believe in God in a salvation sense, but rather that God’s word of judgment was true and would come to fruition if they did not change their behavior.

They wanted to do whatever it took to keep themselves from experiencing God’s wrath.

6

The message of Jonah reached the king of Nineveh. Verse six says that he got up from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

Sackcloth was rough and uncomfortable material (similar to an old potato sack) that was worn to indicate mourning.

Not only did the king put on sackcloth and sit in ashes, but he issued a proclamation that was published throughout the city in vv. 7-8.

7-8

In modern day terms, he called an emergency press conference and gave instructions to the citizens of Nineveh: neither men nor animals were to eat or drink. They were to be covered with sackcloth and to “call out mightily to God.” In addition, they were to turn away from their evil and violent ways.

By commanding the people to cry out to God and to turn from their evil ways, the king hoped that they would be spared from God’s wrath. That is what we see in verse nine.

9

The king doesn’t seem terribly confident that God would relent but he hopes that their repentance will turn God away from his fierce anger.

Notice that the king is concerned that the Ninevites would perish. This is the third time that a pagan has shown concern that people might perish. We saw the captain of the ship concerned about him and his crew (1:6). We saw the sailors ask the Lord for mercy and that they would not perish for throwing Jonah overboard (1:14). And here in v. 9, we see the king of Nineveh hoping that the city will not perish.

Ironically, God’s prophet Jonah has expressed no such concern. In fact, he was very short with the sailors and the Ninevites, but his prayer of thanksgiving for his own deliverance was quite long (Jon 2).

As Christians, we should care more about human suffering than unbelievers.

As Christians, we should care more about human suffering than unbelievers.

As the Ninevites repent, they are in fact spared.

In v. 10, we see that when the people repented, God relented.

10

God saw the people’s repentance and he spared them. The text says that, “God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

The KJV says that God repented. I don’t really the use of the word repent. I say that because when I think of repentance, I think of a change in morality. But God is perfect. He does not sin, and He does not change.

The theological word for the idea that God does not change is immutability. I want to share two verses to emphasize that God does not change:

Numbers 23:19 – God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

The reality is that God did not change His mind. Implied in Jonah’s message of judgment was that judgment would be spared if the people repented.

There are varying opinions as to whether the Ninevites were converted. One commentator says that Jonah was the most successful evangelist of all time. In my view, the text seems to indicate that the repentance of the Ninevites was quite shallow.

It seems to me that he Ninevites were not really acting in true faith and devotion to Yahweh, but were really acting out of self-preservation (see especially v. 9 – “Who knows?”). But God honors their small step in the right direction and relents from His imminent judgment.

Overall, it seems that the majority of the Ninevites were not truly converted, but perhaps a few were. Remember, Jesus mentioned the Ninevites to the Pharisees because of their willingness to repent when warned of coming judgment (Matt 12:38-41).

Conclusion

The repentance of the Ninevites is similar to someone who hears the gospel and walks down the aisle. He or she makes some sort of emotional decision but later drops out of church and continues to live as they always have with no regard for obedience to Jesus.

Most of these people want to escape hell and exhibit some remorse for their sins, but many have not genuinely put their faith and trust in Jesus, which becomes evident over time (Mark 4:13-20).

We all need to be warned about superficial repentance. In His mercy, God spared Nineveh of immediate judgment. However, it is not enough to be spared a temporary judgment. If the Ninevites only repented but did not put their faith and trust in Yahweh, they would be judged in eternity. In fact, only 125-150 years later, Nineveh experienced God’s wrath, which is expressed in the book of Nahum.

Friends,

It is one thing to believe that a message is true in your mind. It is another to believe it in your heart.

It is one thing to believe that the gospel is true. It is another to build your life upon it (Matt 7:24-27).

It is one thing to walk the aisle and “accept Jesus”. It is another to follow after Jesus, deny yourself, take up your cross, as you submit to Him as Lord (Luke 9:23-24).

God is patient. He is kind. He is merciful. But He will pour out his wrath on sinners who do not repent (John 3:36).

Do we see ourselves as needing mercy just as much as the Ninevites? It’s easy to compare ourselves with others and to become self-righteous. The reality is that we are all in need of God’s grace (Rom 3:10-11, 23).

Maybe you’ve never committed acts of violence or torture, but we have all broken God’s Law. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

The greatest news is that God shows mercy to those who repent of their sin and trust in His Son Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life, and died for our sins as a substitute for us, who deserved His wrath.

Have you trusted in Jesus as Lord? Are you honoring Him with your life? Are you offering yourself to God as a living sacrifice?

Christians,

God does not tell us to tell people that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life. Jesus never said this to anyone.

Are we willing to share the message of God’s Word, even the uncomfortable parts about God’s wrath and judgment?

God commands us to call people to genuine repentance and true faith in Jesus.

Will we be found faithful when God calls us to the Ninevehs in our life?

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

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

March 30, 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.

What would your last thoughts be if you knew you were about to die and pass into eternity?

In Jonah 2, the curtains are pulled back and we are invited to see the emotions and cries of Jonah, who is a drowning, dying man.

From a human perspective, there is no hope for Jonah. As a result of his disobedience to God, he seems destined to die in the sea. As Jonah is on the brink of death, he has an encounter with the living God.

BIG IDEA: Our disobedience leads to despair and death, but God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

Our disobedience leads to despair and death, but God’s deliverance leads to thanksgiving.

