This was my last sermon I preached at New Hope, you can listen to it at www.newhopepca.com It was titled, God’s Gift Giving.
Jonah-Habakkuk-Jesus
God has given us an entire Bible filled with men and women
and their stories that tell His story, but today I want to take a look at God’s
gift giving as we look at three men and their interactions with God.
As we look at Jonah, Habakkuk and Jesus let’s look at how
each of these men interacted with God, and while we do that I want you to see
how you interact with God in very much the same way as these men did. All while
understanding that God’s gift giving ability is perfect. Many of us exchange gifts over the Christmas
season, with family, friends, co-workers and for the most part many of us are
excited to receive gifts, even if it something that we didn’t really think we
wanted or needed or maybe even cared for we usually receive that gift with a
smile, a genuine thank you and try to look on the bright side giving the person
who was given the gift a break and realizing, well at least they tried.
Unfortunately many of us don’t receive gifts from the ultimate gift giver as
well. Well to be down-right honest many of us, me included get grumpy and
complain to God about the way He operates. I think that this comes from a
limited view of who God is. As we look at Jonah and Habakkuk and Jesus I want
you to see how they viewed God, I really believe it is not until God is
infinitely bigger than we think that we start to understand how thankful we
should be for Him and His blessings in our life.
Our OT professor at RTS says if he were to simply title
Genesis it would be about Blessings or
God Blessing the Nations. And the book of Ruth would be From Emptiness to
Fullness, and maybe not title it Ruth but Naomi. So today as we attempt to do
the impossible again; Fly through a couple books in the OT, I hope you see the context I’m
trying to frame out for you. Jonah isn’t just some story about a guy who got
swallowed by a fish, and Habakkuk isn’t just a book in the OT you look at and
think that’s a weird way to spell that, but they are two books specifically
placed in the OT so that we might get a deeper and better understanding of who
God is. That through studying these texts we might glorify God and enjoy Him.
That the doctrine of grace might be etched once again in our minds, our
hearts and our actions. Today I want to
frame our discussions with this thought in mind. God is a gift giving God, His
mercy and grace surround us. His Love is ever over us, His blessing are new
every day, He alone is worthy. We cannot comprehend why, how, when who what or
where God gives his gifts but we know that Salvation is a gift, from God to us,
To you, From God, So as we look at Jonah and Habakkuk and Jesus this morning
let’s remember that this is God’s gift to us, His Word, preserved all these
years, and given to us today to unwrap and unpack.
First let’s turn to the book of Jonah and see how Jonah was
blessed by God even though he didn’t really recognize it. If I had to sum up Jonah-
I would say the book is about Living for Me, In God’s case He is trying to show
Jonah that living for me is a great idea! And In Jonah’s case living for me is
a terrible idea!
We are going to read bits and pieces of this book at a break
neck speed so just hold on. Jonah 1:1-6
God gives Jonah an amazing opportunity, go tell NINEVEH to
repent (I want to save them) I’d feel pretty good about that and so would you
right? Jonah was like nope going to Tarshish! And he fled the presence of the
Lord. You’ve never done that right? God said do this and you say nah I really
think it would be better to do this. It usually is really simple when God asks
us to do something we can either Rejoice or Sulk, so here is Jonah called by
God to do something. He said, Nah I think I’ll go this way the complete
opposite direction that God was calling him. Jonah although he knew that God
existed, had a GIGANTIC problem, He constantly forgot that God was God, creator
of the universe, all powerful, all mighty, Sovereign, God wanted Jonah to be
obedient not because He was a taskmaster, but he wanted Jonah to be blessed,
God wanted Jonah to see that He was God not Jonah. The ultimate gift giver was
like here Jonah here is an easy one, enjoy this gift. So Jonah attempted to
flee from God. What do we do when God calls us, well maybe I should think it
over, maybe I should let someone more talented than me do that, maybe God was
mistaken he didn’t really want me, really, I don’t think that’s a healthy
thought.
You see God never changes, if you are disobedient God can
still use your disobedience for His good, your bad decisions doesn’t make God
happy, but that also won’t stop God from getting the glory He deserves.
Jonah 7-17 Jonah had gotten on a boat and a great storm
arose, all the other sailors said call out to your god and make him stop, they
threw cargo over and finally Jonah said throw me into the sea. And in His mercy
instead of letting Jonah die, God appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.
He was in the belly of a fish for three days and nights, So
here is where we usually wise up, sometimes it takes getting swallowed by a
giant fish to see, okay God you’re right I’m wrong, whatever you ask I’ll do.
