We read in Jonah 1:5, “And the mariners were afraid, and cried every one unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to be lightened of them. But Jonah had gone down into the lower part of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.” (Darby)
This is the continuation of the series on the similarities that we can find between the life of Jonah and the church today. As we study the second half of this verse, we read that Jonah had gone to the lower part of the ship, laid himself down, and fallen into a deep sleep. The ship was in unimaginable peril, and was tossed by a furious storm, but in the midst of such a calamity there was Jonah oblivious to what was happening around him and fast asleep. If there was one person on that ship who could change the situation it should have been Jonah, for he was the only one who knew the living God, who had received God’s word, and had been in communion with God. Sadly, this one man was sleeping.
God is looking for that one person
If you observe, God is not looking for a crowd, but for one man who could make a difference. In the days of Noah, we see how Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. So also Abraham was chosen by God to be blessed, and be a blessing to all the nations. When the Midianites were plundering the Israelites, God found Gideon who was fearful and hiding in a winepress. Not only did God choose men, he also chose women like Deborah and Esther to do His work.
God does not need a huge crowd to do His will, but He needs those individuals who are obedient and willing to submit to Him and fulfill His purposes. With such people God can do the mighty wonders and even calm those raging storms. The blessing of being a believer in Jesus is the fact that the Lord has taught us everything pertaining to life in all its entirety.
The signs of the end of the age
The disciples of Jesus asked him in Matthew 24:3, “And as he was sitting upon the mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what is the sign of thy coming and the completion of the age?” (Darby)
Jesus did not refute the question of the disciples, but explained in great detail the signs of the end times. In other words, Jesus was reiterating that there would be an end of the world.
Generally there are many who live on earth as though their time here is unending. To such Jesus reminds us that there will surely come a time when this world will come to an end.
These are Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:7, For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. (Web)
These signs are evident for all to see. There are nations at war with nations, some of these openly and the others unobtrusively. Jesus also spoke about kingdoms rising against kingdoms, and we see kingdoms like these who have weapons of mass destruction, and are threatening the entire world. Also there will be famines said Jesus, and that too is found in many part of the world, where there is an acute shortage of food and starvation of thousands. Then Jesus spoke of plagues and we are at present enduring the effects of this global pandemic. There is also mention of earthquakes which too have become regular threat in many parts of the world.
All of these signs Jesus spoke about are being fulfilled, and we as a church have the responsibility to teach these to those outside who are confused and perplexed by these disasters. Our message to the world is that in the midst of all of these calamities, the Lord has promised us His presence and protection, and therefore there is no need to fear. We as the church have the responsibility to share the good news that Jesus brings to the world that is in turmoil. Sadly, the church has forgotten the purpose of our existence here on earth. The answer to these queries are all found with the church, but sadly the church on many occasions are in the same state that Jonah was in.
When Jesus came down to the earth, He abolished the enmity between God and man on the cross of Calvary. Not only did Jesus bring reconciliation between God and man, He also assured us of His divine protection to those who are in fellowship with Him. This is the good news every member of the church is expected to share with those who are outside of the church.
The assurance in the Great Commission
Before His ascension these are the words of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and said to them, “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.” (ESV)
The Lord Jesus is not the savior for an exclusive group of people or for those only in some parts of the world. Jesus told His disciples that all authority both in heaven and on earth has been bestowed on Him. Therefore, to those who put their faith in Him, they too are guaranteed the divine protection, because Jesus is in complete control of everything in heaven and on earth.
The command was clear that the disciples were to not stay in one place, but were to go into all the world as ambassadors of Christ and make disciples of all nations. To make disciple means to take this good news to those outside, so they can understand that when they come under the Lordship of Christ, they too can enjoy the salvation, protection and eternal life that Jesus offers.
In verse 20 Jesus also commanded the disciples that they teach others all that He had taught them. There were lots of people who were teachers even in the days of Jesus, but the teaching of Jesus were so astounding that it transformed the world, kingdoms and the very course of history itself, because He was the only begotten son of the Most High God who created the heavens and the earth. Jesus taught us to love one another, forgive each other, and all of His teachings are to be taught to everyone else.
Finally, Jesus also promised that He would be with us to the very end of the age. The Lord who has all authority in heaven and on earth, reassured us that He will never leave our side for now and for all eternity. There is therefore, no other confidence that we need as children of the Almighty God. Nothing that happens around us should disturb us or cause us to be fearful or anxious, for the Lord is with us all the time. God established the church in the world simply to take this wonderful message to those who are without.
There are many churches who are calling people to come in, but woefully we have not commissioned those inside to go out and make disciples of others. Once we are inside the church we learn about God, the world, on living godly lives and about the enemy, but that is not the end. This will be of no use if every member of the church does not go out to be a witness to the world outside. It is good for us to take a check to see if each one of us is fulfilling this supreme commission that the Lord has entrusted to us through our lives.
Jesus sent out His disciples
The disciples whom Jesus chose, spent much time with Him. They listened to His teaching, saw all the wonders and miracles He performed, but Jesus was not content to keep them by His side the whole time. Jesus sent them out two by two and often before he ventured to a town, he sent the disciples ahead of Him to preach the gospel. Wherever, the disciples shared the good news of the kingdom, it was also accompanied by mighty wonders and signs.
This is the responsibility that God has commissioned to us as the church. However, if we decide to sleep like Jonah did, the turmoil around us will certainly not cease.
