The Sermon Jonah - Running Against The Wind by David McGee
Jul 21, 2013
Jonah - Running Against The Wind (36:32)
Referenced Scriptures: Jonah 1; Jonah 2; Jonah 3; Jonah 4
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Jonah 1
1) Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2) "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."
3) But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.
4) But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely brake up.
5) Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
6) So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your gods! Maybe the gods will notice us, so that we won‘t perish."
7) They all said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is on us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8) Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"
9) He said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land."
10) Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.
11) Then said they to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
12) He said to them, "Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great tempest is on you."
13) Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
14) Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, "We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, let us not perish for this man‘s life, and don‘t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you."
15) So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
16) Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
17) Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2
1) Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish‘s belly.
2) He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
3) For you threw me into the depths, In the heart of the seas. The flood was all around me. All your waves and your billows passed over me.
4) I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; Yet I will look again toward your holy temple.‘
5) The waters surrounded me, Even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.
6) I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth barred me in forever: Yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh my God.
7) "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.
8) Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9) But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Yahweh."
10) Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.
Jonah 3
1) The word of Yahweh came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2) "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you."
3) So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days‘ journey across.
4) Jonah began to enter into the city a day‘s journey, and he cried out, and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
5) The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6) The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7) He made a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor drink water;
8) but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
9) Who knows whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?"
10) God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God repented of the evil which he said he would do to them, and he didn‘t do it.
Jonah 4
1) But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
2) He prayed to Yahweh, and said, "Please, Yahweh, wasn‘t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and you repent of the evil.
3) Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live."
4) Yahweh said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"
5) Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city.
6) Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the gourd.
7) But God prepared a worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on vine, so that it withered.
8) It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah‘s head , so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
9) God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the vine?" He said, "I am right to be angry, even to death."
10) Yahweh said, "You have been concerned for the vine, for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night.
11) Shouldn‘t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can‘t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"
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A one hundred classy everybody's moving after the slip and slide adults and kids, though, was a great time yesterday. We all enjoyed it. They were looking at the book of Jonah. And it is a very unique book I titled my message running against the wind. The other was a song years ago, running against the wind. Whenever I was having breakfast this morning. It harkens the was studying visible in the background. I'm hearing this running against the wind and I'm going on reading and reading and talking at you are going over my silent running against the winner all he had shown that running against the land gelled so we have this guy in the book of it in the Bible named Jonah, and it's a very unique book that John is a very unique book is different from either the other prosthetic books because the book tells about Jonah. The story of the profit and not centered on the message of the prophet if the only book in the Bible that has this distinction is focused on the man and not the message. Usually it's the other way around. We have the message and then we have the life of the individual, but in this case, John, that is the main character, and there's only one verse in the entire book that speaks about his message. And that's whenever a in that chapter three verse four and John and John is starting into the city of Nineveh. Any child, and you brought forty days until destruction comes and basically that's the message of the book of Jonah, but there may go back to the man and all the kit. All the situations that happen with him so Jonathan and is an historical narrative and we know that is not just they fishtail because Jesus alludes to the book. Whenever he speaks about his death and his resurrection so Jonah is not a fish. Tell story that was created around the campfires. It was a literal real story about a prophet named Jonah, and that Jesus verified it by referring to as Jonah was in the belly of the well, or the great fish, so will the Son of Man be in the great social was a prophet and Joan, I was sent to the city of Nineveh. Those isn't it whenever you know anybody that stubborn. You know anyone that likes to have their own way enough that there may look at you must be at least talking about is not me, I am not strong-willed or anything like that but John has this message delivered to him by God. It says no to government about Jonah says no, I'm going the other direction. I am not