February 17, 2013

Use any of the suggestions below to supplement your Discover Guide plans or ETB Leader Guide teaching plans.

Note: If you use the plans below you will need an index card for each participant.

The Target
Focus on what adults should leave knowing, understanding, and doing.

God calls us to to tell others about Him. How does my response to His expectations affect me, His church, and others? What actions do I need to take to become more engaged in sharing Christ with others?

Look Up

Use "Soft Methods" to draw attention to the study as adults are visiting and gathering for Bible study.

• Place an index card in each chair. Ask the group to complete the statement:  "My most successful project (home, work, or hobby) was . . ."
• Ask several to share their answers or have them first share with others around them. Then ask for several to respond.
• Ask: What if someone were to ask you to do that same project in a different setting. How would you respond?
• Transition to Context: Jonah was faced with this challenge as he was asked by God to go to Nineveh.

Look In

Ideas for communicating and studying the Word

Context
Provide a brief overview of Jonah and the people of Nineveh. Use the following and your study of additional ETB resources to prepare:

• Video overview of Jonah 1: (There are two videos at the following link. Use the second video entitled, Transparency.) Click to view video 
•  Introduction to the book of Jonah: Click Here

Read: 2 Kings 14:25-27. 
Emphasize: As the lives of prophets go, Jonah had it fairly easy. His message prior to this had been well received. He was popular. His message of military victory and border expansion for Israel had come to pass. He was settled and doing fine--until God asked him to do something that challenged him to step out of his comfort zone. This challenge revealed a side of Jonah that should not be a part of any believers life when it comes to sharing Christ with others; yet, sadly, it is.

Jonah 1:1-3 (Send me Where? You've Got to be Kidding!)

Pronunciation Guide: Amittai (Click to hear pronunciation)

Discussion Options:

• Why did God choose to send Jonah physically to Nineveh? Provide a brief overview of Nineveh using information from your study guides, commentary, or personal study. Emphasize that His mercy motivated Him to act even though He was inflamed over their wickedness. He might have also wanted to confront Jonah regarding his prejudice toward those who needed God.
• Was Jonah to preach against Nineveh or against their wickedness? What is the difference?
• God said get up and go; however, Jonah got up to flee. What other actions might have also demonstrated his disobedience?
• When has God asked you to do something and you thought you could flee, ignore, or hide from God? What were the results?
• Is anything God asks us to do so bad that we would choose to run from His presence instead of obey? It was for Jonah. 
• Why does God want to use us to take His message to people different than ourselves? How can we know when God is calling us to a specific person, mission, or people group? How can we prepare ourselves to go His way rather than the opposite direction? (ETB Leader Guide, p134)

Discuss the distance from Nineveh and Tarshish. Nineveh was only 500 miles from Jonah's home in Palestine. Tarshish was approximately 2,000 miles from his home and 2694 miles from Tarshish. The bottom line issue for Jonah was his hatred for Nineveh. He hated them so much that doing anything to move them away from God's wrath wasn't viable. Consider displaying the following map to illustrate the distances.

Close by discussing the following questions or direct learners to discuss the Personal Discovery questions in the Discovery Study Guide, p 83:

• Which of the following reasons would be most likely to keep you from obeying God: inconvenience, fear, or prejudice? Why? 
• Who are the "Ninevites" in your life? Why do you run away from them? 

Jonah 1:4-12 (God Won't Let Disobedience be Ignored)
Discussion Options:

• Explain: The disobedience of Jonah not only had an impact on him but on all the men who did not know God (point out they were trying to find out what was wrong from their gods). These were experienced sailors yet the storm God sent to get Jonah's attention was also having a huge impact on them and their livelihood.
• They had all called out to their gods but Jonah was asleep. Why do you suppose he was so sound asleep during this violent storm? What is the significance of what the captain said to him? (They were looking for the god who caused the storm)
• Did Jonah call out to God? (apparently not because they had to cast lots)
• What does this say about Jonah's disobedience? (He was so willing to disobey that, even when others lives were threatened, he was not willing to call out to God. He was running even if it affected others)
• What is ironic about what Jonah told them about himself and God? (You can't flee from God. His actions told a different story than what he believed about God. Now he was sharing with Gentiles on a ship about his God. He could not run from telling others!)
• How might the rebellion of a believer have an impact on someone else today? The church? (DSG, p84)

Summary: Throughout the narrative Jonah's rebellion is characterized by him "going down." He went down to Joppa; he went down into the lowest part of the ship; he went down into the depths of the seas; he went down into the belly of a whale. All the while, his rebellion was having a great deal of impact on all those around him and, in delaying, was causing the people of Nineveh to have more days without an opportunity to repent.

Activity: Direct the group to take the index card from the introductory activity and complete the following statements: If I disobey God's call to share it could effect me by . . . It could affect my family by . . . it could affect my church by . . . it could affect others by . . .

Ask several to share their responses.

Jonah 1:17-2:4 (Surrender and Obedience is Our Only Option)
Discussion Options:

• Identify the words or phrases that describe Jonah's actions and God's actions. How would you describe Jonah's spirit at this point? How would you describe God's actions at this point?
• What is one action Jonah took that he has not taken up to this point in the story? (Praying)
• How does rebellion affect our prayer life?

Jonah was put in a position in which obedience was his only option. God had to get him to this point before Jonah would even talk with God!
  
Look Out
Hitting the target and applying it to daily living.

Summary: Jonah came to understand (the hard way!) that following God's plan is always the best plan. He had run hard, but when the time came to change his ways, he knew exactly where to turn. God calls us to rescue those around us. We come in contact with people, and culture's around us weekly who need to hear the good news of Christ's salvation. God won't stop pursuing you and compelling you to go! The question is, when He calls will you get up and go or get up and flee?

Questions for application: 

• What would it look like for you to "go" in obedience to God this week? What might hinder you? Discuss if time allows. (DSG Personal Discovery Question, p8)
• Who are the "untouchables" in your city? What fears or prejudices might hold you back from reaching out to them? (DSG, p86)

Encourage the group to read the entire book of Jonah during the week and the study guide materials. Encourage them to take notes of areas in which they need to learn to obey God; with the right attitude.

Operation Reclamation: Week 4

If your group did not write postcards during the class session this week, remind them to send a postcard during this week to the person(s) they are trying to reclaim. We are already seeing God use this to rebuild relationships with those who had slipped off of our radar.