Mission FPC
Yet in spite of himself he renders possible the salvation of over 120,000 people, who thus experience the goodness of God who is ready to forgive those who repent and change their attitude.
This man none of us would desire to be like was none other than the Old Testament prophet Jonah. Each morning at the annual FPC mission retreat from Friday 23th to Wednesday 28th August we studied this biblical book.
Matthieu Gangloff, lecturer at the Nogent Bible Institute led our searching exploration of Jonah.
👉🏽 Jonah 1.1-3 God called Jonah to go to Niniveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, to preach forgiveness to the cruellest people of their day. Jonah refused and went off in the exact opposite direction towards Tarsis. We can all run away from our “Niniveh”, but God is calling us to faithfulness and not to performance. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “The response of a disciple is not a beautiful confession of Jesus but a life of obedience.”
👉🏽 Jonah 1.4-16 To stop Jonah in his tracks, God arouses a formidable storm. The sailors do all they can to save their lives while Jonah is fast asleep. He cares for nobody or nothing. He tells the sailors to throw him overboard so that through his death their lives will be saved. In Matthew 12 Jesus said he was greater than Jonah. Out of love he offered Himself and actually died on the cross as an expiation for our sins. He is the only genuine Saviour. Salvation comes by faith in Him.
👉🏽 Jonah 2.1-11 The sailors throw Jonah overboard, he is swallowed by an enormous fish in whose stomach he remains for 3 days. The prayer Jonah utters in the fish’s belly is self-centred and full of pride. His own heart deceives him. Jonah is an untypical prophet. His convictions are diametrically opposed to God’s, his pride beggars belief and he is an impudent servant. God saves him nevertheless. We are dependant on Christ for our salvation but also for our ministry. Any other way proves to be a dead end.
👉🏽 Jonah 3.1-10 In spite of all he has gone though, Jonah’s attitude has not changed. Yet God abandons neither his prophet nor Niniveh and sends him back there. In spite of his prophet’s disobedience God unfolds his plan of salvation. Nothing can stop God from accomplishing His purpose. Jonah preaches reluctantly. A simple message, without any explanation, without any presentation of God, bereft of compassion or love. He stands by the threat. He had no right to expect results, yet the Ninivites repent and change their attitude toward God. Results are not dependant on methods but on what God has determined to do.
👉🏽 Jonah 4.1-11 Niniveh’s population repents and Jonah is mad. He wants to die. He wanted to see Niniveh destroyed, he doesn’t want God to save people. But God is love. And Jonah has himself benefitted from that love. He stays around to see what happens, expecting to see fire come down from heaven. He shuts himself in silence. God has the last word and reveals Himself as the God who saves, a God of infinite grace and enormous compassion. In all the circumstances of our lives we are objects of God’s love. That should affect our service, the way we see others, our attitude, the way we show kindness to each other. Being loved ourselves, we should be able to love others.
As prophets and servants of this God who is so quick to love and to save, may we be able to recall these five lessons from the book of Jonah. It’s better if God can unfold his redemptive plan for mankind though us rather than on spite of us!
Mission FPC
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