I'm surprised by the way that God graciously works in your life when you've done everything
the wrong way, been rebellious, been hard-hearted, been stubborn, just plain disobedient.
Sometimes I just get in awe of how God puts up with me, how He shows grace.
I am so thankful for His grace.
I hope you are as well.
Well, that's what we're going to look at this morning in Jonah chapter 1, God's surprising grace.
And the first thing we're going to look at today is that God sometimes uses unbelievers
to accomplish His gracious purpose.
I want you to look with me.
If you would, open your Bible.
We're in Jonah chapter 1.
We have read the entire chapter several times, part of it several times.
We're going to read more today, but I don't want to read the whole section again.
I want you to think with me and look at verse 5.
Think about the actions of the sailors on the ship with Jonah.
If you haven't been here, if you're not familiar with the story, Jonah was God's prophet.
He was called by God to go to a certain place and preach.
He didn't.
He went the opposite direction.
And as a part of going the opposite direction, He boarded a ship that would take him far away.
But then God hurled a storm at the ship to stop Jonah.
When the storm first struck, these pagan sailors prayed to their own false gods.
When Jonah was identified as the guilty one,
they began to question Him.
Look with me in verse 7 and 8.
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.
Then they said to Him,
Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us.
What is your occupation?
Where do you come from?
What is your country?
And of what people are you?
I want you to look at how Jonah responded.
I want you to think about his response and his description of God and how it affected these sailors.
I'm going to put this on the screen, verses 9 and 10 now.
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.
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.
I want you to note that Jonah identified himself as a Hebrew, part of the people of Israel.
He identified himself as a Hebrew.
And his God as, look at it, the Lord.
And that is a translation of God's special covenant name, Yahweh.
God's holy name.
Jonah identified God by that name.
And then look at their response.
They were terrified.
When they heard he was a Hebrew, that their God, his God was Yahweh.
Why would they do that?
Why would such hardened men most likely be afraid of this Hebrew who served the Lord God?
Well, many commentators believe these sailors had heard about the people of Israel.
They'd heard about Israel's God.
And it makes sense.
They're professional sailors.
They sailed the Mediterranean Sea.
This trip that they're on right now began in Joppa, which is not far from Israel.
Richard Phillips, in his commentary, gives us a good explanation for why these sailors responded with fear
when they heard Jonah mention the Lord, that name.
Look at it.
The mariners likely would have heard about the Hebrews and their frightening God.
He was the God who broke Pharaoh's power in order to set his people free
and who parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Hebrews to pass through.
But then drowned the pursuing Egyptians.
This was the stern God who took his people into Canaan with such frightening power.
Therefore, they realized that this was a great God, this God of the Hebrews.
And it was this God, not a weak God, who was pursuing them for the sake of Jonah.
Here they are in the midst of a hurricane type storm.
They're scared to death of that.
And then they're described with even a heightened sense of fear
when Jonah identifies himself as part of the people of God
and calls God by that covenant name.
Even though they knew Jonah is rebelling against this God,
they still revere him, so to speak, by asking him,
what should we do?
And when Jonah told them that the only way for the sea to calm
and for them to save themselves was to throw him overboard.
But I want you to look at what they said in verse 13.
If I can find it.
Jonah has identified himself and his God.
They have confidence he knows what he's talking about.
And so they ask him, what should we do?
And he tells them very clearly.
It wasn't an answer he wanted to tell them.
He was actually being truthful.
But instead of taking this stranger
who had brought this storm on them,
caused them to lose their cargo
and maybe going to lose their lives,
instead of them gladly throwing him overboard,
they did their best to row out of the storm.
Now think about that.
It seems that their discovery of God
caused them to show Jonah mercy.
Mercy is a quality of God.
Mercy is one of the characteristics of a Christian
that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount
in the Beatitudes.
If we have a right relationship with God,
if we want to please God,
we're going to have a merciful heart
and desire to show mercy to people
instead of just being cruel,
just giving people what they deserve.
