Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular:

* Ever had someone new show up at your job… or arrive in your field of work…

* Maybe someone fresh out of school

* All kinds of education… but no experience… no big picture yet…

* In construction… tries to tell the seasoned veteran how it is to be done properly…

* By the textbook… might not just fit…

* Or the new staffer in the office… who thinks they have a better way to do everything…

* Come on… despite the fact they think they know what they are doing…we see catastrophe on the horizon…

* The train whistling down the tracks if you like…

Biblical:

NAU Jonah 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 4 The LORD hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten /it /for them.

But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

6 So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping?

Get up, call on your god.

Perhaps /your /god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."

7 Each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity /has struck /us."

So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

8 Then they said to him, "Tell us, now!

On whose account /has /this calamity /struck /us?

What is your occupation?

And where do you come from?

What is your country?

From what people are you?" 9 He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."

10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?"

For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

11 So they said to him, "What should we do to you that the sea may become calm for us?"-- for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy.

12 He said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea.

Then the sea will become calm for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm /has come /upon you." 13 However, the men rowed /desperately /to return to land but they could not, for the sea was becoming /even /stormier against them.

14 Then they called on the LORD and said, "We earnestly pray, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man's life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O LORD, have done as You have pleased."

15 So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.

16 Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

Personal:

Ever deliberately choose a plan that put you in opposition to God…

1)      Leading to temptation

2)      Failure of God honouring priority

3)      KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT GOD WANTS…

a.

But ignoring it

b.

Or worse choosing something else…

 

Bridge:

I assure you that the result of this sort of reflect is horrifying for those of us concerned with living our life for our Saviour!

Despite what we know of God’s mandate for our life… we continually fail… not to do what we don’t know… but what God clearly states!!

Jonah is not the exception…

We need to learn from Jonah…

 

Body:

God’s Plan Clearly Stated:

NAU Jonah 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."

* God’s Word directs

* Imagine Jonah’s task…

* 2 Kings 19:11 'Behold, you have heard what the kings of *Assyria* have done to all the lands, destroying them completely.

So will you be spared?

* Tough ‘dudes’… strong nation… violent… brutal

* Directed a heathen nation… those separated from God…

* Opposition to God… yet he calls out t them… NAU 1 Timothy 2:3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires *all* *men* to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

* *God has a plan…*

* Jesus stated the plan for human existence… the meaning of life…

* NAU Matthew 22:35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him /a question/, testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.

39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

* Obedience to God… live in the love of God and share it with others…

* NAU Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

* Greatest command of love…

* Divine human co-operative…

* God has a clearly stated plan…

 

*Jonah has his own plan:*

3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

* Ever just go the other way?

* Know what is right…

* Know what is good…

* Know your duty… your obligation… and just go the other way?

* See a fender bender in the Save-On parking lot…

* Don’t report

* Don’t call… leave a number…

* Jonah didn’t have to guess… Jonah knew God’s expressed will!

* Children… delightful…

* Often they know the will of their parents…

* Yet… are disobedient

* Consequences beyond their comprehension

* Running across the road

* Speeding

* Drinking

* Premarital Sex

* NAU James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and /all /that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

* Ever feel like Jonah…

* Through Jesus Christ we have hope

* Through Jesus Christ we have victory over sin and death…

* This Saviour who has purchased our redemption… paid the price for us…

* Allowed us to stand before God has given us a few simple instructions… and has even supplied the Holy Spirit… the very power of God to help you fulfill… what should be your natural response…

* 2 Commands and a great commission…

* What have we chosen?

* In spite of God’s direct command… Jonah chose his own path…

* God gives us every opportunity to follow his commands… do we choose…

* People of self-actualization

* Our People of Christ, living for God and living for others… making disciples… growing the Kingdom of God…