"Enough Is Enough" - I Am On The Run
by Rev. Timothy G. Porter
Jonah 1:1-17
Introduction:
Have you ever made a lousy decision?
As you’re laughing, you’re probably really thinking, “What do you mean?” A bad decision. “I’ve made more than I can recount!”
But just to make you feel better. Check out the decisions these people made.
* In 1955, Sam Phillips of Memphis, Tennessee sold to RCA Records his exclusive contract for a relatively unknown singer and whose future he wasn’t quite sure. The name…ELVIS PRESLEY!
* 17 publishers turned down the book M*A*S*H that later went on to be a box-office hit movie as well as a very successful syndicated television show.
* In June of 1938, action comics introduced Superman. He was the creation of two men who believed that some money in their pocket was more valuable than a comic character in a book and sold their rights to their publishers for $130.00.
* In the mid-1960’s General Motors launched its new compact Chevrolet Nova in Mexico. They could not understand why in the world such a well-designed and economical car didn’t sell…that was until they discovered that no va means “it doesn’t go” in Spanish.
We’ve all been there. And some bad decisions can be recovered from without a lot of difficulty or embarrassment. Others carry great costs.
But there’s one area we can’t afford to make a bad decision on and that’s what God wants to do in and through our lives – if we miss that one – we miss it all!
* When I was in Prison Ministry as an associate Chaplain, I would hear a street saying from the Inmates quite frequently especially the new arrivals. The saying is I had Enough, I made a bad decision and was On The Run.
Well, have you ever needed or wanted to escape? Have you ever wanted to run (away)? To be honest there has been times when I have wanted to run from a problem or a situation or even a person. I know each and every one of you have probably at least once in our lives wanted to run away or escape to get away from something, or someone.
some of the greatest people in the bible ran away: and was "On The Run"
*Adam and Eve on the run from God after disobeying, They on the run from His presence
*Moses was on the run from Pharaoh after he killed an Egyptian soldier.
* David was on the run from king Saul
* Jonah was on the run from the call of God ! Jonah is an illustration of an attempt to evade God’s summons.
This morning I want to Preach on the topic of Enough Is Enough - I am on the Run
Open your copy of Gods word to the O/T, to the book of Jonah 1:1-17 as we look at the prophet who was on the run and the storm that was brought into his life.
STAND * READ * PRAY
BACKGROUND:
Now I want to give you just a little background info. about this story.
This first chapter speaks of Jonah's disobedience to His Divine call.
Some suggest that Jonah was the widow's son brought back to life by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17-24 but there is no concrete evidence for that. However we do know that Jonah was no novice . 2 kings 14 tells us that Jonah was a prophet and servant of the Lord for what he predicted came to past.
. He lived in Israel. In fact his very name (Jonah) means "DOVE"- a dove signifies a messenger. And we are also told that he is the son of Ammitai-which stands for son of "TRUTH" He was a messenger of truth - God's truth . AMEN !
It was by God's word through Jonah that King Jeroboam extended the boundaries of Israel. That was his job as a prophet of God. It was his job to listen to God and then communicate it to the people.
So it's no surprise when we read in Jonah 1 and verse 1 that the word or of the Lord came to Jonah-it was his job to answer the call- but instead of obeying-instead of doing what God called him to do - instead of letting God work in him and through him Jonah - Said Enough is Enough-I am on the Run!
* Walk down to mirror *
So to be on the run from God is to disobey God (right?) and the bible plainly says that disobeying is SIN (right?)
Now you have been probably wondering why this mirror is down here this morning. I am going to use it to illustrate something to you. The only way I know to do this is to go all the way back to the beginning when it was all perfect and good, back to the garden of Eden where everything was in harmony with God.
God had created man in His own image from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and said he is good but man needed a companion that was comparable to him so the bible says that God put Adam into a deep sleep took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh, then took the rib and made woman and brought her to Adam.
