Something Greater than Jonah

JD Greer there is an appointed time of judgment for you.

It might be this afternoon. It might be this week.

It might be next year. It might be 10 years from now 50 years now here for now. I don't know but I know that there is an appointed time of judgment for you.

Do you ever think about that day because ultimately with today's matter this day what I'm doing on this day, for God, and in that day when I stable for him to give an account. Do you seriously think about that question and I'm your host :-) that's your JD begins to wrap up our study of the reluctant prophet Jonah actually turning to the New Testament covering that Jonah's whole story is really a sign pointing to something greater. This redemptive message as part of our series, castaway, if you're new to summit life you can catch up on previous messages, the complete transcripts and learn more about this ministry when you visit JD Greer.com. Now here's Pastor Janie with a message titled something greater than Jonah, you have your Bible now would be a great topic about book of Jonah. And today I am going to try to bring home the book of Jonah.

You I'm going to try to land the plane.

The study of Jonah the book of Jonah is a story about a renegade prophet of God was given an assignment that he does not like to go to a people that he hates and to give a message to them that he does not want to give them so instead he goes the other direction and God chases him and sends a storm after him in causes him to be swallowed by a great big fish, and in these in there for three days and three nights that he's regurgitated and he gives the message and got some other personal issues that he's got to work there would be a weapon as I tried to explain to you. There are multiple ways that God intends for you to find your story in the story of Jonah anybody that really walks with God that I've ever taught you can always tell me about some point in their life in multiple point usually where they have found themselves in situations like Jonah, you are aware that God has pursued you that in his love. He has made your life so that you would be brought back to himself. And so I hope you have found yourself in the book of Jonah.

I got so many encouraging letters over the last couple of weeks of people just telling me about about what God is doing in her life got after the service last night just came up and immediately begin to weep, but he said he said this is my story is I've been running from God for years. He said a man justly said last week, I finally just laid out is that I can't any longer that the citizens everything is different now. He set on my mom walking with God again. I know that that story is multiple times repeated over in our congregation here today and I'm going to invite showing you what is probably the most significant thing about the book of Jonah. The reason I say this because it's what Jesus said is important about the book of Jonah. Jesus said there's something about Jonah that is more significant that if you actually saw a miracle with your own eyes what is that I took turn your Bible to die but I said not so that Jonah did not intentionally misled you. I just want to see if you got you got good enough to find Jonah but now to be the book of Matthew and when I got out to find Jonah anymore the Bible for long time. Good news right at me. Matthew is easy for the Bible forgot to give you New Testament supports book of page 1. Matthew chapter 12 is where were going to begin here. Matthew chapter 12 verse 38 and some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Jesus saying teacher we wish to see a sign from you.Jesus will see some proof. We want to see some proof that you are who you say you are now. I want you to understand, especially if you are the kind of person that is really struggling to believe that Jesus does not turn away people with genuine questions and so this is not a group of people who genuinely are confused and they want to know whether or not Jesus is who he says he is. These are people that are inventing reasons not to believe, and I will tell you this, that in the last several years I taught the people have become convinced that more the questions I get about faith. A lot of times generated. For this reason, not because we were generally confused. Jesus recognizes that their hearts are stubborn and hard. It's not that there is not reason to believe it's that they don't want to believe in it so you want to believe until your heart is open to believing what God has to say to you, you mind were never will never become messily sick Jesus perceives here to say that Tatian wanted people.

It is a genuine question.

This is not really something that Jesus is saying Hegel asked me questions just accept it and we welcome this got a questions them except five or 39 but he answer them an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to accept the side of the prophet Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Verse 41 the men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented and the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

The people of Nineveh Jesus that are going to rise up rise up in the final judgment and they are going to condemn the generation that listen to Jesus because they repented at the preaching of Jonah preach. As I explained you five word sermon a terrible sermon right Jonah from Jonah, who was by every by every estimation a terrible witness me everything that you would tell somebody not to do.

