July 2025
Jonah Runs, 27 July 2025
Jonah Runs
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
July 27, 2025
Jonah 1:1-17
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-3
The Bible is not a book. It’s a library. There are letters, instructions, poems, prophecies, and stories—incredible stories! We’re going to spend the next four weeks looking at one of the most fascinating of them all. It is controversial. It is referenced by Jesus. It has drama and action and God speaking and…a very abrupt ending!
Many of you know the story of Jonah. Or do you? Jonah is certainly one of the most well-known characters in the Bible. Before we dive in, let’s begin with some background. Jonah was a prophet from Gath Hepher near the Sea of Galilee while Jeroboam II reigned over the ten northern tribes from 786-746 B.C.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Jonah is considered a minor prophet, not because he is less important than a major prophet, but rather because this book is much shorter than books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel. God speaks to Jonah and tells him to go…to Nineveh…to preach against it and its wickedness.
Prophets are not necessarily future-tellers but forth-tellers. They are called by God to speak, announce, proclaim…and generally, it’s not good news. The one-word message of many prophets is…repent! Turn! Change! Return to God!
The life of a prophet is not enviable. They disrupt. They annoy. Much of the time, they are rejected. People-pleasers need not apply! This was not an easy assignment. Rarely did God offer cushy jobs to prophets!
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (Jonah 1:3)
Someone has said if you want to run from God, satan will always give you a ride!
I don’t want to give too much away, but it was not fear of rejection that caused Jonah to head in the opposite direction of God’s instructions. Note to the wise: do not try to run away from the LORD. It never goes well.
I thought of Jonah on more than one occasion when God called Heather and me to make a major life decision, particularly two relocations. Moving to Findlay last year was one of them. I wanted to be sure we were moving at God’s calling and not simply the urging of friends. As many of you know, I was not particularly excited about moving to Findlay, but I didn’t want to follow Jonah into disobedience…and I certainly didn’t want to experience the detour he took!
I must add, Heather and I are thrilled God led us to Findlay…and grateful we said yes!
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. This applies to everything from career choices and spousal selection to everyday temptations to sin.
Jonah chose to flee. Perhaps he thought God wouldn’t notice him “running” away from Him! He was told to go to modern-day Iraq and instead headed toward Spain! He even paid for the trip! This is no accident. It was pre-meditated disobedience and rebellion against God. You can run, but you can never hide!
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (Jonah 1:4)
Most of us have never been on a dangerous sea, but countless people have lost their lives in nautical storms. Imagine the construction of the ships…before fiberglass, steel, and modern plastics. Wood and hand tools were likely the only materials available.
All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. (Jonah 1:5a)
They were all afraid, which tells you this was a serious storm. Then these experienced sailors each cried out to his own god. What an interesting statement! They believed in god…or gods! Then these sailors were so desperate they threw their stuff into the sea. Can you picture the scene? It was a nightmare. These people were fearing for their lives!
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. (Jonah 1:5b)
The same Hebrew word, yarad, is used to describe Jonah going down to Joppa, going aboard the ship, going below deck, and falling into a deep sleep.
[Can you think of anyone who slept in a boat during a huge storm? Jesus in Mark 4:38.]
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 1:6)
The sailors call out to their gods. Now the captain wants Jonah to try his God. Perhaps he has a sense that Jonah worships the one true God, Yahweh.
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
If you simply want to be “biblical,” one way to know God’s will is to cast lots…to roll the dice, draw straws, or flip a coin. I don’t generally recommend this as a method of discernment, but it is biblical…in more than one instance. Here, God uses a storm, sailors, and even the lots to accomplish His purposes.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” (Jonah 1:8)
They know something is up with this Jonah guy! I’m fascinated by how “spiritual” these sailors are, though it was culturally common. In our society, people don’t usually think much about the supernatural. We tend to look for reasonable explanations for reality.
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9)
I love how Jonah references the sea and the dry land, something on all their minds!
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) (Jonah 1:10)
Can you feel the tension building?
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” (Jonah 1:11)
If you didn’t know what follows, what would you say? My first thought would be to pray to the LORD, but then again, Jonah is running from the LORD, so he replies…
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12)
Would you come up with that answer? Evidently, the sailors didn’t buy it.
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. (Jonah 1:13)
Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse…
Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. (Jonah 1:14-16)
Jonah was supposedly this godly prophet. He disobeys God, yet God uses him to get the attention and worship of these men. God can redeem anything!
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
Does this mention a whale? No! It’s a huge fish.
