Jonah: Lack of Care [Bible Study]
Chapter 1:5
As I sit in gridlocked traffic I cannot help my mind from wandering. I glance over at the people in their cars and wonder how they feel about this bottle-necked traffic. Some are texting, some are bumping music, some are falling asleep as we all attempt to battle our way onto I-5 just for a chance at possibly moving faster than 5mph. I know this sounds like I am trying to be super spiritual, but please understand this frequently happens, I am being truthful.
As I take note of their physical appearance, their car, how they act, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of compassion for these people I likely will never see again. What kind of struggles are they going through? What do they enjoy doing? What kinds of things do they think about? What are their goals in life? Do they know about Jesus and that He loves them?
Perhaps they just go home, watch TV, eat dinner and then go to bed..not thinking for one second about what would happen if they didn't wake up…where they would go.
Perhaps they struggle with depression or anxiety, perhaps they watch the clock tick as they wonder if they will ever feel normal. Perhaps they have been hurt by a church or particular religion and my chances of ever getting through their hardened heart would require me to drill through miles of the proverbial wall they have barricaded themselves in with.
We focused our study last time on Jonah's response to God calling him. Jonah's response was dismissive, pure denial, and dangerous. Jonah is attempting to run away from God by hopping on a ship, and God sends a mighty storm his way.
We have seen no real redeeming qualities in Jonah so far. The man of God is typically meant to be our example (women too) of how a Christian should be, but in this case Jonah is a great example of how we should NOT be.
As we will see in this study, Jonah has become asleep at the wheel. We have all met these kinds of Christians in our lives, and perhaps have even been one ourselves. Sure they go to church, but are they listening? Are they singing out and worshiping God or are they watching others worship God? Are they reading their Bibles daily to hear a message from the Lord or allowing it to collect dust? Are they praying? Are they loving their neighbors or could they simply not care less?
I mentioned in the very start of this Bible study through Jonah that we need to make sure we are doing a self check throughout this entire series. Learning about the failures and weak points of a past person of faith will not do a single thing for us unless we learn how to apply what we learn to our own lives. And that is what I am trying my very best to do with these studies.
Because Jonah is asleep at the wheel, it is affecting his life in multiple ways. We will cover the first way right now.
Because Jonah is asleep at the wheel…..
He Does Not Care About Others
Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
There is a huge storm taking place and everyone on the ship cares except Jonah. He is currently dead to the World! Jonah is asleep at the wheel. He couldn't care less about the storm.
The mariners however DO care for their lives. In fact, they care so much that they start throwing their livelihood into the ocean. All the things that these men have to sell to make a living suddenly become meaningless when compared to their lives. Into the sea they go if it means a shot at living another day.
Notice that they begin crying out to their gods. The Bible does not tell us this is one unified group of men that all share the same religious views and worship the same god..it makes a point to tell us “every man unto HIS god”.
It is clear that these men all had different religious backgrounds, and they all begin to start crying out to whatever deity they personally believe in. I often hear this when preaching to gospel out in my community or out in various parts of the world….
“What makes Christianity different from all the other religions out there? With all the different religions out there, why do you think yours is the right one?”
The more you interact with people about these personal topics, the more you will see that people really aren't as different as they think they are. Many people truly believe they have some unique viewpoint on religion or some “gotcha” card to try and stump you, but usually they all repeat basically the same things with almost zero variation.
A simple response to the “well what makes Christianity right and every other religion wrong” is this….
Just because multiple religions exist does not mean by default there is no right answer.
Picture being locked in a warehouse. Pretend you are at the middle point of that warehouse, and behind you, at one far end of the warehouse there is a pack of hungry wolves running toward you. And in front of you, there are many doors you can escape to.
The catch is, Only ONE door leads to safety. You have one key. You only have time to try and unlock one door and escape before you die. Which door do you run to?
I would submit to you that although you have many options, one of them is true and all the others are not. The fact that there are many doors, or many options, does not by default mean “all doors are wrong” it simply means that you have many options and there is a HUGE chance that you will not make the right choice.
Matthew says this..
Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Many people will enter the wide gate that leads to destruction. This is the easy option and the Devil leaps for joy at this reality. False religions and false churches exist all over this planet and have many people sucked in, hook line and sinker.
Even if someone is not religious by any means, they are still walking one foot in front of the other, every single day, on the path that leads to destruction. Every day and moment they are marching toward the cliff. They are closer and closer to taking their final breath and they don’t even consider this for one moment.
Many times I have had the door slammed in my face, or my wifes face, or my children's face, because of this simple question….“If you were to die today, are you 100% sure you would be on your way to heaven?”
I've seen smiles turn into deadly frowns, laughter turned to hatred, and kind, soft eyes turned into wrathful and bulging expressions…simply from this one question. Why does this question, even to a non religious person, makes so many people's blood boil? Here is the answer..
People do not want to think about dying.
This is what keeps many people on the broad, 5 lane interstate to hell. This is what keeps people on that broad way that Jesus is talking about in Matthew chapter 7.
