I am Jonah, Part 2

Katie Greer book of Jonah shows you the real Savior. Jesus does everything right is wrong. Jonah ran from his enemies. Jesus ran toward Jonah was on a mission of revenge because he hated the Ninevites Jesus came on a mission of rescue because he loved them. Jonah was all about his own self protection. Jesus poured himself out and self-sacrifice, religion, I'm your host Molly you question have you ever found yourself resisting God's will, we hear him calling you to go in one direction you have another direction in mind will take Pastor JD opening to the book of Jonah to learn from a runaway profit lot like so grab your Bible and let's join him now. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of MSI and said why go to him that about that great city and call out against it because they're evil has come up before me. Two things about Nineveh. First of all, it was a very great city. Secondly, it was a very wicked city. But historians tell us that Nineveh was one of the cruelest most vicious cities in the ancient world. I was looking this week a series of pictures like hieroglyphic kind of stuff that the Ninevites produced about what they would do to a city when they conquered bait they boasted in their histories and in these pictures there was still alive.

A lot of the men of the women and the children they would write women and Kelvin David boasted in their histories about raping and killing little girls.

These are the people that God has told Jonah to go to so I thought you probably shouldn't be so judgmental on Jonah. What would you have got if God told you to go to those kind of people first three search Jonah. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarsus for the presence of the Lord went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarsus so we paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarsus away the presence of the Lord here begins Jonah's rebellion against God. God clearly told him to go. And Jonah runs the other way right so here's a couple things that you should notice about his disobedience irrigate first, Jonah was outstanding in every other way.

Jonah was one of Israel's primary religious leaders. Jonah was like the Billy Graham of Israel right this damn rebellion is simply saying no to God. There's a lot of godly people who look like they're walking with God in every other way.

Like Jonah, but there some area there some area to say no to him in maybe for you it's a relationship that you know is not pleasing to God, but you won't quit. Maybe it's a sin you need to confess. Maybe it's a sacrifice of your time to God is leading you to make to be involved in some ministry entrances like no I'm not giving that up. Maybe it's like Jonah to go somewhere, somewhere very uncomfortable to leave family friends to leave. What's comfortable and to go to a place and you are just saying no to God.

Second thing that I notice in this verse is that little Fraser says he found a ship ready to ship ready you ever noticed that people assume the readiness of the ship is like God's okay on whatever situation there are about to go into all the people in the midst of adultery. I know I well was miserable in my marriage and then magically I just met this other person under perfect and I know that God wants me to be happy that one be needed miserable marriage that must be God's okay that that he wants me to go into this new relationship and I want to say to people, don't you think that there might be an enemy who was laying a trap for you. You got an enemy whose primary responsibility is to ready the ship for your disobedience, the readiness of the ship is not necessarily God's okay and the situation the readiness of the ship might be your enemy that is laying a path and a trap for your destruction right verse four, but the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea.

There was a mighty tempest on the sea. That's the problem. She would run from God is God's already the place to run into these in the whole place in between the place where you are and where you're going. So God fully in charge.

The mariners were afraid each one cried out to his own God and hold the cargo that was in the ship to see the light for them.

But Jonah don't down into the inner part of the ship and had laid down and was fast asleep, so the captain came and said to him what you mean all sleeper arrives call out your God. Perhaps the God will give you a thought give about us. We may not perish, so they said to one another, let us cast lots that we know no one whose account is evil has come upon us, so they cast lots and the lot fell on surprise Jonah Mr. look at him as a callous on his account as he will come upon us.

What is your job. By the way where you come from, what your country what people are you from, Jonah said to them, I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord, not very much, but little the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land, and the men were exceedingly afraid and they said to him, what is this that you have done for the men knew that he was fleeing for the presence of the Lord is he just told them right right on a couple more things right. Disobedience affects others for some of you. Your disobedience is just rolling the people around you. But here's another thing God sandstorms to break his people from self-reliance God sandstorms in your life you get your attention seeking one of two things will humble you was of this. Your theology were discussed on this kind of affliction. Your theology should humbly your theology should teach you your center that you desperately need God. Rebellion is stupid because most of us, including me, are hardhearted what God usually does. He sends a storm of affliction. He put you flat on your back so you look in the right direction. So for example if your slave to money they got ataxic you're proud you will listen anybody. So God allows you to fail. Some of you are there right now now but who am I talking about all affliction.

