Highlands Fellowship
July 25, 2021
I Want To Change, But …
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” Jonah 1:1 - 2
But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Jonah 1:3
WE RUN FROM GOD
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. Jonah 1:4 - 5a
WE CRY OUT TO FALSE GODS
JESUS IS THE ONLY KEY THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO PEACE
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. Jonah 1:5b
WE’LL IGNORE THE STORM
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Jonah 1:6
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” Jonah 1:7 - 8
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah 1:9
OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE YOU?
OUR WORDS DON’T ALIGN WITH OUR ACTIONS
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) Jonah 1:10
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Jonah 1:11 - 12
Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Jonah 1:13
WE TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT REMOVING THE SIN
Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Jonah 1:14 - 16
REPENTANCE
FAITH
WORSHIP
But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah 4:1 - 2
God not only desires you to be on His mission, you are God’s mission.
“I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love, and I can be trusted.” Exodus 34:6
“Of what people are you?”