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Sabbath School 4th Quarter 2023: God's Mission My Mission

Mark Finley

01 God’s Mission to Us Part 1

02 God’s Mission to Us Part 2

03 God’s Call to Mission

04 Sharing God’s Mission

05 Excuses to Avoid Mission

06 Motivation and Preparation for Mission

07 Mission to My Neighbor

Unlocking the Secrets of Prayer

08 Mission to the Needy

09 Mission to the Powerful

10 Mission to the Unreached Part 1

11 Mission to the Unreached, Part 2

12 Esther and Mordecai

13 The End of God’s Mission


Welcome back. We're on lesson number 5 in our Sabbath School series, God's Mission, My Mission. Last week we studied about Abraham and we saw 3 things about Abraham's life. First, Abraham's hospitality, his kindness in reaching out to strangers. Secondly, Abraham's love for those who didn't have the same values that he had, his love for sinners, Sodom and Gomorrah.

Then we saw thirdly, Abraham's mighty intercession. Now this week, we're going to predominantly be studying about Jonah. Jonah and Abraham are quite a contrast. What do you think about when you think about Jonah? What's the first thing that comes to your mind?

Well, he was swallowed in the belly of a whale, somebody says. Well, there's a lot more deeper lessons to the story than that. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach there to that wicked city. Jonah, having his life filled with fear, went the opposite direction. Now, to Nineveh, from where Jonah was in Joppa, would have been about 1 month's journey.

But he went a month in the opposite direction toward Tarshish And why did he do that? What motivated Jonah not to be faithful to God's call? And what lessons can we learn from it? Well, the first thing that I'd like us to consider is Sunday's lesson titled, Fear. Jonah was fearful.

I wonder why. Well, we might get some help. Let's go to the book of Nahum. That's Nahum chapter 3 and there's a woe on Nineveh. It says, Woe to the bloody city!

It's full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs, the noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots, horsemen with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a number of bodies, countless corpses, they stumble over the corpses. Nineveh, the great capital of the Assyrian Empire was led out by King Sennacherib. Sennacherib was a ruthless leader that would totally destroy and devastate anyone that got in his way.

Nineveh was 1 of the wickedest, cruel, bloody cities of the world. And Ellen White makes this comment about Nineveh in Prophets and Kings, page 265. That's Prophets and Kings 265. Among the cities of the ancient world and the days of divided Israel, 1 of the greatest was Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian realm. In the time of its temporal prosperity, Nineveh was a center of crime and wickedness.

Inspiration has characterized it, now don't miss this, as the bloody city full of lies and robbery. In figurative language, the prophet Nahum compared the Ninevites to a cruel, ravenous lion, upon whom he inquired, hath not the wickedness passed continually? Now, you can see why Jonah might have been afraid. He knew the reputation of Nineveh. He knew it is the bloody city.

He knew the ruthlessness of Sennacherib and he was called by God to go to that city to call it to repentance. Now, Nineveh was this magnificent city. Historians tell us this is an accurate, expanded the city, including he built this huge southwestern palace that measured 1, 650 feet by 794 feet. He built 18 canals to bring water into the city. Incidentally, the palace had 80 rooms.

It was incredibly magnificent. And you could see why Jonah, knowing about that city, its wickedness, its wealth, its luxury, knowing about Sennacherib and his ruthlessness, might have been fearful. And he might have thought in his mind, I can't go to that city. If I go there and preach to them and it's repentance, I may end up beheaded. I may end up killed.

I am not going there." So Jonah goes in the opposite direction. Now 1 of the reasons that Jonah did that was because of fear. Have you been characterized by fear sometimes to witness to your neighbors? Maybe you felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to witness to a work colleague, but you felt fearful. Maybe you have been impressed by the Spirit to witness to a student in your class, but you've been fearful.

Maybe you've been impressed to say something to a teacher, but you felt that you were filled with fear. Why is it that we feel filled with fear? God had to teach Jonah a lesson. So as Jonah boards the boat to go in the opposite direction of where he's supposed to be going, and sometimes we go in the opposite direction too. We know what God wants us to do, but we're fearful.

Jonah had a false view. He had the view that the salvation of Nineveh depended upon him. He had the view that he was totally in control. God had to show him that he wasn't in control. God had to show him that God was still sovereign and God could deal with that city.