going to go to Nineveh because Jonah hates the Assyrians. He literally despises this country this nation, and especially this capital city of Nineveh, bigotry, and rightfully so. The Ninevites, the Assyrians were they were. They were pretty nasty bunch and they were always in war. The ability of the primary enemy of Israel and they were ruthless. They were heartless they were vicious and the way they think that they the captain was killed and the Israelites, and so John has the right to say I'm not going. I don't like those people those people have been nasty. They have an job probably have relatives, friends, history, you know all of this conflict between Syria and Israel. He got family members or relatives that had been killed in these battles, and when you hear this message about going to Nineveh. He doesn't want Nineveh to repent. He doesn't want Nineveh to get off the hook. He wants them punished for what they've done and he knows that if he goes there, God Mike will forgive them. John doesn't want them to be forgiven. He wants them to pay for their for their for their crimes against Israel. Now I know that none of us have people that we really despise, hate kids were supposed to be forgiving people, and we are to be forgiving people, but can you imagine if there were someone on your list of people you dislike the most and in a hopefully we don't have that list in Europe, but we do on sorry I'm sure we have those individuals and God was saying to us, you know what they meant. I want you to go to them and I want you to talk to them and I want you to forget them and I want to forgive them for all the bad things you and to everyone else, and I just been nasty people. What you say I'm going, they deserve what they get in. I ever yelled sometimes wheat. We that thing that you know those people may finally got what they deserved. I thought all that you will never people. They finally got what they deserved to the fifth enough. I began with its human nature. We knowingly been. We've experienced things like that but a jolly chapter one verse one and were going to discount us get through the book of Jonah is here the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Pam@ goal to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because it's wickedness has come up before me, so we know that the city of Nineveh and the Assyrians are very wicked bunch may have their wickedness has come up the God and what is God them to do about it, but the same God wants to change the same God is not in the same framework of looking at life as we are. People are bad less punished and not visit people around was trying to forget him. Let's try to separate them from their sins assigned separate them from the things that are wrong in their life and present the good things in the light they can change. But God doesn't bless and so Jonah then, and we find in verse two over three Jonah ran away from the Lord, and headed for Tarsus, so, God says Steve got better and Steve says okay on Monday, Johnston are you going to be opposite direction. That's what happened with with Jonah yelp Nanette I was east. He goes on one West net. I was across the land. It is about two hundred fifty miles from Jerusalem to Nineveh and what is and what inside. Jonathan goes onto the support and get on above and had vowed to see if and how is you ain't getting on a time and he's leaving because he doesn't want to go is is off and running. So, John, her runs from the message he runs from God. He runs to a shepherd. He gets out to see verse four. The Lord sent a great win in such a violent storm across that the ship threatened to break up running against the wind, so, God sent a great wind in our lives. God has a way of showing up and presenting to us that we just can't make any headway in this and in again every time we run into difficulties doesn't mean were running against the wind that means that there's difficulties. We need to seek God 's direction and this and this whole matter. But for Jelena is going and he is running against the wind is running any finding himself alone. He surrounded by strangers on his boat and was he doing is in the Bay. He's in the bottom of the ship sleeping at the time, whenever where running we can sleep now. We definitely have this one. Perhaps I have the own against his conjecture, but perhaps Jonah had been running and so upset about this whole thing of going to minimum that he hasn't been sleeping since God gave him the messages I got on the boat. We finally think his arrest, and he sounds on this, both in the great great storm comes up in verse five, and I is when John is not below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep 's league. The captain went to him and said, obviously get up and call on your God. Maybe he will take notice of us and we will not perish the last person, God, why did not owe another job. I wanted to take notice up or for God to take notice of him was God. The sailors were afraid that they were all going to die. They were all trained to their gods and they went to Jonathan said you get in touch with your God. God. John is not talking to him. He already told me where I'm supposed to go, and I'm going to deliver direction. Maybe he doesn't know where I'm at the mercy. So they ask and tell us who is responsible for making all this trouble for us what you do. Noah, Jonah does where you come from, what is your country for what people are you John answers first line. I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord the God of heaven, who made to see, and the land. This terrified the sailors, what have you done, they know he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so. So that kind of all upset over this whole matter because you know they have all the superstitions of all these gods they pray do this both make things work and it doesn't work, and there is great disgraced lawyer Mister Mark. They can't seem to navigate the storm and John. It tells them why I serve the God who made all of this and he's in charge of all this and so they don't know what to do himself. It's funny because this game is getting rougher verse eleven. So they asked in what way does it here to make the same calm down. Jonah says erstwhile pick me up and throw me into the sea. Now I picture this is Jonas last act of defiance. God, you told me to go that way. I'm going this way and I'm going to die in the sea and those people are not going to hear your message because they deserved to die. Give me a dunk in the ocean and let me die last act of defiance. I'm going to die in spite, I'm going to him in spite of all that you've done and said, in spite of everything you want. I am not going to do what you want. Be careful whenever we say God I don't care what you do. I'm not doing that I read when