"Rescued at Sea"

INTRODUCTION

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Joke –

There are countless stories of people being rescued at sea which are no laughing matter. There are amazing stories of people who have been saved at sea (rescued at sea).

· Teen boys

· Bailys

The stories of being saved at sea are truly amazing – there is nothing like be saved in our moment of desperation, distress, despair, and death.

Need

Today in our JONAH series we find another gripping story of being saved at sea! The rebellious prophet’s rescue at sea undoubtedly the most familiar and popular story in the book of Jonah. The rebellious prophet’s rescue at sea is likely the most memorable and yet misunderstood story in the book of Jonah as well. The story of Jonah’s rescue at sea is not just reserved for kids storybook bibles, it’s a story we desperately need to understand for it is the theological heart of the book, revealing who God is and His glorious salvation that transforms our lives.

Preview

If you have your Bible (I hope you do) turn to the book of Jonah. Jonah chapter 1. . . If you don’t have a Bible feel free to grab on in the pew rack, and if you don’t own a Bible take that home as our gift to you.

Let me give you a brief review to catch us up. God had called this Jonah to preach a message of pending judgment to the city of Nineveh but this prophet refused. God said “Go” and he said “No.” Instead Jonah rebelliously ran from God’s call and tried to get as far away from Nineveh as he could by boarding a boat board for the city of Tarshish (2,000 miles in the opposite direction of Nineveh). Jonah’s journey was suddenly interrupted by a fierce storm literally sent from the hand of God. The Lord had “hurled” a great wind upon the sea and the ship was about to sink. The sailors determined that this storm was of divine origin and began calling upon their gods but to no avail. Eventually it was determined that Jonah’s god had caused the storm and the only way to get Him to relent was by throwing Jonah overboard. Once the sailors cast Jonah off the boat and into the sea the storm ended. And when we ended our study last week the sailors had made vows of dedication to the Lord while Jonah was lost at sea treading water. Jonah was not able to run from God—the Lord had used the storm and the sailor’s as instruments to draw this rebellious prophet back to Himself—and God put his prophet in the same condition of the people of Nineveh. Jonah was facing the peril of death and in need of God’s salvation. (Read )

I) GOD’S RESCUE OF A REBELLIOUS PROPHET

In -2:16 we find “God’s Rescue of a Rebellious Prophet.” We come to what is undoubtedly the most familiar & popular part of the story—Jonah being swallowed by a really big fish—what an amazing story for Jonah to tell his grandkids. The story of Jonah living inside the belly of a fish is pretty spectacular – and yet this story is not about the fish – it’s about God’s relentless pursuit of Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and you and me. Today we turn our focus to God’s Rescue of Rebellious prophet, the impact on Jonah’s heart, and in the end the life-changing implications for our lives. Let’s dig into this amazing part of Jonah’s story.

A) The Rebellious Prophet’s Miraculous Rescue (1:17)

We begin with “The Rebellious Prophet’s Miraculous Rescue” (1:17). Last week we left off with Jonah dogpaddling in the open sea. I don’t know how many of you have been to the open sea but it’s massive and powerful, you’re not going to survive swimming in the open sea for long, so Jonah’s facing the peril of sinking down to a watery grave. Jonah is willing to die and would rather die than go to Nineveh. Jonah’s sin has him sinking – no longer running from God – and after his strength waned Jonah eventually began sinking downward towards his imminent death. In that moment the Lord rescued Jonah from the peril of death.

17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah,

and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

[1]

There is a lot to unpack in this one verse – it’s been misunderstood and mocked – so let’s get a firm grasp on this amazing rescue! There are several issues to address about Jonah’s rescue at sea. By His sovereign power the Lord “provided a great fish to swallow Jonah while he was drowning at sea—Yahweh had already hurled a storm upon the sea and then He literally “sent” or “appointed” a great fish to swallow Jonah so he doesn’t drown. The God of Heaven who created the land and the sea has control over the weather, as well as the creatures in the sea! This is not an accident, a coincidence, or the mere act of a really hungry fish who sees something flailing about in the water as a really nice snack. The location (Mediterranean sea) & actions (swallowing Jonah) of this fish was arranged by the sovereign hand of God. In a touch of irony that runs through the entire book of Joah, the fish is more obedient than the prophet, God called Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh and he said “Nope” – God called the great fish to swallow Jonah and he said “Gulp.” Now there has and will always be speculation about this fish. What kind of fish could swallow a man. Our childhood Bible story books usually say this “great fish” is a whale. And while that could be a possibility the Hebrew text literally says “great fish” which refers to general species of aquatic creatures that live in a body of water that are large in size or mass. The NT description of this event uses the word “ketos” which could refer to a “whale” or any large fish or sea monster ().

