Response of Obedience
Jonah 3:3-4 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-- a visit required three days.
On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
The Experience of sin and failure can make us defeated persons or dedicated persons. One person said failures or frustrations can make us bitter or better. God had to do something in Jonah’s heart before Jonah was ready to obey. Jonah had to make important decisions, of course.
One of the greatest obstacles to conversion is often not found in sin, hardness of hearts, or illustrations of wickedness, but in the pious, prejudiced hearts. That was Jonah. It is not always sin in the hearts of sinners that keep men from God. Sometimes the sin is in the hearts of the saints. The world disparately needs the gospel. We need to pray for workers to go into the harvest and pray our hearts would be willing to be God’s representatives where we work, go to school, or socialize. God needs to change the hearts of believers before the gospel has an impact on the hearts of the unsaved.
“Proclaim the message that I have given you” was Jonah’s instructions from the Lord. I am sure he did keep his vow by going back to Jerusalem and offering sacrifices and seeking forgiveness, but he didn’t stay there when the Lord wanted him to go someplace else.
Many clergy preach what the people want them to preach. Many ministers will preach what is popular. Many will say what is politically correct. Most are concerned about job security, but obedience is taking God’s Word and proclaiming it as clearly as one can.
Teach what the Lord wants you to teach at home, in your Sunday School classes, in clubs, in small groups. It is the Word of God that convicts and changes and gives life and reveals sin. The Bible becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our path even if you don’t like it. It alone is truth.
All the judges in the world can ban it from classrooms. Society can find it offensive to teach, but even in countries where it is not only illegal to teach it, but to have it in private homes and to read it, find it all the more popular. Some will secretly pass on passages or books of the Bible to others. It is said that one Bible in China is read by 10 people. You cannot put the lid down on God’s word. Never have, never will.
Obeying the Lord is to live out the Word and pass it on. It was the call of Jonah to leave his comfort zone, go to the enemy and proclaim pending judgment on the people unless they repent.
Sharing the faith is part of the call of Christians. To whom does God want you to share? What areas do you have problems with obedience to the Lord?
Dale
