Thank you, Abby.
Well, folks, as we dive into those passages,
before we do so, let us pray together.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the wonderful privilege
it is to gather around your word again this evening.
And Lord, I pray that as we do so,
you would soften our hearts, open our ears.
And may the words of my mouth
and the meditations of all of our hearts
be pleasing to you, our rock and our redeemer.
Amen.
Have you ever had a movie recommended to you?
You know those movie recommendations.
People give you just enough details of the plot line
and the events that happen that you are invested.
You are hooked.
Your interest is piqued.
And they point out different parts of the movie
that they'll think you will enjoy.
And so you eagerly go down to the cinema
or if you're like me, you find it on Netflix
and you settle in to watch it.
For me recently, it was The Revenant.
Maybe for you, it was Inception or The Matrix.
I'm not endorsing any of those movies.
But for most of us, if not all of us,
have been in that situation, haven't we?
So you've got your popcorn,
you've got your drink of choice,
and you are committed to this movie.
But as it goes on,
you find out that it's actually completely different
from what you're expecting.
You'd been sold a superficial run-through
of a plot line that was actually really, really complex.
And so you leave the cinema confused,
thinking you've wasted your time and your money
and you're trying to connect the dots in your head
of what you've just seen.
You were sold a simple story,
but it turned out to be very complex.
That is the book of Jonah.
See, as we start this series,
maybe you're expecting to hear a lot about a big fish.
Maybe you're expecting us preachers to stand up here
and say, Jonah is a bad man.
Don't be like him.
Or maybe you've got images of children's story Bibles
that make this story seem very, very simple.
Well, the longer I've studied Jonah over the last few months,
the more confusing I found it.
See, on one level, this story is simple
and a child can pick up the book of Jonah
and read it and get something from it.
But when you get into the details of the book,
it really isn't that straightforward.
And that's why tonight we're going to do
an introductory sermon,
thinking about Jonah and his background,
giving a bit of an overview of the book,
and then some of the specific challenges
that it brings us today.
And as we go through this series,
what I want us to do is forget everything we know
about the book of Jonah.
And instead, let the text of God's word inform our minds,
challenge our hearts, and impact our lives.
See, this book will both convict and comfort us
as it presents us with its main message,
which the Lord saves.
So the first thing I want us to consider tonight
is Jonah's background.
Look at Jonah chapter one, verse one.
It says,
The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai.
We get a little bit of more information about Jonah
as Abby read to us in 2 Kings chapter 14.
If you turn there in your Bibles,
we'll spend a little bit of time there.
See, this passage introduces us to the prophet Jonah
and helps us see the context and background
that he's coming from.
Now, knowing someone's background
helps us make sense of their present actions, doesn't it?
I'll give you a silly example of this.
Sabina and I have a friend
who makes spaghetti bolognese
in the most bizarre way I've ever seen.
So once the meat is cooked and everything,
they blend it with a soup mixer
into some kind of strange, chunky, smooth sauce.
And now it's perfectly fine
if you have a gag reflex at that
because I know we did when we first heard it.
Now, when I heard that,
I thought it was unbelievably strange.
But when she explained
that that's how her parents had done it,
that's how they taught her
how to cook spaghetti bolognese,
it made sense.
Background is important.
And the same is true for Jonah.
We need to see his background
to understand why he acts the way he does
in this, in the book of Jonah.
So in 2 Kings 14, verse 23,
we're introduced to the king of Israel.
Read it with me.
In the 15th year of Amaziah, son of Joash,
king of Judah,
Jeroboam, son of Jehoiash, king of Israel,
became king in Samaria,
and he reigned 41 years.
Jeroboam II was the most significant political king
of the northern tribe of Israel.
Now, you've got to remember the history
of the Old Testament here.
After King Solomon died,
the 12 tribes of Israel split,
10 remaining in the north,
which then became known as the country of Israel,
and two in the south, known as Judah.
The southern kingdom included Israel.
They had the temple,
and they were the more faithful of the two,
but by no means perfect.
They were captured and taken into captivity
to Babylon first.
But the northern kingdom,
where Jeroboam was king
and where Jonah was prophet,
that was a whole different story.
