WE SERVE A GOD WHO FORGIVES
Jonah 1:7-17
YOUR DISOBEDIENCE AFFECTS THE LIVES OF OTHERS
V:7. \” Then the sailors said to each other, \”Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.\” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.\”
A. Sometimes your disobedience can put the lives of others in jeopardy.
1. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent or face
his wrath.
2. Jonah decided that city of Nineveh didn\’t deserve salvation.
3. Jonah decided that Nineveh sins against humanity was to great to be
forgiven.
4. Based on his opinion, Jonah decided to disobey God and go in the
opposite direction from Nineveh.
B. Jonah\’s decision to get on a ship, put lives of the occupants in danger.
1. Jonah thought he could get away from his responsibility to God.
2. Your disobedience don\’t change God\’s plan for you.
3. Your disobedience may causes God to take actions to bring you to your senses.
C. Even though Jonah made a bad decision, God directed him to a ship where the
passengers believed in idol gods ,or at least higher powers.
1. The passengers believed that their life threaten circumstance was caused by
someone on board whose god was angry with him.
2. They cast lots believing that the perpetrator would be identified.
YOUR SINS WILL BE REVEALED
V:8. \” So they asked him, \”Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?\”
A. The passengers begin their investigation by asking all the right questions.
1. The people around you ought to know your story.
2. They ought to know who you serve.
3. It is our responsibility to proclaim the Jesus as Lord and Savior.
4. It is our responsibility to proclaim that the Lord we serve is Lord over
all circumstances.
B. Jonah was on the ship in sin because he was running away from the responsibility
to tell the city of Nineveh of God impending judgment for their sins.
1. Wherever you go, you take the problems of your life with you.
2. What ever relationships you enter into, your problems come with you.
3. Unresolved problems affect how you deal with other people.
CONFESSION IS THE START OF RECOVERY
V:9-10 \” He answered, \”I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.\”
10 This terrified them and they asked, \”What have you done?\” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) \”
A. Proclaim the truth and the truth will set you free.
1. It is good for our souls when we admit out mistakes.
2. When people know what you are dealing with, they know how to deal with you.
3. Jonah proclaimed that He worshipped the one true God.
a. His actions was not an act of worship.
b. This was one of those moments when the truth exposed his disobedience.
c. This was one of those moments when his talk didn\’t match his walk.
4. Every once in awhile we need to look in the mirror to evaluate if we
are who we say we are.
B. Watch this! Even though the men on the ship believed in idol gods, they had the
evidence of an all powerful God.
1. Even though the men on the ship believed in idol gods they came face to face
with Jonah\’s God.
2. When the men on the ship understood the cause of the life threaten
circumstance, they feared the almighty God.
3. God can bring some good out of our disobedience.
4. While Jonah was running away from God, he ran into God.
5. While Jonah was running away from God, he saw the power and
authority of God.
THINGS MAY GET WORSE BEFORE THEY GET BETTER
V:11-12. \” The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, \”What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?\” 12 \”Pick me up and throw me into the sea,\” he replied, \”and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.\”
A. Every once in awhile we have to take responsibility for our actions.
1. We need to get right with God to save others from then consequences of our sins.
2. Sometimes you need to leave to allow others to have peace in their lives.
3. When we face up to our sins and conclude that we are the problem, we
know what we must do to correct the problem.
4. It was calm before you came, and it may be calm when you leave.
B. When you decide to do the right thing every one benefits.
THERE IS SOME GOOD IN THE WORST OF US
V:13 \” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.\”
A. Every once in awhile when you confess your sins, others will sympathize with you.
1. Even though people don\’t share your beliefs, sometimes they will step in and
try to help.
2. The men on the ship tried to save themselves and Jonah be rowing against the
force of God.
3. One thing we need to know is we can\’t fight God and win.
PRAYER BRINGS SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS
V: 14 Then they cried to the Lord, \”O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man\’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.\”
A. Men who previously had no knowledge of the almighty God, feared Him because
of Jonah\’s confession.
1. Don\’t ever underestimate the power of your confession of God.
2. Sometimes it takes the consequences of your sins to force you into
a confession to God.
B. Our confession of faith causes others to be drawn to God.
1. Jonah\’s confession of faith cause everyone on the ship to go in prayer to
the almighty God.
2. The prayers of the righteous changes lives.
WHAT IS GOOD FOR US MAY BE PAINFUL
V:15-16. \”So they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.\”
A. The men on the ship realized that they could not fight God, so they
submitted themselves to God\’s will for Jonah.
1. They had the Word of God from Jonah that they had to throw him
overboard to restore the calm of the sea.
2. Some time faith demand\’s that you do what is uncomfortable.
B. The men of the ship worshipped God by offering sacrifices, prayers
and making vows to God.
1. The men on the ship journey with God started with Jonah\’s disobedience.
2. God made good out of Jonah\’s disobedience by bringing to salvation
all the men on the ship.
GOD WILL FORCE YOU TO FACE YOUR SINS
V:17. \” But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.\”
A. Jonah faced the consequences of his sin against God.
1. Notice, God changed the appetite of the fish to be a holding place for
Jonah.
2. Jonah ran from the light into darkness.
3. Anytime we are disobedient to God we open ourselves up for a time of
darkness.
B. God is on the side of believers even when we are disobedient.
1. Jonah spent three days in the dark for his disobedience.
2. Like us, Jonah needed time to reflect on the goodness of God.
3. Jonah needed time to reestablish his prayer time with God.
4. Jonah needed to reflect on the consequences of not following God.
THANK GOD FOR HIS TOLERANCE
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway
Houston, Texas 77041
For more lesson follow me on facebook and my blogs
www.revmitchell.com and goodnews.blotspot.com