Jonah did. He hated the people he was a racist, he was a hypocrite. This is not a guy who has a compelling life. This is a guy who just means you everything about it would turn you off IBM message. Five. Wait until repented.

Tell him about God's compassion is 40 days and shall be binding is that he had studied that message you come up with any funny stories about ways to connect that stuff right yet that generation repented and what Jesus says is look you were listening. See when you were seeing the ministry of one much greater and much more convincing the Jonah and you're not fancy three questions I think come out of this tax number one. How was Jesus message similar to Jonas how was Jesus message similar to Jonah that the first question. Secondly, how was Jesus message greater than Jonah's is the elusive that they're not to lead us to 1/3 question and that is the people of Nineveh going to condemn you on the day of judgment of the people of Nineveh going to condemn you on the day of judgment never responded to be recalled by putting on sackcloth and ashes, which was a symbol of their inward repentance sackcloth was when you tore your clothing and that was indicating that your heart was torn with grief or the decisions that you made govern yourself what ashes was a symbol of the destructive nature of the choices that you made right. That's how they responded to see in the Bible whenever somebody repents whenever somebody comes to God anywhere in the Bible there's always an outward declaration that goes with the inward decision always in the story here at sackcloth and ashes in the church that I grew up in that symbol was walking and island coming forward and kneeling at the altar anybody brought the church like that yet is altered at like five or six steps you know that I went all the way around the in the sermon you you you would walk up and that's how you trust in Jesus. Now, it's a great symbol I minded bullets, if not biblical. That's not going to find the Bible the whole walking the I'll think in the Bible in the Bible. The outward symbol B outward symbol which is important is not working out baptism. Baptism is the symbol. It is the outward declaration of an inward decision. I okay let's get right to it questionably. One that we are going to deal with here we go. How is Jesus message similar to Jonas how is Jesus message similar to Jonah.

Jonah's message. Jonah's message again was just five words in Hebrew Yoda by Ian Benton in a volume that brought debt translated in English as eight words yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Now let's be honest, there's not much in there to look at and to analyze. But there are two words that stand out to me. The first is 40 days and then the second is overthrown 40 days in the Bible. 40 is the number of judgment. 40 means and appointed judgment. It means an eminent judgment, you will see it all throughout the Bible. 40 days of flood 40 days of famine. When you see 40 in the Bible that usually a very bad side, which is why I turned 39 this year I decided this is your last birthday I will ever celebrate soap and henceforth I am 39 you got holding a glass Progresso rate of 39 so that's what we might from now on 40 bad price of 40 days 40s a number judgment overthrown overthrown as a war term as a war term became the Jews because God is going to be a war against the people of Nineveh and put down the rebellion that they have they have they have enacted against him and that's very important because it shows you the true nature of sin. A lot of times we think that sin is morally devious behavior that is wicked because of the effect on others. So sin is adultery. It is drawn to this cheating is lying and it has a wicked effect on how it harms others and that is certainly true. But make no mistake that the greatest evil of sin is not its effect on others. It is, it is an affront to God and so he is Sadie. I'm going to come and overthrow you because your sin is ultimately rebellion against me. There are two routes to every sin that we commit here they are. One is pride. Pride. Pride says I want to do what I want to do because I know better than God, I'm smarter than God. I'm a better Lord of my life that God is so I'm going to reject God's counsel and I'm going to follow my own.

That is an affront to God because it says that you are greater than God smarter than God. The other source of your sin.

As I have explained the Bible exploit his idolatry. Idolatry is when something matters more to you God is when something takes on greater weight than God has in your life persuade you that the core of the Hebrew concept of idolatry is the work couple couple literally means weight and idol is something that takes on more weight to God. It's not usually a bad thing. It's just something in your life that is become more important you to God and controls your behavior more than God does. It might be your career might be money might be reputation might be marriage, romance, whatever, but it become so weighty to you that it dominate your behavior and it matters more to you God does now. How do you figure out what your idol is what you probably have multiple ones of them. John Calvin said that the human heart is an idol factory with me to just constantly making new idols. It's almost like there's a lot of things going around that I get aroused by that sick you want them to breathe on because everything that's coming out of that poison body of theirs that sick body is poisonous. You don't want to be in any of it all out of the human heart comes continual idols at various points in your life you're going to get something more weight than God when you're retiring different idols and when you're 19 years old, but it is the same alter your life. There's things you're giving more weight to got the ultimate idol for us almost always is. We want and what we want and what God wants.

