Speaker: Matt Johnson

In other words – it’s more likely THE OLD-TIMERS were right all along and there is a Creator God – who fine-tuned the universe, just right, for human life. And if there is a God who fine-tuned the universe, just so, for human life – you have to ask – would he be happy with you? Would he say you’ve done a good job in life OR would you have difficulty explaining some of your conduct? Perhaps even, your scoffing at His existence? If it is the latter – the God of the Bible says; “He is willing to forgive you. Jesus (the most famous man in the history of the world) died for you. So if you believe in him, repent of your sins and try to obey Jesus’ words” the true God, the Creator God is willing to forgive you.

As Saviour – Jesus loved you so much that he died on the cross for your sins. No matter what you’ve done – you can be forgiven. God doesn’t promise you every miracle you want in this life. Nor does God promise you – power, popularity and prosperity in this life. Those are lies of false teachers. But God does promise you forgiveness, heaven and eternal life if you believe in Jesus.

Oh well, if I stumble and fall over, I’ll just pick myself up, wipe myself off and get back on the path to heaven.” But how badly, can a lazy Christian stumble and fall? This is A LIVE QUESTION in 1 Peter. Could a lazy, carnal Christian stumble and fall so badly – that they lose their salvation? Many years ago the Johnson family did a famous hike in Glacier National Park in Montana. (Slide 9 & 10). It’s called THE HIGHLINE TRAIL. It goes along a very high cliff edge with truly spectacular views. But there are many places in that hike where stumbling and falling is a death sentence. If you stumble in the wrong place or at the wrong moment - you die. There is no getting back up. There is no dusting yourself off. The key is; “Make sure you do not stumble.”

Anyway, as Jonah prays he begins to focus on the character of God. In verse 2; Jonah says “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love…” Now these are absolutely BEAUTIFUL WORDS. To know God’s grace, compassion, slowness to anger and abounding love (in a personal way) – is to know God as your Heavenly Father. These exact same words occur 7 or 8  times in the Old Testament – and they kind of form GOD’S CURRICULUM VITAE. These words kind of tell us who God is and what He does…

Each year on the 1st July - Tongans celebrate the coming of Christianity to the islands. It is called ‘the coming of light’ against the ‘po’uli’ (which means darkness). So can the faithful preaching of God’s word bring real change to whole cities and nations? THE ANSWER is yes? God did it, not that long ago, with the islands of Tonga. Such miracles are possible. So today we are going to look at 1) what Jonah does, 2) then how Nineveh responds and 3) then what God decides…

Jonah realises (through his personal experience of Gods mercy and power) that he has to take the good news; “Salvation comes from the LORD!” to anyone and everyone who is clinging to worthless idols. Those who cling to worthless idols are forfeiting the grace that ONLY God can give. If you do not call out to the true God, the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ – you will eventually perish. You will not be saved. IT IS A LIE that everyone ultimately goes to heaven. No! There is the reality of God’s judgment. If people cling to worthless idols – (whether Jews, Gentiles or nice western church goers) and do not turn to the one true God - they will forfeit the grace that could be theirs. ITS NOT AUTOMATIC. People have to trust in Jesus to be saved. People have to cry out to Jesus for salvation. And as people who have tasted and seen that JESUS is good – we should share with others what we know. As CHRISTIANS who have personally experienced Gods love in Jesus - and seen God changing us personally – we need to take this good news to others – even if (like Jonah) we think there is no point.

Well Peter finishes this book reminding us that Satan’s attacks on the church are TIME BOUND and SPACE BOUND. It is only for A LITTLE WHILE that we will suffer. God by his grace – has called undeserving sinners (like you and me) to an eternal glory in heaven, (the celestial city) in and through Jesus Christ. (GOSPEL) None of us deserve heaven. What we deserve because of our sin is to be handed over to Satan as A CHEW TOY. But when Jesus died on the cross he was taking the punishment for our sin so that we could be spared the fate that is soon coming upon this world. Of course, WE ALL DESERVE the fate coming upon this world because we have all sinned. But in His grace – God says that if we believe in Jesus, ask for forgiveness and start to repent of our sin – he will give us heaven as a gift.

"Now PETER himself heard Jesus’ teaching about the good shepherd laying down his life for the sheep. Sheep of course are often foolish. Sheep are not renowned for being intelligent or wise animals. And the Bible likens human beings to sheep. We have rejected our Creator. That’s pretty dumb. We have also rejected His word in the Bible that nourishes us and keeps us alive. This has brought us – under the judgment of God and into a state of eternal peril. As the prophet Isaiah explains in Isaiah 53 (Slide 17) – “we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way – but the Lord God has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.” (GOSPEL) This is why Jesus says the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus loved his sheep (loved you and me) so much that he was willing to die to protect us. So as Jesus died on the cross he was taking the penalty for our sin, so that we can be spared. And the Bible tells us that if we believe Jesus died for us, ask for forgiveness and repent of our sin as best we can - we are forgiven. We are saved. Jesus takes the bullet of death for us – so we don’t have to"

The point is – the trial and tribulations of this life are either proving the genuineness of our faith – TRUE OR they are proving the genuineness of our faith - FALSE. It is in this sense that we must press on towards the Celestial City of Heaven – working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We shouldn’t fear suffering and death. But we should fear that fleshly part of ourselves that tries to avoid suffering and Christian persecution by denying Jesus and his call to live holy lives. READ 1 Peter 4:19