The gospel part 1 The Bad News Before Good Friday BCS Deaf Church March 20, 2016

Children’s Chat

Jonah Q: What do we learn from this story? • Do not run from God’s plan for your life. • God can save people. • God wants to reach people. • God wants us not to hate or judge people.

Jonah’s heart Problem: Jonah 4:1-3 “1Jonah was not happy that God saved the city. Jonah became angry. 2He complained to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, I knew this would happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that time I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city, so I decided to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God. I knew that you show mercy and don’t want to punish people. I knew that you are kind, and if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans to destroy them. 3So now, Lord, just kill me. It is better for me to die than to live.’ ”

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“The sign of Jonah” Matthew 12:38-41 38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law answered Jesus. They said, “Teacher, we want to see you do a miracle as a sign from God.” 39Jesus answered, “Evil and sinful people are the ones who want to see a miracle as a sign. But no miracle will be done to prove anything to them. The only sign will be the miracle that happened to the prophet Jonah…”

“The sign of Jonah” Matthew 12:38-41 “40Jonah was in the stomach of the big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will be in the grave three days and three nights. 41On the judgment day, you people who live now will be compared with the people from Nineveh, and they will be witnesses who show how guilty you are. Why do I say this? Because when Jonah preached to those people, they changed their lives. And you are listening to someone greater than Jonah, but you refuse to change!”

“The sign of Jonah” • What is the “Sign of Jonah” that Jesus said would be fulfilled in him? • Why do you think he used Jonah as an example that pointed to himself?

worship We Cry Out Kari Jobe Watch the Lamb Ray Boltz

The gospel part 1 “The Bad News Before Good Friday”

What do you think Is most important to the following people?

What are they living for?

What are they living for?

What are they living for?

What are they living for?

What are they living for?

What are they living for?

Living for? Q: How can you really know what a person is living for, their main priority in life, what is truly important to them – how can you see that or decide that? Q: How do you decide what is most important to you?

What is the most important thing in life to You? Q: How do you really know what is most important to a person? • If you remove, or threaten to remove, what they are living for – they become angry or distraught! That thing controls their emotions, their actions, their thoughts. • Examples: • Sports teams • Money • Family • Having a relationship

The bad news: Q: Do people have a sin problem? - Yes! Define sin: • Is it just about breaking the rules? • Are money, family, relationships sinful? • If those things themselves are not sinful, what is the problem? - Idolatry!

What is an idol? Is this an idol? Q: Do we have idols in America today?

Are these idols? Beauty Family

Are these idols? Work School

Are these idols? Money Health

Are these idols? Nationalism Leisure

Identifying idols What is an Idol? • Anything other than God that has become a reason for you to live. • It controls you. • It rules your emotions. • It becomes your master – you are the slave!

Identifying idols Q: How do you know when something has become an idol in your life? • Think about the last time you had a major uncontrolled emotion: • Anger • Despair • Anxiety • Often those are the times your idols are exposed.

Jonah Q: When in the life of Jonah did we see him lose his temper or lose control of his emotions? a) When he was scared to go to Nineveh because the people were evil and murderous. b) When he was terrified on a sinking ship or in the great fish. c) When he had to witness to the people of Nineveh d) When he saw that the people repented.

Jonah Q: Did Jonah love God, God’s people, and God’s Word? - Yes Q: What was the problem then? What was Jonah’s idol? • Jonah wanted the blessing God could give him more than he wanted God Himself. He wanted to use God to destroy his enemies… not allow them to repent. • Jonah’s Idol was religion.

The Prodigal son Q: Who is the sinful son in the story of the Prodigal Son? • The youngest son who ran away and wasted his dad’s money? • The brother who stayed and obeyed his father… then later refused to forgive his younger brother? Both: • One idolized partying and worldly pleasures. • One idolized being right and controlling his father through obedience.

What is the point? • We ALL have idols – from the worst “sinner” who obvously disobeys God in everything, to the most self- righteous religious person. • Anything in your life that becomes more important than God and influences your behavior more than God is an idol and is sin. • The First Commandment says: “You shall have no other gods before me!” (Exodus 20:3)

The Bad news Q: What’s the bad news? • We are sinners, separated from God because of our idols. We have placed things other than God in control of our lives. For some people, even self-righteousness is an idol. Q: That leads to what? • Slavery. • Practically – it destroys us. Even secular people understand that: if your happiness, your self worth, your peace depend on anything, then you are controlled by that thing. It has become your God and you have become it’s slave.

What is the solution? The Gospel! Q: What does “gospel” mean? • “Good News” • Jesus comes to free you from slavery – your idols no longer have to control you. Instead, you must give up your idols of money, sex, self-righteousness, rule- following, etc., and place God above all else.

What must you do? Q: What was Jonah’s message to the people of Nineveh? • God’s Wrath is going to destroy you. That is the BAD NEWS! Q: How did the people of Nineveh respond? • They repented of their sinful ways and turned to God.

The good news: Jesus paid the price

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Prayer Requests • Glena: A family near Iola lost everything when their house was burned completely to the ground. They are now fighting with insurance to get a special wheelchair for their daugther, Angela, who is really sick. The mother, Rhonda, is having to physically carry her places. • Justus – Treston starts at his new school Monday. • Paul has a job interview Monday morning with ReyRey • Alissa is pregnant and not feeling well. Pray for good health for her and the baby! • Jena’s cousin, Teri, just had a baby who may have spina bifida or similar condition.

Announcements • Dinner Tuesday at Jason’s Deli at 7:00pm. • Breakaway is Tuesday night at 9:00pm in Reed Arena (Texas A&M basketball arena). Free parking in Lot 100 starts at 8:00pm. Certified Interpreters will be on the floor of the arena in section 109. You do not have to be a student to attend… bring a friend!