MISSION STRETCHES

Read

Jonah 3:7-8

Acts 15:1-35

We are blessed to have thousands of people in our church, which is marvellous. There are many who would love to see something similar happen in their locality. But when we pray for growth, we must face the harsh reality that growth is messy, disruptive, and hard work. When it comes to mission, the answer to our prayers rarely looks like we imagined. One of the greatest miracles of the New Testament was the transition the infant church made in accepting that Gentiles could be saved; it demanded a major paradigm shift in their thinking (Acts 15:1-35). So we pray for a more effective youth group, and suddenly young people with serious issues with drug abuse and alcohol start showing interest. Now Christian parents become understandably concerned – what effect is this going to have on their somewhat sheltered children? Who will influence whom? When God moves, the people most surprised by what He does are usually the guardians of His last move; so the greatest opponents of Jesus were the religious experts.

Focus

‘Don’t let any person or animal taste anything... Let people and animals alike be covered with black cloth.’

Jonah 3:7-8

A totally bizarre scene – which may have seemed like fanaticism – unfolds in Nineveh as even the animals are called to fast and wear sackcloth! Jonah would have reeled at the sight. How dare these Assyrians call upon the God of Israel! What passion they were showing – and what would the folks back home think? Let’s be aware of the implications of what we are praying for. The answer may bring some surprises and struggles.

Prayer: Lord, give me grace and understanding when my prayers are answered in ways that I don’t anticipate. Amen.

God Is God

Read

Jonah 3:9

Isaiah 45:1-25

Focus

‘Who knows?

God might take pity on us.’

Jonah 3:9

I am nervous of holding a ‘vending machine’ Christianity which teaches that Jesus only exists to fulfil our wildest dreams. Some teach that if we follow certain laws and principles, and have enough faith, then the expected blessing will result, always on time. Recently I heard a speaker telling a congregation to ‘tell God what to do.’ His whole message was based on Isaiah 45:11 (in the King James Version, it says ‘Concerning the works of my hands, command ye me’). Look carefully at that passage; it is very clear that God is actually saying the opposite; that He is God, and will do what He will do. God invites our prayers and even suggestions, but in the end, He is God (Isa. 45:18). Christianity that is little more than a good deal to get us what we want is not Christianity. Mission’s purpose is to invite everyone to come into a relationship with God – to place their hopes, dreams and ambitions at His feet and allow Him to take charge of their destiny. Once again, the so-called pagans excelled the prophet. Remember the ship’s captain, who said of God, ‘Maybe he’ll pay attention to what’s happening to us’ (Jonah 1:6) and his crew, who also threw themselves on God rather than demanding deliverance (Jonah 1:14). Now the king’s decree expresses a similar hope rather than a bombastic demand: ‘Who knows? God might take pity on us.’

Let’s pray with hope, and not pout when the answer does not come or is not what we wanted. God has a habit of being God.

Prayer: Deliver me from believing I have got You neatly worked out, Lord. Be truly Lord of my life – and of this day.

Motives

Jonah’s crusty, couldn’t-care-less attitude towards the thousands of hapless sinners (now somewhat reformed) of Nineveh stands in stark contrast to the tender, gentle heart of God. Our journey so far through this book has shown Him to be both gracious and graceful. Compassion (the Hebrew word used here means motherly love) triumphs over judgement. And all because of God’s great love – a theme that continues to the very last verse of this book (Jonah 4:11).

Jonah 3:10

Isaiah 40:1-11

As we conclude our look at the third chapter, we see that mission’s motive is care. Evangelism that merely seeks to fill our church buildings with more people is just heartless expansionism. But when we connect with God’s caring heart and begin to see the desperate needs of people who may, by outward appearance at least, seem strong, then our attempts to win people to God through lifestyle and proclamation will be authentic. People don’t want to be ‘scalps’ that we are collecting, or ‘souls’ that we are winning; and they don’t want to be our next project either. The late Floyd McClung (who wonderfully demonstrated his true heart for mission in the choices that he and his family made) famously said, ‘People don’t care how much we know. They want to know how much we care.’

Perhaps, like me, you occasionally suffer from compassion fatigue. So overwhelmed by the massive needs of the world, we can retreat. Let’s ask the tender-hearted God to give us hearts just like His own.

To ponder: Have the traumas of Covid, and harrowing images from Ukraine accelerated compassion fatigue in us?

Reality

READ

Jonah 4:1-11

Psalm 44:1-26

FOCUS

But Jonah was very upset. He became angry.

Jonah 4:1

Once again, we can be grateful that the Bible is a book of truth, rather than a collection of dreamy fairy tales about heroes who always get it right. Scripture chronicles the sin-smeared, messed-up lives of ordinary people, warts and all. Here we see Jonah at his most ugly and petulant, brimming with white-hot rage, not at the repentant people of Nineveh, but at the unexpectedly tender God who was forgiving them so freely. And yet what relief this chapter brings. Here we see there are times when we will be unhappy and even enraged with God. Our spite is unfair and misdirected, but conflict with God is endemic to the human condition; Job, Moses and Jeremiah all had their runins with Him. Seconds before he died, Stalin is said to have shaken a clenched fist to the heavens – furious until the very end. Perhaps that’s where some of us are right now. Yesterday’s prayers mock us, because it seems they have been coldly ignored today. We seethe at the injustice and cruelty that plagues the earth; or maybe we just feel a simmering resentment towards God for no specific reason that we can pinpoint. There’s hope here for the angry. Let’s unclench those fists, open our hearts, and take a look, because when we are angry, not just at life, but with God Himself, we are not alone. And as we will see, anger does not cause God to reject us; on the contrary, the Lord engaged in conversation with His furious prophet. Prayer: I know that I can bring all my feelings and emotions to You, Lord. Thank you. Amen.