The Downfall Of Disobedience Series

WHEN CHRISTIANS SINK

PREACHED ON SUNDAY AUGUST 7, 2005

SALUTATION

EXPRESSIONS OF THANKS ETC.

TITANIC STORY – THINGS PEOPLE DO TO SURVIVE (DRESS)

TRANSITION INTO THE TEXT

BRIEF BACKGROUND TO THE TEXT – FROM CHAPTER 1.

REFER TO CH. 1:2 – GOD BECAME CONCERN - CALLED – COMMISSIONED JONAH – PREACH

JONAH ROWED AND COMPLAINED –

JONAH REFUSED TO COOPERATE

JONAH RAN AND DID NOT COMPLY

IN A NUT-SHELL, HE REJECTED HIS CALL – DISOBEYED GOD BUT HE LATER SUFFERED THE CONQUENCES. THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES WHEN WE DISOBEY GOD.

JONAH ENDED UP BEING THROWN INTO A RAGING SEA, ALMOST DROWN– BUT GOD THROUGH HIS GRACE AND MERCY SPARED JONAH’S LIFE. APP. (GOD HAS SPARED US).

BUT WHAT DID JONAH LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE? WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM WHAT JONAH TELLS US IN CHAPTER 2? WHEN JONAH FOUND HIMSELF SINKING, HOW DID HE HANDLE IT? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU FIND YOUSELF SINKING? FOR WHAT EVER REASON? JONAH SANK BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE. BUT THE QUESTION FOR US TODAY IS - WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES SINKING. YOU MAY ASK, WHAT DO YOU MEAN SINKING? WELL - SOME FOLKS SINK EMOTIONALLY,

SOME FOLKS SINK FINANCIALLY

SOME SINK RELATIONALLY

AND WORST OF ALL, AS THE PROPHET IN THIS STORY – SOME OR EVEN MANY OF US SINK SPIRITUALLY. BUT, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

LET US GO TO OUR TEXT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN AS JONAH RECOUNTS HIS EXPERIENCES AND REMINESES ABOUT THIS UNFORGETABLE EXPEDITION. THERE ARE SOME LESSONS HERE FOR US. FIRST AND FOREMOST,

I DON’T BELIEVE FOR ONE MOMENT THAT IT IS ACCIDENTAL OR COINCIDENTAL THAT THE EVENTS IN THIS CHAPTER IS PLACED BETWEEN JONAH’S INITIAL CALL IN CHAPTER ONE AND HIS SECOND CALL IN CHAPTER THREE – READ V-1 BOTH PASSAGES.

B & S

WHEN WE DELAY OR REFUSE TO DO AS GOD ASKS US TO DO – STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN – DISOBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD OFTEN COMPROMISES OUR SPIRITUALITY, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE OUR SITUATION, AND SOMETIMES FOR THE WORSE. THIS IS THE CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND OF THIS STORY.

CHAPTER 2 IS NOT A PRAYER OF DELIVERANCE, BUT RATHER IT IS A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. JONAH WAS THANKFUL THAT HE WAS STILL ALIVE AFTER HE LANDED IN THE OCEAN. TODAY, I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU THREE WAYS WE CAN RESPOND WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES SINKING.

1. CALL FOR HELP. READ V1-2. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU NEED HELP. IT MAKES SENSE TO CALL FOR HELP WHEN LIFE CHALLENGES BECOME UNBEARABLE –

B & S, THE BIBLE TELLS US IN JAMES CH. 4, IF ANY SICK AMONG YOU CALL FOR THE ELDERS,

JER. 33:3 ASKS US TO CALL ON HIM AND HE WILL ANSWER YOU --PSALM 34:6

ISAIAH 65:24 SAYS THAT BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER AND WHILE THEY ARE STILL SPEAKING I WILL HEAR

THERE IS AN INHERENT ADVANTAGE TO CALLING ON GOD

CALLING ON GOD IMPLIES A DEGREE OF EXPECTANCY

CALLING ON GOD INVOLVES A DISPLAY OF MATURITY

CALLING ON GOD INDICATES A DEGREE OF DEPENDENCY.

BUT IN THIS PASSAGE, JONAH CALLED FOR HELP BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THREE THINGS –

A. JONAH CALLED FOR HELP BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THE DISTRESS HE WAS FACING –

V-1 (IN MY DISTRESS…..) UNLESS WE RECOGNIZE THE DISTRESS WE ARE FACING WE WILL NEVER BE MOTIVATED TO CALL FOR HELP. IF WE DON’T THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG, THEN WHY CALL FOR HELP. THAT IS THE PROBLEM, THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO ARE DISTRESSED, DISTURBED, DISALLUSIONED, DESTIUTED BUT REFUSE TO CALL FOR HELP. WE ARE DRIFTING, WE ARE SINKING, BUT YET, WE REFUSE TO CALL FOR HELP. JONAH SAID- IN MY DISTRESS I CALLED UNTO THE LORD AND HE ANSWERED ME. .

IN EXODUS 14: MOSES AND THE CHILDREN AT THE RED SEA – PHAROAH BEHIND THEM –

YOU MAY BE DOWN, BUT YOU CAN STILL LOOK UP. CALL FOR HELP. YOU MAY BE AT YOUR LOWEST NOW BUT YOU STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE ONE WHO IS IN THE HIGHEST.

B. JONAH CALLED FOR HELP BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED THE DEPTH TO WHICH HE HAD FALLEN.

AS A MAN OF GOD, JONAH HAD FALLEN FAR FROM WHERE HE USED TO BE. HE APPEARED TO HAVE LOST HIS INTEREST IN PREACHING AND THE THINGS OF GOD,

APPEARED TO HAVE HAD NO MORE DESIRE TO ENGAGE IN THE THINGS OF GOD - HE HAD FALLEN FAR FROM GOD (V- 5-6 (READ) THE MAN OF GOD HAD HIT ROCK BOTTOM AND FOUND HIMSELF BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, BUT THE AMAZING THING, HE STILL CALL FOR HELP. LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON WHERE WE ARE, OR WHERE WE USE TO BE. HOW FAR HAVE WE FALLEN IN THE LAST WEEK, MONTH, YEAR.

FOR SOME OF US, WE HAVE FALLEN IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CHILDREN, OUR SPOUSES, OUR EMPLOYERS OR EMPLOYEES