Sermon for 10/13/96
Jonah
Introduction:
A. In Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks tells about an 83-year old Michigan woman he met at a Sunday school convention in Chicago. "In a church with a Sunday school of only 65 people, she taught a class of 13 junior high boys. She had traveled by bus all the way to Chicago the night before the convention. Why? In her words, ’to learn something that would make me a better teacher.’ "I thought at the time, most people who had a class of 13 junior high boys in a Sunday school of only 65 would be breaking their arms to pat themselves on the back. Not this lady." Hendricks concludes, "84 boys who sat under her teaching are now in full-time ministry. 22 are graduates of the seminary where I teach."
B. All of us are to be missionaries. We are all foreigners. WE need to give the gospel to others.
C. However, even though all of us are to be missionaries, there is some who are called to go to foreign lands and present Jesus to them.
D. When I think of a foreign missionary, I think of somebody who comes and speaks about his work in a very dull and dry manner for too long about things that I have a tendency not to care about. How pathetic!
WBTU:
A. Today we are going to discuss missions and missionaries to foreign lands.
B. A missionary’s life needs prayer and support. The United States used to be a great sender of missionaries. All Christian faiths sent out great scores of missionaries at the turn of the century. However, know Christians are not sending out the most missionaries but the cults and the Muslims and other religions are sending out much more. This is a shame; we have open doors in Eastern Europe.
C. More doors open today than ever before, but fewer and fewer people are willing to go. Why is this so?
D. One of the reasons I believe is that we are not studying the Bible like we did years ago.
E. Sunday school was started in England in the 1800’s to teach children about the Bible, gospel. Many times these Sunday school’s had to teach reading, writing to be able to teach the children the Bible. No child labor laws. Became popular in the United States and other English speaking countries.
F. Out of these Sunday school’s came missionaries, preachers, evangelists and women who gave their life in service to Jesus Christ.
G. There are several ways to be in the Word today. However, Sunday school is still one of the best ways to get people into the Word and living it in their lives.
I. (Heb 4:12 NIV) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
J. Where do we develop a love for the Word of God? Usually in Sunday school, or a program like Sunday school.
Thesis: Let’s examine the story of Jonah and see how this episode parallels our own day and our own lack of missionary zeal.
Scripture text: Jonah.
For instances:
I. Give the story of Jonah.
1. God told him to go to Ninevah but he got on boat to go to Tarshish.
2. There is a great storm at sea.
3. Jonah is thrown overboard and the sea become calm. A fish swallows him.
4. Jonah prays inside the fish and in three days he is spit up.
5. The Lord tells him to go again to Ninevah and he goes and the people repent.
6. Jonah basic message.
7. God does not destroy the city and Jonah is mad.
8. Jonah is sulking and the Lord provides a gourd for him to get shade under.
9. The Lord destroys the gourd and teaches Jonah a lesson.
II. We are selfish like Jonah.
A. Jonah had a wonderful ministry in Israel, the Northern Kingdom. I am sure that it was not all roses because the people still were not worshipping God, as they should have. The life of a prophet was always a tough one. But for Jonah his ministry did not seem that difficult. Oh, he did suffer persecution but he lived in one of the riches countries in that area for that time.
B. 2 Kings 14:25- Jeroboam II - He restored the territory of Israel... According to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He had spoken through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gath Hepher.
C. Jeroboam did evil in the sight of the Lord, he reign 41 years. However, he was not like the kings before him, he did not persecute the righteous.
D. One of the richest times in Israel’s history. Jonah was probably fairing pretty well himself.
E. Then the Lord tells him to go to Ninevah. Ninevah was a place full of Assyrians, ones who only a generation before had raided Israel’s territory. Ones who only a couple of generations after this would completely destroy Israel and deport them to other areas of their empire. Jonah hated the Assyrians. They were a violent people full of hatred for others.