Now God only give them one simple rule don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because if you do you will surely die! Well we all know the rest of the story, the serpent (devil) deceives Eve into eating the fruit and she assures Adam he could eat it too, which went directly against what God had told them to do. When we disobey God it's called what Church? "SIN" that's right sin
Let's say this rock represents disobedience and sin and that mess up everything just like this (throw rock in to mirror)
Walk back to pull pit saying - Now you have just messed up Gods plans and what He had for you. And now you are on the run from God! From what He is trying to do with you and in your life! Just Like Jonah!
The sad part is there is a Jonah lurking the heart of everyone of in this Church this morning!
Real quick- I WANT TO POINT OUT 4 THINGS FROM THE STORY OF JONAH:
I.) The first thing I want you to see is - Be A FOLLOWER - NOT A RUNNER
look at Verses 1,2 & 3 - it says that Jonah, the man of God hears the word of God and willfully disobeys it.
*read Jonah 1:1-3 God said go, But Jonah ran, he went an got on a ship headed for Tar shish to escape from the presence of the LORD!
Now picture this -
Now Jonah leaves his hometown in the northern kingdom of Israel and, with this call from God on him, you would think that he plans to head 500 miles for the city of Nineveh. Now Jonah would have had to go east from Israel to get to Nineveh. Instead of going East to Nineveh, he does a very strange thing. He goes down to Joppa and buys a ticket on the first boat for Tar shish. Tar shish was 2000 miles on the southern coast of Spain. It was the jumping-off place of the west, it was the end of the Mediterranean world.
* Now God speaks to us in many different ways. He speaks to through:
* Preaching
* Prayer
* The reading of His word
* Other people
* Dreams
* and even through circumstances.
And yes; sometimes it is difficult to understand what God is saying to us and what he is calling us to do. That's where the trust and obedience comes into play.
*As we can see here that wasn't the problem. Jonah knows what God wants, He understood what God called him to do and His instructions, However they came we're not told but it is very clear God said "GO TO NINEVEH AND PREACH AGAINST IT"- and Jonah disobeys. He was on the run!
*So why was Jonah on the run ...?
Perhaps Jonah thought it was a lost cause
Perhaps He thought the message was to severe
On top of all of that, Jonah says why does God have to send me to Nineveh?
There are plenty of problems right there in Israel.
Israel was in trouble morally, spiritually, and socially.(kind of sounds like the church today)
Perhaps he felt that Israel needed to clean up her own act first.
Perhaps He was scared (afraid)- fearful for his life?
Nineveh was - violent and brutal. It was refereed to as "that bloody city." In the book of Nahum 3:1-3
Nineveh was a bad place - nasty and cruel- the devils den. It was policy to never keep their prisoners alive. People were tortured. They would impale them on stakes. They would skin people alive! They would hold their victims down, reach into their mouth and pull out the tongue. They would build pyramids of human skulls outside of a conquered city.
Their cruelty was known throughout the world. They used very cruel methods of torture and could get information from their prisoners. One of the procedures was to take a man out into the desert and bury him up to his neck -- nothing but his head would be sticking out. Then they would put a thong through his tongue and leave him there to die as the hot desert sun would beat down upon his head. It is said that a man would go crazy before he died. That was just one of the "nice little things" the Nineveites conquered up.
Perhaps Jonah thought - If I go and preach against Nineveh, I probably would be made fun of and run out of town. Perhaps I will be physically beaten or even executed.
After all, these are dangerous and wicked people. It will be a suicide mission, so he is on the run!
*But the real reason Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh was he hated the Nineveites. They could be condemned forever as far as he was concerned.
So when God told Jonah to Go to Nineveh and preach the message of judgment, Jonah must have said "forget it! I hate those people !
Even if they listen and repent of their sins, they don't deserve the opportunity to be saved!
And if they repent of their sins, knowing you God, You will be nice to them and forgive them. And I don't want that to happen. So I'm not going!" and you can't make me!?!?!?