And it seems Jonah at first look has come to his senses. But look in verse 7,8,9 Jonah seems a little
haughty in his prayer,” when my life was fainting away I remembered the LORD,
and my prayer came to you in your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain
idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of
thanksgiving will sacrifice to you, what I have vowed I will pay,” (notice the
focus on what Jonah is saying, I remembered, My prayer, I will pay… very self
centered, Then finally Jonah cried out to God, after three days, He remembered
Salvation belongs to the Lord! The Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah
out on dry land.
Jonah had an opportunity to get back on track. How would
Jonah treat this gift.
Well, He went to the people of Nineveh and told them if they
didn’t repent in 40 days God would overthrow Nineveh, they all repented,
EVERYONE OF THEM! What a great celebration, God withdrew the disaster, God was
pleased, but Jonah was angry? WHAT IS UP WITH THIS DUDE? He was mad at God for
being gracious to his enemies, he was mad at God for saving an entire nation?
Kinda selfish don’t ya think? Then he asks the giver of life to take his life?
Who does Jonah sound like, a selfish punk like me.
Sometimes I shake my fist at God and wonder why me God? Why
are these circumstances happening to me? Why do people that I thought were my
friends treat me this way? Why haven’t I….You see my view of God is way to
small, I know better and frankly so do you, God is more than able to use a
tough situation and use it to bless me, to bring Glory to His name. We see that
God ends Jonah by showing Jonah I’m a
God who cares about you, get over yourself, I also care about others 120,000
people in Nineveh and their animals that I spared. I’m God. I think it’s okay
if I do that, I don’t need your permission or approval, and your disappointment
can’t stop me from loving you either.
Which me are you living for?
Habakkuk-Living for Thee,
Many of us Live like Jonah, God gives us clear instruction
and we run 180 degrees the opposite direction, others of us live like Habakkuk
trusting God yet perplexed at why God would choose to do things His way and not
in the way we had hoped or expected. Many of us live our lives, standing and
crying out to God, “What are you doing?” “Why is this happening to me?” “God
don’t you care about me? Don’t you care about righteousness?” How can this be
used for your good?”
Habakkuk 1:5 “Look
among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in
your days that you would not believe if told.”
How right God is on this point, He knows us so well doesn’t
He, I mean after all He created us! He loves us, He is all knowing, He is, yeah you get the point, or do you. Maybe you’re
like me and need to be reminded A LOT!
After reading Habakkuk this afternoon ask yourself this
question, How did Habakkuk treat his relationship with God?” then ask an even
harder one “How do I treat my relationship with GOD?”
If you are a believer in Christ Jesus this morning, and if
you are not, then you should be TODAY, but if you are or if you’re gonna be
later on, you should really think this through, The God the ultimate gift giver
has given me His love, God Loves me, and He tells me He is at work in my life
and around me in the lives of others, in ways that are mysterious, in ways that
are miraculous, in ways that are perplexing and puzzling, in ways that
exhilarating and surprising, in ways that are absolutely oblivious to me. He is
also bigger than I can imagine, more than able to do whatever He wants. Why do
I approach this relationship so different than others, why do I press pause
with God, why do I press rewind, Why can’t I enjoy each moment I’ve been given,
trusting that GOD, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, really is doing a work that I
wouldn’t believe even if He told me?
As I was studying this week I noticed that Jonah and
Habakkuk are what we have labeled the minor prophets. And that Jonah is five
books from the top and Habakkuk are five books from the bottom. Both are
similar in outline too, The book opens with a complaint against God, and God
giving an answer, then a prayer, then a response to Who God is. I wish we had
more time to explore this but we will save that for later and focus on the one
major difference. Jonah ended angry with God, angry enough to die, Let’s look
at how Habakkuk ends. He too was complaining to God and God said listen
Habakkuk I got this, and Habakkuk remembers in his prayer, right you are the
God whose splendor covers the heavens, you are the God who split the rivers and
made the moon and sun stand still, you are the God of salvation. Look at Habakkuk 3:17-19 Habakkuk
Rejoices in the Lord: 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,the produce of
the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the
fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I
will take joy in the God of my salvation.19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he
makes my feet like the deer's; he makes
me tread on my high places. To the
choirmaster: with stringed[a] instruments.
God makes me feet like the HINDS!, In Calvin’s commentaries,
I’m paraphrasing here, Calvin says not
so We can fly over and dominate our enemies, but so that we can climb any
mountain, any obstacle any thing that comes our way we can walk through it with
God! The hope that God gives us in Jesus, the help Jesus has given us in the
Holy Spirit, THE GIFT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU AND ME, the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS
is our feet can move, we can walk, one foot can go in front of the other, God
the Lord is our strength, he will make us tread in the high places. LET US
REJOICE IN THE LORD!!