As you read the book of Kings,
you'll see time and time again
that repeated phrase,
as it does here in verse 24,
the king did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Now, Jeroboam II led Israel
in a time of prosperity,
but it was also a rocky time
because of the idolatry
that had taken root in their country
and in the hearts of its people.
See, the tribes of Israel
were told to travel to the temple in Jerusalem
where they were to worship God.
But in a political move,
Jeroboam II set up two golden calves
and shrines,
one in the north and one in the south
of the kingdom of Israel.
Private places of worship
and golden calves,
two things that should send alarm bells ringing
in our minds for the nation of Israel.
And as yeast spreads through bread,
impacting every part of it,
so the yeast of idolatry
has taken a hold of this nation.
It was a religious melting pot of ideas
that stood against everything
God had commanded his people to do.
And that's the context Jonah was in,
a land of prosperity and idolatry.
And yet God was still working
and the expansion of this kingdom
was his doing.
Look at verse 25.
The expansion of the kingdom,
it was done in accordance
with the word of the Lord,
the God of Israel,
spoken through his servant Jonah,
son of Amittai,
the prophet from Gath-Hefer.
It was Jonah who communicated
God's will to this evil king
to lead the northern country of Israel
in their prosperity.
All of it is God's will.
And then in verse 26,
it says,
the Lord had seen how bitterly
everyone in Israel,
whether slave or free,
was suffering.
There was no one to help them
and since the Lord had not said
he would blot out the name of Israel
from under heaven,
he saved them by the hand
of Jeroboam,
son of Jehoiash.
God was the one who put Jeroboam
on the throne.
Prior to his rule,
Israel was suffering.
It was poor.
It was neglected.
So God delivered them
by giving them this king.
And this teaches us
that God can be at work
and ultimately use things,
people,
and nations
that are evil
for his own good purposes
and to fulfill
his own good plan.
We may not understand that.
We certainly probably all
have questions
about how that works
as we think of examples
in our minds.
But that's the reality
of what this passage teaches us.
God can use
all things,
even evil things,
for his good.
God is compassionate
to the rebellious
people of Israel.
So whilst we may not
understand it fully,
it is a wonderful thing
because it is that same
compassion of God
that results in sinners
like you and like me
having the opportunity
to hear the gospel
and to be made right
with God.
So Jonah was a prophet
to Jeroboam II.
And in verse 25,
he's mentioned
a little bit like
a prophet of the court,
a prophet of God
who would advise
the king
or the government
on matters
and be a voice of reason.
So Jonah lived
a very comfortable life.
He had a place
of power
and honor
in the courtroom
of an evil king.
But he wasn't
the only prophet
active at this time.
Amos and Hosea
were active
at the same time.
And if you read
their books
in the Old Testament,
which I'd encourage you
to do,
you'll see that
they spoke very,
very bluntly
against the idolatry
going on
in the northern kingdom
of Israel.
But not Jonah.
So we have no indication
that he spoke
against idolatry.
And what we do know
of him
from the book of Jonah
doesn't really fill us
with confidence,
does it?
A prophet of God
who might not be
promoting idolatry,
but he is idly
standing by
and he is present
when it's happening.
He doesn't seem
to be calling it
to stop.
Could it be
that the comfort
Jonah enjoyed
in Israel
under Jeroboam II
has led
to spiritual
lukewarmness?
Look at the places
in the world
where there is largely
peace and prosperity.
They are generally
the places
that are also
spiritually lukewarm.
And those places
in the world
where the church
is growing
and thriving
are often
the places
where peace
and plenty
are not the norm.
So the reality
of our human hearts
is that when we
get comfortable
in life,
when things
are going well
for us,
we assume
that we have
the Lord's favour.
Jeroboam
and Israel
show us
that that isn't
always true.
They had peace
and plenty
and yet they were
still seen
as evil
in God's sight.
Now there are
two challenges
for us today
as we think
about Jonah's
background.
The first
is that a nation
can be prosperous.
It can be
a place
of peace
and plenty
and still
be evil
in the Lord's eyes.
Think
of our home.
In times
when our nation
is prospering
which it has
been doing
for a very
long time,
we might
be tempted
to be proud
and think
that we're
blessed by God.
We must be
doing something
right or
we must be
something special.
We do that
on a national
level but we
do it
in our
individual
lives too,
don't we?
