Enough Is Enough - I Am On The Run

"Enough Is Enough" - I Am On The Run

by Rev. Timothy G. Porter

Jonah 1:1-17

Introduction:

Have you ever made a lousy decision?

As you’re laughing, you’re probably really thinking, “What do you mean?” A bad decision. “I’ve made more than I can recount!”

But just to make you feel better. Check out the decisions these people made.

* In 1955, Sam Phillips of Memphis, Tennessee sold to RCA Records his exclusive contract for a relatively unknown singer and whose future he wasn’t quite sure. The name…ELVIS PRESLEY!

* 17 publishers turned down the book M*A*S*H that later went on to be a box-office hit movie as well as a very successful syndicated television show.

* In June of 1938, action comics introduced Superman. He was the creation of two men who believed that some money in their pocket was more valuable than a comic character in a book and sold their rights to their publishers for $130.00.

* In the mid-1960’s General Motors launched its new compact Chevrolet Nova in Mexico. They could not understand why in the world such a well-designed and economical car didn’t sell…that was until they discovered that no va means “it doesn’t go” in Spanish.

We’ve all been there. And some bad decisions can be recovered from without a lot of difficulty or embarrassment. Others carry great costs.

But there’s one area we can’t afford to make a bad decision on and that’s what God wants to do in and through our lives – if we miss that one – we miss it all!

* When I was in Prison Ministry as an associate Chaplain, I would hear a street saying from the Inmates quite frequently especially the new arrivals. The saying is I had Enough, I made a bad decision and was On The Run.

Well, have you ever needed or wanted to escape? Have you ever wanted to run (away)? To be honest there has been times when I have wanted to run from a problem or a situation or even a person. I know each and every one of you have probably at least once in our lives wanted to run away or escape to get away from something, or someone.

some of the greatest people in the bible ran away: and was "On The Run"

*Adam and Eve on the run from God after disobeying, They on the run from His presence

*Moses was on the run from Pharaoh after he killed an Egyptian soldier.

* David was on the run from king Saul

* Jonah was on the run from the call of God ! Jonah is an illustration of an attempt to evade God’s summons.

This morning I want to Preach on the topic of Enough Is Enough - I am on the Run

Open your copy of Gods word to the O/T, to the book of Jonah 1:1-17 as we look at the prophet who was on the run and the storm that was brought into his life.

STAND * READ * PRAY

BACKGROUND:

Now I want to give you just a little background info. about this story.

This first chapter speaks of Jonah's disobedience to His Divine call.

Some suggest that Jonah was the widow's son brought back to life by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-24 but there is no concrete evidence for that. However we do know that Jonah was no novice . 2 kings 14 tells us that Jonah was a prophet and servant of the Lord for what he predicted came to past.

. He lived in Israel. In fact his very name (Jonah) means "DOVE"- a dove signifies a messenger. And we are also told that he is the son of Ammitai-which stands for son of "TRUTH" He was a messenger of truth - God's truth . AMEN !

It was by God's word through Jonah that King Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel. That was his job as a prophet of God. It was his job to listen to God and then communicate it to the people.

So it's no surprise when we read in Jonah 1 and verse 1 that the word or of the Lord came to Jonah-it was his job to answer the call- but instead of obeying-instead of doing what God called him to do - instead of letting God work in him and through him Jonah - Said Enough is Enough-I am on the Run!

* Walk down to mirror *

So to be on the run from God is to disobey God (right?) and the bible plainly says that disobeying is SIN (right?)

Now you have been probably wondering why this mirror is down here this morning. I am going to use it to illustrate something to you. The only way I know to do this is to go all the way back to the beginning when it was all perfect and good, back to the garden of Eden where everything was in harmony with God.