A fish not too tasty
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Running from...
Running from...
MI: The result of disobedience is a hefty storm, but God’s mercy surpasses our disobedience as well as the storm.
We are in our series “ Catch of the Day.” The first catch of the Day was Abundance. We saw Jesus choosing his disciples, and we learn from Peter that to follow Jesus means to leave everything. Las week’s catch of the Day was Abundance. . He used the availability and generosity of a boy to feed more than 10k people. This week’s Catch of the Day is “Restoration.”
Have you ever lied, cheated, steal, or disobeyed GOD?
My testimony of cheating on a test, got caught, and got kicked out of the basketball team.
The disobedience of JONAH
Jonah was a prophet from God. His call, his job, was to be the voice of God to the people of Israel.
Nineveh: Was not part of the people of Israel. One of the capitals of the Assyrian empire. It was actually an enemy of Israel.
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
Our disobedience has a hefty PRICE.
V. 3 He paid the price for the ticket.
It was very expensive to travel on ship in those days. He probably had to sell everything he had to buy that ticket.
What happened to Jonah when he disobeyed God?
V.4 Jonah 1:4
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
The result of disobedience is a hefty storm
2. . Our mistakes have consequences.
We make mistakes in our marriage, financially, at work. But many times we do not look at the consequences.
What was the consequence of Jonah, it started with a storm.
Our sin have consequences. And that is something the devil hides from you.
ILLUS: At mount Sinai, the people of Israel was waiting for Moses to come down. Because he was delaying, they made and worship a golden calf (Exodus 32) . When Moses came down, he said “Who is with me? And the sons of Levi responded, “WE are” and he gave the order to kill 3000 of his brothers that disobeyed God.
Do you think they would of done a golden calf if they knew 3000 men were going to die?
Going back to Jonah Chapter 1. We see God giving a direct commission to Jonah:
“Arise, and go to Nineveh, and call out their evil doings.”
But instead Jonah went the opposite direction.
Do you think Jonah would of disobeyed if he knew he was going to be swallowed by a big fish?
The problem is that we do not look at the consequences of our sin, we see it as a way out of our “problem”
The same God that punish the Israelites, the same God that sent the storm to Jonah, is the same God today.
The Lord disciplines those He loves
Hebrews 12:6 “6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
I. The First Call to Jonah was through the storm.
V.5. Jonah keeps running away from God. He runs into the inmost part of the ship.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
Our natural response to running from God is to keep on running.
WHY?
Because facing GOD means facing our sin. And for Jonah to face the storm was to face God and face his disobedience.
What do we do when we run away from the things we have to do?
For Jonah was going to sleep. And in his sleep he tried to forget all his problems.
Jonah went to sleep disregarding the storm even though the ship was about to brake in two (V.4)
God’s mercy calls to us even in our sleep
The first call to Jonah was the storm
II. The second call to Jonah is from the CAPTAIN of the ship.
6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
The captain voices God’s commission to Jonah telling him, “Arise” and “Call” = preach.
God loves Jonah so much that he keeps on repeating His commandment to Jonah.
God loves us so much that even in our disobedience He calls to us.
The turning MOMENT
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Having receive no answer during their prayers, the sailors recognized some sort of divine initiation in the storm. They cast lots.
Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (3. Unveiling of Responsibility and Identity (1:7–10))
The casting of lots was a widely used method in the ancient Near East. The most common word used for “lot” indicates that they were either stones or pebble that were painted or colored. When the stones were thrown, if two dark sides landed up the usual interpretation was no. If two light sides landed up, that meant yes. A light and a dark side meant throw again.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
God was in the casting of lots.
The sailors found the guilty party. All eyes focused on Jonah.
Jonah took responsibility for his actions
Jonah 1:11-12 (ESV)
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”
Jonah did not offer to jump on his own, but he asked the sailors to throw him in the sea.
Are you ready to jump in the water?
Either by choice or because he was pushed to do so, Jonah was thrown into the sea.
Peter jumped in the water when Jesus called Him.
Even when the storm is caused by our mistakes, God is in the business to restore His people
But Pablo, I did not caused the storm. I am obeying God.
There are storms and trial that test our faith.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
The result of disobedience is a hefty storm, but God’s mercy surpasses our disobedience as well as the storm.