I than Bible school we went to Maine Southern Maine and if you always have a lot about me, but we always did in New England and in school there and we went to this they sent and had teams come from the school to go on ministry team to these places. Okay, while there was this note they came to the school and said they wanted people to come and do a ministry team for a weekend and that we would be staying in and in a hotel and to dress appropriately. Okay, so it's the middle of winter, January, and regardless hotel so we take suits and no dress shirts and everything and we go to this hotel, but they neglected to tell us that it was an old hotel there was no he and the hotel there was no running water in the hotel and it was about five stories in this hotel and the only seats in the entire place was a fireplace in the lobby, so it was ten below zero, and there's three guys in one bad fully clothed and with files over our heads all around us, and at night you would always turn from one year to the other, so this one was cold and was feel like was frozen and you would turn over. It was it was colonial life that I will never go to may for ministry. So, immediately out of college, I got married and we went the main, the Van Buren Main, which is much colder and the place we were out is in southern Maine in about eight hours north of their is where we went eight hours. If you look at the map of Maine is a little much at the top of name that's what we were and it was six weeks. It never got above zero. So never say what to never tell God what you're never going to do so. John is telling God, I am going to die and they're going to throw me overboard and what you want me to do the things that happen so. Instead, the men gang. The men have more sense about this. The people on ship have more sense about this than Jonah because the man did their best to roll back the land. They argue that this guy represent the God who created all of this and this is one of the guys to get our attention in order to kill his servant, where not to throw him overboard were voter roll back the land so job probably just sets around and says LOL maybe I am going to enact an enema bottle of these people start trying to roll back the land, but they could not for the sea grew even wilder for then they cried to the Lord. So even gentleness mistakes trying to get away from God caused these people to follow to pray to the God of Joan because they pray to the God of Jonah. All Lord, please do not let us dive for taking this man's life. We decided were to listen to him and throw him overboard. I I wonder and again this is this is conjecture, John, another one a golf and he tells them throw me overboard. Never these might be okay. Do not hold this account against us for killing the innocent man for you, Lord had done, although I have done have done as you please. We know we know would take care of this, but then they took Jonah verse fifteen and threw them overboard now I guess I just look at this and I think Jonas Brennan piece is going to die and he is so he is so mixed up in his life that he would where he would rather die than talk to those people, your regulators say that I'd rather die than apologize to them. It may ever hear that I had rather die than talk to them, so we know this type of spiked and resentment exists, John. I was say I would rather die- go to Nineveh, so you get his wish you thrown into the sea while sometimes we are allowed to think that our we are governing our lives. Sometimes we would like to say God I don't care what you say I'm going this way and sometimes, God says you think so. They did you think that's really what I want for your life. Those in charge of this place and that becomes the challenge that comes to our life, those in charge. It is easier for us to say yes to God and do what he wants or is it easier for us to say I'm going this way and God in all Europe economic rent, and I'm going this way. Well, not as a way of showing us that he is in control. So John one feet now started to swim around for a little while if you just know jumped in and started going down, thinking, when it announced far as I can, and I would ground and I'm not going back in the credibility. But perhaps Jonah was caught offguard when he looked around the room whenever they tremendously to see immediately became call so the people on bar on board knew that John was the guy with the main reason all this was going on and they know that they did the right thing. I drew John overboard and I don't know if they saw the fish they saw the now. It's a great fish doesn't save the whale is the prepared fish. So, it's a fish, large enough to swallow Manny keep them alive. The we will try to say this could never be. But I guess there have been accounts when people were whalers, and so on, that they found people live inside of Wales, when arrested, it got been so I don't know, I watch National Geographic envy those who do not have. I wonder Jonah was like oh it's a big fish, but my gosh, he's swimming towards me. Oh my goodness, I am inside of a fish. I'm not for part I am not teaching I'm not choose. I am whole inside of a great fish, birds, chapter two we don't object Jonah got in there, but front and sides of the fish it out. Did you ever pray inside the fish is permitted a situation where it is really bad, and the NL and everything is young and what would you like, what would it be like to be inside the fish. What will it be like to be inside of the digestive system of an animal that you know, so here's Jonah inside. They does the digestive system on this great fish and from inside the fish. John prayed to God first one in my distress I called the Lord and he answered me, he's on talking terms with God now. It was it John Howard, you are inanimate, nine gone there. What I like those people, so he goes the other way. Now he says. I called on the Lord you know whenever they were on the boat train your dog I frame you might find in this case, I find me. I'm in this barn in this. I'm in a Spanish now I can't answer from the depths of the grade I called for help and you listen to my cry jungle is being digested alive. So, from his grave. He is praying. And God heard his cry, whine for your heartland you hurled me into the deep into the very heart of the sea and the currents swirled around me ill. They talk about diving suits and economy all ends in submarines and so on. When they have all that pressuring you see the movies where the lead up the bolts and things are popping out because of the pressure job and move from the pressure he was feeling inside of the whale inside his great fish. He was at the depths of the sea to feel the pressure they can figure out what was going on because he's talking about it. I said I had been banished from your site