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JONAH 1 (Scroll down for
the Jonah Song)
Christians love it
when non-Christians hear about Jesus and get saved. We love for people outside to hear the
good news and have their lives transformed.
In September we’re
going to work especially hard at that.
We’re going to go out to people where they are and tell them the
good news and we’re going to put on events in church and invite them in. But by any means possible we want
people to hear the gospel and give their lives to God.
And so it’s a very
good thing that we’re studying Jonah in August. Because here we read about the most effective soul winner
in the whole bible. In this book
we will read about the greatest evangelist the world has ever seen. Think about it. Everyone who comes into contact with
Jonah turns to God. First the sailors
on this boat turn to God and then later the whole city of Nineveh with
120 000 people and cattle all turn to God. The book of Jonah is all about the
greatest evangelist in the world.
But it’s not Jonah.
Jonah is a terrible
evangelist. In this book, he is
an appalling, disobedient, self-righteous, ungrateful, angry, complaining
racist. No missionary society
would ever send Jonah to go on mission.
And Jonah would never apply in the first place.
Look with me at Jonah
chapter 1, verse 1:
Now
the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai,
Now he is a
prophet. Jonah is written about elsewhere
in the bible. Here is a man of
God whose job is to bring people God’s word. And the LORD has a little job for Jonah. Verse 2:
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against
it, for their evil has come up before me."
Nineveh was the capital city of a big foreign
nation called Assyria. It was
about 600 miles away to the East.
And God wants Jonah to preach against their wickedness. In chapter 4 we learn why God wants
Jonah to preach against their sin – He wants them to turn back to
Him. God actually wants to save
these foreigners.
What do you think the proud Israelite Jonah
will do? Verse 3:
Jonah
rose alright… to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the
LORD.
You know where Tarshish is? Spain! He should have gone 600 miles East, instead he sets sail
for a place 2000 miles West.
He
went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the
fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the
presence of the LORD.
“Go!” says the LORD.
“No!” says Jonah – and
heads in the very opposite direction.
The book of Jonah is
about the world’s greatest evangelist.
But it’s not Jonah.
Jonah is a disobedient
man, very much like you and me.
But even when we go
out of control, God’s still in control.
Verse 4:
4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a
mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
GET CONGREGATION TO MAKE STORM (rub hands, pat legs, clap and
stomp)
So it’s very
scary. Verse 5:
5 All
the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw
the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below
deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The
captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on
your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." 7
Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find
out who is responsible for this calamity."
Casting lots was like
tossing a coin. They were somehow going to decide who was responsible for
the storm by tossing a coin.
They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 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?"
All these questions
are fired at Jonah. What’s his
reply.
9
He answered, "I am a Hebrew (you can imagine him putting his hand to
his chest) and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea
and the land."
Jonah tells them that
while they called out to their pretend gods, Jonah had the real
deal.
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.) 11 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."
Jonah knows God is
angry. That’s why there’s a storm
– God is angry. But if God’s
anger takes Jonah’s life the others will be safe. If Jonah takes God’s anger, he’ll save
the others.
Maybe you think that
sounds crazy. The other sailors
certainly thought so.
13
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not,
for the sea grew even wilder than before. 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." 15 Then they took Jonah
and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.
It’s worked! God’s anger stops when Jonah is thrown
in and the rest are kept safe.
Imagine being on that boat.
What would you think?
Here’s what the men thought:
16
At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to
the LORD and made vows to him.
Of course they do,
they’ve been saved. And so they
turn to the LORD.
What happens to Jonah?
17
But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside
the fish three days and three nights.
We’ll see what happens
to Jonah next week. But you know
Jesus spoke about Jonah being inside the fish. He said that just as Jonah was three days and three nights
in the belly of a fish, He would be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth. Jesus said
that He was a bit like Jonah.
Let’s think about how
the two are similar:
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JONAH
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JESUS
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* Jewish
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* Jewish
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* God’s Messenger
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* God’s Messenger
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* Stormy Adventures
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* Stormy Adventures
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* 3 Days
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* 3 Days
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·
Does not obey
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Obeys
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Out of control
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Totally in control
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Doesn’t like other people
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Loves other people
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Just another human being
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God’s Son
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But knowing that those
are the differences let’s think about how the story of Jesus is like the
story of Jonah.
We’re a bit like the sailors
in the boat. But we’re also very
much like disobedient Jonah. We
say No to God. And God is angry
at us for going our own way.
But Jesus, who is the
LORD of heaven, God’s Son, He came down to be with us. And even though He’d never done anything
wrong He volunteered to face God’s anger so that we could be saved.
When Jesus went to the
cross, it was a bit like Jonah getting thrown in the water. He faced the anger of God at our sin
so that we could be at peace. And
now that we are saved we do what the sailors did. We thank and praise our LORD Jesus –
aren’t you grateful that Jesus volunteered to jump in to save us?? We’re grateful and we give our lives
to Him.
If you’re running from
God like Jonah – look at how it brings you down. Disobeying God does not give you
control. When you obey God
you get your life in control.
If you’re in the
spiritual doldrums and you’re lacking joy in your Christian life – think
again of Jesus and how He has come to you in the storm and volunteered to
give Himself over to God’s anger for you. Thank Him again this morning.
If you’re nervous
about the mission ahead (we should be nervous!) then take heart from
Jonah’s story. Even through all
Jonah’s failures, the LORD actually brought about a wonderful salvation. Jonah is a terrible evangelist. But the LORD is the best
evangelist. In spite of all our
failures, people will be saved and begin to praise Him. Because the LORD who loved us enough
to jump into our situation is the LORD who loves to save. And He can and will use even terrible
evangelists, like Jonah, like us.
It’s just easier if we go along with Him.
JONAH SONG
Verse 1:
God said ‘GO –
to Nineveh
All those baddies I
want to win-over.’
Jonah said ‘NO
– not Nineveh
All those people are
terrible sin-lovers.’
God said ‘GO!’
Jonah said ‘NO!’
The storm went BLOW
Jonah said ‘THROW!’
And down he GO!
Into the Depths of the Sea!
Verse 2:
God said GO –
to a giant fish
Save my prophet before
he gets smelly
The fish said OH
what a lovely dish
Swallowed him whole so
he lived in his belly
God said GO!
The fish swam LOW
Through the FLOW
Jonah said WHOAH!
And down he GO!
Into the belly of the fish!
Verse 3:
Jonah said OH –
what a mess
I’ve done things my
way I must confess
I’m so LOW – I
could die
But even now God hears
my cry
Jonah said ‘OH
You’ve brought me LOW
I’m sorry SO
Save my SOUL.’
And up he GO
Spat up onto the beach.
Verse 4:
God said ‘GO –
once again
Nineveh needs your
word to repent.’
Jonah said ‘OH –
alright
I’ll tell them there’s
Woe if they don’t get it right.’
So Jonah said WOE,
Cos God says ‘NO’
The people went ‘OH!
We’re sorry SO
Save our SOUL!’
And God saved every one!
Verse 5:
Jonah said ‘NO
– I guessed
God would have mercy if
they confessed.
‘God’s so SLOW
to judge
He loves to forgive,
never bears a grudge.’
God said ‘GO!’
Jonah said ‘NO!’
But God changed ROLE
He washed their SOUL
Whiter than SNOW
Cos God’s the best preacher of all!
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