THE CYCLE OF NO PURPOSE
Jonah 1
Two gas company service men, a senior training Supervisor and a young trainee were out checking meters and parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked there way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two
men as they checked her gas meter. As they finished the meter check the older supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck.
As they came running up to the truck, they realized that the lady from the last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath she said, "When I see two gas men running full speed away from my house, I figured I had better run too." Have you found yourself running in life, but not sure where or why? Maybe you feel like this fish (take it out of water). It gasps for air, it is vulnerable, it waists energy flopping around. God wants you to feel like the fish now (put it back in the water). In it’s element the fish is majestic, graceful, athletic, turns flips, dynamic. It doesn’t matter how big or small, think of dolphins, or even killer whales (even though they are not fish).
7 actions that keep you running in God’s direction.
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (repeat) My goal is to have you to memorize this verse before today is over. (Repeat verse during every point.)
1. Listen to what God says.
God’s purpose starts with God’s word.(1-2)
1The 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.’
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
2. Reject what you want. (3)
3However, 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.
Arabian horses go through rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require absolute obedience from the horses, and test them to see if they are completely trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living thing. The trainers force the horses to do without water for many days. Then he turns them loose and of course they start running toward the water, but just as they get to the edge, ready to plunge in and drink, the trainer blows his whistle. The horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience, stop. They turn around and come pacing back to the trainer. They stand there quivering, wanting water, but they wait in perfect obedience. When the trainer is sure that he has their obedience he gives them a signal to go back to drink.
We must consent to God’s training and obey Him.
God’s purpose contradicts our flesh.
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
3. Trust God even when your circumstance does not agree.
This is what happened to a Texas minister who was scheduled to speak at an all-day conference. He was running late because his alarm had failed to ring. In his haste to make up for lost time, he cut himself while shaving. Then he found his shirt was not ironed. To make matters worse, running to his car he noticed a tire was flat. Disgusted, and by this time thoroughly distraught, the minister finally got underway with a sudden burst of speed. Racing through town he failed to notice a stop sign and rushed through it. As fate would have it, there was a policeman nearby, and in just moments he heard the scream of a siren. Jumping out of his car, the agitated minister said sharply, "Well, go ahead and give me a ticket. Everything else has gone wrong today." The policeman walked up and said quietly, "Sir, I used to have days like that before I became a Christian."
God is faithful even when we are not. (4) 1 Cor. 1:9;2 Tim. 2:13***.
4Then the LORD hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. (the boat that Jonah shipped out in came to the point of destruction in the storm (Jon. 1:4, lit., “it was thinking to be destroyed”).)
Deviseth- to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious way) to devise.
This verb can also mean to plot, to think upon, to think out something.
This may sound like God doesn’t love us, but it is just the opposite. How much would God really love us if he allowed us to continue in the wrong direction? True love will do whatever it takes to get your attention. That is what God does. He disciplines those He loves. How many are feeling really loved right now?
the ship threatened to break apart. (the boat that Jonah shipped out in came to the point of destruction in the storm (Jon. 1:4, lit., “it was thinking to be destroyed”).)
The Lord will allow terrible things to happen just to get our attention. Imagine the boat devising a plan and saying, Jonah, if you don’t get your act together I am going to be destroyed.” Talk about an ultimatum.
How many of you have experienced God destroying your vessel. There wasn’t anything wrong with the vessel other than it was taking you to the farthest place away from where God wanted you. God is faithful even when we are not. And due to His faithfulness, He will destroy anything that keeps you from experiencing Him. That is what Jesus did to death.
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
4. Discern your heart of worship. (5-7)
5The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.
6The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.’
7“Come on!’ the sailors said to each other. “Let’s cast lots. Then we will know who is to blame for this trouble we’re in.’ So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah.
God will reveal to others His plan for you. (5-7)
How many atheists have become believers when the trials get too rough. Sailors, tough men, become serious worshipers. The unholy become Holy when their life is threatened.
But look at the man of God. He is oblivious to what is happening. He is down in the lowest part of the ship; asleep!
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
5. Face your fears with faith. (Go through vs by vs)
8Then they said to him, “Tell us who is to blame for this trouble we’re in. What is your business and where are you from? What is your country and what people are you from?’
9He answered them, “I am a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.’
10Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this you’ve done?’ For the men knew he was fleeing from the LORD’s presence, because he had told them.
11So they said to him, “What should we do to you to calm this sea that’s against us?’ For the sea was getting worse and worse.
12He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this violent storm that is against you.’
13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not because the sea was raging against them more and more.
14So they called out to the LORD: “Please, Yahweh, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased.’
15Then they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.
16The men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
6. Expect God to provide an unimaginable ride.
17Then the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the fish three days and three nights.
Eric D. Davis, 31, should have planned his bank robbery in Toledo, Ohio, more carefully. Police say that after the heist Davis, running with the loot toward his getaway car, fell down. When his driver panicked and sped off, Davis jumped into the next available vehicle, which had two men in the front seat -- an unmarked police car that just happened to be in the area. "He jumped in the back with the gun and told us to drive," said officer Anthony Duncan, a 16- year police veteran who was sitting in the passenger seat in plain clothes. "We just kind of looked at each other when he said it again." Duncan dove over the seat and wrestled the gun away. Davis was charged with bank robbery and two counts of kidnapping. (Toledo Blade) This is True, June 9, 2002
It’s a sin for church to be boring.
7. Repent and walk with the Lord.
The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Orteberg writes;
Sometime ago I was giving a bath to our 3 children. I had a custom of bathing together, more to save time than anything else. I knew that eventually I would have to stop group bathing, but for the time being it seemed efficient.
Johnny was still in the tub, Laura was out and safely in her pajamas, and I was trying to get Mallory dried off. Mallory was out of the water, but was doing what has come to be known in our family as the Dee Dah Day dance. This consists of running around and around in circles, singing over and over again, "Dee dah day, dee dah day." It was a relatively simple dance expressing great joy. When she is too happy to hold it in any longer, when words are inadequate to give voice to her euphoria, she has to dance to releases her joy. So she does the Dee Dah Day. On this particular occasion I was irritated. "Mallory Hurry!" I prodded. So she did. She began running in circles faster and faster and chanting "Dee Dah Day" more rapidly. "No Mallory,. that is not what I mean! Stop with the dee dah day stuff and get over here so I can dry you off. Hurry!" Then she asked a profound question; "Why?" I had no answer. I had nowhere to go, nothing to do, no meetings to attend, no sermons to write. I was just so used to hurrying, so preoccupied with my own little agenda, so trapped in this rut of moving from one task to another, that here was life, here was joy, here was an invitation to the dance right in front of me and I was missing it. So I got up and Mallory and I did the Dee Dah Day Dance together
Jonah waited until he was in the belly of a fish to repent. You don’t have to. You can change your walk today.
Imagine what he looked like after being regurgitated from the belly of the fish. Are we any different?
When Jonah walked with the Lord, Jonah accomplished all that the Lord asked. It is only when we walk with the Lord that we can accomplish all that God wants.
Are you tired of having no purpose today? Are you weary from wasting all of your energy on unproductive things? Are you ready for a change? Are you willing to trust God?
Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
