Sermon # 4 - Seek To Please God Series

We read in Jonah 1:4, “Then the LORD sent a great wind over the sea, and a severe storm broke out. It seemed as if the ship were about to break up.” (ISV)

As we continue these studies on the life of Jonah, we will be pleasantly surprised to know that there is a lot that we as a church can learn from the life of this prophet. God had called Jonah and given him the specific task to go to Nineveh, to preach against their sin and wickedness. The message that Jonah was to preach was one of judgement and punishment. Nonetheless, Jonah decided that he would not heed God’s call and made plans to go in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Jonah paid the fare, and got into a ship that would take him to his desired destination. As the ship commenced on its voyage, there was a severe storm that broke out, and buffeted the ship.

God sent a great wind over the sea

The main point to note is that God Himself sent a furious wind over the sea. We may wonder as to what made Jonah decide to take this rebellious route, and flee from God’s call on his life. Jonah had a good understanding of who God really was. He knew that God was merciful, gracious and a loving God. So Jonah perceived that if he went and preached against Nineveh, the people of Nineveh would repent and if they did so, God would relent and graciously forgive them. God trusted Jonah with this call and His word, but Jonah chose to walk out in rebellion and disobedience to God. Jonah had a fine perception of who God really was, and also the power of God’s word.

All of us hear the word preached from various sources, but we should be sure that the message has its foundation based on the word of God. There are many who know who God is, but like Jonah are continuing in sin and rebellion. If that is the case, we need to repent, and ask God to pardon us.

One of the other reasons why Jonah was running away from the call of God was he was more concerned about what people thought of him, rather than God’s opinion of him. His thinking was that if he obeyed God, and preached to the people of Nineveh, they would repent. The outcome would be that God would be gracious, forgive them and not send down His punishment on the people, which Jonah thought would make him look absurd in the sight of the people.

Like Jonah many of us are people pleasers, and are more concerned about people’s impressions of us rather than God’s opinion of us. I hope that by the end of this message we will have come to a decision that we will seek to please God only, and not be concerned about people’s assessment of us.

• The people pleaser

We read in 1 Samuel 15:30, Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the LORD your God.” (ESV)

When Saul was an ordinary man, God chose him and exalted him to be the king of Israel. However, Saul opted to disobey God’s command. God revealed this to the prophet Samuel and when Samuel confronted Saul on this matter, the above are the words of King Saul to Samuel the prophet of God. Saul accepted the fact that he had sinned, but instead of being concerned about God’s approval, all that he wanted was to be honored before the elders and the people of Israel.

We need to remember that whenever God elevates someone, He desires that the person should fulfill God’s will through their position. God has also called each one of us as a church to do His will in our lives. God has saved us and made us part of His body, the church, so that we will heed His word and live in obedience to Him. Like Saul we too are often more bothered about people’s opinions and care very little about what God thinks of us. The question is whom are we trying to please, God or men?

• The secret seeker

We read in John 3:1-2, Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (ESV)

This man named Nicodemus who came to meet Jesus by night, was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin and a ruler among the Jews. Though Nicodemus was himself a teacher, he had somehow heard about the teachings of Jesus. The teachings of Jesus were different and the way He taught, the parables that He used, were totally new to the Jewish teachers. Moreover, whenever the multitudes gathered to hear the teachings of Jesus, they also experienced so many miracles, signs and healings of various infirmities and sickness. Nicodemus therefore must have been eager to meet Jesus to find out who He really was.