The Cycle Of No Purpose Series

THE CYCLE OF NO PURPOSE

Jonah 1

Two gas company service men, a senior training Supervisor and a young trainee were out checking meters and parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked there way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two

men as they checked her gas meter. As they finished the meter check the older supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck.

As they came running up to the truck, they realized that the lady from the last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath she said, "When I see two gas men running full speed away from my house, I figured I had better run too." Have you found yourself running in life, but not sure where or why? Maybe you feel like this fish (take it out of water). It gasps for air, it is vulnerable, it waists energy flopping around. God wants you to feel like the fish now (put it back in the water). In it’s element the fish is majestic, graceful, athletic, turns flips, dynamic. It doesn’t matter how big or small, think of dolphins, or even killer whales (even though they are not fish).

7 actions that keep you running in God’s direction.

Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (repeat) My goal is to have you to memorize this verse before today is over. (Repeat verse during every point.)

1. Listen to what God says.

God’s purpose starts with God’s word.(1-2)

1The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:

2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.’

Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

2. Reject what you want. (3)

3However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the LORD’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the LORD’s presence.

Arabian horses go through rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require absolute obedience from the horses, and test them to see if they are completely trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living thing. The trainers force the horses to do without water for many days. Then he turns them loose and of course they start running toward the water, but just as they get to the edge, ready to plunge in and drink, the trainer blows his whistle. The horses who have been completely trained and who have learned perfect obedience, stop. They turn around and come pacing back to the trainer. They stand there quivering, wanting water, but they wait in perfect obedience. When the trainer is sure that he has their obedience he gives them a signal to go back to drink.

We must consent to God’s training and obey Him.

God’s purpose contradicts our flesh.

Prov. 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

3. Trust God even when your circumstance does not agree.

This is what happened to a Texas minister who was scheduled to speak at an all-day conference. He was running late because his alarm had failed to ring. In his haste to make up for lost time, he cut himself while shaving. Then he found his shirt was not ironed. To make matters worse, running to his car he noticed a tire was flat. Disgusted, and by this time thoroughly distraught, the minister finally got underway with a sudden burst of speed. Racing through town he failed to notice a stop sign and rushed through it. As fate would have it, there was a policeman nearby, and in just moments he heard the scream of a siren. Jumping out of his car, the agitated minister said sharply, "Well, go ahead and give me a ticket. Everything else has gone wrong today." The policeman walked up and said quietly, "Sir, I used to have days like that before I became a Christian."

God is faithful even when we are not. (4) 1 Cor. 1:9;2 Tim. 2:13***.

4Then the LORD hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. (the boat that Jonah shipped out in came to the point of destruction in the storm (Jon. 1:4, lit., “it was thinking to be destroyed”).)

Deviseth- to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious way) to devise.