Sunrise Church

Jonah’s disobedience isn’t merely an act of crossing a capricious and abusive God who hands down edicts merely for the sake of seeing who will do what He says, but Jonah’s disobedience is a revelation of his heart; that he does not have the heart of God. In the kingdom of God, our obedience is demonstrative of our transformed heart, not merely an outward-in attempt to make ourselves acceptable.

Jonah is a story of God’s heart for the lost and how we are all disobedient to God in different ways, but that God desires that those who are far from Him would repent and be drawn near to Him and the lengths to which He would and did go to bring His message of salvation to the lost.

Jesus sets the tone for whose ministry they are embarking on and who is in charge. He reminds Peter (and us) that it isn’t about what happens in the lives of other believers that should dictate our faithfulness, our obedience or our endurance. Ultimately, these things should be guided by our connection to Christ.

There’s also a call upon us as followers of Christ, not only to bask in the glory of Christ’s forgiveness for us, but to reckon with the fact that to truly glory in Christ’s forgiveness is not to merely ponder it from every angle like a diamond, but to extend it in the same manner in which Christ did and does.

In a powerful encounter by the sea, the disciples are reminded that fishing was not the work to which they had been called, but, in fact, they had been called to fish for men empowered by his provision and constant care.

When faced with the objective reality of the resurrected Christ, it is easier for some to concoct ridiculous theories and notions rather than accept what is plainly true. It's easier to deny the resurrection than to come to grips with its implications. If indeed Christ has been raised from the dead, one has to reconcile their fate before him.

To diminish Jesus’ glory and his kingship and to reduce him to a mere friend is to reduce the power of his work and leads not to more people coming to Christ, but less.

Jesus died to this end: to bring salvation to a people far from God, to bring them into communion with God and his people, fashioning in them deeper loyalties than biological family connections and he walks with us through the power of the Holy Spirit until the day we arrive in his presence or his kingdom finally comes.

As Christ's followers, we are called to embrace what is seen as weakness in the pursuit of Christ’s kingdom, accept the path of foolishness as we walk the narrow path of The Way and deny defeat and rest in the promise of the resurrection.

What if the voting booth was a lament and not a joy? What if, instead, it served to remind us that we are still waiting for the king of kings who will end all selfish political attempts at representation and, instead, build a kingdom of blessing and bounty for his people to his glory?