tonight we continue out lessons from the life of Jonah… as we look at part 2, rather than choose a particular portion of scripture we will cover the remainder of the book of Jonah as we go thru to see more lessons from this willing mentor of the faith.
PRAY
Life Lessons from The Life Of Jonah:
1. Jonah was FOUND OUT.
Jonah 1:5-10
Jonah thought he was safe in the bowels of the ship, away from the deck, away from the crew and away from the Lord who would care about Gentile souls. How secure he must have felt; after all; none on board knew him or his profession, so to then he was another Jewish man.
the waves began to toss the ship around like a tiny rowboat, and even the most seasoned sailor feared that the ship would soon founder.
When men fear for their lives, even the most ungodly will often turn to God, and at once they woke Jonah and demanded that he call upon his God. then they began to cast lots to find out if anyone on board might be responsible for this storm, and the lot fell to Jonah… HE WAS FOUND OUT
The lot was God’s way of shining a light on the darkness of Jonah’s rebellion. Light always exposes darkness, and the deeds of men are clearly seen in the brightness of God’s presence.
Many things are done under the cloak of the night, but nothing escapes the eyes of the Almighty, and the lot fell at Jonah’s feet like a shaft of truth from Heaven.
The purpose of Jonah’s exposure was not for condemnation, but for restoration. It is the nature of God to chastise His children to cause them to seek the path of righteousness and to forsake the way of destruction.
...find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Ephesians 5:10-13
Many Christians, since the day of Jonah, have been found out in their darkness, but the will of God is still the same; restoration.
God loves His church that He is more interested in their maturity and growth than he is in their comfort or out-ward appearance before men.
Repentance was the solution for Jonah and repentance is the solution for any one of God’s children who have strayed. receive the lot of God’s grace and invite the brightness of His glorious light to shine on you.
Today is the day to check the path that you are walking…
2. Jonah Was SPIT OUT.
Jonah 2
Jonah couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Was it possible for a man to be swallowed by a great fish and still be alive? Indeed this was the hand of God. And then he prayed…
With his back to the wall, he prayed. It had been many days since he had dared communicate with God, for fear of what would be said to him, but now he cried out to the Almighty for help and in repentance.
He recognized that it was God that commissioned the fish to swallow him. It was the love of HIS Lord that apprehended him before he advanced any further into sin and rebellion.
Amidst all the seaweed and gastric juices Jonah found God, much like King Manasseh, who repented only after he was confined to an Assyrian prison.
2 Chronicles 33:9-13
the Psalmist said…
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. Psalm 119:67
The disciplining hand of God brought this prophet back to his spiritual senses and returned him to the land of obedience…
Jonah made his confession, and uttered the eternal truth, “Salvation is from the Lord” and at this utterance of admission the fish’s job was done. (the cry of uncle)
An eruption that must have echoed thru the inner linings of this great fish occurred in this caustic prison, and as quickly as he had been swallowed, Jonah was vomited from his place of incarceration to his place of destiny.
The fish had delivered the reluctant prophet to the land of cruelty and Dagon worship… the Gentile city of Nineveh. The belly of the fish was the school of the Spirit and the lesson plan was obedience to the will of God.
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
With a fresh perspective, Jonah began to preach the good news as he understood it concerning the God of Israel, and at once the anointing returned to this mouthpiece of Jehovah
Have you felt the molding hand of the Lord lately? Has the schoolmaster been instructing you in the school of the Spirit? Learn the lesson and go on to growth.
3. Jonah Saw A TURN ABOUT.
Jonah 3:1-10
Nineveh was a massive city, sixty miles in circumference, with walls one hundred feet high, and everywhere there was evidence of the worship of the false god, Dagon.
This half man, half fish deity had robbed the citizens of this great city of a relationship with the true and living God of Heaven and earth.
From the first sermon of Jonah, the people of Nineveh began to repent on every street corner. And in every house they were responding to the invitation to turn their allegiance from idols to Jehovah.
Jonah must have been astonished at the quick reception his preaching had. What he didn’t understand was that the Holy Spirit had gone before him and convicted hearts. From the common man to the King himself… lives were being won for the Kingdom of God.
Jonah couldn’t have dreamed how great the reception of the word would be. In much the same way, many Christians are defeated before they begin witnessing.
They have already convinced themselves that sinners are not really interested in hearing the Good News. (not in this day and age… times are different now)
A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Matthew 12:39
the sign of Jonah for us tonight is that if we are living in adulterous times than we must preach the good news , even if we don’t think people want to hear it… or even need to hear it…
times have changed but sin hasn’t and either has the avenue of Forgiveness and Repentance… But the sinner must hear it in order to accept it…
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14
Evangelism must be understood as cooperation between the human and the divine. The Holy Spirit convicts the hearts and the Christian shares the Gospel. How can they hear without a preacher?
We are those preachers… God’s only plan for winning the lost in the Church. Will you be a part of His plan? Ask the Holy Spirit to go before you, convicting hearts, and pray for boldness in your witnessing
4. Jonah Saw Compassion Turned INSIDE OUT.
Jonah 4:1-11
like a reversible jacket turned inside out is the compassion of God, compared to the compassion of men. Jonah reluctantly preached to sinners who repented, and then was angry at their repentance…
Where was this man’s compassion? Where was his love of people? Like many of us he was selective in his unconditional love for people.
This great prophet of God was more concerned about a plant that shaded him from the sun than for the souls of one hundred and twenty thousand sinners bound for hell…
To love with an unconditional love and to view sinners through the eyes of compassion is an attribute of Heaven, and not of earth.
Every Christian must yield to the Spirit within them and tap into the love of God for people. We must ask the Lord to see every person as He sees them, from the drug addict to the prostitute to the white Banker that works in his plush office in Friendly Hills…
Each of them was created by God to worship Him, and we are commissioned with the privilege to share Jesus with them.
Jonah’s biggest enemy was self. He viewed everything around him by how it affected him personally. He failed to see the big picture.
Ezekiel 18:30-32
Sinner’s lives hung in the balance yet all he saw was a green plant. What he lacked was compassion and a Biblical world view.
Our prayer needs to be, “God give us vision to see as you see, allow us to view every person as you view them.” God is searching for people who will love people with His love. Are you that person?
Ask for the compassionate heart of God…
