A Passenger For Tarsus
Text: Jonah 1:3 "But Jonah rose up to flee from...the Lord."
INTRODUCTION:
1. It seems that the subjects least preached about are the greatest stories of the Bible.
2. We usually don't preach about them because we think everyone knows them.
3. The irony of the situation is that since we don't preach about them, most people have a hazy recollection of the stories and don't have the foggiest idea what lessons are taught by them.
4. A good example is the story of Jonah.
5. If I were to tell you that I planned to read the entire story of Jonah to you, you would probably say, "What a waste of time...." But is it????
6. What are the two major lessons of the story?
7. Could you get up and tell or explain these lessons?
8. Thus we will begin the lesson by reading the entire book of Jonah from the.
DISCUSSION:
I. The foolish things people will do in an attempt to escape God!
A. Some seek to deny their responsibilities to God by denying he exists.
B. Adam tried to hide in the forest,
"And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Gen. 3:10.
C. Some try hiding behind unbelief
(2 Peter 2:3-4 NKJV) By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. {4} For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
D. Others try to hide behind ignorance,
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" Acts 17:30.
E. Many try to hide behind shabby church-members.
F. There shall be no successful escapes !
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to Cod." Rom. 14:12.
II. JONAH'S BIGOTRY MADE HIS IDEA OF GOD "TOO SMALL."
A. A Jew preach to heathens? God must be mistaken!
B. Jonah would flee Israel (church), hence his duty.
C. Jonah's bigotry blinded him to Psalm 139:7-10.
(Psalms 139:7-10 NKJV) Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? {8} If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. {9} If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, {10} Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
D. He questioned God, but Jonah trusted his own will!
III. EMBARKING FOR TARSUS, JONAH "PAID HIS FARE."
A. With his own money he paid for his sin and folly.
B. Then he "paid" with humiliation and shame, vs 6-17.
C. He paid with agony—"Cried out of hell 2:2.
D. Selfish whims ignore time, effort, and expense.
E. For his OWN selfish adventure, Jonah had plenty of time, energy, and money; but none for God's will!
IV. LET US PONDER JONAH'S CRY OF REPENTANCE.
A. He cried for the privilege of public worship, 2:4.
B. He learned: Disobedience cancels God's mercy, 2:6.
C. He promises to behave as becomes God's man, 2:9
D. He learned: Disobedience cancels no duty.
E. He ran head-on into the God from whom he fled!
F. He confesses: "Salvation is of the Lord," 2:9.
V. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." I Cor. 10:11.
A. Have we applied the lesson!!
B. God's word makes our duty very plain.
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105.
C. Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
D. God's says if you love me, keep my commandments.
E. The royal commandment was to love our brothers as ourselves.
F. Do we love him if we refuse to teach Him?
(1 John 2:9-11 NKJV) He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. {10} He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. {11} But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
David E. Parks
dave@wcofc.org
