Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg 

Minor Prophets – Jonah

Jonah was a prophet, but he really never got it…

Today we begin our new series entitled ‘Major Minors’. We are taking a deep dive into 4 of the minor prophets from the Old Testament scriptures.

They are full of redemptive themes that should convict us, equip us, challenge us, and encourage us.

The purpose of this series is our desire to gain a new appreciation for the “minor” prophets but also see that God has important things to say to us in 2023 through these men, affirming the relevance of every part of the Bible. We want to have a greater understanding of these four minor prophets and what God wants to teach us through them.

Today we are looking at: Jonah

Jonah is a story – upside down

The prophet of God runs from God

Evil kings fall on their knees and repent

Swarthy sailors are wise and merciful

Animals are made to take a posture of repentance

A man survives three days in the belly of a great fish

The fish spits him up in exactly the right place

Warren Wiersbe

“The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart…”

Jonah 1:1-3

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah 3:1-5

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Repentance begins with BELIEVING God

Jonah 3:6-9

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Jonah 3:10

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4:1-4

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:9

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Oswald Chambers

“Beware of any belief that makes you self–indulgent or self–gratifying; that belief came from the pit of hell itself, regardless of how beautiful it may sound. Your theology must work itself out, exhibiting itself in your most common everyday relationships.”

We often judge others by their worst actions and justify ourselves by our best intentions.

Jonah 4:10-11

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

What does Jesus say about our enemies?

Luke 6:27-28, 31

Luke 6:35-36

Romans 5:8-10

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

GOD RESPONDS TO REPENTANCE

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

Minor Prophets – Jonah

Jonah was a prophet, but he really never got it…

Today we begin our new series entitled ‘Major Minors’. We are taking a deep dive into 4 of the minor prophets from the Old Testament scriptures.

They are full of redemptive themes that should convict us, equip us, challenge us, and encourage us.

The purpose of this series is our desire to gain a new appreciation for the “minor” prophets but also see that God has important things to say to us in 2023 through these men, affirming the relevance of every part of the Bible. We want to have a greater understanding of these four minor prophets and what God wants to teach us through them.

Today we are looking at: Jonah

Jonah is a story – upside down

Jonah 1:1-3

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Jonah 3:1-5

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Jonah 3:6-9

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Jonah 3:10

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4:1-4

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:9

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Jonah 4:10-11

But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Building Blocks – Giving

Hold all that you have loosely, give all that you have freely.

Today we conclude our series entitled ‘Building Blocks’. We are answering the question, ‘what are the foundations of our faith?’

Our first four weeks focused on Prayer, Sabbath, Worship & Community.

Today we focus on Giving.

Acts 2:44-47

All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Generosity is at the very foundation of the New Testament Church.

But why?

The DNA of God’s Spirit at work was a willingness to give generously, sacrificially, obediently. Why?

Why does the presence of the Spirit of God immediately turn their hearts toward generosity?

Because as people, with a nature bent towards self, we are inherently selfish. We almost always think of me first.

As the Spirit of God truly moves in the hearts of believers, not just in the early church, but today, we break free from selfishness and from the chains of being enslaved to money and to stuff.

And one way we celebrate that freedom is by giving, by having a freedom to not hold so tightly to our stuff.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

-Our attitudes as we give matters. Having a reluctant attitude or giving out of duty is not the kind of giving God desires. He desires a cheerful giver.

-God is able to bless you, but not for your gain, so you can get what you want. But He is able to bless you so you will abound in giving to others.

-From God’s perspective, wealth is not a reward. It’s not intended to be accumulated and hoarded and used to gain more. Anything we have been given comes with the expectation that we give.

When we focus on giving, we have all kinds of questions:

-How much do I have to give?

-How much is enough?

-Who should I give to? How often?

-Do I have to give money? Can I just give my time?

But for the early church, the focus isn’t on giving as a requirement or even as an expectation, rather the focus is generosity.

” You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11

The real question today isn’t, “Does God want my stuff?”

The real question is: “Does God have my heart?”

Matthew 23:23

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

-The Pharisees and teachers of the law were experts at tithing. But Jesus knows that generosity begins in the heart.

-The New Testament church wasn’t just about giving a tithe, it was about giving all.

Hold all that you have loosely, give all that you have freely.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving

Building Blocks Part 5

Giving

Welcome to our teaching series “Building Blocks”.

Throughout this series we have been addressing the foundational practices of the Christian life. Practices that cultivate the life of Christ within us, as well as anchoring us firmly in the Faith.

We have taken this journey intentionally, knowing these practices will change us if we engage them in our walk with the Lord. Our final topic in the series is no different-It’s every bit as powerful and transformative.

We conclude our Building Blocks series by looking at the foundational practice of GIVING. And, as you’ll see, we’re not just talking about giving our money.

When we give, we are practicing obedience and expressing a true understanding of our relationship with God as the provider of all things.

Our teaching text today is written to the Church in Corinth before Paul arrives there. A few verses before, Paul has talked about why he is collecting money, he anticipates their gift and as we come to our text today- he is encouraging their generosity.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

When it comes to giving and being generous- The more you plant, the more you will harvest. Before we get carried away with that idea- that’s not WHY we give, it’s what God DOES when we do.

Paul continues his teaching on generosity by making sure the church knows- generosity is for everyone.

The generosity that Paul is encouraging is not a compulsive response to his preaching or to his personal mission. Generosity, our giving, is to be a heart level decision to see Christ as Lord over our life- including our wallet.

Giving is about obedience to the move of God in your heart, its the response of a transformed heart.

As Paul is encouraging generosity in the church, he doesn’t miss the opportunity to point out that the way in which we give matters to God

Give from the heart, give willingly, and give with gladness.

2 Corinthians 9:8-11

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

What’s Paul’s final encouragement on giving? God moves when you give.

When we give we are trusting God, we are obeying him and in that action of giving, God is moving.

Transforming our hearts in his likeness AND he blesses us abundantly that in all things we will have what we need.

Paul has helped us to see that giving is for everyone, it should come from the heart with gladness, and that God moves when we give.

Armed with that truth, we are ready to take this teaching into our every day lives. So, what do some of those action steps look like?

Begin by Giving Thanks

Here’s the truth: In the economy of God, Giving is always GIVING BACK. None of it really belongs to me anyway.

James 1:16-17 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

What God is asking us to give- he gave us in the first place.

If our heart posture says that what we have is ours, we worked hard for it, it was my skill and knowledge that did it, I deserve it- we will never truly experience giving as God desires.

When we come to recognize that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift- Only then is generosity is possible.

Give your treasure

If you want to step into generous living- why not take the Lord at his word and begin giving 10% to the local church-make that a priority in the first line of your monthly expenses.

In the book of Malachi- God actually invites his people to test him on this

We have already seen that when you give God moves in Malachi he says “Try me on this one”

Finally, give it all

The call to giving doesn’t stop with our money. God’s call to generosity extends to our time, our talents, and our relational touch.

What would it look like for you to be generous with your time, talents, or touch?

Give thanks, give your treasure, give the rest. WIll you live into the blessing of giving?

When you give, God moves.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving