Thoughts from Jonah/Part 1

Last week I began a summer sermon series preaching from the OT book of Jonah. Over the course of the next few weeks I will share some teaching points from these sermons. I would certainly appreciate your prayers with this endeavor. Thank you.

"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.' But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord."

Jonah 1:1-3


Within the first three verses of Jonah, we see the drama unfolding. But this is not a work of fiction. Jonah is to be given a literal reading. It is to be understood as such. Some years ago, while visiting another church for a friend's wedding, I noticed a table holding copies of the pastor's sermon manuscripts. I picked up the one about Jonah and began reading. In both sadness and anger I read this pastor's words that he had offered his congregation. He instructed them to embrace Jonah as an allegory, a work of imaginative literature whereby we learn from the fictional characters and events. But we see that Jesus affirms the literal rendering of Jonah in Matthew 12:38-40. Unless, of course, the resurrection is also an allegory, as some foolishly believe; but that's a lesson for another day. There is no reason for us to doubt the authenticity of this OT book. These things did happen in the life of an actual human being. Knowing this will bring Jonah vividly alive in our minds and hearts as we study God's word.

E.M. Bounds/On Prayer & Revival

"There is considerable talk in the air about revival. However, we need the vision to see that the revival we need, and the only one worth having, is the one born of the Holy Spirit. This kind of revival brings deep conviction for sin and regeneration for those who seek God's face. Such a revival comes at the end of a season of real praying. It is utter folly to discuss or expect a revival without the Holy Spirit operating in His distinctive office, and this is conditioned on much earnest praying. Such a revival will begin in pulpit and pew alike; it will be promoted by both preacher and layman working in harmony with God."

E.M. Bounds

David Platt 2011 SBC Remarks

David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, AL, addressed the attendees of the 2011 SBC gathering in Phoenix, AZ last week. His comments were sharp and certainly thought-provoking. Here is an excerpt from that sermon:

"We have reduced Jesus the King to a poor, puny savior who is just begging for people to accept him into their heart or invite him into their lives, phrases that are never used in the Word of God. We have reduced the Gospel of the Kingdom to a shrink-wrapped presentation that if we can get people to say and pray the right things back to us, we will pronounce them fit for heaven and free to live their life on earth however they desire."

These two sentences have already caused me to assess our commitment to discipleship. It reminds me of a story told by the late Adrian Rogers. Once, after the close of a revival meeting, a preacher was reflecting on the success of the week, noting that several hundred decisions had been made. Another man quickly warned, "If you want to gauge the success of the week, come back a year from now and see how many of the decisions have become disciples." Well said.

SBC Outreach

The 158th Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting took place this week in Phoenix, AZ. The SBC is the nation's largest protestant denomination and often serves as an influence of Christian thought and behavior in the United States. The major news coming from the SBC's 2011 gathering was the pledge to plant churches within the world's unreached people groups. These people groups have no viable indigenous Christian representation within their social/physical borders. Northern Yemen serves as a prime example. Its population is approximately 8 million, but there are only an estimated 30 Christians within the given population. Read that sentence again. Only 30 believers serving a population of some 8 million! While there are some exceptions, missionary research indicates that 2% of a specific population need to be Christians in order for churches to be established, leaders developed, and the evangelistic outreach sustained. I applaud the SBC for making this global need a priority. I pray that other North American churches that are non-SBC, such as the one I presently serve, will understand that this is not a denominational issue, but rather a biblical command from the very mouth of Jesus: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Now may we boldly obey.

The Wonder of the Church

I'm so sorry I haven't posted recently, but I have had some difficulty with my blogger page. Things seem to be running much smoother now. Thanks for your patience. I do hope and pray that these entries serve you as a source of instruction and encouragement as you walk with Christ. The following excerpt is from Jonathan Leeman's book The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love:

"I am especially grateful for the emphasis some missional writers give to the witness of the corporate body. One author writes, 'In North America, what might it mean for the church to be such a city on a hill? to be salt? to be a light in the world? It means, first of all, that the inner, communal life of the church matters for mission.' In other words, the witness of the church does not merely consist in the fact that it goes; it consists in the fact that it has a distinct corporate life. Its witness consists in the fact that it's distinct in holiness, love, and unity. So Jesus promises, 'By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' The church's internal work of holiness and love amongst its members is inextricably tied to its outward work of witness. We must display Christ in our corporate life in order to display Christ in our individual lives. The church, Mark Dever has said, is Jesus' 'evangelism plan', because it alone displays the wisdom of God. Paul puts it like this: 'Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.' Only an all-wise God could take a group of people who were once at war with him and one another and convert them into an assembly of love. Let all the cosmos look on and marvel!"

Christian Worldview 101

"The question of the existence or nonexistence of God is primary, but so is the question of God's power and character. The Christian worldview is structured, first of all, by the revealed knowledge of God. And this means the comprehensive knowledge of the self-revealing God who defines himself and will accept no rivals. There is no other starting point for an authentic Christian worldview-and there is no substitute."

Al Mohler