NEW SERIES | JONAH, THE MERCIES OF GOD

THIS SUNDAY | This Sunday, we are starting a new sermon series in the book of Jonah. A small, four chapter book that speaks prophetically to the times that we are in and the need for God’s mercy not just in our lives, but for others as well.
Jonah is a book that has worked its way into the main stream of our culture with Jonah being swallowed by a great-fish. From movies like Pinnnochio, where he is swallowed by a big whale as well as the famous book by Hermin Melville, Moby Dick. When books and other literature arise to a popular level, we have a way of dismissing the contents of them, because we assume we already know it. Jonah will require of us, to steady deeply what it means. In order for us to get gems from this book, we need to dig deep into the mines of the text.

WHO’S JONAH | There’s not much for a background we know of Jonah. However, there is a little bit we do know about him through the scriptures. First and primarily, we learn that  Jonah was a prophet. We learn that Jonah is a prophet, while serving under King Jeroboam II. We read in 2 Kings: “23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, began to reign in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. - 2 Kings 14:23-25
We read that Jonah is a prophet under King Jeroboam II, an evil king, who is continuing to spread wickedness in Israel from his father and the king cares primarily about military conquest as he is fortifying their city walls while neglecting worship of God. Jonah serves under him. And the role that Jonah would have had under him, as a prophet, was to be a mediator between God and God’s people, Israel. A prophet would receive of word of God and give it to man, and speak with authority from God saying “Thus says the Lord.” However, although Jonah is a prophet, his role as a prophet is wholly unique!

WHO’S NINEVAH | Every prophet speaks from God to God’s people, Israel. Often rebuking the nation for its’ idolatry and lack of trusting in God. However, Jonah is called by God not to Israel but rather is called to a gentile city called, Ninevah. God says to Jonah “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” - Jonah 1:2 Ninevah was the leading city for it’s economy and religious center to the goddess, Ishtar. The reason God calls Jonah to them is because “their evil has come up before me.” Historians speak of Assyria as one of the most wicked countries of its time. They were referred to as a "terrorist state" as well as another historian saying they have “as gory and blood-curdling a history as we know.” God sends Jonah to this wicked nation, with a simple message; “repent!” 
And miraculously, they are a nation that repents at the preaching of Jonah. Because of their repentance, Jonah is furious with God!

WHY THIS BOOK NOW? | Why start this book now? I can’t think of a better time to have the discussion of justice and mercy from the book of Jonah. We just saw on the news this last Sunday, (January 18th, 2026) a group of protestors storm into a Minnesota church in protest against the killing of, Renee Good. They came into a church and stopped the worship service from taking place, to demand justice for Renee Good. It’s the same thing we saw with George Floyd riots back in 2020. People (and us) want justice against others, but not justice for ourselves. For ourselves, we want mercy.
And we find ourselves stuck between these two thoughts and this is where Jonah finds himself. Justice against Ninevah and Mercy for him and Israel. What Jonah wants, is what we want, a god of our own making who does our bidding for us. However, a god of our own making is not a god that saves the world. But there is in fact a God who does save the world.
In Jesus, a greater Jonah has come! A greater prophet in Jesus arrives, not with anger  against the world, but love for the world (John 3:16) As Jonah is angry that Ninevah repents at his preaching (Jonah 4:1) Jesus comes and weeps over Israel, because they did not repent at His teaching. (Luke 19:41-44) Jonah wants justice! Jesus wants to be the “just and the justifier” (Rom. 3:26) of the people who place their faith in Him. And Jesus comes with the same message from Jonah of repentance.
Will we listen? Or will we desire to have a god of our own making who does our bidding for us? Who only gives justice to others and mercy to us?

