The Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy, 2018

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  Introduction: Prodigal Prophet. How can God be both merciful and just? Jonah wants a God of his own making, a God who smites the "bad" people [wicked Ninevites] and blesses the "good" people [Jonah and his people]. When the real God shows up, Jonah can't reconcile the mercy of God with his justice: How can God be merciful and forgiving to people who have done such violence and evil? Jonah points to the ultimate Jonah (Mt 12:41) who is both just and the justifier of those who believe (Rom 3:26). Only the gospel enables us to be neither cruel exploiters like the Ninevites nor Pharisaical believers like Jonah, but Spirit-changed, Christ-like people. The parallel of 2 stories:
1. 1st half Jonah plays like the "prodigal son" (Lk 15:11-24) who ran away from his father; 
2. 2nd half he is like the "older brother" (Lk 15:25-32) who obeys his father but berates him for his graciousness to repentant sinners. His response to God's mercy shows that he still has a great deal of self-righteousness.
• In both cases he's trying to get control of the agenda.

Mercy, Couples, Grace from May 9 2010

2017 "Mercy is radical kindness. Mercy means offering or being offered aid in desperate straits. Mercy is not deserved. It involves absolving the unabsolvable, forgiving the unforgivable. Mercy brings us to the miracle of apology, given and accepted, to unashamed humility when we have erred or forgotten." Ann Lamott, Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy. Novelist.

Mercy — a word deceptive in its seeming softness, for beneath its surface radiance lurks a dark core: the very concept of mercy only exists because of and as a counterpoint to our capacity for cruelty. Mercy is the conscious choice to be kind when one can be cruel — without cruelty, there is no mercy. Brian Pickings.

2014  "True love is when two people's pathologies complement one another's." Alex Grey. Love is, by definition, crazy and irrational. And the best love works when our irrationalities complement one another and our flaws enamor one another. It may be our perfections that attract one another. But it's our imperfections that decide whether we (love each other) or not.

"Successful couples (all worthwhile friendships and relationships) accept and understand that some conflict is inevitable, that there will always be certain things they don't like about their partners or things they don't agree with, and that this is fine. You shouldn't need to feel the need to change somebody in order to love them. And you shouldn't let some disagreements get in the way of what is otherwise a happy and healthy relationship. 6healthy-relationship-habits. The truth is, trying to resolve a conflict can sometimes create more problems than it fixes. Some battles are simply not worth fighting. And sometimes the most optimal relationship strategy is one of 'live and let live.'"

The sad result of preaching, teaching and emphasizing obedience, obeying the Bible and the Law, and the fear of preaching Grace: "Over the last couple of years, we have really been struggling with the preaching in our church as it has been very law laden and moralistic. After listening, I feel condemned with no power to overcome my lack of ability to obey. Over the last several months, I have found myself very spiritually depressed, to the point where I had no desire to even attend church. Pastors are so concerned about somehow preaching "too much grace" (as if that is possible), because they wrongly believe that type of preaching leads to antinomianism or licentiousness. But, I can testify that the opposite is actually true. I believe preaching only the law and giving little to no gospel actually leads to lawless living. When mainly law is preached, it leads to the realization that I can't follow it, so I might as well quit trying. At least, that's what has happened to me."  

2013 The gospel renews and makes mission vibrant. But mission burdens and makes people tired.

One cannot know God without reference to oneself and one cannot know oneself without reference to God.  

"The design of the gospel is to bring us to brokenness not brokendownness; to release the aroma of grace not the stench of shame." 

N.T. Wright on a "normal" day and writing: There is teaching, grandchildren, chickens to feed and clean out, shopping, examining Ph D theses, and all the other fun of family and academic life. But, left to myself (as has happened all too rarely!), I get up very early (5ish), say my prayers, have breakfast, and ideally am at the desk by about 6.30 or 7. Then I can have a really good morning before a late lunch, perhaps a walk, then back to work mid-afternoon, with supper around 7.30, read something for an hour or two, prayers and bed by 10.30 or 11.

However even within this (highly idealized) scenario, sometimes the 'work' will consist of simply writing, as fast as I can; sometimes of reading, slowly and carefully, a major new commentary or monograph; sometimes of a mixture of the two plus combing through journals, reviews, online materials … of all of these I prefer the writing task, because of the sheer joy of words and language and the delight in finding a creative way of saying something. The week in my life which most nearly corresponds to the ideal was the week, in spring 2006, when I wrote Acts for Everyone. I began it on a Saturday, had most of the Sunday off, and finished it in the small hours of the following Sunday. I have no idea how many thousand words that was but all I had to do was to sit down at the desk and turn on the tap. It was exhilarating. 

2012 "The mystery has been revealed, and yet, the mystery continues. It is within our grasp, yet it surpasses our knowledge. We are able to know the truth, yet are called to continue to move toward a God who clothes himself in darkness. Our faith is not blind, yet our certainty is in things not seen." Arnie Gentile.

