God is a gracious God. There is nothing that we can do to make God love us more, and there is nothing we have done or spoken that makes God love us less. He loves us unconditionally. That’s Agape love.
Romans 5:6 (NKJV) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Jesus did not come to condemn us but to save us from our sins. He died for the ungodly and therefore all ungodly people qualify to be saved. He loves them unreservedly. God demonstrated His love to us through the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
The difference between Jonah and Jesus is that Jesus submitted to God’s will, but Jonah rebelled against God. Jonah was unwilling to submit because he knew how wicked the Assyrians were, and he was concerned that one day they would attack the kingdom of Israel. He refused to obey the call to go and convey the message and he didn’t want to be aligned with God’s will. When Jesus yielded His will and lined up with the Father’s will, the greatest event took place on earth! Jesus submitted to the Father’s will, and submission to God is yielding our will to His. It takes humility to submit to the will of God. True submission also involves suffering—the suffering in our soul because we need to die to ourselves, but the reward for the suffering of submission is great!
Romans10:15 (NKJV) And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
The Great Commission had already been issued by God before Jesus ascended to heaven. All of us are called and mobilised to preach the Gospel to the ends of the world. We are placed in the marketplace for local outreach and to do world missions periodically. He is sending us to urge the world to be reconciled with Him since He had taken the necessary step in restoring us, but we can either respond like Jonah, who fled from God’s calling, or be like Jesus or Isaiah who followed His calling.
Isaiah 6:8-9 (NKJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
The question is “are you willing to be that effective witness in the marketplace or in the sphere of influence where God has placed you?” Follow the role models of Jesus and Isaiah and let God’s will be done in our lives and more people’s lives. Smooth sailing comes from following His will for us.
Sermon Series: Smooth Sailing
追随那顺服神的榜样
神是慈爱的神。我们无法通过做任何事使神更多地爱我们，我们曾经的言行也不能使神减少对我们的爱。祂无条件地爱我们。这就是Agape的爱（上帝的爱）。
罗马书5：6因我们还软弱的时候，基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。
耶稣来不是为了定我们的罪，而是为了拯救我们脱离罪恶。祂为不敬虔的人而死，因此所有不敬虔的人都有资格得救。祂无保留地爱他们。我们还作罪人的时候，基督就为我们死了，上帝借此向我们显明了祂对我们的爱。
约拿和耶稣的不同之处在于耶稣顺服了神的旨意，但约拿却违抗了神。约拿不愿意顺服，因为他知道亚述人有多邪恶，他担心他们有一天会攻击以色列王国。他拒绝了去传达信息的呼召，他不想与神的旨意保持一致。当耶稣顺服神的旨意，以父神的心意为心意时，全地最伟大的事件就发生了！耶稣顺服了天父的旨意，顺服神就是让我们的意志降服于祂的意志。顺服神的旨意需要谦卑，真正的顺服难免痛苦——我们魂的痛苦，因为我们需要向自己死，因顺服而受苦，以此而来的奖励是极好的！
罗马书10：15若没有奉差遣，怎能传道呢？如经上所记：“报福音、传喜信的人，他们的脚踪何等佳美！”
上帝在耶稣升天之前就颁布了大使命。我们所有人都被呼召和动员，向全地广传福音。我们被置安在职场作在地的外展，以及周期性的全球宣教。祂派遣我们督促世人与祂和好，因为祂已经采取必要的步骤恢复了我们，但我们要么可能像约拿一样逃避神的召唤，要么像耶稣或以赛亚一样遵循祂的召唤。
以赛亚书6:8-9我又听见主的声音说：“我可以差遣谁呢？谁肯为我们去呢？”我说：“我在这里，请差遣我！” 祂说：“你去告诉这百姓说： 你们听是要听见，却不明白； 看是要看见，却不晓得。”
问题是，“你愿意在上帝安置你的职场或有影响的领域成为那个有效的见证人吗？”效仿耶稣和以赛亚的榜样，让上帝的旨意成就在我们的生命和更多人的生命中遵循祂为我们所定的旨意，我们方能事事顺利。
讲章系列：一帆风顺