God of ANOTHER chance!

We do not serve a God of second chances, we serve a God of another chance. No matter how many times we run away from Him, God is always willing to take us back!

The past two weeks at church, we have been talking about the story of Jonah. This week I had the privilege of teaching the second half of the story. Before we get there, we need to recap the beginning of the story.

In the first chapter, God tells Jonah to go preach in Nineveh:

Jonah 1:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

Jonah deliberately disobeys God and runs away:

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah was the only prophet to ever run away from the Lord’s instructions. Because of his disobedience, the Lord sends a violent storm that threatens the lives of the men aboard the ship. In order to calm the storm, Jonah is thrown overboard and swallowed by a whale (large fish).  While inside the whale’s belly, Jonah repents and is spit back out on land. This is where our story ended.

Takeaway from last week message: even when we are disobedient, God is still merciful and gives us a second chance.

*Jonah 2:8-10- “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah acknowledges that He was wrong: When we run away from God- which usually means running towards vain idols or running towards our own plan- we deny His Love.

Jonah Ch. 3

Jonah has now returned home, God has saved him, and given him another chance. This is the “Mountain top” part of the story- “Church camp High”

As we transition to this part of the story, it is not clear how much time has actually passed? It is probably safe to assume that a decent amount of time has passed. So Jonah’s gratefulness (the “mountain top” high) has slowly started to fad, and things are back to normal. So basically we are back to where we started, right where God found Jonah in chapter 1- TAKE TWO.

Jonah 3:1- “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “GO to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I gave you.”

The Lord has instructed Jonah to do the very thing He ran away from back in Chapter one- Jonah finds himself back in the very same position as he was before… but how does his response change?

*Jonah 3:3 (ASV) So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord.

*Jonah 3:3 (NIV) Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

This time Jonah does what the Lord has asked him to do. (Smart move) Although Jonah follows instructions the second time, there is no indication that he likes it any more than he did in chapter one. His heart/attitude: has not really changed.

Do you ever do things out of duty or guilt? When we do something out of obligation, without a joyful and obedient heart, are we truly obeying? I’m sure many of us have said: “Ok Lord, you can make me do this, but you cannot make me want to do this.”  

I had us look at two different texts for above to point out the variation in the text. The word “obey” is not found in both versions because in the Hebrew it does not translate to say “Jonah Obeyed.” The Hebrew word for obey = SHAMA- to hear, to listen to, and to obey. Shama is the type of obedience God wants from us. He does not want us to simply follow orders. He wants our obedience to be relational obedience. We are supposed to hear the Lord through seeking him and spending time in His word.

In Exodus 5- Moses goes to Pharaoh and tells him that the Lord has requested Pharaoh free the Israelites. Pharaoh’s response in verse 2 is:  

"Who is the LORD that I should obey (that I should shama him) him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."

This example shows that true obedience involves a relationship with the Lord. Pharaoh asks why he should obey someone that he does not know. That he does not have a relationship with.  Going back to Jonah, we see that he has followed the Lord’s instruction, but he does not really have an obedient heart. There is a difference between obedience and compliance:

*Define Obedience vs. Compliance

When I looked up the definition for Compliance, Wikepedia also provided a sentence to show how the word was used in context:  “The Suspect was compliant when arrested.”

The suspect probably followed orders because the cop had a gun and he didn’t want to get shot. He didn’t obey because he had a relationship with the cop.

True Obedience to the Lord is not a game of Simon says- God isn’t interested in playing a game with our life. He does not tell us “Go to church, Go to the single life social, give back 10% of your income, love your neighbor… do this do that… oh not that- Jesus didn’t say!” He doesn’t want us to respond like robots. No, He wants us to respond out of love and desire to please Him.

            To illustrate- Has a Parent or friend ever asked you for a favor? Like drive them to the airport- This is not something you are jumping up and down to do, but you do it because you love them. This may not be the best illustration because we might do this out of obligation,…. that obligation being we don’t want them to think we are rude… or we are expecting them to return the favor… but you get the idea. Most of us are happy to help the people we love! 

*2 Cor. 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

So a few questions for us to ponder today:

1.) Do many of us look like Jonah on the outside? You do the “right” things because you believe they are required…  Or…. Do you truly long for a relationship with Christ?

Jonah missed out on the joy God wanted him to have because he was only concerned about checking the box. I think there are some of us who just “arose and went” to church because it was “the right thing to do.” Have you gotten into that routine? Or are you truly seeking the Lord? Take a moment and dwell on this question. Really think about your motives for doing “right” or “Christian/church” things.