The mention of Jonah being inside the fish three days and three nights has deep significance, the intent goes far beyond marking how long Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for historical purposes, for this was Jonah’s way of informing his readers that he was facing the peril of death (We’ll see this again in his prayer). During the time of Jonah the people living in ANE believed it took “three days” to travel to the grave or place of the dead. Jonah’s use of this specific phrase was a way of saying “When I sank to the bottom of the sea and was in the belly of the great fish “I was as good as dead” or “I was at death’s door.”

1) Our childish understanding of Jonah’s rescue

First, we must come to grips with our childish understanding of Jonah’s rescue. If you’ve been raised in church you might have fond memories of being taught this story (Flannelgraph) and yet our well-intentioned telling of the story has prompted serious misunderstanding of Jonah’s experience. I’m not sure what you were taught about Jonah being swallowed by a fish but there are some pretty crazy ideas about this part of the story in children’s bibles and storybooks. Let’s take a look at some illustrations of what it was like when Jonah was swallowed by the fish.

· Pics

Wow! Here’s the problem, none of those are true! Sadly, the pictures don’t highlight the truth of the story. Let’s be honest it’s not as nice and neat as we teach it, he’s in the belly of a fish which is not the Holiday Inn, and while I’ve never been inside the belly of a fish I’ve cut open the belly of a fish and it’s slimy, warm, and stinky. Let’s set aside our childish misunderstandings of Jonah’s rescue. I want us to grasp and teach the truth of Jonah’s story—highlighting what it teaches us about God—and its implications for our lives.

2) The Possibility of Jonah’s Rescue

Secondly, we must address the possibility of Jonah’s rescue. Let’s take a moment know to address the obvious elephant in the room. Did this really happen? The idea of a man not only being swallowed by a fish, but actually surviving in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights seems irrational, illogical, and impossible. People throughout church history have questioned this event. Lucian in the 2nd century derided the notion. Augustine in the 5th century wrote about people in his day laughing this off as folly. The questioning of this event is not just the practice of modern man. This part of Jonah’s story goes beyond human reason, denied by many, and declared to by a fanciful myth. Is it historical? Jesus declared that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a fish () so it seems that he was referring to it as a historical event as opposed to a myth, parable, or allegory.

Is it possible? Yes! I’m not going to linger here but for the record, yes, it’s not out of the realm of human possibility. Most encyclopedias have references about some species of whales and sharks that are big enough to swallow a human being. A sperm whale, which often grows over sixty feet in length, has a throat large enough and fully able to swallow a man. As a matter of fact, some of the whales feed on octopuses larger than many men. Here’s a great picture of an actual “Whale Shark” which proves there are creatures out there that can get the job done. A Dallas newspaper had a story about a scientist that crawled through the gullet of a whale just to verify the biblical account.

· Pic

· A.J. Wilson - ‘The Sign of the Prophet Jonah and its Modern Confirmations’cites, along with two other examples, the case of a whaler, James Bartley, who in February 1891 during an attempt to harpoon a large sperm whale in the south Atlantic was swallowed by the animal. When the whale was eventually killed and dissected, Bartley was found alive, although unconcious, within its stomach While Wilson argues that the incident was carefully investigated and its veracity confirmed by Sir Francis Fox and two French scientists, Allen, p. 176, n. 5, observes that the widow of the ship’s captain later denied that it occurred.[2]

Despite all the attempts to convince people of the truth and possibility of this story, in the end most of them are unconvincing, and what happened to Jonah must be classified as a miracle—and by definition a miracle goes beyond human reason, logic, and scientific explanation—Jonah’s rescue was the supernatural work of a sovereign God who can controls waves, fish, and it’s not natural but supernatural—it’s a miracle—and it’s the work of God who operates above and beyond the realm of science, logic, rationality, and human reasoning because He is the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator and the one true God who controls the universe! God can use whatever He wants, whenever He wants to fulfill His purpose and plans for Jonah!

· Quote: “If man could prepare a “big fish” to hold a man for months (submarine); couldn’t God prepare a “big fish”(whatever it was) to hold a man for 3 days?”