We give more weight to what we want and what he wants is nothing wrong with wanting things this is that these things take on more weight than God does. And ultimately they begin to control your behavior so behind every sin is pride and idolatry and this is cosmic treason. At some point the rightful king comes in the rightful King overthrows all false claims delete now, whenever I explained that some people object here and there, like well God's mind his own business there's a problem with. I just think about this logically for a minute if there is a God and he is the creator of all that is right and there's no like your territory in his territory.

It's all his territory that heritage are we doing out. That's his ear that he created for his purposes.

Good molecules that make up your body for his molecules that he created and you are usurpers of the throne in Europe was in possession of stolen property to there's no what God mind his own business.

It's all his business right. The second I always say to people when they make a got a statement to me is to understand God created you for himself and he created you so that you only thrive when you are in relationship to himself. God created you so that you would be most alive when you're in fellowship with him, compared to before to imagine a fish looked around the ocean and says I hate you ocean. I'm sick of you and I'm rebelled against you flies above the water and flopped on the land they had good luck with that right and you can rebel against the water.

If you want to but you will die the same way, see God created us for himself and we will only thrive where most alive when we are in proper relationship to him to Jonah's message was one of appointed judgment now.

Jesus did not give his audience an actual calendar day like that and I don't have one for you either don't think of 40 days as a set calendar dates. Think of 40 days as a symbol for a prescribed moment of judgment according the Bible is symbolic and it just me for the time is fulfilled. I don't know when that time is for you, but I do notice Hebrews 927. It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment which means that there is an appointed time of judgment for you. It might be this afternoon. It might be this week. It might be next year. It might be 10 years from now 50 years now 80 years from now. I don't know but I know that there is an appointed time of judgment for you. Do you ever think about that day because ultimately let Martin Luther used to say only today's matter this day and that day this day when I'm doing on this day for God and then that day when I stand before him a given account. Do you ever seriously think about that question, boy. Jesus said it was this, he said, what would it profit a person if you gained old world lost his soul. What would you give in exchange for your soul, which I think for a minute about the logic of that you have to be a religious person to understand the logic of that if there is an afterlife and 97% of Americans also this in a recent survey, 90% of Americans believe in an afterlife, only 92% believe in God always right you put this together. What you think is out there right you what's up I percent what was wrong. Only 4% of Americans believe in health pressure nice him resembling an afterlife or percent, then adjusted for the great picture of our culture where Americans were positive help is not us so simply to help but 97% believe in an afterlife, so I'm assuming that I'm talking to just about anybody in the room that believes this I want to profit you if you gave everything that you hoped you married the love of your life. You got the job that you always hope for. You got higher in that job and you ever dreamed you could get you made millions upon millions of dollars. Your kids grew up to love you and sing your praises.

You died at a ripe old age peacefully and painlessly in the bed with your family adoring gathered around your bedside stroking your hand singing Kumbaya telling each other how wonderful it also you work as you drift off what you profit you if you gave all that everything that you ever wanted and then lost your soul if you could. From this point look beyond them.

Just look into those last final breaths and see that everything that you have worked for. Again was gone. Is there any fool that would say yes.

I would trade something right now for muscle would you give in exchange for yourself honey and I was about to drop you say this afternoon I can give you several million dollars is yours, you can have several million dollars.