Illustration:
Jonah’s reaction has been described this way…
“…calling Jonah to go to the Ninevites was like asking a Jew in 1942 to go from New York to Hitler, and tell him that God loved him, and that everything he did would be forgiven if he would just repent. So the Jew got on a train, all right, and went to San Francisco; then got on a ship to Antarctica! He wanted nothing to do with it.”
Jonah was willing to do God’s work as long as it suited his own purposes.
But giving Nineveh an opportunity to be let off the hook was not something that he was willing to do.
* You know you can run from God and not even move . You can run and not even change your job,your church,or your ministry.
If God is calling you to do something and you sit here Sunday after Sunday , Then you are running.
If God is calling you to serve in Sunday school and you stayed glued to your seat then you are running.
*What is God calling you to do ? Why aren't you doing it?
Thought to Ponder- You can not go with God and stay where you are at!
II.) The second thing is: RECOGNIZE GOD IN THE STORM
Notice that God did not stop Jonah from going to Tar shish. He didn't stop me from pre suing some of the crazy stuff I have chased. and He want stop you. He let Jonah get as far a Joppa. How far will he let you get?
When you willfully disobey God -when you choose to live your on way-when you choose to do what you want to do- God want stop you! -- At least not at first!
*Don't get me wrong , not every storm that comes our way is sent by God. Sometimes the troubles that come our way is just life.
Other times they are the result of persecution for doing the right thing. But there are times when trouble comes from not following the voice of God in our lives. There are times when we are going through troubles and we want to blame it on the enemy, but it might not be the enemy causing it. Verse 4 says quite clearly that God sent the storm on Jonah.
Disobedience disturbed many things. This was all part of the plan of God to get Jonah corrected.
When we persist in disobedience-God will discipline. If you are being disobedient in your Christian walk, do not for one moment think you can get away with it. And when the storm comes you will have brought it on you self and the ones around you!
The book of Hebrews Warns us to take God's discipline in this life seriously and in Corinthians you will read of believers who were struck down and killed for making light of the Lord's supper.
Someone here is going through a storm at this very moment. Maybe it's a storm in your family, a storm at work, or a financial storm, a storm in your health, or it could even be a storm of God is calling you join to this church. And maybe just maybe God is rattling you cage, saying WAKE UP!
III.) The third point is: DISOBEDIENCE WILL ALSO AFFECT THOSE AROUND YOU.
*Jonah wasn't the only one cought up in the storm-Vs. 5 say's "all the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god"
* Your running affects those closest to us. Jonah may think that his argument with God was between him and God, but he pulled the sailors into as soon as he boarded the ship. You may think that your running is your own business, but when you run from God and the call He has placed on you it affects everyone in the boat with you.-your family, friends, co-workers, and yes your church family.
* If God has called or is calling you to a ministry within this church - and (let me just say that we all have spiritual gifts and a ministry that you can bring to this church) Then you should fight week after week to fulfill that calling ! If God has called you to teach Sunday school then fight to get into Sunday school!, If God has called you to preach like he has me then fight to get in a pulpit every week!, If God has called you to lead worship then fight to get involved with the music of the church!,
Do ya'll understand what I am saying?
The trouble is - when you don't-other people have to step up to and do it for you. People who aren't called in those areas,people who aren't equipped.And they became like the sailors in vs. 13 who did their best to row the boat back to land but couldn't.
And the whole church will go through your storm because you're not consistent enough, committed enough, or faithful enough or even bothered enough to fulfill the calling God has given you.
IV.) The fourth and final point: The God we serve is a God of grace.
Just look at how Jonah rebelled. In vs. 12 he tells the sailors to throw him over board. Despite the trouble he's caused,despite the disobedience to God's calling. He would rather die, than do God's will.
So what do the sailors do they throw him over board. Jonah, the man of God is as good as dead ,
"But the God who is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love saves him - and looking at vs. 16 he saved the sailors as well.
Vs. 17 "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for 3 days and 3 nights"
In this raging storm, there seems to be nothing but the anger and wrath from God for Jonah and the sailors.
