Please follow along in your Bible as we read the book of Jonah together as a church. We also encourage you to take notes and ask questions. If you’re not part of a small group, this is a great opportunity to join one.

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1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. 4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” 7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were 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 the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. —Jonah 1:1-16

Introduction: Jonah was a prophet first mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25 and later mentioned by Jesus as a historical figure in Matthew 12:39-41. Jonah is known as the reluctant prophet. His name means dove. His father’s name Amittai means truth. Ninevah was the capital of Assyria and was Israel’s worst enemy at the time

1. God’s directive (v.1-2)

1. Jonah’s nationality and background gave legitimate cause not to want to preach to the Ninevites
2. God’s command for Israel to actively pursue the gentiles reveals his compassionate heart
3. God didn’t have to warn of their impending judgment

God’s plan for

Who are the “

2. Jonah’s Rebellion (v.3)

1. Jonah tried to “ghost” God
2. Jonah did not want God to spare Nineveh
3. Jonah went to great lengths to get away from God and His plan

Jonah concluded that because

Reveal Answer

could not see any good reason for

Reveal Answer

,

Reveal Answer

. —Tim Keller

3. God’s Correction (v.4-6)

1. God’s graciously sends a great storm
2. The sailors acknowledged God’s correction more than Jonah
3. Often sin brings insensibility with it

God may

Your

4. The sailors’ repentance (v.7-16)

1. The sailors feared the creator of the sea
2. Jonah preferred death to obedience
3. The sailors valued Jonah’s life
4. The sailors feared God’s sovereignty and officed sacrifices

Following God requires the

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?

3. What are some of the personal beliefs (i.e.politics, ethnicity, nationality, comfort), that can govern our view of God if we are not careful?

4. Have you seen God interrupt your life in order to draw you to Him?

5. Who is God calling you to be? What must you change in order to become that person?