Notes from church...(Dr Chris at FBC Ruston)
The Heart of the Problem is the Heart
God's Main Concerns are People and the Advancement of His Kingdom...
I. God's business is about ...
1. Reaching All People
Jonah 1: 1-2 and Jonah 3: 1-2 ... God says "go."
Jonah 3: 10 and Jonah 4:11 ... God's compassion...
Ezekiel 18: 23 and 32 "Repent and live"
2. Seeing His Kingdom Advanced
Jonah 3:8
II. Most of the Time These Are Not Our Main Concerns ... why?
1. Most of the time these aren't on our minds
Jonah 4:1 -- Jonah is mad at God
4:2 - "God I know you are super abundant in your love, SO, take my life...
4:4 -- God to Jonah ... "Have you any right to be angry?"
Jonah is prejudice, which is universal...We don't look at people as we should or love people as we should.
2. We're More Concerned About Ourselves
a. We favor our agendas over God's
Jonah 4:2 ... Jonah was mad at God for not killing the Nenevites, but instead giving them a second chance
b. We're more concerned about our comfort .
Jonah 4:5-10
Advancing the kingdom is not always comfortable
c. We're More Concerned About the Temporary Than the Eternal
Jonah 4:9-11 ... Jonah is like us ... worried about the temporary when people bound for hell are sitting on a pew with us...
There are 44,000 SBC churches...the projection for the number of SBC churches in 20 years is 20,000.
94 percent of all churches in America are flatlining or declining
III. Invest Your Life in God's Priorities
Jonah 3:10 and Jonah 4:11 -- pictures of the compassion of God
People are the reason God has left us here now. Pray that God will make us people who will make HIS priorities our priorities. Pelple are more important than facilities or prejudicies...People are why churches exist and why we are here.
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