Paul was compelled to preach the good news
We read in 1 Corinthian 9:16, “I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed.” (CEV)
The apostle Paul was so convinced that preaching the good news of the gospel was his bounden duty. He goes on further to say that if he failed to do this, he would consider himself doomed.
Often we have passed on this responsibility to the pastors and elders of the church. In reality this is the commission that has been given to everyone who has committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and made Him the Lord of their lives. It is the duty of each one of us to share this gospel which is the good news to all those who are bound by fear and doubt. To those who think that this is not your responsibility, here’s what the Lord wishes to remind us. If we have known Him as our savior, tasted that the Lord is good, enjoy the fellowship of being part of a church, we should make it our goal to share the gospel with at least one person every day, as this is the least we can do for the Lord in return for all that He has done for us.
You remember the time when the ten lepers came and received healing from Jesus. The only one who came back was a Samaritan, who not only received healing for his body, but was also spiritually saved for he alone understood who Jesus was, and gave Him the honor due to Him. There are many believers who are following after Jesus only for the benefits that they can receive from His hand. The Lord is certainly willing to give us whatever we ask for in His name, and He is also well aware of all of our needs. Nonetheless, we who have been showered with these manifold blessings by the Lord should do all we can to share the wonderful things that God has accomplished in our lives to others. Our lights should shine forth, and not be hidden just as Jesus taught us. We live in difficult times when people are battling with so many issues and hardships. There are many who are ending their lives because they have no hope. We the members of the body of Christ have the responsibility to be beacons of hope to those around us who are confused and hopeless.
Don’t relax in your comfort zone
Jonah went to the lowermost part of the ship, and then fell asleep. The spot Jonah chose was the place where he would have least disturbance. Jonah did not know how to obey God, but he definitely knew how to choose the best place on the ship to have his blissful slumber. This was Jonah’s comfort zone.
How like the church of today. We are content with our buildings, best of musical instruments, the most gifted musicians and as members we seek the prayer support and good fellowship from fellow believers. All of these are good things, but the more important thing is that we should be good disciples, and also be good disciple makers. Think about the numerous blessings we have received from the Lord, and what have we done in return for the Lord? God gives us so many opportunities to be His witnesses, and we have missed them. Sometimes we miss these opportunities because of our own weariness, sometimes because we are apprehensive to share our faith, and often we feel we do not know enough ourselves. It is time for us to set aside all these inhibitions, and decide to lead others into the kingdom.
The example of the early church
If we compare the church today with that of the early church there is a staggering contrast that can be noted.
We read in Acts 4:13, The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with Jesus. (CEV)
The disciples of Jesus were so courageous to share the gospel that those who heard them were stunned at the way they preached the gospel. They perceived that they were unschooled men, but most certainly recognized that they had been with Jesus.
We give so many excuses for not sharing the gospel with others. Often we cite so many of our inadequacies as reasons for our silence. The main reason why the disciples of Jesus were so bold was they had spent much time with Jesus. It is a fact that when we spend more time with the Lord Jesus and His word, we too will be filled with boldness and wisdom and the Lord will work through us to reach out to others. In the midst of the turmoil around us, if we too like Jonah are in a state of slumber, it is good to be reminded that we will have to give an account to the Lord when He returns.
The disciples of Jesus preached nothing other than the good news about the gospel of Jesus. Grievously, today people spend more time running down each other’s church and ministries. They also use the social media to malign others in ministry. The church of God should be what the church was meant to be. When people watch our words and our lives, they too should be able to testify like they did of Peter and John, that we belong to Jesus.
We read in Ephesians 5:4, Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. (ESV)
As believers there should be no place for any sort of filthiness or foolish talking or crude joking. Social media is a good platform to share useful and beneficial information. We should never use it to run others down, especially those who are serving the Lord and think that God would approve of it. The Lord detests these practices, and will not attest them in any way. We must not search for cheap publicity, but rather work towards fulfilling God’s purposes especially because the end is near. Let us uphold our testimony, understand whose disciples we are, and continue to serve God, for only then the Lord will be glorified in our midst.
The early church turned the world upside down
We read in Act 17:6, “But when they did not find them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the Lord's followers. They took them to the city authorities and shouted, "Paul and Silas have been upsetting things everywhere. Now they have come here.” (CEV)
Wherever the disciples of Jesus went, they made such a difference, that those who were stuck in traditions were furious, while those who were sincerely seeking after God were totally transformed. The disciples of Jesus brought tremendous transformation to every place they went to. Lives were changed, light shone forth, and there were major changes that they were rightly termed as those who turned the world upside down.
These kinds of testimonies are scarce or unheard of these days. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. As children of God let us humble ourselves, think about the salvation we have received, understand the blessedness of the church we belong to and be thankful for all of this. We are in no way better than those who have not yet come in to enjoy all these unimaginable blessings that are ours. Let us pray and ask the Lord to fulfill the purpose for which He has chosen us. It is time to stop being selfish or self-centered, and work towards fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives.
If we like Jonah are asleep, relaxing in our comfort zone, may the Lord shake us up, and wake us up to be those who will be obedient to His voice and be a blessing to someone every single day of our lives. The coming of the Lord is at hand, so let us be alert, and do all that we can in the time allotted to us, so we can stand with confidence before the throne when the Lord comes again.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