Some whales and sharks can swallow a human whole. Sperm whales can reach 70 feet in length and don’t have to chew their food.
Two SeaWorld educators, Keith Robinson and Donna Parham, believe it may have been a great white shark.[1] Jonah and Jaws!
To summarize chapter one, Jonah runs from God, a storm comes, he’s thrown overboard, pagan sailors repent and worship God, and a great fish saves Jonah.
So What?
Obey God. Skip the detour! I said it earlier:
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. There are consequences for all our actions. What will you do?
[1] http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/usa/california/san_diego/general_stories/sd9-13-02jonah.html
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Jonah: God's Grace for All Nations
July 27, 2025
Jonah 1:1-17
Series Big Idea: Jonah is a remarkable story about life and death(s).
Big Idea: We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call.
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-3
The Bible is not a book. It’s a library. There are letters, instructions, poems, prophecies, and stories—incredible stories! We’re going to spend the next four weeks looking at one of the most fascinating of them all. It is controversial. It is referenced by Jesus. It has drama and action and God speaking and…a very abrupt ending!
Many of you know the story of Jonah. Or do you? Jonah is certainly one of the most well-known characters in the Bible. Before we dive in, let’s begin with some background. Jonah was a prophet from Gath Hepher near the Sea of Galilee while Jeroboam II reigned over the ten northern tribes from 786-746 B.C.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Jonah is considered a minor prophet, not because he is less important than a major prophet, but rather because this book is much shorter than books such as Isaiah and Ezekiel. God speaks to Jonah and tells him to go…to Nineveh…to preach against it and its wickedness.
Prophets are not necessarily future-tellers but forth-tellers. They are called by God to speak, announce, proclaim…and generally, it’s not good news. The one-word message of many prophets is…repent! Turn! Change! Return to God!
The life of a prophet is not enviable. They disrupt. They annoy. Much of the time, they are rejected. People-pleasers need not apply! This was not an easy assignment. Rarely did God offer cushy jobs to prophets!
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (Jonah 1:3)
Someone has said if you want to run from God, satan will always give you a ride!
I don’t want to give too much away, but it was not fear of rejection that caused Jonah to head in the opposite direction of God’s instructions. Note to the wise: do not try to run away from the LORD. It never goes well.
I thought of Jonah on more than one occasion when God called Heather and me to make a major life decision, particularly two relocations. Moving to Findlay last year was one of them. I wanted to be sure we were moving at God’s calling and not simply the urging of friends. As many of you know, I was not particularly excited about moving to Findlay, but I didn’t want to follow Jonah into disobedience…and I certainly didn’t want to experience the detour he took!
I must add, Heather and I are thrilled God led us to Findlay…and grateful we said yes!
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. This applies to everything from career choices and spousal selection to everyday temptations to sin.
Jonah chose to flee. Perhaps he thought God wouldn’t notice him “running” away from Him! He was told to go to modern-day Iraq and instead headed toward Spain! He even paid for the trip! This is no accident. It was pre-meditated disobedience and rebellion against God. You can run, but you can never hide!
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (Jonah 1:4)
Most of us have never been on a dangerous sea, but countless people have lost their lives in nautical storms. Imagine the construction of the ships…before fiberglass, steel, and modern plastics. Wood and hand tools were likely the only materials available.
All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. (Jonah 1:5a)
They were all afraid, which tells you this was a serious storm. Then these experienced sailors each cried out to his own god. What an interesting statement! They believed in god…or gods! Then these sailors were so desperate they threw their stuff into the sea. Can you picture the scene? It was a nightmare. These people were fearing for their lives!
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. (Jonah 1:5b)
The same Hebrew word, yarad, is used to describe Jonah going down to Joppa, going aboard the ship, going below deck, and falling into a deep sleep.
[Can you think of anyone who slept in a boat during a huge storm? Jesus in Mark 4:38.]
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 1:6)
The sailors call out to their gods. Now the captain wants Jonah to try his God. Perhaps he has a sense that Jonah worships the one true God, Yahweh.
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)
If you simply want to be “biblical,” one way to know God’s will is to cast lots…to roll the dice, draw straws, or flip a coin. I don’t generally recommend this as a method of discernment, but it is biblical…in more than one instance. Here, God uses a storm, sailors, and even the lots to accomplish His purposes.
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” (Jonah 1:8)
They know something is up with this Jonah guy! I’m fascinated by how “spiritual” these sailors are, though it was culturally common. In our society, people don’t usually think much about the supernatural. We tend to look for reasonable explanations for reality.