3) The Connection between Jonah and Jesus

Third, I want us to see the connection between Jonah and Jesus. Jonah’s three days and three nights in the belly of the fish is mentioned by Jesus in the NT.

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The similarity between Jonah and Jesus is known as “Typology.” Typology refers to the practice of identifying parallels between OT events & people with NT events and people in the interpretation of Scripture. Identifying “types” in the Scriptures was a common practice in the Middle Ages. Jonah is identified as a “type” (parallel) to Jesus—and Jesus becomes the greater fulfillment of the OT event or figure. We see many parallels between Jonah and Jesus.

· Galilee

· Prophets

· Sacrificed themselves to save others

· Delivered from death/grave (three days and three nights)

· Preached message of salvation and need for repentance

When the experts in the law asked Jesus for a sign, revealing their desire to prove to them who He was and the truth of His teaching, he said the only sign that would be given is the “sign of Jonah”—Jonah was delivered from death and preached a message of salvation to the people of Nineveh calling them to repent—Jesus is the greater Jonah and “sign” of His identity, authority, and ministry would be His preaching of salvation/repentance and His deliverance from death through His glorious resurrection.

Yahweh sent the great fish to rescue Jonah. Yahweh pursued Jonah and saved Jonah despite his rebellion. Apart from Yahweh’s intervention, apart from Yahweh sending the great fish Jonah would have drowned and died in the bottom of the sea. Jonah’s time in the belly of a great fish wasn’t comfortable but it was purposeful and profitable.

· R.T. Kendall - “the belly of the fish is not a happy place to live but a good place to learn.”

Jonah experienced Yahweh’s relentless pursuit of him as a rebellious sinner. 72 hours in the belly of a whale is where transformation began in the life of this rebellious prophet. Jonah’s miraculous rescue prompted the rebellious prophet to offer up “A Prayer of Thanksgiving.”

B) The Rebellious Prophet’s Prayer (2:1-9)

Yahweh’s rescue of the rebellious prophet (1:17) is immediately followed by “The Rebellious Prophet’s Grateful Response (2:1-9). In we find the prophet’s response to Yahweh’s miraculous rescue—A prayer of thanksgiving—Jonah expressed his gratitude to Yahweh for saving him from the peril of death.

The chapter begins with the rebellious prophet praying in an unexpected place—“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God” (2:1)— I envision Jonah in shock and surprised to be alive in the belly of a huge fish. Jonah’s heart overcome with gratitude, he prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking Yahweh for rescuing him from death (saving him from drowning at sea).

Jonah’s prayer is written in the typical from of a thanksgiving psalm found in the OT (, , , , , ). Erase from your memory any thoughts of Jonah writing out this psalm of thanksgiving in the belly of the while – he’s not sitting in the belly of a whale by candlelight with a pen and parchment – his feelings of gratitude were felt in the belly of the way but they were written down (along with the rest of the story) at a later date. Much of this prayer prayed in the belly of the fish looks back to a previous prayer, when he cried out to the Lord while he was drowning in the open sea, so this prayer of thanksgiving is an expression of gratitude to Yahweh for saving his life. The OT thanksgiving psalms have a typical outline that guides us as we walk through this Jonah’s prayer.

1) A Celebration of Answered Prayer (2:2)

The thanksgiving psalm (prayer) begins with “A Celebration of Answered Prayer” (2:2).

While in the belly of the fish Jonah celebrated that Yahweh was attentive to his cry for help and saved him from the peril of death. Jonah’s prayer inside the belly of the huge fish recalled the prophet’s first prayer as he was sinking down to his watery grave.

Listen to Jonah recall his desperate plea while drowning in the open sea—“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help and you listened to my cry”—in his moment of intense, inner turmoil and anguish while drowning on the open sea. Jonah was descending down to his water grave (Sheol)—the rebellious prophet was being swallowed up by “the world of the dead” as he was drowning but Yahweh listened to his cry for help and sent a huge fish to save him from going down to Sheol (the grave). Before spending three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, Jonah declared that he was in “the belly of Sheol”—sinking down to the place of the dead or the depths of the grave—but the Lord heard Jonah’s cry for help and sent the fish to save him.

2) A Description of the Prophet’s Distress (2:3-6a)

Secondly, in Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving we find “A Description of Personal Crisis” (2:3-6a). Jonah acknowledged that his crisis on the open sea was the result of the sovereign hand of God.

