Revd Les - The Word of the Lord came to ..........

January 24th 2021

The Word of the Lord came to ………

Call to Worship - Psalm 62: 5-8

Comment

Hymn StF 331 King of Kings, Majesty

Prayers: Praise and Confession

Hymn StF 272 Servant King

Reading: Jonah 3: 1-10

Godly Play (story of Jonah video)

Hymn StF 663 I The Lord of Sea and Sky

Reading: Mark 1: 14-20

Sermon

Hymn StF 662 Have You Heard God’s Voice

Prayers of Intercession

The Lord’s Prayer

Hymn StF 415 The Church of God in Every Age

Reflection:

In the book of Jonah and the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark we are told about God calling people into action, it is a call to respond to the love of God.

Many of us took part in a covenant service last week in which we were invited to renew our covenant with God. The liturgy in the covenant service calls us to respond to the love which God has poured out on us. So today, I’d like us to think about our response to God’s love for us as we reflect on these two passages of scripture.

I suggest that our response inevitably has its limitations – limitations that we may wish to reflect upon.

The book of Jonah may be seen as a ‘funny’ story – I don’t want to suggest to you that it is not a true story – it clearly is a story which contains truth. Some see the story as an Old Testament parable, others see it as a factual account of a reluctant prophet trying to hide from God. Jonah is swallowed by a whale and survives 3 days in the belly of that whale before being spewed out on dry land and reluctantly going on to facilitate the salvation of 120,000 sinners. Which is not a bad day’s work for a preacher!

Jonah is a reluctant prophet, but God is able to use him despite his limitations. There is, therefore, hope for us, despite our limitations.

It is often overlooked that the sailors on board the ship bound for Tarshish were heathens – they worshipped false gods, but when Jonah told them about Yahweh, the One True God who made heaven and earth, they were converted and praised God.

The passage leaves us in no doubt that Jonah is a messenger from God. 120,000 inhabitants of the City of Niniveh and all of those sailors were saved because Jonah, albeit reluctantly, brought the Word of the Lord to them.

Why was Jonah reluctant? Well, because the people of Nineveh were enemies of Jonah’s people, they had history – they took Jonah’s people into captivity – they were guilty of genocide against Jonah’s people.

But this lone, fearful, reluctant Prophet, probably smelling of fish gut, lacking in willingness, enthusiasm, grace, forgiveness and courage was used to great effect by God.

So there certainly must be hope for us yet in our endeavours to take the Word of the Lord to our communities.

We don’t know a lot more about Jonah – we’re not told of his history nor of what he did next.

There is reference to Jonah in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke – they draw parallels with Jonah spending 3 days in the belly of the whale with the Son of Man spending 3 days in the darkness of the earth, both Gospel writers refer to him as a ‘sign’.

Perhaps Jonah could be a sign to us that, as we respond to the Love of God, with all of our shortcomings and reservations, we too might be used to great effect by God, in spreading the Good News of the Kingdom.

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Mark makes no mention of Jonah in his gospel.

In the first 2 verses of our Gospel reading Mark tells us that Jesus began his ministry, after spending 40 days and nights in the wilderness, by proclaiming the Good News.

What is the Good News? Mark tells us it is two-fold:

First: ‘The Kingdom of God has come near.’ Followed by an invitation to: ‘Repent and Believe’

As Jesus was on the shore of Galilea he met brothers Simon and Andrew working – just a regular days fishing for them – ‘for they were fishermen’ Mark tells us. “Follow me and I will make you fish for people” was his simple invitation.

Further along the shore he met brothers James and John – mending nets, so they were also fishermen. Jesus offers the same invitation to follow him.

All 4 men follow, we’re told. Their apparent eagerness to follow Jesus is a huge contrast to Jonah’s reluctance to follow the Word of the Lord.

Notice the word that Mark uses twice in these short verses: Immediately, Jesus called James and John; Immediately Simon and Andrew followed.

Simon and Andrew, Immediately left their nets, their livelihood and family, and James and John left their father Zebedee and all that was familiar and dear to them and followed Jesus into an uncertain future.

We know now what the future held for those 4 men setting out on an adventure with the Son of Man: it involved sacrifice, suffering, ridicule, fear, self-denial confusion and ultimately death as the ‘Christian journey’ for all 4 of these disciples, and their faithfulness to answering that call brought about their execution.

Where’s the Good News in that?

Well, it’s this: death is not the end. Life following Christ on earth led them to life eternal with Christ. Their lives were no longer their own, but Christ’s.

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Last week, Rev Chris led us in our online Circuit Covenant Service.

I could name a number of ‘good Methodist’ folk who avoid attending an annual covenant service and, if they do attend wince when the minister says the words; as Rev Chris said them last week:

          “Christ has many services to be done, some are easy, some are difficult, some bring honour, others bring reproach, some are suitable to our natural inclinations and material interests, and others are contrary to both”

And they remain silent when asked to respond with the words committing their lives to Christ: “Your will, not mine be done in all things, wherever you may place me” - Which is not too different to the words in our Lord’s prayer: “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Words we say frequently – (perhaps we say these words without dwelling on what we are asking?)

The prophet Jonah had a problem with God’s call on his life, but the naïve Simon, Andrew, James and John showed no such reservation at that point in their call. They immediately left security and familiarity and followed.

Later, however, when the cross loomed large they inevitably falter and probably wish a big fished would come and swallow them up, but they saw it through and give their lives in service to the Lord.

What was it that sustained them in their call?

Well, it’s the same things that will sustain you in your call and response. The assurance of God which we heard earlier from the Psalmist: It is God who is our: Hope, rock, salvation, fortress, deliverance, honour, our mighty rock our refuge and strength in times of trouble.

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We have all lived through some very dark days over the past 10 months or so.

Yet I look at some of our church folk in this circuit and beyond where, despite not being able to meet and worship together have found their sense of mission increase and who have discerned new ways to bring the Good News of the Kingdom to the communities around them.

  • Online worship and prayer meetings.
  • Online story telling for young folk
  • Delivery gifts
  • Setting up and running a food bank despite the challenges of lockdown
  • Collecting and delivering prescriptions and shopping
  • Reaching out to the lonely and depressed, being a good neighbour in imaginative ways
  • Setting up a ‘healing our community project’
  • Planning exciting things for a time when we can meet and work together in the service of God, following Jesus’ call on out lives.

Now, perhaps more than ever, people need to hear the Good News of the Kingdom.

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Just as the Word of the Lord came to Jonah, and the invitation to Follow Jesus came to Simon, Andrew, James and John, so the Word and the Call comes out to each of us today.

Hear afresh Jesus invitation. “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” AMEN.