What A Way To Learn Your Lesson

Intro. In chapter one of the book of Jonah, God gave Jonah an ORDER. Go to Nineveh, a city founded by Nimrod, and a very wicked place. It was the Metropolis of the Assyrian Empire. It compassed 60 miles and had a wall a hundred feet high, so broad that three chariots could go abreast on it. It had 1500 towers, two hundred feet high. Jonah - GO TELL!

There was a great sin that the stench had reached Heaven (much like the world today). But God is Merciful.

Ne 9:31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

Daniel 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

Jonah objected and headed in the wrong direction. You cannot do the wrong thing the wrong way and expect it to turn out right! So a storm arose because he ran from God and In Jonah 1:17, Jonah was in a mess - LITERALLY!

The LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

God had positioned by His providence a whale to eat Jonah! He had been willing to die rather than obey God. Jonah is a typical Christian!

Many do not call upon the Lord until it is their last resort!

I. The Reality of a Soul’s Distress - vs. 2 6

A. A Position of Conflict

B. Prayer in confusion vs. 2, Psalm 116:3, Ps 31:22

C. A Place of Chastening - vs. 3, 5 - 6

1.Waters engulfed him vs. 32.

2. Separation became real to him vs. 4

3. Seaweed wrapped around him vs. 5

4. He hit the bottom of the ocean vs. 6

II. The Repentance from the Soul’s Disobedience vs. 4, 7 9

A. A Recalling - vs. 4

B. A Relationship vs. 7

1. He remembered where His journey with God started

2. He remembered that he could pray

3. He remembered the Temple

C. A Realization vs. 8 - Psalm 116:6

1. He had believed the Lies of his own will

2. He has forsaken God=s provision

D. A Rededication vs. 9

1. Thankful

2. Truthful

3. Trusting

III. The Rest of the Soul=s Deliverance vs. 1 2 (Psalm 116:1-2, 7-8)

A. The Mercy of Punishment vs. 1

B. The Mercy of Perception vs. 2, Ps 145:18, Ps 51:17,

C. The Mercy of Preservation vs. 10, Isa 50:2

IV. The Response of the Soul’s Direction - vs. 10 (Psalm 116:9) Jon 3:1-3

A. An Immediate Attention - Jon 3:1-2

B. An Immediate Action - vs. 3:3

Conclusion:

• God desires that you - OBEY HIM and do His good pleasure.

• Would Jonah say that running from God was a pleasant experience? I think not.

• Have you moved away from God’s will? Is your storm of your own making?

• Don’t wait until you have to look up to see the bottom to come home to the Lord.

Lost? Ac 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Saved? 1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

It matters not where you have been, or where you are right now - Cry unto him and find Almighty God leaning over in your direction. Be saved today. Be restored.

Disclaimer: A man once told me that if it is true, it is not new. If it is new, it is not true. We all know there is nothing new under the sun. With that said, I glean ideas for my sermons from God’s Word, my own thoughts and work, and many other sources. Any similarity to my sermons and others, where credit is not given, is either coincidental, or an unintentional mistake on my part. As none of us have a corner on the wisdom and teaching of God’s Word, it is my desire that any of my outlines be an encouragement, a help, and hopefully a motivation for others to preach God’s Word clearly. Please feel free to use any portion of my sermons if they can be of help to you and your ministry. I purposely include a skeleton outline, and not my full text, for this purpose. It is all for His Glory.