Alive in Christ to share life in Christ

5200 Lake Otis Parkway · 563-3499 · FaithAlaska.com

The Fourth Sunday of Easter May 3, 2020

of Revenge

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Jonah 3:1-4

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”

The First Lesson

❶ Compare and contrast the call and commission that the LORD gave to

Jonah in chapter 1:1-2 with his call here in 3:1-2.

❷ What made Nineveh such an important city? (See the Message Notes

for more details.

❸ What attitude do you see in the prophet Jonah?

❹ Where do you find the Law in this text?

❺ Where do you find the Gospel in this text?

A word from your pastor about this Word of God Just how big was Nineveh? The Hebrew text says it was a city “of a three days’ journey.” This could refer to the time it would take Jonah to walk around the city’s circumference, to travel straight through the city’s diameter, or to go throughout the city stopping to preach in its various districts. Ancient history and archeology attest that Nineveh was protected by a massive wall that stretched for eight miles around the city, but it seems unlikely that “the three days’ journey” could refer to walking around the city or straight through the city. Some have suggested that Nineveh had a suburban area outside its walls, and if this was taken into account, it could take three days to walk around or straight through the city. The most likely solution seems to be that it would have taken Jonah three days to go through Nineveh and preach repentance in every part of the city.

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The Second Lesson 1 Peter 2:19-25

It is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he

suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

A word from your pastor about this Word of God

Peter shows us how we can serve our Lord with the right actions and the right attitude. He invites us to model our lives after Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Look at the example He left us; Jesus sought to seek and to save, suffering for our sakes instead of pouring down wrath and revenge on our heads. As sheep in the fold of the Good Shepherd, let’s model Jesus’ actions and attitude as the power of the empty tomb motivates us to emerge from the shadows of revenge to live in the vibrant life of Christ.

❶ What makes getting revenge so popular?

❷ What attitudes set the stage for revenge?

❸ What attitude that you see in our Good Shepherd can you emulate?

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The Gospel John 10:1-10

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

A word from your pastor about this Word of God

Our Good Shepherd speaks to us so plainly about His purpose in coming to our world. Sometimes, just like His disciples, we don’t understand what He so clearly states. His goal in coming to our world was to give us life. Whereas others come like wolves in sheep’s clothing—only seeking out sheep for their own personal gain—our Good Shepherd comes to give us abundant life. This Easter season, let’s emerge from the shadows, especially the darkness caused by revenge, and find full life in Christ.

❶ In what sense is Jesus a gate for the sheep?

❷ Why do you think the disciples were confused?

❸ What false ideas of “life to the full” exist in churches today?

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Message Notes Emerging from the Shadows of Revenge

A sermon based on Jonah 3:1-4 If you follow sports, you know what a rivalry is. You might be able to recall a

specific game or series where your team broke your heart as they snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. was looking for a rematch. Whether that contest took place in a championship round or in an honest to goodness cross town rivalry, whenever a team goes down that you care about, you know you want revenge. The goal of sports is to win. When your opponent keeps you from accomplishing that, few things bring as much satisfaction as getting back on top. It seems that Jonah was all about helping God get the revenge that he wanted.

The NIV doesn’t help us very much in the translation of verse 3. The text literally says, “And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, a city great to God,” while the NIV translates it “a very important city.” Nineveh was the capital city of the Gentile empire and, without a doubt, was important both in power and influence at that period in the Middle East. But it was more than that. God had a vested interest in Nineveh. There were souls in the great city that He wanted to save.

We might wonder how Jonah received the message that he did. How did he learn what he was supposed to preach? It’s obvious that the answer came from God Himself. When God first commissioned Jonah, He may have left the sermon up to Jonah to craft, but not now. Now the Lord says that He will give Jonah every single syllable of the message he’s to proclaim. What’s equally shocking—if not even more astounding—is the length of the message. In Hebrew, it’s just five words. “Od arbaim yom veNineveh nehipachet!” That’s it! Some have suggested that this is just the Cliff Notes version of Jonah’s message or a catechumen’s sermon summary, but that seems highly unlikely. Remember that in verse two, God told Jonah that He would give him the words he was to speak.

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that Jonah willingly went with this message to Nineveh. He wanted God to get revenge. Still, our loving LORD teaches us a lesson through Jonah, that flighty dove. He invites us to emerge from the shadows of the darkness of revenge and find power in the life of Christ at the empty tomb.

כת ה נהפ ינו ים יום ונ ע עוד ארב

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Announcements

Our pastors are ready to serve you in any way consistent with their office. If you have spiritual problems or questions, or are interested in church membership please contact one of them.