Jonah acknowledged God’s sovereignty (2:3) - Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving acknowledged God’s sovereignty in his crisis—“You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas and the currents swirled about me”— Jonah knew Yahweh had caused the storm and Yahweh had sent Jonah overboard into the depths of the sea. Jonah identified the powerful waves of the sea as Yahweh’s possessions—“all your waves and breakers swept over me” (2:3)—the natural ocean current that engulfed Jonah as the mighty crest of the waves that crashed over him were the Lord’s waves. If you’ve ever swam in the ocean you can relate to Jonah’s plight of being barraged by breaking waves that sweep over and engulf you. The waves of the sea that crashed over Jonah were the servants of Yahweh, tools in His hands as the Lord relentlessly pursued Jonah, so this prophet’s personal crisis was a part of the Lord’s sovereign plan and purpose.

Jonah was determined to seek God’s help (2:4) - Jonah’s personal crisis brought despair mixed with hope (2:4). When he was drowning at sea it felt as if he was no longer under Yahweh’s watchful eye—"“I have been banished from your sight”—even though he knew God was omnipresent he thought of himself as being expelled from God’s attention. And yet even in that moment there was a glimmer hope—“Yet I will look again to your holy temple”—this expression denotes Jonah’s intent to cry out to Yahweh in prayer. Jonah was going to “look to the holy temple”—to seek Yahweh’s help by crying out in prayer, in hope that He would save him from the peril of death so that he could one day be restored to prayer and worship in the actual holy temple.

Jonah encountered the peril of death (2:5-6) - Jonah encountered the peril of death on the open sea—"5The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever”—this is a vivid description of a man drowning in the open sea. The waves “engulfed” Jonah, rising up to his neck and over his head, the waves were threatening to take his life. The deep ocean surrounded Jonah, the abyss of the sea overtook him, and he sank down into the depths of the sea. During this descent to his watery grave “seaweed” wrapped around his head. Jonah finally sank “down” to his lowest point (down to Joppa, down to the ship, down below the deck of the ship, and now sinking down into the sea), “the roots of the mountains” or “the very bottom of the mountains, denoting his downward descent towards the ocean floor. It’s there “the earth beneath barred me in forever”—the bars of the netherworld had Jonah imprisoned—Jonah felt entombed and imprisoned by the sea which had become his watery grave. In that sense Jonah’s description of being “barred in forever” could refer to “the gates of Sheol (grave)—he has gone down as far as he could go—for in that moment Jonah felt that he passed from the earth to the underworld of death from which he would never escape. Jonah hasn’t physically died but he had sunk down to his grave where he would die (go to Sheol). Jonah was entombed by the sea and on the very brink of entering the underworld of death with no hope of being set free from the peril of death.

3) A Proclamation of God’s Deliverance (6b-7)

In that moment of impending death, as Jonah lie imprisoned by the sea (Sheol), Yahweh saved Jonah from the peril of death—“You brought my life up from the pit, O Lord, my God.7“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you to your holy temple.—as Jonah’s “soul” was fainting away in the watery grave he remembered the Lord and he cried out to Yahweh. Jonah’s prayer is portrayed reaching the holy temple. Jonah’s prayer from the depths of the sea and was heard by God in His holy temple. Yahweh heard Jonah’s cry and rescued him! The Lord was attentive to Jonah’s cry for help and He sent the great fish down to the depths of the sea to save Jonah from the pit of death. God commanded a great fish to swallow Jonah to bring him up from his watery grave!

Jonah’s proclamation of God’s deliverance is an expression of gratitude. Jonah praised God from the belly of the fish, Jonah thanked God for His miraculous intervention, for the Lord had delivered Jonah from his underwater tomb by sending the fish to save him. Jonah had been brought from the brink of death to life! The vivid description of Jonah’s peril/distress only magnifies God’s gracious deliverance. God had rescued the rebellious prophet from the peril of death.

4) A Declaration of Personal Devotion (2:8-9)

Finally, the psalm of thanksgiving concludes with “A Declaration of Personal Devotion” (2:8-9). The final stanza of this prayer of thanksgiving reveals that Yahweh’s pursuit of Jonah is slowly changing his heart. The rebellious prophet who ran from God, was rescued by God, and now is ready to declare his vow of Personal devotion to Yahweh.

