Today we come to the second part of the sum\u00admer ser\u00admon series, in which we accom\u00adpa\u00adny peo\u00adp\u00adle as they go through life with their holy God. Last time we loo\u00adked at the three fri\u00adends Shadrach, Mes\u00adhach and Abed-Nego as they went all out for their God. They were rea\u00addy to lay down their lives for him \u2013 but God saved them. This ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly led to a gre\u00adat king who could not help but con\u00adfess that only this God can save. Today we want to look at the pro\u00adphet Jonah. He is one of the so-cal\u00adled twel\u00adve minor pro\u00adphe\u00adts. He expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced in his own body that only this God can save. What is exci\u00adting about Jonah, howe\u00adver, is that his book con\u00adta\u00adins only one pro\u00adphe\u00adcy. But what makes this pro\u00adphet so spe\u00adcial? The book of Jonah impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly descri\u00adbes his jour\u00adney with God. Quite honest\u00adly and wit\u00adhout shy\u00ading away from what others might think about him. It is about giving all glo\u00adry to his holy God.<\/p>\n
Jonah dis\u00adap\u00adpears \tHave you tur\u00adned back to God and admit\u00adted to Him and to yours\u00adelf that your own ways did not lead you to the desi\u00adred goal? \tHave you tur\u00adned back to God and admit\u00adted to Him and to yours\u00adelf that your own ways did not lead you to the desi\u00adred goal? Today we come to the second part of the sum\u00admer ser\u00admon series, in which we accom\u00adpa\u00adny peo\u00adp\u00adle as they go through life with their holy God. Last time, we loo\u00adked at the three fri\u00adends Shadrach, Mes\u00adhach and Abed\u00adn\u00adego as they went all out for their God. They were pre\u00adpared to lay down their lives for him \u2013 but God saved\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":7452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","wpfc-sermon-single","post-7442","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nJonah was a pro\u00adphet, i.e. a man of God who pro\u00adphe\u00adsied things in the name of God and was in his ser\u00advice. He was acti\u00adve during the heyday of the nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom of Isra\u00adel. At this time, Jero\u00adboam II<\/span> reig\u00adned, who was the last gre\u00adat king befo\u00adre the fall of the king\u00addom. Jonah pro\u00adphe\u00adsied mili\u00adta\u00adry suc\u00adcess for him. \u00abJero\u00adboam regai\u00adned Israel\u2019s ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adries bet\u00adween Hamath and the Salt Sea, as the LORD<\/span> God of Isra\u00adel had pro\u00adphe\u00adsied through his ser\u00advant Jonah son of Amit\u00adtai, the pro\u00adphet from Gath-Hefer\u00bb (2 Kings 14:25 NLB<\/span>). The nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a good time. The ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry was as lar\u00adge as befo\u00adre. Power was poli\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly secu\u00adre and the peo\u00adp\u00adle were doing well. But this was not the case in the reli\u00adgious sphe\u00adre. The nor\u00adt\u00adhern king\u00addom had renoun\u00adced their god. He the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre repea\u00adted\u00adly sent pro\u00adphe\u00adts like Jonah to exhort the peo\u00adp\u00adle to rep\u00adent. Next Sun\u00adday we will look at one such pro\u00adphet. The pre\u00addic\u00adtion that Jero\u00adboam II<\/span> will regain the ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adries bet\u00adween the Salt Sea and Hamath is the only pro\u00adphe\u00adcy of Jonah that is addres\u00adsed to his own peo\u00adp\u00adle. Jonah recei\u00adves a com\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon from his God to go to Nin\u00adeveh and pro\u00adcla\u00adim a mes\u00adsa\u00adge of jud\u00adge\u00adment the\u00adre. This is not\u00adhing new in and of its\u00adelf. The\u00adre have always been mes\u00adsa\u00adges of jud\u00adge\u00adment from the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes to other nati\u00adons. What makes Jonah uni\u00adque, howe\u00adver, is that Jonah is to deli\u00adver this mes\u00adsa\u00adge to his enemies himself.
