“And should not I spare Nineveh, that
great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern
between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?” – Jonah
4:11
Utilitarianism-the ideal that if it works its good; if it is
useful, then it’s right. The world is
certainly enamored with this theology, but is it meet for Christians? In the church, can we really measure
ourselves by results?
God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and cry against it. Immediately, he turned tail and ran for the
uttermost part of the world; only to be swallowed by a great fish. It took three days but he got to the place
where he was willing to go to Nineveh; he went, preached, and his one message
saved the city.
In the natural realm, growth and progress are measured from a
bottom line stand point. Your business
is measured by profit, education is measured by GPA, your health by weight,
your height in feet, there are some things that are more subjective, but give
us enough time and we will find a label for just about anything you can see,
touch, or feel. By living in this world
we become conditioned to this world, and if we are not careful, it can
influence us to measure spiritual things in the same way. In the church we can become conditioned to
think that if we had 30 people in Sunday school this Sunday and 20 people last
Sunday than we grew by 10 people. We can
be tempted to believe that because only a dozen folks show up to Sunday
service, or Wednesday night Bible study, there is something wrong. A careful examination of the scriptures will
reveal that with God, utilitarian religion is no religion. Noah was a preacher of righteousness and the
only man on Earth who found favor with God.
He preached his whole life and saved eight people. Jeremiah spent his whole life preaching to
stubborn Jews, and the only one who he found favor with was God. The Son of God spent three years doing
nothing but preaching; at his death there was not one convert who stood by
him. Jonah was called by God and he ran
for the furthest corner of the Earth, repented, and then went to Nineveh to
preach one sermon that saved the whole city.
Utilitarian religion says that Jonah’s example is better than Noah’s,
better then Jeremiah’s, better than Jesus Christ. Utilitarian religion and bottom line progress
teaches us that any means is justified by the end. It is as if we say “Whatever the cost! As long as the numbers go up, where do I sign?” Now there could be something wrong with your
Sunday service, or you morning devotion or whatever, but if you’re looking for
answers with a results mindset, you’re in the wrong mindset. The reason utilitarian religion is no
religion at all is because it is all for the benefit of the majority, and what
the majority wants may not be what God wants!
God said “and should not I spare
Nineveh, that great city…?” He was trying
to show Jonah that the results are in His hands and it is not for you to labor
toward that end, but rather labor to the end that you might please God, and
glorify His name.
This is the everlasting plumbline to which we should measure
everything by. It is no surprise that it
is the same plumbline that Christ measured himself by; the will of God. Jesus said “I do always those things that please Him.” To do always the will of God is to live with
the focus to please God, to glorify God.
Does your: business, personal life, church, fellowship, etc. glorify
God? Does it please him? If it does, then it is profitable. Your business may be bankrupt, home
foreclosed on, church weaning in numbers, and you may not had a blessing in
three years, but if your living your life to please God, then take courage: you
are in good company! You are in the
preaching of Noah, you are akin to Jeremiah, you’re living with the same focus
as your Savior. You may not have
utilitarian religion, but you have real religion; and real religion is what the
world needs.