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. - Galatians 4:4-7

FROM SLAVES TO SONS & DAUGHTERS | The Apostle Paul in this section of scripture is working out the implications of the gospel for us. That we who were under the law have been set free from it. How? By Jesus coming at the right time in history, living perfectly under the law in our place, so that he might redeem us from the curse of the law. Jesus substitutes himself with us. This is what theologians call “substitutionary atonement,” that on the cross, Jesus takes my place and in return He gives me His perfect record. When we receive by faith what Jesus has done for us, what happens? This is what Paul is asking. He’s asking, “What happens when we go from unbelief to belief? When we go from not trusting in Jesus to trusting in Jesus?” What happens is that we go from slaves to sons & daughters of God the Father.
J.I. Packer gives us a vivid image of what takes place for us in adoption, when he says “Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.. . To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.” - J. I. Packer
Adoption is great news and here’s why! Have you any regrets in your life? Do you have anything that causes you shame? Any skeletons in the closet, that you don’t want anyone to know about? The answer to your regrets is to know fully about your redemption in Jesus Christ. That you are no longer marked by your worst moments but rather you have a new identity that is marked by Jesus best moments in your place. No longer do your worst days define you; you are free!

TWO MINISTRIES AT WAR | Paul is eager to show them their true identity in Christ because there is two ministries at war in their churches. Paul’s ministry, which is aimed at “Christ being formed in you.” - Galatians 4:19 and the ministry of the Judaizers, which is aimed at making much of themselves by making much of the Galatians. (Gal. 4:17) Paul’s ministry is centered on Jesus as the hero of the story and the Judaizer’s ministry is centered on the Galatians themselves being the hero of their own story. One is Christ centered the other is man centered.
Sadly, there are many churches that still exist today that have the same ministry of the Judaizers. Where they will preach sermons from the Bible, they will pray and they may even bring up the name of Jesus in their sermons. However, the hero of the story, and the savior of your life is you. Many of these churches will have slogans that say “Open hearts, open minds, open doors!” Sadly, everything and everyone is accepted at their churches except Jesus. Jesus, can be a supporting role, a good moral figure perhaps, but He is not the only savior of the story. And because He is not, therefore, it is a false gospel that still leaves people in slavery.
Paul’s ministry however centers around Jesus and Him alone being the hero of the story. The reason this is good news, is because you and I could never in a million years do enough to make ourselves right with God. We fall short daily. It is only by Jesus work on our behalf that we go from being orphans to sons and daughters. This is the true gospel; Jesus + nothing = everything! That what Jesus has done for me is sufficient and I do not need to add anything of my own, but simply receive what He has done on my behalf by faith. As Charles Wesley said in his famous hymn “And Can it Be?” He writes “My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose went forth and followed thee!” Go live as a free son or daughter of our Father in heaven!

WHAT CAME FIRST, COVENANT OR LAW? | In this weeks sermon, we looked at Galatians 3:15-29, where the Apostle Paul asks the question “What came first the covenant or the law?” What Paul is doing is asking “What is the foundation of our relationship with God built on? A covenant promise or our obedience to the law?” And Paul reminds us all that the covenant was made with Abraham, before the law came from Moses and therefore, once a covenant is made, it cannot be ratified or annulled. Our relationship with God therefore, is built upon the foundation of a promise that He will bless us through the Offspring (singular) of Abraham, who is Jesus.  
This is so important because if our relationship with God is built upon law, we will never be able to carry that weight, because we constantly break the law. So it is not based on the law but rather, faith in Jesus.
Furthermore, our relationship with God bleeds into our relationship with one another.
Have you ever been in a relationship that was all law? A spouse, friend or parent only gave you law and demanded your obedience to what they said? What was your experience? Was it unbearable? The law always is. On its own, it crushes us! Rather than the law, if our relationships imitate our relationship with God, which is one of grace, than our relationships go from bitter to sweet.  

WHY THE LAW? | If the law only condemns us and our relationship with God is not dependent on obedience to the law,  then what’s the purpose of it? Paul says in verse 19 “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions..” - Galatians 3:19 The word “Transgressions” is synonymous with sin, but more specifically means that we have broken a moral law. The purpose of the law then is that it reveals or illumines our sin. It shows us that we are sinners and that we are in need of a Savior.
It’s very easy for us to look at the drug-addict on the side of the street or the prison on our way into church and therefore conclude their sinners. You may even think that you too are a sinner, but perhaps they are “more” of a sinner than you.
It’s worth noting that the whole of human history is not divided into good people and bad people, but rather all of humanity has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God there is only one who is “good” the Lord Jesus Christ. What does Jesus do with those who are transgressors of his law? 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -  Romans 5:6-8
Jesus Christ loves sinners! And the objective evidence of this, is Him shedding His blood, on the cross for us. If you ever question, “Is God for me?” Than look no further than the cross, because on the cross you will see there is a God who loves you so much that He was willing to die and shed His blood for you.

