AWAKE: THE CALL TO A RENEWED LIFE

---

AWAKE: THE CALL TO A RENEWED LIFE

84

© 2014 LifeWay

Don’t sleep through your spiritual life. Wake up! Nothing refreshes like a good night’s sleep. And who doesn’t enjoy the occasional afternoon nap? In at least one way, though, sleep is not good for us. In fact, it can be dangerous. I’m talking about being spiritually asleep. Life has a way of lulling us to sleep spiritually. If we allow ourselves to settle into a spiritual snooze, after awhile we simply wither spiritually. It’s time to wake up! Our greatest need as believers—your greatest need as a follower of Christ—is to experience spiritual renewal from God. That’s the whole point of this study. I must warn you, though: this is not a study for those who want to maintain the status quo. When the Holy Spirit begins to bring renewal in our lives, things will change. In the following pages, we will look at several places in the Bible where God called people to return to Him. Those passages are a call for us, as well—a call to experience revival and awakening both personally and in our churches. When people have turned back to God throughout history, He has done extraordinary things and sparked great movements. Wouldn’t you like to see God do that again? Join me on the journey of asking God to bring about the next great movement of renewal and turning the nations back to Him.

Ro n n ie Fl o yd Ronnie Floyd has served as the Senior Pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas for over 28 years. In addition to serving as the general editor for Bible Studies for Life, Dr. Floyd is the president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Read Ronnie’s blog at RonnieFloyd.com. Follow him on Twitter @RonnieFloyd.

© 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

85

SESSION 1 RETURN TO GOD

86

SESSION 1

© 2014 LifeWay

The Point God’s call to return to Him demands a response.

The Passage Jonah 1:1-3; 3:1-5,10

The Bible Meets Life “How’s your walk with God?” There are many among us who have blatantly walked away from God. Others among us have gradually gotten off course in our walk with Him. We stand to gain much when we each evaluate ourselves and consider where we stand in our walk with God. God desires for us to return to Him, and He calls us back to Himself. The Book of Jonah shows us God’s call and His merciful response when we return to Him.

The Setting Jonah, a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, had willingly been used by God to deliver a message of encouragement to his nation (see 2 Kings 14:25). However, when God commanded him to deliver a warning message to Nineveh, the capital city of Israel’s oppressor, Assyria, Jonah at first refused. Only later, with reluctance, did Jonah comply with God’s instruction.

© 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

87

What does the Bible say?

Jonah 1:1-3; 3:1-5,10 (HCSB) Nineveh (1:2)—Located on the east bank of the Tigris River across from the modern day city of Mosul, Iraq. This city served as the capital of the Assyrian Empire during its height. Tarshish (1:3)—While the exact location of ancient Tarshish is uncertain, the most probable location is Spain. It was in the opposite direction from where God wanted Jonah to go. Sackcloth (3:5)—Sackcloth is a scratchy, black-wool cloth usually made of goat hair. People in ancient cultures wore garments made of sackcloth as an expression of deep, personal distress.

88

SESSION 1

1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their

wickedness has confronted Me.” 3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’S presence. He went

down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the LORD’S presence. 3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’S command. Now

Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk. 4 Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In 40 days

Nineveh will be demolished!” 5 The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in

sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. 3:10 Then God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—so

God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.

© 2014 LifeWay

THE POINT

God’s call to return to Him demands a response.

GET INTO THE STUDY

10 minutes

ENHANCEMENT: Use Pack Item 6,

Notes

“Awake,” to introduce the major focus of this resource and the individual themes for each session. DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 73 of the PSG: “What’s a great way to catch your attention?” Note: Encourage group members to share stories of when someone or something captured their attention in a unique or memorable way. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): As a supplement to Question #1, above, encourage group members to identify ringtones in their phones that are especially effective at catching their attention. Allow everyone to listen through their own tones for a minute or two, then ask for volunteers to play the tone they consider most attention-grabbing. If time permits, you could even vote as a group to identify who has the most-attention grabbing ringtone. Note: Don’t attempt this activity if your group members avoid bringing their phones to the group, or if you meet in a space where loud noises would be a distraction for others. Rely on your best judgment. GUIDE: Call attention to “The Point” at the top of page 74 of the PSG: “God’s call to return to Him demands a response.” GUIDE: Direct group members to “The Bible Meets Life” on page 74 of the PSG. Introduce the theme of returning to God by reading or summarizing the text—or by encouraging group members to read on their own. PRAY: Transition into the Scripture discussion by acknowledging our culture’s need for revival and spiritual awakening. Ask that God would speak to you, and to the members

