Jonah is a book about a man with bad theology. His theology can be summed up as: “You get what you deserve”. But there’s good news here in Jonah 3. More than anything else, it teaches us about a God whose mercy exceeds your wildest imaginations. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM SERIES
TEXT: Jonah 3:1-10
PREACHER: Guest Pastor Kyle Houlton
BIG IDEA: Your church exists for more than your Sunday gathering.

POINTS:
I. Go Into Your City
II. Speak To Your City
III. Behold God’s Mercy To Your City

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”In chapter 3, Jonah has confrontations with pagans, just like he did on the ship to Tarshish. And in both instances … he looks worse than the pagans. Both instances show that he doesn't know how to talk to/relate to the unbelievers God’s put into his path.”

“You have to understand. Jonah was a devout Jew. He was a commissioned prophet of God. When he was around his people, he probably lit up. If he lived in modern times, he would be the Sunday preacher, blog for the Gospel Coalition, and had been an even better small group leader than Scott Mcleod. But put him into a context with a bunch of wicked pagans, a bunch of unbelievers, and he was worse than me at a networking event.”

“Friends. If you live in Tucson, you’re here because God has you here. In the city of Tucson. God has purposefully put you in your city. And you might love your church. You’re fine being called to your city because you love your church. But if Jonah is symbolic of us, the local church, then Jonah 3 tells us that your church exists for more than your Sunday gathering.” 

“The rhythms of church life are a tremendous means of grace. Small groups. Fellowship with believing friends. Sunday gatherings. All GOOD things. But sinners have the remarkable ability to twist good things. In other words, we can use fellowship with believers like it’s a ship to Tarshish. As a way to hide from God’s call to the city He’s called us to.”

“But there’s good news here in Jonah 3. More than anything else, it teaches us about a God whose mercy exceeds your wildest imaginations. A God merciful enough to save your neighbors despite your leanings toward Tarshish. And a God merciful enough to use you even if you’ve begun to exist for Sunday mornings alone.” 

“…know what’s happening in the city, attend community events. Volunteer at local nonprofits. Know the needs and meet the needs. Don’t stand on the border. Consider this question: are you standing on the border in Tucson?”

“…when we are actually pouring ourselves out - our time, our money our love, into the lives of the suffering and the poor - oddly enough, that's when they SEE the Gospel embodied. You don't believe like they do, yet they see you pouring yourself for them, using the resources of your faith to help their estate; You're impoverishing yourself in order that they be brought up ... that's when they see the love of Christ!” 

“The sermon he preaches in 3:4 is this, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!” That’s it. A sermon which in the original Hebrew, is only 5 words. Jonah preached short and Jonah preached judgment. Why Jonah said so few words – it’s not explained. All we know is that Jonah didn’t say much … BUT he spoke. That’s the point. In our cities, God has called us to proclaim His message. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The point isn’t how good you are at speaking it. The point is that you speak.”

“Now, nothing wrong, as we’ve established, with getting out into our cities and getting our hands dirty. But there is everything wrong with the suggestion that we’ve filled the tank of Gospel proclamation to capacity. If we cease to proclaim the Gospel within and outside of our church, we cease to be the church at all.”

“He was a prophet. He should have known that when God’s judgment is proclaimed, it is invariably followed by His mercy. In fact, in the book of Hosea, God names the daughter of Hosea’s unfaithful wife “No Mercy”, symbolically warning Israel, God’s unfaithful bride, that if they continue in their unfaithfulness, the result will be no mercy … judgment. But that warning is not an announcement of a foregone conclusion. But in itself a stroke of mercy. A severe mercy if you will. Intended to prick their conscience and lead them to repentance.”

“let’s be entirely honest with ourselves. How much do we expect that God will show our neighbors mercy? That’s one of the primary questions the Holy Spirit is asking of us through the book of Jonah. But you say, “yea, but I’ve never seen God move a whole city to repentance. How do I know that this wasn’t just one instance where God just decided to be merciful?” The cross of Christ assures us that being merciful is not just what God does, it’s who He is.” 

QUOTES:
Tim Keller - “When the world only sees us evangelizing those outside the church, they don't see it as the greatest act of love we could possibly do. They just see us being selfish, trying to increase the size of our congregations, and budgets and influence.”

Tim Keller - “Am I saying that loving your neighbor in other ways than evangelism is more important than evangelism? No. But it is an inseparable, though lesser responsibility of the church.”

Colin Smith - “Don’t confuse providence with permission.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 8:9
Hosea 2:23
2 Peter 3:9
Romans 9:15
Ephesians 2:4

APPLICATION:

• If your calendar is full of the church calendar, don’t confuse that with permission to retreat from your city; from the messiness of your neighbors

• If you don’t have any unbelieving friends, don’t confuse that with God giving you permission not to move toward the lost with mercy and compassion in your city

• If you live outside far from the neighborhood of the church, don’t confuse that with God giving you permission not to go into your city and extend the love of Christ to those neighbors!

