Title: The Unfortunate Escape / Jon 4:4-5
Contents
Main content: Jonah's escape was a disaster for both himself and the people of Nineveh.
1. Overview
Contrary to Jonah's hope, the destruction of Nineveh was withheld. So Jonah felt bad. I was very upset and angry. So God was patient and asked Jonah a question. "How is your anger fit?" -- But Jonah acted instead of answering. went out of the castle. And then he built a tent. It was because I wanted to see the ruins of the castle while avoiding the hot sunlight. Jonah's steps were unfortunate.
Introduction
1. During the last Gulf War, the Koreans who remained in Iraq tried to escape late. At that time, we tightened our hearts and wondered about their well-being.
2. Escape refers to the state of changing from a crisis situation to a safe situation. In the book of Genesis, Lot was led out of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah by an angel. It was a tight escape. In the end, his wife looks back and is burned to death by the spreading brimstone fire.
3. Let's look at Jonah in the text. What does he look like now? He must have thought that a fire of brimstone would fall on Nineveh at any moment. So I quickly left the castle. Then he built a cottage on a high mountain overlooking the castle. It was because he wanted to see the castle's destruction in person while avoiding the sunlight.
4. Was Jonah's escape a happy escape? Or is it an unfortunate escape?
Because his escape was not God's will.
A. God's will was to stay in the city.
1. Up until now, he had come to Nineveh through God's guidance. It never came as he intended.
2. Rather, Jonah's thought was that he wanted to get out of there, and he did not want to go there at all. So he tried to avoid going to Nineveh in various ways.
3. However, due to God's constant intervention, Jonah eventually surrendered and somehow entered the city of Nineveh. And according to God's command, they shouted out God's command to "repent". All that was said was the process of the fulfillment of God's will.
4. God's true intention was that all the people of Nineveh would become people of God. This required Jonah's dedication and service.
B. There is a time to stay and a time to leave.
1. In Jonah's opinion, leaving must have been taken for granted. The question is whether this thought is in harmony with God's will.
2. A Christian must be a thoughtful person. But Satan tempts us. so don't think about it. And it makes you insist that only your thoughts are absolutely right. In the end, it makes you fall into the snare of yourself.
3. There is no coincidence in everything. Everything is God's will and providence. He even said that it was God's will for a sparrow to fall to the ground. What kind of environment am I in? Is the current environment satisfactory? However, few are satisfied with their circumstances. probably the majority
If given the opportunity, they will say they want to get out of their current environment. Someone did an investigation. When I asked, "If you were to be reborn on this earth, would you marry your current spouse again?" Most people said they would never do that. It means that you are not satisfied with your current environment.
4. How satisfied are you with my family, my spouse, my work, and my church? If given the opportunity, would you not want to leave your current environment?
5. What is important is whether my thoughts are in accord with God's will. "If it were the Lord, what would you say to me? Would you like me to go? Would you like me to stay?" Think deeply and think carefully. And act slowly.
.because his escape interrupted God's mission.
A. Missions must be followed by evangelism, nurturing, and training.
1. Jonah was going to finish by simply converting them. He didn't know what his mission was. maybe you knew But he did not try to put it into practice. So I hurriedly tried to avoid it.
2. After evangelism, nurture must follow. Having a child is not the end. If you give birth, you must raise it. Raising is just as important as giving birth. So, don't they argue over whether it is a birth or a relationship?
3. Jonah's task should have been to raise up the converted believers as the perfect people of God. However, he avoided this task. As a result, their beliefs have turned them into people of faith.
4. The people who repented after hearing Jonah's evangelism were the people of the whole city. That number was said to be about 120,000. That's a huge number. Nineveh is north of present-day Iraq. But what about Iraq today? Iraq is a country ruled by radical Muslims. If Jonah had nurtured them well with the Word and made them disciples, today's Iraq would be different. How unfortunate is this? All of this is the result of one man's prejudice and neglect of his duties.
B. First, let's become disciples of Christ and make disciples too.
1. A disciple is a person who closely resembles the teacher. Paul said he was like Christ. Then he told us to be like ourselves. Who am I like now? Have you ever resembled a devil?
2. Many Christians today avoid parenting. And I have no interest in parenting at all. How unfortunate is this? Not everyone can be a disciple of Christ. But everyone needs to be nurtured. None of us grows up on our own by ourselves. He said that because there was a guardian, he changed diapers and fed them. But what about your own faith? Did you really make such an effort to develop your own religious personality?
3. Paddy paddy planted in paddy fields yields crops only when the farmer pays attention and harvests it in a timely manner. There is nothing that can be done by just leaving it alone. But why are you so indifferent to your own religious issues? This is our serious problem today. And this is the problem with the Korean church. We need systematic parenting.
4. The Lord's command was to evangelize and make disciples. To make a disciple, I must first become a disciple of the Lord. Disciples are not born, they are made through training.
5. What is the ultimate goal of missions? It is to make disciples of the Lord. Therefore, our mission should naturally focus on this.
Because Jonah's escape was the pinnacle of humanism.
A. I followed my own thoughts.
1. When he entered Nineveh, he gave up his thoughts and completely followed God's will. As a result, a great miracle happened in Nineveh.
2. However, he changed his mind in one day. One day's miracles elevated me and I was proud to the point of my head. So it's got the guts. Now it seemed that he could do something on his own without God.
3. The Doctors of Dongbak, who learned about the birth of Jesus through the stars, only saw the stars and followed them. But when the star reached the land of Judea in Israel, the wise men stopped watching. gave up It was because they had preconceived notions about Jerusalem. Their preconceived notion that a king would naturally be born in Jerusalem made them give up any further affair. But what happened in the end? The whole city caused a commotion and many children under the age of two were killed. brought great disaster. All of this is the end of humanism.
B. Pride is the vanguard of destruction.
1. Humanism is pride. If Jonah's preaching of Nineveh had had little effect, he would not have been so hardened. He would have been humble. And I would have sought God's guidance.
2. However, Jonah did not exert any effort and experienced a great work. This just ruined his life. A sailing sailing in a tailwind is never the luck of life. Life needs twists and turns. Because that will make us humble.
3. After leaving the city, Jonah made a shelter by himself and enjoyed "shade". It is the humanistic way of thinking of modern people to find rest and pleasure on their own. When we have enough food to live, we are in a hurry to create a comfortable shade. He said that he prayed hard during difficult times, but now he wants to rest and enjoy himself whenever he has free time. So as the days go by, the number of evening gatherings decreases. It's a really serious problem.
conclusion
1. Escape is human wisdom to turn an emergency situation into a safe one. However, Jonah's escape was the beginning of misfortune.
2. We sometimes try to escape. We constantly try to escape from our service, our environment, our friends, our relatives, and many other situations.
3. What happened to Jonah's escape? Ultimately, it made Iraq unhappy. Not only that, but it also made his life dishonorable.
4. The greatest goal of missions is to make disciples of the Lord. Now we are called to this mission. Don't try to leave anymore. And let me first invest my life in making disciples.
5. Under no circumstances should you make a booth with your own hands. This is because it is humanism and betrayal of God's grace.-Grace Ministry Information- 97.11 ?얭ermon/Park Seong-gyu-mok