And you see it in these pagans
right as they first become aware of God.
That's powerful.
God's doing a work in these men's lives right here.
And we see it in the way they treated Jonah.
I mean, be honest.
If you'd have been there,
you think you're going to die,
and some guy you don't know,
you don't care about,
you think this guy,
you know, he's running from this powerful God
we've heard about.
He says,
if we want to see the calm,
throw him overboard.
Wouldn't you throw him overboard?
I'd throw you overboard if it was you.
You'd throw me overboard if it was me in that setting.
But they didn't Jonah.
God used these unbelievers,
pagans,
idol worshipers at this time
to show grace to Jonah.
We're going to see later on
the actual way of grace
was to throw him overboard.
But right now, at the beginning,
they think the way of being gracious and merciful
is to try to row out of the storm
and avoid throwing him overboard.
But finally, God shows these sailors
they're wasting their time.
They cannot outrun the storm.
And so they've got a choice.
Either throw him overboard
or die themselves.
So they decide to do it.
But look at verses 14 and 15.
They call out to God
for mercy on themselves
before they do it.
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.
That's their way of saying,
this is your call, Lord.
Don't blame us.
Blame you.
So they picked up Jonah
and hurled him into the sea
and the sea ceased
from its raging.
What I want us to see here
is that God will do
whatever it takes
to change us
if we are his child
and he has determined
to use us
in a certain way.
God will do whatever it takes
if he is determined
to use us
in a certain way.
God will do whatever it takes
to cause us
to change our mind
if we are rebelling.
God will do whatever it takes
to make us willing
to do it.
God works through
these unbelievers
and God will work
through unbelievers
around us.
God is never limited.
There may be times
in your life
when you are not close
to God,
you are disobeying him,
something is going on
and you don't come
to church
because you think
that's one way
I can get away
from being convicted.
Maybe I can forget.
Maybe the Lord
will leave me alone
so you don't come to church
or you don't want
to be around
Christian people.
Well, God could even
work through
pagans.
God could even work
through the worst people
you know
if he chooses to
to touch you,
to correct you,
to bring you
to the point
where he wants you
to be.
God sometimes
even uses miracles
to get our attention.
Look at number two,
this point.
God sometimes
uses miraculous
interventions
to put us
on the path
he has chosen for us.
This chapter
begins and ends
with a strong statement
of how God
sovereignly
intervenes
in Jonah's life
to prevent him
from escaping
God's call.
God first hurled
a great storm
at Jonah's ship
that we've read about
and talked about
already in verse four
and then in verse 17
God appointed
a great fish
to rescue Jonah
and prevent him
from drowning.
Look at that.
And the Lord
appointed a great fish
to swallow up Jonah.
That's what we're
going to start
looking at next week.
But these two
miraculous interventions
make it clear
that when God
chooses us
to carry out
his plan
he's going
to so
manipulate
things in our
lives
that we will
eventually
be willing
to do
his will.
Now I want
to pause here
and be clear
about this matter
of disobeying God.
we can disobey
God.
Jonah
disobeyed God.
Sometimes God
allows us
to disobey him
as his children
and miss out
on the blessing
that we would
have received
if we had
obeyed him.
We can see
an example
of that
in the book
of Acts
chapter 13
when Mark
the writer
of the second
gospel
he took off
on the first
mission trip
of the New Testament
church
in Acts 13
he went with
Paul and Barnabas
but he didn't
go far
he quit.
You can read
about it.
He quit.
He turned around
and he went
home.
He abandoned
his mission team.
Well Paul
was offended
by that
angered
by that
and later
on
Mark
wanted to
go on a
second trip
with Paul
and Barnabas
and Paul
said you
ain't going.
You quit
on me
one time
you will
not quit
on me
a second
time.
Well Barnabas
was more
compassionate
more merciful
maybe.
He wanted
Mark
to go.
