Jonah Floatin Series

Dealing with Personal Jonah’s, and throwing them overboard

Text: Jonah 1:4-14

Last week we talked about Jonah fleeing from the presence of God and what it cost Jonah to do that, and God’s counterattack to his rebellion.

We said Jonah’s rebellion:

Cost Jonah the smile on God’s face, the peace in his heart, the worst adventure of his life, cost him to become insensitive to God and the hurt he was causing others, caused him to go further in error than he ever expected and caused him to endanger others. God responded before Jonah was born and a plan was meticulously made, from which there was no escape, God started setting off

alarm bells in his conscience, in his circumstances, in the trouble he was facing, God hurled a storm at him, God made things more difficult as time went on, lastly God touched Jonah physically. In the end God won, but what a mess to get there.

Let’s turn the ship around before we have to undergo all that.

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This week we are going to discuss how to deal with personal Jonah’s.

1. We need to recognize Jonah’s attract all kinds of trouble

Remember

Obedience brings blessings

Disobedience brings burdens.

Jonah’s have a neon sign on them in the spirit world that says, "troubles welcome 24 hours a day." And so trouble comes.

* Throw Jonah overboard and the storm will stop!

* Throw unhealthy relationships overboard and those storms will stop!

* Throw unequally yoked partnerships overboard and those storms will stop!

* Throw bad past choices overboard and those storms will stop!

* Throw personal sin and bad character overboard and the storm will stop!

* Throw insecurities overboard and the storm will stop!

* Throw destructive habits and addictions overboard and the storm will stop!

* Throw defeat and depression overboard and the storm will stop!

The following text in Revelation speaks of our need to separate ourselves from things God has earmarked for destruction:

Re 18:1 ¶ And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

Re 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Re 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Re 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

2. Jonah will leave you holding the bag.

A woman and a man are involved in a car accident. It’s a bad one. Both of their cars are demolished but amazingly neither of them is hurt. After they crawl

out of their cars, the woman says, "So, you’re a man...

That’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days." The man replied, "I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!" The woman

continued, "And look at this, here’s another miracle... My car is completely demolished, but this bottle of wine didn’t break. Surely God wants us to

drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune." Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it, drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts

the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man asks, "Aren’t you having any?" She replies, "Nah. I think I’ll just wait for the police..."

Jonah will leave you holding the bag. For example imagine all that the parents of the Colombine shooters were left with.

When I did drugs. I had a love hate relationship. I liked drugs, but they always bring storms, and always leave you trouble in their wake.

3. Jonah’s want you to do the hard stuff.

He caused the problem and won’t lift a finger to help.

These sailors put up with Jonah being on board until it became evident that they weren’t going to make it with him on the ship. Many times people will put up

with “Jonahs” in their lives until it almost brings them down.