We speak
a lot about
idolatry in our
own hearts,
things that we
worship,
the bigger
bank balance,
the bigger
house,
the faster
car,
the newest
phone.
We always
want more
and we
never seem
to have
enough.
We're so
focused on
the temporary
things of
this life
that we
forget about
the important
and eternal
things that
really matter.
See,
in comfort
it's easy
to neglect
our spiritual
welfare.
Maybe you
think you're
fine because
you're living
in a lovely
city,
because you're
going to
church every
Sunday,
you're doing
and saying
all the
right things
in front
of people,
you have
the outward
appearance
that everything
is fine,
but inside
you're spiritually
anemic.
Could we
be doing
our normal
routine and
still be
called evil
in the
Lord's
sight?
Now we
must understand
that a
Christian is
secure in
Christ because
it is God
who saves.
Not our
morality,
not our
religiosity.
Jesus and
his sacrifice
are the only
way that a
person can
be saved
and that
salvation is
secure in
him.
But we
must challenge
ourselves and
ask if we're
just going
through the
motions or
are we truly
following Christ?
So the
book of Jonah
should act as
a warning not
to become
comfortable and
reject faithful
devotion to
God.
But the
second challenge
that it
brings to
us is we
need to ask
ourselves if
we are like
Jonah.
If we're
blending in.
If we're
being so
influenced,
if we're being
influenced more
by our
surroundings than
we are by what
God has revealed
to us in his
word.
Whose agenda
are we
following?
have we
become so
comfortable in
this world that
we no longer
stand out?
We blend in
so much that
people don't
even know we're
Christians.
Do your
community,
your family,
our friends,
our work
colleagues notice
a difference in
the way that we
live, the way
that we talk,
the way that we
think and the
way we approach
people?
Do they see
a fundamental
difference that
we are living
for something,
for someone
else?
So our lives
as Christians
shouldn't be,
should be
counter-cultural,
not cultural
conformists.
That's Jonah's
background.
He was a
prophet in a
rebellious nation
under a
rebellious king
who lived a
life of peace,
plenty,
and promise.
dominants.
The second
thing I want
us to think
about this
evening is
Jonah's book.
Now turn back
with me to the
book of Jonah.
And the big
question we need
to ask when we
come to any
book of the
Bible is,
who was it
written by,
and who was
it written for?
Now we aren't
told who wrote
it, but there
are details in
this book that
only Jonah
himself would
know.
So personally,
I think this
book was written
by Jonah after
the events,
after everything
had taken
place.
So Jonah was
written to the
Israelites, the
people that we
were just
thinking about in
Jonah's background.
Let me tell you
why I think
this.
As you go
through the
book, you'll
see that Jonah
has certain
ideas about who
and where,
to who,
sorry, and
where God's
love and mercy
should be shown.
And the
whole point of
this book is
to help the
readers see that
God's love,
God's compassion
is not limited to
a certain people
in a certain
place, but it
extends far,
far wider than
we can even
begin to
imagine.
So if you're
looking for a
statement that
summarizes Jonah
and this sermon
series, it is
that the Lord
saves.
Let's dive into
the specifics of
the book itself.
See, Jonah's
one of those
books that most
people who've
spent any time
in church at
all will have
heard it.
Children's
Bible story
books will
normally have a
story about it,
but do we
really understand
what this book
teaches?
For example,
most of you,
when you think
about the book
of Jonah,
will think,
and hopefully
you can engage
with me a little
bit and join in
and finish this
sentence for me,
Jonah and the
whale.
Jonah or the
big fish.
That's immediately
what we think
about, isn't
it?
Well, Jonah has
four chapters.
It is made up
of 48 verses,
and guess how
many of those
are dedicated
to the fish?
Two.
Jonah 1.17.
Now the Lord
provided a huge
fish to swallow
Jonah, and Jonah
was in the belly
of the fish three
days and three
nights.
And then in
chapters 2,
verse 10,
and the Lord
commanded the
fish and it
vomited Jonah
onto dry ground.
One mentioned
when Jonah was
swallowed and the
next when he was
spat out on the
sea, on the
beach.
See, I don't
think, I don't
know, I don't
think we know
this book as well
as we think we
do.
