Jonah--Week 1

Intro:

I’m so excited to be starting a new series on Jonah

We are going to be spending 1 week in each chapters, so 4 weeks total

What do you think/what goes your mind when someone says “we need to talk?

Like your mom, gf, bf, dad, friend?

Do you get scared?

Do you love talking so you get excited?

When Emily wants to bring something up she says “Hey, I need to tell you something”

When i hear that I immediately go into worst case scenario mode

We have to spend $1000 to save sylvie’s life

You want a puppy

you want to buy new clothes and we’re probably going to be living on the street because of it

There’s a chance I accidentally left the car running all night

These are the things i uslaly think of

BUt usually, it’s something small

Do the lawn

Take out the trash

you smell

There’s a lot of power with the question “Hey, i need to tell ya something”

Because with that question comes anticipation with the listener

This question can change peoples lives for the good or bad.

Will you marry me

I love you

We need to talk

i found something on your scan

there has been an accident

When Emily says, “Hey, i need to tell ya something” I stop and listen

Because I love her

Because I respect her

Because I want to let her speak truth into my life

My response to what she says is important

Sometimes I do it, someitmes I dont

If I don’t listen to my wife when she tells me something, do i really love her?

The amazing thing is, God does this same thing to us with His Word (and he was doing it to Jonah)

Hey i’ve got something to tell ya

God gave a message to Jonah He didn’t like

Sometimes God gives us messages we don’t like

How we respond is very importatnt

Here is what we need to know about God and His messages:

God calls us to get up and go

Jonah 1:1–2 ESV

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”

Ninevah was in assyria

They were a huge city…about 600,000 people

It was a three day journey from one end of the city to the other.

Inner wall was 8 miles in circumference

Outer wall was 60 miles in circumference

It was incredibly advanced

but it’s people were currupt and incredibly wicked

It was known as the “bloody city”

Filled with fraud, lies, robberies, sensuousnes, vioence, witchcraft, and idolatry

Ninevah was a great city that HATED the jews

They used to bury jews up to their head in the desert

They killed jews in terrible fashion (wicked fashions)

They were the sworn enemies of the jews

Basically, God told Jonah to go to a city that hated him and then tell those people “you guys are terrible wicked people”

how would you respond to that?

I think God is telling us to do this same kind of thing today

When your friend is telling dirty jokes, how do you respond?

When your older brother is watching a movie that your parents wouldn’t like how would you respond?

When your significant other isn’t content with your relationship, how do you respond?

God is calling us to get up and to make a stand for him!

Isn’t it easier to hang out in the background?

Sometimes we Flee

Jonah 1:3 ESV

But Jonah rose 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, away from the presence of the Lord.

Just to put it in perspective, tarshish is in the totally opposite direction

Jonah wasn’t content to just stay and try to be lazy

He actively disobeyed God and ran teh other way

Have you ever fled from something or someone who was trying to help you do good for you?

This seems like a really juvenile thing to do

i know there have been when I’ve been swimming in the pool with my neices and nephews and theyre having trouble swimming to the ladder to get out

I try to help them, but theyd rather do it by themselves

I’m just like “Well, enjoy drowning I guess”

Have you ever been like this kid?

(Play wife swap video)

God knew what was going to happen with Jonah (mass revivial)

He knew something incredible was about to happen through Jonah

Jonah took something that was meant for good and thought it was bad....like Curtis in our video lol

Let me ask you, what are some things you’ve fled from when you should have stepped up?

Maybe seeing someone bullied and you just kept quiet

Maybe seeing someone who is ostracized by the people around him and you didn’t go try to be a friend

Maybe an opportunity came to share your faith with someone and you didn’t do it

We know we have to allow God to change us, but we flee

We know we have to put God first (before anything else in our lives) but we flee

We know sometimes we must do something, say something, step up, but instead we run away like curtis. Because that is always easier...

Here is my thought studying this passage;

You cannot fulfill God’s call in your life while you are in your comfort zone.

When we run from God, it’s like running from light

We’re never gonna make it

But when we flee, we miss out on blessings

It’s like curtis leaving his house to go live on the streets

It’s like trading riches for poverty, wisdom for ignorance, joy for sorrow, peace for chaos, rewards for punishment

When you choose to step outside yuor comfort zone and obey rather than flee, God works wonders through you.

God Pursues His children and provides for them

Jonah 1:4–9 ESV

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And 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.”

When you disobey God, He’s not going to let you live in that sin

He’s going to actively pursue you, discipline you, etc

For instance, I know of a pastor who is daily fighting depression in His life

He knows all the answers to how to beat depression

He’s also preeached against depression

But he still battles with it.

This depression is the pastor’s own hypocrisy for living in sin

God loves us too much to allow us to continue living in sin…let’s read on

Jonah 1:10–17 ESV

Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Even in Jonah’s sin, God is using it to bring men’s attention to Him

Not only did God pursue Jonah with this storm, but he provided a way to escape

It wasn’t a pleasant way, but it was a way!

When you confess your sin and turn back to God, He is going to do great things through you .

Jus tlike He did great thigns through Jonah

When God calls us, He equips us

There is nothign on earth God is not calling you to do that you cannot do.

THis should give us great hope

You can pass the hard math class

You can obey your parents

You can choose to not punch your little brother in teh face

God is going to provide everything you need to accopmlish His calling on your life.

Just say yes to Him

Matthew 6:31–33 ESV

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

So when God says, “Hey , I got to tell ya something” to us, how do we respond?

Are you obeying? Keep Obeying!

Are you running? Turn back to God!

God always uses imperfect people in imperfect situations to accomplish His perfect will.

We’re going to see how God makes that true next week in Jonah.