Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Big Idea: You Cannot Outrun a Sovereign God
Have you ever noticed how ridiculous small children can be.
I remember with each of our kids, when they were toddlers, that they would frequently pick up things they shouldn’t have.
Once they did, and once they realized you new they picked up something they shouldn’t have, they engaged in this universal response ALL toddlers have in such a situation: they ran.
The flight mentality of toddlers is ridiculous.
When is the last time an able bodied parent lost in a footrace against a two year old?
NEVER.
And I know the kids know this.
Never once were any of my kids surprised when I would catch up with them.
They were foolish to run.
Sometimes I act like a toddler.
I act as though I can outrun God.
Any time I know what God calls me to do in a situation and I do something else I am acting like that 2 year old.
Every time I try to be sneaky and engage in activity I know goes against God’s will for my life, I am behaving like a ridiculous toddler.
I am running from a God who cannot be outrun.
Do you ever try to run from God? Do you ever act as though your actions will not be called into account before a sovereign God? Do you ever act like a toddler?
The story of Jonah is about a man who thought he could run from God.
He blatantly disregarded God’s commands and thought he could quite literally, get away with it.
Now, I know that most of you are pretty familiar with the story of want you to suspend for the next four weeks your knowledge of the story, and try to rediscover it with fresh eyes.
We know about the fish and the city repenting and Jonah’s temper tantrum.
But in our familiarity with the story we might be tempted to miss what God wants to teach us through Jonah.
So with that, let’s pretend we are watching this story for the first time.
The Sovereign God Sends Jonah
jonah 1:1-2
Who is Jonah?
Jonah was a prophet to the nation of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II.
It was time of prosperity and growth, but also a time of moral decline.
As such, God promised that he would bring judgment on Israel as a result.
And the instrument of that judgment?
The Assyrians.
Who is Nineveh?
Guess what the capital city of the Assyrian empire was?
Nineveh.
Jonah knew the coming judgment, and knew the wickedness of the Assyrians and how brutal they could be.
He was not the biggest fan of Nineveh.
What does God want Jonah to do?
God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against their evil.
Now, we won’t get into the details yet of why Jonah feels the way he does about this mission.
That’s for another day.
Suffice it to say at this point, Jonah does not want to do it.
So what does he do?
He runs.
Jonah Runs From The Sovereign God
Jonah 1:3-
Jonah thinks he can escape the presence of a Sovereign God
He decides to run to Tarshish.
From an Israelite perspective Tarshish was the furthest you could get from Israel.
Jonah thinks he can escape the presence of a Sovereign God
For the vast majority of the ancient world, they believed that the gods had jurisdictions.
They were localized.
Notice what Jonah is doing.
He is acting as thought the Lord is only a local deity.
He is behaving as though he can manage to escape from God’s presence.
Well, Tarshish is not far enough, to get away from God.
There is no escape from the presence of an omnipresent God.
The Sovereign God Sends a Storm
Jonah 1:4-
God hurls a storm at the ship
Turns out God’s power is not limited to the land of Israel.
He sends a typhoon after Jonah.
And it just about to break up.
The sailors freak out.
Jonah’s actions threaten the lives of others.
Remember that these sailors would have had a ton of experience at sea.
They are freaking out.
They haven’t seen a storm like this.
They respond by calling out to every god they can think of for rescue.
It is important to notice that Jonah’s rebellion threatens the lives of others.
How often do we not consider the negative effects our own sin can have on others?
Surely Jonah is being eaten up by guilt at this point.
Jonah is fast asleep.
Jonah evidently is not bothered by his rebellion.
He has no problem sleeping though the storm.
How seared must his conscience be at this point?
The captain wakes Jonah up to get him to pray.
Jonah is woken from his slumber.
He would have slept until he drowned.
A pagan must inspire a prophet to seek God for help.
Jonah Owns His Rebellion Against the Sovereign God
Jonah 1:7-
The sailors throw dice to figure out Jonah is the problem
Casting lots was a superstitious way to determine answers to unknown questions.
God doesn’t mind.
He means to out Jonah’s rebellion.
God is just as sovereign over the dice as he is over the storm.
Jonah admits his rebellion
Jonah is questioned by the sailors, and he comes clean.
The sailors freak out
Their hearts collectively sink.
The God that Jonah has upset is the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.
In other words, the sailors realize that the God who is after Jonah is not limited by any jurisdiction.
His jurisdiction is the entire universe!
Notice how these pagan sailors recognize the sovereignty of God more than Jonah does!
Jonah Accepts The Consequences of the Sovereign God
Jonah 1:11
The storm gets worse.
So the sailors ask Jonah what to do to appease this sovereign God.
Jonah accepts the consequences of his rebellion against God
Chuck me into the sea.
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