This is important to think about because if we have any ulterior motives, eventually we will be let down, disappointed, or simply become burnt out. The story of Jonah reveals that you cannot do the right thing on the outside, but have a rotten heart on the inside.

*Matthew 23: 27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

If we play Simon Says in our walk with God, then we are just like the Pharisees. On the outside we may look beautiful- all put together- but on the inside we are rotting away.

The good news is that God knows many of us are in this predicament: 

*Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

God wants to make you a new person- Not just change your activities!

I might not be the best teacher, I am sure there are others that could give a much better lesson, but I truly believe this was/is the exact lesson God wanted to teach me this week. I do not think it is a coincidence that I was given this passage- because if anyone is like Jonah, it would be me! Many of you know my story and I have shared it in church before, but God has laid it on my heart to share again & I believe He is reminding me of what he has done in my life to get me to where I am today.

After I graduated, I moved back to Houston and worked here for a little over a year. During that time my brother joined the army and moved away, my boyfriend and I broke up, I was really bored at my job, and I ended up looking for things to fill these disappointments in my life. I became really active at Second Baptist through single life, but I was searching for acceptance not searching for the Lord. After a year or so of all that I just became really bitter and wanted a change in my life. SO I up and quit everything and left.

While I was gone, the Lord really took hold of my heart and taught me that I cannot run from my problems- just like Jonah could not run. During that year, I realized I had been running my whole life. I confessed my selfishness and asked God to take control.

Not too long after that, I was given an opportunity to move back to Houston. I was really happy where I was in NY and I cannot really explain why I felt moving back was the right decision, but I chose to return. So in a sense, God literally swallowed me and spit me back right here: to the same church, the same job, and even the same house until a few weeks ago. I was/I am in the same place that God put Jonah.

So when I returned I was excited to serve God and get involved. I was asked to teach and I thought:” I am going to do it right this time.” But If I am honest, my “Mountain top high,” has started to fade- this week especially. I had an internal battle with God- “I really did not want to prepare to teach this lesson.” I caught myself asking- “Lord, I am doing all the right things, yet I am still not 100% satisfied, Why can’t you be enough… what else am I searching for and why have you not provided that?”

I was so frustrated as I began preparing this message and then this of all things was the topic- second chances and true obedience.

I know God was/ is saying: “Laura- Yes that is good, I am glad you are serving me but you need to examine your heart and discover your true motives- why are you being obedient?”

And the truth is:

“I am Jonah. I want to serve God… as long as it is convenient.

I desire to do his will… until it is a tad uncomfortable.

I want to hear his word… as long as its message is one I am suppose to pass on to someone else.

I don’t want my plans to be interrupted.

Oh yes, I am Jonah and I suspect that in one way or another, you are too!”

So today, I want you to ask yourself: Do you obey God out of obligation- or because you Love Him?

Thinking about all this… I think it is safe to assume that we have all been like Jonah, or maybe we are currently. So how do we snap out of it? How can we change our attitude? God tell us to first Love Him, because when we love Him, then we will love who and what He loves. He doesn’t want us to be a “to do list” Christian. Obedience should not suck you dry!

Maybe you want so badly to be motivated by the Lord, but you just aren’t. You find yourself in church each Sunday, you tithe, you serve…. but you do these things somewhat grudgingly- you often force yourself to do them.

Well here is the wonderful thing about God: The Lord knows that there will never be a day when we serve Him with 100% pure motives- we are human and therefore we all have sinful desires.  No matter how hard we try, we cannot remove every impure intention.  But through Jesus Christ, we can offer our mixed obedience to the Lord, and Christ makes them pure! - This is good news for us with mixed motives!  

Now we reach the part of the lesson when I got stuck…. So we all have mixed motives, maybe we have been asking the Lord to encourage us and strengthen our walk. But we can’t seem to get out of our routine- we still want something more or we are not fully satisfied… We have voiced this all to Him and now what… That is where I struggle too. And I think the answer is Simply Stop. Stop trying so hard…

Stop and search your hearts, listen to Him.  Ask yourself, am I still playing Simon says with God? I think we need to take a moment today and just ask the Lord, to make Himself real in our lives.

Maybe if we stop worrying about ourselves and just focus on Him… then He will be able change our attitude!  

Amos 7: Do you pass the Plumb Line Test?

Watch this Video as an introduction:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0cG11lTS1E

What do you think about Prayer?