TIP: Check out our blog to find additional discussion questions and resources customized for each session: Biblestudiesforlife. com.

of your group, about the condition of your hearts. © 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

89

5 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Jonah 1:1-3

Notes 1

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the

great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” 3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the LORD’s presence. READ: Jonah 1:1-3 on page 75 of the PSG. Read the text out loud or ask a volunteer to do so. GUIDE: Use the second and third paragraphs on page 91 of this Leader Guide to offer context on how Jonah would have interpreted God’s commands—and why he ultimately chose to disobey. SUMMARIZE: Highlight the key points from page 76 of the PSG:

>> “God called Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and call the people there to turn away from their sin.”

>> “How did Jonah respond? He ran in the opposite direction.” >> “When God brought a massive storm against Jonah’s boat, he finally began to see the precariousness of his rebellion.”

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What are some ways God speaks to people today?

DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 76 of the PSG: “Why is it sometimes tempting to flee from God?” TRANSITION: Highlight the final portion on page 76 of the PSG: The same principles are at work in our lives. There are times when God gives us a clear call to return to Him, but we respond by taking the first ship going in the opposite direction. We race toward a place, person, or desire we think will bring fulfillment, yet we only find destruction. Running from God always leads to pain. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there.

90

SESSION 1

© 2014 LifeWay

THE POINT

God’s call to return to Him demands a response.

Jonah 1:1-3 [Verse 1] Jonah son of Amittai was a prophet God used to speak to Israel’s Northern Kingdom during the first half of the eighth century B.C. The word of the Lord Jonah received and that is recorded in this book differed dramatically from the prophecy mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25. We don’t know which revelation and experience preceded the other or if they occurred at about the same period of time. Neither can we say for sure exactly how the Lord communicated His word to Jonah. [Verse 2] The Lord commanded the prophet Jonah, “Get up! Go to … Nineveh and preach against it.” These were marching orders, not suggestions or requests. In the Old Testament, prophets were regarded as servants of the Lord (see 2 Kings 9:7; Jer. 7:25). Servants were expected to obey their master immediately and fully. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrian army had invaded Israel several times and forced the Israelites to pay a heavy tribute. Nineveh was located in what is now northern Iraq, not far from the city of Mosul. The Assyrian empire was already a threat during Jonah’s lifetime and continued to grow in strength and violence (see 2 Kings 15–16). The Lord provided two descriptors of the city of Nineveh that are important to the narrative. First, He noted that Nineveh was a great city. The Hebrew term translated great had both literal and figurative meanings. Taken literally, it referred to the city’s large size and, by implication, its vast population. Figuratively, the term could refer to the city’s great standing in the world—its importance. The second key feature about Nineveh was that its wickedness had confronted God and was about to be judged by Him. The Lord, the righteous Judge of all the earth (see Gen. 18:25) was preparing to bring judgment against the city. But consistent with His patient nature, the Lord would first warn the people through His prophet (see Amos 3:7; 2 Pet. 3:9). [Verse 3] Jonah got up. But instead of setting out for Nineveh, he went in the opposite direction. He made his way to the port city of Joppa on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Jonah’s goal was clear. He aimed to flee to Tarshish—a place he hoped to escape God’s presence. The narrative casts a shadow over Jonah’s blatant disobedience by noting repeatedly that Jonah went down. He went down to Joppa, then he went down into the ship. Indeed, the prophet descended into the “lowest part of the vessel” (1:5), and soon enough would go down “into the depths, into the heart of the seas” (2:3) where he would feel as though he had sunk to a prison beneath “the foundations of the mountains” (v. 6). Many of the Old Testament prophets displayed courageous obedience to the Lord. At this point in his life, however, Jonah was not among them. He rebelled against the commission to take the Lord’s message to another people group. © 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