Because we
associate it with
an event that's
actually only
mentioned twice,
or referenced
twice, and in
passing at that.
So what I want
us to do is
forget everything
we know about
Jonah and
have the Bible
inform our
understanding of
it.
See, the book
can be summarized
like this.
God tells Jonah
to go to a
scary people,
the Ninevites.
Jonah runs the
opposite way.
Prophet goes to
the sea, he's
eaten by a
fish.
Jonah repents
in that fish
and is puked up
on the beach.
Jonah goes to
the bad people
of Nineveh.
They repent.
Jonah is
angry.
And so
usually the
application that
people come to
when they read
Jonah is, Jonah
is a bad
racist man.
Do not be
like Jonah.
But that
doesn't quite
fit.
Because in the
New Testament,
in Luke 11,
Jesus compares
himself to
Jonah.
So surely
we can't say
that Jonah is
bad and we
shouldn't be
like him.
This book
does raise a
lot of
questions that
we'll get
to over the
next four
weeks.
Questions like
why is
Jonah so
angry, both
of the
Ninevites and
at God?
Why exactly
didn't he want
to go to the
Ninevites?
What are his
motives behind
all of this?
Why does this
book end the
way it does?
See, Jonah
isn't like any
other prophetic
book in the
Old Testament.
Most other
books focus on
the message of
the prophet.
They're basically
full of speeches
that God has
commissioned
prophets to go
and communicate
to people, to
call them to
repent and
turn to God.
But Jonah
isn't really
about his
message, but
it's about his
journey.
Jonah's actual
message is in
chapter 3, verse 4,
where it says
this, 40
more days and
Nineveh will
be overthrown.
The shortest
sermon you've
ever heard in
your life.
A message that
is actually only
five words in
the Hebrew
language.
See, Jonah's
a bit like a
Hollywood thriller
movie.
You know those
movies, they're
full of ups and
downs, plot
twists and turns.
One minute you
think the main
character will do
one thing, but
then you're left
absolutely confused
as it twists and
they do something
completely different.
That's Jonah.
He is a classic
example of Hebrew
literature, which
Archie will touch
on next week.
There are intricate
structure, parallels,
humour, irony, all
put together in a
masterpiece to help
us see the truth
that the Lord
saves.
But why did
Israel get this
book?
Well, my personal
opinion is that
Jonah wrote this
after the events
took place because
he got home to
the nation of
Israel and he
saw the danger
of their view of
God.
He saw how their
understanding of
God's love and
mercy was restricted
to them as a
people.
And so in
humility, Jonah
penned this book
using himself as
an example of
that change that
needed to happen
in the hearts of
Israel.
See, it's as if
Jonah got back to
the land of
Israel after all
of this had
happened, saw
those attitudes
that he saw in
himself and he
says, everyone
come in, story
time.
Let me tell you
about a time in
my life that you
need to hear as
well.
See, this book
focuses on God's
control over all
creation, people and
planet alike and it
is God's decision
salvation who he
showers his love
and mercy on because
it is the Lord who
saves.
That's what this
book will teach us.
But the third and
final thing I want us
to think about this
evening is Jonah's
challenge.
And by that I mean
what this book means
for us today.
So it presents us
with that wonderful
truth that the Lord
saves.
And the impact of
that message has
consequences on how
we view ourselves
as Christians and
how we view and
act towards non
Christians around
us.
See, as Christians
we understand the
gospel.
We know the
life-saving message
of Jesus' death and
resurrection which is
wonderful but it
can also produce
pride in us.
See, it can lead to
what I call Christian
snobbery.
The idea that
because of our faith
we're somehow
better than everyone
else out there
can lead to
Christians looking
down on others
instead of showing
them love and
being witnesses to
them like we were
called to do.
This book also
views, so challenges
the way we view
other people.
Now Jonah did
express a sense of
toxic nationalism and
racism towards the
Ninevites.
As an outsider
looking in on the
city of Nineveh,
Jonah saw a
ruthless people,
brutal in their
attacks and who
would stop at
nothing to expand
their borders.
Historical paintings
and artifacts
highlight the
brutality of this
kingdom that was,
would become the
biggest power at
the time.
and who would
eventually attack
and conquer the
northern kingdom
of Israel.
See, it's as if
when Jonah heard
God tell him,
go and preach to
Nineveh, he said,
the Ninevites?
