Get Connected
Click here to fill out the Get Connected Card
Message Notes
“How you respond to this will depend on how you read the rest of the Bible. If you accept the existence of God and the resurrection of Christ (a far greater miracle), then there is nothing particularly difficult about reading Jonah literally.” —Tim Keller
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai,” —Jonah 1:1-17
Who Was Jonah?
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” —Jonah 1:2
“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.” —Jonah 1:3
Why Did Jonah Run From God?
- Nineveh was a wicked place.
- The message God gave Jonah to preach was direct and difficult.
- Jonah despised the Ninevites.
“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.” —Jonah 3:10-4:1
What Can We Expect When We Run From God?
- We can expect a storm.
“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.” —Jonah 1:4
“The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin, but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty.” —Tim Keller
“For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” —Hebrews 12:5
- We can expect others to be impacted by our decisions.
“Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god.” —Jonah 1:5
“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.’” —Jonah 1:9
“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. 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.’ So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.” —Jonah 1:13-15
Disobedience is never a private matter.
- We can expect a fish.
“Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” —Jonah 1:16-17
“If there are 1000 steps between you and God, He will take 999 of them and leave the last one for you.” —Max Lucado
- We can expect the same assignment.
“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” —Romans 11:29
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’” —Jonah 3:1-2