Jonah -- The Pouting Prophet

Jonah 1:1-4:11

Jonah – The Pouting Prophet

Introduction

A. When a team when a game it is funny to hear what they are going to say afterwards in the interview

B. You can almost guess what they will say

C. This is a total team effort,

D. We gave 110%, I am proud of the guys

E. I’m going to Disney world

F. Stuff like that, you all have heard them

G. Imagine though, if they would say something like

H. I was hoping we would loose

I. I am not proud of this win

J. It is a sad day because we won

K. It wasn’t a total team effort

L. That seams ridiculous doesn’t it?

M. Well that is what Jonah did after Nineveh repented

N. WE are going to look at Jonah today

O. We are going to see how he

a. Ran From God

b. Repented

c. Reacted Wrong

I. Run from God (1)

A. Explanation

1. Jonah was sitting around minding his own business, then the Lord called Jonah

2. The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh

3. Now to understand Nineveh it is the last place you would want to go to

4. Everybody has that place in their head were they say ok Lord I will serve you were ever you want except _______________ (fill in your own blank)

B. Illustration

1. When I was traveling out to Life 92 we drove through the most boring place in the whole country. Kansas! I remember driving down the road and seeing a water tower 50 miles a way for the next 50 miles I looked at that water tower because there was nothing else to look at. I hated that state. So I always told God that I would go anywhere but Kansas. However, that might hurt me in the long run he might send me to Kansas just because

2. Back to the story

3. So Jonah does the logical thing and ran as fast as he could

4. He boarded a boat that was heading the complete opposite direction

5. Well as we have learned many times ourselves God still knows were we are

6. So god caused this horrible storm

7. The Sailors soon realize it was because of Jonah that this storm was hear

8. Jonah tells this to throw him overboard, at first they were reluctant but letter agree

9. I do not think that Jonah expected to be swallowed up by a Large fish

10. I am thinking that Jonah thought that he would die. But death in his mind would be better then Nineveh

C. Application

1. How can we apply this to our lives?

2. What are you running from?

3. What is God calling you to do that you do not want to do?

4. Sure it might not be a city that he is calling you to go and preach repentance

5. It might not involve traveling at all

6. It could be right in your own home

7. But what is it that God is calling you to do and your not willing

8. Notice what happen to the sea, look how turbulent the seas were until Jonah jump ship

9. Our lives are that way until we choose to follow God wherever he wants us.

II. Realize we screwed up (2)

A. Explanation

1. Jonah gets what we all could use at times in our lives

2. Alone time

3. Think about it, he is inside this whale with no TV now computer no phone no contact with anybody else just sitting there with nothing to do

4. I don’t know when this prayer was made, as in what day that he was inside the fish

5. I have a hunch it wasn’t the first day

6. I imagine the first day was spent in rage

7. “Why did you do this to me God”

8. “Why are you treating me this way”

9. Finally after much complaining Jonah figures it out

10. He calls on the lord

11. Listen to this petition he makes before God. (Read 2:1-9)

12. After that Jonah is on dry land

B. Application

1. What can we learn from this?

2. Is there something in your life that you are holding on to?

3. Is there something in your life that you need to confess to God?

4. Do you need to come to a realization that God is in control

5. Jonah did not want to have anything to do with God

6. God however, did want something to do with Jonah

7. What about you? Is there something in your life wanting you to get rid of God?

8. God wants you no matter what it is

9. You know what we could all use?