Ephesians 4:22-24 “You put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
Continuing Pastor Obie’s sermon message on the Book of Jonah, chapter Four, he states that when we walk with indwelling Holy Spirit into our lives by putting off and not gratifying the old sinful desires of our flesh and aligning our will with God’s will, then He starts a good work within us and starts to change us so that our character becomes more and more like God’s. Why? Because, if we are a regenerated child of God following Jesus Christ, then we have a calling. Jonah had an assignment to accomplish and so do you and I. We were created with a purpose, for a purpose. Know that God will provide for the purpose He has called us to. But, our purpose will always involve loving God and loving people. This will change the world around us and God will provide for that purpose He had placed over us.
The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “provide” as: literally to see before; pro and video. 1. To procure beforehand; to get, collect or make ready for future use; to prepare. As when Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering - (Gen.22:8). 2. To furnish; to supply. In Jonah 4:6, it tells us that God “appointed”, “prepared” and “provided” (manah in Hebrew). The purpose of the prophet is to be the messenger of God and to bring repentance, but this prophet Jonah forgot his purpose. God revealed to Jonah that he wasn’t living out his purpose; caring more about his own self than the people. Do we care more about a life of self-pleasures, luxuries, entertainment, comforts, money, position, protection or security more than God’s purpose in your life? Do we place those “self-centered” purposes in a higher priority than the purpose that God has called us top? You cannot have two gods because “push come to shove” you’ll choose “self”, like Jonah over loving God and loving people (your neighbor). And that is the definition of idolatry.
Sometimes, God removes our protection for our own protection. If our comfort and pleasure are keeping us from our calling, then that is a good indicator that things need to change. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, did not live a life of comfort, but, on mission, lived a life of sacrifice and purpose by loving people to have the greatest impact, loving people into the kingdom of God. In order for us to be on mission for the calling of the kingdom of God, we are going to have to choose to do the uncomfortable that will cost us something to show love to someone. Everything that we have is because God has given us the breath and ability to have it. Everything comes from God, who provides and we cannot take anything with us when we leave this life, so we should use everything for the purpose that God gave them to us in the first place and bring glory to Him. We have been blessed in order to be a blessing to others. God’s blessings flow to and through.
If “the plant” is our purpose, than God sends a worm and a wind to change our vision shifts our direction and develops our godly character. The lesson for Jonah is a lesson for us all. God has called and prepared the disciple of Christ to a “good work” of loving God and loving people, so who is your “Nineveh”? The Christian has been commissioned to share the love of God. There is someone in your life that God is asking you to step out in faith and share the forgiveness of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It may take us letting go of our “plant” (whatever that self-centered item(s) is), to step out of our comfort zone and outreach to others when it is inconvenient or cost us something, but God is saying “go”. We must remember that we are undeserving people as well. The book of Jonah points to Christ and it points to us.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment