Gods Will Easy Or Hard, It's Our Choice Series

INTRO: Fidel Castro, leader - Communist party in Cuba 36 years. Man spent

his whole life building

something that’s on the verge of collapse. Someone asked him, “why don’t you just give up? Your system is a failure.” He says, “Why give up something you believe in?” Castro believes if there is a heaven that it will be socialism. I believe Castro cannot come to the realization that all his work will mean nothing in a few years. This attitude of unwilling to change is what I want to focus on today. We will look at a man who had this same problem (unwilling to change.)

TITLE: God’s will: Easy or Hard - It’s our choice

TEXT: Jonah I

I. Jonah’s call (1-2)

II. Jonah’s fight (3-10)

III. Jonah’s punishment (11-17)

I. Jonah’s call (READ 1-2)

A. Chosen by God - God’s messenger, clear purpose and direction (Importance - God doesn’t speak unless

it’s important. No idle talk).

1. Importance of knowing God’s call - One of the most important things we need to find out as a

Christian is what the Master has for us!

-All are a part (we are all involved, not just the pastors).

Eph. 2:10 - “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

a. God works through humans to reach other humans. (Structure He set down!)

Enemy attacks: You can’t do this or that. No good, fearful, low self-esteem.

ex.....Pat teaching (brought many joys through teaching), next Billy Graham!

Point: Don’t miss out on a blessing from God because you’re not fulfilling your call.

I Cor. 12:27 - “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (Some hand, foot, mouth, eyes, heart, brain, hangnail) Thanks for the hangnail!

2. My belief: God divinely calls people to be in a church, specific gifts and when they’re all working

together, it’s a fine-running machine.

ex Enemy tries to destroy automobile, cuts tires, spark plugs, and before long church is broken

down waiting for tow truck!

Key: All have a specific gift or task (Find your place and do your best job).

* Don’t be like Jonah and refuse the mission.

B. Jonah’s mission - go to Ninevah (preach).

1. Background on city - capital of the kingdom of Assyria (size 60 miles in circumference).

a. Population - couple of hundred thousand. Walls 5,100 feet tall, thickness: 4 chariots. Three

moats and canals.

b. Sin of city - wickedness towards each other, self-confident pride, very cruel people!

1. Come up before the Lord - time to deal with it (judgment or repentance).

2. Effect most everyone - even the innocent (hard thing to understand about God).

Ex. Moses 12 spies (10 bad report, 2 good report) still had to go through punishment of wandering in the desert.

-David counting the fighting men (not depend on God). Judgment: 3 months famine, 3 weeks fleeing enemies, 3 days hand of God (70,000 died). David says - “I am the one who sinned and did wrong, these are just sheep.”

Point: We do pay for other people’s sin! (Aids, drug addiction, morality at the top).

-That’s why it’s so important to pray for leaders in positions of authority. (Does not matter if you agree or disagree with them, you need to pray for them.)

C. Mercy of God - Heart is to save His children. God is giving His final warning, before He is going to

bring judgment.

ex Felicia clean room, remember parents saying when I was in trouble - this is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you (well let’s trade places). It’s true.

I’ll bet it tears God’s heart up to punish us!

1. God is all seeing - we cannot hid from Him matter how hard we try.

II. Jonah’s flight (READ 3-10)

A. Disobedience - v. 3 He runs away.

1. Didn’t expect to get away from God but the task at hand.

-Flees in the total opposite direction (who is always trying to get us to go in the wrong direction,

devil). Either running for God or Satan.

2. Jonah felt he was right - God was making a mistake (ever done that?)

-Hear Jonah talking now - Lord, you don’t realize what you’re asking me to do. You must have made

a mistake.

ex Lord, you don’t know my husband, he’s mean, too controlling. I don’t love him. Or, how can I obey my boss, he does not know anything. God you are making a mistake!

Point: A person will always find circumstances favorable to the course he/she has resolved to take.

B. Reasons Why Jonah Ran

1. Afraid - fearful, Assyrians were enemies of Israel - warring, ruthless people (cruel to enemies, bit