You Can't Keep A Good Man Down

YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN JONAH 1:17 - 2:10

I. Because God Provides a Place of Separation. 1:17

A. SEPARATION BY GOD'S APPOINTMENT. v 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Note :- (a) The Preparation Of The Fish (the LORD had prepared) (b) The Provision Of The Fish (a great fish) It Provided Time, Teaching, Training.(Miracle Of His Surviving) (c) The Purpose Of The Fish (to swallow up Jonah) (d) The Protection Of The Fish (Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.) (e) The Prevention Of The Fish (Jonah Face To Face with God) No Escape

B. SEPARATION WITH GOD'S AGENDA. v 17 And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Time To :- Reflect (a) On God's Person (b) On God's Plan (c) On God's Power (d) On God's Patience

C. SEPARATION TO GOD'S APPRECIATION

1. A RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR GOD'S COMPASSION. (Psalm 86:15) “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 145:8) “The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Job declared, “Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth" (Job 11:6). Psalmist declared, ( Psalm 103:8) “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" and (Psalm 103:10) “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities"

2. A RENEWED AWARENESS OF GOD'S CONTROL There are two ways that you could look at what was going on in Jonah's life. A) A Human Perspective How did Jonah end up in the belly of a great fish? We read in 1:15, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea." B) A Heavenly Perspective We read in verse 3 "For that hadst cast me into the deep, " Jonah described his descent into the deep. He described his deliverance from the deep. William Cowper God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break, In blessings on your head

His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

3. A RENEWED ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S COMMAND A) The Vanity Of Fleeing God v. 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. B) The Vow To Follow God v. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.

Time To :- Relent (a) On His Own Selfishness (b) On His Own Stubborness (c) On His Own Sinfulness (Others Lost because Of Him)

Time To :- Repent v.1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,

II. Because God Provides a Place of Supplication. 2:1-2 See His :- (a) Adoration, vs 1-4 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, A. He Adored God for His Authority Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God B. He Adored God for His Accessibility."out of the belly of hell cried I." v. 2 C. He Adored God for His Acceptability. v. 2 and thou heardest my voice. D. He Adored God for His Ability Thou hadst cast me . .all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. " . E. He Adored God for His Approachibility. v 4 yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. (b) Admission, 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. D. L. Moody visited a prison called "The Tombs" to preach to the inmates. After he had finished speaking, Moody talked with a number of men in their cells. He asked each prisoner this question, "What brought you here?" Finally, Moody found a man with his face buried in his hands, weeping. "My sins are more than I can bear."

(c) Acclamation v. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. (d) Application v. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.