Half a job?

September 19, 2010

It appears that God finds humor in my mornings. Today’s sermon is essentially half online. The recorder I use for my sermons decided to not work, so there is no podcast this week but my notes are just below this. Unfortunately you will miss my amazing illustrations and my wonderful jokes, that everyone laughed at. I’ll have the recorder ready for next week.

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10

Nineveh is capital of Assyria. This idea of God loving the Assyrians was a very radical idea. it was so radical that it must have happened because no one would make up a story about God loving these evil people.

Ancient Israelites hated Assyrians the most because they created the Samaritans and if the Samaritans were good Israelites hey wold have killed themselves before being raped by Assyrians. This hatred extended all the way to Jesus’ day and when Jesus compares himself to Jonah the people would have gotten very upset because Jess is essentially saying that God loves even the most vile offender. Even those who have desecrated people and destroyed a persons ability to connect with God.

Jonah gets to the city and goes to the edge and gives half a message.

Ever been there? ever been told to do something, wanted to do it so something worse didn’t happen and so you do it half way.

to often this is how people view ministry and church work. we know we are supposed to do it but we aren’t going to do it all the way. we hand someone a tract and then walk away believing that we have done our duty as Christians. when really all we have done is hand someone a piece of paper.

For Jonah this is what he is doing one statement that says god will destroy the city.

Jonah went into the city and did half a job because he thought he understood who was worthy of God’s grace and who wasn’t.

We make the same judgement call when we do not tell others about Jesus.

When we hand people a tract about Jesus and walk away we have on done half the work, like Jonah.

Is God able to use that? yes. however our call is not to do half a job. our call is to make disciples. this is not done by saying repent or die.

It is done by being in relationship with people who aren’t in church with you.

Jonah is afraid these people will reject him and his message so he doesn’t want to say anything. this refusal is essentially telling the people of Nineveh that they can go too hell.

When we hold back and do not tell those around us about Jesus we are saying that they can go to hell too.

who have you been afraid to talk to about Jesus because of how they might respond?

- Neighbor?

- spouse?

- Coworkers?

- Kids?

If you love them you tell them not because you think they will accept it but because God loves them and wants to be in relationship with them.

It is more than just words it is about living your life the same way as Jesus did. as if those who didn’t believe actually matter.

When Jonah only gave half a message he failed at two very basic things

1. love God

2. love others

when Jonah decided to do only half of what god asked him t do Jonah decided that he loved himself more than god. he decided that God’s love was only for certain people and not the Ninevites Jonah forgot to love others

How often is that us? how often to we know the good we should be doing and don’t do it.

The sign of Jonah is that God will use our half jobs to bring even the worst people into a relationship with him.

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