God Always Wins Series

Introduction

I have been a Christian for forty-seven years (47) years. During that time, I have to say that I have had a great relationship with God. But I also must tell you that the most powerful times in my Christian journey with the Lord occurred those times I called “Holy Moments.” Those “Holy Moments” are times, although mostly brief, where it seems like God pulls me to the side, is right there next to me, and showing me something or teaching me something. It is a time when it seems like it is just God and me and the entire world is filtered out. God has me where He wants me, and He has my full attention.

Let me give you an example from my personal life. Thirty years ago, when you all asked Anne and I to come to Bala Chitto as your pastor, Anne was sure that is where God wanted us. I was not so sure. I was still in seminary at the time, holding down a job, and my mom was sick. So, I had a lot on my plate, and I did not know if I wanted to add another thing. One particular day, I was in between classes so I decided to walk through the Baptist Bookstore on campus. And as I was walking down one of the book aisles, it was like God said to me, pick up that book and read some of it. It was a book about a small church and after I read a few pages, it was like God said I want you to be at that small church pastor. I went home to Anne told her about that “Holy Moment” with God and told her, we are going to Bala Chitto.

Do not think me weird, because the Bible has some examples of “Holy Moments” that changed the course of people’s lives. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of them. Today, I want to look at Jonah’s “Holy Moments.”

Turn with me in your Bible to the Book of Jonah to Chapter 1:14-17.

Scripture

Jonah 1:1–3 NKJV

1 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.

Jonah 1:14–17 NKJV

14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.

17 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.

Point #1

Holy Moments occur in my life because there are times God demands my full attention on Him because he got something for me to do, but I did not get what He told me in my everyday busy life.

Our story of Jonah begins like the story of a every Christian. God spoke to Jonah just likes He speaks to everyone of His children. If you are a child of God, God talks with you. And just like His children, Jonah heard God, but obviously Jonah thought what God said was not that important. It did not matter what God said. You and I do that to God too. We think what God tells us is optional. And God uses the Holy Moments to say son or daughter, you missed it; it is mandatory.

We know Jonah thought it was optional because God said go east to Nineveh and instead Jonah headed west to Joppa. God, what you said really does not matter.

Jonah heard from God; we know that from the very first verse- “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah.” The Bible makes clear that there was no misinterpretation; there was no misunderstanding; there was no room in God’s Word for Jonah to negotiate a better deal. So, what God does is create a Holy Moment between Himself and Jonah to explain to Jonah when I tell you to do something, I need your full attention to what I tell you to do.

God will get Jonah’s full attention in a belly of a great fish. He might get our full attention in a hospital bed recovering from a major surgery. He might have gotten our full attention broken down on the side of a deserted road in the middle of the night. He might get our full attention on an oil rig away from your family in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And He might get our attention sitting outside the principal’s office waiting to see him for my punishment in breaking a school rule.