Sermon Tone Analysis

Jonah 2:1-10

*Running to God*

Secular:

* Hot Stove… pull back

* Yelled at… yell back

* Reflex… to bad situation

* How we respond… naturally

* REACT…

* Anger, frustration…

* Get upset… sad, despondent

* High adrenaline

* Prepared for “fight or flight”

* We need to learn to run TO GOD… not run away or fight it… but seek God… always (but especially in our times of greatest need).

Biblical:

NAU Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me.

I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

3 "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me.

All Your breakers and billows passed over me. 4 "So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight.

Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 5 "Water encompassed me to the point of death.

The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head.

6 "I descended to the roots of the mountains.

The earth with its bars /was /around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

7 "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.

8 "Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving.

That which I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation is from the LORD." 10 Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

Personal:

* Utility… Usefulness is not the reason for relationship…

* Might be in the business world…

* It is not about keeping score…

* What are we looking for?

* Good Teeth

* Strong legs

* And a pedigree… is buying a horse

* It is about self sacrifice…

* Proximity

* Dedication

* Commitment

Bridge:

Whether Jonah wrote this in this order…

Whether it was after the events of 1,3,4….

It shows that at some point he was ready to come back to God…

n      We need to develop a relationship that in our reflexes… we don’t run away (flee) God… nor do we want to fight God… what we want is to be able…

n      James 1:2 Consider it *all* joy, my brethren, when you encounter various *trials*…

n      We want to respond to our God and Saviour… with thanksgiving and with hope…

Body:

Jonah’s Despair…

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me.

I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.

3 "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me.

All Your breakers and billows passed over me. 4 "So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight.

Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 5 "Water encompassed me to the point of death.

The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head.

6 "I descended to the roots of the mountains.

The earth with its bars /was /around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

*  Psalm 13:1 For the choir director.

A Psalm of David.

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, /Having /sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

*  Natural reaction…

n      Luke’s foot… act naturally

§         Protect and heal

§         Adults loose that ability

§         Don’t respond to pain properly…

* Apostle Paul… how did he react…

n      Desperate for healing for a malady or painful affliction…

n      Took it to the Lord…

§         In perspective

* NAU 2 Corinthians 12:7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!

8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

11 I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me.

Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody.

* We are not to be a bunch of happy-go-luckies…

*  We are to bring our concern…

* As Jonah did… our reflex needs to be to turn to God…

n      In the dire situations how is it then we can turn away… (Angry with God)

n      God wants us to depend on him… when it gets a little snakey… don’t run from me… run to me…

*  THE CENTRE OF GOD”S WILL IS NOT SAFE!!

n      THE CENTRE OF GOD’S WILL IS DANGEROUS!!

*  IN Jonah’s despair he reached out to his God…

*  In our despair… in our moments of challenge

*  In our heart aches… and heart breaks… God is waiting…

*  In the locker room of every major sports team there is a physician, a physiotherapist and a trainer… because sports can be rough… giving it all for the team is dangerous…

* In *Jonah’s despair*… he called out to God… the Great Physician, the Great Comforter, the Great Teacher… because being on God’s team is dangerous…

 

Jonah’s Dedication

 7 "While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple.

8 "Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving.

That which I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation is from the LORD."

·                     Every have someone tell a joke and it is not until a little while after that it truly sinks in?

·                     Jonah… remember Dove… (dork)… is a little slow on the uptake….

as can we be… but slow is better than never getting it… Jonah rebelled and returned… Foolish is the one who rebels and doesn’t return…

·                     The story of the prodigal son would be incredibly different had the son got hung up on pride and died lonely and penniless…

·                     Jonah would be remembered (if at all) quiet differently if he didn’t show the dedication to the Lord… recognizing his failing… and surrendering…

·                      Jonah saw idols for what the are… useless and temporary… metal, wood and stone…

·                     Idols come between us a God… to whom are we dedicated…

n      Hockey…

n      Cars…