Not all affliction goes back to disobedience.

Sometimes God allows these things to support his plan in our lives. But sometimes there's a storm I got put in there because he is in love.

Trying to wake you up and get your attention. Some of you were there in that spot right now. Now how do I know if I'm in one because of my disobedience revival wonders because you'll know you've God's loving father when he sends a storm to get your attention, he's gonna let you know he's trying to do right in with my kids. I don't spank them and then be like now for the rest will be transferred without for my phone. Try to get their attention.

I tell them immediately in the midst of discipline. What I'm getting their attention for the same wave.

God is try to get your attention. To make it clear you'll know just asking if he doesn't bring something if he doesn't show you something. Then I wouldn't assume I would obsess about that. But the point is someone you know exactly what I'm talking about right now. Don't you the moment I brought this up and all the store all of a sudden the Holy Spirit which is fingers up in your life.

This is what I'm talking about an old question I'm asking is why do you keep resisting him go. Don't keep resisting it. If Jonah had continued to fight the storm. It would tell everybody aboard your Jonah ends up submitting to the storm getting thrown into ministry goes away and that begins the process of his salvation.

If you fight the storm and will kill you if you submit to it.

It'll be up in the beginning of your salvation so don't resist it. Many things in very badly for Jonah because he got on the boat. Forgot about you want to go through all this ends up in the belly of a fish that smelled like a outhouse of state fair is a terrible experience. You don't have to go through that you'll have to end up in that kind of marriage you want to end up in these places. Listen to a loving God who wants to speak, blessing and life into your life and quit resisting your hard work hard in your heart against verse 11 and they said to him, what should we do to you that the sea may quiet down for us seems to grow more more tempestuous proposal.

He said and pick me up at home into the sea and the sea will be quiet for you because I know it's because of me that this rate tempest is come upon you for 13 nevertheless the men rode hard to get back to dry land, but they could not for the sea grew more more tempestuous around kudos to the pagan sailors right lately. So what Jonah to die, which is more than he cares about them.

But sadly now they're in a rolling contest against God and how would you like to be very rolling you know God like a fitness room. What is not working out well for them. So finally there, like when I get anywhere. Verse 14 therefore they called out to the Lord, O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life. Do not lay on us, innocent blood, because you Lord have done as it pleased. You may verse 15 pick up Jonah and hurled him into the CMC sees from its raging but I get kind of a funny word picture here. You want to laugh, but it just easy to order all this is huge waves are all to die.

So then they pick up Jonah thrown into the sea, and immediately it says the CC from its raging Jonah hits water like classic is light like a stagnant bond. Jonah's like what I think that were pretty well pulled me back up and about. Right after he says that verse 17. The fish comes take Jonah down for three days to the bottom of the ocean before I bring this to a close and we give you a few brief concluding thoughts to set the whole tone for the rest of the book of Jonah and show you where were going to go in this series from here okay you got a job these things down number one the book of Jonah shows you what a real center is the book of Jonah shows you what a real center is told you earlier Jonah's upstanding in every other way is just not willing to do this, Jonah. You see, was in a dilemma without you appreciate this dilemma. God doesn't get a minimum one of two things will happen. And then of okay option a they don't repent. Jonah shows up walking the streets tells them 40 days are to be overthrown unless you repent. They don't repent. How do you think it turns out for Jonah.

Based on what I've Artie told you about the Ninevites.

