“LORD SEND SOMEONE ELSE”
TEXT: JONAH 1:1-3
INTRO: HERE WE READ OF THE PROPHET JONAH, WHOSE NAME MEANS “DOVE”. THE BOOK OF JONAH DOES NOT CONTAIN PROPHECY PER SE, RATHER IT CONTAINS THE HISTORY OF A PROPHET.....
1. A PROPHET RELUCTANT TO FULFIL THE MISSION GOD HAS FOR HIM.
2. A PROPHET WHO COMPLAINED WHEN HIS MISSION IS PROVED SUCCESSFUL.
WHAT KIND OF PROPHET IS THAT? PERHAPS ONE THAT REVEALS WHAT MAY BE TRUE OF OURSELVES TODAY. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAS BEEN CALLED OF GOD TO DO SOMETHING AND HAVE OBEYED BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED OF GOD TO DO SOMETHING, AND RAN FROM HIM, INSTEAD OF DOING HIS WILL.
WE FIND GOD CALLING JONAH TO NINEVEH TO PREACH AGAINST IT’S SIN. BUT WHEN GOD CALLED FOR HIM, HE REPLIED, “LORD SEND SOMEONE ELSE”.
WHAT A BIG CONTRAST THAT RESPONSE WAS TO THE PROPHET ISAIAH. WHEN GOD ASKED, WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US? ISAIAH’S RESPONSE WAS, “HERE AM I , SEND ME!”
MANY OF US ARE LIKE JONAH TODAY. OUR NINEVEH MAY BE ...
1. REPENTANCE
2. SURRENDERANCE
3. SEPARATION
4. ALL OF OUR NINEVEH IS HICKORY TREE.
WE ARE IN THE BOAT TO TARSHISH WHEN GOD WANTS US TO GO TO NINEVEH.
JESUS TALKS ABOUT TWO ROADS, TWO WAYS, AND TWO GATES..... WHERE ARE YOU HEADED? THERE ARE ONLY TWO ROADS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE......
1. ONE ROAD LEADS TO NINEVEH
2. ONE ROAD LEADS TO TARSHISH.
ONE ROAD IS THE WILL OF GOD. AND THE OTHER IS DISOBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD.
SOMEWHERE THERE IS A JOB FOR YOU THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THE WAY THAT YOU CAN DO IT. EACH OF US IS VALUABLE TO GOD AND HAS A SPECIAL PART IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
LET’S LOOK AT “LORD SEND SOMEONE ELSE”.
I. THE CALL OF JONAH
JONAH 1:1...”NOW THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO JONAH....”
A. THE CALL FOR JONAH WAS PERSONAL.
“WORD OF THE LORD UNTO JONAH”
B. THE CALL FOR YOU AND ME IS PERSONAL
1. HAS THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO YOU THIS WEEK?
C. THE CALL OF THE LORD WAS POWERFUL.
“THE WORD OF THE LORD.”
ILL. I REMEMBER WHEN THE CALL OF THE LORD CAME TO ME.
II. THE CRY OF JONAH
JONAH 1:2...”ARISE, GO TO NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY, AND CRY AGAINST IT; FOR THEIR WICKEDNESS IS COME UP BEFORE ME.”
A. JONAH’S CRY WAS TO BE POINTED
“GO TO NINEVEH”
1. GOD WAS SPECIFIC
B. JONAHS’ CRY WAS TO BE PURPOSEFUL
“CRY AGAINST IT;... FOR THEIR SINS IS COME UP AGAINST ME.”
1. PREACH AGAINST THE WICKEDNESS
2. WE CANNOT CRY OUT AGAINST SIN...IF SIN IS IN OUR OWN HEART
III. THE COLLAPSE OF JONAH (VS. 3)
A. DISOBEDIENCE
1. DISOBEDIENCE SEPARATES US FROM GOD (VS.3)
B. SIN
1. SIN SEPARATES US FROM THE PRESENCES OF GOD.
IV. WHY DID JONAH WANT THE LORD TO SEND SOMEONE ELSE?
A. HE WAS SATISFIED WITH WHAT HE WAS DOING.
1. MY FAMILY THAT ALL THAT MATTERS
2. I HAVE DONE MY DUES LET SOMEONE ELSE
B. HE WAS CONTENT WITH WHERE WAS AT.
1. OUR CHURCHES ARE CONTENT WITH WHERE THEY ARE AT.....
1. PHYSICALLY
2. SPIRITUALLY
C. HE WAS LOOKING FOR A TARSHISH
1. THE DEVIL WILL ALWAYS PUT A TARSHISH IN WAY.
A. TRY TO FIND A WAY OUT
V. WHAT DID THE LORD WANT TO SEND JONAH TO NINEVEH?
A. BECAUSE OF THE SIN
B. BECAUSE OF THE SINNERS
C. BECAUSE OF THE SOULS
