Sermon Tone Analysis

Awakening Prayer

Jarrod Adams

Student Led Scripture Reading

Nate Price:

Casey Carrion:

Weekly Briefing

Okay, guys the calendar has dropped.

You can find it on the back table.

Take it and put it up on your refrigerator at home and don’t forget it is two-sided!

One of the things you want to keep your eye on is the dates and deadlines section.

We have our Winter Retreat, SEC and Summer Camp deadlines on the calendar.

Also, I want to make a note that I only put Wednesdays on the calendar if there will be no preaching and I didn’t put Sunday nights on the calendar either.

Some of these things may change - be flexible - think back to your toddler years when you could actually put your foot in your mouth.

Well, I’m trying to help you guys out each season by giving you a calendar but that means you have to give me some grace if something changes - like, for instance a car wash because of weather.

Okay?

Awesome!

Just to give you guys a heads up - I will be at the school each week on Wednesday.

This week you saw me at the HS and next week I’ll be at the MS.

I’ll do my best to come to your events (games, rehearsals, etc.) but make sure that you give me some heads up.

If you want other leaders to make some of your events - write it up on the calendar.

The best way to do that is to take a picture of your schedule then, bring your phone to Fuel and then write down a couple of the games.

Kapish?

Location, Location, Location

We are in week two of “Jonah: The Wayward Prophet” and what we saw last week was God giving Jonah a word - go to Nineveh and prophesy against them.

And what did Jonah do?

He told God no.

Remember, rebellion to God is as simple as telling him no.

We all have drawers in the chest of drawers of our lives that we hold our hand over and tell God no.

That’s rebellion.

And then Jonah went 1500 miles in the opposite direction.

But, Jonah couldn’t run from the presence of God and so God began to get his attention by bringing a storm on the sea.

Remember, the pagan sailors tried hard to save the crew while Jonah slept, but finally they woke him up and were like “why is this happening and who are you?

What God do you serve?”

And Jonah was like “I’m the reason you guys are about to die.

Throw me over board and you will be saved.”

They didn’t want to do it, but ultimately they throw him over and the storm ceases.

And that is where we pick up tonight:

Jonah 1:17

When Jonah was cast into the sea - he was doomed.

The sea was thought of as a place of chaos, it was unknown, really it was a watery tomb.

And when Jonah was tossed overboard - it was his grave.

But then God, in his wise and sovereign power makes a fish swallow him.

Here’s what we learn from this scene:

1. God’s Rescue Is Kind Not Comfortable

The whale or the fish in this story is not judgment upon Jonah - no that was the water - the fish is actually God’s grace and salvation for Jonah.

But think about what it would be like to be in the belly of a great whale/fish: To say the least, this would have been an awful experience.

The temperature would have been between 108 and 115 degrees but with a 100% humidity; Jonah wouldn’t have been able to move his arms; gastric juices that would have continually washed over him, bleaching his skin; And think of the smell - I’m sure it smelled like an outhouse at a carnival.

To say the least, this would have been an awful experience.

o Temperature would have been between 108 and 115 degrees; te couldn’t move his arm; gastric juices that would have continually

[17] And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up

Jonah.

Real quick: some of you are like, “Is this even possible?”

No, not without God.

The whole thing is a miracle, for sure.

But guess what?

We serve the God of miracles.

We know and love the Creator of the galaxies - the one who was born of a virgin, who became truly man in Jesus Christ.

The one who died on the cross drinking up God’s wrath for our sin and who rose from the grave three days later victorious over death.

So no it would not have been possible without God.

So Jonah is getting his Micheal Jackson bleach experience on and the whole while - this is God’s mercy.

[2:1] And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and

three nights.

It is his kindness not his cruelty; his mercy not meanness.

God’s rebuke is always meant to bring us home transformed, not send us away.

washed over him, bleaching his skin; I’m sure

it smelled like an outhouse at the state fair.

o (Real quick: some of you are like, “Is this even possible?”

No, not without God.

The whole

thing is a miracle, for sure.

Kindness not Cruelty; Mercy not Meanness.

God’s rebuke is always meant to bring us home transformed, not send

Jim my Neighbor Illustration - two weeks ago on the way to church fly down illustration.

Yes, for a moment that was very uncomfortable when he realized that his fly was down.

It was embarrassing.

But it was also really good that I, someone who loves him, could point that out.

Students, when we run from God sometimes his rescue looks like this - the belly of a whale.

God’s rescue is not synonymous with comfort - God’s rescue for Jonah from the sea was the belly of a fish.

God may rescue you from pornography by making it come out publically - and that will be embarrassing.

God’s rescue for you from drugs may be your name making the paper.

God’s rescue for you from that dating relationship may be losing them in a heartbreaking way.

When God rescue’s us from ourselves - it is always a mercy - but it is usually uncomfortable.

So Jonah is in the belly of the whale three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1

2. The Moment Of Crisis

Finally, Jonah prays to the Lord.

It is when the moment of crisis hits that Jonah raises his voice to the Lord.

So he spends three days and nights in the belly and then calls out to the Lord.

Relief or Repentance?

Look at where Jonah was:

(v.1) - he was in distress but rescued from the belly of Sheol.

What is Sheol?

Sheol was the place of the dead, and in ancient Israel the Israelites considered it to be the place of darkness.

Listen to the words of the wise Job:

It was a place of darkness and dust:

It was the place all the dead descended to and did not return from.

Jonah was using this word Sheol to express that he was on the verge of death.

He was drowning.

He was being overtaken by the mysterious waters of the unknown sea.

He was literally drowning in the sea.