Sermon Tone Analysis

Resisting Commitment

C.I.T.: Jonah resisted and rebelled against the will of God.

Thesis Christians must be obedient to Christ in order to continue in the peace and joy of the Lord

M/O: Consecrative

S/0: Christians will repent of resisting and rebelling against the will of God.

Related Scripture Passages: ; ;

Title: "Resisting Commitment"

CONFRONTING CASUAL CHRISTIANITY, Charles Stanley,

Broadman Press, 1985, p.91-114.

Criswell Study Bible

Introduction:

Why is it that we resist and rebel in our commitment to the Lord Jesus?

Why in the world would we, knowingly go against the clearly revealed will of God for our lives?

It seems to be a foolish thing to resist and rebel against the very one who desires the very best for us, doesn't it?

Jonah, the prophet in this story, is the epitome of a person who knew exactly what God wanted him to do and yet resisted and rebelled against that call.

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” 3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence.

He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.

He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the LORD’s presence.

4 Then the LORD hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart.

5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god.

They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load.

Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.

6 The captain approached him and said, “WHAT are you doing sound asleep?

Get up!

Call to your god.

Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.”

7 “Come on!” the sailors said to each other.

“Let’s cast lots.

Then we’ll know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.”

So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.

What is your business and where are you from?

What is your country and what people are you from?” 9 He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew.

I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this you’ve done?”

The men knew he was fleeing from the LORD’s presence, because he had told them.

Through Jonah we will learn why we sometimes resist our commitment to God.

I-RESISTING THE CALL OF GOD ()

A-God's call

1-Jonah had already committed himself to God as his prophet.

a. Obedience in proclaiming the word of God should have been natural.

been natural.

2-Jesus has called you to some basic commitments when He called you to salvation.

called you to salvation.

a.

The commitment to follow Him.

1) Just as He called the disciples to do.

“Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you

fish for people!”

b.

The commitment to witness ()

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has

come on you, and you will be My witnesses in

Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends

of the earth.”

c.

The commitment to be faithful to the Assembly

“And let us be concerned about one another in order

to promote love and good works, not staying away

but encouraging each other, and all the more as you

d.

The commitment to diligently seek to understand and obey God’s will and ways

obey God’s will and ways

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a

worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly

teaching the word of truth.”

e.

The commitment to pray.

B-God's Specific Call ()

1-Jonah was specifically called to go to a particular place-Nineveh.

Nineveh.

a.

Even more specifically, he was called to preach a warning message to them.

warning message to them.

2-Jesus calls each one of us to perform specific tasks.

a.

He calls us to specific acts of material stewardship.

b.

He calls some to preach ..at home..overseas..etc.

c.

He calls some to teach.

d.

To witness to a specific person

e.

To minister to a specific person

C-Resistance to His Call ()

1- Jonah bought a ticket and headed the opposite direction.

direction.

2- Jesus is calling you to a specific task, are you running from him?

running from him?

II-REASONS FOR RESISTING GOD'S CALL ( )

“But Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. 2 He

prayed to the LORD: “Please, LORD, isn’t this what I said

while I was still in my own country?

That’s why I fled

toward Tarshish in the first place.

I knew that You are a

merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich

disaster.

3 And now, LORD, please take my life from me,

for it is better for me to die than to live.”