We now, as followers of Jesus with faith in Him, obey the law. But we do not obey the law to earn the favor of God, but we obey the law because we already have the favor of God in Christ Jesus. The motivation for our obedience comes from our faith in God.  

UNDER THE LAW OR IN CHRIST | Paul ends this section of scripture with talking about either being “under the law” (V.23) or “In Christ” (V.28) You can be under the law, but you will learn your’ inability to fulfill all that it asks of you and it will condemn you, because you cannot carry that weight. Or, you can look to Jesus. You can look to Him and place your faith in Him who says “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” - Matthew 5:17 In other words He says “I will fulfill the law where you have failed in obeying it.”
So what does Jesus do for us? He comes as the blessing and the promise from Abraham. He comes and fulfills the law and its requirements perfectly. And if the law comes and condemns us, then it is only by faith in Jesus that we are free from the condemnation of the law. As Paul would remind us. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned… I saw that his conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel..
- Galatians 2:11&14
OUT OF STEP WITH THE GOSPEL | This past Sunday, we learned about an early church confrontation between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter. The confrontation was not about the gospel preached. They had already agreed in Jerusalem, that the gospel that Paul preaches was correct. “They [The apostles] added nothing to my gospel and saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the gentiles.” - Galatians 2:6-7 Their conflict is not about the gospel proclaimed but rather the gospel applied. Specifically, Peter behavior does not align with what he professes he believes. 
The scene is, Peter sits down for a meal with gentiles (those who aren’t Jews) who are fellow brothers in Christ. They believe they are saved by faith in Jesus alone and not by anything else. However, when I group known as the Circumcision Party arrives, they preach a different and false gospel. The gospel they preach is ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ - Acts 15:1 The result of their arrival is that Peter, as well as Barnabas, (another church leader) both get up from the table and distance themselves from these gentile brothers. Peter is acting out of step with the gospel. Jesus doesn’t distant Himself from these gentile brothers so why does Peter? He is acting like they are only accepted if they received the false gospel of Jesus+circumcision=right with God and therefore he is out of step with the gospel. What he professes he believes doesn’t line up with how he behaves.

REALIGNMENT | It’s really easy for us to see Peter in this episode and look down on him, but we must recognize we are easily prone to the same activity as well. The church does fail many people in this way. Where we profess we believe one thing and then we go an behave another way. Paul’s answer for how we realign ourselves and walk in accordance with the gospel is that we need to rightly understand "justification." 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. - Galatians 2:15-16
The language here is judicial. It is that of a courtroom, where we go in guilty due to breaking the law and trying to find a way of escape, we seek to justify ourselves. For you, you will stand one day in the Throne room of God, to give an account before God. What will you say? What will be your’ justification? Many people will go to their resume. “I tried my best. I was a good Mom, good Dad, good child, good worker...” “I did my best...” “My good out weighed my bad...” Jesus even warns us in Matthew 7 “22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” - Matthew 7:22-23 These people bring up their resume.
Before the throne of God, there is only one of two things you can place before God for your justification. Either it will be your’ performance and resume or it will be Jesus’ perfect performance and His resume in your place.

CHRIST DIED FOR A PURPOSE | The point of all this, comes down to this final verse in Galatians 2. “for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” - Galatians 2:21 Paul is saying inadvertently “Christ DID die for a purpose.” And that purpose is this. If I truly recognize the only way that I could be saved was by Jesus death, burial and resurrection and not by some obedience to a law. That I could never in a million years make myself right with God by obeying the law. How could I then treat others as if they are less than me because of their sins. Do I not have sins also?
We are called as followers of Jesus to create a culture in our homes and churches that embodies the gospel we profess we believe. That we accept sinners as Jesus Christ “The Friend of Sinners” (Matt. 11:19) accepted us, not by our performance to a law, but by faith in His perfect adherence to it.