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9)
I love how Jonah references the sea and the dry land, something on all their minds!
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) (Jonah 1:10)
Can you feel the tension building?
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” (Jonah 1:11)
If you didn’t know what follows, what would you say? My first thought would be to pray to the LORD, but then again, Jonah is running from the LORD, so he replies…
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12)
Would you come up with that answer? Evidently, the sailors didn’t buy it.
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. (Jonah 1:13)
Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse…
Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. (Jonah 1:14-16)
Jonah was supposedly this godly prophet. He disobeys God, yet God uses him to get the attention and worship of these men. God can redeem anything!
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
Does this mention a whale? No! It’s a huge fish.
Some whales and sharks can swallow a human whole. Sperm whales can reach 70 feet in length and don’t have to chew their food.
Two SeaWorld educators, Keith Robinson and Donna Parham, believe it may have been a great white shark.[1] Jonah and Jaws!
To summarize chapter one, Jonah runs from God, a storm comes, he’s thrown overboard, pagan sailors repent and worship God, and a great fish saves Jonah.
So What?
Obey God. Skip the detour! I said it earlier:
We have the freedom to fight, flee, or follow God’s call. There are consequences for all our actions. What will you do?
[1] http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/usa/california/san_diego/general_stories/sd9-13-02jonah.html
Ask, 6 July 2025
Ask
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
July 6, 2025
1 John 5:13-21
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:13-15
As we conclude our series on the book of 1 John written by one of Jesus’ three best friends, John, we read his closing remarks directed to early Christians. Throughout the letter, he has talked about light, love, antichrist, children of God, actions, and spirits, among other things. Our scripture reading today continues last week’s theme of life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
John wants them to be secure in their salvation, that they may know they have eternal life. This is the promise for those “who believe in the name of the Son of God.”
I’ve had many conversations with people of various faiths—including Christianity—regarding the certainty of their destiny. John says his purpose in writing is to assure them of eternal life…not because of their works, of course, but because of their faith in Jesus.
Do you know you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus, if you believe he died and rose again, if you believe he is the way, the truth, and the life, if you believe he is the ultimate example of what it means to be human, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, then you can know that you have eternal life. This is good news. This is great news! Furthermore, the writer of Romans declares,
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-29)
John continues with more great news for followers of Jesus.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Does this mean God always hears our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers the way we want? No!
We have everything we have asked of God…if we are seeking first His will, His Kingdom, His way. God’s will is not for us to be the center of the universe. He provides for our needs but doesn’t necessary honor self-centered requests for our every desire. If we are truly following Jesus, our heart will sync with his heart. Let’s ask of God now.
Prayer is a popular church topic, but one often filled with negative emotions. Do I pray enough? Am I good at prayer? What if I get bored? What if I fall asleep? What if I simply forget? What if I don’t know what to say? Do I have to bow my head? Close my eyes? Pray out loud?
I used to think prayer was talking to God. Then I thought prayer was talking with God. But now I believe prayer is doing life with God. It is far more than a wish list we tell God. It includes petitions, but also praise, thanksgiving, confession, prayers for others, and I would add questions, fears, doubts, and moments of awe and wonder.
I like the three essential prayers of Anne Lamott: help, thanks, wow!
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Prayer is not only the utterance of the lips; it is also the desire of the heart.”
We could talk all day about prayer and we should pray all day…today and every day. What are you up to, LORD? What makes You happy? Sad? Angry? What is my next step in loving You? Loving others? What is Your will for my life? For College First? For our nation and world? For the sake of time, we must move on!
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16-17)
Sin is anything that separates us from God. It may be something we do. It may be something we fail to do. All sin ultimately leads to death…the death of a relationship, peace, eternal life, or even natural life. Earlier John said failing to believe Jesus came and died for sinners would result in death…eternal death. We have eternal life by believing Jesus died and rose from the dead and following him.
Failing to love may not result in physical death, but we are commanded to love, to pray for others, pray that God’s love would flow through us to others.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (1 John 5:18)
We all sin. We all continue to sin after encountering God. Followers of Jesus do not continue to sin without remorse and regret. We are not proud of our sin. We struggle with it, sometimes failing…and then turning to God with repentance for forgiveness. Christ followers are kept safe from the evil one.
We also need to turn to one another sometimes…to forgive or ask for forgiveness. As we journey together, we will inevitably step on one another’s toes. It’s usually accidental, but the other person may not be aware of the pain they caused. We need to take Matthew 18 seriously.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17)
Is this easy? No.
