Scripture Referenced:
- Jonah 1-4 (This sermon covers Chapters 1 and part of 4)
- Romans 13:11-12
- Matthew 6:23
The condition of Jonah is much like the condition of people today. As you’ll see through the text – every time Jonah deals with God, he says Lord. He mentions Lord over 20 times (26). We need to understand that not only is he our Savior but he is also Our Lord. You’ll find Jonah was hard hearted and hard headed. It says he was running from the presence of the Lord. No one wants to runaway from heaven. Everyone wants to go to heaven. But few want a Lord AND Savior. Few people have and want a relationship with God. They run from God but still want to go to heaven. We hear the all to famous excuse of we are under grace.
The Bible says to be angry and sin not. Jonah was angry that sin was rampant. Many Americans are angry today because of the injustice that is going on everywhere. We’re making a mess of things and everyone’s angry. Jonah was angry. Jonah 4:4 God asks Jonah a question – Doest thou well to be angry? Does it do any good to be angry? Think about that. Anger leads us into stupid directions/decisions. In America, we have rights. God has given you something more than rights. He’s given us his presence. What a joyful life we’ll have when we accept that. Jonah had become hard hearted toward sinners and hard headed toward God’s Word. His thinking was – it doesn’t matter what happens to them – I am going to heaven. God wanted him to spread the Word to the people of Ninevah because of all the wickedness there. You can’t run from God and have a spiritual relationship with him. God is everywhere. When your relationship with God grows/gets better, we try to make everything else right around us. We start to notice sin. See Jonah expects God’s grace on himself and punishment on the sinners. He doesn’t want to go to Ninevah. So he runs away to Tarnish.
God prepared that fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah is the Word of God that we need to go to and heed. We fell into the same place. It speaks to us on a personal level. Satan wants to divide us against God. he wants to divide us against each other (by race, gender, etc.) Jonah 1:1 – He heard the Word of the Lord but he didn’t heed. Jonah wanted a savior and not a lord and savior. 1:3- He fled to Tarnish away from God. Why? In the presence of God, he knew he was wrong. He was wrong for how he felt. He was wrong for fleeing instead of following direction. We’ve gotten so comfortable with sin lately. God wants you to run to him not from him. 1:4-6 – We learn everyone on board the boat is religious. They may not believe in the same God/gods but everyone is religious and want Jonah to pray to his God since theirs was not saving them. Christians do not have a religion- we have a God. They want Jonah to ask him God to save them. Church, we have the only God, the only God that can save! The sinful world rebuked him for not praying. Everyone around you is religious at one point in their life. A lot of people will ask for you to pray for them if something bad happens to them. They ask this even though they don’t believe in God. But you believe you in God. They believe that will help them. Church – we are needed now in these times. Jonah was needed by Ninevah and he’s running the other way. Now he’s on a boat and asleep while this storm rages on. He doesn’t have a care in the world for the sinners of Ninevah that need to hear God’s Word. You may ask – how can he not care? Folks ask yourself- how many of you lose sleep because of lost souls? Now how about losing sleep because over money? Jonah simply doesn’t care because he feels so much anger toward their sin and knows he is going to heaven so why even bother with the salvation of others. 1:7 – they cast lots to see who the cause of the storm was. The lots fell on Jonah. These folks were in a horrible storm and could die and it was Jonah’s fault. 1:8 – they ask Jonah for testament. They knew nothing of Jonah prior to him boarding the boat. They just know he was tired and went to sleep. 1:9/10- he tells them he is a Hebrew. He is running from God. Verse 11 – They ask what can they do to make the sea calm again. Verse 12- Jonah knew he was wrong. He says Get rid of me. He didn’t repent. The best thing for Jonah was to repent but he was hard headed and wouldn’t.
What hope does the world have if God’s people are barely saved. The world does not want a true church of God. If the Salt loses its savior, what is it good for? – to be cast out. Matthew 6:23. God can still use you to destroy evil in the world. You just need to say sorry/repent. Leave you with a closing question – Doest thou well to love?