I don't work out well right that's option A option B. They do repent and then Jonah's enemies five salvation people that have done unspeakable cruelty against Jonah are saved by the way if if Nineveh if Nineveh and Assyria prosper just got hurts Israel. In other words, what's this Jonah is willing to obey God until it comes to a point where he's easy to gotta lose his life or he's gonna give up what he loves. Which is to be the religious leader of a very prosperous nation is out. That's a pretty good picture of many of us religious people must be when her religious people. Some of you may be guessable as epic.

You know the funny way whatever.

I soaked most of your religious people, which means that you are pleasing God. In most areas of your life. But then there comes a point where God asked you to obey and something that takes something very precious from you and that's where you become Jonah, because you will obey when it actually touches your sense of identity for some of you. Your identity is your money. That's what you will be generous with it for some of you, your idols, your children, that's what you will release them to the will of God, you'll obey God until it comes to a point, like Jonah, that it touches your very core that shows you what a real center is a clue. By the way, verse three it says a Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord, not basic theology 101, which Jonah would've understood is that you can't really sleep in the presence of the Lord. So he's not talking about getting out of God's presence word presence in Hebrew the word pie neem and what it means. His face is the relationship with God.

What he fled from was the relationship we got to skate God is and what God's face in his life. Is he up to this point Jonah had always been able to have God's pleasure in these things that he loved when those things went like this Jonah stuck with this. Even if he had run away from God. That's always what obedience is about is the face of God so valuable to you but you would literally give up everything in your life. Anything that you cherish to be able to maintain the presence the face of God. Daniel chapter 3 if you growing up in church, you familiar with the story three Hebrew teenagers that are told to bow down before golden statue they will do it again. You know the story.

Most of you if you were throaty. They were thrown into the fiery furnace and Nebuchadnezzar the king through the mayor looks and barely says wait a minute, every third three guys in their knowledge is like a C4 walk around the fork was like a son of God, now and here's the question.

That story presents to all of us when you're in a situation where obedience to God takes you into the flames, which is never desirable. Would you rather go into the flames with Jesus or stay out of the flames without him because essentially that's always the question for some of you that are in this cyst situation or marriage and you don't have a justifiable reason for divorce and your company and I had these conversations are like well I tried to string this marriage, which is visible in this marriage, which make you happy. I might know you're really choosing between this marriage and God of what you choose is God valuable enough that you will stay in the midst of an unsettling marriage is God valuable enough that you would go to a place a God sent you, even if it was uncomfortable for you until God becomes that precious and valuable to you. You never really obey him what God did is he to show Joanie's like you look like everything's right. But I'm still not your God. These things are your God help me shows you a real center is by the way every year in the synagogues. Jonah book agendas read in its entirety, and the Jewish people have a tradition with a all in unison after its red will say stand up and say I am Jonah I think it's a great picture you are Jonah. We're Jonah. We do it every day. When we struggle to obey God when it's personal to us and was deeper when it's costly, I am Jonah, here's the second thing you should know from this series as we get into a number to the book of Jonah shows you the real Savior us. The book of Jonah shows you the real Savior. If there's a contrasting set up between how Jonah feels about the Ninevites and how God feels about them. Jonah wants to see them destroyed. God wants to see them forgiven. Yet Jonah the Ninevites said against Jonah was was terrible, but Ninevites sin against God was even greater.

Jonah wants vengeance. God wants mercy. Jonah is actually giving you a picture of the real Savior who would come for the Ninevites.

See Matthew 12 Jesus would say that he was to be a prophet like Jonah. Right. He said that his death and resurrection would be a fulfillment of the sign given to Jonah. Jonah was cast out into the sea right. We went into the sea to sea became call then he was swallowed by a well for three days were big fish for three days and then spit out on dry land again that he could preach repentance on life Ninevites Jesus was cast out into the sea of God's wrath and Betsy became call then Jesus was taken into the heart of the earth for three days and that Jesus was brought back to life so he could preach repentance and life to the Ninevites. The difference, of course, was that Jonah went to all this involuntarily because of his disobedience. But Jesus would go to all of it because of our disobedience. Jesus does everything right, but Jonah goes wrong. Jonah ran from his enemies. Jesus ran toward him. Jonah was on a mission of revenge because he hated the Ninevites Jesus came on a mission of rescue because he loved them. Jonah was all about his own self protection. Jesus poured himself out and self-sacrifice. Jonah sees this about God.