Some of you may think prayer is awkward, weird, a normal ritual or maybe it is just something most people “claim” to do. So many times we say things like- “I am sorry you are ill, I will pray for you today.” But do we really intent to pray for that person, do we always follow through with our commitment? And more importantly, do we believe God is going to answer our prayer to heal that person?

According to a Fox.com article:

·         1/3 of Americans claim to pray several times a day

·         2/3 of Americans claim to pray at least once a day

·         Only 10% admit to rarely or never praying!

Think about how many people are in this world and how many requests God must receive not only each day but each hour, minute, & second. How does He hear them all? Are there too many to respond to and maybe this is why some of our prayers go answered?

 I don’t think I’m the only one guilty of putting limitations on God. I often imagine God receiving prayers in a similar way that we see in the Bruce Almighty clip- but God is not human. In this video, Bruce is still human- he just has “super hero” powers. Our human brain cannot comprehend the real powers of our TRUE God. So it is impossible for us to understand that He is not limited by time or energy. In fact our God created time and energy- He is bigger than both of these things and He is capable of everything imaginable and unimaginable.

But we often put limitations on God and also on prayer. So we pray because we know we should, but deep down do we truly believe in the power of prayer?

Why should we pray?

1.)    Jesus tells us to pray

1 Thes. 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you 

1.)    Prayer is an act of faith

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

When we pray, we are admitting to God that we need him and that we are putting our faith in His power. Prayer is also a test of our faith. Through prayer, the Holy spirit can reveal areas we need to give God control.

Does God hear all our prayers?

Yes, but our prayers can be hindered when we are not right with God.

John 9:3 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.

3 Things that hinder our prayers:

1.      Wickedness (sin):  Psalm 66:18

 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

2.      Improper attitudes towards others: Matthew 5:23-24

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

3.      Selfishness: James 4:3

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

This is the one I struggle with the most! This week I had to get really honest with myself and question several things I do. One big thing that came to mind was obviously teaching/writing… Why do I pour so much time and effort into preparing for a lesson? I pondered this question for a while… and I struggled to give an honest answer… The right response would be: “I do it so others would come to know Christ.” Or “I want to motivate others to strengthen their relationship with Jesus.” Of course these things are true, but there is definitely some selfishness involved. If I am honest, the main motivation during my preparation is Attention! I want you to like me and think that I've got it all figured out, I want others to notice me, and I am encouraged when I receive compliments- “Laura, you are such a rock star!”

When I realized that I struggle with pride and self-centeredness I had to be honest with the Lord and ask him to take me off this high horse. That is why I have to pray that God would move me out of the way and that you would hear His words- not my own. Because deep down I am human and it is natural to desire the attention.

God just convicted me this week to pray for others, that we would draw closer to Him. That needs to be my prayer when I am preparing to teach or when I write. Instead of asking God to give me the right words/stories/ movie clips/jokes, I should focus less on “God give me” and more on “God give them.” Lord, let them hear your word. Draw them closer to you. Make them desire you!

Do ALL our prayers matter?

Yes, all our prayers matter to God! However, we need to check our heart before we go to God in prayer. At times we may feel that our prayers remain unanswered because God is too busy or has forgotten us. But instead of becoming angry or impatient with God, examine your heart and listen. God has a reason for unanswered prayers. And maybe the answer is- “Examine our heart: set your eyes on Me (God) and your desires/ motives that influence your prayers will change.”

AMOS 7

Today we will continue our study of Amos, focusing in on Amos chapter 7.  In this passage, we will see just how effective our prayers can be.

Let’s read Amos 7: 1-9.

1-3: This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said.

4-6: This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.

7-9: This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand.  And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”

In the first 9 verses of chapter 7, Amos shares three visions with Israel. After the first two visions, God hears Amos’ plea and because of his faithfulness, God spares Israel a little longer. However, in the third vision, God can no longer spare Israel and He holds them accountable for their sins.

So first, let’s look at vision #1 and #2 to see what we can learn and how we can apply this to our lives.

Vision #1 & #2

In these two visions, Amos sees the destruction of Israel, first by famine (the locus devour all of their food) and then by fire. Amos realized that these visions God showed him threaten Israel’s survival. Thus, he pleads with God to spare the Israelites.

Amos v. 2 & v. 5

“Sovereign Lord, I beg you, Stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small.”

