Running From the Life God Wants for You|02.22.26|When God Loves Your Enemy pt.1
Raise your hand for me if you would like to know God better. If you would like to understand his will for your life? If you’d like to have peace about some of the bigger questions in life…?
I think that would describe all of us! And truly, there is no better way to understand God, to understand his character, his goodness, his will… than by reading his Word regularly.
There is no better way to understand the life we were made for, to grow in the character of Jesus, to be able to heal from our brokenness, to be able to join his work of reaching the One far from him… than by reading the Bible as part of a deepening habit in our lives.
But the truth is that most people don’t read the Bible for themselves! The American Bible Society found that only 40% of people in America will open their Bible more than 3-4 times A YEAR. Not weekly. Not monthly. 3-4 times a year. And that includes church people!
Which leaves almost two thirds of people in America who rarely or never open a Bible, let alone read it for themselves!
A few weeks ago, at our men’s conference, the speaker confessed that when he was just getting started going back to church, he felt like he didn’t need to read the Bible, because he went to church on Sundays, and pastor would read it for them!
Ouch. Well, we know that building a personal habit of reading and studying the Bible for ourselves is a core practice of apprentices of Jesus.
Because the truth is that God’s word is ALIVE, it’s not just like any other book. It’s active, it’s powerful. It speaks to you, guards you, empowers you.
It builds faith, renews your mind, and shows you the truth that sets you free!
And that’s why one of our goals at New Life is to help you learn how to study the Bible for yourself, to feel confident on how to read the Bible so that you can connect with God.
So I’m going to start asking us to be a church that brings our Bibles with us to church. Maybe you already do that, and that’s wonderful. But maybe that means you’re going to need to remind yourself to put your Bible by the front door on Saturday night so you remember to bring it with you.
Or maybe that means you need to install the Bible app on your phone and put it on the main screen so it’s easier to pull out and find. But we want to continue to grow to become people who are shaped by God’s Word and committed to growing in our study of God’s Word, and that means becoming more and more familiar with our own Bible. Maybe taking notes in the margins or in a separate notebook. Maybe highlighting verses that speak to us.
[Scripture Ref] (p???)
And I’m really excited for this new message series we’re starting today for the series of Lent, because we’re going to spend the next 5 weeks going through the entire book of Jonah.
Now, when I say “Jonah,” what comes to mind for you? I think for most of us, we immediately think “whale.” Right?
We have pictures in our heads of illustrated children’s Bible stories, with a storm, and a large fish. Or we think of a cucumber and a tomato and other characters playing out the story… which I like to call the VeggieTales factor.
Most of us, if we think of Jonah, we think it’s a story about a prophet who ran away from God and was swallowed by a whale, but in actuality, the whale only shows up in 2 verses of this entire story.
Most of us know ABOUT the story of Jonah, but few of us have read it carefully. Which is why we’re going to do just that these next few weeks. Because the story of Jonah is about a prophet of God, someone who hears from God and follows him and wants others to follow him, too… but he RUNS from God.
But this story is also about us. Because as we read through it deeply, we’re going to see all the places that God’s Word reflects back on OUR lives, on our hearts, on our preconceptions that are causing us to want to run away from God’s vision for our life.
[5 Steps to Study the Bible]
But if we’re going to take this seriously, we can’t just rely on cartoon versions or childhood memories of the Bible, we need to study it. But the good news is that we don’t need a graduate degree to know how to study the Bible, you just need a simple process:
Choose a translation you understand (NIV, NLT, NRSV, ESV)
Choose a time, a place, and a plan to study (Jonah)
Understand the context (That’s what we’re going to do today, by looking at who Jonah is, where in history this takes place, and understanding the other people and places in the story)
Read slowly and ask questions (let’s do that now)
[Jonah 1:1]
“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai…” okay PAUSE. Because the author of the book just gave us a big clue on the CONTEXT of this book, helping us understand what kind of literature this is that we are about to read.
Because if you flip over one page to the next book of Micah, what do you read? “The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem…”
Sounds almost exactly the same, right? And if you compare that opening with many of the other prophetic books, you’ll hear some version of “The word of the Lord came to so-and-so…” or “This is what the Lord told so-and-so to declare to his people…” like in Obadiah, Ezekiel, and so many other prophetic books.
But when the Bible talks about prophets, it’s not referring to fortune tellers. Sometimes, they will be giving some sort of declaration about the future, but for the most part, they are messengers who are delivering God’s message to his people.
And in most prophetic books, what comes next is a collection of sermons that the prophet gave to God’s people. And so we would correctly assume that Jonah is a prophetic book, but if we keep reading, it ISN’T a book full of prophetic words or sermons. In fact, Jonah gives only one prophecy which is 4 words long later on in chapter 3.
