November 24, 2013 Sunday Sermon - Agonize Earnestly For the Faith

Today I want to continue to consider why we often wander and feel the need for revival. (Wouldn’t it be better if we never needed revival? If we walked in victory without stumbling? Are we content to settle for less than the best?) God’s word tells us that the Old Testament is full of examples that were written down for us that we might learn from them. Today I want to look at an example that is familiar to many as we consider the ancient account of Jonah.

Please Turn to Jonah chapters 1&2 (pg 774 in the pew Bible)

Jude 1:3- I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints

• Agonize earnestly (all true believers will agonize earnestly sometimes)
  
• Contend as a combatant  (Our walk with God has been described as a fight, and it requires endurance)

The fight we must fight in contending for the faith, the thing we must agonize earnestly with as a combatant, is self.

Idolatry- giving divine honors to any created thing.  

• Many times when you look in scripture at descriptions of repentance and revival, the sin that went before was idolatry.  When we serve self, we honor ourselves more than God; this is the most prevalent and subtle form of idolatry. 
  

Romans 6:12-13-  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves  (this is the same command we discussed last week from Romans 12:1-2) to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness

Jonah

• Prophet- called and equipped by God (God had a plan and purpose for Jonah.  He has a plan for us as well and He has equipped us to fulfill our calling)
  
• Ran from God’s will- (Nineveh) to his own self-rule (Tarshish)
  
• Overthrown and in a mess ( the Great Fish)  Jonah wasn’t as much trapped by the fish, as by his own bitterness and angry choice; his own selfish and vain action .
  
• Idolatry was the reason (Jonah 2:8)
  
• Bitterness and jealousy motivated his idolatry
  

How many times a day do fear, anxiety, lust, bitterness and the like, make our decisions rather than faith and trust in the God of our salvation? (What’s making your decisions)?

There are consequences to our disobedience, self service and neglect of God’s gifting and calling.  Our disobedience and living for self impacts not just us, but those around us. If we find ourselves on the way to Tarshish, God calls us back.

We need revival, full surrender, God will meet us there.