Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Jonah was determined to avoid doing a distasteful job, preaching to a pagan city that they might repent. He'd rather hit the road than tell the Ninevites that judgment could be averted. Today, God blocks Jonah's escape route. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr.
Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, it seems we as believers can do quite a lot to frustrate God's will.
Well Dave, I want to say this, that God Himself is never frustrated. But you're absolutely right. We are sometimes frustrated by our own disobedience. And the story of Jonah is a wonderful story, actually, of God's grace. Jonah clearly seemed to be a racist.
He didn't want the pagans to repent. But yet God wanted them to repent, and so God overcomes his stubbornness. It's a remarkable story of God's grace. But also I want to emphasize that the ministry of running to win goes around the world. At the end of this message, I'm going to be giving you some contact info, yes, because we need your help and your support, but in addition to that.
I'm going to be telling you some stories that have impacted the lives of people in different countries through this ministry, all because of people just like you. But for now, let us listen.
Okay. Um And then he says, Cast me into the sea. They say, Oh, no, we don't want to do that. We've cast the cargo into the sea, but we don't want to do that. And they're praying to God and they're saying, We don't want to.
We don't want to toss them overboard. Zad, toss me overboard. Toss me overboard, let me die. I'm not going to go to those Ninevites. We're talking about stubbornness here.
And so eventually they say, all right, we have no option, or else all of us are going to drown.
So they cast him into the sea. And now we come to a third lesson that we learn. When we run, God confronts us. The Bible says in verse 17, and the Lord appointed, not just prepared. But appointed.
This is God appointing a fish. to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
So God says to this fish. And we don't know what kind of fish it was. We as Christians don't have to measure the gullet of a whale to see whether a man can get in it. And I'm sorry. I'm not sorry to have to say this, but I'm sorry for you if you don't believe the story because Jesus apparently did.
But what happens is in the text here is God says to this big fish, Do you see that man over there? Go swallow him. When a man Swallows. A bad fish. I think it's called botulism.
But I don't know what word to use when a fish swallows a bad man. Not sure exactly. what the word is. But God finally says to Jonah, Jonah, guess what? You and I are going to meet.
And I'm preparing a meeting place. And we're going to get this business of your rebellion ironed out. And I now have your undivided attention. as we shall see in the message next week. But lest you think, well, the sermon's over.
He only preached 15, 20 minutes today. No, not quite, because I have some additional lessons. First I began with two, then I had three, then I had four, then I had five, and I said, Lord, if you keep showing me things in the text here, these people are going to be here for a long, long time.
So I've reduced them to four.
Some additional lessons today. Yeah. First of all, you cannot permanently You cannot permanently obstruct God's will. God intended that the Ninevites repent, and God said, That's going to happen. Even if you're rebellious, Jonah, I'm going to get you back on track.
And if I can't use you, if eventually you go out into the night being. Incredibly stubborn. I'll choose somebody else. But those Ninevites, those Ninevites are going to repent. You can't permanently obstruct God's will.
For a time Jonah obstructed it because the Ninevites Should have really repented earlier, I suppose. But you can't permanently fight against God and think that His purposes are going to collapse because of your disobedience. They won't. I have a friend who was fired from a church. It's a big church in another state, and he was fired from the church over a disagreement.
The church had its version of the story. He had his version of the story. And he was absolutely convinced he had been done an injustice. He told me that when he left the church, he literally. Stomp the dust of his shoes from the step of the church.
condemning it to God's judgment. And then he also told me. 15 years after this event, that since he left, God has done nothing but cause this church to flourish. It's got more staff, more money, more ministry. than it ever had before.
That should wake you up, shouldn't it? You think that your petty little Injustice is going to thwart the will and the purposes of a sovereign God who intends that people be saved and that ministries be blessed.
Now, of course, we should be straightening out these things if we can.
Sometimes we can't. But the simple fact is that the purposes of God are bigger than our own rebellion. God has so many options to accomplish His will that if we're not going to become a part of His will, His will will be accomplished one way or another. Isn't that wonderful? I hope that those of you who didn't clap also agree.
So that's the First summary lesson here is that we cannot permanently obstruct God's will. Second, God's will is a living relationship. It's a living relationship. You know, some people think that the will of God is so difficult to find that should you ever slide off on one side or another, everything is lost. It's entirely hopeless because all that you need to do is to try to find this elusive, elusive needle in a haystack.
And people are seeking it when then, point of fact, there may not even be a needle in the haystack. Listen. Here's a prophet who heard God's word clearly. Wouldn't you love to hear from heaven and tell you to do ABC? I mean, could it be any clearer go to Nineveh and cry against the city?
