What Happens When You Run Away from God

HOOK

How much longer are you going to run away from God?

I’ve been running away from God most of my early life

Through the process, I almost lost everything— Wealth [financially], Friends, My Family [relationally] and even my sanity [emotionally], I almost died in a car accident [physically]

I’ve been through many different types of storm in my life— various intensity [signal/category #1, 2, 3 …]

Until I came to realize that we cannot run away from God after all— it is just a matter of time

Psalm 139:7–8 NCV

7 Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.

'Saan ako pupunta mula sa iyong Espiritu? O saan ako tatakas mula sa harapan mo? Kung ako'y umakyat sa langit, ikaw ay naroon! Kung gawin ko ang aking higaan sa Sheol, ikaw ay naroon! ' MGA AWIT 139:7-8

'Sadino ti papanak tapno malisianka? Sadino ti pagkamangak tapno maadaywanka? No umuliak sadi langit, addaka met sadiay. No agiddaak iti lubong dagiti natay, masarakanka met sadiay. ' Dagiti Salmo 139:7-8

Like the Israelites— what could’ve been a 3 week journey ended up to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness

Like the prodigal son from the parable of Jesus— it was just a matter of time until the rebellious son realized, remorse, repent which led to his restoration that cause them to rejoice

God gave us special purposes in life that is unique— and he gave us the freewill to choose whether or not we will live out those purposes that He has for each and everyone of us

God gave Jonah a mission— and that is to warn the people of Nineveh that Judgment was coming

But Jonah immediately tried to run away from the Lord

Jonah faced consequences for his decision, the same kind of consequences you may encounter if you run away from God’s mission for you life

How much longer are you going to run away from God?

Today, and during the these Sundays to come, I will talk about the book Jonah— “The Running Prophet”

Let’s begin this series entitled: “Stop Running Away from God” by looking into “What Happens When Your Run from God.”

Open your Bible to the Book of Jonah— while doing that, let me give you some overview about this book

The Book of Jonah does not name its author

Jonah— son of Amittai was active during the reign of King Jeroboam II — and that was some time 780BC

Now, whenever we are studying the Bible, we must pay attention to words that defines the CHARACTER of God. COMMANDS. PROMISES. EXAMPLES. CONVICTIONS. CHALLENGES & ENCOURAGEMENTS. ATTITUDES. PRAYER TO PRAY. THINGS TO THANK GOD FOR.

BOOK

Jonah 1:1–6 NCV

1 The Lord spoke his word to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it, because I see the evil things they do.” 3 But Jonah got up to run away from the Lord by going to Tarshish. He went to the city of Joppa, where he found a ship that was going to the city of Tarshish. Jonah paid for the trip and went aboard, planning to go to Tarshish to run away from the Lord. 4 But the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, which made the sea so stormy that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. 5 The sailors were afraid, and each man cried to his own god. They began throwing the cargo from the ship into the sea to make the ship lighter. But Jonah had gone down far inside the ship to lie down, and he fell fast asleep. 6 The captain of the ship came and said, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray to your god! Maybe your god will pay attention to us, and we won’t die!”

'Ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating kay Jonas na anak ni Amitai, na nagsasabi, “Bumangon ka, pumaroon ka sa Ninive, sa malaking lunsod na iyon, at sumigaw ka laban doon; sapagkat ang kanilang kasamaan ay umabot sa harapan ko.” Ngunit si Jonas ay bumangon upang tumakas patungo sa Tarsis mula sa harapan ng Panginoon . Siya'y lumusong sa Joppa at nakatagpo ng barkong patungo sa Tarsis. Nagbayad siya ng pamasahe at lumulan upang sumama sa kanila sa Tarsis papalayo sa harapan ng Panginoon . Ngunit ang Panginoon ay naghagis ng malakas na hangin sa dagat, at nagkaroon ng malakas na unos sa dagat, anupa't ang barko ay nagbantang mawasak. Nang magkagayo'y natakot ang mga magdaragat at tumawag ang bawat isa sa kanya-kanyang diyos; at kanilang inihagis sa dagat ang mga dala-dalahang nasa sasakyan upang makapagpagaan sa kanila. Samantala, si Jonas ay nasa ibaba sa pinakaloob na bahagi ng barko na doon ay nakahiga siya at nakatulog nang mahimbing. Sa gayo'y dumating ang kapitan at sinabi sa kanya, “Ano ang ibig mong sabihin, at natutulog ka pa? Bumangon ka, tumawag ka sa iyong diyos! Baka sakaling alalahanin tayo ng diyos upang huwag tayong mamatay.” ' JONAS 1:1-6

'Iti maysa nga aldaw, nagsao ni Yahweh ken ni Jonas nga anak ni Amittai. Kinunana, “Inka idiay Nineve, ket ballaagam dayta agdindinamag a siudad, ta naipadamag kaniak ti kinadakes dagiti tattao.” Ngem nagrubbuat ketdi ni Jonas ket sabali ti tinurongna tapno itarayanna ni Yahweh. Napan idiay Joppe ket nakasarak iti barko nga agturong idiay Tarsis. Kalpasan ti panagbayadna iti pletena, limmugan a kaduana dagiti tripulante tapno mapan sadiay, ket iti kasta, maadaywanna ni Yahweh. Ngem imbulos ni Yahweh ti napigsa nga angin iti taaw. Napigsa ti bagio ket kasla marba ti barko. Nagbuteng dagiti tripulante ket immawag ti tunggal maysa iti diosna. Tapno lumag-an ti barko, intappuakda dagiti karga. Ngem adda ni Jonas iti akimbaba a kadsaaran ti barko iti maysa a suli, ket nargaan ti turogna. Sadiay ti nakasarakan kenkuana ti kapitan ti barko. “Apay a matmaturogka?” kinuna ti kapitan. “Bumangonka ketdi ket agpatulongka iti diosmo bareng no kaasiannatayo ket saantayo a matay.” ' Jonas 1:1-6

SHOW MAPS

SHOW ANCIENT PHOENICIAN SHIP

LOOK

RUN AWAY FROM THE LORD

What’s going on in the mind of Jonah?— Why did he ran away from the Lord?

