True believers can get themselves involved in serious sin, and with such sin can come serious consequences. How should you respond then? In despondent self-resignation? In prideful excuse of personal responsibility? No! Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up! He did with Jonah!

True believers will trust in the Lord. How should you express your trust in the Lord in the most trying of circumstances?

You Must Pray To The Sovereign God For Mercy (2:2-7)

True believers will express their trust in the Lord in the most trying of circumstances through prayer for mercy in the difficult time. True prayer involves trust in the Lord. How must I show such trust in prayer?

Know That God Will Hear Me No Matter How Difficult The Situation (2:2). It seems as if Jonah has really “hit bottom”—he was not merely in the jaws of death, he was in its digestive tract. This great fish is not known; was a definite miracle—God “appointed” that the fish would be at just the right place at just the right time. No situation is too “hard” for God to be heard by his people because of his unlimited power and relationship with his people. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, show your trust in Him in difficult situations by praying to Him, knowing that He will hear you.

Recognize God’s Sovereign Hand In The Situation (2:3). Although the sailors physically cast Jonah into the sea, Jonah readily acknowledges that ultimate responsibility rests with God. Perhaps the most important aspect of v. 3 is Jonah’s testimony to God’s sovereignty. He saw God’s hand in being thrown into the sea and he saw the ‘waves and breakers’ that swept over him as tools in God’s hands.

Recognizing God’s sovereign hand helps us to remember that nothing happens apart from God’s purpose—whether he is actively involved in the situation or permits events to occur.

Submit To God’s Sovereign Discipline (2:4). Having earlier attempted to flee to Tarshish from God’s presence, Jonah now finds himself destined for the grave (Sheol). Jonah knew his plight was the consequence of disobeying and provoking God; he realized how terrible a thing it is to be apart from the presence of the Lord. He expresses his trust in the Lord by stating that he will pray again to the Lord from Jerusalem (“your holy temple”).

Trust God No Matter How Dark The Situation (2:5-7) Picture Jonah being cast overboard, struggling in the water as described in vv. 5-6a. Verse 6b provides a harrowing perspective – trapped, unable to escape, bars surrounding every potential exit. Once in the grave, Jonah would be forever imprisoned. All hope is lost. The weight of the water gave Jonah the sense of being entombed by the sea. These verses speak of great despair and utter hopelessness. Yet, Jonah expresses praise of God’s sovereign power (v. 6b).

How should you respond when your sovereign God brings you face to face with your sin? Part of a right response is prayer. When you as a believer are caught up in the consequences of your sin, don’t despair or give up; trust in the Lord through prayer,

• Knowing that God hears you
• Recognizing God’s sovereign hand in the situation
• Having an attitude of submission to his discipline
• Trusting him no matter how dark it seems

You Must Praise Your Sovereign God For His Mercy (2:8-9)

True believers will express their trust in the Lord in the most trying of circumstances not only through prayer for mercy, but when the prayer is answered the true believer will praise his God for that mercy.

True praise has a single object—the Lord God. What is involved in true praise to God?

Trust In God Alone, For Only He Shows Mercy (2:8). To look to anyone or anything else is “vain” and idolatrous. People – including believers – look to money, work, things, and even their families for help. In Jonah’s day, for an Israelite to do such a thing was to “forsake their faithfulness,” the blessings that were theirs through the covenant the Lord made with them—God’s faithfulness, goodness, and graciousness, the one true help for human beings.

Worship God Alone, For Only He Is Worthy (2:9). Worship involves sacrificial giving, thanksgiving, and commitment. Only the true God should receive these, and believers who have prayed for God’s mercy must worship him for the mercy they have received. While we do not offer sacrifices as they did during Old Testament times, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ still offer sacrifices:

• Our lives, Rom 12:1-2
• Our finances, Phil 4:18
• Our praise in song and testimony, Heb 13:15
• Good works, Heb 13:16

Look To God Alone, For Only He Can Save (2:10). People today look for deliverance from any sphere other than God. True deliverance, safety, and salvation is found only through the Lord. Here the emphasis is on the Lord’s sole sovereignty in the area of salvation. Jonah recognized that he deserved death, not deliverance. He knew that no one deserves salvation; it is an act of mercy by a gracious God.

The Bible tells us that any believer can become wrapped up in sin (Gal 2; 6:1-2; 1 John 1:9). The response of the true believer to his sin is renewed trust in the Lord expressed through prayer for mercy and praise for such mercy.

Don’t despair Christian—God may have you going through a challenging time, but it may be to help you learn to lean on no one else but the Lord Jesus Christ.

In whom do you trust?

Pastor Greenfield preached this message Sunday morning, August 26, 2007

Is it unreasonable for an institution to require expectations of those individuals who would identify with it? Many businesses require their employees to dress a certain way as their employees are their “face” and they want a certain image portrayed.