\nBut who were the\u00adse Assy\u00adri\u00adans? The Assy\u00adri\u00adans shaped events in the Near East for a few cen\u00adtu\u00adries. Until they were repla\u00adced by the Baby\u00adlo\u00adni\u00adans, they were a gre\u00adat power. Nin\u00adeveh was the capi\u00adtal and a poli\u00adti\u00adcal and reli\u00adgious cent\u00adre. The Assy\u00adri\u00adans were cruel and feared by their enemies. I would like to illus\u00adtra\u00adte this with an exam\u00adp\u00adle. When I was a stu\u00addent, I took the sub\u00adject \u00abIntro\u00adduc\u00adtion to the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment\u00bb. It dealt with basic ques\u00adti\u00adons of the bibli\u00adcal books such as aut\u00adhor\u00adship, time of ori\u00adgin, struc\u00adtu\u00adre, etc. I can hard\u00adly remem\u00adber the details of the books. I can hard\u00adly remem\u00adber the details of the lec\u00adtu\u00adre. But the\u00adre is some\u00adthing I remem\u00adber all too well, becau\u00adse it cap\u00adti\u00adva\u00adted me then and still does today. Name\u00adly, when it came to the war\u00adfa\u00adre of the Assy\u00adri\u00adans. I have to warn you, this is not for the faint-hear\u00adted, but I will share it with you so that you get a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of this gre\u00adat power. In tho\u00adse days, the dead were trea\u00adted well. They bur\u00adned them and took care not to dese\u00adcra\u00adte them. But the Assy\u00adri\u00adans were quite dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. When they atta\u00adcked an ene\u00admy city, they took the dead mem\u00adbers of ene\u00admy tro\u00adops. They skin\u00adned them and harnes\u00adsed them to their shields and atta\u00adcked the city that way. Now ima\u00adgi\u00adne that you have to defend this town. Now, every time you shoot an arrow at a shield, you are lite\u00adral\u00adly shoo\u00adting at peo\u00adp\u00adle of your own peo\u00adp\u00adle \u2013 dead fri\u00adends and fami\u00adly members.
\nJonah is now given the task of brin\u00adging God\u2019s mes\u00adsa\u00adge to the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle. \u00abSet out and go to the gre\u00adat city of Nin\u00adeveh! Pro\u00adcla\u00adim what I must bring against them, for their wicked\u00adness has come up to me!\u00bb (Jonah 1:2 NLB<\/span>). Jonah is sent to the hosti\u00adle, cruel gre\u00adat power. What does he deci\u00adde? No won\u00adder \u2013 he runs away. Well done Jonah, save your skin. Becau\u00adse what was the reason for his decis\u00adi\u00adon? \u00ab[\u2026] He wan\u00adted to get away from the pre\u00adsence of the LORD<\/span>\u00bb (Jonah 1:3 NLB<\/span>). Becau\u00adse going to the\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle with a mes\u00adsa\u00adge of jud\u00adge\u00adment is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly the worst thing that can hap\u00adpen to you.
\nJonah the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre takes the next ship, which is bound for Spain. A big storm comes up on the way. But Jonah is una\u00adwa\u00adre of it, he is fast asleep. The other sail\u00adors beco\u00adme incre\u00adasing\u00adly frigh\u00adten\u00aded and pray to their gods. They wake Jonah up so that he can pray to his god. But Jonah rea\u00adli\u00adses that he is to bla\u00adme for the storm. Some\u00adthing gets lost too quick\u00adly in this inci\u00addent; I have to sum\u00adma\u00adri\u00adse the enti\u00adre four chap\u00adters, but I would like to lin\u00adger here for a moment. Becau\u00adse when it beca\u00adme clear that Jonah was to bla\u00adme, they ask ques\u00adti\u00adons. \u00ab \u00abTell us why this dis\u00adas\u00adter has befal\u00adlen us,\u00bb they said. \u00abWhat is your pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon? What coun\u00adtry are you from? What peo\u00adp\u00adle do you belong to?\u00bb \u00bb (Jonah 1:8 NLB<\/span>). The ans\u00adwer comes prompt\u00adly. \u00ab[\u2026] I am a Hebrew, and I wor\u00adship the LORD<\/span>, the God of hea\u00adven, who crea\u00adted the sea and the land\u00bb (Jonah 1:9 NLB<\/span>). Did you noti\u00adce any\u00adthing? What does he say about his pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon? He does\u00adn\u2019t give an exact ans\u00adwer, just \u00abI wor\u00adship the LORD<\/span>\u00bb. He descri\u00adbes his job as wor\u00adship. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that the most important task for fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ should also be wor\u00adship. This should per\u00adme\u00ada\u00adte everything.
\nJonah turns back
\nKno\u00adwing that he will be respon\u00adsi\u00adble for the death of the enti\u00adre crew if he stays on board, Jonah lets hims\u00adelf be thrown into the water. At that moment, the sea calms down! \u00abThe sail\u00adors were sei\u00adzed with deep rever\u00adence for the LORD<\/span>, offe\u00adred sacri\u00adfices to him and swo\u00adre to ser\u00adve him\u00bb (Jonah 1:16 NLB<\/span>). They could not help but wor\u00adship the God of Jonah. Jonah sacri\u00adfi\u00adced hims\u00adelf for the lives of others. Becau\u00adse the con\u00adse\u00adquence of not obey\u00ading a holy God is death! Is that the case? No! Becau\u00adse God is a gra\u00adcious and mer\u00adciful God. He does not aban\u00addon Jonah. \u00abThe LORD<\/span> sent a gre\u00adat fish that swal\u00adlo\u00adwed Jonah. Jonah was in the bel\u00adly of the fish for three days and three nights\u00bb (Jonah 2:1 NLB<\/span>).
