Missions Sermon: Are You Living For a Shadow or Substance? The Life of Jonah

Jonah 4:1-11

Note: The story of Jonah is a story that we all know.

‌Note: The children sing about Him.

Jonah, Jonah

Did not obey God immediately.

Jonah, Jonah

Down in the depths of the deep blue sea.

Note: There are many sermons, devotionals and challenges given about this run away prophet.

Note: The Bible tells us that God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and “cry against it”

1. The Horror of Nineveh

Note: Nineveh was a very wicked city.

Jonah 1:2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”

Note: Nineveh was known for their brutality to opposing nations.

Note: They were a violent people.

Note: They were idol worshipers who had rejected the one True God.

Note: This history paved the way for their war and violence.

Genesis 10:10–11 “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah”

Note: This seems to be the first conquering act of war after the destruction of mankind by the flood.

Note: Nineveh eventually became Assyria’s capital city.

2. The Hate of Jonah

Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”

Note: The will of God is not something that we run from, but run to and embrace.

Note: Jonah disobeyed God

‌Our disobedience always has a source. Whether that reason is fear or pride. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh, and thought that they should be judged for their wickedness.

Note: In fact, instead of going to Nineveh he went the opposite direction.

Note: We notice that in verse 3, that when we disobey God.

Note: The Course is always down. – He went down to Joppa.

Note: The Cost is always great – Jonah paid the fair thereof.

Note: God said go and Jonah said “no”

Note: There are areas of your life today that God is calling you, and directing you, and God is saying “GO” and you have said no.

3. The Hand of God

Jonah 1:17 “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

Note: God prepared a fish. A great fish – a whale according to Matthew 12:40

Note: And it swallowed that disobedient prophet whole.

Note: He made his bed in the whale’s belly.

Note: We call this teaching in the Bible chastening.

Note: God deals with us as a Father deals with his son.

Hebrews 12:7 “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”

Note: When we run from God, God chases after us.

Hebrews 12:5 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him”

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Sadly, Robinson wandered far from those streams and, like the Prodigal Son, journeyed into the distant country of carnality.

Until one day—he was traveling by stagecoach and sitting beside a young woman engrossed in her book.

She ran across a verse she thought was beautiful and asked him what he thought of it. Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it— Prone to leave the God I love. 

Bursting into tears, Robinson said, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.”

Although greatly surprised, she reassured him that the “streams of mercy” mentioned in his song still flowed.

Mr. Robinson was deeply touched.

He turned his “wandering heart” to the Lord.

Note: God prepared a fish.

The word prepare is an interesting word.

Isaiah 65:12 “Therefore will I number you to the sword, And ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: Because when I called, ye did not answer; When I spake, ye did not hear; But did evil before mine eyes, And did choose that wherein I delighted not.”

Note: The word number is the same Hebrew word for prepare.

Note: The devastation of God’s people was because of the decision that they had made.

Note: God would instruct a whale to swallow Jonah because of the decision that he had made.

Note: There Jonah sat in the belly of that whale for three days and three nights – which is the sign given for the True Messiah. The True Messiah would be placed in a tomb for three days and nights and then live again.

Note: Finally, Jonah repented.

Note: The whale spat Him out.

Note: And he headed to Nineveh where God had called him.

Jonah 2:10 “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”

4. The Heeding of Nineveh

Jonah 3:3–5 “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

Note: And like many times when people respond to the Gospel message in a positive way – we are shocked.

Note: The people of Nineveh repented.

Note: They believed God.

Note: That’s a wonderful outcome.

I mean – a prophet – strays and comes back. And the whole city gets right with God. The whole city repents and believes God.

Note: It’s a great story, right?

Jonah 3:10 “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

Note: Don’t you think that Jonah would be Joyful?

Note: Don’t you think that his employment would bring enjoyment?

Jonah 4:1 “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.”

Note: He isn’t happy

Note: He’s angry

Note: He’s has a rotten attitude

Note: He a pouting prophet.

Note: So God makes him a gourd (V6).

Note: The Bible says that God prepared it.

Note: The gourd produced some shade for the prophet.

Note: He was happy for the gourd. If you looked closely, you can even see this prophet smile. Just a little.

Jonah 4:7 “But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.”

Note: The Bible says that God also prepared a worm.

Note: The worm ate the gourd.

Note: The Bible says that it fell to the ground and it died (withered)

Jonah 4:8 “And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah 4:10–11 “Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Note: And that is the last Word that we are given about Jonah.

Note: God gives Jonah this last rebuke.

Note: God’s final message to this prophet.

Note: I believe that we are more like Jonah than we know.