YOU ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE GOSPEL | This past Sunday we learned from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatias that if we are followers of Jesus, we have been entrusted with the gospel. (Galatians 2:7) I think many people have the idea that only Pastors or “professionals” are entrusted with the gospel but that is not true! If you’re a follower of Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Therefore, you are entrusted as a ambassador of King Jesus to go out and bring the the message of the gospel, of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, to your communities in word and deed. This is what Jesus says in Matthew 5: 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus certainly is the true salt and light of the earth, however He doesn’t point to Himself, rather He says “YOU are the salt and light of the world.” So it is with the gospel. YOU are entrusted with gospel to bring it to your communities, not someone else’s responsibility.

TO PROCLAIM FREEDOM IN CHRIST JESUS | As we go out to our communities, were bring the gospel with us, proclaiming that there is freedom to be found in Jesus Christ alone. Paul makes note in the first two chapters of Galatians that the true gospel (Jesus+nothing=everything) is a message that brings freedom to people. And any false gospel (Jesus+something=slavery) binds people to live in a way that God never intended them to; the result is slavery. You see this evidently with people who are religious like the Judaizers that Paul is up against. What Jesus did was not enough for them, so they have to add to His finished work. (Jesus+circumcision=Righteousness) The result; slavery. So we go out into our communities and proclaim what Jesus has done for them is in fact enough. That the freedom they long for is found in one person, the Lord Jesus.

TO THE MISSION FIELD THAT GOD HAS CALED YOU TO | We also saw this past Sunday that Paul was entrusted with the gospel to a specific group, the gentiles. And Peter likewise was entrusted to a different group, the Jews. (Galatians 2:7-8) They were given the gospel to go to communities God had called them to go to. This is called missions. Let me ask you, what comes to your mind, when you hear the word, missions? For some of you you have the idea of going to a third-world country and sharing the gospel with them. That is missions, however, that’s too small a view if that is only missions. Missions isn’t just another country, but more specifically it’s our very own neighborhoods.
More specifically for some of you parents, your' biggest mission field is your children, raising them to know and love and trust in Jesus. And then you Mom and Dad being the example in their lives on what it means to follow Jesus. Furthermore, you grandparents, don’t check out! Your grandchildren need to hear the gospel from you as well
For some of you, your coworkers, are your mission field. Two things I would say, pray for your coworkers and don’t be shy that you are a follower of Jesus. And my own experience is that when their lives get derailed, they’ll come talk to you and ask you a bunch of questions about Jesus and maybe even ask you for prayer.
For some of you, it’s your neighbors. Do they know you at all? Do they know that you’re a follower of Jesus?
Regardless of what it may be for you, pray and ask God “What communities has God entrusted me to take the gospel to?” And let God reveal that to you. We have been entrusted with the gospel to proclaim the freedom we have in Jesus Christ as we go on mission into our communities that God has called us to.

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL | We just finished our second week in our sermon series in the book of Galatians, looking at the gospel and how we need the gospel for all of life, not just one time when we first believe. What is the gospel? It is the good news of Jesus Christ! The life He lived, the death He died, on our behalf for our sins. Rising again from the grave, defeating Satan, sin and death and now ascended in heaven, where He sits on a throne with all power, authority and dominion belonging to Him! It is the best news.
The reason we are in constant need of it and needing to be reminded of it, is because the Gospel “Is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.” - Romans 1:16 It is the source by which we are saved, we are being saved and we will be saved; we never outgrow our need for the good news of Jesus Christ.