Pastor Christopher Ewings - Faith Lutheran Church and Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo - PastorChris@FaithAlaska.com - (907) 792-9788 Pastor Nathan Wagenknecht - Faith Lutheran Church and Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo - PastorNate@FaithAlaska.com - (817) 428-2356 Pastor Pao Moua - Hmong Faith Lutheran Church - PastorMoua@FaithAlaska.com - 891-2640 Faith Lutheran School and Preschool offer a high-quality education in an environment enriched with Christian teachings and values. For more information, contact the office at 563-3499.

Stay tuned for opportunities to receive Holy Communion. As our local and state governments slowly ease restrictions, we are adjusting our plans for worship in small groups and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Make use of these opportunities only as you are comfortable to do so. Our 10:30am Sunday service will continue to be streamed online. We will reevaluate after next Sunday’s service. As always, your pastors are here to serve you. Please contact Pastors Chris and Nate by phone, text, email, social media or any other platform you find convenient. Join us for Sunday Morning Bible Study on Zoom! You can access the link at http://zoom.us/j/679753617. The meeting ID is 679 753 617. You can also dial in on your phone at 1 (253) 215 8782 or 1 (301) 715 8592. The Bible study will take place at our regular scheduled time: 9:07 AKST. We’re taking a look at selected Psalms of Sanctuary. An additional Bible Study opportunity has started on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. We are studying 1 Thessalonians, a letter Paul wrote when he couldn’t visit his fellow believers face-to-face. Join us using the same information for Zoom as the Sunday Morning Bible Study above. Weekly chapel services still continue at Faith Lutheran School. Even though we can’t meet face to face for the rest of the school year, the Word is still coming to our students. The theme for chapel this year is “Getting to Know God” through the various names that God gives Himself in the Bible. Tune in on Thursday mornings at 8:30 to watch the chapel service. This week, Pastor Robbert will teach us why Jesus calls Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life!

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Announcements

Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Wisconsin Synod Lutherans are Christians who are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God. We are eager to share the comfort, hope and power of the unchanging message of the Gospel: Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the eternal salvation of mankind.

Faith Lutheran Church: 10:30 Worship Service, 9:07 Bible Study Iglesia Luterana de Fe en Cristo: 12:30 Worship Service with Sunday School and Bible Study to follow Hmong Faith Lutheran: 3:00 Worship Service with Sunday School and Bible Study to follow

Worship with us on YouTube and subscribe to our channel! Search for “Faith Lutheran Church Alaska” at youtube.com to worship with us online. Subscribe to our channel for easy future access. You can also find links to our worship services on our church’s Facebook page: Faith Lutheran Church Alaska, as well as on our website: FaithAlaska.com.

We need your help in person! We are currently allowed to have up to 20 people present to record the online service. If you’re interested, we would like a few people to voice the congregation’s responses and sing along with the music at church. An email was sent on April 22nd with more details about this opportunity and a link to sign up. You can also enter this link directly in your browser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44ada823ab9-worship Weekly offerings can be given on the “Donations” tab of our website (FaithAlaska.com/page/donations) or can be mailed to the church office. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact your pastors.

Join us for a VIRTUAL Toddler Time on Wednesdays! Join the Toddler Time Facebook group to receive weekly updates about activities you can enjoy with your littles in the comfort and safety of your own home. Please contact Robin Brooks (907) 351-1303 or Cara Ewings (907) 792-9388, for more information. Early Bird Discount available for Faith Lutheran Preschool. In preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, Preschool is offering to waive the $100 registration fee for families that enroll before June 12. Please share this with any families you know who may be interested.

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Stay up to date with what’s happening at Faith by liking our Facebook page. You can find us at Faith Lutheran Church Alaska.

Calendar

During this time of physical distancing, you may watch our services online. You can view them live or any time after the service is finished. Follow the link on our website at FaithAlaska.com, or go directly to youtube.com and search for “Faith Lutheran Church Alaska.”

Offerings April 26

General: $7,980 Missions: $1,045

Faith Lutheran School April 26

Tuition: $1,466 Donation: $105

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9:07am

Bible study (zoom)

10:30 am

Worship (online)

10:00am

Virtual Toddler

Time

6:30pm

Bible study

(zoom)

8:30am

Chapel (online)

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

9:07am

Bible study (zoom)

10:30 am

Worship (online)

10:00am

Virtual Toddler

Time

6:30pm

Bible study

(zoom)

8:30am

Chapel (online)

9:00am

Men’s Bible

study (zoom)

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

9:07am

Bible study (zoom)

10:30 am

Worship TBD

Last Day of

School

8:30am

Chapel (online)

10:00am

Virtual Toddler

Time

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

10:30 am

Worship TBD

Memorial Day

Faith Lutheran School Closed Due to Coronavirus Prevention

Faith Lutheran School Closed Due to Coronavirus Prevention

Faith Lutheran School Closed