So we start reading, and we think, “oh, this is a book of prophecy,” and immediately we’re thrown off a bit because this is a narrative ABOUT A PROPHET and his journey of learning about God’s character through his own disobedience.
And that’s why it’s so important for us to get more and more familiar with our own Bibles, because the type of literature that we read in each book actually adjust how we understand what we’re reading. Because if we’re reading poetry, we’re going to try and apply it to our life like poetry. If we’re reading a step-by-step instruction manual, then we’re going to apply it according to that.
Because the Bible is a library of many different types of literature, but it’s all God’s Word, and it’s all able to do work on our hearts and through our lives.
So let’s get back to Jonah: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai…” As we keep reading, we’re going to see this is a narrative story that is actually told in the style of satire. So, instead of like a news broadcast or documentary, with exact dates and times, Jonah is told more in the style of SNL.
Because the characters are kind of bigger than life, and they act in a way that is kind of funny or at least, surprising, and it’s meant to draw you into the story to learn something about these characters, but also learn about yourself.
Because Jonah’s name means “dove”, and “son of Amittai” means “son of truth” or “son of faithfulness.” So the Dove, son of Faithfulness, is given the word of the Lord, and immediately, he runs away from the Lord. So we get introduced to the prophet of God, and we’re going to see that he’s one of the worst characters in this story. The pagans repent and turn to God. The unbelieving sailors pray. Even the cows repent in chapter 3!
But the prophet of God? He runs away, tries avoiding God’s plan, and then throws a tantrum at God’s mercy in chapter 4.
And so we’re supposed to laugh and point at Jonah’s weaknesses, and then as we keep going in the story, we realize it’s pointing at us and all the ways that we run from God.
It shows us all the ways we choose OUR vision for life over God’s vision for our lives. So let’s keep Reading Slowly and Asking Questions as we read. But also, for Lent, we’re going to bring back a traditional church practice, and I’m going to ask you to rise as you’re able to honor the reading of God’s Word.
[Jonah 1:1-3]
[Jonah 1:1]
Jonah isn’t just some random person that God chose for this mission. Jonah is actually mentioned in one other place, in 2 Kings 14. Jonah was a prophet to the northern kingdom who proclaimed a favorable message to the king of Israel about expanding its territory and winning battles, even though that king was a super corrupt one that didn’t follow God’s commands.
So Jonah had already received a word from the Lord and had obeyed it! It was a message of success that aligned with nationalistic pride and security. But now God is calling him to go somewhere else with another message…
[Jonah 1:2]
“Go at once to Nineveh…” Now, Nineveh is the capital of Assyria, which was Israel’s current rising threat. The Assyrian empire was brutal. When they came to conquer you, they would do it in a way that completely crushed their enemies.
They would defeat a city, and then take all the leaders in front of all the people, and skin them alive. Then they would deport all the people as slaves to different parts of their empire.
And God is calling to Jonah to deliver a message, but it’s not a message to the people of Israel. It’s not a battle strategy or a promise of rescue.
Jonah is being sent as a messenger to the ENEMY. To cry out against them. I wonder what you would have done if God gave you a mission to travel to the central hub of your enemy and proclaim a message against them from God?
[Jonah 1:3]
“But Jonah set out to FLEE…” Do we see how this story is written in a way to get us to lean in and pay attention? “Dove, son of Faithfulness is given a message from God… BUT…”
God speaks. God reaches out to Jonah first. God commands… BUT… Jonah flees.
And he doesn’t just run away, he heads in the opposite direction as far as possible.
[MAP]
Because, if you look at this map, you can see where Joppa is. It’s on the coast of modern day Israel. He was travelling from north of there when God told him to go to Nineveh, which was to the north and east. But he travels south and west, and then gets on a boat headed for Tarshish, which is thought to be on the southern coast of Spain, all the way across the mediterranean sea. In other words, Jonah is travelling to the OPPOSITE SIDE of the known world.
And we’re asking, why? Why did Jonah run? Was it because he was afraid of the Assyrians and thought they would skin him alive? That would be a reasonable conclusion, but it’s not the reason Jonah runs.
[Jonah 4:2]
Chapter 4 actually tells us the reason: “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing…”
Jonah ran because he knew that God was GRACIOUS and willing to relent. He knew that when God gives a command or a warning, that’s showing the character of God who is willing to DRAW CLOSE and offer a chance instead of just wiping them off the face of the earth with no warning.
Jonah ran because he hated the Assyrians so much that he couldn’t bear even the possibility that God might show mercy on people Jonah considered to be an enemy.
Jonah didn’t argue with God. He didn’t negotiate with God. He just ran, because he knew that God MIGHT forgive them.
Jonah doesn’t doubt God’s power to protect him. He RESENTS God’s heart. (x2)
[blank]
Jonah had a vision for life. He had his own idea of what the point of life was. And that included Israel being strong and having national security. It included his people being successful. It included their enemies getting what they deserved. Justice being delivered. Jonah’s vision for life was to be a prophet for God in a way that aligned with his own values.