WHAT KIND OF POWER | In Galatians 1:11-24, it is a section where the Apostle Paul is sharing His testimony. What happened to his life, when he came in contact with the power of the gospel? Well, prior to him being a follower of Jesus, He says “13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” - Galatians 1:13-14 This is who Paul was. He was formerly known as Saul. Saul, the executioner of Christians. Saul, the persecutor of the Church. Not only that though, He had a very comfortable life as his career was growing in Judaism. He was “advancing beyond many his own age..”
How does Paul go from being a persecutor of the Church to a preacher of the gospel? By the power of the gospel in His life! Paul writes “15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles..” - Galatians 1:15-16
Paul experienced something he never could in Judaism; grace! What is grace? The unmerited favor of God! This is what Paul experienced and this is what took him from someone who hated the Church to someone who loved the Church and wrote 2/3 of our New Testament we have.

WHO NEEDS THE GOSPEL IN YOUR LIFE? | Paul’s testimony about the power of the gospel serves as a reminder to you and I to never stop praying for are loved ones that have yet to respond to the gospel. Church history is full of broken, sinful, messed up and twisted people who we would write off as unredeemable and yet, story after story could be told of such people, that when they come in contact with the gospel of grace, it transforms them! It takes them from being a slave of their sin to being free in Christ! Free people then go and create free societies and free nations that lead to the prosperity and blessing of their communities.
Perhaps some of you have family, friends, co-workers or neighbors who you desperately want them to respond to the gospel and come to faith and they haven’t yet. What should you do? Don’t give up! Don’t stop praying for them or being someone who is present in their lives. The power of the gospel goes forth and is mighty to save! “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” - Isaiah 59:1

GALATIANS | ALL OF THE GOSPEL FOR ALL OF LIFE

THE NEED FOR THE GOSPEL | This series comes at a time of great worldly tumult and therefore great clarification is needed for the Church. Just a couple of weeks ago we had a Ukrainian women who fled war-torn Ukraine, to come to the U.S. only to be murdered on her ride home from work. The following day, was the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus. The day after was the 24th Day of remembrance of the greatest terrorist attack on U.S. soil with 9/11.
When so much evil shows up in the world and on our phones, we begin to look for answers. We ask questions like “Should we become more political? Should we pass more laws? Should we fight? Should we go to war?” There is many questions and answers that can be given and have been given, but the answer that we find in the New Testament pages for how transformation of individuals and cultures takes place is because of the proclamation of the gospel.
What is the gospel? The good news of Jesus Christ. The life He lived, perfectly obeying the law, without sin. The death He died, on the cross for our sins. Rising again from the grave, defeating Satan, sin and death and now ascended in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father where all power and authority over all of heaven and earth belong to Him!
The sad reality for many Christians is that they treat the gospel as the ABC’s of Christianity. That the gospel is merely the entry point into the faith and once you’ve received it, then you move on to “weightier matters.” Such foolishness! Is the gospel that once saved incapable of continuing to save? Paul will say “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” - Galatians 3:3 The gospel is not the ABC’s of Christianity but rather the A-Z of Christianity; we never outgrow our need for the good news of Jesus Christ.

PAUL WAS SAVED BY THE GOSPEL | Paul knew this! He hated the church. He was Saul of Tarsus, a devout Jewish man who was devoted by his religious zeal to murdering Christians. And yet, He was saved by the gospel, when Jesus interrupted him on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9)  
The power of the gospel transformed his life! The transformation of the gospel was so visible that people in the church would say “‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.” - Galatians 1:23-24a By Paul’s own experience he knew that “the gospel is the power of God for salvation.” - Romans 1:16
In fact, so powerful is this gospel that later in Paul’s life, he is also martyred for preaching this very gospel, by the Roman Emperor Nero. And as Paul enters heaven, he does so to the applause of those he murdered before. How is this possible? It's possible only by the gospel.
This is the gospel that our world needs! It is the power of God that reconciles God and man. Reconciles enemies and makes them siblings. It is the good news that washes us clean of our sins. It is the hope of the world.

OUR NEED FOR THE GOSPEL | People are looking desperately to find what will save our world and culture; they need hope! Let me be very clear on this. The world will not be saved by any political resurgence, conservative or liberal. The world will not be saved by more laws, although laws are good for a civil society. What we need is a resurgence of the gospel in our hearts and minds. We need the gospel for all of life!