In this text, Amos calls Israel- Jacob. This was because of the promise the Lord had made to stand beside Jacob forever. God had made this same promise with Israel- so Amos uses the name Jacob to reflect Israel.

This plea is similar to one we see in Exodus. (Exodus 32:11-14) Moses prays for the Israelites regarding their idolatrous behavior at Mount Sinai.

“But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

These two accounts we see from Moses and Amos should set an example for our prayer life. They should be a reminder that God not only hears our prayers, but He answers them.

When we read Amos 7:6 in the American Standard Version, it says “The Lord changed his mind.”  

Amos 7:6 (ASV) “Lord God, please stop! How can Jacob stand, for he is small?” The Lord changed His mind about this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

How do we explain an all knowing God that changes His mind? Is this consistent to what we know and have been taught about our Lord?

Numbers 23:19- God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

James 1:17- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

God’s purpose will never change, but we see in Moses’ and Amos’ example that God’s immediate reaction may change due to believer’s faithful requests.

When you think about Moses and Amos standing before God and saying “forgive,” “I beg you to stop” Are you reminded of any other biblical figure?.... JESUS CHRIST should come to mind. This is what Christ does for us when we mess up. Jesus says- “Father, forgive Laura for her selfishness… she is your child who you created! She messes up because she is human, but remember, I died so that you could forgive her sins.”

Vision #3

Amos’ third vision is very different from the first two. In this vision, he sees the Lord standing next to a wall and holding a plumb line.

What is a plumb line? A plumb line is a device used by builders during construction to make sure the rows of stones or bricks, in a wall, remain vertically straight. Inspectors can also use these to make an existing wall is evenly straight. If a stone has shifted out of place, it could cause the wall to collapse.

The Lord uses this image to show that He, the master builder, has inspected Israel’s spiritual condition by setting a plumb line in the midst of his people.

*The results are clear- Israel is corrupt beyond repair and they are nearing a collapse. They must be knocked down in order to be rebuilt.

How can we apply this test to our own lives: If God were to hold a plumb line next your spiritual life, how would you measure up?

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to Trust in the Lord and by submitting to Him, our paths will be made straight. 

*Here is how we can use the plumb line test on ourselves: If we trust in the Lord, it should reflected in our prayer life!* When I teach, I should be in prayer more than I am thinking of what things to say or what outfit I am going to wear. If I am not asking God to speak and reveal the message then maybe I have the wrong motive? But sometimes it is hard to not have ulterior motives… the only way to overcome our selfish motives is to submit to Christ and allow him to take control.

Israel’s response to Amos’ visions

Amos 7:13 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

During this time, Amaziah is the high priest of Israel and he commands Amos to stop prophesying because Israel did not like what Amos had to say- they wanted him gone. They tell him to go earn his bread else where- meaning go make your money/living (as a prophet) somewhere else.

Amos’ response to Israel’s insults

In Amos 7: 14, he responds by telling the Israelites that He did not come to make any money, he had nothing to gain. He did not make a living by prophesying.

He said-

 “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, and prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now then, hear the word of the Lord.”

Amos obeyed the Lord. He said  “I came only because The Lord instructed me to.” So he what he is saying is, “Hear what God has to say… not what I have to say.”

And in vs. 17 He tells Amaziah what the Lord has said:

Amos 7:17

 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: “‘your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagan country. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’”

This text is specifically directed to Amaziah (Israel’s high priest): But it is intended to forewarn Israel that their sins have consequences.  

Closing

Last time I taught/wrote, the main point of the lesson (from Amos 1-3) was: As Christians, we have a high calling and therefore, we are held to a higher standard. Higher Calling= Higher Responsibilities= Higher Accountability.

Today, our text concludes with the consequences associated with neglecting these responsibilities- Whooo hooo! Happy Messages J So needless to say, these past two lessons have been pretty difficult to give.

But I think today’s lesson can really be applied to our lives and that we can use it as a motivation to examine our hearts and more specifically our prayer life!

1)      Our Prayers Do Matter!

So therefore….

2)      We should be motivated to pray, especially for others to receive Christ.

And because we are praying for others salvation….

3)      We should always be on guard- ready to share the gospel.

1 Peter 3:15 tells us to- Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Just as Amaziah opposed what Amos said, we too will face opposition. Our opposition will probably look different because we are not actually prophesying as Amos did, but we prophesy through our words and actions. How do you talk to your peers/co-workers/family members?

*Does your life prophesy Christ no matter who you are with?

One last verse to close with:

Matthew 10:32-33-  “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.