and I will look again toward your holy temple total darkness being digested alive feeling the pressures of the sea with seaweed. He talks about your being around his head. Total darkness. He cries of the god and he says you know what I think I'll go over you want me to go. He says here that in this moment. He has an deafening. He knows he's going to live why I will look again toward your holy temple. From where I am at I'm in total darkness, but I will look again enter holy Temple. It's almost like I have. I liken this to Joe when he says, after the words have eaten my body, yet in my flash eyes shall see God. I will look upon God, with my own eyes and not another Joe believed in the resurrection from the dead long before there was ever anything written about the resurrection and Joan is in the depths of the sea swimming around this inside of this fish swimming around in the depths of the sea where the pressures on the CD are upon him, and ears gasping is aware for breath, how to breathe inside of a digestive system. He says I am going to look upon the holy Temple seat. That's where the Scriptures talk to us about believing and saying and and and having the confidence that God is going to take us through the difficulties through the circumstances through the problems. God is going to be my string very present. He's a very present help in time of trouble that he is my strength and he is my Redeemer. He is the one who's going to give me take me through the voice that I met whether I live or whether I die Avalon to God. So no matter where I am, God is there an unsafe unsafe, you, as God is with me and I am remembering his word, and I'm speaking his word in my life in a way that brings hope and faith to me while the roots of the mountains. I sank down for seven when my life was ebbing away he's buying he's buying in the belly of this fish. My life is ebbing away. I remember you, Lord think I remember I know those who cling to the worthless idols. Verse eight forfeited grace that could be various begins to understand and have compassion in some way to these people who have forfeited their knowledge of grace by worshiping idols and he has the development process of compassion for Nineveh. He understands that there are people who don't know about God 's grace that was the reason he ran from the recent grant from there he didn't want them to experience God 's grace. He wanted them to be punished for the wrongs that they had done. And now, in this place of darkness in the depths of the sea, he begins to understand that they have lost their concept of the concept of grace, but I will provide with a song of Thanksgiving. I with a song of Thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to you, where is he giving thanks to God in the belly of this great fish at the bottom of the sea. He's offering thanks to God. What I have filed. I will make good salvation comes from the war what I have said I would do way back to his calling. I will serve God go to Nineveh. I serving you is back to his callings and I will serve God and the Lord commanded the fish in it vomited Jonah and the dry land. Now Joe now takes about a three hundred mile journey fifty three hundred mile journey from dryland to Nineveh now when he gets there never was a great city. It's at about three days journey, it means that it takes three days to get from one suburb to the next. So if you start walking for three days. You can you can get through the city of Nineveh. It's a big place, and John begins his three-day journey. I'm looking for a guy daughter destroy this place. Yes, forty days and Godzilla destroy this place so here this guy now if you trust somebody overboard in the sea stop bingo. There's no telegraph system. No newspapers, no satellite communication, but there was a way of people getting information they probably heard about this job because these people start talking about it in word and gossip got around because he is both known and about. Anyhow, we threw him overboard. We haven't seen says, and now shows up in town, forty, Nathan Robin and I this half digested man has been in the sun for three hundred miles we did. He looks like it- he's not too good to look at and suddenly he takes on this whole different appearance and he doesn't want them to repent. Please been exhibited in any height of forty days zero, that what happens, they start repenting they start recognizing what John is saying they start feeling guilty, they start recognizing that there is a need for grace and why may all repent in the hall; Ms. Gregory Bible am giving your life to God like Jonah, do they get out of town. We wait for God to kill them you want them to it. And so there's this plant that grows up John is in the message they repent, they put sackcloth and ashes on date they are totally recommitted solely change transformation takes place in job is like I knew this was the book of Jonah is about the man, but the message and in our lives. God has two things going on. He has you that he has a message inside of us in the messages supposed to change us, and Jonah has a hard time making this transition, even after his experience in the and in the fish he goes outside of town. As you read the rest of the booking was outside of town. My setting is waiting for something to happen and this plant grows up an office in shape overnight is very thankful and then the next day that he, unlike, the plant dies in the end, and he's all mad at the plant and it ends with saying, but the Lord said you have been concerned about this vine, though you did not take it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight, but never above has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell the right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city, Giotto was worried about a plan. God is saying to him, Jonah, I concern about all those people. There's some things in I just don't see the value of the Jonah, the Assyrians had no value because they were such a terrible group of people cruel the structure to Jonah. They deserve to die. But God had a way of taking giant saying Jonathan, you concerned about this plant, but I want you to be concerned about something else would you be concerned about your life and the message that I'm giving them there's a story here and it talks about this guy personally company and he wanted to establish a successor to his company, you get money images, children and even want to give it to avoid somebody said okay. I wanted to call in all of his young executives. He gave them all seeds, he said I want you to go home and plant this in a year from today I want to bring back your plants so this guy was like having his name and he was all excited about this at home with a seed talk to his wife and the planet. It, and you know, two