2010 Pragmatic evangelism is "doing" evangelism in a way that elevates success & method over anything else. Pragmatic evangelism only asks the question "what works?" not "who are we to be as evangelists?" The greatest obstacle to healthy evangelism is pragmatism: "doing evangelism" b4 we ever think who we are meant to be. J Mack Stills.

Cultural Misconception of Luke 15

Points of Cultural Misconception of the Parable of the Compassionate Father

1. The request:  The prodigal's request is an unthinkable breach of traditional culture. (He wants his father to die.)
2. His father's gift:  The father reprocesses anger into grace and thereby deeply violates the code of an Oriental patriarch.  (As is shown five times in the parable).
3. A hurried sale:  The prodigal triggers the anger of the community. (He must leave town quickly.) 
4. The kezaza ceremony:  A threat hanging over the prodigal as he leaves town. (He must not lose the money.) 
5. Expensive living:  Not riotous (KJ), nor loose (RSV), nor dissolute (NRSV),  nor wild (NIV).  (The Greek word asotos is literally  a + sozo, i.e. without saving. No hints of immorality) 
6. Search for employment:  The prodigal must find a paying job so he can repurchase the land. (The kezaza ceremony now threatens.) 
7. Inauthentic Repentance: He projects A self-serving plan: (Augustinian or Pelagian?  Complications with the lost sheep and coin.) 
8. Turning point:  The costly demonstration of unexpected love. (Grace not law.  Love is offered before the confession.) 
9. A father who behaves like a mother. (The father is defined by Hosea 11, not by Middle Eastern culture.)
10. Authentic Repentance: The Prodigal Revises His speech – he is not interrupted. (Like the lost sheep, he accepts to be found). 
11. Christology:  Incarnation and atonement meet. (This happens with the shepherd, the woman and the father.) 
12. The meaning of the banquet (a theological trialogue): 
• Father's comments:  Because - He was lost and is found .. dead and is alive (divine passives)
• Young boy:  .... Because, he (the Father) received him (the prodigal)  with peace. 
• Older son:  You killed for him the fattened calf. 
13. Older son's anger at grace. (for some grace is not only amazing – it is also infuriating!)
• His mentality:  (You get what you pay for, don't you?)
• His response:  (He breaks his relationship with his father - like the prodigal, only more so.) 
14. Father's response:  The Father once again reprocessed anger into grace.  At the same time the father  urges the older son dealing with the prodigal in the same way. 
15. Older son's final reaction:  An unfinished theological symphony (participation theater). 

Reference: Kenneth E. Bailey.

The Facets and Dimensions of Grace

• We become grace (1 Cor 15:10).

• We testify to grace (Ac 20:24).

• We grow in grace (2 Pet 3:18).

• We be strong in grace (2 Tim 2:1).

Paul's progression in the grace of God:

• The least of the apostles (1 Cor 15:9).

• The least of the Lord's people (Eph 3:8).

• The worst of sinners (1 Tim 1:15).

The Grace of God in Isaiah

1. The Grace of:
1. Initiative (Isa 1:18).
2. Forgiveness (Isa 6:6-7).
3. Presence (Isa 7:14).
4. Gentleness (Isa 9:6).
5. Faithfulness (Isa 16:5).
6. Comfort (Isa 40:1).
7. Waiting (Isa 40:31).
2. The Grace of the Servant as a:
1. Shepherd (42:1-4)--How A Servant Serves.
2. Prophet (49:1-4)--The Servant's Toil and Reward.
3. Conqueror (50:4-9)--The Servant's Victory Through Humiliation.
4. Martyr (52:13-53:12)--The Servant's Shocking Salvation.
3. The Result and Response of Grace (Isaiah 54-55). A Time To Be Found.
4. The Climax and Ultimate Reality of Grace (Isaiah 60-62). The Goal of Salvation.

Grace Before Obedience (Exodus 19:1-6)

Exodus 19:1-6; Key Verse: Ex 19:4b-5a

"I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me..."

Mt 28:19, 1 Pet 2:9, and Ex 19:4-6 are significant signature verses that have driven UBF over the past half century, especially the phrase "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex 19:6). Ex 19:1-6 shows that--in the history of God's people and God's work in the Bible--grace always precedes and comes before obedience (to the Law) and mission. Today's sermon has 3 parts, which necessarily stresses the importance of the order. In his BST Commentary on The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage, Alec Motyer, OT scholar, says that this order is crucial to our understanding of the Bible:

1. The saving acts of the Lord.
2. Our responsive obedience.
3. The blessing that comes from obedience.
   

Nothing must upset this sequence. Stated differently, this biblical "spiritual order" is:

1. Grace (Ex 19:1-4): How God saves us.
2. Obedience (Ex 19:5): Our response to grace is obedience to the Law.
3. Mission (Ex 19:6): The blessing and reward of obedience (and punishment for disobedience).

Grace: The Key That Unlocks the Bible (Titus 2:11-15)

Titus 2:11-15; Key Verse: 2:11

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people."