F. I can just see Jonah now, No Lord, No! I will stay here and try to minister to these stubborn Israelites. Even though they will not listen to me at least they are friendlier and I understand them. This is an easier field to work in for you. I will stay here. I can do more work here. There are too many problems here to go to Ninevah.
E. I can also see Jonah saying to himself and also to the Lord. Why do you want me to leave this place? None of the other prophets had to do that. It will be much more difficult in Ninevah.
F. I can see that Jonah was selfish and wanted only to live in his comfort zone in Israel. WE are that way. I wonder how the popular preachers of our day would respond to a call like this. They would respond in much the same ways.
I. Many preachers preach Christ out of selfish ambition. Philippians 2:3- Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
J. The preachers of today compared to the early apostles.
K. Success mindset here in America. We must keep climbing the ladder. But Christ didn’t do that and neither did the apostles and early Christians.
L. The best preachers should go to the most difficult fields. The not so good preachers should preach in the easy places. In the Bible colleges it used to be that the best and the brightest were recruited for the missions field. It is not so today. We are keep the best and the brightest for ourselves and for our own pulpits. We tell them not to waste their time in the mission field because the United States is where it is. The success mindset.
M. We are selfish and keep the best for ourselves. We don’t want to encourage a promising young man to go to the mission field, because he just might do it and then he will waste his life in poverty.
N. We need the best evangelists here because we are not doing our job. We want the best because we cannot build a church without a fantastic preacher. If the members are not doing what the Lord has called them to do, a great preacher will make no difference in the end. The success of the early church. Only 5% of Christians lead someone else to the Lord.
O. We are also selfish with our money. We do not want to give to something that we will never see the immediate results of. I am talking about those who never give a tithe.
P. I am also talking about church’s who only spend their money on their own project and their own goals. We need a family life center. We need a gymnasium. We need a remodeled sanctuary. These things are fine if we keep them in perspective. There are missionaries leaving the field because of lack of support. There are missionaries who are living in poverty or are not sure where the next meal will come from because people who have the means are not supporting them. The Lord will bless us if we give unselfishly. We need to give to missionaries and missions organizations as much as we can. A man talked about how it would be great if churches when they have these new building projects or a financial challenge for some goal in the church if the churches would take 1/3 or more of that goal and give that to missions. WE get all excited about a new building project or some local church goal, and this is good. But how many times have we seen churches get excited about giving their time, money, and resources to missionaries and missions organizations. We can raise much money for our own purposes, but we cannot raise much money for the missionaries. What a shame?
Q. We are selfish with our time and with our prayers. We don’t sit down and write a note of encouragement to a missionary we know. We don’t include the missionaries in our prayers. Oh, how they need our prayers. They are on the front lines, the very front lines of the battle. They need encouragement from our time and prayers. A missionary once said that he could feel the prayers that where being lifted up for him and his work. Oh, how we need more of that. I have a list in the office.
Transition: Jonah was selfish. He wanted to stay where he was comfortable. He wanted to stay where he knew the people and knew that he would life in reasonable comfort. God is not calling us to live in comfort, he is calling us to go and give people the gospel. We don’t need to be selfish with our resources of people, our resources of money, and our resources of time.
III. Jonah was egotistical or proud or wanted the glamour.
A. Jonah wanted to be where he would be recognized with honors. He received his place in the book of Kings. Oh, sure I am sure that the people of Ninevah honored Jonah, but still it is different to be honored by one’s countrymen.
B. We look at the big churches in our day, Charles Stanley, John Hagee, Bob Russell, east 91st Street. It is nice to have that kind of prestige. It is nice to speak to rich people, people with power.
C. Is God calling us to be popular or to have prestige? No, he is not. He is calling us to do what we can where we can. It is not very popular to go to a place like India and take care of the lepers, the prostitutes, the drug addicts, the beggars, handicapped people. Go to a place like Calcutta where most people are poor and live in the streets. This is not very popular.
