Jonah Runs Away From God

Jonah: Running From God!

SERMON OUTLINE:

God calls Jonah (vs 1-2)

God watches Jonah run (vs 3)

God sends a storm (vs 4-8)

God is resisted (vs 9-13)

God shows mercy (vs 14-16)

God provided a fish (vs 17)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Elderly man who had a growing suspicion,

• That his wife was becoming hard of hearing;

• Of course, his wife said that her hearing was perfectly okay.

• So, one morning he decided to try out a small test.

• He was in the kitchen,

• His wife was in the front room and the door was open.

• So, he shouted;

• “Ethel, would you like tea or coffee with your breakfast?”

• And just as he suspected there was absolutely no reply.

• So, he moved to the door way and tried again;

• “Ethel, would you like tea or coffee?”

• Once again there was silence.

• So, he actually went into the room;

• And stood right behind the chair where his wife was sitting,

• Once again, he said: “Ethel, would you like tea or coffee?”

• His wife replied.

• “For the third time Albert I’ll have coffee!”

• TRANSITION:

• Our God is a God who speaks,

• Primarily he speaks to us through his word, the Bible,

• I trust this morning we will be more receptive than Albert!

• Now, never forget that our God is a missionary God,

• Quote: Jürgen Moltmann

“It is not the Church of God that has mission

But the missionary God who has a Church.”

Quote:

• God is a missionary God,

• And the Bible is his missionary textbook.

• We see this in three ways:

• He has a mission field,

• He has a mission message, and,

• He has a mission method.

• Our God is a missionary God.

• His heart from Genesis to Revelation,

• Is set on reaching the lost,

• e.g. Think back to the beginning,

• And Abraham, in Geneses.

• God chose one man and one family,

• In order to bless all the families of the earth.

• (Genesis chapter 22 verses 18).

“And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.”

• e.g. The Christ of the gospels is a missionary Christ,

• His last words to the church, go out to witness.

• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”

• (Matthew chapter 28 verses 16-20).

• e.g. The Holy Spirit given in the book of Acts,

• Is a missionary Spirit,

• (Acts chapter 1 verses 8).

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

• The New Testament church is a missionary church,

• e.g. Just read the book of Acts or even the N.T. letters.,

• There are so many examples of how they prayed,

• And also gave financially to support mission.

• (Phil 1:5; 2 Thess 3:1; Col 4:3; Eph 6:19).

• e.g. The end of the book of Revelation is a missionary end,

• A countless number of people from every nation.

• “from every nation, tribe, people and language.”

• (Revelation chapter 7 verses 9-10).

• TRANSITION: Mission is not an optional extra,

• It is the normal Christan life.

• Questions:

• Who are you following?

• Who are you praying for?

• Who or which organisation are you giving to?

• In this Church each month,

• We will continue to highlight a missionary,

• Or a mission organisation,

• But please don’t just leave it in the service,

• Carry on praying and giving & showing an interest,

• And if we show you to many options,

• Then just choose one!

Ill:

• That is what we do with the young people at, ‘BodyBuilders.’

• We choose one missionary or organisation,

• And we follow them every month.

• TRANSITION:

• Question: What has this got to do with Jonah.

• Answer: Everything!

• After the book of Acts in the New Testament,

• Jonah is perhaps the greatest missionary book in the Bible.

(1). God calls Jonah (vs 1-3)

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah a son of Amittai.

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah rand away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

When God told Jonah to go and preach,

• There should have been no problem,