He wanted
to give him
a second
chance.
Paul
didn't
back down
and their
disagreement
was so
strong
over Mark
that they
split.
Paul went
one way
and took
Silas
Barnabas
took Mark
and went
another way.
You can read
about that
in Acts 15.
Here's what
I want us
to see.
Mark's
failure
quitting
the first
missionary
trip.
It had
some serious
consequences.
It led
to the
breakup
of the
Paul
Barnabas
mission
team.
The original
mission
team.
And then
Mark missed
out on
the blessings
of seeing
how God
used his
team
to save
many people's
lives.
To start
new churches.
Mark could
have been a
part of that
but he
wasn't
because of
his failure.
God
is an
example of
how God
sometimes
allows us
to disobey
him.
And he
uses other
people to
do what
he originally
wanted us
to do.
And the
result will
always be
that we
miss out
on being
used of
God to
bless somebody
else.
And we
miss out on
being blessed
ourselves by
being obedient
to God.
But God
does not
always allow
us to
disobey
him and
get by
with it.
I want
you to
hear this.
We've
talked in
some of
the other
messages about
how Jonah
disobeyed.
Mark did.
We have.
We've
suffered for
it.
We've missed
out on some
things most
likely.
But there
are times
when God
is not going
to allow
us to
disobey
him or
keep on
disobeying
him because
he is
determined to
use us.
Let's take
some examples.
Moses.
God
raised up
Moses,
called him
to be
his
spokesman,
the
deliverer
of the
people of
Israel
from Egyptian
bondage.
But a lot
of you know
the story.
At first,
Moses,
he didn't
want to go.
He didn't
want to be
that.
He didn't
want to do
that.
He made
excuses.
But God
would not
accept his
excuses.
God had
chosen him
for that
assignment.
And God
made sure
that Moses
fulfilled it.
Paul,
the apostle,
he was
chosen by
God.
He says in
Galatians
chapter 1,
from his
mother's
womb.
Before he
ever entered
this world,
God had a
plan for
his life.
He was
going to be
a great
missionary,
a great
evangelist,
great church
planter.
God was
even going
to use
him to
write a
large portion
of the
New Testament.
But Paul
began his
adult life
as an
enemy of
Jesus Christ
and the
church.
He was
well known
in the
church,
before he
became a
Christian,
as one
who will
track you
down,
and have
you put in
prison,
and possibly
even executed,
all because
you are a
follower of
Jesus.
But when
the Lord
got ready
to use
him,
the Lord
miraculously
broke into
his life,
and you can
read about
this in
Acts 9,
God literally
knocked him
to the
ground and
blinded him
for a period
of time
because God
was serious
about getting
his attention
and changing
everything about
his life
because God
was going to
use him
in a
tremendous
way as
one of the
early leaders
of the
church.
God can
intervene in
your life and
mine at any
time.
If it requires
disciplining us
severely, he
will and
just do
whatever it
takes to
cause us
to want
to obey
him.
That's what
God's doing
with Jonah in
chapter 1 and
2, and we're
going to read in
chapter 3 a
little bit later
on that when
God called
Jonah the
second time to
go and preach
to Neva, he
went and he
did not argue.
But just
think, that
was after his
painful experience
of being thrown
off a ship in
the middle of
the storm,
nearly drowning
and spending
three days and
three nights
stuck inside
a great fish.
I want to
encourage you.
Always
listen
when God
speaks.
And God
speaks to us
through his
word.
That's the
clearest way he
speaks to us
today.
If you're a
Christian, he
speaks through
his spirit who
indwells you.
God speaks
through wise
people he's put
into your life.
God speaks to
us in all
different kinds
of ways.
And when he
speaks, we
need to listen
with the idea,
I want to know
God's will because
I want to do
God's will.
Paul tells us
at the end of
Romans 12,
2,
that God's
doing God's
will will be
good for us
because God's
will is good
and acceptable
and perfect.
