Those who are lost
1. A long time ago I took some classes on homiletics (this is a fancy name for preaching).
2. These classes were partly designed to help me and others make the Bible apply to everyday life.
AFTER A SUBJECT OR TEXT IS SELECTED, PREACHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AT LEAST TWO THINGS:
A. First, discuss the passage in its original context.
B. Describe the historical background, special words, and any difficulties related to the text.
C. After the passage has been explained it needs to be brought forward to our day and time.
D. What has been explained needs to be applied to everyday life.
2. Last week we took some time to think about Jonah.
3. This prophet was told to “arise and go Nineveh” (Jon. 1:2).
4. The words arise and go are imperatives; Jonah was ordered to go to this city.
A. The opening verses in the book describe a direct command from God.
B. In last week’s study the Assyrians (the people Jonah was to see) were also described.
C. It was noted how this nation was an enemy of Israel.
D. Assyria was brutal in their dealings with others.
5. We can talk about Jonah and the people of Nineveh but all this information is in the past.
6. How do we take the commission given to Jonah and apply it to today?
7. How does the information in the first few verses of Jonah 1 relate to us?
8. One point of application might be this:
9. Are there still any Ninevites?
10. Are there still people like the Assyrians who need to know about God?
11. The Ninevites were enemies—people Jonah believed to be very undesirable.
A. Do we have people who are in our eyes repulsive?
B. Are there people we loathe?
C. I dare say there are some modern Ninevites that we either hear about, see, or know.
12. What about the local abortion doctor?
13. Do we have good feelings about him or her?
14. What about the radical liberals who want homosexuality as part of all local school curriculums?
15. What about national leaders who openly express ideas that are anti-Christian?
16. What about the drug pushers who ensnare children with drugs?
17. What about the husband who beats his wife and or children?
18. What about the parents who injure children who are practically defenseless?
A. I recently read about police who were called to a laundry mat.
B. A mother had placed her young child into a dryer.
C. Police had to bust the dryer glass to remove the child.
D. This was not the first time this happened.
E. There was a case in 2001 not too far from here.
F. A woman from the area of Niles had a six year old son.
G. She claimed she wanted to “discipline” him so she put him in a running clothes dryer.
H. The child was in the machine for approximately 2 minutes.
I. This woman brutalized her child and she was not the first.
J. As we hear about what she and others have done and do, what kinds of feelings come to mind?
K. It is probably not the warm, fuzzy kind.
19. In this assembly we have people of all ages.
20. School is now out, but when it returns certain things will once again be visible.
21. There are school bullies. They have existed in the past and they continue to exist.
22. In the work place there may be people who are undesirable.
23. They may not bathe, pay their bills, ever tell the truth, or be kind to us and others.
24. In our society there are folks who are undesirable.
THE NEXT WE SEE PEOPLE LIKE I DESCRIBED, WE NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT EACH LIVING PERSON HAS AN ETERNAL SOUL. THEY WILL ONE DAY DIE AND SPEND ETERNITY WITH OR WITHOUT GOD.
A. When we see our Ninevites—and there are more than we might want to acknowledge—
the book of Jonah should come to mind.