\nEven today, peo\u00adp\u00adle find God in the most spe\u00adcial places and moments. Jonah did too \u2013 he had his con\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adon expe\u00adri\u00adence in the bel\u00adly of a fish. The\u00adre he prays to his God and I want to share the last two ver\u00adses of this pray\u00ader with you. \u00abTho\u00adse who wor\u00adship fal\u00adse gods for\u00adsa\u00adke your mer\u00adcy. But I will thank you aloud, offer sacri\u00adfices and keep my vows. For help comes from the LORD<\/span>\u00bb (Jonah 2:9\u201310 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhoe\u00adver does not wor\u00adship the Lord renoun\u00adces his grace. Renoun\u00adces accep\u00adtance. Renoun\u00adces for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Renoun\u00adces life. All this is pro\u00admi\u00adsed to peo\u00adp\u00adle who con\u00adfess God. Jonah expects help from God in the bel\u00adly of the fish. In a despe\u00adra\u00adte situa\u00adti\u00adon, at a point whe\u00adre he sees no way out, he prays to God. He con\u00adfes\u00adses his faith in Him and expects help from Him alo\u00adne. What does God do? \u00abThen the LORD<\/span> com\u00adman\u00added the fish to spit Jonah out on the beach\u00bb (Jonah 2:11 NLB<\/span>). God only respon\u00added after three days. Have you ever been alo\u00adne for a long time? Dis\u00adtrac\u00adtion comes in han\u00addy. But Jonah did\u00adn\u2019t have that. But what he did have was much more signi\u00adfi\u00adcant. He had a deep, inner con\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adon to God and God saved him. God is a gra\u00adcious and mer\u00adciful God, but also a con\u00adsis\u00adtent God. This is why Jonah is told to go to Nin\u00adeveh again.
\nJonah has trou\u00adble with the natu\u00adre of a holy God
\nThis time Jonah car\u00adri\u00ades out the mis\u00adsi\u00adon. When he arri\u00adves in Nin\u00adeveh, he announ\u00adces God\u2019s dis\u00adas\u00adter. This is also the only pro\u00adphe\u00adcy in the enti\u00adre book. \u00ab[\u2026] Nin\u00adeveh will be des\u00adtroy\u00aded in 40 days!\u00bb (Jonah 3:4 NLB<\/span>). Jonah must have been a gifted spea\u00adk\u00ader. Becau\u00adse this simp\u00adle mes\u00adsa\u00adge trig\u00adge\u00adred an ear\u00adth\u00adqua\u00adke. The peo\u00adp\u00adle rea\u00adli\u00adse that they have not done the right thing. They turn back to the LORD<\/span>. It has not been their God until now, but they hum\u00adble them\u00adsel\u00adves. When God sees their beha\u00adviour, he has mer\u00adcy on them. \u00abWhen God saw that they had tur\u00adned from their wicked ways, he reg\u00adret\u00adted that he had threa\u00adten\u00aded them with dis\u00adas\u00adter and spared them\u00bb (Jonah 3:10 NLB<\/span>). Just as God was mer\u00adciful to Jonah, he is also mer\u00adciful to Nin\u00adeveh. But Jonah\u2019s respon\u00adse is not long in coming. \u00abHe com\u00adplai\u00adned to the LORD<\/span>, \u00abO LORD<\/span>, did\u00adn\u2019t I say this befo\u00adre I left home? That\u2019s why I ran away to Tars\u00adhish! I knew that you are a gra\u00adcious and mer\u00adciful God, that you are pati\u00adent and full of mer\u00adcy, becau\u00adse you are sor\u00adry for the dis\u00adas\u00adter\u00bb (Jonah 4:2 NLB<\/span>). Jonah has expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced God\u2019s mer\u00adcy and grace in his own body, but does not grant it to Nin\u00adeveh. His reac\u00adtion to God\u2019s actions is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre remar\u00adkab\u00adle. He prays: \u00abPut an end to my life, Lord! I would rather die than live\u00bb (Jonah 4:3 NLB<\/span>).
\nHow should we judge the actions of Jonah? Is it not also under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble? He risks his life to bring the mes\u00adsa\u00adge to this city. It cost him ever\u00ady\u00adthing. That is how it should be for the inha\u00adbi\u00adtants of this city. I can ima\u00adgi\u00adne that Jonah was also very frus\u00adtra\u00adted. For alt\u00adhough mes\u00adsa\u00adges of rep\u00aden\u00adtance are repea\u00adted\u00adly given to their own peo\u00adp\u00adle, they do not return to their God. Yet the capi\u00adtal of a world power at that time turns back through a sin\u00adgle ser\u00admon! What about us. Are we hap\u00adpy for others when their fri\u00adends, fami\u00adly, acquain\u00adtances come to Jesus? What does it do to you when this does not hap\u00adpen in your own envi\u00adron\u00adment? Do we also grant the grace of God to others, or only to ourselves?