weeks, three weeks. He took care of a candidate. Nothing group at work. Everybody's talking about their plants in the trees and everything is growing and did nothing. Any continue to plants and narration. Look over it in water and everything. Year went by nothing is in the day came for them to bring in their plans and everybody brings in their trees in their plants and everything he brought in a pot with loving it, except to see that even given that everybody's talking about their plans and they are all upfront. He sat in the back with his is plan is plantar and enough plot with nothing in it, and the CEO says okay everybody sit down. Mike from forward raise up for you. Places I have a plant there. What is it called hot here. Nothing in the said Mike what you know, I gave all of you seeds that had been boiled there were no life in any of the seeds. You're the only one who is truthful with the seed that I gave them your the next CEO of this Corporation. We have to be truthful with what's in our hearts. We don't need to run from it. We don't need to make it something that is not, we must allow God to nurture the seed. It's in our heart and he will help us become the person he wants us to be. We don't have to run from it. We don't have to make it grow. God will do the work in us. Amen. So is there father, we thank you for this see that you planted in our lives. God you've given us something that we can make happen. Only your presence and your love. Let us not want from it. Let us not embellish it. Let us not try to make it something that is not allowing your seed to do its work in us that we might be the people that you want us to be in God, you will use each situation in life whether it be a sunset or whether it be a friendship whether the love of God that touches our hearts in a very unique way. It's you, O God, who is at work in us touch our lives. Oh Lord, we pray. Let your spirit. Anoint us annoying test more there we might feel your presence since your love know your word and find peace in our hearts, no matter where we are out in our life for you are about growing us and giving us a message. We pray in Jesus name and everyone said amen, unless youA one hundred classy everybody's moving after the slip and slide adults and kids, though, was a great time yesterday. We all enjoyed it. They were looking at the book of Jonah. And it is a very unique book I titled my message running against the wind. The other was a song years ago, running against the wind. Whenever I was having breakfast this morning. It harkens the was studying visible in the background. I'm hearing this running against the wind and I'm going on reading and reading and talking at you are going over my silent running against the winner all he had shown that running against the land gelled so we have this guy in the book of it in the Bible named Jonah, and it's a very unique book that John is a very unique book is different from either the other prosthetic books because the book tells about Jonah. The story of the profit and not centered on the message of the prophet if the only book in the Bible that has this distinction is focused on the man and not the message. Usually it's the other way around. We have the message and then we have the life of the individual, but in this case, John, that is the main character, and there's only one verse in the entire book that speaks about his message. And that's whenever a in that chapter three verse four and John and John is starting into the city of Nineveh. Any child, and you brought forty days until destruction comes and basically that's the message of the book of Jonah, but there may go back to the man and all the kit. All the situations that happen with him so Jonathan and is an historical narrative and we know that is not just they fishtail because Jesus alludes to the book. Whenever he speaks about his death and his resurrection so Jonah is not a fish. Tell story that was created around the campfires. It was a literal real story about a prophet named Jonah, and that Jesus verified it by referring to as Jonah was in the belly of the well, or the great fish, so will the Son of Man be in the great social was a prophet and Joan, I was sent to the city of Nineveh. Those isn't it whenever you know anybody that stubborn. You know anyone that likes to have their own way enough that there may look at you must be at least talking about is not me, I am not strong-willed or anything like that but John has this message delivered to him by God. It says no to government about Jonah says no, I'm going the other direction. I am not going to go to Nineveh because Jonah hates the Assyrians. He literally despises this country this nation, and especially this capital city of Nineveh, bigotry, and rightfully so. The Ninevites, the Assyrians were they were. They were pretty nasty bunch and they were always in war. The ability of the primary enemy of Israel and they were ruthless. They were heartless they were vicious and the way they think that they the captain was killed and the Israelites, and so John has the right to say I'm not going. I don't like those people those people have been nasty. They have an job probably have relatives, friends, history, you know all of this conflict between Syria and Israel. He got family members or relatives that had been killed in these battles, and when you hear this message about going to Nineveh. He doesn't want Nineveh to repent. He doesn't want Nineveh to get off the hook. He wants them punished for what they've done and he knows that if he goes there, God Mike will forgive them. John doesn't want them to be forgiven. He wants them to pay for their for their for their crimes against Israel. Now I know that none of us have people that we really despise, hate kids were supposed to be forgiving people, and we are to be forgiving people, but can you imagine if there were someone on your list of people you dislike the most and in a hopefully we don't have that list in Europe, but we do on sorry I'm sure we have those individuals and God was saying to us, you know what they meant. I want you to go to them and I want you to talk to them and I want you to forget them and I want to forgive them for all the bad things you and to everyone else, and I just been nasty people. What you say I'm going, they deserve what they get in. I ever yelled sometimes wheat. We that thing that you know those people may finally got what they deserved. I thought all that you will never people. They finally got what they deserved to the fifth enough. I began with its human nature. We knowingly been. We've experienced things like that but a jolly chapter one verse one and were going to discount us get through the book of Jonah is here the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Pam@ goal