The last verse in chapter one really belongs with chapter two. Keep in mind that while the chapter and verse divisions are helpful tools, they were added later and are not inspired by the Holy Spirit.

1:17 and 2:10 frame this section, which details Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish.

  • 1:17 – The fish swallowed up Jonah.
  • 2:10 – The fish vomited Jonah out.

Verse 17 says that “the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.” The Lord sent the fish to save Jonah.

Jonah did not pray for God to save him from the fish, but he expresses thanks for being saved by the fish.

Jonah’s rebellion brought God’s discipline, but God showed Jonah mercy. In the same way, our rebellion brings God’s discipline, but God is merciful to us.

The Lord is merciful and saves Jonah’s life through the great fish. In chapter 2, we see Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving for his deliverance from death. Jonah is inside the fish and he recounts his near death experience and God’s mercy towards him.

Our disobedience leads to despair and death (2:1-6a)

Verse 1 gives the setting of the prayer. Jonah prayed this prayer from the belly of the fish.

Verse 2 gives the summary of the prayer that is fleshed out in vv. 3-9. It is a summary statement.

Jonah never prayed for God to save the pagan sailors, but he does thank God for saving him. This says something about his heart, and we’ll see in chapter four.

Well what does v. 2 say about Jonah’s prayer? Essentially, that Jonah cried out to the Lord and that the Lord heard him.

  • 2a: Jonah called out to the Lord in his distress and the Lord answered him.
  • 2b: He cried from the belly of Sheol and the Lord heard Jonah’s voice.

Jonah realizes that once he is drowning that he isn’t ready to die. And so he called out to the Lord.

Certainly, Jonah had reason to be distressed:

  • He had rebelled against God – rebellion against God will leave you distressed.
  • He had been disciplined by God – God’s discipline is not pleasant at the time.
  • He was drowning and about to die – near death experiences are intense.

The phrase “belly of Sheol” represents death. In most OT references, Sheol is the place of the dead and is sometimes seen as the fate of the ungodly and a place of divine punishment. Simply put, Sheol was believed to be where the soul went after death.

The good news is that the Lord heard Jonah’s voice and He answered him.

Jonah was not dead when he prayed, but he was getting close, as we will see in vv. 3-6a.

3

In v. 3, Jonah recognizes God’s sovereign hand in his situation.

Though the sailors threw him overboard, Jonah knew God stirred their hearts to do so. He says, “you cast me into the deep.”

Jonah was drowning in the sea, and he recognized that it was God’s waves and billows that passed over him (“your waves and your billows”). Jonah knew the Lord controlled the sea (Jon 1:9).

Jonah was in the middle of the sea without a lifeboat, and like the sailors in chapter one, he knew that he could not save himself. He struggles to keep his head above water. Eventually, he will run out of energy and start sinking down into the sea.

4

Verse 4 is the key verse in vv. 1-6. As I previously mentioned, the storm was not Jonah’s main problem. His main problem was that he was living in rebellion against God and needed to have a heart change. When Jonah says that he is driven away from God’s sight, he is saying that he is separated from God.

When people are in rebellion against God, they are separated from Him. For unbelievers, of course this means that they do not have God as their Father, and they are under His just wrath. For believers, they are not separated from God in a salvation sense, but there is a break in intimacy and fellowship.

Jonah, though he was God’s prophet, was driven away from God’s sight. His rebellion against God had led him to get away from the presence of the Lord and to forsake God’s mission.

As Jonah begins to sink into the deep, he decides to look towards God. Jonah says, “yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.” It’s unclear from the text if Jonah literally thought that he would be saved and make it back to Jerusalem to the temple or if he was speaking figuratively – that he was looking to the Lord’s presence and seeking his help. Verse 9a seems to indicate the former. Either way, in some sense, Jonah turned to the Lord.

He finally understood that there was no way out except to turn to the Lord. Jonah refused to cry out to God in the boat, but he does cry out in the waves of the sea. Many people today are living for the world (1 John 2:15-17) without any care of God (Matt 24:36-39), and in disobedience to God (Eph 2:1-3). Often, God must send a storm to get people’s attention before they will seek Him.

Most people don’t seek God when things are going well. A few will seek God during the storms of life. Some people however, have to come face-to-face with death before they wake up and even then, some don’t.

This is Jonah’s plight. He is separated from the Lord, but in His suffering, he turns to God. That is what we must do. In times of suffering and difficulty, we must turn to the Lord.

In times of suffering and difficulty, we must turn to the Lord.

God is gracious to Jonah and He will be gracious to us, but I want to implore you – don’t want until you’re on the brink of death to turn to the Lord. Seek Him while He may be found. Do not love the world but seek first the kingdom of God. Deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and live for Christ.

5-6a

Many people come to the Lord or renew their commitment to the Lord only after hitting rock bottom. Only after a crisis do people realize they are living for themselves rather than living for Christ. God has to show us that we must cry out to God or perish. It’s been said that you never realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

You never realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

God is more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. At times, He will knock out your legs from beneath you to make you dependent on His grace. Scripture says that He disciplines those He loves (Pro 3:12; Heb 12:6).

But here’s the good news. Just as God’s mercy will go down to the depths of the ocean for a rebellious prophet who deserved to die, He will extend mercy to you if you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus and His finished work on the cross.

If it wasn’t too late for Jonah, it’s not too late for you. No matter what kind of sin you’re living in or how far away you feel from God, it’s not too late to turn to the Lord until you’ve taken your last breath.

In verses 1-6a, we have seen that our disobedience leads to despair and death.

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

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