Repentance and fasting. Are these somehow linked? And if so, how? Many have wondered if fasting is a practice we Christians ought to be doing in our time as well. To be abundantly clear, we are going to be considering this practice in light of Scripture, as religious orthopraxy, not as a diet plan to drop some lbs you might have picked up over the holidays. Fasting means something. It is intentional or purposeful. The purposes are many and varied. And yet the practice is linked quite often with prayer. There is an appeal, there is a desired connection, spiritual connection to God. It is a demonstration of commitment, a demonstration of the heart, a demonstration of change. In our text this morning we will see that this practice was an appeal and gave evidence of change in the hearts of the people of Nineveh. And we may find the impetus, the encouragement for incorporating this practice into our lives as well.
What happens when you are told something you really don’t like? Making it more personal, how do you react when someone tells you something about yourself that you don’t like? Setting aside for a moment whether what was said is true or not, what is your natural tendency? Is the first thing to instinctually reject? Is the first word of response out of your mouth, “no?” Or do you wait long enough to listen to what is being said? Are you patient enough to evaluate the statement? Maybe there is some truth in what was said. You may not like it, but maybe that’s the reality of the situation.
What if the news was a life threatening situation? Would we heed the news? Or would we disbelieve it, rejecting it to our detriment? Many of us have lived long enough to deal with life threatening diseases, or have known those who have gone through such ordeals. Would you receive such news and make changes and follow medical advice, or would you put your head in the sand and go about it on your own terms?
What about your behavior? How do we respond to being told that we aren’t acting right or doing what we ought? Does it rub us wrong? Sir, you ought to be more loving to your wife. Madam, you ought to be more submissive to your husband. Young man, you ought not be lazy and ought to be self-controlled. Young lady, you ought to guard your heart and avoid being a gossip and busybody. All that I have mentioned is not a personal attack, it is biblical, it is Scripturally mandated. Now, would you seek to behave and live in a more godly manner, or do you dig in your heels and say “well that’s just the way I am, so there?” Today we will see how the great city of Nineveh responded to such a message. And it may hit closer to home than we might admit at first. But don’t resist. Listen and hear the word of God and then choose wisely in response.
What did we do before GPS? Remember those paper maps, that were impossible to refold once you opened it up. You had to watch for the signs. This many miles to this town, or this many miles to this highway. What mile marker was that? And if you missed your exit, then you had to navigate on the fly. No computer voice to tell you “recalibrating.” And then when you figured out you’re truly lost, then it was time to pull over at a gas station and ask for help. Signs, they give us directions, they tell us important information. If we choose to ignore them, we do so at our own peril. If the sign ahead says bridge out, and you keep on going, you’re gonna be in trouble. Just as we have road signs or GPS, Scripture has been given us and there are signs, heavenly signs, that point to Christ. Signs we must pay attention to. Maybe we too like Jonah have found ourselves off course, running away, going in the opposite direction, and yet God still gives us signs to woo us back, to correct our trajectory and get us back on course.
Who’s happy this morning? How are you feeling today? For the most part the election is over. The votes have been counted, and some are going to be re-counted. But how are you feeling? Some may be disappointed. Some may be angry. Some may be worried, anxious about what the future holds. And what if your candidate won, is there any more or less reason to be worshipful this morning? What happened to your peace? Where did it go? You see, I think we have a trust issue. It’s easy to trust God when things are going the way we want. But as soon as things go sideways, well then we can get in a funky mood. I received a phone call this week from my doctor. She was giving me a report of some tissue samples. The report was good, and I thank God for that. But she was sharing how she is struggling with the outcome of the election. And I agreed and said that I too was considering this as I was preparing my sermon. And she said, yes, many are going to need to hear from you, to keep them calm. And I politely disagreed, and shared with her that the people don’t need to hear from me, they need to hear from God. She understood what I was getting at and said she would pray for me and for us. And that indeed is my objective this morning. I’m not going to pat you on the back and say buck up, everything is going to be all right. What I am going to do is point you to God’s word so that you can behold his magnificence, remind you that God is bigger than the circumstances, that He is sovereign. Kingdom perspective, take your eyes off of what is blaring on your tv’s 24/7 and focus on Christ. He is more lovely, He is more worthy, He is more glorious. Who is ready to hear from our Great God who speaks to us from his word? Listen. “A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psa. 23:0–6) You don’t get there by focusing on your circumstances. You don’t get there by listening to some shrink guru pop psychologist. You only get here by trusting God with everything. Everything. “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; (Psa. 31:14–15) Jonah faced a perilous situation. He was asked for his identity. Not only did he identify himself, but he revealed the identity of the One True Living God. May we do as David, and Jonah.
The book of Jonah has been described as a book about mission. There is the mission of God in bringing the message of repentance and salvation. But also, there is the mission of self-determined individuals to do what they believe is in their own best interest. And these missions are on a collision course. We will appreciate God’s initiative, His will, His sovereignty, and on the other hand, we will see the will of man, working against the will of God, blatant disregard for God’s command, the will of man in rejecting God’s command. And still God works his will, no one thwarts his will, and ultimately, man eventually chooses to submit to the LORD. For many of us, we will wan to see ourselves in the best light possible, and so we say to ourselves, that Jonah was a bonehead. If it were me, I would have gone, I would have obeyed. No need to throw me overboard, me and God, we’re good. And yet, if we were to examine our hearts closely, we may admit that we too are very much like Jonah. We want to do what’s best for ourselves. We even think we can know God’s heart and presume to know what He is going to do. So why study Jonah? Look at our land. Look at the divisiveness of our country. Look at the divisiveness of the church. Look at the divisiveness of our own families. The mission field is everywhere. Some feel more comfortable talking sports, talking politics, talking cars, talking golf, talking about anything else under the sun, but when will we ever get around to talking about God? The question arises, will we follow Jesus’ command? “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.” (Matt. 28:18–20) What’s our excuse? We have been authorized to share the gospel. The command has been made. The call has been issued. It’s not like he said to go to a foreign country and share the gospel, except, oh yeah, he did say all nations. But you might say, I feel more comfortable in my country. But it’s not like he said you would be all alone, in fact, Jesus said he would be with you. We partner with others in the gospel who serve in other countries. So I think as we study Jonah closely, we may find ourselves looking more and more like fish food. We might even say we’re more like fish vomit. God’s word is clear. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) I pray as God reveals your heart, that He also reveals his heart to you and you will love Him even more as we gain greater understanding of God’s mercy and kindness He freely bestows towards us.