It could be that he is afraid?— because the City of Nineveh is not just very big, its people are also hostile against God

Jonah is from the countryside and going to a big city could have brought him so much fear and anxiety

THE LORD SENT A GREAT WIND ON THE SEA, WHICH MADE THE SEA SO STORMY

God send a powerful wind to push the boat back

Why did God do that?— Because he loved Jonah, and He wanted him to make a good decision that would give him a life purpose and fulfillment.

God sends storm in our lives to encourage us to make better decisions

THE SHIP WAS IN DANGER OF BREAKING APART

If the ship broke apart and sunk, it could have cause the lives of people in it

When you run away from God it could cost you PHYSICALLY

THE SAILORS WERE AFRAID, AND EACH MAN CRIED

Jonah’s disobedience also threatened of everyone in the boat to Tarshish

When you run away from God, innocent people, including your love ones and the people you care about, are affected— they can get hurt

It could be your spouse, your kids, grandkids, your friends— and sometimes, even people you do not know can get hurt because of your disobedience

When you run away from God it could cost you RELATIONALLY

THEY BEGAN THROWING CARGO FROM THE SHIP

We are not sure what cargo are in this ship to Tarshish— but whatever it was, it has value— and regardless how much or less its value was— still that is a lost of wealth

When you run away from God it could cost you FINANCIALLY

THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP CAME AND SAID, WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING?

If you try to flee from God— you couldn’t event get a good night sleep

When you run away from God it could cost you EMOTIONALLY

What Happens When You Run Away from God?

TOOK

IF I RUN AWAY FROM GOD, IT COULD COST ME PHYSICALLY

Luke 15:15–16 NCV

15 So he got a job with one of the citizens there who sent the son into the fields to feed pigs. 16 The son was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

'Kaya't pumaroon siya at sumama sa isa sa mga mamamayan sa lupaing iyon na nagpapunta sa kanya sa kanyang mga bukid upang magpakain ng mga baboy. At siya'y nasasabik na makakain ng mga pinagbalatan na kinakain ng mga baboy at walang sinumang nagbibigay sa kanya ng anuman. ' LUCAS 15:15-16

'Iti kasta, napan nagtrabaho iti maysa kadagiti umili sadiay a nangibaon kenkuana iti away tapno agtaraken kadagiti baboy. Kayatna ti mangan iti kankanen dagiti baboy, ngem awan nangted kenkuana! ' San Lucas 15:15-16

IF I RUN AWAY FROM GOD, IT COULD COST ME RELATIONALLY

Luke 15:28 NCV

28 The older son was angry and would not go in to the feast. So his father went out and begged him to come in.

'Subalit nagalit siya at ayaw pumasok. Lumabas ang kanyang ama, at siya'y pinakiusapan. ' LUCAS 15:28

'Kasta unay ti pungtot ti inauna a kabsat ket dina kayat ti sumrek iti balay. Iti kasta, rimmuar ti amana a nangay-ayo kenkuana a sumrek. ' San Lucas 15:28

IF I RUN AWAY FROM GOD, IT COULD COST ME FINANCIALLY

Luke 15:13 NCV

13 Then the younger son gathered up all that was his and traveled far away to another country. There he wasted his money in foolish living.

'Makaraan ang ilang araw, tinipon ng nakababatang anak ang lahat ng kanya, at naglakbay patungo sa isang malayong lupain at doo'y nilustay ang kanyang kabuhayan sa maaksayang pamumuhay. ' LUCAS 15:13

'Kalpasan ti sumagmamano nga aldaw, inlako ti inaudi ti bingayna, ket innalana ti naglakoanna sa pimmanaw. Napan iti adayo a daga ket sadiay binusbosna amin a kuartana iti nabarayuboy a panagbiag. ' San Lucas 15:13

IF I RUN AWAY FROM GOD, IT COULD COST ME EMOTIONALLY

Luke 15:29–30 NCV

29 But the older son said to his father, ‘I have served you like a slave for many years and have always obeyed your commands. But you never gave me even a young goat to have at a feast with my friends. 30 But your other son, who wasted all your money on prostitutes, comes home, and you kill the fat calf for him!’

'Subalit sumagot siya sa kanyang ama, ‘Tingnan mo, maraming taon nang ako'y naglingkod sa iyo, at kailanma'y hindi ako sumuway sa iyong utos. Gayunman ay hindi mo ako binigyan kailanman ng kahit isang batang kambing upang makipagsaya sa aking mga kaibigan. Subalit nang dumating ang anak mong ito na lumustay ng iyong kabuhayan sa masasamang babae ay ipinagpatay mo pa siya ng pinatabang guya.’ ' LUCAS 15:29-30

'‘Kitaem,’ kinuna ti inauna, ‘nabayagen a kaslaak la maysa a tagabu a nagserserbi kenka. Pulos a diak nagsukir kadagiti bilbilinmo. Ania ti intedmo kaniak? Dinak man la inikkan iti uray maysa la koma a kalding a pakipagragragsakko kadagiti gagayyemko. Ngem daytoy nga anakmo—binusbosna amin a sanikuam kadagiti dakes a babbai. Ket ita ta nagsublin, impartiam iti napalukmeg a baka!’ ' San Lucas 15:29-30

CHALLENGE

How much longer are you going to run away from God?