Just how important is grace? Grace (charis) occurs 156 times in the N.T. J.I. Packer, the well respected British theologian and author, says, "In the New Testament, ‘grace' is a word of central importance - the keyword, in fact, of Christianity. The thought of grace is the key that unlocks the New Testament; and it is the only key that does so. However well we may know the New Testament, we cannot get inside its meaning till we know something of what grace is."

Whether we realize it or not, the entire Bible centers on grace and reveals grace, for grace is the way our God operates. But grace is counter-intuitive to all human beings including Christians, who function on the basis of the law, which is blessing and reward based on merit, not grace.

Why did Noah find Favor with God? (Gen 6:8)

Gen 6:8 says, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

Which came 1st, the chicken or the egg?

Did God's favor come 1st, followed by good works? Or did some goodness exist, followed by God's favor? If we think it is the former we live in freedom. If the latter, we live with some constant inner uncertainty and nervousness, always wondering where we may by falling short or not measuring up.

In the OT, the Hebrew word translated "favor" (NIV, ESV) is "chen," which is defined as "favor" or "grace." Favor/grace always suggests something that is always undeserved and unmerited -- or it would not be grace. So, why did Noah find grace/favor with God?

JONAH

"(Jonah is) probably the best known yet least understood book in the Bible." Ray Stedman

"The story of Jonah the prophet swallowed by the giant fish is simple enough to delight a child and complex enough to confound a scholar." Janet Howe Gaines

"(Jonah) is a subtly crafted narrative about the idols that drive our actions on many levels and pull us farther from God even when we think we are doing (God's) will." Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 133

"It is one thing to know the doctrine of salvation by grace, and quite another to know the grace of the doctrine of salvation. This is the lesson of Jonah, the prophet who knew God's grace but was challenged by God inwardly to embrace it." Richard Phillips, Jonah & Micah, 3

"(Jonah) is really a book about ... how one man came, through painful experience, to discover the true character of the God whom he had already served in the earlier years of his life. He was to find the doctrine about God (with which he had long been familiar) come alive in his experience." Sinclair Ferguson, Man Overboard! The Story of Jonah, 2008, xi

"Jonah brings us face to face with such important issues as God's grace for the wicked, God's sovereignty over his servants, and the intense human struggle involved with forgiveness and repentance." Richard Philips, Jonah & Micah, 4

"The Book of Jonah is not so much about this great fish that appears in the middle of the book ... [but] in order to teach Jonah that he has a gracious God." Sinclair Ferguson, "What Jonah Learned," in The Doctrines of Grace, 2006, audio recording

"Jonah is a storied presentation of the gospel, a story of sin and grace, of desperation and deliverance. It reveals the fact that while you and I are great sinners, God is a great Savior, and that while our sin reaches far, his grace reaches farther. God is in the business of relentlessly pursuing rebels like us and he comes after us not to angrily strip away our freedom, but to affectionately strip away our slavery so that we might become truly free." Tullian Tchividjian, Surprised by God, 18

"(From Jonah) we learn about the danger we experience when we run from God's will, the deliverance we experience when we submit to God's will, the deliverance others experience when we fulfill God's will, and the depression we experience when we doubt God's will." Tchividjian, Surprised by Grace, 25

Intro: The book of Jonah mainly recounts a story from the life of the prophet himself. The closest parallels are the accounts of Elijah and Elisha in 1 and 2 Kings. Since Jonah begins his ministry shortly after the time of Elijah and Elisha, he likely was one of their immediate successors, and may have been a personal disciple of the latter.

Jonah's world: According to 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah was a prophet in the time of King Jeroboam II, one of many wicked kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. It was 150 years since the death of King Solomon, and the nation had long been divided. 10 of Israel's 12 tribes were united as the northern kingdom, while only Judah and Benjamin held to the Davidic throne in Jerusalem and worshiped at the temple that Solomon built.

The northern kingdom had recurrent problems with constant idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. This was the main issue with which the prophets contended. But there were also political and military problems, for just north of them was the Assyrian Empire, the superpower of the time, which was an ominous threat and Israel's constant concern.

The prophets of the northern kingdom, like Elijah, called the kings and the nation to repentance. But the prophets were also messengers of grace. Over and over again, God showed mercy to his wayward people, often through the ministry of these prophets. It is in this connection that Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25-27. For a time, Assyria was divided and suffered from famine, so that Israel's former boundaries were restored. In this way, God demonstrated his grace to Israel, renewed their hope, and encouraged their repentance. Jonah, who delivered the good news, saw the grace and mercy of God.

Israel had done nothing to merit God's favor; instead, their wickedness deserved God's wrath. Yet God was merciful. God reached out a hand of favor to woo his wayward people. Though Jonah saw God's grace up close, he still had much to learn about the grace of God, just as we do today.

References:

1. Counterfeit Gods, 2009, Tim Keller, The Hidden Idols in Our Lives, 126-153
2. Jonah & Micah, 2010, Reformed Expository Commentary, Richard D. Phillips
3. Surprised by Grace, God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels, 2010, Tullian Tchividjian
4. ESV Study Bible, 2008
   
5. The Reformation Study Bible, 2005
   
6. The MacArthur Study Bible, 2006