He describes it
that way.
Well, think about
it this way.
When we're
faithful to do
what we know
God wants us
to be, and it
may be something
small, maybe
about your
attitude, your
relationships,
some of the
people you live
with, the way
you go about
your job,
whatever it
is, when
we're faithful
to God to
do whatever it
is he's calling
us to do, he's
going to be
pleased, he's
going to be
glorified in it.
The people that
we're involved
with, they'll be
helped.
And we
ourselves, we
ourselves in the
long run, we
will be blessed
by doing God's
will and pleasing
him.
Let's look at
one more thing.
God sometimes
uses us in
spite of our
rebellion to
bless other
people.
Chapter one
begins with
Jonah refusing
to preach to
the pagan people
of Nineveh.
He hated
them.
They were the
enemies of his
country, they
were the enemies
of Israel.
They were ruthless,
savage, brutal
people.
He didn't
want to go for
a lot of
reasons, but
one of the
reasons was he
wanted them to
die and go to
hell.
He didn't want
these people to
be saved.
He didn't want
to go and
preach and
them turn.
And we'll see
some of the
things about how
he didn't like it
when they did
later on.
This chapter
begins with
Jonah refusing
to go and
preach to the
pagan people of
Nineveh, but
it closes with
Jonah unwillingly,
preaching to the
pagan sailors on
the ship.
God worked
through Jonah in
spite of his
rebellion to
save these men.
That's what verse
16 indicates.
Look at it.
Then the men
feared the Lord
exceedingly, and
they offered a
sacrifice to the
Lord and made
vows.
Again, they call
on God's covenant
name, the Lord,
Yahweh.
Here's what I
want you to
know.
They did this
after the storm
stopped.
Think about it.
If they had done
this before the
storm stopped, we
might think they
were just doing
whatever it took to
try to save
themselves.
Jailhouse religion,
foxhole religion,
whatever you want to
call it.
A lot of times,
people, maybe some
of us in here,
will bargain with
God, will tell God
what we'll do, and
maybe even go through
the motions of doing
certain things until we
get out of a jam.
Then we forget about
it.
Well, these people,
they feared the
Lord, offered
sacrifices, made
vows after the
danger had
passed.
It appears that
these men had
truly been
converted.
It seems that
what we read there
in verse 16 are
expressions of
faith, real faith
in God, gratitude
to Him.
They are
thankful.
They love this
God, this one
true God, Yahweh,
who has rescued
them.
God graciously
used rebellious
Jonah to
accomplish His
purpose in these
men's lives, to
call them to be
His children.
Now, I want you
to think, if God
could do that with
uncooperating
Jonah, think about
how God could use
us when we
willingly cooperate
with Him and are
willing to do
whatever it is He
tells us to do.
You know, we've
looked at chapter
one now for five
weeks.
There's a lot of
great lessons here
about God's
grace, about how
God graciously
works out His
purpose in our
lives and in this
world.
God's grace.
Therefore, we
must not be
intimidated by
anyone's unbelief.
You shouldn't
write off anyone
as beyond God's
ability to save.
If God could save
these pagan
sailors who
worshipped false
gods with this
unfaithful prophet
of His, He can
save anyone.
one.
Here's the point I
want to make here.
Most of us in this
room, we have
family members or
close friends who
are not Christians.
And some of them, we
may think, they're
beyond hope.
Some of them may
claim to be atheists.
Some of them may just
be hard-hearted, mean
individuals.
You may have tried to
share the gospel with
them before and they
just brushed you off,
cussed you out even.
There may be people in
our lives that we've
just sort of given up
on, but what I want us
to see to happen with
Jonah and these sailors
is no one is beyond
hope.
So don't quit praying
for that person.
Don't quit trying to
live out your faith in
front of them and be a
real friend to them.
And don't not share
the gospel with them
because you're afraid,
because they've not
responded well in the
past.
