Title: The Prayer Of A Desperate Man
Title: Jonah 2:1-10
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Introduction:
- Have you ever been in a position were God needed to show up or it was over.
- I mean if God doesn’t intervene, you go bankrupt, or you die.
- This is were Jonah was at with God.
- This is part two in my sermon series that talks about the consequence of disobedience.
- Jonah was disobedient when running from the presence of the Lord, but then obeyed the Lord by allowing the men to throw him overboard.
- Jonah was trying to make the situation right by obeying the Lord because now other people were being affected by his disobedience.
- If we ever think that my disobedience towards the Lord is not harming anyone, look at the story of Jonah. People were going to die because of one man’s disobedience.
- Disobedience affects the people around us, especially our close friends and family.
- When Jonah was thrown overboard, I personally believe he was obeying God.
- And because Jonah had obeyed God, made the situation that he was in go from bad to worse.
- We have all been in that situation, where we find ourselves in hot water, only to obey the Lord and find ourselves in deeper hot water.
- I believe the Lord loves to show His power to His people in hopeless situations.
- Situations where man can do absolutely nothing to solve the problem. The only way the situation is going to be solved is if God shows up.
- God showed up for Jonah in a very powerful way.
- The problem is, we don’t recognize that God is working on our behalf, all we see is the fish opening it’s mouth ready to swallow us.
- All we see is the water surging and roaring, and we feel that life has beaten us.
- But it’s in these times as Christians that God is trying to change us and make us more like Him.
- The question is how do you respond? Do you respond like Jonah who responded in a spiritual way or do you respond from the flesh. (Read Gal 5)
- There are some life lessons I want us to take hold of this morning that will teach us to respond the way the Spirit would have us respond.
- It has the power to change your situation that is hopeless in the eyes of man into divine deliverance from the power of God.
Life Lesson One: Believe In The Power Of Prayer (Vs 1-2 and7)
- It was a prayer of deliverance from death.
- It was a desperate prayer, for God to intervene.
- If God did not intervene, then death would be for sure in Jonah’s life.
- We are faced with that kind of intensity from time to time.
- For example that woman who passed away, when they took her feeding tube away.
- People were praying and asking God to intervene, and for some reason God did not intervene and she died.
- I am so thankful that we have a God who hears and answers, even though it may not be the answer we are looking for.
In October, 1983, I was painting Van and Juanita Clark’s home. They had a small black dog who would go to the back door and bark and bark until someone finally got the message and let it out. One day I was there, painting the outside of the home, while everyone else was gone. Their little dog, however, took up his station at the back door and barked incessantly all day. The sad thing was that it never dawned in his little brain that all his barking was totally useless--no one was home to hear!
- We need to remember that God always answers prayer. He never turns a deaf ear to His people.
Life Lesson Two: Believe In The Power Of Reverence (Vs 4)
A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine.
D.L. Moody.
Quarterback cum ESPN commentator Joe Theismann, allegedly explaining to his soon-to-be-ex second wife why he had an affair: "God wants Joe Theismann to be happy."
- Jonah knew he had been disobedient and recognized that it was God who threw him into the sea.
- His greatest sorrow and fear was to be banished forever from God’s presence (vs 4)
- Is that your greatest fear? Or are we more consumed with pleasing ourselves and our will instead of God’s.
Life Lesson Three: Believe In The Power Of God’s Hand (Vs 6-7)
One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.
- God never runs out of gas and He is a sure foundation for every life.
- He will never fail and will always sustain you and me.
- No matter what happens to us, God is in control.
- When cares of this life have thrown everything at you to bring you down and you find yourself in the pit, God is the one that brings you up from despair.
- The Word says that God has the power to change your life and make you what He wants you to be.
- This was Jonah’s thinking, he didn’t need money, friends, family, what He needed to do is declare that God’s mighty hand is the only one that could save him.
- He believed and God delivered him from a terrible situation.
- To remember the Lord means that God becomes such a living presence within us and around us that we can call out to Him at any time in faith, hope and love.
Deut 8:17-18 says, “You may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”
- Again this verse talks about money and God’s blessing at times as a sign that God is fulfilling His covenant with Abraham and His descendants.
- The point is that in life, God will remember His covenant with you and fulfill His purpose and bless you. Remember it does not come from our hands but the Lord gives us the ability.
- Are you that dependant on Him today? Are you remembering the Lord as Jonah did, when life is ebbing away? Or do you remember Him now and thank Him?
Life Lesson Four: Believe In The Power Of Thanksgiving (Vs 9)
Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it.
Terrified, the one shouted to the other, "Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!"
John answered, "I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life."
"But you must!" implored his companion. "The bull is catching up to us."
"All right," panted John, "I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ’O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’"
- There is power in being thankful always.
- It delivered Jonah from the belly of a fish, it delivered Paul while in Prison.
- It brings the swift hand of God into your situation and deliverance is sure to come.
Conclusion:
- Up to this point there have been 7 miracles from God:
a. Sent a great storm (1:4)
b. Directed the lot to implicate Jonah (1:7)
c. Calmed the sea (1:15)
d. Arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah (1:17)
e. Kept alive in fish for 3 days. (2:6; 1:17)
f. Caused fish to go to land
g. Made fish vomit Jonah onto dry land.
- The message is very clear, there is no problem to big that God can not fix.
- It shows that God is in complete control and will hold us up.
- All we can do in our situation is learn to thank Him for what we have and were we are in life.
- At times it’s only by the grace of God that we can thank Him as it was for Jonah in the fish.
Let’s Pray!!!
