Sermon Illustrations

1. We need to work in partnership with God. 1-3

Jonah wasn’t always working together with God, he was a reluctant prophet who was singing from a different hymn sheet to God. After all God had said go to Nineveh – Jonah headed in the opposite direction for Tarshish.

Jonah actions remind me of the old Laurel and Hardy films where so often Oliver is doing one thing and Hardy the exact opposite as a result disaster strikes.

Laurel and Hardy films 1932 The Piano where they try to get a piano up a huge flight of steps after spending a whole afternoon trying to get it up the steps, once in the house they unpack the crate and begin to tidy up with Hardy placing the wood on one side of the room whilst Laurel picking Hardy’s pile and placing it on the other counteracting each other. You see it all the time in their films.

What God wanted and what Jonah wanted for the people of Nineveh were two different things. Just picture it over 120,000 people have just come to the Lord 4:11 and yet 4:1 He was greatly displeased and became angry v3 and wants to die because of what’s taken place.