There seems to be very little hope, but while God holds the storm of his wrath in one hand, he holds deliverance and salvation in the other, right here in the middle of the storm God's judgment and his salvation meet - His wrath and his grace unfolds!
* Jesus hung dying on the cross, on the face of it , there seemed to be very little hope- He was nailed helpless to that old tree - bearing the storm of the wrath and judgment. But beneath the surface, God was preparing a deliverance, a rescue, our salvation - a resurrection from the grave.
For when the Cross - God's judgment and His salvation meet - His wrath and His grace unfolds!
CYMBALA'S EASTER STORY
Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people.
As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?”
We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.”
He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?”
“David.”
“How long have you been on the street?”
“Six years.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.” He looked fifty--hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed.
“Where did you sleep last night, David?”
“Abandoned truck.”
I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out some money thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat.
I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.”
I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels.
But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!”
Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what... the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell.
Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live. We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.
A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” (I am to busy)
We can get so full of ourselves. shame on me! Shame on the Church! God is real! My Salvation is real! God's Grace is real! His Joy is real!
The blood of Jesus Christ not only redeems us, it justifies us. Being justified means more than being forgiven. I can say, “I forgive you,” but I can’t justify... you. But God not only forgives the past, He clothes you in righteousness as though you had never committed a sin. Yet it cost the blood of His Son on the cross.- Billy Graham
CONCLUSION:
You see, the Lord who can calm the troubled waters of your life is the same Lord who can stir them up to a great frenzy.
So when we persist in our disobedience, He gets rougher.
He begins gently, but in the end, He sends the storm. If you are on the run, don't believe God is going to ignore it.
He is going to work to wake you up to see the consequences of your actions. But there is a blessing in this.
For it is wonderful to know that God pursues us even though we are stubborn and rebellious. God gives us second chances.
I like how Max Lucado has put it…
“If there are 1000 steps between you and God, He will take 999 of them and leave the last one for you."
You can only be on the run so long.
It is time for you to get to your Nineveh.
Are you on the run?
Is God asking you to do something that you are fighting?
Take the time today to turn around.
Can I ask where or what is your Nineveh? Enough is Enough it's time for you to be on the run to Jesus Christ? Why are you running from something that you know that God wants you to do?
Maybe your afraid they won't be enough money. Or that you'll lose some friends . Maybe you're worried that God might make you go some place or to a church where you don't want to go. Maybe you're thinking, "Lord, you can send me anywhere. But don't send me too......"
Maybe God is calling you to ministry within this church, but you are content to let others who are not called, fill the position for you. We all have our Nineveh that scare us to death. But my prayer is that we become more like Isaiah's than Jonah's - that we may say Boldly "Lord here I am, send me, use me."
Walk back to mirror - Now there is now way I could ever put this mirror back together, It is just, not possible there are little pices that we will never find. You see there is no way you can put yourself back together on your own. But God! If we will be on the run to him and repent and obey He will put the pices back together like He wants them to be and it will be perfect! (set new mirror on stand)
Praise God!
** The next time you think God can't use you just remember.....
* Noah was a drunk
* Abraham was too old (he was 100)
* Jacob was a liar
* Moses had a stuttering problem
* Gideon was afraid
* Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
* Rahab was a prostitute
* David had an affair and was a murderer
* Elijah was suicidal
* Jonah ran from God
* Job went bankrupt
* Peter denied Jesus
* The disciples fell asleep while praying
* Martha worried about everything
* The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
And
* Lazarus was dead! (God used a dead man)
What do you have that's worse than that ? No more excuses! CHURCH!!
God can and will use you .... If you will be obedient and be a follower and not a runner! Besides you aren't the message just the messenger!
Sometimes God has to display your troubles like He did Jonah's, So that when He delivers you they will be no doubt who the author of deliverance was! Because GOD and only GOD can do the unthinkable !
Don't be like me, don't to wait for the storm to comes - LET US PRAY
