As we come to the end of our series on Jonah we should feel
something of its challenge for each of us individually and our church. Pastor and commentator Lloyd Ogilvie
connects the message of Jonah to our vision for the gospel with these words:
The book of Jonah is no less
challenging to the contemporary church.
Often we desire to stay in the holy huddle when the next play calls for
energetic evangelism and costly mission.
Either our congregations are in mission or they are still a mission
field.
The little book of Jonah packs a
big punch into our exclusivism and judgmentalism about the pagan world. Evangelism and mission are not an
aspect of a well-rounded congregational program; they are the reason for all we
do in worship, education, and fellowship.
Churches, like individuals, can
run away from God. It happens when
traditions and customs become more important than our calling. We can get introverted into our own
programs, buildings, and budgets.
In every town or city there are hundreds, thousands, millions who do not
know Christ. Our members must be
called and equipped to be winsome, winning evangelists. And we dare not run away from the call of
the city—your city or mine—that is as great to God as Nineveh of old. It is good to ask ourselves, then
church officers, and then those vision shapers who determine how our
congregations respond to obeying the Lord, “Where are we as a
congregation? Back at Gath-hepher
still wrestling with the call of God?
In the hull of the ship asleep?
In the depths trying to placate God so we can keep our agenda
intact? Or, have we reached our
Tarshish and think we’re in Nineveh?”
There’s nothing worse for a congregation than to have the mind-set of
Tarshish in Nineveh. The question
is: “Do we love the people of Nineveh?”
Powerful words.
They show us how the message of Jonah reinforces our call to be a gospel
people.
We exist to promote the gospel of
Jesus Christ
as we manifest his truth and
character
in the church and in the world.
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The Gospel: Love it! Live it!
Share it! Defend it!