And so we come to Jesus-The living Son of God, King, Brother…
God’s gift and gift giver
Let’s contrast Jonah
and Jesus. Jesus was called to go to a foreign land and share a message. Repent
and believe. Did Jesus run in the opposite direction? No but he could have.
Jesus was tossed about during society, many people questioned who is this man
that thinks He is the Son of God? Jesus was executed, on a cross, innocent, he
bled and died, and on the third day he rose again. God used Jonah to save a
nation, God sent Jesus His own Son to be sacrificed for all Nations, for His
Kingdom. Jesus sought God’s will first, Jonah sought his own will. Jesus prayed
to God before His death Father, “if you are willing remove this cup from me,
nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.” One disobedient son of God, God
uses to save a nation, One obedient Son of God, God uses to save and usher in
His Kingdom. What’s the difference, One Son had the utmost trust for His
Father, He knew His Father loved Him and was willing to do whatever it took to
obey, the other disobeyed God because He didn’t think God had his best interest
at heart. Jesus being the Son of God knew how big God was,is. Jonah didn’t have
a clue, We are so like Jonah in this regard, we think we know God, especially
some of us well studied Presbyterians we know God and all how He works, okay,
well I’m a lot more like Jonah and so are you. I’m not saying I don’t believe
in Sanctification, I wholeheartedly do! I think I’ve grown in my Christian life
tremendously but I still think my vision of who God is, so much closely relates
to Jonah than Jesus. But the Good news for me and you today is that God has
Given us JESUS!! And with Him, we can know the father more and more Listen to
this verse, one of my favorite verses in Scripture, from a little known OT book
called Zephaniah, Zephaniah 3:17 says, THE LORD GOD IS IN YOUR MIDST, a mighty
one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by
his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. God, WANTS TO REJOICE OVER
YOU WITH GLADNESS, to quiet you with HIS LOVE, to EXULT OVER YOU WITH LOUD
SINGING, Are you running from HIM? Or
toward Him? Look at me! He uses ordinary people like Jonah, like me, like you,
to accomplish his objectives, His given us His Word, His Son, to bring about
Salvation, to build His Kingdom! We have got to start rejoicing in Jesus like
Habakkuk and not sulking about ourselves like Jonah.
This is real life. Are you being like Jonah or Jesus. When
God calls you to do something, do you look for the easy way out like Jonah? Or
are you willing to lay it all on the line like Jesus? Think about that this you
know the next time when you are called to stand up for Jesus or just be silent,
think about this the next time you are battling yourself with well I know I
should do this but I really want to do this, who will you follow? Are you going
to put your trust in God or self? Is your God big enough, is the God you
believe in Big enough that you always have questions, or do you have God all
figured out? Make it your mission to be more like Jesus in all areas of your
life. How do you do that?, by doing the right thing, by putting first things
first, God’s first period, His ways are right, period, follow Him, believe in
Him, worship Him in all areas of your life, or don’t. There really is no in between.
God’s a gift giver,
AND A PRETTY DOG GONE GOOD ONE AT THAT!, He is the giver of Salvation! He has
given up His Son so that we might be forgiven, saved, reborn, revitalized! Jesus
gave us the Holy Spirit! We have the third person of the trinity at work in us!
And if you are not a believer you have the third person of the trinity at work
amongst you, if not already in you. God is constantly blessing His people, and
not monetarily or earthly but with every spiritual blessing, God is alive and
He is not far off. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, THE HOLY SPIRIT! GOD HAS GIVING YOU THE
HOLY SPIRIT!!! But sometimes we insist
on looking at US, we insist on being JONAH on having it our way, God says I’m
God, I’m the gift giver, when I give you a gift, ACCEPT IT! LOVE IT! USE IT!
SHARE IT! I’m GOD I think I might know what I’m doing. Why are you complaining?
What have you done? Did you create this gift? Did you have any ownership in
this gift? SERIOUSLY! Don’t be a Jonah a miss out on the gift, We must be more
like Habakkuk that sees that it is ALL GOD! That God is where our joy is, that
He is the God of our Salvation! Accept the greatest gift God has ever given,
Let Jesus be your strength your joy your salvation this Christmas! Quit trying
to be good enough or waiting for the right time, Start today, unwrap your gift,
if you’ve already opened your gift, maybe it was 50 years ago, just remember
God never changes, that gift is still as good as it was then, enjoy Him today,
share Him with others, be blessed by God’s gift giving.
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