Why would I
preach to the
Ninevites?
They don't deserve
a relationship with
God.
They only deserve
punishment for their
sins and their
stupidity.
they don't deserve
forgiveness.
Now, maybe we
don't use those
words, but that
sentiment is alive
today.
Because like Jonah,
in our time of
peace and plenty,
we have forgotten
the urgency and
the necessity to
share the good
news of Jesus
Christ with all
people as we've
been thinking in
the book of Acts
in the morning
service.
See, we're
tempted to look
at others and
their conduct and
think that we are
superior to them
and they don't
deserve the gospel.
We might see a
non-Christian living
out a party
lifestyle and
feeling the
effects of that
on their body,
on their mental
health, on their
finances, and we
might think they're
being stupid.
What we should
actually be doing
is coming alongside
that person because
they're hurting.
standing on the
sidelines in
judgment whilst
people are hurting
is never something
we should do.
And it is not
something the Bible
tells us to do
either.
The problem was
that Jonah looked
at other people and
all he saw was
enemies instead of
viewing them as
people in need of
God's salvation.
See, Jonah looked
at Nineveh and saw
people deserving of
judgment.
Jesus looked at
people and saw
he saw all the
chaotic worlds that
we live in.
He saw the mess of
their lives.
He saw rebellion and
sin.
And what did he say?
Matthew 9 verse 36
says, when he,
Jesus, saw the
crowds, he had
compassion on them
because they were
harassed and helpless
like sheep without a
shepherd.
So as you look out of
the people on this
world, they are not
enemies.
They are human beings
made in the image of
God who need to be
told the life-changing
message of Jesus.
And we need to
remember that it is the
Lord who saves.
No amount of
religiosity, no amount
of moral living will
ever be enough.
Nobody is saved
outside the saving
work of God through
his son, Jesus Christ.
And the turning
point to an extent
for Jonah was when
he was in the belly
of the fish.
God worked out his
sovereign plan by
sending his man into
the depths for three
days and three nights.
How does that change
come about in our
hearts?
Well, through the
greater servant, the
ultimate servant of
God, Jesus, the
suffering servant who
was nailed to a
cross, murdered the
though innocent,
placed in a borrowed
tomb for three days
and yet who rose
victorious, defeating
sin, defeating death
and bringing forgiveness
to all who would
call on his name.
That is the change
of heart that we need
in order to view this
world not as enemies
but to have compassion
on them because they
are harassed and
helpless like sheep
without a shepherd.
God's love for you.
This book, Jonah,
challenges us and
challenges our view of
God, our view of
others and our view of
ourselves.
The message that it
leaves ringing in our
ears is the Lord
saves.
The book of Jonah
ends with a question
and is deliberately
being written like that
so that the reader can
ask themselves that same
question.
At the end of Jonah
in chapter 4, God
simply asks Jonah and
I'm paraphrasing but he
basically says, and we
need this question today
too, isn't it right,
God says, for me to
show love and mercy to
all people, not only
those that you think
deserve it?
So you think back to
that movie recommendation
from a friend.
That turns out to be
much more complex than
they said it would be.
Jonah is like that.
On the surface, it is
simple but it presents
us with a lot of hard
questions.
The book of Jonah isn't
a kid's story that we
can easily skip over
because it's short and
simple but it is part of
God's word and it will
challenge our minds, it
will stretch our
imagination of who God
is and how he
approaches people and it
will encourage us to see
that his limitless love
and mercy extends way
beyond we can even
imagine to people who
are harassed like sheep
without a shepherd.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank you
for your word.
We thank you for the
wonderful news that you
alone are the one who
saves.
Father, forgive us for the
times where we have looked
down on others, where we
have thought that we are
superior because of our
faith in you.
Lord, help us remember
that we are solely saved
by your grace and that
nobody is deserving of
salvation.
But also, Lord, we ask
that you would be with
those who maybe think
that they are beyond
salvation, that they've
done too much, that they've
gone too far.
As we journey through the
book of Jonah, would the
truth ring in their minds
that there is no one who
can out-sin God's grace?
Father, would you lift our
eyes to Jesus?
And would we be better
disciples of him as we
wrestle with the book of
Jonah?
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.