Yeah. But we wouldn't give for that kind of guidance. And in the face of that kind of guidance, you have a prophet who rebels against God. He rebels against God and goes the opposite direction. You'd think God would say, enough of that, and I'm done with you.
And here God works with him. If God is willing. to take a rebellious prophet who knew his will exactly. If God is willing to work with a guy like that, how much more is He willing to work with those of us who really do desire His will? As we lay out our lives before Him, He will guide us because He's interested in where we end up.
And he's also interested in getting where we're supposed to go if... We lay it. are plans beforehand. He's in the guiding process. In fact, what's interesting in the text is, and don't make too much of this now, but what's interesting in the text is that God even used a rebellious, backslidden prophet.
In his backslidden state, God used him in the lives of these sailors. Because these sailors You know, they, when things go bad and the storm comes, the Bible says that each began to call upon his God. There were as many different gods represented as they were sailors. I belong to this God, I belong to that God. You know, this is my God over here.
Well, everybody holler to your own God, okay?
Well, after Jonah explains to them the living and the true God. It says in verse 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.
So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. Maybe These pagans are going to be in heaven. because they came to know the true God. through a backslidden prophet who was running as fast as he could from God's will.
Isn't God great? Isn't that wonderful? So don't ever think that you have to be put on the shelf because you know somewhere along the line you made a bad move. First of all, if you desire to seek God's will, that's a different story. But even in our rebellion sometimes, God will actually use us.
I mean, he is so incredibly gracious that It's almost hard to comprehend it.
So that's the second lesson. A third lesson is that our disobedience has wider consequences. Our disobedience always has wider consequences. When Jonah left, he thought to himself, well, you know, this is all just about me. I'm going to be rebellious against God, but it's not going to affect anybody else.
Oh, yeah, yeah, it did affect other people. These pagans, for one thing, threw their cargo overboard. Listen, the cargo was their livelihood. And everything that they own.
So, you know, Jonah paid his fare to go to Tarsh's, a couple of shekels. Listen, these sailors paid a much higher fare. for his disobedience. Because whenever you and I disobey, We're always taking other people with us. Our impact is such that it is not possible for us to simply say, well, this is just about me.
No, it's about your family, it's about your church, it's about other people, it's about the impact that God has in your life and intends to have. I mean, it's got repercussions here. The man that I began this message talking about. He can say, well, you know, this is just about me having found this other woman. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's just about you.
But look at your family that's being destroyed. Look at your testimony that's being destroyed. I mean, you can't tell me that you can just somehow be disobedient in a narrow kind of way and not take others in your disobedience. Listen, the issues that you have in your life, and there are many ways to run from God, as I'll be explaining in another message. But the issues that you have in your life.
are issues that if you do not give up. It will infect other people. It will have A negative effect in terms of your attitude, in terms of your actions, and what you have, and you can't just disobey. Alone. The Ninevites were affected by his disobedience.
The sailors were. The Ninevites were affected by his disobedience too, because supposedly they should have been repenting a lot sooner.
So, Jonah teaches us that our disobedience always has wider consequences. But there's a fourth lesson. And that is that it's always best to hurry back. the Father. It's always best to hurry back to the Father.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful if instead of telling the sailors, throw me into the sea, wouldn't it have been wonderful if Jonah had said, yes, I'm running from the presence of God. God sent this storm. He has my attention. I repent right now. And I'm going to take the first ship I can back because as soon as I get back, I'm going to actually go and begin to minister to the Ninevites.
And I'm going to do it with joy because God has broken me and my stubborn. Self-will. Wouldn't that have been wonderful? But he doesn't do that. No, no, no.
He's harder than that. He's more stubborn than that. And so what he says is, I'm guilty, but just throw me in the sea and I'd rather drown than do this distasteful thing called the will of God. It is always better that we hurry back to the Father. Always better.
Always better, because the The fare that we're going to pay. will only increase. We will only keep going down, down, down, down, down the longer we put off repentance and obedience. The longer we deceive, the longer we... muscle God's will and say, I will not do it.
It's always better. to hurry back to the Father. And for those of you who've never trusted Christ as Savior, It's always better for you. To come to Him quickly, as the Holy Spirit of God speaks to you about your need for a Savior, it is always better for you to be quick to say, I will obey, I will do God's will, I will come and I will accept Christ. It is always better to do it quickly.
Than to just prolong the agony as God continues to work and obstruct us and make it difficult for us and create fish for us.
So that eventually he bends us and brings us right down to the dust and says, Now will you do my will? And finally, at the end of. A person's life sometimes. People finally say, Well, now that I'm about ready to die and I've done all the damage, yes, now I'm willing to obey. How God gets us.
to say yes.
