Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

PROPOSITION

Principle #1 - God Knows Every Detail About Your Sin

“The Ninevites’ wickedness, their sin, all the specifics details, has come up before throne God”.

This idea that God is all knowing is expressed all over the Bible.

One of the best examples is right before the flood:

(NASB95) — Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

God knows the sins of Nineveh and He has chosen Jonah to deliver a message.

This is how God works.

He uses people to confront sin.

This is one of the reasons you and I have each other…so that we don’t remain in our sin!

Now Jesus comes to Jonah with this assignment.

There should only be one response to such authority and power…obedience!

But what does Jonah do in verse 3? He runs away!

He flees to Tarshish, that’s over 2000 miles away!

Now before you throw Jonah under the proverbial bus or chariot of his day, all of us do this.

We all have a knowledge of God like Jonah and even more so!

Yet, when God calls us to obey, do we disobey?

Do we run in the exact opposite direction to His Word, His Will, and His Ways?

Are you running right now from God!

If so, then consider this question…

Principle #2 - God pursues Sinners

We read in verse 4…

(NASB95) — 4 The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

This is no ordinary storm.

It’s of divine origin.

This is one serious consequence.

Read with me verses 5-11

(NASB95) — 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.

But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping?

Get up, call on your god.

Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

7 Each man said to his mate, “Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.”

So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Now Jonah was a prophet of God, He knew God’s Word and as soon as he saw the lots, he certainly recalled Solomon’s proverb:

(NASB95) — 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.

8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, now!

On whose account has this calamity struck us?

What is your occupation?

And where do you come from?

What is your country?

From what people are you?”

The fearful crew was not ready for Jonah’s bold answer:

9 He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, “How could you do this?”

For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

If we were taking an evangelism class, lesson 1 would begin here: This is NOT how you and I witness.

May our disobedience, and God’s chastening NEVER be the reason for people to ask about our faith!

But God never wastes opportunity to save a sinner.

Ironically, these sailors have more fear of God than Jonah.

This is to Jonah’s shame, but to God’s glory.

Jonah’s heart is hard right now.

He is not thinking of witnessing but only running from God.

Let this be a warning to all of us: God is so sovereign, that He can use your obedience or disobedience to accomplish His will.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer that He uses my obedience!

So let’s return to the boat:

11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.

12 He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea.

Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormier against them.

The crew did not want to kill a man let alone a prophet of God.

Watch now how they turn from their false idols to the true God, verse 14.

14 Then they called on the LORD and said, “We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased.”

15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

16 Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Although Jonah remains in sin, this crew repents, they have turned from their false idols who failed to rescue them earlier and now they are worshipping the true God.

God pursued these sinners.

And God’s grace has prevailed over man’s sin!

And in the wake of Jonah’s sin, God redeems the sailors!

AMEN!

But God has not finished his redemptive work.

God is still pursuing Jonah and the Ninevites.

Let’s return to verse 17….

Verse 17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

Principle #3 - God’s reach is Limitless

God’s is all powerful.

Omnipotent.

Amen.

We need an all-powerful God with an unlimited reach because our sin takes us down into some deep and dark places.

Look how Jonah’s sin took him down.

Jonah goes down to Tarshish.

Jonah goes down into the boat.

Jonah goes down into the water.

Jonah goes down to near death.

Jonah goes down into the whale.

Sin will take you down.

This portion of Jonah’s story reminds me of

(NASB95) —psalm 139: 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

is intended to be a comfort for us when we are obeying, but it’s a stern warning to us should we disobey like Jonah.

Now let us turn our attention to Jonah chapter 2. These 10 verses have caused an enormous amount of controversy.

The two biggest controversies are whether the Jonah story is true and whether Jonah died in the fish.

Jonah’s ride in the whale is amazing.

Now I know you believe God’s word, but sooner or later someone will mock this portion of Scripture?

So how do we respond?

First, remember that Jesus personally confirmed the truthfulness of the story of Jonah in two ways.