to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because it's wickedness has come up before me, so we know that the city of Nineveh and the Assyrians are very wicked bunch may have their wickedness has come up the God and what is God them to do about it, but the same God wants to change the same God is not in the same framework of looking at life as we are. People are bad less punished and not visit people around was trying to forget him. Let's try to separate them from their sins assigned separate them from the things that are wrong in their life and present the good things in the light they can change. But God doesn't bless and so Jonah then, and we find in verse two over three Jonah ran away from the Lord, and headed for Tarsus, so, God says Steve got better and Steve says okay on Monday, Johnston are you going to be opposite direction. That's what happened with with Jonah yelp Nanette I was east. He goes on one West net. I was across the land. It is about two hundred fifty miles from Jerusalem to Nineveh and what is and what inside. Jonathan goes onto the support and get on above and had vowed to see if and how is you ain't getting on a time and he's leaving because he doesn't want to go is is off and running. So, John, her runs from the message he runs from God. He runs to a shepherd. He gets out to see verse four. The Lord sent a great win in such a violent storm across that the ship threatened to break up running against the wind, so, God sent a great wind in our lives. God has a way of showing up and presenting to us that we just can't make any headway in this and in again every time we run into difficulties doesn't mean were running against the wind that means that there's difficulties. We need to seek God 's direction and this and this whole matter. But for Jelena is going and he is running against the wind is running any finding himself alone. He surrounded by strangers on his boat and was he doing is in the Bay. He's in the bottom of the ship sleeping at the time, whenever where running we can sleep now. We definitely have this one. Perhaps I have the own against his conjecture, but perhaps Jonah had been running and so upset about this whole thing of going to minimum that he hasn't been sleeping since God gave him the messages I got on the boat. We finally think his arrest, and he sounds on this, both in the great great storm comes up in verse five, and I is when John is not below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep 's league. The captain went to him and said, obviously get up and call on your God. Maybe he will take notice of us and we will not perish the last person, God, why did not owe another job. I wanted to take notice up or for God to take notice of him was God. The sailors were afraid that they were all going to die. They were all trained to their gods and they went to Jonathan said you get in touch with your God. God. John is not talking to him. He already told me where I'm supposed to go, and I'm going to deliver direction. Maybe he doesn't know where I'm at the mercy. So they ask and tell us who is responsible for making all this trouble for us what you do. Noah, Jonah does where you come from, what is your country for what people are you John answers first line. I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord the God of heaven, who made to see, and the land. This terrified the sailors, what have you done, they know he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so. So that kind of all upset over this whole matter because you know they have all the superstitions of all these gods they pray do this both make things work and it doesn't work, and there is great disgraced lawyer Mister Mark. They can't seem to navigate the storm and John. It tells them why I serve the God who made all of this and he's in charge of all this and so they don't know what to do himself. It's funny because this game is getting rougher verse eleven. So they asked in what way does it here to make the same calm down. Jonah says erstwhile pick me up and throw me into the sea. Now I picture this is Jonas last act of defiance. God, you told me to go that way. I'm going this way and I'm going to die in the sea and those people are not going to hear your message because they deserved to die. Give me a dunk in the ocean and let me die last act of defiance. I'm going to die in spite, I'm going to him in spite of all that you've done and said, in spite of everything you want. I am not going to do what you want. Be careful whenever we say God I don't care what you do. I'm not doing that I read when I than Bible school we went to Maine Southern Maine and if you always have a lot about me, but we always did in New England and in school there and we went to this they sent and had teams come from the school to go on ministry team to these places. Okay, while there was this note they came to the school and said they wanted people to come and do a ministry team for a weekend and that we would be staying in and in a hotel and to dress appropriately. Okay, so it's the middle of winter, January, and regardless hotel so we take suits and no dress shirts and everything and we go to this hotel, but they neglected to tell us that it was an old hotel there was no he and the hotel there was no running water in the hotel and it was about five stories in this hotel and the only seats in the entire place was a fireplace in the lobby, so it was ten below zero, and there's three guys in one bad fully clothed and with files over our heads all around us, and at night you would always turn from one year to the other, so this one was cold and was feel like was frozen and you would turn over. It was it was colonial life that I will never go to may for ministry. So, immediately out of college, I got married and we went the main, the Van Buren Main, which is much colder and the place we were out is in southern Maine in about eight hours north of their is where we went eight hours. If you look at the map of Maine is a little much at the top of name that's what we were and it was six weeks. It never got above zero. So never say what to never tell God what you're never going to do so. John is telling God, I am going to die and they're going to throw me overboard and what you want me to do the things that happen so. Instead, the men gang. The men have more sense about this. The people on ship have more sense about this than Jonah because the man did their best to roll back the land. They argue that this guy represent the God who created all of this and this is one of the guys to get our attention in order to kill his servant, where not to throw him overboard were voter roll back the land so job probably just sets around and says LOL maybe I am going to enact an enema bottle of these people start trying