Introduction
I have been a Christian for forty-seven years (47) years. During that time, I have to say that I have had a great relationship with God. But I also must tell you that the most powerful times in my Christian journey with the Lord occurred those times I called “Holy Moments.” Those “Holy Moments” are times, although mostly brief, where it seems like God pulls me to the side, is right there next to me, and showing me something or teaching me something. It is a time when it seems like it is just God and me and the entire world is filtered out. God has me where He wants me, and He has my full attention.
Let me give you an example from my personal life. Thirty years ago, when you all asked Anne and I to come to Bala Chitto as your pastor, Anne was sure that is where God wanted us. I was not so sure. I was still in seminary at the time, holding down a job, and my mom was sick. So, I had a lot on my plate, and I did not know if I wanted to add another thing. One particular day, I was in between classes so I decided to walk through the Baptist Bookstore on campus. And as I was walking down one of the book aisles, it was like God said to me, pick up that book and read some of it. It was a book about a small church and after I read a few pages, it was like God said I want you to be at that small church pastor. I went home to Anne told her about that “Holy Moment” with God and told her, we are going to Bala Chitto.
Do not think me weird, because the Bible has some examples of “Holy Moments” that changed the course of people’s lives. Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of them. Today, I want to look at Jonah’s “Holy Moments.”
Turn with me in your Bible to the Book of Jonah to Chapter 1:14-17.
Scripture
Jonah 1:1–3 NKJV
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 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 1:14–17 NKJV
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.
Point #1
Holy Moments occur in my life because there are times God demands my full attention on Him because he got something for me to do, but I did not get what He told me in my everyday busy life.
Our story of Jonah begins like the story of a every Christian. God spoke to Jonah just likes He speaks to everyone of His children. If you are a child of God, God talks with you. And just like His children, Jonah heard God, but obviously Jonah thought what God said was not that important. It did not matter what God said. You and I do that to God too. We think what God tells us is optional. And God uses the Holy Moments to say son or daughter, you missed it; it is mandatory.
We know Jonah thought it was optional because God said go east to Nineveh and instead Jonah headed west to Joppa. God, what you said really does not matter.
Jonah heard from God; we know that from the very first verse- “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah.” The Bible makes clear that there was no misinterpretation; there was no misunderstanding; there was no room in God’s Word for Jonah to negotiate a better deal. So, what God does is create a Holy Moment between Himself and Jonah to explain to Jonah when I tell you to do something, I need your full attention to what I tell you to do.
God will get Jonah’s full attention in a belly of a great fish. He might get our full attention in a hospital bed recovering from a major surgery. He might have gotten our full attention broken down on the side of a deserted road in the middle of the night. He might get our full attention on an oil rig away from your family in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. And He might get our attention sitting outside the principal’s office waiting to see him for my punishment in breaking a school rule.
Think about it! Have you ever had a Holy Moment because God needed to get you alone because you did not hear Him in everyday life? God will indeed set up those appointments.
Point #2
God might bring about a “Holy Moment “in your life when the words of your mouth do not line up with your actions and you cannot see that you and God are out of sync.
Let us look at two verses to get this picture. First, let us listen to the words out of the mouth of Jonah as he is talking to the crew on the deck of the ship.
Jonah 1:9 NKJV
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 says I am a Jew and I fear the Lord. Since Jonah was a Jew, he would have known what is meant by saying that I fear the Lord.
To Jonah and all Jews, the fear of the Lord meant having a deep respect, reverence and awe for God’s power and authority in your life. And I believe that as Jonah is talking with the crew aboard the ship, He really believes that he is a good follower of the Lord. Jonah sees himself as a good Jew.
But let us take a look at the second Scripture in this passage.
Jonah 1:3 NKJV
3 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.
Twice we are told in that verse that he is fleeing the presence of the Lord. You know that does not sound like fear of the Lord.
Does that sound like respect? God asked Jonah to do something, and he turned God down.
Does that sound like awe for God’s authority in your life? His actions tell God “I am not doing it.”
But picture what is happening, the sea is raging, and Jonah is standing on the ship deck telling everyone in the sound of his voice that he is a good Hebrew boy who does what God says.
Obviously, Jonah had a lot better picture of his Jewishness and his commitment to the Lord than God did.
I can imagine in a church even this size that are probably many people in this congregation that has a lot better picture of how they see their Christianity than God does. I am sure that there are some here that can talk a good Christianity, but their actions do not line up with God’s Word or what God ask them to do.
If that is the case, you are no different than Jonah.
And if that is you do not be surprised if you encounter a Holy Moment from God when He takes you to the woodshed. He is about to do that with Jonah. Remember, He says in the Book of Hebrews that whomsoever He loves, He disciples.
Point #3
God will send a series of Holy Moments in our life until we say to God “I surrender my will to you.” God has more “Holy Moments” than you have staying power to keep rejecting Him.
God did not just send one Holy Moment to Jonah, but it actually took two to break him.
Jonah 1:12 NKJV
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.”
In verse 12, Jonah knew that storm was for him. He knew what would happen if they threw Him overboard. The Scripture says that he knew that this great tempest was for him which means that He knew who it came from- God. But do you see anywhere in that verse Jonah says that I am going to Nineveh and cry out against the wickedness of that city.
What is Jonah hoping for when the men picked him up and threw him overboard? He would rather die in the deep than do what God wanted him to do. That is exactly what he was hoping for. We are not told that the crew threw him a life jacket. We are not told that they lowered down a lifeboat so that he could paddle off into the sunset. What we have is just water and Jonah so Jonah thought. Do not ever leave God out!
What God is going to do is sent Jonah another Holy Moment.
Jonah going to know that this Holy Moment is from God just like the tempest in the sea.
Let us look at the verses:
Jonah 1:17–2:2 NKJV
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.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. 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.
But in the second “Holy Moment” there is a difference. Jonah realizes that he is not leaving that fish’s belly unless God does something and so he cries out to God. Oh, Jonah was stubborn, he waited three days until he cried out to the Lord, but the Lord won. He always wins!
So, God told him to go to Nineveh a second time. And you know what Jonah’s answer this time is. Sure, Lord I will go.
Jonah 3:1–3 (NKJV)
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD...
Conclusion
God has more “Holy Moments” than you have staying power to keep rejecting Him.
Will you surrender your life to Him today?