91

15 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Jonah 3:1-5

Notes 1

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up! Go to the

great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’s command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk. 4 Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In 40 days Nineveh will be demolished!” 5

The men of Nineveh believed in God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in

sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. RECAP: Use the first two paragraphs on page 77 of the PSG to set the scene: Tossed overboard to spare the ship and its crew, Jonah was miraculously swallowed by a “huge fish” (see 1:17). He spent three days and nights inside that creature. It’s not surprising that Jonah was moved to pray and worship God during that unprecedented interlude, and he vowed to obey God’s command (see 2:1-9). When the timing was right, God caused the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land. Try to picture the scene: Jonah lay on the sand—exhausted, filthy, and smelling incredibly nasty. And that was the moment God called out to him a second time. READ: Jonah 3:1-5 on page 75 of the PSG.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What are the different ways people responded to God in these verses?

DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 77 of the PSG: “When have you benefited from a second chance?” Note: Don’t force people to answer what could be a deeply personal question. At the same time, don’t discourage people from being vulnerable if they choose to do so. DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 77 of the PSG: “What do God’s actions toward Jonah and the Ninevites teach us about His character?” TRANSITION: As we look to Jonah 3:10, we’ll see a second example of God’s grace in action.

92

SESSION 1

© 2014 LifeWay

THE POINT

God’s call to return to Him demands a response.

Jonah 3:1-5 [Verses 1-2] Few statements in Scripture express the grace of God as clearly as in Jonah 3:1, the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Second chances are an expression of God’s grace. However, we should respond positively to God’s call when it first comes and not presume that we will get a second chance. [Verse 3] This verse purposely stands in sharp contrast to 1:3. Whereas previously Jonah went in the opposite direction of his God-given mission, this time the prophet got up and obeyed the Lord. He acted according to the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh. Keeping this command involved no small amount of effort, as the prophet would have to travel hundreds of miles—most likely on foot—over roads that sometimes proved to be dangerous, according to later reports (see Ezra 8:21). Nineveh was an extremely large city. According to ancient Greek and Roman writers, Nineveh was the largest city in the world at that time. The phrase a three-day walk underscores this ancient city’s vastness, but Bible commentators have proposed three possible meanings for it: (1) it indicates the number of days required to walk across or around the city; (2) it reflects the time required to visit and preach throughout all areas of the city; or (3) it is a figurative idiom for a lengthy journey, thus depicting a huge area. (The second option seems most likely based on the opening words of Jonah 3:4). Modern archaeological investigations estimate the population within the walled portion of the city probably maxed out at 175,000 residents (see 4:11). [Verse 4] Once Jonah arrived, he obediently set about fulfilling the task God had set before him. On the first day of his walk in the city the prophet proclaimed what is perhaps the shortest recorded sermon in the Bible—only five words in the Hebrew language. Yet it contained everything the Ninevites needed to know: in 40 days Nineveh would be demolished! The message contained no word of hope, only the announcement of imminent destruction. [Verse 5] In response to the prophet’s faithful proclamation of God’s message, the men of Nineveh believed in God. God’s word did more than change the people’s hearts; it changed their behavior as well. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. Fasting for religious purposes involved voluntarily refusing to eat food and (sometimes) refusing to drink liquids for a time. Those who fasted demonstrated that they desired God’s help more than even basic physical sustenance. Sackcloth, mentioned more than 40 times in the Bible, was a scratchy, black wool cloth usually made of goat hair (see Rev. 6:12). Cultures across the biblical world wore garments made of sackcloth as a symbolic expression of deep personal distress. © 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

93

10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Jonah 3:10

Notes 10

Then God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—so

God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it. READ: Jonah 3:10 on page 75 of the PSG. RECAP: Highlight the first paragraph on page 78 of the PSG: The story that weaves through the Book of Jonah is the story of what happens ALTERNATE QUESTION: Our nation needs to return to God. What must happen in our personal lives for that to occur?

