"Up From the Deep"
Intro:
Excited about next four weeks.
Super series; story of Jonah.
So much more than fish story.
Talking w/Stan…really wanted to dig in deep.
Challenge my intellect.
Brought me a commentary…
More than a child’s fable.
Jonah is the story of a man.
q Called by God.
q Do a service for God.
q Run from God.
q Saved by God
Begins with Jonah (believer)called out by the Lord.
Runs from the presence of the Lord.
Life begins to spiral
Jumps on ship.
Gets into storm.
Passenger throw him off the ship.
Great fish eats him.
Jonah’s life is out of control.
--This is the story of ______________life.
q Called by God.
q Do a service for God.
q Running from God.
Your story, you became a believer.
Now you’ve been called by God. (whatever capacity)
Running the other direction. (Not living obedient life)
Life begins to spiral.
Run away.
Trapped in this storm.
Just don’t know where to turn.
Your life is out of control.
Feel like the whole world is going to swallow you up.
Maybe your more like Jonah than you think…
Maybe your more like Jonah than you want to admit…
Slide:
“Does the Lords Will Get in Your Way?”
Is it possible God is calling you (anywhere) you’re going another direction.
Cake frostingGood chocolates
Still left with sweet stuff. (It’s all good)
God has a will for your life. God has called you for a purpose.
Just like He called
Noah…build a ship.
Moses… lead the people out of Egypt.
Saul/Paul…take the gospel to gentiles.
PeterTimothyBarnabas
Let me ask that question;
“Does the Lords Will get in Your Way?”
Slide:
Jonah 1: 1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
NKJV
The word of the Lord came… i.e. He was listening. (knew Gods voice)
Possibly wanting to know Lords will Jonah’s life.
Go said, “Go to Nineveh”
Nineveh:
Hub of Assyrian nation.
50 miles one side to the other.
Millions of people.
Great in number of people size wealth / power
That time “City ruled over all the Kings of earth.”
But great cities, just like great men still come under the judgement of God.
cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
Not only great in size and power.
Great in wickedness too.
It’s like their sin had come to completion / pitch.
They couldn’t get any worse.
Openly sinning / face of God.
Cry out to them.
Warn them.
Judgement was coming.
Jonah’s call was to share the coming and judgement of the Lord.
Today our call is to share the coming and judgement of the Lord.
Many time we react just like Jonah.
“The Lords will get in the way of our life”
Slide:
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah arose 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 from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
NKJV
Jonah heard from the Lord and ran…
Adam heard the Lord calling and hid…
Illustration;
Little kids playing peek-a-boo
Even though you don’t see God working in your life.
Doesn’t mean He isn’t working in your life.
You don’t see it/understand so you run and hide.
q Work.
q School.
q Bars.
q Church.
v. 4 but the Lord sent a great wind/so bad that the ship was about to be broken up.
Everyone cried out to their god. (idol)
Punishment?
Correction?
God doesn’t punish you for getting off course.
He persuades you to get you back on course.
Your life moving this direction.
He’s going to blow the winds in this direction.
Jonah in the hull/sleeping.
Slide:
Jonah 1:6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
NKJV
Draw straws/choose stones
Slide:
Jonah 1:8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
9 So 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.”
NKJV
Who are you and what have you done?
Illustration:
Why me?
Maybe your not moving in the right direction.
Maybe your way and the Lords will are not going the same direction.
Maybe Gods trying to get your ship back on course.
Slide:
Jonah 1: 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
NKJV
What should we do to you.
Not what can we do for you?
Through Jonah’s sin he’s involved those around him.
He’s turned his back on God.
Jonah ready face the consequences.
Jonah’s given up running from the Lord.
(Look what Jonah say’s)
Slide:
Jonah 1:12 And 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 this great tempest is because of me.”
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
NKJV
Pick me up/throw me in the sea.
No matter how much cargo you throw over.
It doesn’t pay for what Jonah did.
Rowed against the wind/no avail.
Jonah’s sin had to be paid by Jonah.
What’s going on in your life?
Storms brewing.
Sin must be paid for. Other wise it continues to live and grow.
Just like Jonah, his sin has affected everyone around him.
Your sin affects…
Your life.
Your job.
Your family.
Jonah knows now.
He must give his own life.
Because of sin, Jonah delivered himself to be thrown in ocean so that they could live.
That’s what Jesus did for you, He gave His life so that you could live.
Wrap it up;
Slide:
Jonah 1:14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.”
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
NKJV
They threw him in the sea.
They tried praying to idols.
Sacrificed goods.
God didn’t want their junk.
He wanted Jonah.
He demanded all of him/whole life.
Illustration;
God wants all of you. Is there some sin your holding onto?
Story of Ivan the terrible / Czars 16th century
Very brutal man so busy conquering lans for his country no time to find a wife. No wife no kids / no heir to throne. Find him a wife.
Found one in Greece, Sophia the daughter of King.
The king agreed to marriage as long as he was baptized.
All the soldier wanted to be baptized too. All 500.
Had to agree/couldn’t be professional soldiers.
When they were baptized they held up the arms with their swords.
They would give all there life to God except there fighting arms.
Some of us today are no different.
Want to blessings/belong family. But on our term.
Certain things we hold on to
Possessionstimemoneyfriendshabits
Slide:
Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
NKJV
“Does the Lords Will Get in Your Way?”
Are you in the belly of a fish?
Are you tired of paddling upstream?
Get out of the way of the Lord.
And get into the will of the Lord.
God has a will for your life.
God has a way for your life.
God has a when for you life.