But when God came to him and told him to go deliver a message to Nineveh, that meant that God was willing to draw near to people that Jonah considered enemies. God was willing to lean in close to people that Jonah thought didn’t deserve it.
God’s call threatened Jonah’s vision of life. So Jonah chose his own vision over God’s vision. And I don’t know what else to call that except disobedience.
[Disobedience]
Disobedience is choosing our vision of life over God’s. Because when God lays out his path for life, whether that’s in Scripture, or if it’s in a direct sense that we get from him, we can either OBEY him or DISOBEY him. There isn’t a neutral stance.
And disobeying God doesn’t necessarily mean we forsake our faith and become atheists. Disobeying God doesn’t mean we doubt his existence.
Disobedience isn’t ignorance to God’s path. Disobedience is about preference. It’s choosing OUR preferred way of life over God’s way.
And the truth is this: you can be deeply religious and still be running from God. x2
Because you can attend church, serve faithfully, even KNOW SCRIPTURE… and still be choosing your vision of life over God’s.
Think about it: Jonah was a prophet. A “voice for God.” A leader among God’s people. And he chose to run!
He knew God was calling him to take a message to his enemies, but he didn’t want to be a part of that mission. So he figured that if he went as far in the wrong direction as possible, AND if he isolated himself away from God’s people, then maybe God would leave him alone and choose someone else for his mission. So he ran towards Tarshish.
I wonder… where do YOU run to? And I’m not talking about taking an international trip to try and avoid God. I don’t really know anyone who runs geographically from God, but we run from God emotionally and relationally.
We run from God financially. We run from God spiritually.
Where do you run when God’s vision for your life looks different than you prefer? What do you cling to, instead of saying “yes” to God?
Maybe when you have been wronged by someone, and you feel that the forgiveness that God calls us to is unfair… you hold on to resentment instead.
Maybe when surrendering to God feels too risky, you cling to control instead.
Maybe when God nudges your heart with some conviction that he’s calling you to something and you keep ignoring it, you run to numb that feeling with distraction.
Where do you run to when obeying God feels too costly? Maybe you run to comfort? Maybe you run to protect your own reputation through hiding or cutting corners instead of obeying God’s call to integrity?
We don’t run because we don’t believe in God. We run because his way of life disrupts our way of life. And we want to preserve our way of life, protect the way of life we’re comfortable with. But when we disobey God’s call and run from him, we’re not preserving our life… We’re running from the SOURCE of life. We’re running from God.
[blank]
I’m grateful for the book of Jonah, because it gives us a unique view of the human condition: we prefer to choose OUR comfort, our success, our JUSTICE over God’s grace and justice.
But we’re not supposed to follow Jonah’s example. We need a better prophet to follow. Because…
Jonah ran from his enemies. But Jesus ran TOWARDS his enemies.
Jonah resented God’s grace. Jesus WAS God’s grace in the flesh and on the move.
Jonah would rather die than see Nineveh saved. Jesus DID die so that his enemies could be saved… even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!
Where Jonah chose his own way and disobeyed God’s call, Jesus fully surrendered to the Father’s will, becoming obedient even unto death.
True obedience is choosing God’s will, even when it doesn’t line up with our preferences. That’s the way of life that Jesus invites us into, because he said that “anyone who hears these words of mine and OBEYS them is like the wise man who built his house on the solid rock…”
That’s LIFE that draws its source from the one who is the way, the truth, and the life.
That’s why seasons like Lent are so helpful in our journey as apprentices of Jesus. Because Lent is an invitation to surrender and obedience.
Most people think of Lent as a church tradition where you give up sugar or alcohol or social media. Or it’s the time of year when the Catholic church put on a delicious fish fry.
But Lent is actually the traditional season when we lay down the things that normally take our attention or focus away from God so that we can become more attentive to Jesus in the journey to Easter. It’s so that we can say “no” to something in order to better give our “yes,” to better OBEY God’s vision for our life.
And we don’t obey to earn God’s grace. We obey God, we give our “yes” to God, because his grace has already come running towards us!
[This week]
That’s why our action of obedience this week is one of reflection and surrender. So this week, I want to encourage you to name one area where you’re choosing your way over God’s, and surrender it to Him.
Just name one area of your life where you know you’ve been choosing your own preferences over God’s. Not ten areas, just one.
And if nothing just popped into your mind just now, your next step is to pray and ask God to show you one area of your life where you’ve been choosing your own preferences over God’s.
And once he shows you, once you admit that area you’ve been running from God’s vision for your life… stop running. Turn back to him.
Because his vision for your life is bigger, braver, and more merciful that yours.
Because he’s the God who shows mercy and steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love him and keep his commands.
Because God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing… for all people… even you.
Isn’t that good news?