It is much easier for a person to avoid this tough, thought provoking subject, of what happens to us after we die. Why think about dying when you can watch television, or a sporting event, or basically anything that exists that ISNT thinking about eternity. Many people miss the exit that leads to life. They are either too distracted or they simply ignore the signs that lead to heaven.
In these people's lives, there were signs along the way that God Himself provided, and these people chose to ignore them.
Perhaps a coworker at work tried talking with this person about Jesus. Perhaps a person came to their door trying to talk to them about being saved. Perhaps it was shopping in the grocery store for years around Christmas time hearing “God and sinners reconciled”....and yet they suppressed that small voice in their heart saying “what do those lyrics mean?” or “am I going to heaven when I die?” or “who is Jesus?”.
The way to life, the way to heaven, the way to God, is narrow. Sadly, few people find it. This verse rings true..
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Absolute truth exists. I believe with every ounce of my being that the truth is Jesus Christ. I believe with all of my heart that Christianity, God, and the Bible… are true.
People who claim “if so many religions exist we can’t know for sure which one is true ” are refusing to make a choice of which religion to follow, or to follow any at all, and are denying that absolute truth exists. At the end of the day, we all believe in something, even unbelievers.
We have to choose which facts we believe and which ones we reject. And regardless of whichever thoughts and ideas we choose to embrace, it does not by any means change the fact that the truth exists. The truth exists with or without our acknowledgement. To say the truth doesn't exist because there are so many lies, is to deny reality.
2+2= 4. This is a fact. Now, I could say the answer is 4,500, or 18, or 97…there is an infinite amount of numbers that I can claim are the answer to 2+2….Yet, there is ONE correct answer. The volume of false answers does not negate the one true answer.
Now in order to not beat a dead horse, as I am sure I have made my point clear….let’s return the story of Jonah…
Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them………
The mariners are trying to save their lives in the middle of this crazy storm. Notice their approach.
1. Call out to some other higher power. (faith)
2. Throw things overboard to make the ship lighter (works)
We know that this is very different from what we Christians believe. The Bible teaches us that salvation is not obtained by faith AND works..salvation is obtained by faith alone. We get to heaven by our faith in Christ and nothing else.
The mariners were obviously unsaved. You can see them calling upon all their gods to save them, while they work and fight to stay alive. What an opportunity for Jonah to step in and preach the message of faith to these men! What an opportunity to witness and hopefully save these men's souls! But does Jonah rush in to help these men? Does he rush in to try and witness them? No, he is asleep at the wheel.
Jonah does not care about these men's physical well being or their souls!
I say with total sadness, that many Christians today appear to be asleep at the wheel in this same way. I see a massive amount of apathy in Christianity today for the souls of others. I see a major lack of zeal for the preaching of the cross to a broken and dying world.
We have a world all around us full of people who are calling on their false gods. We have a world around us filled with people trying to work for their salvation. These people need you Christian!
I have been told so many times in regard to my zeal and dedication for soulwinning “Brother, that is YOUR gift not mine”. Friend, this is not just a me thing, this is a you AND me thing! This is a New Testament church thing! As God’s people we have a responsibility to preach the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:16
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
I must preach the gospel. I have to try and warn people about their souls. They may not listen, they may slam the door in your face, they may even laugh at you! But at the same time, they may listen. You might be an answer to someone's prayers. Perhaps someone is praying for that person, maybe it’s a grandma or a mother or father, praying day and night and crying out to God that this person would get saved…
And by divine appointment, there you are. Bible in hand, love in your heart. God is using you to deliver the message of salvation. To you this is just a person, and maybe this person does not even fully grasp how important it is, but to the grandma or mother or father that has been praying…this moment is what they have wanted more than anything life could possibly offer.
They might not laugh or slam the door, this person might listen to you. They might humble themselves and get saved. They may close their eyes with you, tears rolling down their cheeks, understanding full well they deserve an everlasting punishment in hell….and cry out to God and ask Him to save them.
Friend, whether someone listens or not…whether it's a positive experience or not, we are to be the watchmen of people's souls! We cannot afford to be asleep at the wheel.
Ezekiel 3:17-19
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Although the immediate context was for Ezekiel to the nation of Israel, there is application for us here as New Testament believers. A watchman cares for the lives of others. God is expecting us to care about the lives of others.
You cannot make a person stop calling on false gods. You cannot make a person stop trying to work their way to heaven. You cannot force a person to trust Jesus and be saved..But you can care enough about them to warn them! You can tell them what the scripture says and pray that they will soften their heart enough to listen and hear you out.
But if we choose to be asleep at the wheel, their blood is on our hands. If we choose to be a Jonah, their blood is on our hands.
Let me share one personal story that is relevant to this study and then we will wrap this up….
It was a typical December night in Oregon. Rainy, cold and wet. I was struggling to stay awake on my graveyard shift at work, and now that I think about it, I was struggling with life all together.
