A Minor Prophet with Major Issues
JONAH 1:1-6
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
Distracted
HEBREWS 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
LUKE 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
TIRED OF ALL THE FIGHTING?
Unity in a Fractured World.
On the night he died on the cross Jesus prayed for his disciple to have one thing – UNITY.
He didn’t pray for MIRACLES. He didn’t pray for GROWTH. He didn’t even pray for
PROTECTION. In the face of death he prayed for UNITY.
Today division, suspicion, tension threaten OUR ENTIRE CULTURE… INCLUDING THE CHURCH!
Well, guess what? Jesus saw this coming and prayed a prayer for all believers for all times!!!
JOHN 17
WHAT DID JESUS PRAY?
“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am
coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name
you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.”
John 17:11
WHO DID HE PRAY FOR?
20 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
John 17:20-21a
WHY DID HE PRAY FOR UNITY?
21 “May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are
one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete
unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even
as you have loved me.
John 17:21b-23
THE PROBLEM
Why are Christians more divided than ever?
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart
that devises wicked scheme, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false
witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the
community. Proverbs 6:16-19
THE SOLUTION
ONE Enemy
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12
ONE Mission
19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely
I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
ONE Message
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that
you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35
Disrupted
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:9-10
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40
HOW TO THRIVE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
PSALM 63
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
FAMILY: RESETS FOR THE (SOMETIMES) MOST DIFFICULT PEOPLE TO LOVE
BIG IDEA:
There’s no such thing as a perfect family! But, the healthiest families aren’t the ones who get everything right, they’re just the ones who know how to reset when things don’t go right.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!o 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.p 6 Do not be anxious about anything,q but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.r 7 And the peace of God,s which transcends all understanding,t will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.u And the God of peacev will be with you.
RESET YOUR PURPOSE
LIFE WITHOUT PURPOSE IS…. POINTLESS
ROMANS 12:1-8
“Therefore I urge you brothers(and sisters), in view of God’s mercies, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
ROMANS 1-11 : Emphasis is Theological- What We BELIEVE!
ROMANS 12-16: Emphasis is Transformational- What We BECOME!
THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT KNOWING YOUR PURPOSE
1. LIFE LOSES PASSION
“Everything leads to weariness…” ECCLESIASTES 1:5-8 Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life: “I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world, but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day.”
2. LIFE LOSES PURPOSE
“Life is useless, all useless. You spend your life working…but what do you have to show for it? …The world just stays the same.” ECCLESIASTES 1:2-4
“A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle…they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; …those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last — the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them— and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence, a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever.” – Mark Twain (shortly before his death)
LIFE LOSES SIGNIFICANCE
(Paul) “I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me, in order that I may complete my mission and finish the work the Lord Jesus gave me to do…” ACTS 20:24 (GN) “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” – George Bernard Shaw
Becoming a Romans 12 Christian
LIFE’S 4 MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS!!!!
2:1 What will be the CENTER?
Who/What am I going to live for?
12:2 What will shape my CHARACTER?
What will determine what I become?
12:3-5, 9-21
Who will be my COMPANIONS?
How will I develop supportive relationships?
12:6-8
What will be my
CONTRIBUTION?
What will I give my life to make happen?
1. DEDICATION: I surrender my life
“Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice holy and pleasing to God which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1
You can’t be an authentic Christ follower on your own terms for 2 reasons:
1. BECAUSE
2. BECAUSE
2. ELIMINATION: I Eliminate
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is,
His good and pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
1. LASTING
2. CULTURE IS A
3. TRANSFORMATION: I Change my
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good and pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
1. God’s Will Is
Discovering the will of God by
2. God’s Will
DEDICATION: I Surrender my LIFE
SEPARATION: I Eliminate COMPETING DISTRACTIONS
TRANSFORMATION: I Change my THINKING
ILLUMINATION: I see Life From GOD’S POINT OF VIEW
RELATIONSHIPS
HOW TO LIVE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE
COLOSSIANS 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.