Does it involve conflict? Yes.
Is it biblical? Obviously!
The kingdom of this world cancels when hurt. In the kingdom of God, we confront…with love. We cry, “Ouch!” We seek reconciliation rather than retaliation. While others get bitter, we get better and restore the relationship. Family, we must speak up and say, “Help me understand.” There are exceptions, but often the conflict is based upon a misunderstanding, a mistake, or even someone simply having a bad day. We need grace and forgiveness and we need to be quick to extend it to others…as God has extended it so generously to us. Jesus said,
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
You might feel as though you’ve sinned beyond God’s forgiveness, and I want to declare to you such a thing is impossible. If you seek forgiveness from God, it will be granted. Listen to a portion of Psalm 103.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust. (Psalm 103:10-14)
When Jesus died, he didn’t die for some of your sins. He died for all of them!
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
This is why we feel tension in our world. It’s why we can’t keep up with the Joneses! This world is not our home. I’m baffled when Christians wonder why the world is evil. It’s under satan’s control…for now! His day will come. I can’t wait! Don’t ever expect the world to act like the Kingdom of God. It’s the world! We are called to life differently. We are called to forgive, to serve, to bless, …to love.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
That is one true verse! Three sentences. Three uses of the word true!
Who is true? Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life. Last week we noted a conversation with Thomas.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Truth is a person. Do you know him? Do you follow him?
Now we come to the last verse of the entire letter. John doesn’t end with a “sincerely” or “best regards” or even a blessing. He closes his letter by saying,
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
His closing words are, “No idols.” First, he reminds them they are dear—dear children—and then says
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5:21, NLT)
Over 100 verses in the Bible speak about idols, including the second of the ten commandments.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
Idols have been a part of the human condition almost from the beginning.
They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:12)
We do, too. Maybe you don’t bow down to a statue, but we are all drawn to other gods, other things that receive our attention…our time, our money, our energy, our thoughts, our worship. It’s possible that John had in mind not an idol of stone or wood, but false beliefs about Jesus. The Old Testament associates idolatry with injustice. It might represent a failure to love.
I struggle sometimes with the 2nd commandment. I want to be in control, comfortable, wealthy, powerful, secure, recognized, celebrated, privileged, safe, and pampered. The problem is when I’m focused on myself, I can’t see God. When I obsess about my fears, I can’t give God my attention. When I worry or fret or lust or covet or embrace bitterness or fail to love, I’m not walking in the light of God…and I’m certainly not living according to His will so of course my prayers will not be answered the way I seek. Of course I will eventually be anxious, lonely, and/or upset.
So What?
I don’t know what idols are in your life, but I want to give you time to acknowledge them and confess them. God is ready and willing to forgive, but we need to agree with Him that we have sinned and we need to repent, turn, return to following Jesus.
Remember,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness. Hallelujah!
Amen!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
July 6, 2025
1 John 5:13-21
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:13-15
As we conclude our series on the book of 1 John written by one of Jesus’ three best friends, John, we read his closing remarks directed to early Christians. Throughout the letter, he has talked about light, love, antichrist, children of God, actions, and spirits, among other things. Our scripture reading today continues last week’s theme of life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
John wants them to be secure in their salvation, that they may know they have eternal life. This is the promise for those “who believe in the name of the Son of God.”
I’ve had many conversations with people of various faiths—including Christianity—regarding the certainty of their destiny. John says his purpose in writing is to assure them of eternal life…not because of their works, of course, but because of their faith in Jesus.
Do you know you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus, if you believe he died and rose again, if you believe he is the way, the truth, and the life, if you believe he is the ultimate example of what it means to be human, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, then you can know that you have eternal life. This is good news. This is great news! Furthermore, the writer of Romans declares,
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-29)
John continues with more great news for followers of Jesus.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Does this mean God always hears our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers the way we want? No!
We have everything we have asked of God…if we are seeking first His will, His Kingdom, His way. God’s will is not for us to be the center of the universe. He provides for our needs but doesn’t necessary honor self-centered requests for our every desire. If we are truly following Jesus, our heart will sync with his heart. Let’s ask of God now.
Prayer is a popular church topic, but one often filled with negative emotions. Do I pray enough? Am I good at prayer? What if I get bored? What if I fall asleep? What if I simply forget? What if I don’t know what to say? Do I have to bow my head? Close my eyes? Pray out loud?
