God's Will

Jonah 1:1-17 GOD'S WILL 1. HIS CALL v.1-3

I. IT'S COMING . . Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah (a) The PRIVILEGE - the word of the LORD (b) The PRIORITY - "The word of the \Lord\ came. . ."

"If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king" (c) The PRECISION - " to Jonah the son of Amittai " No Mistake (d) The PURPOSE - saying :-

2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it;

II. IT'S CLARITY . . . 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

A. The Place "Arise, go to Nineveh that great city, . . ." B. The Plan "and cry against it, - It's Sin, It's Shame, It's Sentence C. The Provocation " their wickedness is come up before Me."

III. IT'S CONFRONTATION . . . 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD Confrontation with:- A. GOD'S PERSPECTIVE. "But . . . "

B. GOD'S PLAN. "Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish."

C. GOD'S PRESENCE. from the presence of the Lord."

D. GOD'S PATH.

So he went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish: I. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE AN INTERNAL PROBLEM

A. Jonah had a heart problem B. Jonah had a head problem

II. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE A UNIVERSAL PRESENCE A. Where Jonah was heading, B. What Jonah was hoping

III. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE AN INEVITABLE PRICE

A. There are actual costs B. There are additional costs

Sin will take you farther than you wanna go

Slowly but wholly taking control

Sin will leave you longer than you wanna stay

Sin will cost you far more than you wanna pay

2. HIS COWARDICE 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish (a) Reasons for His Rebellion - Lack of :- Fear, Faith, Forgiveness. (b) The Results of His Rebellion I. Forfeiting the Presence of God, II. Foregoing the Peace of God.

III. Forgetting the Power of God - Storm & Fish

IV. Forsaking the Plan of God, V. Frustrating the Purpose of God.

(c) The Remedy for His Rebellion 3. HIS CORRECTION 4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea

A. The Great Storm - Need to have Jesus in the boat.

B. The Great Fish - 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.

C. The Great City - 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,

1. Great in Size – The capital of the great Assyrian Empire.

2. Great in Sin – Pagan, perverse, & pointed for destruction

3. Great in Salvation –

Heb 2:3 “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

4. HIS COMMISSION 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. A. God’s Man Is Changed – 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. B. God’s Message Is Communicated –3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. C. God’s Mission Is Completed – 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth,

from the greatest of them even to the least of them.