Not calling you to relieve all the suffering in your city. To befriend all your unbelievers. Just go. Just start. When you leave this service today. Determine what it would look like to GO into your city. 

What I am asking you to do is to cast yourself on God’s mercy. Jonah only went into the city to speak to the city once he had experienced God’s unexpected, undeserved mercy. … and then be compelled by that mercy to have a courageous conversation with that unbelieving neighbor. If you don’t know how to interact with your unbelieving neighbors, your merciful God is with you. 

We believe God wants to raise the temperature of evangelism in our Church. How does God to this? Individually in our lives and corporately as a Church community. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM SERIES
TEXT: Acts 18:9-11
TITLE: Raising the Evangelism Temperature
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: We exist to glorify God through the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

POINTS:
I. Don’t Fear But Go
A. Defining Evangelism
B. Evangelism as a Discipline
C. Evangelistic Motivation
II. Don’t Fear But Be Comforted
III. Don’t Fear But Be A Means

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Today we are going to re-visit that scene from Acts 18 where God visited Paul in his moment of weakness. We learned a few weeks ago in that text how fear had gripped Paul. The question was asked, “what are you afraid of?” The main truth from that section of Scripture is that God is able and faithful! Therefore, we can be hopeful in our evangelism and not give in to fear or believe evangelism is just for the super Christians.”

“So how did God “raise the evangelism temperature in Paul’s life?” The same way God works in our lives, in the life of this Church to raise the evangelism temperature.”

“God uses Paul’s life as an example because Paul’s life is every Christian’s life. Whether you’re Paul or Jim Donohue or the most extraverted or the most “people person” you know – Paul’s example speaks loud and boldly that all of us can and will face fear when it comes to our call to speak the truth about God and the gospel. Paul’s experience now becomes every believer’s experience.”

“Every believer is called to go. There are no super Christians in this plan – the call to go is God’s plan for every one of us. The reality of fear will be part of us going. You may never get a personal visit and word from God, but you will always have Paul’s example to know what to do.”

“Evangelism is proclaiming the truth about Jesus, so people repent and put their faith in Jesus. Relationship building, loving on people, and inviting people to a Bridge Course or over for hospitality are all important but evangelism involves proclaiming the truth about the gospel. That’s the content of evangelism.”

“We believe it’s best to approach evangelism as a spiritual discipline. It’s not a separate ministry just for those who have evangelistic gifts. It’s like Bible reading, prayer, worship, etc. We are all called to grow in these areas and so too we are called to grow in our evangelism.”

“Scripture gives us many ways to be motivated at the heart level. Simple obedience to the call positions us for grace. The reality of hell for family and friends we love should motivate us. The future eternity with Christ is helpful to motivate. But at the deepest level, I think we must meditate on the glory of Christ.”

“Church, I submit to you that the way we overcome our fears is that we so meditate on the glory of Christ that it becomes personal to us. WE FEEL IT WHEN GOD DOESN’T GET THE GLORY HE DESERVES.”

”Doctrine helps in evangelism! Doctrine, what the Bible teaches about any given topic, is meant to function in our ways. In evangelism, it’s meant to comfort us. …Knowing God is at the center of His plan to seek and save the lost helps us overcome our fears. Doctrinal knowledge is meant to FUNCTION in our life - bringing comfort, overcoming fear, and inspiring us to action”

“God uses means. Could God save people in Corinth using another means? Maybe have the gospel message miraculously appear in the sky? Sure, God is capable of doing anything. Part of our Biblical understanding is that God uses normal people like you and me to proclaim the message that Jesus came and died on the Cross so we could be reconciled back to Him.” 

QUOTES:
Tico Rice - “The closer you get to Jesus – the more you read of Him in the Bible and see Him at work in your life – the more glory you will see, and the more you will long for Him to be treated as He deserves.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 28
Acts 1:8
Romans 1:5–6
3 John 7
Isaiah 53
1 Peter  2:24 
Acts 17:16
John 15:18–20

APPLICATION:
Here’s your practical application DON’T FEAR BUT BE COMFORTED. Where is your pain line with this particular person God has put in your life? Get to know when you are tip-toeing up to the pain line. Be honest and confess that I don’t like the idea that this friend or family member or coworker might think I’m a fool if I invite them to a Bridge Course. Let’s honestly begin to evaluate our fear, get familiar with the pain line and allow God’s Word, God’s plan, and God’s character to move us past the pain line. Why? Because we will never find out those who are HUNGRY if we back down the moment we experience the pain line (a little mocking, someone views you as “one of those,” etc.).  

First, embrace your role as a means of grace to those God has brought into your life.
Second, begin to pray that God fills you with the Spirit to push through your pain line.
Third, take small moments of boldness.