For hours all there was to hear was the humming of equipment. Valves opening and closing, pumps kicking on and off. These were not really sounds of comfort, they were just sounds I was accustomed to at this hour. Everything was typical until roughly 3 a.m. when my phone rang. I saw my Nana’s name and my heart dropped into my stomach acid. I knew this could not be good.
My adoptive dad, who adopted me when I was 7, had been suffering from ALS for a few years at this point. I knew this had to do with him. “Blake, your dad is in the hospital and it’s not looking good “ she said trying to hold it all together. She ended up telling me on my way home from work at 7 a.m. that “the doctors are not sure how much longer he will be here”.
I tried, as I always I when I am confronted with death, to somehow insist my own will on reality. I said “ how much longer will he be where? The hospital?”. Looking back now this was such a dumb response, but I struggle with accepting the truth in moments like these. She replied “no, they are not sure how much longer he will be here, on this planet with us”.
Even with this in mind, I still found a way to convince myself there was a good chance I would see him again someday. At this point, you may be shaking your head at me. You may say “hey, you are no different than Jonah”. You would be right. That is why from the start of this whole thing I said that we should not give Jonah too hard of a time, because we sometimes are guilty of the same things. This is my moment of guilt. My own father needed me, and yet I was asleep at the wheel to how real and critical this moment actually was.
I arrive in Vancouver, WA at this point, trying to make my way home to sleep so I can wake up in the late afternoon and get ready for a graveyard shift all over again. The last thing I want to do is drive to Eugene, OR, which is a 2 hour drive, then arrive home the same time I typically would be getting up and getting ready for work.
It’s not that I didn't want to see my dad, of course not. I was just so tired. I was so exhausted. I thought to myself “he will probably be ok. I'll go see him when I get a few days off work”. This was just enough hope to help me feel comfortable with myself, this allowed me to fully commit in mind on not going, and that the chances of him making it were pretty good and that I’d better get home and sleep.
My eyes were almost crossing when I walked in the door of my home and began getting ready for bed. My wife was up so I told her what was going on. “You should go see him. You NEED to see him. This could be your last chance to give him the gospel” she suggested. “No! I am going to bed” I yelled as I made my way to the bedroom. Her words began working on me. As much as I wanted to fight it, she was right. I had tried giving my dad the gospel a few years prior with no success. This could very well be my last chance to not only see him in this life, but perhaps in the life to come as well.
The drive to Eugene was grueling, I had my wife drive (which I do not typically do) because I was spent. I had a sick feeling in my stomach even with the peaceful hymns playing. We had to wait in the waiting room for quite some time. When we finally could go see him, we had to go in small groups because covid was still pretty crazy at this time in December 2021.
I brought my son in with me, who was not even 1 at the time. We spent some time with my dad. He was withering away. It was sad. The man who I once knew as invincible and strong had been reduced down to skin and bone. What is amazing is that he kept his fearless attitude throughout the years of sickness. I’ll explain more of his declining health in full sometime, and those final hospital moments. ALS is a terrible thing for a person to go through, and it’s a terrible thing to watch someone go through.
He couldn't speak, which I was used to for a few years now, but before this moment he usually could write on a little dry erase board he carried with him. This was not possible at this time. He tried, but it was just scribbles.
After seeing him and spending time with him, I knew I didn't have much longer. I knew I would have to leave the room soon, and perhaps that may be the last time I see him. I felt nervous, what if this is in fact the last time I see him, and I make him upset by trying to talk to him about heaven? I had tried talking to him in the past and he would get irritated. I didn't want to ruin my last moments with him, if these were my last moments with him.
I prayed for courage from God, and He gave me the courage I needed. I told my dad there was something I really wanted to show him from the Bible and he allowed me to preach to him. He not only welcomed it, but my dad got saved that day!
He kept pointing up, and shaking his head yes, and pointing up again. I don’t exactly know what he was trying to tell me. Maybe “ I know I am going to heaven” or it could have been “I am ready to go up there”.. I wish I knew, but I don’t.
That was in fact the last time I ever saw him. He died December 8, 2021..on my mom’s birthday.
I cannot believe that I was actually going to stay home. I am forever grateful to my wife for calling me out, and helping me see how important this was.
Hunny, I know you will read this eventually, from the bottom of my heart…thank you. I was asleep at the wheel and you KNOW that is not who I am. I care about people, I care about their souls…but at this moment I sure didn't seem like that was the case. Thank you for helping me be a better person and the person who God wants me to be. I love you so much. You hunny, are the hero of this story.
Everyone, we will continue this story in Jonah next time. I hope this was a blessing to you. Rember, these lessons we learn from our less than ideal hero Jonah are crucial to us. We all, as brothers and sisters in Christ need to encourage each other when we are not being the type of man or woman God has called us to be. We must call each other out, in a loving spirit of course, when we catch each other asleep at the wheel.
If you are not sure that you are going to heaven, please get this settled today by clicking here: How to Go to Heaven.
If you found this helpful or interesting, please share this with a friend. Lets help people grow in Christ!