So what issues? Do you have in your life? How are you running from God? Mm-hmm. For those of us who are believers, we quote Galatians chapter 2, verse 20.
I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I go on that cross and in faith. I've been crucified with Christ. I have no future.
I have no plans. Except to die. to self-will. that Christ might live. Let's pray.
So Where are you? Right now. spiritually. What ship are you taking? to God knows where.
And what resistance of the blessed Holy Spirit have you been able to muster? because you find God's will so distasteful. You talk to God right now because he's listening. Father, there are some people listening who need hours, not moments. To come into your presence and finally lay down the weapons of a rebel.
And to say, I give it all to you, everything, everything, everything, all the issues, all the self-justification, all the reasons, all the noble. Reasons, all the petty reasons. We just give them to you and say, Father, take over. Work mightily to bring that about, Father, because we are so helpless and so stubborn. that we will not give up.
Until you corner us. Teach us, Father. In Jesus' name, amen. Amazing. Um You know, I can't help but think of all the people who are listening, parents who are brokenhearted because of rebellious children.
We think, for example, of the story that Jesus told of the prodigal son who ran away, but what brought him back? was the pig stye. And sometimes God has to take His people to such places for them to recognize. that they should turn from their sin and their wandering. and come back to him.
One of the great blessings I enjoy is the privilege of reading stories that come to us through the ministry of running to win. I have in my hand a number of such stories, and I really don't have time to Tell you all of them, but here's a listener in West Africa, here's one from East Africa. Here's one again from East Africa. Here's someone who listens to running to win in Portuguese. Here's someone who has written to us from jail?
I mention that to you for this reason. These are stories that belong to you, to our supporters. and we are so deeply appreciative. I want to ask you a question. Would you consider becoming what we call an endurance partner?
I like to think of it as people who are really part of the running-to-win family. You're the ones who support this ministry so that we can be in various countries in different languages. Would you investigate what an endurance partner is? I hope that you have a pen or pencil handy, because I'm going to be giving you some contact info. Here's what you can do.
You can go to rtwoffer.com. When you're there, you click on the Endurance Partner button. Or if you prefer, you can call us at 1-888-218. ninety three thirty seven. Were it not for people like you we could never continue this ministry.
And so even this morning as I awoke, I was praying for all those who support this ministry because we are in this together. Right now. Go to rtwoffer.com. rtwoffer.com Click on the Endurance Partner button or call us at 1-888-218-9337. It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer.
A question about the Bible or the Christian life. Pastor Lutzer, in these tough economic times, Christians want to be faithful in their giving. but they also want to watch every penny as the government takes an ever larger tax bite. This has motivated Samuel to ask a question. Are we to tithe ten percent of our net income or our gross income?
Well, Samuel, of course, a very simple answer to your question is this. Do you want to be blessed on the net? Or do you want to be blessed? on the gross. That's a simple answer to your question.
But I also need to point out, Samuel, that the New Testament does not insist On tithing The Old Testament tithing was something like a tax that people paid. As a matter of fact, there were several different tithes. When we get to the New Testament era and we no longer live in the land in a theocracy, God does not specify the amount. He talks about being generous givers. He talks about giving as God has prospered us, and He allows us to make the decision.
Now, on the one hand, there are people who say, well, if you tell people that, then they won't give very much.
Well, on the other hand, I also believe in the prompting of the Holy Spirit that if you ask the Lord, How much you should give. In different ways he might make it plain to you. Also, what the New Testament would want us to understand is that when we are generous, God does reward us. The Bible speaks, for example, of the reward of righteousness. I don't believe, as some T V preachers seem to imply, that we can give our way to prosperity.
I give God lots He has to give me more back. But it is true. That God does bless generous Givers So having said all that, I think it is fine to tithe, and I would certainly prefer that you tithe on the gross. As long as you do not see it as an obligation of what you must do. But as a benchmark, of what you want to do.
If you see it as part of your generous giving, And when you look at it that way, when God begins to prosper you, that 10%. can go a lot higher. You know, as my wife and I have gotten older and our children are out of the home and they have their own families. We have discovered that we can continually increase the percentage. that we give.
I hope that that will be true of you as well. Seek the Lord and He will guide you. But above all, Be generous because God loves generous. Givers. Thank you, Samuel, and thank you, doctor Lutzer, for that wise counsel.
If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-9337. Yeah. You can write to us at Running2Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life.
When God wants to get the attention of one of his servants, he has many creative options. In the case of Jonah, God took extreme measures. The belly of a great fish is hardly the holiday inn, and here Jonah got the message.
Next time on Running to Win, Pastor Lutzer continues his series on brokenness, how God gets us to say yes. We'll turn to Jonah chapter 2 and go underwater as we hear about death to self-reliance. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