B. When we find these folks God says: “arise and go.”
C. He does not mean leave the room or the area where these people are.
D. Instead of fleeing our job is to help them.
E. Be willing to either seek or talk to those who are classified as undesirables.
F. Pursue the unlovely.
G. Try to reach the people who many find to be unpleasant.
H. This is what Jesus did. He was willing to speak with those who were shunned.
I. He was willing to extend help to those who were often disdained by others.
J. Other passages in the New Testament address this same point.
2. One of these verses is Jude 23.
3. Jude spoke of “snatching” people from the fire.
4. This verse also says “hating the garment spotted by the flesh.”
5. In the first century there were people who were involved with some disgusting sins.
6. Jude said what these people were doing was awful (nasty).
7. The inspired man said, “try to reach them.”
8. Be, like Jesus once said, “a good Samaritan.”
9. Jesus gave a great commission but we sometimes make it a limited commission.
10. We can reason that we will go approach people if we like them.
A. If a person is similar to us, we can teach or at least talk with them.
B. In cases where someone is disgusting, well, let’s turn our attention elsewhere.
C. This is exactly what Jonah tried to do.
D. He did not want to share God’s message with a certain part of society.
E. God ordered him to preach to an unpopular people and the prophet turned away.
11. We can fault Jonah for what he did but commit the very same sin in our day and time.
12. We can be just as guilty as the man who was swallowed by a great fish.
13. Furthermore, we can offer a thousand excuses for turning away but we still commit the same sin.
14. If God says “go” and we say “no,” we are willfully disobedient.
15. God has told us to go into all the world with His message.
16. Whether we like the people or not is irrelevant.
17. We have a special week planned for evangelism this coming October.
18. During this time period we need your help. Sign sheets have been posted in the foyer.
19. We will be contacting a wide variety of people, some of whom may be rough.
20. Others who are met may be just like us.
21. No matter what people are like, they need the gospel.
22. Our job is a bit like Jonah’s. We are a messenger from God.
23. During the week of October 19th we need an all out effort.
WHEN WE FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE “UNDESIRABLE” OR OFFENSIVE TO US, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THEM.
A. Our message is identical to the one found in verse 2 of Jonah 1 – READ.
B. Jonah was to “cry against” the people of Nineveh.
C. What does this mean? The expression is explained in 3:4 – READ.
2. The people of the Assyrian capital were to repent (change their ways).
3. They were to abandon an unrighteous way of life.
4. In different parts of the Bible sin is presented as something like smoke.
5. We know that smoke can appear in different amounts.
6. If a campfire is burning, a small amount of smoke ascends into the sky.
7. If an entire forest is on fire, the smoke may be too dense to see through.
8. The Bible describes sin in a similar way.
A. This image is first found in Genesis.
B. There was a lot of sin in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18).
C. God said this sin had “come to Him” (verse 21).
D. The wickedness was so great it had reached a boiling point.
E. A similar reference is Gen. 6:5.
F. There the Bible says God “saw” the wickedness of men.
G. This again has the sense of sin reaching a level where something had to be done.
H. Gen. 6:7 says that man was to be destroyed.
I. Ex. 2:23 is third passage.
J. The Hebrews were being mistreated.
K. The treatment was so bad it was finally like a great cloud of smoke before the throne of God.
L. The text says the cry of the Hebrews “came up to God.”
M. People can be deeply sunk in the pit of sin.
N. They can be absolutely covered with spiritual filth and the consequences of unrighteousness.
9. If we find someone who is unlovely in our eyes, he or she is probably wallowing in sin.
10. They need help.
11. The Bible says we have what they need.
12. It is our job to show them a way out of where they are.
13. Notice again the message Jonah was to preach – verse 2 – READ.
A. There is a lot of what I call casual teaching about God.
B. Many believe a creator exists and He really doesn’t care what we do.
C. He is overflowing with love and mercy so everyone is okay.
14. Jonah was not told to go and make the Assyrians feel good about themselves.
15. He was not commissioned to say that God would let this nation live as they wanted.
16. His message was straight forward:
A. There is a God.
B. You may not recognize Him, but He has jurisdiction over you.
C. He knows what you are like and what you are doing, and I am here to say you have a choice.
D. Repent (live in a way consistent with His will) and you will be spared.
E. Stay on the course you are pursuing and He will destroy you.
17. If we are a Christian this is our message.
18. The terms of salvation are not quite the same, but the basic message of Jonah is still true.
19. God exists, He has jurisdiction over all people, and we will one day face Him.
20. We need to believe in Him, repent, and get right with Him.
21. We need to be joined to God.
22. The Bible says in Gal. 3:27 – READ.
23. It is our job to communicate these facts as widely as possible.
24. When our campaign is in full force later this year, we need your help to take this message to Elkhart Co.
25. This is the point if we are Christians.
26. If we are not Christians, then the other message in Jon. 1 applies.