So as Jonah gets on the boat to go in the opposite direction of where God wants him to go, something takes place. We find what that is in the book of Jonah, and we find it in Jonah, the second chapter, Jonah, chapter 2. We find exactly what happens in that story. Jonah, second chapter. And we're looking in Monday's lesson, Jonah 2, verses 1 to 3.

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, from the fish's belly. Now, you remember what happens in Jonah 1, Jonah's going the opposite direction. There's a storm that comes up. Jonah's cast out of the boat. He ends up in the belly of a whale.

And now he's praying to God. Jonah, chapter 2, verse 1, prayed to the Lord, his God from the fish's belly. He said, I cried out to the Lord because my affliction, he answered me out of the belly of Sheol. I cried and you heard my voice. You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas and the floods surrounded me and your billows and your waves passed over me.

Then I've said I've been cast out of your sight. Yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The waters encompass me, even my soul. What's going on? What is God trying to teach Jonah?

God is teaching Jonah that he is sovereign. When we go into a city to witness for Christ, and our knees tremble in fear, and there are knots in our stomach, God's still sovereign. You may have been thrust into a culture that's different than yours, may be fearful of witnessing in the context of that culture, but God is still sovereign, certainly. We need to be discreet, diplomatic, but yet recognize that mission does not depend on us, it depends on God. We are chosen for mission, but mission is God's work, and we're participating with him in his mission, because God is already working there.

Was God working on the hearts of the Ninevites before Jonah ever got there? Was God moving by his spirit in that capital of Assyria before Jonah ever came? Certainly. So Jonah has this false view that witness, the success in witness depends upon him. And I like what is placed in our lesson in the last paragraph.

It says, another misunderstanding that stops us from accepting God's call into mission is believing that success depends on ourselves. We can no more save a soul than Jonah could save Nineveh. We can have a savior mentality about our mission. Our call is not to do the saving, now get this, but to cooperate with God in his saving work. Now that takes all the pressure off you.

We don't have to be fearful. We don't have to make excuses and have this false view that the salvation of others depends on us. God is working, God is sovereign, we cooperate with him in his mission. Now for Jonah, it's very inconvenient to do what God called him to do. Sometimes it's inconvenient for us.

It's inconvenient for us to get out on Sabbath afternoon, knock on doors and give out literature. It's inconvenient at times for us to witness to a neighbor. It's inconvenient at times for us to spend that extra time after work talking to a work colleague. But God has never said witnessing would be without sacrifice. He never said witnessing would not be inconvenient.

Jonah relates in Jonah chapter 3. It says the word of the Lord comes to Jonah, verse 1. The second time says, Arise and go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach it, the message that I'll tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh. Now, here's the good news.

Jonah did not reject God's call the second time. He went, he preached, and the Spirit of God was poured out. God's mission is carried forward on the shoulders of those that are willing to make a sacrifice. Jonah heard the call of God. Jonah had to make the sacrifice necessary to go to Nineveh.

Whatever form it may take, it could be sacrifice of time, it could be sacrifice of money, sacrifice of our relative and friends, sacrifice because we are stepping out to go to some mission call. We all make sacrifices from time to time. But as a church member, God is calling you to sacrifice time, energy, finances, for the glory of God to win men and women for Christ and his kingdom. Now sometimes, sometimes as we go, we are uncomfortable. There's confrontation as we share a piece of literature.

Not everybody accepts. Now in Jonah's instance, Jonah goes and he preaches. And it says in Jonah chapter 3, verse 8, let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily to God. So he's preaching to Nineveh. And let everyone turn from this evil way and from violence that's in his hands, who can tell if God will turn and relent and turn away for his face?

From his fierce anger so that we may not perish. Now, notice verse 10. So God saw their works that they turned from their evil way. God relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring upon them and he did not do it. You would, the spirit of God came down.

Nineveh was the most unlikely place for revival. Nineveh was the most unlikely place to repent. But God worked on the hearts of the Ninevites, led them to conversion, and the entire city was converted. Sometimes the most unlikely prospect, sometimes the most unlikely situation, sometimes the most unlikely place becomes the fertile place for the moving of God's spirit. God is sovereign.

As we're faithful to reach out to Him in spite of our fear, in spite of inconvenience, as we reach out for Christ, He moves powerfully through us. And at times, in the most unlikely places, we see God moving. Now, you'd think that Jonah would have raised his hand, said, hallelujah. You'd think Jonah would have been so thrilled at what happened. He was not.

