The Relentless God
of Fish and Fields
October 3, 2021
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
Using Jonah (and Ruth) in stewardship season, the sermon teaches that God pursues disobedient servants, calls his people to faithfully steward time, gifts, and resources for mission, and undergirds the church's 'Be Bold' initiative—raising outreach to 10%, launching Partners in Mission, and recommitting to church planting to reach the unsaved and needy.
Summary
The sermon opens in prayer for the Spirit and frames stewardship season as faithfully using God-given resources for his glory. It examines Jonah's four-scene story—his call to Nineveh, his flight to Tarshish, the storm and sailors, and God's relentless pursuit and discipline—showing that God will pursue and correct a disobedient servant but is determined to see his mission accomplished. Jonah's sending to a pagan nation instructs how to regard those outside the covenant. The message ties this to the church's Be Bold initiative, which seeks 100% engagement of the congregation, increases outreach funding to 10%, launches Partners in Mission, and emphasizes church planting as part of faithful stewardship and mission to the poor, wayward, and unsaved.
Key Points
- Opened in prayer for the Spirit to help hear God's Word
- Stewardship season: using God-given time, gifts, and resources for God's glory and the church's good
- Jonah (four chapters) used as a case study of stewardship, obedience, and mission
- Jonah was called to preach judgment to a pagan nation (Nineveh) but fled to Tarshish
- God pursued Jonah with a storm, used sailors and the sea to discipline him, and Jonah's resistance highlights God's determination (not vengefulness) to accomplish his mission
- The book of Jonah instructs how believers should view and engage those outside God's covenant
- Be Bold initiative: aims for 100% congregational engagement in time, gifts, and resources across mission and other areas
- Outreach budget increased to 10% to reach the unsaved, poor, wayward, and needy; Partners in Mission is launching
- Emphasis on participating in church planting as part of healthy, mission-focused stewardship
- Core takeaway: God will chase, correct, and carry out his mission—stewardship is our faithful response to join that work
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