Scripture Jonah 1-4
The story of Jonah is a wonderful children’s story – depicted in cartoons and even retold in the story of Pinocchio who is swallowed by a whale. It is in no way a children’s story – it is full of tremendous theological content – satire – unfaithfulness – hatred – fear – extreme violence, astounding repentance, and amazing love, forgiveness and mercy.
RETELL the story of Jonah and the route taken (today’s similar map 2 pics)
Called
Runs to Joppa (Pastor will ask for Jonah Map Slides 1 & 2)
The story of Jonah is a wonderful children’s story – depicted in cartoons and even retold in the story of Pinocchio who is swallowed by a whale. It is in no way a children’s story – it is full of tremendous theological content – satire – unfaithfulness – hatred – fear – extreme violence, astounding repentance, and amazing love, forgiveness and mercy.
RETELL the story of Jonah and the route taken (today’s similar map 2 pics)
Called
Runs to Joppa (Pastor will ask for Jonah Map Slides 1 & 2)
Pay for
ticket /
tells he is running from God
/ sleeps
Storm
Sailors pray to gods / Wake Jonah / Cast lots / Question Jonah
My God created the land & the sea (Why r u on a ship on the sea?)
Sailors Row at first / the throw Jonah over / Sea is calm
Sinking in Sea
Swallowed by great fish / Prays / Vomited out
Builds Shelter
Tree grows / Worm kills tree / Jonah complains / Called again
Goes to Nineveh
“40 days and this city will be overturned”
King and all repent – sackcloth and ashes
God relents
Jonah complains…again
God reminds him of the mercy he received
Down down down
God told him to rise up and go and rose up and went – in the wrong direction. How often do we go the opposite way God is telling us to go? Every time we sin!
Jonah kept taking steps further away from God – further down from his heavenly calling.
Down to Joppa – Down to a ship – Down to its haul to sleep – Down into the sea – Down into the belly of a fish – Down into despair (at this loss of shade and that Nineveh was spared)
That is what sin does, turns us away from God and makes us get further and further away until the sin has engulfed us like being in the belly of a great fish with no hope of escape.
Notice
in the story of Jonah there are essentially 2 people groups and two people
(individuals) who are on the wrong side of God but each who are shown great
mercy.
1st group – the sailors
A PRESIDENTIAL & CHRIST PARDON COMPARED
A presidential pardon is an exemption from punishment and can't be reversed. People have to apply to be pardoned. Former President George W. Bush, during his eight years in office, received 2,489 pardon requests. He granted 189.
APPLICATION
By contrast, we serve a God who is "rich in MERCY" He graciously pardons all who apply. Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
The 2nd person who was evil but had hope for God’s mercy shows evidence of their belief by what they had written on their tombstone. (Pastor will ask for Capone Slides 1 & 2)
St. Jerome wrote a wonderful meditation on this. He was imagining the conversation between the soul and Christ. The soul looks upon the nail marks in His hands and His feet and says, “Jesus, You have gone to such great lengths to save me! How can I ever thank you?”
“I made the entire world – I have no need of money or possessions.”
“Then what can I give You, Lord? What would adequately thank You for Your love?”
Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank me, give me your sins. Give me your past, your shame, your weaknesses. Let me take them on My shoulders on the Cross, and let me pour My mercy upon you. That will give me the greatest joy.”
There is nothing in the whole world that gives Jesus greater joy than forgiving our sins. And this isn’t just for huge sinners. All have fallen short of the glory of God, even “the just man sins seven times a day” because the little things, too – the lack of honesty, the impure glance, the sharp word, the grudge – prevent us from the abundance of life God wants for us.
If Al Capone could trust in the mercy of Jesus; If Jonah, the sailors and the Ninevites can trust in the mercy of Jesus, how much more can you believe that He will have mercy on your soul?
Sailors pray to gods / Wake Jonah / Cast lots / Question Jonah
My God created the land & the sea (Why r u on a ship on the sea?)
Sailors Row at first / the throw Jonah over / Sea is calm
Sinking in Sea
Swallowed by great fish / Prays / Vomited out
Builds Shelter
Tree grows / Worm kills tree / Jonah complains / Called again
Goes to Nineveh
“40 days and this city will be overturned”
King and all repent – sackcloth and ashes
God relents
Jonah complains…again
God reminds him of the mercy he received
God told him to rise up and go and rose up and went – in the wrong direction. How often do we go the opposite way God is telling us to go? Every time we sin!
Jonah kept taking steps further away from God – further down from his heavenly calling.
Down to Joppa – Down to a ship – Down to its haul to sleep – Down into the sea – Down into the belly of a fish – Down into despair (at this loss of shade and that Nineveh was spared)
That is what sin does, turns us away from God and makes us get further and further away until the sin has engulfed us like being in the belly of a great fish with no hope of escape.
1st group – the sailors
A PRESIDENTIAL & CHRIST PARDON COMPARED
A presidential pardon is an exemption from punishment and can't be reversed. People have to apply to be pardoned. Former President George W. Bush, during his eight years in office, received 2,489 pardon requests. He granted 189.
APPLICATION
By contrast, we serve a God who is "rich in MERCY" He graciously pardons all who apply. Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
The 2nd person who was evil but had hope for God’s mercy shows evidence of their belief by what they had written on their tombstone. (Pastor will ask for Capone Slides 1 & 2)
St. Jerome wrote a wonderful meditation on this. He was imagining the conversation between the soul and Christ. The soul looks upon the nail marks in His hands and His feet and says, “Jesus, You have gone to such great lengths to save me! How can I ever thank you?”
“I made the entire world – I have no need of money or possessions.”
“Then what can I give You, Lord? What would adequately thank You for Your love?”
Jesus responds, “If you wish to thank me, give me your sins. Give me your past, your shame, your weaknesses. Let me take them on My shoulders on the Cross, and let me pour My mercy upon you. That will give me the greatest joy.”
There is nothing in the whole world that gives Jesus greater joy than forgiving our sins. And this isn’t just for huge sinners. All have fallen short of the glory of God, even “the just man sins seven times a day” because the little things, too – the lack of honesty, the impure glance, the sharp word, the grudge – prevent us from the abundance of life God wants for us.
If Al Capone could trust in the mercy of Jesus; If Jonah, the sailors and the Ninevites can trust in the mercy of Jesus, how much more can you believe that He will have mercy on your soul?
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