to roll back the land, but they could not for the sea grew even wilder for then they cried to the Lord. So even gentleness mistakes trying to get away from God caused these people to follow to pray to the God of Joan because they pray to the God of Jonah. All Lord, please do not let us dive for taking this man's life. We decided were to listen to him and throw him overboard. I I wonder and again this is this is conjecture, John, another one a golf and he tells them throw me overboard. Never these might be okay. Do not hold this account against us for killing the innocent man for you, Lord had done, although I have done have done as you please. We know we know would take care of this, but then they took Jonah verse fifteen and threw them overboard now I guess I just look at this and I think Jonas Brennan piece is going to die and he is so he is so mixed up in his life that he would where he would rather die than talk to those people, your regulators say that I'd rather die than apologize to them. It may ever hear that I had rather die than talk to them, so we know this type of spiked and resentment exists, John. I was say I would rather die- go to Nineveh, so you get his wish you thrown into the sea while sometimes we are allowed to think that our we are governing our lives. Sometimes we would like to say God I don't care what you say I'm going this way and sometimes, God says you think so. They did you think that's really what I want for your life. Those in charge of this place and that becomes the challenge that comes to our life, those in charge. It is easier for us to say yes to God and do what he wants or is it easier for us to say I'm going this way and God in all Europe economic rent, and I'm going this way. Well, not as a way of showing us that he is in control. So John one feet now started to swim around for a little while if you just know jumped in and started going down, thinking, when it announced far as I can, and I would ground and I'm not going back in the credibility. But perhaps Jonah was caught offguard when he looked around the room whenever they tremendously to see immediately became call so the people on bar on board knew that John was the guy with the main reason all this was going on and they know that they did the right thing. I drew John overboard and I don't know if they saw the fish they saw the now. It's a great fish doesn't save the whale is the prepared fish. So, it's a fish, large enough to swallow Manny keep them alive. The we will try to say this could never be. But I guess there have been accounts when people were whalers, and so on, that they found people live inside of Wales, when arrested, it got been so I don't know, I watch National Geographic envy those who do not have. I wonder Jonah was like oh it's a big fish, but my gosh, he's swimming towards me. Oh my goodness, I am inside of a fish. I'm not for part I am not teaching I'm not choose. I am whole inside of a great fish, birds, chapter two we don't object Jonah got in there, but front and sides of the fish it out. Did you ever pray inside the fish is permitted a situation where it is really bad, and the NL and everything is young and what would you like, what would it be like to be inside the fish. What will it be like to be inside of the digestive system of an animal that you know, so here's Jonah inside. They does the digestive system on this great fish and from inside the fish. John prayed to God first one in my distress I called the Lord and he answered me, he's on talking terms with God now. It was it John Howard, you are inanimate, nine gone there. What I like those people, so he goes the other way. Now he says. I called on the Lord you know whenever they were on the boat train your dog I frame you might find in this case, I find me. I'm in this barn in this. I'm in a Spanish now I can't answer from the depths of the grade I called for help and you listen to my cry jungle is being digested alive. So, from his grave. He is praying. And God heard his cry, whine for your heartland you hurled me into the deep into the very heart of the sea and the currents swirled around me ill. They talk about diving suits and economy all ends in submarines and so on. When they have all that pressuring you see the movies where the lead up the bolts and things are popping out because of the pressure job and move from the pressure he was feeling inside of the whale inside his great fish. He was at the depths of the sea to feel the pressure they can figure out what was going on because he's talking about it. I said I had been banished from your site and I will look again toward your holy temple total darkness being digested alive feeling the pressures of the sea with seaweed. He talks about your being around his head. Total darkness. He cries of the god and he says you know what I think I'll go over you want me to go. He says here that in this moment. He has an deafening. He knows he's going to live why I will look again toward your holy temple. From where I am at I'm in total darkness, but I will look again enter holy Temple. It's almost like I have. I liken this to Joe when he says, after the words have eaten my body, yet in my flash eyes shall see God. I will look upon God, with my own eyes and not another Joe believed in the resurrection from the dead long before there was ever anything written about the resurrection and Joan is in the depths of the sea swimming around this inside of this fish swimming around in the depths of the sea where the pressures on the CD are upon him, and ears gasping is aware for breath, how to breathe inside of a digestive system. He says I am going to look upon the holy Temple seat. That's where the Scriptures talk to us about believing and saying and and and having the confidence that God is going to take us through the difficulties through the circumstances through the problems. God is going to be my string very present. He's a very present help in time of trouble that he is my strength and he is my Redeemer. He is the one who's going to give me take me through the voice that I met whether I live or whether I die Avalon to God. So no matter where I am, God is there an unsafe unsafe, you, as God is with me and I am remembering his word, and I'm speaking his word in my life in a way that brings hope and faith to me while the roots of the mountains. I sank down for seven when my life was ebbing away he's buying he's buying in the belly of this fish. My life is ebbing away. I remember you, Lord think I remember I know those who cling to the worthless idols. Verse eight forfeited grace that could be various begins to understand and have compassion in some way to these people who have forfeited their knowledge of grace by worshiping idols and he has the development process of compassion for