Why? Because he was looking at himself. He thought, my, I preach, they're going to repent, Jonah chapter 4. Jonah becomes angry at God's kindness. Can you believe that?

And Jonah goes out and he's sulking, sitting under a tree. What's God do? What does God do? He lets this tree grow and Jonah's out there in a hot sun, he's sweating. A tree gives him shade.

And Jonah has a little relief, but then the tree withers up and dies And the gourd falls off. And Jonah is saying, God, why'd you do that? What is God trying to teach Jonah in this story? We can read about it here in Jonah chapter 4, verse 7. But it's morning dawn.

The next day, God prepared a worm, and so it damaged the plant that withered. And it happened when the sun rose that God prepared a vehement east wind, and the sun beat on Jonah's head so that he grew faint, that he wished death for himself. He says, better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, is it right for you to be angry about the plant? And he said, it's right for me to be angry, even to death.

But the Lord said, you've had pity on the plant for which you've not labored nor made it grow Which came up in the night and perished in in a night Should I not pity Nineveh that great city in which are more than? 120, 000 persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left and also much livestock. See, God kept working with Jonah and God wanted to show Jonah, Jonah you're thinking about yourself. Jonah you're thinking not about the salvation of that city, but you're thinking about your embarrassment. You have more concern about some plant than you do 120, 000 people.

God kept giving Jonah chance after chance after chance. When Jonah went in the wrong direction, God said, Jonah, turn around. When Jonah preached, God gave him power. The city was converted. When Jonah turned his back on God and wanted to die, God came to Jonah and said, Jonah, I want to teach you something.

I am sovereign. My grace led Nineveh to conversion and Jonah value people. We come to the end of our lesson with a call from Isaiah and Isaiah 6 verse 1 in the year King Uzziah died. Isaiah 6 verse 1. There is uncertainty.

Isaiah, the king has died. And here Isaiah is praying. Oh, that Jonah would have had this attitude initially. In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne. Uzziah has died.

The nation is uncertainty, but God is still on his throne. He's high and lifted up. The train of Israel fills the temple. The angels sing, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The earth is full of his glory.

Isaiah sees a vision of God. He says, woe, I'm undone. Isaiah is not dependent on his strength or on his wisdom. He humbles himself before God. He sees his own sinfulness and humanity's sinfulness.

The coal from the altar touches his lips, his iniquity is taken away, he's forgiven. And God says to Isaiah, who shall I send and who will go for us? And Isaiah says, here am I, send me. Jonah, Isaiah. Jonah runs from the call.

Isaiah runs to the call. Here am I, send me. What's your decision? Is your decision to say, Lord, here am I, send me. Lord, I'm not gonna allow my fears to strangle your call to mission.

I'm not gonna allow the fact that it's inconvenient to strangle your call to mission. I'm not gonna allow the fact that I may be rejected or embarrassed because I know Lord that you love humanity and I know you love human beings and I know you are gonna work through me to accomplish your mission. Would you like Isaiah to say, Lord, here am I, send me. Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you for your love and goodness.

Thank you for your grace and mercy. May the prayer of Isaiah be our prayer. Here am I. Send me, O Lord. May that be the prayer of every 1 of us.

In Jesus' name, amen. This media was brought to you by AudioVerse, a website dedicated to spreading God's Word through free sermon audio and much more. If you would like to know more about AudioVerse, or if you would like to listen to more sermons, please visit www.audioverse.org. ♪

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Series

Sabbath School 4th Quarter 2023: God's Mission My Mission

05 Excuses to Avoid Mission

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

01 God’s Mission to Us Part 1

19m

02 God’s Mission to Us Part 2

18m

03 God’s Call to Mission

19m

04 Sharing God’s Mission

22m

05 Excuses to Avoid Mission

17m

06 Motivation and Preparation for Mission

25m

07 Mission to My Neighbor

20m

Unlocking the Secrets of Prayer

21m

08 Mission to the Needy

25m

09 Mission to the Powerful

29m

10 Mission to the Unreached Part 1

19m

11 Mission to the Unreached, Part 2

25m

12 Esther and Mordecai

23m

13 The End of God’s Mission

25m

Sound Doctrine