He resents it. The I hear people say sometimes I like the Bible so judge mental. The reason I say that is because it never tasted the depth of evil. The moment we get a taste of the death of evil which Jonah had tasted from the Ninevites. He's crying out for their vengeance what you got a C lesson is that the Ninevites sin against Jonah was terrible, but the Ninevites sin is actually nothing about your city of God. Our sin crucified Jesus and when God son was crucified God's response was not to come and cry out for vengeance. But the calm and offer himself for our salvation.

Jeff told you that we ought to say I am Jonah giving her to do. This book is that I am Nineveh, I Nineveh and when I realize how God came after me see what that's going to do what is to transform your heart so that you're not like Jonah anymore. She will Jonah's Michelle you is that there's three possible responses to the word of God. One response flat out rebellion. Some of you were there no God is not doing.

That's one response response number two is where you submit like Jonah is going to in chapter 3, which is not happy about it online. I was in the belly of oil. Some of this only destroyed right… The reader what God's after the book of Jonah is the third option which is biblical gospel transformed obedience where you begin to act like God because you love like God, you begin to do what God wants you to do because you think like God has you think and the way that happens is through a profound experience of grace. If you understand that God has given you this grace that it transforms your heart for the Ninevites.

It's why always tell you that God is not just after obedience. He's after a whole new kind of obedience and obedience that is not a bareknuckled kind of guy hate this about him to do it because I'm afraid of God but an obedience that flows out of your heart is your heart, God's heart and the only way you can ever have.

That is to have a profound experience of transforming grace to make of the diagnosis for some of you this is the problem yet. Here obedience to God.

But you're not passionate about God you don't weave during worship right you will naturally want to give your life to tell people about Jesus. You're stingy with your money. You might tie but you're just do you not generous to know why because you've never had a profound experience of grace and I stand up here and threaten you with the belly of a well tell you if you'll swallow you up and I might be true but that's not what God wants. What God wants is for you to understand your Nineveh you and when you understand that that will create in you the same kind of heart that he has for Nineveh and you find yourself giving what Jesus gave to your Jonah and your Nineveh right that's really going to several weeks but was maturity.

First things first year was a stop and said to some of you are on the deck of the ship, we just use that metaphor.

There's a storm, you need to repent. Say this is doom and gloom it is to get worse is just going to get worse but only if it doesn't get worse that such a really bad sign because my knee God just take it as handle for you because you're not even his child.

God loves you he's disappointing you and you just need to repent and submit a really good news for you. Listen Mrs. Mrs. transforming.

It was that storm in your life is not God paying you back for your sin, Your Honor, that because God pay Jesus back for your sin by Jesus only went through the Tempest of God's wrath. You already went into the belly of the whale for three if Yorty went through all the punishment so what's this storm in your life is not to pay you back. The storm is to bring you back. The storm is not to pay you back.

The storm is to bring you back. The storm is not God's retribution storm is God's restoration to use a submit to NASA question on matters why are you resisting God. God just wants to bless you just want to make you like him.

His father God who just wants to pour his life into yours. Why are you resisting you you you picking out it's the God who came as Jesus Christ so he could save you don't resist don't resist is worse to get worse set before you life and death set before your blessing and cursing. The choice is yours always is a blessing in life. Choose life here a lot like Jonah looking to protect ourselves and our agenda. Jesus holds given us eternal life you choose him today.

You're listening to Pastor Jeannie gray or investor Summit life. If you missed any part of today's message you'd like to hear more teaching from Pastor JD visit our website and browse the online sermon archives, you'll find this and more online, free of charge@jdgreer.com it's not too late to get your 2021 Summit life cleaning calendar.

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