Jonah’s View of Idols (2:8) - Jonah’s vow of dedication begins with a bold declaration about the foolishness and uselessness of trusting in idols. Jonah declared “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (2:8)—Jonah had come to experience Yahweh’s grace first hand through His deliverance from death. Trusting in idols is foolish and futile, clinging to idols is an act of empty worthlessness, it’s a vanity of emptiness, and in this context the pantheon of gods worshipped by the sailors are dismissed as useless idols who offer no hope of salvation, for only Yahweh has the power to save. Anyone who trust in gods other than Yahweh forsake the “grace” that could be theirs, they forfeit experiencing Yahweh’s loving kindness or mercy, His loyal love that is the basis for His relentless pursuit and gracious salvation.

Jonah’s Vow of Devotion to the God who saves (2:9) - Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving concludes with a personal vow of devotion to Yahweh. Jonah confessed his renewed commitment to the Lord. While Jonah’s psalm of thanksgiving is a verbal “sacrifice of praise” like the sailors before him, Jonah promised to offer his own sacrifice to Yahweh in the future. Jonah envisioned returning to Jerusalem one day to make offer up a sacrifice to the Lord, a sacrifice accompanied with a song of thanksgiving for His divine deliverance, Jonah offering up to Yahweh a “song of thanksgiving” as a sacrifice like the sailors before him Jonah offered up to Yahweh a sacrifice but his was a sacrifice of praise—Jonah resolved his firm commitment to one day offer up a sacrifice to Yahweh with a voice of praise.

Jonah promised to fulfill his vow – he will offer up to Yahweh an offering accompanied with praise, for Jonah promised to fulfill this vow one day.

The psalm of thanksgiving concludes with Jonah’s bold proclamation—“Salvation comes from the Lord”—Jonah has made a vow to Yahweh because He is the One who saves. Jonah vowed his devotion to the God who saves. Jonah experienced Yahweh’s salvation in a personal way—He was saved from the peril of death—and he’s proclaiming his personal vow of devotion to the Lord who saves. Ironically Jonah was unwilling to proclaim this message in Nineveh. God has been pursuing this rebellious prophet. Maybe, just maybe, Jonah is finally ready to go and proclaim Yahweh’s salvation to the people of Nineveh.

C) The Rebellious Prophet’s Return to Dry Land (2:10)

The drama of this scene finally concludes with “The Prophet’s Return/Restoration to Dry Land” (2:10). Now that Jonah has experienced Yahweh’s salvation first hand by being delivered from death through a huge fish, now Jonah’s heart is filled with gratitude, and now that Jonah is proclaiming Yahweh’s salvation, this rebellious prophet is returned to dry land.

In that moment “The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Don’t you just love the Lord’s sovereign power on display in this story. Yahweh has control over the wind and the whale—the great fish that was appointed to swallow Jonah was commanded to spit Jonah out of his mouth onto dry land—Yahweh spoke and the great fish obeyed his command (unlike Jonah when He called him to go to Nineveh). The great fish swam close to the shore and Jonah was violently “disgorged” from the belly of the great fish, the great fished “spewed” (spit) Jonah out onto dry land. The use of this word in the Scriptures is typically negative, hinting that Jonah believes the truth about Yahweh but has been unwilling to share them with the people of Nineveh, so he’s being puked out because he hasn’t been the prophet God’s called him to be. Jonah’s return to dry land will test if Jonah’s heart has truly been changed.

We don’t know for sure what shore Jonah landed, in light of the sailor’s previous attempt to row back to Joppa instead of throwing him overboard it’s possible that he was returned to the shoreline near the port. The point is that Yahweh’s rescue of this rebellious prophet is complete. Yahweh has relentlessly pursued Jonah through the storm and the sailors, only to graciously save him through the great fish, and bring him back to the place where he will have the opportunity to serve Him. What a great chapter in the life of this rebellious prophet. What a great God who relentlessly pursues us in our rebellion to transform our hearts.

APPLICATION

A Few Reflections from God’s Rescue of the Rebellious Prophet

In today’s text we are confronted with one of the greatest “fish” stories of all time, it’s an amazing story, but if we’re not careful we’ll miss the overall message. The story isn’t about the great fish, it’s about a great God who pursued the prodigal prophet in his rebellion. God has pursued Jonah through the storm, through the sailors, and now through a great big fish. What does the story of a rebellious prophet being swallowed by a fish and spit up on shore mean to us? What does God want to teach us? Jonah’s miraculous rescue, his prayer of thanksgiving, and his return to dry land shine the spotlight on God’s salvation. Jonah was pursued by the relentless God who saves. We are pursued by the relentless God who saves. Let’s consider a two reflections from God’s rescue of the rebellious prophet that have implications for our lives as followers of Jesus.

