Jonah 3:1-5 | Part 4
Jonah part 4
- Gospel and the call to obey
What obedience does to your brain…
Obedience involves an order; conformity involves a request.
Obedience is obeying someone with a higher status; conformity is going along with people of equal status.
Obedience relies on social power; conformity relies on the need to be socially accepted.
Purpose of Lent Devotional:
Learning to obey based on who has saved you and who you are
IDENTITY
Today we will see that Jonah chooses not to obey because he did not know who he was. He thought he was special. He didn’t realize he had been chosen.
Jonah 3:1-5 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."
- God speaks to Jonah again. God tells Jonah the same thing
- Get up, Go, and speak
- All Jonah needed to do was say what God told him to say
- Jonah was now called to walk 500 miles to his destination of mission
- This means at least 50 days of walking
- Jonah had time to think about what had happened
- It shows God’s call to an overwhelming task, and God giving Jonah the time to prepare
HOW THIS AFFECTS ME
- Most people feel when they have failed at something once or twice, God is finished with them. The story of Jonah shows amazing grace, and amazing mercy.
God is not finished with you!
- The Lord often calls us to prepare and be patient. Are you willing?
- Many of you want things right now, but you aren’t ready
(marriage, kids, ministry, promotion)
3rd Story of Obedience:
Ruben moving across country and taking a huge financial hit to put his son’s needs first.
(Emotion, he will work through this. Call, move!)
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
- Obedience begins with the get up
- The next step is to GO
- Three days walk across the city
- Nineveh had 120,000 people
4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
- Jonah got to Nineveh, and began his mission
- All Jonah needed to do is say what God had called him to say
- Jonah does not give the whole message
- Jonah’s message was simple: Because of your sin, you will be punished in 40 days. This comes from God
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
- The people responded and obeyed!
- The wicked city of Nineveh, all 120,000, responded and believed in God
- Radical obedience to a radical God
What would radical obedience look like in our lives for a year? How about for a month? What about just a week? Just one week of doing exactly what Jesus calls you to do.
What could happen?
7 DAYS OF RADICAL OBEDIENCE
1.) Spiritual life
- Scripture and prayer every day
- asking the Lord that he speak to you and reveal who He is, your sin, and your call
2.) Physical life
- healthy eating and drinking habits
- plenty of sleep
- exercise
3.) Missional life
- Who is God calling you to love?
- Who is God calling you to forgive?
- Who is God calling you to serve and how?
- Who is God calling you to speak truth to?
OBEY ME
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.
His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran
Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’