when people respond to what God is calling them to do. This is exactly the message we need to hear in order to experience a spiritual awakening. DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 78 of the PSG: “How can our group be a safe and supportive place for returning to God?” DO: Direct group members to complete the activity “Personal Assessment: Wake Up Call” on page 79 of the PSG. Encourage them to complete this activity during the week as a way of exploring their own spiritual health. How consistently do you pray and read the Bible as a daily discipline? How often do you experience meaningful times of worship in God’s presence? To what degree have you grown closer to Jesus in the past year? How often do you experience meaningful times of worship in God’s presence? In recent months, how often have you initiated spiritual conversations with others? What would you like to experience spiritually throughout the course of this study? GUIDE: Refer back to “The Point” of this session: “God’s call to return to Him demands a response.” As time permits, encourage group members to share any final thoughts or questions.

94

SESSION 1

© 2014 LifeWay

THE POINT

God’s call to return to Him demands a response.

Jonah 3:10 Commentary [Verse 10] God was watching. He saw how the people responded to His message. He knew their belief in Him was being demonstrated in actions—that they had turned from their evil ways. The people had genuinely repented. So what did God do in response? He mercifully relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. The Hebrew word translated “relented” (nacham) is difficult to render accurately. It can mean “repented,” “had compassion,” or “changed His mind.” The thought of God changing His mind causes difficulty for some Christians. How can God decree a particular outcome, and then move in a direction different from His earlier pronouncement? Two things should be kept in mind. First, we are speaking of a God whose ways are infinitely beyond our ability to comprehend (see Isa. 55:9; Rom. 11:33-34). Sometimes Scripture illustrates divine action using language that represents the actions of finite human beings, but the reality of what God does and how He does it is far greater than human language can express or the human mind can grasp. The second thing to remember is that when God changes His mind, it is because He has compassion for people and responds to genuine repentance (see Ex. 32:12). It can be in His plan both to punish sin and to relent when people repent. This passage speaks of the incredible mercy of God’s heart toward sinners. Once the Ninevites had been wicked; they were spiritually blind to the destruction coming their way. Then Jonah preached God’s message to them. They repented. They could now see their sins and the sovereign Lord to whom they were accountable. They believed, and the God of grace and mercy forgave them, sparing their city from destruction. This event has the seed of the gospel planted in its very heart. The God who spared the Ninevites also one day sent His Son Jesus into the world with an urgent message: “Repent and believe in the good news!” (Mark 1:15). The good news was that by His atoning death and resurrection, sinners then or today can repent, believe, and receive forgiveness and eternal life.

© 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

95

5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT GUIDE: Direct group members to page 80 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the

Notes

following suggestions for remaining open to hear God’s call when it comes:

>> Be sensitive to God’s voice. Don’t

let yourself become numb toward God. Immerse your Bible study in prayer, asking God to help you become more sensitive to what He tells you.

>> Respond with obedience. When you hear God telling you to do

something in the days to come—do it! Repentance isn’t necessary when we obey God’s call in the first place.

>> Repent when necessary. None of us will obey perfectly. When you find

yourself wandering from God, repent, turn away from your disobedience, and turn back to God.

Wrap it Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the conclusion from page 80 of the PSG: Spiritual renewal happens as we turn back to God. Be willing to always put your “yes” on the table before Him—even before He asks you to respond. PRAY: Conclude the discussion by thanking God for the way He demonstrates His grace through second chances. Thank Him for the second chances you’ve received in life, and ask for the courage to respond well when you hear God’s call.

96

SESSION 1

© 2014 LifeWay

My group's prayer requests

Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, boomers, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife.

The Brother of Jesus “He’s the Messiah, no matter what anyone says.” James froze in place: “What?” Even in the noise of the crowd, his mother spoke loud enough to be heard. “He is the Messiah. I’ve known that since before He was born.” This was the final blow. “You’ve believed Him all along.”

To continue reading “The Brother of Jesus” from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles.

© 2014 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE

97