Sabbath: Excuses to Avoid Mission
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 28th of October 2023
Read for This Week’s Study
Jonah 1:1-17; Jonah 2:1-10; Jonah 3:1-10; Jonah 4:1-11; Nahum 1:1; 2 Kings 17:5-6; Psalms 24:1; James 1:27; Isaiah 6:1-8.
Memory Text:
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’ ” (Isaiah 6:8, NKJV).
Not everyone called to mission was as compliant as Abraham. Jonah is an example (read Jonah 1:1-17; Jonah 2:1-10; Jonah 3:1-10; Jonah 4:1-11). God called Jonah to cry out against Nineveh, capital of Assyria. This city, located in modern-day Iraq, was 560 miles from Jerusalem, a good month’s journey. Jonah not only refused to go—he ran in the opposite direction. Arriving at Joppa, he purchased passage to Tarshish, now southern Spain. Sailing the 2,000-mile trip would have taken at least a month, depending on the weather. Not wanting to confront the king of Assyria, Jonah uses the month it would have taken him to get to Nineveh to get away from it. Why would he, a man of God, have done that?
The Ninevites were notoriously wicked, a people known for their evil and cruelty and who had attacked Israel and Judah. Nevertheless, God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and to cry out against its great wickedness (Jonah 1:2). The wording here is very similar to the wording God used with Abraham regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, in Genesis 18:20-21. As we will see, however, Jonah was no Abraham.
What can we learn from Jonah’s attitude about the excuses that we can make in order not to do mission?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 4.
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One of the issues about learning to play a musical instrument is that students often hear one of the masterpieces written for the instrument and think that they would like to play like that. Then they start at the very bottom, learning which fingers to use and in what order. That is followed by often years of practising scales and arpeggios over and over. (I know that because Carmel practiced for her A Mus A performance exams after I married her.) It took a lot of practice of the mundane things to do the big thing.
A lot of students give up because they are unwilling to do the practice on the little things.
Maybe some of us are waiting on the big mission call but are not taking the opportunity to do the little mission projects that God gives us. In the judgment scene of the sheep and the goats, it is remarkable how trivial some of the mentioned items are; cups of cold water, visiting the sick, and so on. Maybe our mission is only a little one but it should not be put aside because you are hoping for a call to a bigger mission.
I enrolled a piano lesson but the trainer hit my fingers that they were heavy and too slow. And just like that, I lost my interest in playing the piano. Reading the post of Maurice I have come to see how petty my excuse for dropping the class was.
Maurice, good to have you back.
Maybe there‘s a bit of misunderstanding amongst many of us regarding the notion of mission. Is there any big, bigger and best as a connotation to that subject?
What if we already are fulfilling the small errands to help and support others in their daily life and someone else comes along and tells you how many schools and churches they have planted in Hondurans or India. Of course this would ultimately make you feel that‘s the real mission. In comparison to what you are doing.
I mean it‘s not about our achievements but God’‘s leading. Just to clarify my point- I‘m well aware that God calls me continually to connect and walk the walk without having to embark on a ship or a plane. And He calls other s as well whom He selects to be qualified to do greater things on higher levels.
So let‘s listen to Gods voice and His calling- it could be the next hour.
Sadly all the excuses we give are because of the blessings God has given us.
Luke 14:18-20 highlights a few. One said he's bought a piece of land and must see it, another has bought a yoke of oxen and must try them, and the last had just married a beautiful wife and needed time with her.
Could it be that the blessings of the Lord can hinder us from mission? Let the blessings of the Lord help us in furthering the mission of the Lord.
May God help us.
What an odd day I'm having. First, I slept in till 8:50 am. It has been years since I have done this. I fed my dog and took my pills. Made my coffee. Usually, I would start my Bible studies then. Today, Facebook started up; how, I don't know. Now it's after 10 am. I decided to start the study.
When I read the suggested Scripture, I felt the Spirit say, "Isn't it wonderful to read my words?" Nothing is more important than time with my Savior as He reveals himself through the Word.
God bless you all as He has blessed me.
What really is at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What will change in the believer’s life when gratitude for one’s own salvation is present in the interactions with others? What is our Lord's focus which we need to recognize and emulate in our own lives? I find the answer to these questions in the references given: “understanding that compassion reaches others for Jesus Christ.
Willingness to go out to preach and teach the Word of God without the awareness of one’s need for compassion for the lost is not enough to water the fields of God’s harvest successfully. The seeds have been planted a long time ago, almost everyone has heard about the God of the Christians. But what makes the seed grow up into a plant that is fully aware that God has reached out to its life and blessed it to muliply it's fruit to bring about more seeds?
I consider that before anything ‘mission’ can commence, the believer needs to be able to recognize what our Lord and Savior has done for him/her personally; how He has changed us and gave us a new life – Jonah 2:6 …. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.” - Thankfulness!
Do we lack compassion for the lost because we do not have a deep enough sense of thanksgiving for having been rescued from the pit ourselves? Like Jonah, we ought to consider that we have done nothing to deserve our salvation and therefore extend pity to those who are still lost. Salvation will always be the gift of a gracious, merciful, ever forgiving heavenly Father who protects His creation which mankind is part of. Jonah 4:9-11.
Happy Sabbath everyone. This Sabbath school lesson is showing me a lot. I am seeing how it is important to listen to God's voice.
The question is, "Is there happiness out of God's will?" When the lesson is learned, we let God do His part while we do ours!
I'm more encouraged to share with those I've been finding it hard in my courage to do so.
I continue to try to understand the mission God has for me. There was a time I was passionate in my study and wanted to share the truth with all. I found myself a leader in our local church. I spent hours of study and work on presentations to present to my church family. I did experience the Lord's blessing because every message transformed on the day I preached them and I learned from my own sermons lessons that I did not know, but I still felt at a loss. Who remembers the works spoken the next week. Who was changed or developed a deeper relationship with God as a result? Sometimes there were divisions in understanding and all the study and passionate discourse did nothing to heal the broken or set the captives free. I came to the conclusion that mission is ministry to save people not just to dot every "i" or cross every "t". I feel remorse over the way I have spoken or treated my brothers and sisters at times. I may have been correct in my theology but not in the Spirit of mercy, long suffering, and grace.
When I think back to this time in my life I see that along with myself there were also several Elders and deacons who were theologically wise but none of us ministered / labored to the salvation of people. We did defend the doctrines of the church and the standards of the law. There were ,however,2 woman in our congregation that ministered to the people. These were not theological giants and did not really speak in church. They did not engage in controversy but they were there to feed, comfort, and care for the needs of others. These woman had a ministry that showed the Love of Christ in action.
Today I find that I have become reluctant to speak as I have in the past... not that I am not passionate about the Truth but that I do now wish my passionate words to cause pain or division that would drive people from knowing Christ. I want to demonstrate the love and grace of God, but my heart does not naturally have unconditional love.
I can only connect with this type of love when I remember who I was before Christ and the lengths that God has gone to rescue me. Only the does the Agape love of God fill my heart with gratitude and grace for those who just like me are struggling to understand and to escape the pain of this world. The world and the church are filled with people who are confused and in pain. The ministry of Jesus is good news that heals wounds and sets the captive free. The smallest gesture of kindness done through Agape love can transform lives to understand the Glory of God.
In ministry sometimes it is what we think of as small things that are really great in the kingdom of heaven.
office and spent hours of study to
"I am not here to be right, I am here to get it right.", Brené Brown in Atlas of the Heart.
He loves you Jodi. He always will. 🤗