1 - The First Commission

            Devotion # 1 – The First Commission

             Introduction

 We are all aware that the story of Jonah as recorded in the Bible is a true story of an account that took place in history and one that cannot be disputed. But what I’d like to do in these 31 devotions, is compare the story of Jonah as recorded in the book of Jonah, with The Church at-large, and see what learnings we can glean from it – hence the name, ‘The Church called Jonah.’

Who is not familiar with the story of Jonah. It’s been taught right from childhood in every Sunday School across the globe. But it’s usually told in a way that is meant to entertain children, to the extent, it’s even taken on a very fable-like feel, with many even decrying the authenticity of the story. With this approach, it’s not often meditated upon by adults and therefore we forfeit learning the things we can from it. I hope you are blessed by these devotions in a way that transforms the way you live out and share the Gospel of Jesus with world around you.

 There are a total of 31 topics, each of which could eventually serve as a daily devotion.

                                                         Devotion # 1 - The First Commission

Jonah 1:1,2 - “Now the Word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.’”

These opening words of the book of Jonah remind me of the closing words of the book of Matthew, where Jesus commissions His disciples, before He ascends into Heaven with these words, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Comparison of the Commissioned

In the story of Jonah, the First Commission was given by God to one man, Jonah, while the Great Commission, was given by God's Son Jesus, to His disciples, the pillars of The Early Church. Every one of us who belong to the body of Christ is called to fulfill this Commission while we sojourn here on earth. We're not supposed to do it out of compulsion, or for personal gain, but out of a passion to see lives transformed by the love and power of God.

Comparison of the Time and the Place

The Commission to Jonah was concerning a time several centuries ago concerning one great city called Nineveh, whereas the Great Commission was given to The Church concerning people across the globe, beginning with those who lived at the time, and right until the Lord's Return.

Comparison of the Messages

In the story of Jonah, God asked Jonah to proclaim a message of judgment to the city of Nineveh, as their evil deeds had come up before Him. In the Great Commission, The Church is commissioned to make disciples of all nations, which includes calling people to repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ on our behalf. It’s an invitation to accept the gift of Salvation, which is free for us, though it cost Jesus His very life. Our message, though an invitation, also contains a warning to both those who reject the Gospel and to those who don't live out their faith on a daily basis.

Comparison of Purposes

God gave Jonah a purpose for that particular period in his life, and that was to be His mouthpiece to the people of Nineveh. It was a very clear purpose and there was no doubt in Jonah's mind that this was a God-ordained purpose for his life.

If each of us in The Church is to ponder the purpose of our lives, very often we’ll find ourselves drawing up a blank because many of us haven’t taken the time to discover our purpose in life yet. But in the Great Commission, the purpose of The Church was spelled out in clear terms. The Lord has given every one of us in The Church, a life-long purpose – one that encompasses all areas of our lives, including our time, money and energy. We are called to carry the Gospel message wherever we go, and into every sphere of society. We are called to be witnesses to the world, of Jesus’ saving grace, and to intentionally make disciples of people of all nations. But this message needs to be shared in love and not with an attitude of accusation or condemnation.

So to put our life’s purpose in perspective, we can say that each of us in The Church has been called to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength, to love our neighbour as ourselves, and in this attitude of love to take the Gospel to all the world, beginning right where we are in our own circles of influence.

The Big Question

Let’s pause for a moment and answer this question. Are we fulfilling our life’s purpose? Or are we sailing along in life aimlessly? Alternately, are we striving to achieve things that the world is chasing after? Both these attitudes decry the work of Jesus on the cross on our behalf, and nullify it in our lives, thereby causing our lives to be both unfruitful and a never-ending pursuit of nothingness.

The Response

If we are fulfilling our life’s purpose by lovingly serving the Lord wherever He has placed us, then let’s continue, full steam ahead, but if the answer is either, “No,” or “Not sure,” then it’s time to repent and ask the Lord for a fresh revelation of Himself, so we can embark on this journey of both knowing Him and making Him known to the world around. The Lord is more than willing to receive us back to Himself with open arms if only we'll return to Him wholeheartedly.

                                                     May the Lord bless you and have a wonderful day

 If you’ve been blessed by this devotion, please share it with someone else

 Michael Collins

 thechurchcalledjonah@gmail.com