Nineveh. He understands that there are people who don't know about God 's grace that was the reason he ran from the recent grant from there he didn't want them to experience God 's grace. He wanted them to be punished for the wrongs that they had done. And now, in this place of darkness in the depths of the sea, he begins to understand that they have lost their concept of the concept of grace, but I will provide with a song of Thanksgiving. I with a song of Thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to you, where is he giving thanks to God in the belly of this great fish at the bottom of the sea. He's offering thanks to God. What I have filed. I will make good salvation comes from the war what I have said I would do way back to his calling. I will serve God go to Nineveh. I serving you is back to his callings and I will serve God and the Lord commanded the fish in it vomited Jonah and the dry land. Now Joe now takes about a three hundred mile journey fifty three hundred mile journey from dryland to Nineveh now when he gets there never was a great city. It's at about three days journey, it means that it takes three days to get from one suburb to the next. So if you start walking for three days. You can you can get through the city of Nineveh. It's a big place, and John begins his three-day journey. I'm looking for a guy daughter destroy this place. Yes, forty days and Godzilla destroy this place so here this guy now if you trust somebody overboard in the sea stop bingo. There's no telegraph system. No newspapers, no satellite communication, but there was a way of people getting information they probably heard about this job because these people start talking about it in word and gossip got around because he is both known and about. Anyhow, we threw him overboard. We haven't seen says, and now shows up in town, forty, Nathan Robin and I this half digested man has been in the sun for three hundred miles we did. He looks like it- he's not too good to look at and suddenly he takes on this whole different appearance and he doesn't want them to repent. Please been exhibited in any height of forty days zero, that what happens, they start repenting they start recognizing what John is saying they start feeling guilty, they start recognizing that there is a need for grace and why may all repent in the hall; Ms. Gregory Bible am giving your life to God like Jonah, do they get out of town. We wait for God to kill them you want them to it. And so there's this plant that grows up John is in the message they repent, they put sackcloth and ashes on date they are totally recommitted solely change transformation takes place in job is like I knew this was the book of Jonah is about the man, but the message and in our lives. God has two things going on. He has you that he has a message inside of us in the messages supposed to change us, and Jonah has a hard time making this transition, even after his experience in the and in the fish he goes outside of town. As you read the rest of the booking was outside of town. My setting is waiting for something to happen and this plant grows up an office in shape overnight is very thankful and then the next day that he, unlike, the plant dies in the end, and he's all mad at the plant and it ends with saying, but the Lord said you have been concerned about this vine, though you did not take it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight, but never above has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell the right hand from their left and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city, Giotto was worried about a plan. God is saying to him, Jonah, I concern about all those people. There's some things in I just don't see the value of the Jonah, the Assyrians had no value because they were such a terrible group of people cruel the structure to Jonah. They deserve to die. But God had a way of taking giant saying Jonathan, you concerned about this plant, but I want you to be concerned about something else would you be concerned about your life and the message that I'm giving them there's a story here and it talks about this guy personally company and he wanted to establish a successor to his company, you get money images, children and even want to give it to avoid somebody said okay. I wanted to call in all of his young executives. He gave them all seeds, he said I want you to go home and plant this in a year from today I want to bring back your plants so this guy was like having his name and he was all excited about this at home with a seed talk to his wife and the planet. It, and you know, two weeks, three weeks. He took care of a candidate. Nothing group at work. Everybody's talking about their plants in the trees and everything is growing and did nothing. Any continue to plants and narration. Look over it in water and everything. Year went by nothing is in the day came for them to bring in their plans and everybody brings in their trees in their plants and everything he brought in a pot with loving it, except to see that even given that everybody's talking about their plans and they are all upfront. He sat in the back with his is plan is plantar and enough plot with nothing in it, and the CEO says okay everybody sit down. Mike from forward raise up for you. Places I have a plant there. What is it called hot here. Nothing in the said Mike what you know, I gave all of you seeds that had been boiled there were no life in any of the seeds. You're the only one who is truthful with the seed that I gave them your the next CEO of this Corporation. We have to be truthful with what's in our hearts. We don't need to run from it. We don't need to make it something that is not, we must allow God to nurture the seed. It's in our heart and he will help us become the person he wants us to be. We don't have to run from it. We don't have to make it grow. God will do the work in us. Amen. So is there father, we thank you for this see that you planted in our lives. God you've given us something that we can make happen. Only your presence and your love. Let us not want from it. Let us not embellish it. Let us not try to make it something that is not allowing your seed to do its work in us that we might be the people that you want us to be in God, you will use each situation in life whether it be a sunset or whether it be a friendship whether the love of God that touches our hearts in a very unique way. It's you, O God, who is at work in us touch our lives. Oh Lord, we pray. Let your spirit. Anoint us annoying test more there we might feel your presence since your love know your word and find peace in our hearts, no matter where we are out in our life for you are about growing us and giving us a message. We pray in Jesus name and everyone said amen, unless you