Lubbock Church - Covenant Life Fellowship

Just Obey Now...Arise, Hear! 

This past Sunday we looked into the life of Jonah, the prophet. What a story! Called by God to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Set apart to do a work of reconciliation. If he had just obeyed the first time! Many times I have asked my kids, "When is a good time to obey"? Their answer is an automatic..."Now"! After receiving the Word of the Lord, Jonah arose...but not to obey! Unfortunately, he arose to FLEE! Because of personal bias toward the people of Nineveh, Jonah rebelled...he heard the Word of God, but he didn't LISTEN to what He said! Jonah heard God say to go to the wicked people of Nineveh, to warn them of His wrath to come. Jonah was glad they were going to be destroyed. He didn't want to warn them. However, what God really said to Jonah, was that He still cared enough for the people of Nineveh to give them another chance to repent...to straighten up and fly right. Jonah keyed in on their wickedness, and God's impending wrath, because he identified personally with the disgust for their sin...although, God wanted Jonah to key in on the possibility of reconciliation! He wanted Jonah to embrace the people of Nineveh with His Word! Jonah took the path of least resistance (so it seemed), and ran away.

What God wanted Jonah to do, was to arise and DO His Word! God wants us to arise and do as well! The Bible says in James 1:22, "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers ONLY, deceiving yourselves". Jonah heard the call of God, but he didn't LISTEN. He was a hearer, but not a doer. He deceived himself! I can hear my wife say many things, however, the sound I hear is much like the sound of the adults in a Snoopy cartoon, "Blah, blah, blah", until I take time to truly LISTEN. When we LISTEN, we truly HEAR. Jonah heard what God said, but he acted as if he heard another voice speaking louder...which he did! That other voice was his flesh. In last week's LIFE Point, we explored walking in the spirit versus walking in the flesh. Jonah not only failed to walk in the spirit...he ran away in the flesh! He ran away from the very One who had his best interest at heart. As a result, the loving God he ran from disciplined him in the belly of a great fish for three days and nights. After being puked out on the shore, Jonah fulfilled God's original request to go to Nineveh and warn them of impending judgment, and the hope of reconciliation through repentance. 

The people of Nineveh, including the king, repented. God gave them a reprieve, and Jonah was angered. Surprisingly, Jonah had still not completely learned his lesson! Yes, he learned not to run from God. He learned that rebellion brought discipline to his life. He even learned that the inside of a great fish is a horrible place to live...but, he didn't learn the most valuable lesson...to love unconditionally. He wasn't glad the people of Nineveh repented! He wasn't glad God had spared them! As a matter of fact, he went outside of the city on the east and waited, in hopes that God would destroy them anyway! Prejudice and bias are ugly faces that Christians sometimes wear. They are those faces which frown and disdain those who are different from them...those who are still in bondage to their sin. They are faces which have a proud look...which by the way, God hates (Proverbs 6:17NKJV). They are faces that withhold God's love, forgiveness, and hope instead of offering them freely. Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, "Freely you have received, freely give". Jonah wasn't interested. His mind was made up. The people of Nineveh needed to die! I remember teaching a tenth grade Bible class a few years ago. I purposely set up the students with the following question: "What do you think we should do with homosexuals"? Their responses were swift and hateful. "Kill 'em all"! "Put them all on a deserted island, where they can share their AIDS and die"! "Burn 'em"! I followed up their angry replies with another question. "What would Jesus do to them"? Silence came over the class. I asked, "Would Jesus love them"? As they nodded in agreement, I replied, "Of course, (He would hate their sin, but) He would love them"! The Bible says, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved"! (John 3:17NKJV). Jesus came to offer hope, not a rope! While never condoning the sins of anyone, Jesus accepted sinners with unconditional love. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". (Romans 5:8NKJV) Like Jonah, what makes us feel like condemning others? What gives us the right to be judge, and pass sentence on those we view as unsavory, or even perverted? Yes, we can judge a person according to their fruits (Matthew 7:16NKJV)...but don't ever forget...by what measure you judge...YOU will be judged! (Matthew 7:1NKJV). In 1 John 4:7-8 the Word of God says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love".  God tried to teach Jonah about love...about sympathy...about compassion. He caused a plant to grow up and give him shade while he waited for judgment to fall upon Nineveh. He then sent a worm which damaged the plant and caused it to die. He also sent a "vehement east wind", along with sun so hot Jonah almost passed out. Jonah responded with anger...wishing death on himself. God asked him, "Is it right for you to be angry"? Jonah replied, "It IS right for me to be angry, even to death"! Whoa! What had gotten into Jonah?! Perhaps the more appropriate question, "What had Jonah allowed to take over in his life"? ANGER. God's question to Jonah, is a good question for us. Is it right for you to be angry? 99% of the time I usually answer with an emphatic, "No"!

 Is there anything that should anger us? How can we be angry without sinning? According to how I interpret scripture, anger is most often a function of pride and selfishness. It is a reactive emotion which can cause great harm. On the other hand, it is also a response to wickedness. Jesus was angry when he cleared the temple of the money changers...but He didn't sin. Jonah's anger was sinful anger. Why? Because his anger was elicited and fulfilled by his flesh. The Holy Spirit of God did not initiate that anger. Frankly, the Spirit of God questioned that anger! God knew Jonah was allowing his own prejudice, and bias to control him through an ungodly display of anger. And apparently, in light of the last verse of Jonah, he never turned from that anger...even when he was being directly confronted by God Himself! Wow! If that doesn't make us think! Has God ever confronted you about your anger? Has anger ever gotten the BEST of you? Have you ever allowed anger to rob you of the joy God had intended for your life? We probably all have! I encourage you today. Don't allow anger to control you. Don't allow it to rob you anymore of the blessings God has coming your way! Let's agree in prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to filter our anger as needed. Let's pray for the Holy Spirit to harness our anger...to utilize it in fighting evil...not in condemning the very people Christ died to save! Let's ask the Lord for a compassionate heart...a heart willing to hear AND listen to His Word...a heart that will obey and do His Word. Let's pray...

Lord Jesus, please help us to live our lives according to Your love, and your Word. Help us see others, no matter how wrong they may be, as You do. Help us see their potential through your redeeming blood. Help us to be motivated by Your Spirit, NOT by our flesh, as we fulfill Your call on our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Seeking To Glorify God @ ALL Cost,
Greg McCowen

Bring someone to fellowship with you this next Sunday! Invite someone from "Nineveh", so they too can experience the reconciling love of Jesus as you have! Be blessed with HIS BEST!