Prayerfully, carefully,
lovingly, ask God to
use you as you willingly
try to influence them.
Ask God to use you the
way he used unwilling
Jonah.
Ask God to let you see a
miracle happen before
your eyes and see that
hardened family member or
friend.
See that hardened person,
that person with a hard
heart's heart melt and
embrace Jesus as their
Lord and Savior.
A second lesson we find in
chapter one is we as
individuals, we must stay
on guard against becoming
hard-hearted toward God
ourselves.
throughout this ordeal, Jonah
is running from God, unwilling
to change, unwilling to stop.
It comes to the point where
Jonah realizes these sailors,
they now know that the only way
for this storm to stop and save
their own lives is throw me
overboard.
And he's willing to be thrown
overboard before he will confess
his sin to God and repent.
There is every reason to believe
that if Jonah at any point on this
ship, if he had just said, God, I'm
tired of running, you win.
If Jonah just confessed his sin, his
disobedience, repented, changed his
mind and said, Lord, I will go now and
preach to the people of Nineveh.
There's no reason to think that God
wouldn't have stopped the storm
then.
That was the whole point, getting
Jonah to go.
But his heart was so hard, he was
so stubborn, he was willing to die,
be thrown overboard, rather than to
go to these people and preach.
You and I, we could become so
hardened by our sin and disobedience
that we destroy our own lives.
You know, the writer to the Hebrews
issued a warning about this.
Look at it.
He says, but encourage one another
daily as long as it is called today,
so that none of you, writing to
Christians, may be hardened by sin's
deceitfulness.
In a room this size, there's most
likely people, professing Christians,
and if you're honest, your heart is a
whole lot harder right now than it was
this time last year.
You think, are you less sensitive to
the Spirit of God right now?
Are you less merciful and compassionate
and loving?
Have you developed some calluses in
your heart?
Not just toward God, but even toward
people.
This is a warning to us.
Don't be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
I want you to understand, it can ruin
your life.
It can cost you some relationships.
It can cost you more than you want to
pay.
Let's learn from Jonah.
Don't become so hardened that you're
willing to die before you'll do God's
will.
He may, he could let you do that.
The final lesson I want us to look at
this morning is, it's always to our
advantage that we maintain an open heart
and mind to God's call and a willingness
to do His will.
Just think, if Jonah had obeyed God the
first time, he would have avoided all the
pain and misery that he went through and
that he caused these sailors and everybody
else in the ship to go through.
God's will is always the best for us and
the people around us.
Don't make God teach you every lesson the
hard way.
All of us in this room, we've learned a lot
of lessons the hard way.
It's no fun, is it?
We don't need to learn God's lessons the
hard way and we don't have to.
Let's learn from Jonah's mistakes.
Let's learn to trust God.
To obey Him willingly the first time,
every time.
And if we love Him, why don't we do it?
If we're confident that He loves us, we
have to be confident that His plan, His
will will lead to the best life possible
for us.
So let's learn to trust God and be
faithful to obey Him every time.
Let's pray together.
Father, show us now how we should
respond.
Make it clear if our heart is hard.
Maybe we don't even see it.
We don't know it because it's so hard.
Lord, intervene in whoever's life needs
your intervention to make this known.
If there are people here who are not
Christians, make it clear to your God that
their real problem is that they don't
know you.
They're far from you.
And I pray that you'll help that person to
be honest and admit it, turn from their
sin and trust Jesus as their Savior and
Lord right now.
If there's Christians in this room, Father,
who are running from you, running from
doing something specific that they know
you want them to do, help them to
understand they can run all they want to,
but they can't get away.
And Father, help us all to understand that
if there's something that you have
determined that we will do, we will do it.
But Lord, help us to avoid the pain,
the discipline
of getting us in a position where
we do want it.
Let's just all be still and quiet before the Lord
and respond to Him as He speaks to us.
And I would be happy to pray with you during this time.
If you want to come down to the front as musicians play.
Thank you.