The Reluctant Missionary = El Misionero quien faltaba Animo
Run to Win not to Renig (Corre a ganar, no a Renunciar)
Jonah/Jonás 1:1-3 1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, {Jonah: Gr. Jonas} (KJV)
1 ¶ La palabra de Jehovah vino a Jonás hijo de Amitai, diciendo: (SRVA)
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. (KJV)
2 "Levántate y vé a Nínive, la gran ciudad, y predica contra ella; porque su maldad ha subido a mi presencia." (SRVA)
3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah/Jonás 3:1-3 1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, (KJV)
1 ¶ La palabra de Jehovah vino por segunda vez a Jonás, diciendo: (SRVA)
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. (KJV)
2 "Levántate y vé a Nínive, la gran ciudad, y proclámale el mensaje que yo te daré." (SRVA)
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. {exceeding: Heb. of God} (KJV)
3 Entonces Jonás se levantó y fue a Nínive, conforme a la palabra de Jehovah. Nínive era una ciudad grande, de tres días de camino. (SRVA)
A person can be sincere, but sincerely wrong
Example: Douglas Corrigan (Wrong Way Corrigan) 1938 flying from New York to Ireland, when his destiny was supposed to be California.
On more than one occasion a "pro" football player has ran the wrong way to score a point for the opposing team.
A short footage of the life of Jonah would be: Pray.......run away....pray through......run.......pray again
We must always remind ourselves that the christian life is not like a 100 yd. dash; it is more like a marathon. We need to stay on course, pace ourself, and keep our eye on the goal.
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I. Running from God (Huyendo de Dios)
God talks to Jonah (prayer).----Oración
He gives him a clear command---Orden
Urgency----Operativo Urgente
The answer of Jonah/La respuesta de Jonás
He gets up a runs the opposite way/El corre al camino opuesto
Why? ¿Por qué?
1. despise his calling/un desprecio a su llamada
2. fear/temor/
3. peer pressure/influencia de los amigos
4. laziness/perezoso
Romanos 14:12
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (KJV)
12 De manera que cada uno de nosotros rendirá cuenta a Dios de sí mismo. (SRVA)
Disobedience will cost you/ Hay un costo para la desobediencia
Jonah paid the fare/pagó su boleto (Jonah 1:3)
"Sin will take you farther than you want to go,
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay,
Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay"
We all have Ninevehs and Tarshishes in our life.
Nineveh = a clear relevation of God's plan for your life/relevación clara
examples: quit a bad habit, change priorities, moving, marriage, etc.
Tarshish = the place we go or the thing we do to avoid or substitute the will of God.
---We may no go physically to Tarshish, but at times we go there with our soul. We busy ourselves with other "good" activities.
--Be careful when the good is the enemy of the best.
--Cuidado cuando lo bueno es el enemigo de lo mejor.
II. Running into God (Chocando con Dios)
You can run, but you can't hide.
There are times that God will use drastic measures to get your attention.
Don't think that God wants to take you somewhere that you cannot be content.
Jer. 29:11-13 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. {expected...: Heb. end and expectation} (KJV)
11 Porque yo sé los planes que tengo acerca de vosotros, dice Jehovah, planes de bienestar y no de mal, para daros porvenir y esperanza. (SRVA)
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (KJV)
12 Entonces me invocaréis. Vendréis y oraréis a mí, y yo os escucharé. (SRVA)
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (KJV)
13 Me buscaréis y me hallaréis, porque me buscaréis con todo vuestro corazón. (SRVA)
When we continue to be stubborn and bull-headed, God will send a storm our way.
Jonah 1:4 may have been days after Jonah 1:3
God will deal with you by His mercy and grace, and if needed, He will us chastisement.
IL.: A tourist to Israel noticed a shepherd carrying a lamb with a broken leg. He approached the shepherd to inquire about the mishap. To his surprise, the shepherd answered that he broke the leg of the lamb on purpose. The wayward sheep would not stay with the flock, and thus, kept putting itself in greater danger.
Example: Jacob at Peniel; made lame in his wrestling match with God
III. Running Back to God (Regresando a Dios)
When your running leads you to the wrong places and all seems to be a disaster; you better be ready to repent. (Jonah 2:7-10)
Even in the darkest hour, we can be reminded of the goodness of God.
Repentance is not just a one time act.
It is turning around and heading in the opposite direction
An illustration from the eyes of a child.
Little Susie went a wedding for the first time in her life, attending with her mother. She absorbed every detail of the ceremony with amazement. Afterward, she questioned her mother, saying, Why did the bride change her mind? Mother responded, "Well, just what do you mean?" Well, I saw her walk up the aisle with one man, and not long after, she was walking down the aisle with a different one.
-a change of mind leads to a change of life.
After 3 days in the belly of the whale, Jonah may have been a little worn, smelly, and even a different color; but he was now serviceable to God.
--The Lord is looking for a willing and obedient vessel.
In chapter 4, we see that Jonah has obeyed, but hasn't learned to love. He is working without a burden. Even so, God uses him to bring a city to its knees and evade the judgment of God. But Jonah still hasn't learned all the lessons that God has for him.
We must be willing to leave all the final results up to God.
Yield all your rights to Him.
Isa. 55:9 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (KJV)
9 Como son más altos los cielos que la tierra, así mis caminos son más altos que vuestros caminos, y mis pensamientos más altos que vuestros pensamientos. (SRVA)