Does the NT have expectations for those who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ? It sure does! Consider these two verses:

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).

How believers live does matter, it is important, and the church covenant is essential in this regard.

What is a Church Covenant?

A church doctrinal statement summarizes what a church believes the Bible teaches. The church covenant summarizes its understanding of how a Christian should live. It does not take the place of the Bible; rather, it spells out the church’s understanding of what the Bible expects a church (a body of believers) to be and look like.

A covenant is a solemn promise. As a church covenant, believers make a solemn promise to God and the local church that they will live the way outlined in that document.

Who Can Enter the Church Covenant?

Membership in a local church - and therefore those who enter the church covenant - is restricted to those who have been born again and baptized by immersion.

Furthermore, one should only enter the covenant of a local church if they agree to be held accountable (responsible for) to that particular body of believers. They should additionally agree to hold that particular body of believers accountable for their entrance into the covenant.

We began looking at points that will characterize our church covenant, which you can access here.

Having by God’s grace trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we desire that Christ would be preeminent in all things, that he would bless and use this church so that all praise and glory would be his, and that we would be complete in him. Therefore, we do now, in the presence of God, his angels, and this assembly, solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We will by God’s grace seek to grow in our faith through the daily study of the Word and prayer. We will be separated unto God in our thoughts, desires, and activities, guarding ourselves against those things that are sinful, could tempt us to sin, or that do not promote or are not consistent with holiness. We will be witnesses for Jesus Christ by spreading the gospel and possessing a testimony that supports the gospel. We will make church attendance a priority, striving to attend as many of its services as possible. We will fulfill our family responsibilities, each doing his part to please Christ in our homes and promote godliness. We will live godly lives among unbelievers and be good neighbors and citizens.

Furthermore, we will endeavor by the Spirit’s help to uphold and promote this church’s doctrines, the public ministry of the Word, observe its ordinances, and follow our leaders. We will serve the Lord faithfully, using the gifts and abilities he has given for the growth, edification, maturity, and protection of this body. We will pray daily for the members and ministry of this church and faithfully, cheerfully, and proportionally give of our income to the Lord for the support of this church and the Cause of Christ.

At all times we will demonstrate toward each member Christian love, humility, patience, and concern in our attitudes, speech, and actions. We will partake of our mutual joys and sorrows, lovingly giving of our material substance for pressing needs. We will pursue those things that encourage believers to be faithful rather than trouble their consciences, disturb their faith, or cause them to sin. We will exercise a Christian care and watchfulness over each other, frequently exhort one another, and as the case may require faithfully warn, rebuke, and admonish one another with kindness and wisdom. When we receive correction from a brother in Christ, we will not reject or resent such but receive it with humility, careful self-examination, and necessary confession and repentance. We will jealously guard the Spirit-given unity of this body, refusing to participate in or condone gossip, strife or dissension. In any personal disagreements or offenses, we will seek resolution and readily forgive each other rather than hold a grudge.

We will diligently learn God’s will through his Word and our leaders’ counsel in matters of doctrine and practice, seeking their guidance if doubts arise regarding the ability to uphold this church’s doctrines and covenant. In the event we must move from this place, we will seek to unite with a church of like faith and practice, and if such a church does not exist we will strive to begin such a work.

There are three essential ingredients of effective evangelism (cf. John 17:13-20).

1. The World is our Mission Field. As believers who are in the world but not of the world, our need is to contact sinners. C. H. Spurgeon said, “Those men who keep themselves to themselves, like hermits, and live a supposed sanctified life of self-absorption, are not likely to have any influence in the world, or to do good to their fellow-creatures. You must love the people, and mix with them, if you are to be of service to them.” The danger we face is contamination by the world.
2. The Word is our Message. Our need then is for clarity and accuracy in speaking the message, and the danger is confusion or corruption of the message.
3. The Witness is the Messenger. Believers need character or integrity in order to avoid the danger of contradicting the gospel message.

There are many different obstacles to evangelism, but consider these four:

1. Intimidation: we fear evangelism (cf. 1 Cor 2:3)
2. Ignorance: we lack organized knowledge
3. Inability: we don’t know how to witness
4. Indifference: we lack motivation to tell others

Consider these six requirements for effective evangelism:

1. The Gospel Message, Rom 1:16; 10:17
2. A life of Integrity, 2 Cor 4:1-6; Phil 2:14-16; 2 Tim 2:20-26
3. Boldness, Eph 6:19-20
4. A Clear Presentation, Col 4:2-4
5. Dependence Upon God’s Power (2 Tim 2:25), sought through prayer (Acts 4:23-31) and brought by the Spirit (Acts 4:31)
6. A Compassion for the Lost, Matt 9:36-38; Jude 24-25