\nEven though Jonah has con\u00adsidera\u00adble trou\u00adble with God now, God has not for\u00adgot\u00adten him. Jonah sits down out\u00adside the city and waits for dis\u00adas\u00adter to come. God is also mer\u00adciful in this situa\u00adti\u00adon and lets a cas\u00adtor bean bush grow to give him sha\u00adde. The cas\u00adtor bean bush is poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus to us humans. Nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, Jonah is very hap\u00adpy about the sha\u00adde, it che\u00aders him up and he is con\u00adtent again. Alt\u00adhough the shrub is poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus, the\u00adre is exact\u00adly one worm that is the cas\u00adtor bean\u2019s pre\u00adda\u00adtor and does not mind the poi\u00adson. During the night, one of the\u00adse worms comes and des\u00adtroys the plant. This makes Jonah extre\u00adme\u00adly angry again. Thereu\u00adpon he is con\u00adfron\u00adted by God, but Jonah\u2019s ans\u00adwer is miss\u00ading. God con\u00adfronts him becau\u00adse he is mer\u00adciful to peo\u00adp\u00adle and ani\u00admals that he hims\u00adelf has crea\u00adted. On the other hand, the\u00adre is an angry Jonah who gets so upset becau\u00adse of a bush to which he has con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adted nothing.
\nI would like to come back brief\u00adly to the cas\u00adtor oil plant. As I said, it is poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus and yet ser\u00adves to save Jonah from the sun. Isn\u2019t this also a bit of a para\u00addox? During the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon, this poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus shrub beca\u00adme a pic\u00adtu\u00adre for me of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. Becau\u00adse God uses some\u00adthing dead\u00adly to save us humans. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dies on the cross to bring life to us, his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. It is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly this Jesus who refers to Jonah when announ\u00adcing his death. \u00abJust as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the bel\u00adly of the gre\u00adat fish, so the Son of Man will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth\u00bb (Matthew 12:40 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhat does the sto\u00adry of Jonah have to tell us? Per\u00adhaps some\u00adthing in the cour\u00adse of the ser\u00admon has alre\u00ada\u00addy spo\u00adken to you. But I would like to brief\u00adly touch on ano\u00adther point here. Have you ever won\u00adde\u00adred who wro\u00adte the book of Jonah? It was Jonah hims\u00adelf! He hims\u00adelf does not come across as very prai\u00adse\u00adwor\u00adt\u00adhy. How do you deal with your own life sto\u00adry? Do you sweep ever\u00ady\u00adthing under a car\u00adpet? Does ever\u00ady\u00adthing shi\u00adne super\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly for you? How about taking Jonah as a role model? He admit\u00adted his weak\u00adne\u00adss \u2013 to give God all the glory.
\nInvi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to you to beco\u00adme a mes\u00adsen\u00adger like Jonah. This starts with admit\u00adting that we some\u00adti\u00admes go our own way. But this rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon can lead us to rep\u00adent back to God. Through rep\u00aden\u00adtance, we are more open to doing what God wants us to do. But when we are on the way with God, it can hap\u00adpen that we are ama\u00adzed anew, some\u00adti\u00admes even indignant about the natu\u00adre of our holy God. But it is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly this, our life sto\u00adry, that we can use to give all glo\u00adry to our God.
\nAgain, I would like to give you three ques\u00adti\u00adons at the end. Choo\u00adse one for yours\u00adelf, ans\u00adwer it for yours\u00adelf \u2013 and try to take a step towards implementation.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat part of your life sto\u00adry are you con\u00adstant\u00adly poli\u00adshing and hiding? Could it be time to stand by it and give God all the glo\u00adry through it?
\n\tCan you grant others that God is also mer\u00adciful and gra\u00adcious to them? Why can\u2019t you rejoice with them?<\/p>\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Jonah 1\u20134<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat part of your life sto\u00adry are you con\u00adstant\u00adly poli\u00adshing and hiding? Could it be time to stand by it and give God all the glo\u00adry through it?
\n\tCan you grant others that God is also mer\u00adciful and gra\u00adcious to them? Why can\u2019t you rejoice with them?
\n\tWhe\u00adre can you best iden\u00adti\u00adfy with Jonah?
\n\tDo you under\u00adstand the image of the cas\u00adtor bush? What could this mean for you per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly if God saves through death?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"