1) The story of Jonah’s rescue points us to Jesus

First and foremost the story of Jonah’s rescue points us to Jesus. The prophet Jonah points us to the greater prophet Jesus. The good news of Jonah’s rescue points us to the good news of our rescue in Jesus. Jonah’s story of rescue foreshadows a greater story of rescue – not salvation from the sea but salvation from sin – God’s rescue of us as sinners through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Like Jonah, Jesus sacrificed Himself to save others. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the way of life for sinners – for through the cross God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus, our sins were paid for in full, and we are reconciled to God and to one another. Jonah’s three days and three nights in a great fish points us to Jesus’ three days and nights in the tomb—both Jonah and Jesus were delivered from the peril of death—and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead offers us new life in Him.

Jonah experienced God’s salvation first-hand—have you? Have you been rescued from the power of sin and peril of death through faith in Jesus? Can you say like Jonah said—“You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God”—Is Jesus your personal Savior? Don’t forfeit the “loving-kindness” of God that could be yours in Jesus by trusting in anything or anyone (idols) other than Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (). Lay down your idols, whatever and whoever you’re trusting in to save you—family heritage/reputation, good works, own effort, church attendance, or goodness—“salvation belongs to the Lord” (2:9).

Stop running from God, run to Jesus, cry out to Him, turn to Him, and trust in Him. Don’t forfeit the loving-kindness of God available to you in Jesus—put your faith in Him as your Savior and Lord—so that you’ll be rescued from the power of sin and the peril of death to enjoy abundant life in Him.

2) God pursues us to change our rebellious hearts

The story of God’s rescue of the rebellious prophet reveals/reminds us that God desires to change our rebellious hearts. God needed to change the heart of a rebellious prophet. Jonah’s heart was hard – he refused to go to Nineveh – so God’s rescue of Jonah was first and foremost transformational. God wanted to transform the heart of this rebellious prophet. God used a big fish to save Jonah from the peril of death – Jonah’s grateful for God’s deliverance – and he was drawn back to deeper devotion to the Lord. Jonah’s rescue produced in his heart a renewed vow to be devoted to God who saves. Jonah vowed to be devoted to the Lord.

God pursues us to change our hearts. Is your heart being changed by the gospel? We can be thankful for salvation in Jesus – and that’s a good thing - but are you being transformed by salvation in Jesus? God has rescued us from penalty of sin and the peril of death—has His saving work produced mere lip service or a life of personal devotion to Him? God is pursuing you so that you will be fully dedicated to Him. God’s saving work in Jesus so much more than the day you put your faith in Jesus at a VBS, walked the aisle of a church to respond to an altar call, or trusted in Jesus through an FCA event – God has saved you, He is saving you, and He will save you – and part of His saving work is the transformation our hearts!

· Transformed Hearts that die to self

· Transformed Hearts that obey His word

· Hearts that serve

· Heart of authentic worship

· Heart of deeper surrender

· Hearts that pursue holiness

· Hearts that desire to make much about Jesus

· Hearts that love the unlovable

· Hearts that give generously

· Hearts that are satisfied in Him

· Hearts that exhibit Christ-like humility

· Hearts that put others before ourselves

· Hearts that proclaim “Salvation is belongs to the Lord” to those we don’t think deserve it

How’s your heart this morning? Is God’s saving work transformation your heart?

I don’t know the condition of your heart this morning – I do know God’s pursuing you to change your heart – and I do know that His saving work through Jesus is all about transformation your heart to be more like Jesus. May His saving work in our lives through Jesus draw us to an ever-increasing love for Him and deeper devotion to serving Him no matter the cost.

The transformation of hearts is rarely easy and it won’t happen in one day, two days, or even three days—His heart transformation is ongoing process that’s going to continue in Jonah’s life and in our lives as well—God’s not even close to being done with Jonah’s heart and He’s not even close to being done with our hearts. God’s pursuit of us to change our hearts is “to be continued” – Let’s pray.

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), .

[2] Donald J. Wiseman, T. Desmond Alexander, and Bruce K. Waltke, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 26, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988).