“People of the Bible:
‘Jonah, the Reluctant Missionary’”
(Book of Jonah; Matthew 12:38-41)

INTRODUCTION

Our Bible studies focus on “People of the Bible”, timeless life lessons from biographies of real life people (I Cor. 10:11; Rom. 15:4). God is a missionary-God, directing all who know Him to share the message of repentance from sin so our unbelieving world can be saved from the coming judgment. Jonah was a disobedient believer, a Reluctant Missionary, saved by his prayer-life:

I. The four faces of Jonah (Jonah 1-4)

       A.  Running 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God:  Jonah the 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

  (1:1-3, 15-17)

       B.  Running 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God:  Jonah the 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

  (2:1-4)

       C.  Running  

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God:  Jonah the 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

  (3:1-3, 10)  

       D.  Running 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God:  Jonah the 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

  (4:1-3)

II. Lessons from Jonah’s prayer life (2:1-10)

       A.  Pray in 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 of your hopeless situation  (2:1)

       B.  

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God to help you in your hopeless situation  (2:2b)

       C.  Acknowledge 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 in your hopeless situation  (2:3; 1:15)

       D.  

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 the 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 that caused your hopeless situation  (2:8; 1:3)

       E.  

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 God in the midst of your hopeless situation  (2:9)

       F.   Let God answer your prayer 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

 

  

    
       
       Reveal Answer
    
  

  (2:10)  

CONCLUSION

Today, our missionary-God is calling you to share the saving message of the cross so our unbelieving world can be rescued from the coming judgment. Jesus Himself warned, “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here” (Mt. 12:38-41). Like Jonah, your prayers to God can rescue you from disobedience and hopelessness.