JONAH: ARISE AND GO!
INTRO TO TOPIC:
How many of you grew up in the church? If you remember any stories from Sunday school as a child, the top three were most likely David slaying Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and Jonah in the Whale. However – are these stories real? And if so, what relevance do they have to us, beyond making great flannel graph stories or Veggie Tales movies?
OPENING TEXT:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” (Matthew 12:40-41).
• Jonah was a real person, who actually spent three days in a whale. This is a true story!
• “Great fish” = Greek ketos (kay-tos) = a sea monster, whale, great fish.
• Jonah was the only OT prophet sent to preach to Gentiles (the Assyrians).
• “Jonah is different from the other prophetical books in that it has no prophecy that contains a message; the story is the message.” (Spirit-Filled Life Study Bible).
THE BIG IDEA: Jonah teaches us that God loves all people and desires to share His forgiveness with them. Like Jonah, God has called us to arise and go to the world with the Good News about salvation through Jesus.
1. THE CALL TO ARISE AND GO:
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:1-2).
• God had a specific call for the prophet Jonah – to arise and go to Nineveh.
• And although Jonah is a true historical story, it has a lesson for our lives today as well:
• God has called all of us as Christians to arise and go, too!
• “And Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16).
• Examples:
• “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go…” (Acts 8:26).
• “So Saul, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go… and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:6).
• Arise = get up! Stop being a couch potato and do something! And GO…
• What is the Lord calling you to arise and go to do??
2. JONAH RUNS AWAY:
“But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:3).
• Jonah knew exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, but he refused.
• By disobeying the Lord, he was going “from the presence of the Lord.”
• It’s true that God never leaves us, but sometimes we can leave the Lord.
3. GOD CHASES JONAH:
“But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.” (Jonah 1:4).
• Last week we learned that sometimes we experience storms even when we obey God.
• However, sometimes we go through storms because we are disobeying God.
• PERSONAL STORY: When God called me to fast, but I didn’t, all the troubles…
• “And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said, "My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.” (Heb. 12:5-6, NLT).
• It was because of God’s love for Jonah that He pursued him with the storm.
4. JONAH WAS SLEEPING:
“Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” (Jonah 1:5-6).
• Instead of arising to go, Jonah was sleeping. An unbeliever had to tell Jonah to “Arise!”
• How many Christians are asleep today? Sometimes God sends storms as a wake-up call.
• The world is in trouble, lost, hurting and broken, but we sleep.
• “Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” (Eph. 5:14).
• When we run from God – it affects others.
• This storm affected many lives, and resulted in the loss of cargo as well.
5. YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE:
“7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" 9 So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:7-9).
• People can be running from God and still say the right things.
“10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"--for the sea was growing more tempestuous. 12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, "We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You." 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:10-17).
• If God brings a storm into our life, the only way to still the storm is through obedience.
• As a result of Jonah’s finally reluctant obedience, the sailors fear God and worship Him.
6. THEN JONAH PRAYED TO THE LORD:
“1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly.” (Jonah 2:1).
• Jonah had run away from the Lord, fleeing from His presence.
• Then – after the storm – he prayed to the Lord.
“2 And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, ’I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. 7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.” (Jonah 2:2-7).
• Sometimes when things are going right in our life, we forget about the Lord.
• But when the storms and troubles come, then we remember to pray!
• When God put Jonah in the belly of the fish, He had his undivided attention.
7. SALVATION IS OF THE LORD:
“8 "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord." 10 So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:1-10).
• Jonah finally learns the valuable lesson: “Salvation is of the Lord.”
• Jonah had disobeyed the Lord, and yet God forgave him and gave him a second chance.
• Jonah didn’t like the Assyrians, but he realized that God did and wanted to save them!
IMPORTANT LESSONS WE LEARN FROM JONAH:
1. Don’t run from God. Just do what He asks you to do the first time!
2. Recognize God in the storm. Realize it might be His discipline in your life.
3. God is a God of second chances. Next week we’ll look at Jonah’s second call and obedience.
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
What is God calling you to arise and go to do? Do it now!
Who do you know who needs to experience God’s love, salvation and forgiveness?
• Pray for them, then arise and go!
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
