Series: Follow the signs
Title: Get the signal and Get up and Go
1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me." 3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the LORD’s presence.
2:1 Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish
3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the LORD’s command.
Last week we saw how Jonah found the heart of God.
Let’s go backwards this week
I want to look at what Jonah teaches us about answering God’s call
God’s call
God’s message
God’s direction
God’s signals
God’s guidance
What it is that God would have us do.
We should listen carefully and respond
I was reminded of a story I read once about a mother who would listen with her young children to an instructional program on the radio each morning. She particularly enjoyed the exercise class. One day she tuned in late, only to hear an energetic instructor already urging pupils along at a fast pace: “Up…down…circle round…up…down…circle round…up…down…circle round.” She quickly joined in, only to find that the instructor would continue the pace for quite some time. Finally, when she was just about exhausted, she heard the voice say, “Okay, you can stop now, and everybody put your paintbrushes back in the water jar.”
We should listen carefully
God, much like the signalman sign, is waving at us
Giving us direction and guidance
The question is do we look to him or ignore him
Let’s look at the lesson from Jonah:
1. Jonah disobeyed the call
Jonah didn’t misunderstand
Jonah heard clearly and chose to disobey
I mentioned last week, he didn’t just disobey but he went the opposite direction.
Map
When you hear God speaking what is your response
When God flags you down, what do you do?
Well I don’t hear God the way Jonah did.
Of course you do, we hear the word of the Lord in the scripture and in our spirit.
The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit and we know what God wants us to do
What is it that God wants you to do and you are not listening or doing the opposite?
1. Jonah disobeyed the call
2. Jonah prayed about the call
Look at chapter 2:1
Don’t you find it interesting that he didn’t pray about the call in Chapter 1 and he disobeyed
He prayed about the call in chapter 2
The fish vomited him out,
God recalled him
He immediately arose and answered the call
There is an important lesson for us to learn here
When Jonah prayed, he obeyed
How often do we pray before we decide?
Many times prayer gives us a peace about our decision
If I pray, I won’t hear God verbally!
No, probably not but it let’s God know that you are interested in His will and His desire.
I puts our spirit in a place to bear witness with His spirit.
1. Jonah disobeyed the call
2. Jonah prayed about the call
3. Jonah got up and went
Oh that we would be a people that hear God and get up and go!!
When Jonah was right with god, he didn’t waste any time…he simply obeyed.
The outcome: The greatest city of the time was saved.
Do we really get the impact here. One man, obedient to God, going when God said Go, changed the world!!
What is God calling you to do today?
Maybe something small like call a friend, visit a relative, spend a little time with your child.
Maybe something big like offer forgiveness, ask for forgiveness, join the church, be committed, be saved
Whatever it is, would you just get up and go
