Jonah 1:1-4:11
Jonah – The Pouting Prophet
Introduction
A. When a team when a game it is funny to hear what they are going to say afterwards in the interview
B. You can almost guess what they will say
C. This is a total team effort,
D. We gave 110%, I am proud of the guys
E. I’m going to Disney world
F. Stuff like that, you all have heard them
G. Imagine though, if they would say something like
H. I was hoping we would loose
I. I am not proud of this win
J. It is a sad day because we won
K. It wasn’t a total team effort
L. That seams ridiculous doesn’t it?
M. Well that is what Jonah did after Nineveh repented
N. WE are going to look at Jonah today
O. We are going to see how he
a. Ran From God
b. Repented
c. Reacted Wrong
I. Run from God (1)
A. Explanation
1. Jonah was sitting around minding his own business, then the Lord called Jonah
2. The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh
3. Now to understand Nineveh it is the last place you would want to go to
4. Everybody has that place in their head were they say ok Lord I will serve you were ever you want except _______________ (fill in your own blank)
B. Illustration
1. When I was traveling out to Life 92 we drove through the most boring place in the whole country. Kansas! I remember driving down the road and seeing a water tower 50 miles a way for the next 50 miles I looked at that water tower because there was nothing else to look at. I hated that state. So I always told God that I would go anywhere but Kansas. However, that might hurt me in the long run he might send me to Kansas just because
2. Back to the story
3. So Jonah does the logical thing and ran as fast as he could
4. He boarded a boat that was heading the complete opposite direction
5. Well as we have learned many times ourselves God still knows were we are
6. So god caused this horrible storm
7. The Sailors soon realize it was because of Jonah that this storm was hear
8. Jonah tells this to throw him overboard, at first they were reluctant but letter agree
9. I do not think that Jonah expected to be swallowed up by a Large fish
10. I am thinking that Jonah thought that he would die. But death in his mind would be better then Nineveh
C. Application
1. How can we apply this to our lives?
2. What are you running from?
3. What is God calling you to do that you do not want to do?
4. Sure it might not be a city that he is calling you to go and preach repentance
5. It might not involve traveling at all
6. It could be right in your own home
7. But what is it that God is calling you to do and your not willing
8. Notice what happen to the sea, look how turbulent the seas were until Jonah jump ship
9. Our lives are that way until we choose to follow God wherever he wants us.
II. Realize we screwed up (2)
A. Explanation
1. Jonah gets what we all could use at times in our lives
2. Alone time
3. Think about it, he is inside this whale with no TV now computer no phone no contact with anybody else just sitting there with nothing to do
4. I don’t know when this prayer was made, as in what day that he was inside the fish
5. I have a hunch it wasn’t the first day
6. I imagine the first day was spent in rage
7. “Why did you do this to me God”
8. “Why are you treating me this way”
9. Finally after much complaining Jonah figures it out
10. He calls on the lord
11. Listen to this petition he makes before God. (Read 2:1-9)
12. After that Jonah is on dry land
B. Application
1. What can we learn from this?
2. Is there something in your life that you are holding on to?
3. Is there something in your life that you need to confess to God?
4. Do you need to come to a realization that God is in control
5. Jonah did not want to have anything to do with God
6. God however, did want something to do with Jonah
7. What about you? Is there something in your life wanting you to get rid of God?
8. God wants you no matter what it is
9. You know what we could all use?
10. Alone time with God
11. Jonah was able to have 3 days to sort things out, and he did get them sorted out
C. Illustration
1. This alone time is often considered something that only Pastors do. This alone time people will look at you funny so you are afraid to do it. Everybody has there own styles, setting preference, but it is something that should be looked into
2. I encourage you to find a day or two. Leave the phone at home. Leave the computer at home. Bring your Bible a notebook and a pencil. And enjoy God!
3. There is probably something in all our lives that we need to deal with God about.
4. As your Pastor I can not make you do it, but I will say “Take Care of it now”
III. React wrong (3-4)
A. Explanation
1. This story is takes a bizarre turn
2. I don’t know about you but this is not the way I would expect it to go
3. I would not expect Jonah to be happy but obviously he is not
4. Imagine you just got down telling people to repent
5. And they did!
6. However, Jonah so despised Nineveh that he thought the Lord should kill all of them
7. He was upset that they repented and God forgave them
8. He could not understand how the Lord could forgive such awful people
9. He then just goes out and pouts, he goes to the outside of the city and pouts
10. Imagine you just involved in preaching one of the greatest revivals and you pout about it
B. Application
1. What can we learn from this?
2. I might step on a few tows but
3. We often react the same way as Jonah does
4. See the underlining problem here is Jonah’s hate for the people of Nineveh
5. He did not care that they repented he wanted them to die.
6. We often do ministry the same way
7. There are two problems that arise.
8. The first one is that we think we are better then someone else.
a) WE go to church, we do this, we do that, we don’t do this, we don’t do that
b) These people over here don’t deserve everything we have, they are bad people
9. The second problem that arises is out of hate
a) There is no other way to say then racism
b) I feel that we as a country have progressed in this area but it still exist
10. Neither of those thoughts are acceptable
11. You are a sinner just as bad, God does not see little sins and big sins, he sees sin
12. We are all created equal, our colorful God choose to make us look different, that does not mean we are not the same
13. It is time that we stop acting like Jonah
14. It is time that we start rejoicing when someone repents and turns their life around
15. God’s love is universal.
16. We are to be like God
17. Therefore, treat people in one of two ways
a) Either Believer or
b) Unbeliever
c) (By the way think about how to treat those two and you will find out there isn’t a lot of difference)
Conclusion
A. Jonah is such a interesting book
B. Unfortunately I have done injustice to it.
C. There needs to be a lot more time spent studying it.
D. Go home read it 4931 times. Figure out what all meaning is there.
E. Jonah lived an interesting life
F. He ran from God
G. Then he Repented
H. Then he React wrong
I. What about you?
J. Are you running from God right now?
K. Do you need to have that time with God and repent of things in your life?
L. Are you treating people wrong? Do you need to change that practice?
M. If you need to deal with something, don’t put it off any longer
N. Take care of it now!
O. Normally when we have been studying this characters I say be like “Samuel” Be like whoever
P. Not today. Don’t be stubborn like Jonah
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
