Be Wise: Don’t Run Away
Jonah 1
Intro.:
A. WE started this year with the Challenge: Living Wise in 2005.
Eph. 5:15- calls us to live not as unwise but as the wise.
Vs’ 16-21 go on to give us some parameters for Living Wisely:
1. Redeem your Time
2. God’s Will
3. Spirit – Filled
4. Edify Others
5. Worship the Lord
B. But as I was praying about in how to start this New Year not only did the Lord lead me to Focus on Wisdom but He led me with a great example of learning to Live Wise: Jonah!
Let’s look and Learn from this book as we study chapter 1 today.
Body:
Vs. 1-2; God Calls Jonah
• The Word of the Lord came to Jonah
• Jonah = means dove, a messenger. Son of Amittai = meaning son of Truth.
• God to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it.
• Because its wickedness has come before me (God knows our misdeeds, sins, wickedness – and He will at some time deal with them in Judgment).
Vs. 3 – Jonah’s response
• Jonah ran away from the Lord
• And headed for Tarshish (from Israel, Nineveh is East and Tarshish is West – the opposite direction)
• He goes down from Jerusalem to Joppa and catches a ship to feel to Tarshish.
• Now why do you think Jonah was so willing to Disobey God?
1. Perhaps Jonah thought God’s message was too harsh! Not likely though as we read the rest of the book and get to know Jonah’s attitude about the Ninevites.
2. Maybe Jonah was afraid for his life! Very possible because we read from Nahum 3 that Nineveh was wicked and brutal Assyrian City. It was a great enemy to Israel. This city was known for as a place with many casualties, piles of dead bodies, people stumbling over corpses, - enslaved to sorcery, prostitution, and witchcraft. In other writings it is said that the Ninevite leaders would remove their enemies head and wear them around their neck. So, yes, it is possible that Jonah feared his life.
3. Perhaps Jonah thought this assignment was a lost cause – they will never accept God or His message, so why bother. I.E. God, you must not know what is right on this one – they won’t accept you. I will help you God.
Whatever the reason, and we will see at least part of Jonah’s reason in the next couple weeks – the point here is that Jonah was willfully disobedient to God. I.E., He was not living Wisely! Why do any of us willfully disobey God, by not doing what the Lord wants us to do?
Vs. 4-17; God reveals Himself to Jonah and the crew through the Storm.
• The great Storm, vs. 4-5; even the crew was afraid, these were professional sailors. They called on their gods – but their gods couldn’t calm the storm.
• Jonah was below deck asleep, even through the storm. Vs5b-6 How could Jonah sleep through this storm?
1. Perhaps, like many of us, we rest on what we have done for the Lord, verses what we are not doing for the Lord!
2. Perhaps, Jonah was deceived by a false sense of pride and faith even though at this time he is willfully being disobedient to God. How Wise is that?
• The Captain and the crew seek to know whose the culprit. Vs. 6-11
- the lots fell on Jonah as the guilty party, vs. 7
- Notice how Jonah responds who he is – vs.9 Hebrew, worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.
- Notice the Crew was “Terrified” – vs. 10 and they knew Jonah was running away from the Lord because he told them already.
- Finally they ask Jonah – what should we do?, vs. 11
• Jonah seeks to save the Crew by asking them to throw him overboard, vs. 11-16
- Jonah asks them to throw him overboard so that they can live as the sea will calm down, vs. 12
- INSTEAD – the men try to row to safety without throwing Jonah overboard, vs. 13
- Then the men prayed to God to forgive them for throwing Jonah overboard, thinking for sure he would die, vs. 14
- Finally they throw Jonah overboard, vs. 15 and the sea became calm.
- The men still fear God so they offered a sacrifice to Him and made vows to him, vs. 16
• Vs. 17; the Lord provided…
- A Great fish, not necessarily a whale and Jonah was inside the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.
Lessons for us from Jonah 1:
1. How great is our God! It wasn’t the false gods that the crew worshipped and prayed to – it was THE God. He is control of the Wind and the Sea; of heaven and earth.
2. God’s GRACE and Mercy: not only to Jonah but first demonstrated in His desire to send Jonah to Nineveh; this city where the people were brutal, violent, full of witchcraft, etc. For God so loved the World, He gave His only Son…
3. But mostly I want us learn about the Process of Lively Wisely.
* Jonah truly lived his life Wisely until he runs away from the Lord’s call now. Remember our 5 points of living wisely?
Make the most of each Opportunity – Redeem the Time; Jonah lived that way until now when he runs away. He served the Lord, spoke for the Lord to others as a prophet, etc.
Do God’s Will; as the Lord led Jonah, he was God’s servant in the past until now.
Spirit Filled; he was anointed by the Lord to speak for Him in the past and even to receive the Word of the Lord here.
Speak to others the Word of God – Edify others: that was what Jonah was known for – a Messenger, Dove of Truth – a prophet (2Kings 14:25). He used to go speak God’s word to people, until now.
Worship the Lord; vs. 9 – Jonah even says that he worships the Lord, until now when he runs away or flees from the presence of the Lord (as the RSV translates it).
But now Jonah’s not going to Redeem this time (he runs away); he’s not going to do God’s will and go to Nineveh (he’s going to run to Tarshish); he’s not submitting to the Spirit of God upon him; he’s not going to Nineveh to Edify them with the Word’s of God; and he certainly is not going to Worship the Lord as flees from Him.
Jonah was a Wise man – but now is living Unwise!
HERE’S OUR POINT TODAY!
1. If we are going to Live Wise in 2005 we must be fully Obedient to the Lord in all that He asks us to do and Not Run Away from Him!
2, There are times in our Walk with the Lord where we will be Wise and there will be times when we are NOT! If it could happen to Jonah, it can happen to us!
3. In those times when we are not living Wisely, God is not finished with us – He is seeking us and will Provide a way for us to turn back to Him!
4. The Process of Living Wisely in Christ:
Living Wisely = You are right with the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ; you are Worshipping the true God of heave and earth; the Word of the Lord is taking affect in your life and you are Serving the Lord!
Living Unwisely = you are not being obedient to all that the Lord is calling you to; you are seeking false gods like the crew; you are running away from the Lord; you are bringing harm to yourself and others – often thinking and resting in your own false pride and/or past obedience to the Lord (like Jonah, vs.6).
A time to Recognize what you are doing and who you belong to, vs. 9 - the Ah Ha moment – ex. Luke 15 the prodigal son. Jonah realizes that he belongs to the Lord, that He does believe in Him and He needs to trust Him and worship Him.
You throw yourself at the mercy of God knowing that Lord will provide for you, vs. 17
Conclusion:
A. Are you living Wisely for the Lord? Remember: Redeem the Time (make the most of every opportunity); Know and Do God’s Will; Be Spirit filled; Edify others with God’s Word; Worship the Lord!
B. Where are you in the process of living Wise today?
* You are
* You are not
* You are in the Ah Ha moment realizing your need for the Lord and who He wants you to be in Him.
* You are ready to throw yourself at the Mercy of God, knowing that He will provide for you…
C. Last Question: When God calls you to Worship Him, calls you to grow in Him, calls you to give to Him, calls you to Serve Him, calls you to Obey Him fully – does he get ahold of you or does He a get your Voice Mail saying “Sorry no one home – I’m out now, please don’t call back.”?
God wants to bless you, your family and our church – but we must Live Wise in 2005 – Don’t run away – be fully obedient to the Lord!