But here's the price tonight at 12 o'clock you die and then at that point all the money comes back to me. You can't give that money away right it's not you can pass it on your family. It is all comes back to me. Whatever you can spend an afternoon you have it within it all comes back to me in the prices you.nobody would take me up on that offer right right because what good is an afternoon with all the money in the world to then dilute your soul. You see what Jesus is asking their humor.

Think about this. The problem is not that we don't believe this promise never think about it right. We just never really think about it. What Joan is saying is look what Jesus is you is you gotta think about it because it's coming. It is coming again, it might be today. My next we met me next year but to go in today's report in this day and not one register before God and Jesus will save him is the thing about this is a logical basis set on one who saves his life will lose it, was how much we do better lifesaving techniques. We buckle your seatbelt. We eat healthily. You men know a cardiologist by name. You have insurance you set aside money for a rainy day does all lifesaving techniques but no matter what you do matter how helpful you eat matter how much you exercise.

When I would you go to the doctor.

You can eat all vegetables you can take vitamins until the common attributes to become a vitamin you're still gonna die want to save his life… You really think about that last week I told you now refer to this night. Planning to come to our church at night till you just don't know when it's over and might be today. Maybe next week you might be 10 years now 50 years, but it's coming.

Jesus message is similar to Jonah's mental weightiness when I get up here because I just look at him like do you understand some of you are trading your soul for something you never and not that's how it was similar to Geo to Jonah's may give you now how the message is greater than Jonas how Jesus message is greater than Jonas three ways. One, the surety of it. The surety of Nineveh got ripped off every truncated message was a good message. Jones little kid obeying his parents didn't want to be his parents is made out of spite goes. Can you give the letter below your 40 days a minute will be a return. Tell them about God's compassion. He did tell about God's love and tell him of the offer forgiveness until my break got what he just announced the judgment was coming November the king of the King responded chapter 3 verse nine.

Who knows who knows God may turn and relent so that we may not perish didn't know what Jody did tell them they repented they didn't know if they repented God would not have been perish. You know John 316 God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.

John 637 all those who come to Jesus. He will in no wise under any circumstances cast out because they wanted to income now says the Lord, let us reason together, your sins be as scarlet help make them white as snow. But to be red like crimson, they will be like will. Romans 1013, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. John 112 as many as received him today and he gave the right to responsibility the ability to become the children of God, although she will call his name. Matthew 1128 coming to me all you who labor and are related and I will give you rest. You got promises all the New Testament give you a promise of surety that the people of Nineveh never got it. They repented, here's the second weight was greater the richness of it.

The richness of it. Nineveh had only the hope that God would relent from the destruction he promised the gospel is that Jesus gives us his righteousness in his privileging is standing before God, so that not only does God relive from the disaster.

He also makes us sons and daughters of God.

Second, premiums 521 God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. What that verse means is that Jesus and I traded places. He became my sin.

He took my judgment.

He took my condemnation. He died for and buried on the cross so that I could literally get him become the righteousness of God so that I now possess a position at a status that I did not earn, but he gave to me as a gift.

If what we referred to here on the summer church is gift righteousness God's righteousness given as a gift. We say that you could summarize the gospel in four words Jesus in my place.

Jesus taking my place on the cross so I could take his position before the throne of God and I would have his record credited to mine, but I thought about as I was praying here for our services.

Something about this frequently. I say submit a God like this, like the drama, God, let me tell you why I think you should hear my prayers for that. I'm praying about these people because this week. This week I fasted for 40 days and resisted Satan to his face every temptation he threw at me so much faith that I walked on water and fed 5000 when I decrease about me this week, I was being crucified, I didn't give anger back everybody I said father forgive them today don't know what they're doing is investing in one way that court. I think Jesus did those things, but his record became my engine him I become the righteousness of God is the richness of what Jesus offers to me, Jesus, and in my place gift righteousness shall rest Richard ideas than the message that Jonah gave all now we have his assurance, he and his righteousness is really a greater message today listening to Pastor JD Greer on Sunday. Life like to get an important new resource into your hands to send a 50 Scripture memory cards along with the magnet.

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