The Big Fish

Introduction:

P.O.V. - Sunday School stories given new life! Hopefully fresh way

Fall {Choice to listen to serpent/God]

Exodus {God is supreme, so serve Him!]

Giant-slayer {Trust God! Start small, grow faith…]

Every story tells about God’s priorities or His actions. S‘times includes ppl who fail or act w/o His prior.!

TODAY: >>

The Story of Jonah

Make big deal out of Giant fish - only in ~3vv!

Jo’ proph call’d by YH. - (intertx. evid. in chr or kng).

Called to give a msg to capt’l of Assyr! He runs.

Goes xact opp. dir. !

Jonah 1:17 “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

In the fish, Jonah chgs, goes to Ninevah & all get saved!

Why did Jo’ run?

Afraid? - unwilling? - backslide? - insec.? Ch.4 reveals:

Jonah 4:1–3 “But to Jonah [God’s mercy] seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.””

Jonah hated Assyr (enemy of Isr.) so much that he WANT’d e'ery1 to burn!

Waited outside city to see it go up in flames!

Jonah had some deep-rooted hate in His heart.

Jonah had every right to hate the Ninevites! But God challenged him.

Assyr. had perfected torture methods—dehum’zation

When, yrs l8r, invade Isr. [N. kingd]: drag ppl away via hooks nose; flayed alive; amputated, impaled.

well-Known for cruel tactics; Jonah would have heard

THESE are ppl calling me to proph to? warn??

When Jo’ runs away, it was bc he didn’t want the assign’t bc of hared!

My reminder/challenge to you today >>

Don’t Harbor Hate in your Heart

Polit. opp. or cranky neighbors. Family strife or church disag’nts…

Easy to have an ‘enemy’; some1 wit which there is strife; a fight

May not be obj. wicked like Assyr, but are those you would rather DIE than assoc. with.

Bigotry when one whole group of like ppl excluded; typically for no good reason.

There is a major difference between anger & hatred.

Anger is a passing emotion; a response to somet’g or someo’n doing wrong; not fit’g w/ your def. of justice anyway.

this way: Anger is right & good!

Leads us to God’s heart (angry about sin) OR fig. out that my justice is skewed

be curious about anger (“why? what trigg’d? Past exp.?”)

Hatred plays out like bitter’ss or restent’t (synonyms)

One carries hate in their heart.

Directed at a group or individual; circums.;

May be justif’ble or may be based on cert. charac’tic

Often have hard time admit’g hate out loud

Some areas that hate (bitt’ss) affects our lives pw’flly

Name them; then point to solution (God’s Way)

Note: Don’t think “oh, them!” during my sermon. Be looking INside.

First way this harboring anger for long time affects us >>

Hatred only Looks Inward

Jonah not poetry, but well-writ. [satire??]

Uses word-pic. 2 communicate ideas, conj. thots in ur head…

One key word for 1st two chaps is “DOWN”.

Jonah 1:3,5 LEB “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and… he went down to Joppa, where he found a ship… Meanwhile Jonah went down into the hold of the vessel and lay down and fell asleep.

Jo’s descent into darkness is like a person who can’t see anything but themselves.

Every stage he desc., Jo’ not concerned about anyt’g else!

Even how his sin affecting the sea/ship/sailors

Jonah 1:6 LEB The captain of the ship approached him and said, “Why are you sound asleep? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps your god will take notice of us and we won’t perish!””

So focus’d on group or pers, our hate, can’t see how it’s destry’g othrs

Sudd’ly all we think about is revenge or karma or laugh’g when they ‘get theirs’!

Blinded to: our hatred making us ulik’ble/ violent person

1 John 2:11 “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

John on same idea: hatred makes us blind to ever’1 else AND our own sin!

When we hate (resent) others, always think WE’re the good guy.…

Me tell U:

Hatred doesn't leave room for considering others’ feelings or intentions.

Hatred denies us reality of seeing others truthfully. Inward. >>

Hatred Breeds Disorder

Jewish idea: God has a good order and pattern for world, relats

Story of Jonah reveals that his sinful hatred turns everything on its head. NOT God’s ideal!

The first disordered area affects him is >>

SPIRITUALLY: Jonah 1:3c LEB

GO QUICKLY THRU THESE. DON’T DWELL TOO LONG!

By definition a healthy relationship with God requires proximity

When that relationship is right/good, you feel CLOSE to the Him (even if not geogr’ly)

Jonah 1:3c LEB “[Jonah boarded a ship that sailed] ...toward Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.”

lit. “from the face of YH” — didn’t even want God to LOOK @him!

Jonah exiled himself; separated h‘self. Running away!

Any way you look at it, his hatred for Assyrians kept him far from on good terms with creator-God.

Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Resentment toward Assyrian ppl deteriorated his relat w/ God.

