WedFamCon

May 11, 2022   /   Bolton Community Church

GOD’S MISSIONARY CALL:    Don’t Run From Responsibility

Announcements / Introduction:

 Share about a traveling experience that turned sour but you can laugh about it today.


Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil[a] has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard[b] to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

 

 (vv. 1-3)

Jonah is a graphic example of a terrible missionary.  He had so little concern for lost people that he wished God would destroy them!  However, God had a purpose for Jonah in spite of his attitude.

 

  1. Who are all the people involved in this passage? What is happening in this story?  How are those people like people in our world today?  What would you have done in this situation . . . how are you and Jonah alike – and different?
  2. What are some responses Christians give for not responding to God’s command to share His Gospel with the world in which they live?
  3. (He chose Moses, a poor speaker.  The Apostles, Peter and Paul – far from perfect people.)  What would the Spirit want us to hear from this example?  (see John 15:16,        2 Corinthians 4:7, 13-15)

    (vv. 4-10)

 

Jonah’s call was more specific than most.  He was “called” by God to go to a different people group from his own (a cross-cultural missionary).  However with our specific spiritual maturity in mind, God persists in calling us to be involved with His world-wide missions plan.

 

  1. Discuss the multifaceted ways God pursues Jonah (physically, emotionally, spiritually). How could Jonah sleep at a time like this . . . do you think he was really at peace with God?

  2. What does God’s pursuit of Jonah reveal about:
    A)  The justice and mercy of God?

          B)  Human fear and faith?

  3. Can we really “run away from the Lord”? (Psalm 139:7-12)

    In this “to be continued” chronicle of Jonah, how is admission of guilt in coming into line with God’s purpose of redeeming a lost world to Himself? How is this like what we read in Philippians 2:13?  Discuss how agreement with God is important in discovering God’s plan for our lives.

  4. What does God do in the lives of the sailors when Jonah finally, yet reluctantly, shares his faith (v. 9) and they throw him overboard? (Notice that their plan was foiled, v. 13)  Discuss what that reveals about the character of God.

  Ponder and discuss: “Our disobedience jeopardizes the world.”

 

Praises:

 

Wednesday Night Family night is a safe place to and .

 

  L ¨ Learn…………………………………………..……………..………….…..…………….. applying Biblical truth for everyday living

  I ¨ Invite………………………………………………………………………………………….……..welcoming others to our fellowship

  F ¨ Fellowship……………………………………………………………………….…….nurturing Christ centered caring relationships

  E ¨ Evangelism…………………..……………………………………………………….…….. reaching others with the hope of Christ

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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