Jonah On Board?
Jonah 1:1-3NKJV
A small girl was asked to pray over the family meal. It was her first time ever, trying to emulate how her parents prayed, this is how she prayed: "Thank you Lord, for this meal you have REPAIRED for us.” Jonah spit up out of the fish, is the meal repaired for the people of Nineveh."
And yes, Jonah repaired for the people of Nineveh! P.H
Jonah, son of Amittai, was a prophet from the town of Gath-hepher (2 Kings 14:25). Instead of going East to preach to Nineveh (modern-day: Iraq) in obedience to God, Jonah went to the port of Joppa and sailed as far West as possible to Tarshish. -2,500 miles. However, God had different plans for Jonah as well as the great city of Nineveh, despite Jonah’s disobedience.
Jonah 1:1-3NKJV Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose 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 from the presence of the Lord.
God has a Nineveh for everyone of us- a place we don't want to go; a command we don't want to obey.
-Notice, twice in three verses, the Bible makes it clear that Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord.
Life is full of choices.
Dad, I’m not at all sure I can follow you any longer in your simple Christian faith, stated the clergyman‘s son, when he returned from the University for the holidays, with a fledging scholars, assured arrogance. The father made fun of his young son, who was lost, as C.S. Lewis put it, in the invincible arrogance of his intellect. Son, the father said, that is your freedom. -Your terrible freedom.
There are eight points in these 3 verses of scripture:
1. The Lord gave a message to Jonah...
The Lord still gives messages. Did you know that you’re a message?
Paul writes of his fellow believers in,
2 Corinthians 3:2-3TPT For your very lives are our “letters of recommendation,” permanently engraved on our hearts, recognized and read by everybody. 3 As a result of our ministry, you are living letters written by Christ, not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God—not carved onto stone tablets but on the tablets of tender hearts.
As believers, We are Jesus’ epistle. We are His letter for the world.
Psalms 147:5TPT “How great is our God! There’s absolutely nothing his power cannot accomplish, and he has infinite understanding of everything.”
Listen to me, you are Jesus’ messenger!
Rev. Charles Cowman (1868-1924), was a missionary evangelist in Japan. He wrote:
Our vital need is for a vital faith in God- In the omnipotent God. When oppressed with staggering problems, do not consider their boundaries, but re-discover the boundlessness of God.
Romans 11:33TPT “Who could ever wrap their minds around the riches of God, the depth of his wisdom, and the marvel of his perfect knowledge? Who could ever explain the wonder of his decisions or search out the mysterious way he carries out his plans?”
The message God gives to me might look and sound different than the message God gives to you.
What message has God given to you? What can stop the message? Prejudice. Jonah detest the Ninivites. -Love covers all!
2. God's call will be of significance. -God told Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh... -Huge city.
There could be a Nineveh with your name on it. P.H
God told Jonah to announce judgment against it, because I (God) have seen how wicked its people are.”
3. Jonah got up and traveled in the opposite
direction. -We make our choices.
To do God’s work there is a price to pay. Usually like- 10, 20, 30 years. -Fruitfulness wins every time.
Jonah went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish...
Apply this scripture, Psalm 37:23NKJV The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
4. God is patient with misguided people.
Verse 3b...He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.”
Again, Tarshish is the farthest point of the sea in the opposite direction from Nineveh. -Maybe you’re going in the opposite direction! P.H
You pay for detours. -Somebody’s got to pay. For Jonah, the entire crew seemingly would pay.
The winds and storm brought desperation.
5. Jonah confesses... who he really is.
Jonah 1:9NKJV So 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.”
It might be time for you to confess who you are; It might be time for you to proclaim what you believe.
When is the last time you confessed who you really are? -You know who you are, don’t you?
So I profess- I Am a believer. -I Am saved. I am loved by Jesus. I trust Jesus’ way, over my own. I love people. -Saved people and unsaved people.
6. Jonah told the men to throw him overboard, but the men onboard rowed even harder.
We question- “Is something wrong with me?”
Sometimes it makes us feel better to row harder. -To try harder.
In Galatians chapter 4, Paul speak directly to those who think maybe they could earn salvation, or maybe anything else according to their good works.
Galatians 4:21-27NLT Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said, “Rejoice, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into a joyful shout, you who have never been in labor! For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband!”
7. After prayer the men onboard threw Jonah overboard. -God has a plan.
Jonah 1:17NKJV Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Revival broke out in a belly of a fish. Sometimes bad situations make us call out to God.
Again 7. God has a plan.
I thought to myself, if I ever want to hear a prayer from a prophet who got himself in a pickle here it is:
Jonah 2:1-10MSG 1-9 Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. He prayed: “In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’ You heard my cry. You threw me into ocean’s depths, into a watery grave, With ocean waves, ocean breakers crashing over me. I said, ‘I’ve been thrown away, thrown out, out of your sight. I’ll never again lay eyes on your Holy Temple.’ Ocean gripped me by the throat. The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight. My head was all tangled in seaweed at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root. I was as far down as a body can go, and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive, O God, my God! When my life was slipping away, I remembered God, And my prayer got through to you, made it all the way to your Holy Temple. Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds, walk away from their only true love. But I’m worshiping you, God, calling out in thanksgiving! And I’ll do what I promised I’d do! Salvation belongs to God!”10 Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore.
Verse 10NLT: Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.
8. Finally, God will call you to do His will once again. -Do God’s will!
Jonah 3:1-5MSG Next, God spoke to Jonah a second time: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.” 3 This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying God’s orders to the letter.
Nineveh was a big city, very big—it took three days to walk across it. 4 Jonah entered the city, went one day’s walk and preached, “In forty days Nineveh will be smashed.” 5 The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers.
-The message of the Lord hasn’t changed!
Be a People of, Love, Prayer and Grace.
God Loves you, so Love God. Love others.
God Prays for you, so pray to God, and pray for others.
God is full of grace, -Receive grace, give grace to others.
Romans 11:29NLT For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
8. Again, 8. Do Gods will.
Benediction.