When we hold onto hurts & refuse to ‘make peace’ thru 4giv’ss, our relat. w/ Jesus is broken, fract’d.

He’ll see us through the journey, but also longs for us to choose to forgive.

MayB takes time (awf’l circ; injust.); G. has grace!

Ult. desires to lead us to forg’ss

Hatred breeds a disordered relat w/ God… but also w/ ppl >>

RELATIONALLY: Jonah 1:9-10

Don’t pretend that Jo. had any sort of fr’ship with these sal’rs, but honestly — not even good acq'ce, stranger!

When the storm was the worst… >

Jonah 1:9–10 [The sailors questioned Jonah.] “He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord… who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)”

Sailors: have sea prob. Jo’: The god run’g from made ocean!

Not even cour'ge to be honest; too concr’d about running

Whether we’re aware or not (in Jo’s case, NOT), our sin doesn’t just affect us!

Jonah’s hatred affected others; put them in danger!

Secret sins leak out into e’rday life; others may not catch on, but… no matter how good UR @ pretend’g, it changes you.

Hatred NO xception! JD: “Reactor in your chest, waiting 2 xplode”!

Don’t know why some don’t trust or feel safe around… even if never explode!

Whatever it is that U have not let go; it finds its way into your relat’s.

Hatred disorders our relat’s, esp. w. God; but it also affects us >>

PHYSICALLY: Jonah 2:6 LEB

Bc Jonah softens -humbled by fish- he asks for 4giv’ss in belly fish

Wasn’t just Metaphor; Jo. was dying. [Jonah prays:] >>

Jonah 2:6 LEB Jonah prays: “I went down to the foundations of the mountains; the Underworld.”

Note * DOWN language!

Jo' knows He was close to death if not for YH’s rescue to shore

G’s punish’t lead toward death; body seizing up!

Modern med. shows: harbor’g restent’t/ hate in <3 has drastic fx…

Studies: more likely hi BP; immune defic.; digestive issues,and headache, & musc. tension

Studies show: A resentful person is 3x more likely to develop heart disease & could lose ~3yrs. in life expectancy.

Forgiveness is good for the body!

Relational & physical death are both poss. when we hate.

Hatred makes us look @ self; deteri relat’s *Spir, soc., phys) & finally >

Hatred is Opposed to God’s Plan

Not just angry @ Assyr actions; Jo’ had rooted bitt’ss ag’st them

This feeling/ xp goes against who God is. KNEW IT >

Jonah 4:2b “[Jonah said] I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”

Jon. quotes YH famous psg. about His char. & nature:

See also Exodus 34:6-7 (& underline)

He knows what his God like… & deems it WRONG or bad; doesn’t agree with HIS worldview/outlook!

dangerous place, start look’g @ Bible and determin that my feel’gs are right & script. wrong.

Can not agree w/ script @ first, wrestle, study out, be unsure… ult. trust God!

1 John 4:20 “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

Harboring hate shows that we don’t trust God w/ justice.

Hatred (as defined) not part of God’s economy.

ONLY thing Bible tells us to hate (God hates) is sin or sinful acts

His creatures; people? Always value; show love; forgive!

Let me tell you today, Church >>

True Love Releases Offense

Emphasize grace: Not in place to forgive… ok, takes time; but God longs for you to release it to Him instead of hold on to it!

Bible speaks about forgiv'ss as releasing a debt (see Easter ‘24)

Give it up and stop carrying pain, hurt!

I will Forgive Myself

S’times the pers. need to forg. is ‘self!

The hatred we’ve carried is to ourself; own past, mistakes, sins

Carried deep dissatis. with ‘self for a long time! Lies told or dir @ sin

2 Corinthians 7:10 “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Self-hatred will lead to death in same ways we descr'd above

We need the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts; we can’t grin & bear it.

Can’t will it to happn. Takes God & action

Needs action to partner with desire/will

Sit w/ counsel’r, pastor, friend & fig out how to remind us of val in life; Read Bible.

I will Forgive Others

There is a diff. between forgiveness & reconciliation.

Forgiv. doesn’t mean let some1 walk all over U…

Forgiv’ss between you and God. Doesn’t need confession or apology by offender.

Forg. also doesn’t mean restore relat… necess…

Cmd'd to forgive; not to reconcile!

However, God did the greater work of reconc. on cross!

1 John 3:15 “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”

Let God heal hurts! Let go of past pain; release it! Ephesians 4:31

Paul commands in >>

Ephesians 4:31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Love others by exercising grace & forgiving yourself & others.

Let go for hatred or bigotry or bitterness.

Doesn’t mean have to get along; doesn’t mean best fr. now;

Does mean you stop dwelling on or worrying about that person. who’s opted out of you life.

Altar time?

Salvation call?