D. It is also not very popular to be a medical doctor and to go over to a foreign country and to practice medicine there where it is most needed. Oh, how we need medical missionaries. We have the most medical doctors in the world and we have the best health on the globe. It is very prestigious to be a doctor in America. You will be rich and have many honors bestowed upon you. Many times those who come over to practice medicine in the States never return to their native countries. Why? They need them so badly. Because here they can get rich. Over there they will be poor and barely make ends meat. Again we are selfish but we are also filled with pride.
E. We think that we are better than everybody else on the earth is because we are the richest and we are the leaders of the free world. Why go to those pagans in Africa, or why go down to South America to the tribes there, why go to China, why go to Russia? Why spend our time with those miserable people?
F. To preach to poor people is not very prestigious or glamorous. But they are the most respective to the gospel. We need to go to those who need Christ the most.
G. Here in the United States we have a country club Christianity. We come here on Sunday morning to join in worship with those in our community, we pay our dues in the offering plate, and then we can participate in any of the social functions of the church, not once giving a thought to those who are less fortunate than we are. It is like a country club. We pay our dues so that we can be part of the prestigious group in the community and so that we can play golf or take part in any of the other social activities of the club. What is the difference? We are a proud people, which are center upon ourselves way too much.
H. WE are becoming sectarian like the Jewish people of Old. We don’t dare go to those Gentile pagan dogs! We hate them and despise them.
J. The Hebrew were proud people. They were the chosen nation of God. The Gentile pagan was forsaken of God according to them.
K. We may be this way. Those people in Russia are communists; they don’t deserve to hear the gospel. Those people in India are Hindus, God forsaken; we shouldn’t go to them. Those people down in South America are savages; they don’t need to hear the gospel. Those people in Europe have had the gospel for years; they shouldn’t have deserted God to begin with. We are making judgments about the worthiness of them receiving the gospel. Are we worthy?
Transition: Jonah was too proud of his godly heritage. We should go to those who need the gospel no matter how unworthy they may seem. The people of Israel were too proud of there nationality. It doesn’t matter who you are; it matters if you are a Christian. WE should support those in others countries who are working for Christ. The United States Government is a very giving organization to other countries. It is a shame that our government is more giving that our churches
IV. We are not concerned about souls.
A. Jonah and the gourd. He was more concerned about the gourd than he was about all the souls in Ninevah. This is rather humorous, but it is ironic.
B. We have majored in the minors, and minored in the majors.
C. There is an increasing unchurched population in our country. We are not reaching out to them. We need a true revival. Most church growth comes about by transfers. Taking Christians from other churches and we call this growth.
D. Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men
but keepers of the aquarium."
E. Matthew 9:36-38- When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
G. How heavy is our burden for the lost? Eternity is a long time.
H. When I see those who do not know Christ or those who are out of fellowship with God, many times I feel sad for them. I know there is a much better way.
I. Many times we are not this way. WE look at the gay pride weekend at the park in Roanoke and we say that we will be glad when Jesus comes again so those people will be judged. We should long for that day for them. We should be getting on our knees and praying that these people will come under conviction and become Christians. We look at other groups who are out of God’s will and we say that we can’t wait for them to be judged. I won’t say that. It is sad. I don’t think God is up in heaven rejoicing over that day when he can cast people into hell. I think he will be sad.
J. If we could only think of two people that we could go and pray for and then witness to.
K. I know that everyone is better off when they accept Christ and their Lord and Savior. We should make sure of our salvation.
Conclusion and invitation:
A. Why do we not have a missionary zeal? Because we are like Jonah. Because we love this world so much and we do not love God and His Word enough.
B. People in 3rd world nations would love to have the Bible. They would love to hear preaching, they would love to attend a Sunday school class. However, we are too lazy to get out of bed in the morning. We are not hungering and thirsting for God. This is why we do not win people to the Lord. Do not send out missionaries.
C. 20 to 30 minutes on Sunday is not going to cut it. Sunday school, other opportunities.
D. Invitation.