How can we worship with joy on Sundays, but keep good news to ourselves the rest of the week? How can we love the gospel as much as we do, but not share it with others? Why is evangelism so difficult for us, but so easy for Jesus? Why is it such a struggle for us, but so natural for Christ? Why is reaching the lost at the center of Savior’s life but so often on the side for us? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM WEEKEND
TEXT: Luke 15:1-7
TITLE: What The Savior Sees
PREACHER: Guest Pastor Jim Donohue

POINTS:
1. The Savior Sees the Danger
2. The Savior Sees the Value
3. The Savior Sees the Joy

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”[Saving Baby Jessica] was one of the greatest rescues of all time. It’s a great example perseverance, sacrifice and compassion. And that is what this parable is about.  We see the extraordinary heart of God to rescue lost men and women, who weren’t like Baby Jessica who was innocent and helpless, but sinners rebelling against God. And yet God came after us and rescued us.”

“Sinners were those who didn’t even try to follow the law. The tax collectors were possibly the most despised and rejected in Israel. These people were the farthest from God and yet they are being drawn to the One who is closest to God.”

“Aren’t you glad that sinners can draw near to the Savior? Sinners drew near to Him as love poured out of Him. But something very different was pouring out of the Scribes and Pharisees. They were grumbling and judging, despised and rejected these sinners. This was preposterous to them. Jesus was not only showing compassion to these outcasts, He was receiving them, befriending them and welcoming them. As if they could be part of God’s family! As if they could be included in God’s kingdom. This was not the God that [the pharasies] served. So Jesus tells them this parable to show them that this indeed was the heart of God.”

“The shepherd (who represents Christ) clearly sees the danger. Which is why (in vs. 4) he goes after the lost sheep without a second thought. A lost sheep was a dead sheep.”

“Apart from Christ men and women are pitifully helpless and utterly lost. But we often don’t see the danger when it comes to the lost. With someone like baby Jessica the danger is crystal clear. It’s real and it’s right in front of us.  We can see it, hear it and touch it. But the danger that awaits the lost is far worse than what Jessica faced or anything that we can imagine.”

“This is not easy to talk about. It’s uncomfortable. I wish we didn’t have to talk about people going to hell. But if we love Jesus and we love lost people the way He did. We won’t be afraid to look Hell in the eyes.”

“We wave to our neighbors, interact politely to the waitress, chat kindly with unsaved relatives, and rarely think about the eternal danger that awaits them. They don’t seem like lost sheep or a helpless child stuck in a pipe. But they are. They’re actually far worse.”

“This is the heart of God - to go. To rescue men and women. The Father saw the danger. He saw that we were lost and He took action. He willingly crushed His only Son on our behalf. He exhausted His full wrath on the Savior in our place. This is the heart of God and the heart that He calls us to have.”

“God is going to help us. He loves to help us and to make us more like Christ. God is helping us to see what he sees. All for our good and for His glory.”

“A shepherd would give his entire life to care for the sheep. People, even unbelieving people, have great value to Jesus. That’s why He saved us! The Savior has immense compassion and love for the lost in their desperate plight…. We were enemies of God. Rebellious, defiant, disobedient, ungrateful, insubordinate and arrogant. And despite these things God chose to value us (make us own children). This says much more about God than about us. He doesn’t value us because we deserve it. He values us because of who He is.”

“I can see unbelievers as interruptions, messy, uncomfortable and inconvenient. I can, at times, be self righteous and self focused. When I do this, I fail to value and love people the way Christ does. When we see value in something it moves us to sacrifice and to persevere.”

“Do you realize that God has dropped us right where He wants us? Like Mark and Amy God has put us into the exact homes we are in so that can reach our neighbors. God wants to connect us with people who need the gospel and He wants to reward even small steps with great fruit. We simply need to value the people around us enough to reach out and share the hope of Christ.”

“There is nothing in this world that will bring you more joy than seeing someone rescued from the wrath of God. Yes it can be hard work. Yes it can be scary. Yes it takes time. Yes it takes sacrifice. But there is a joy that awaits. An inexpressible joy.”  

“[Jesus] did what no one has ever done and what no one could ever do. He endured the beating and mocking. Drank every drop of the cup. He was willingly forsaken by the Father. He paid the greatest price imaginable to rescue us. And it was all for joy set before him that He endured the cross, scorning its shame. He sacrificed for joy and He is calling us to do the same. He wants us (you) to share in the joy of proclaiming. The greatest news that has ever been told: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “We often say of the angels that they rejoice over one sinner that repents. I doubt not that they do, but the Bible does not say so. The Bible says, ‘There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ What means the presence of the angels? Why, that the angels see the joy of Christ when sinners repent. Hear them say to one another, ‘Behold, the Father’s face! How he rejoices! Gaze on the countenance of the Son! What a heaven of delight shines in those eyes of his! Jesus wept for these sinners, but now he rejoices over them’”

Charles Spurgeon - “If you are eager for real joy, such as you may think over and sleep upon, I am persuaded that no joy of growing wealthy, no joy of increasing knowledge, no joy of influence over your fellow-creatures, no joy of any other sort, can ever be compared with the rapture of saving a soul from death, and helping to restore our lost brethren to our great Father’s house.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 16:22-24
Revelation 20:15