ARE YOU AWAKE?

Introduction:

Are you awake?

I don’t mean literally awake, which I’m sure by 2 most of you won’t be. But are you spiritually awake to the Lord and His plan for your life?

Today we are going to talk about a man who was spiritually asleep to the Lord’s plan for his life.

Body:

Point 1 - Jonah ran from God’s direction

Jonah 1:1–3 CSB

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.” 3 Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence.

God has a purpose for Jonah and his life, a purpose to reach people with the good news of Jesus.

God has a purpose for each and every one of our lives., to live it in a way that glorifies Him. When we spiritually sleep, we miss his purpose for us.

Tarshish was used in scripture to explain the furthest place one could go. It’s used here to say that Jonah tried running as far from God’s plan as possible.

In the midst of our spiritual sleep, we tend to run towards the things and places of this world instead of the things and places of God.

Are you awake?

Point 2 - God sent a storm

Jonah 1:4–16 CSB

4 But the Lord threw a great wind onto the sea, and such a great storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. 5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep. 6 The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.” 7 “Come on!” the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots. Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.” So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in. What is your business, and where are you from? What is your country, and what people are you from?” 9 He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship the Lord, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were seized by a great fear and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will calm down for us?” For the sea was getting worse and worse. 12 He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so that it will calm down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this great storm that is against you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more. 14 So they called out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.” 15 Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 16 The men were seized by great fear of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

In Jonah’s running from God, the storm came.

In our spiritual sleepiness we often blame God for the storms in our lives, while in reality our sin is what caused that.

Jonah was so comfortable in his running from God that he fell into a deep sleep.

Sometimes we are so comfortable in our sin that we live our life like we didn’t just disobey God.

Are you awake?

God sent a fish

Jonah 1:17 CSB

17 The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The Lord sent a fish for Jonah. Jonah was only able to stay alive because of the Lord’s power.

In our spiritual sleepiness, when we try to get out of storms we rely on our own power so we don’t see the way out that the Lord is providing.

Are you awake?

Conclusion:

The fish was not a source of pain and punishment but a source of salvation and a way out for Jonah.

I don’t believe the Lord does anything by accident or that you are here by accident. Maybe this lock-in is your way out of your spiritual sleepiness and today you need to trust in the Lord for salvation and wake up.

Are you awake?

Invitation and Pray

-Elaine <3