I used to think prayer was talking to God. Then I thought prayer was talking with God. But now I believe prayer is doing life with God. It is far more than a wish list we tell God. It includes petitions, but also praise, thanksgiving, confession, prayers for others, and I would add questions, fears, doubts, and moments of awe and wonder.
I like the three essential prayers of Anne Lamott: help, thanks, wow!
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Prayer is not only the utterance of the lips; it is also the desire of the heart.”
We could talk all day about prayer and we should pray all day…today and every day. What are you up to, LORD? What makes You happy? Sad? Angry? What is my next step in loving You? Loving others? What is Your will for my life? For College First? For our nation and world? For the sake of time, we must move on!
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16-17)
Sin is anything that separates us from God. It may be something we do. It may be something we fail to do. All sin ultimately leads to death…the death of a relationship, peace, eternal life, or even natural life. Earlier John said failing to believe Jesus came and died for sinners would result in death…eternal death. We have eternal life by believing Jesus died and rose from the dead and following him.
Failing to love may not result in physical death, but we are commanded to love, to pray for others, pray that God’s love would flow through us to others.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (1 John 5:18)
We all sin. We all continue to sin after encountering God. Followers of Jesus do not continue to sin without remorse and regret. We are not proud of our sin. We struggle with it, sometimes failing…and then turning to God with repentance for forgiveness. Christ followers are kept safe from the evil one.
We also need to turn to one another sometimes…to forgive or ask for forgiveness. As we journey together, we will inevitably step on one another’s toes. It’s usually accidental, but the other person may not be aware of the pain they caused. We need to take Matthew 18 seriously.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17)
Is this easy? No.
Does it involve conflict? Yes.
Is it biblical? Obviously!
The kingdom of this world cancels when hurt. In the kingdom of God, we confront…with love. We cry, “Ouch!” We seek reconciliation rather than retaliation. While others get bitter, we get better and restore the relationship. Family, we must speak up and say, “Help me understand.” There are exceptions, but often the conflict is based upon a misunderstanding, a mistake, or even someone simply having a bad day. We need grace and forgiveness and we need to be quick to extend it to others…as God has extended it so generously to us. Jesus said,
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
You might feel as though you’ve sinned beyond God’s forgiveness, and I want to declare to you such a thing is impossible. If you seek forgiveness from God, it will be granted. Listen to a portion of Psalm 103.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust. (Psalm 103:10-14)
When Jesus died, he didn’t die for some of your sins. He died for all of them!
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
This is why we feel tension in our world. It’s why we can’t keep up with the Joneses! This world is not our home. I’m baffled when Christians wonder why the world is evil. It’s under satan’s control…for now! His day will come. I can’t wait! Don’t ever expect the world to act like the Kingdom of God. It’s the world! We are called to life differently. We are called to forgive, to serve, to bless, …to love.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
That is one true verse! Three sentences. Three uses of the word true!
Who is true? Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life. Last week we noted a conversation with Thomas.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Truth is a person. Do you know him? Do you follow him?
Now we come to the last verse of the entire letter. John doesn’t end with a “sincerely” or “best regards” or even a blessing. He closes his letter by saying,
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
His closing words are, “No idols.” First, he reminds them they are dear—dear children—and then says
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5:21, NLT)
Over 100 verses in the Bible speak about idols, including the second of the ten commandments.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
Idols have been a part of the human condition almost from the beginning.
They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:12)
We do, too. Maybe you don’t bow down to a statue, but we are all drawn to other gods, other things that receive our attention…our time, our money, our energy, our thoughts, our worship. It’s possible that John had in mind not an idol of stone or wood, but false beliefs about Jesus. The Old Testament associates idolatry with injustice. It might represent a failure to love.
I struggle sometimes with the 2nd commandment. I want to be in control, comfortable, wealthy, powerful, secure, recognized, celebrated, privileged, safe, and pampered. The problem is when I’m focused on myself, I can’t see God. When I obsess about my fears, I can’t give God my attention. When I worry or fret or lust or covet or embrace bitterness or fail to love, I’m not walking in the light of God…and I’m certainly not living according to His will so of course my prayers will not be answered the way I seek. Of course I will eventually be anxious, lonely, and/or upset.
So What?
I don’t know what idols are in your life, but I want to give you time to acknowledge them and confess them. God is ready and willing to forgive, but we need to agree with Him that we have sinned and we need to repent, turn, return to following Jesus.
Remember,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness. Hallelujah!
Amen!