You cannot out Run God Part 1
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Lord Jesus Thank you so much for this beautiful day Lord This morning I pray for our nation I pray for our leaders I pray against this Virus I pray against the fear your love overcomes all fear for death has lost its sting so lord I pray that your name your goodness your love would be revealed to the people in a real way in a powerful way lord today I pray for all the churches in Hamilton I pray for all the churches in and around the world i pray for all the believers unable to meet Lord I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit to lead this message that it will be him who speaks through a simple man that you will be honored that you will be exalted. in your precious name amen
Most people, when they study the book of Jonah, immediately get hung up on the fish. They think the whole story of Jonah is the story of the fish. In actuality Jonah is not so much the story about the fish as it is the story about the bird. Jonah's name means dove. The truth of the matter is he acted more like a buzzard, as you read these verses. Unfortunately, we Christians can act like buzzards along the way, also.
You have here the classic teaching in the Bible that you cannot run from God. The story is not so much about the whale as it is about witnessing. The story is not so much about a backslidden prophet as it is our compassionate God. In this personal experience, which the Holy Spirit has chosen to share with us in the pages of our Bibles, we learn the importance of finding and following God's will for our lives. We learn the message that you cannot, you cannot, you cannot run from the Will of God
Jonah 1:1-3
Jonah Refused the Call of God in His Life
Nineveh was a ancient Assyrian city located in the upper Mesopotamia or in modern day Mozul Iraq
one of the oldest cities within the antiquity, this was a place for major trade routes
Known for there forcing captives to wrestle with lions to take them tying them to poles while skinning them alive or their sacrifices of newborn children to their idols
God has plenty of reasons to be angry with Nineveh, but God being a compassionate God a God of Love a God of Second chances Chose a Profit to go and preach to this wicked nation that they may repent and turn their faces back towards the Lord
Arent you Glad we have a God whom Loves
Dont you want to praise Him this morning for He doesn't give us what we deserve?
That just as He Choose Jonah to go and preach so that they may repent he loved you enough that he sent me this morning here to you to tell all of us the same thing
Im so glad I serve a God that is a God of second chances one who truly is longsuffering towards us.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But, Jonah a chosen man by God a profit, but not perfect did not want to Go to Nineveh He thoughts they were not worth his time he felt that they deserved the wrath of God for all their wicked ways
So He ran the other way, away from his calling away from Nineveh away from God
So many of you run when times get tough dont you.
Maybe its hardships
marriage issues inlaw issues family issues financial issues issues with the kids at work you name it when times get tough you run like Jonah
or maybe like Jonah you feel like you should do more for the Kingdom of God maybe its teaching maybe its discipleship maybe its evangelizing but you have told yourself there just isn't enough time or maybe you think im not good enough i don't know enough or maybe like Jonah God has put it on you to talk to someone specific, but you have thought to yourself they don't deserve my time they don't deserve the Gospel if you only knew what kind of people they are then you would understand so maybe you haven't done anything
Well lets read more of the story
jonah 1:4-17
Lord has the Power to send the Wind as he has the power to silence it
There was another boat in the Gospel in Which the wind the Storm was about to sink
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
I just want you to see the Parallels between this story and the story of Jesus Jonah was a great profit but Christ was greater
They were scared and running and Jonah went to sleep
To sleep the Ship being tossed side to side waves coming over the deck they are throwing all their belongings over board and Jonah goes to sleep
2.Many of us are asleep just as Jonah we have the Power of the living God just as Jonah His spirit living within us and we sleep while our friends our families are perishing
While their lives are turned upside down when the storms are blowing down the doors of their homes we like Jonah are asleep
:what do you mean sleeper?” the captain could not believe it he woke him up
Difference in Jonah and Jesus Sleeping was that the Deciples were in the hands of God himself this is why Jesus says “Why are you so fearful How is it that you have no faith?
When we put our faith In Christ in the middle of our storm it may get messy it may hurt but he will see us through for all things work together for the good of those who love God and those that are called according to his purpose
Jonah a Profit a man called by God but not God not God manifested in God was as you are a man with a mission sent by God.
God who makes the Sea in which they are in the wind that is tearing the boat apart the dry land in which they hope to be. God is the creator of all things for He is sovereign He is God
Verse 10
Why have you fled from the presence of the Lord
Sometime our actions cause real damage to those around us even our inaction cause real damage to those around us and when we neglect a call from God in our life we truly never know the damage that was caused by our inaction in which God would have used us for untold amounts of Good to help others to lead others to encourage others to love on others to see others lives changed but because of our inaction we will never know the impact that could have been
these men’s lives were changed they made a vow before the Lord God had used the Evil of Jonah his dis obedience for Good
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
God will use all circumstances for the Good now Jonah probably didn't feel that way right here right now but God used his disobedience to save the lives of theses men now dont pat yourself on the back just yet because I serve a loving God I serve a powerful God but I serve a Just God. While God used His disobedience for Good look at verse 17 He prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah that was justice for his disobedience
3. In the Belly for 3 days and 3 Nights
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
4. A cry to repentance
ch2
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Lord Jesus thank you for being the God of second chances thank you for being merciful even when we run from you thank you for the Grace that you give to us Lord jesus today I want to acknowledge that i know that I am a sinner in need of a saviour that Lord I just cant do this on my own anymore Lord I need a second chance Lord I believe that you are the son of God I believe that you Died on the cross for my own sin I believe that you rose again that you defeated death that I might have eternal life in you Lord I ask that you would come into my heart to change me to transform me into the Man into the Woman that you want me to be Lord I surrender to you today that you are my Lord and Saviour.