Jonah, Part 3 - Pastor Kenneth Woolf

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832939444439438575.post-14701379036604591392008-03-30T10:30:00.002-06:002008-04-07T13:50:58.070-06:002008-04-07T13:50:58.070-06:00Jonah, Part 3 - Pastor Kenneth Woolf<a href="http://www.newlifecotr.com/media/Audio/March%202008/Jonah%20Part%203%20Pastor%20Kenneth%20Woolf%203-30-08.mp3">Download MP3 audio </a> New Life Church on the Rock Sunday March 30, 2008 Jonah (Part 3) INTRODUCTION: Go over Jonah Chapters 1 and 3. 1. God asks us to do things we don’t want to do. 2. There’s always a boat going in the opposite direction 3. God may send a storm to get our attention. 4. Jonah’s worst nightmare was just what he needed. 1. God is a God of second chances. 2. Go NOW! 3. To go you might have to let go. Today we are going back to Jonah Chapter 2. Jonah 2:1- “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to Lord his God.” Jonah had stopped praying, like many people who claim to be Christians have done. During the storm while all the sailors were calling on their gods Jonah was asleep in the bottom of the boat. But in Jonah 2 Jonah remembers the POWER OF PRAYER. ***Story of a small town church who prayed against a local nightclub. **** From inside the fish Jonah PRAYED to the Lord his God. In other words, God got his attention! Some of you God has finally got your attention and your prayer life is about to come alive. Jonah 2:2- “He said: In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. Can we even begin to grasp that we have the opportunity to call on the creator of the universe? The One who hung the stars in the sky! The First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending, the Almighty, all knowing, all powerful God. The supreme judge of all mankind! WE CAN CALL ON HIM AND HE WILL ANSWER US! After Jonah said forget you God, Jonah called on God and God in His mercy answered him! DON’T LET THE POWER OF THAT PASS YOU BY! But how many people have said this? “Things are so bad, we’ve tried everything! All we can do now is pray! How insulting that must be to the heart of God. Hebrews 4:16- “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” YOU CAN CALL ON GOD AND HE WILL ANSWER YOU! (Jonah 2:2) Jonah said, “In my distress…” Distress- the travail of childbirth, the distress of labor. In my agony I called on God and He answered me! (Jonah 2:2) “From the depths of the grave I called for help..” Grave- the realm of the dead, out of the belly of hell. From this place I called on God and he answered me. From the place I was farther from God than ever I called on Him. From the place I was miserable, helpless, and desperate, I called on God and He answered. When I had no place to turn, when I needed God the most but deserved it the least. HERE’S WHAT VERSES ONE AND TWO ARE SAYING I was as good as dead but God in His mercy caused me to be born again. I was as good as dead in my own power, I was helpless, I couldn’t contribute a thing. Even though I didn’t deserve it, God in His mercy and love heard my cry and He caused me to rise from the dead so that I could be born again. At any point in this story God could have changed things. He could of calmed the storm. He could have allowed the sailors to take Jonah to the shore. God could have sent a giant turtle so Jonah could have rode on its back to shore. God could have sent a really good looking mermaid. But God didn’t do any of those things but notice that God was actively working in Jonah’s life. Even though Jonah was in pain! God was involved in Jonah’s life in every phase. DON’T MISS GOD WORKING IN YOUR LIFE IN EVERY PHASE! God is working in our lives even when we don’t recognize it. He’s preparing us for our future. Don’t forget to embrace the phase your in now and celebrate what God is doing enroute to your ultimate destiny. Jonah 2:3- “You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me..” Technically the sailors threw Jonah in the sea but Jonah recognized the hand of God behind everything. Jonah 2:6- “To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.” Jonah was saying, “I’m a dead man, there’s no hope for me, It’s over.” Some of you your life is seems like that. Spiraling downward! NEVER FORGET THE BUT GOD MOMENTS! My life was out of control BUT GOD intervened! My marriage was in trouble and I thought it was over BUT GOD changed my heart and healed our marriage! The doctor says it’s over, BUT GOD! DON’T FORGET THE BUT GOD MOMENTS! Luke 1:37- “For nothing is impossible with God.” When Jonah was at a point that every physical thing said you will never survive, BUT GOD! Jonah 2:7- “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.” When things are going well do we remember God or just put Him on a shelf until the next big crisis? Jonah 2:8- “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah shifts his tone and gives a warning and basically he’s saying, “Don’t do what I did.” Whatever you do don’t run from God! Whatever you do don’t neglect God and disobey Him! “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Grace- loving kindness, the pursuing love of God! Those who cling to the stupid things of this world that don’t matter, they are unable to receive the pursuing love of God. WHAT WERE JONAH’S IDOLS? 1. Prejudice 2. Self- I heard God but I don’t care what He said, I’m going to do what I want to do. We need to surrender the idol of self. If there’s one thing we need to do is lay down the idol of self. I know what God’s Word says but I don’t care! Jonah 2:9- “But I, with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” Some of you are going to make something good today. I don’t know what it is but you do. God has put it on your heart and today you need to make it good. God has put it on your heart to give a radical generous offering. But this has been your prayer. “Satan, is that you again trying to get me to be like Jesus.” “God’s called me to be a good steward, so I can’t give that generous offering to the church.” Like giving to God’s church makes you a bad steward. CONCLUSION: Now look at the last phrase of verse 9. “Salvation comes from the Lord.” Remember Jonah couldn’t contribute anything from the belly of that fish. Salvation comes from God. Ephesians 2:8- “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no-one can boast.” WHAT DID IT COST GOD FOR YOUR SALVATION? HIS SON JESUS CHRIST! The only reasonable response to the Salvation of God is this, “HERE’S MY LIFE.” Jonah 2:10- “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry ground.” Whether you’re on the top of the world or in the depths of hell, when you call on the Lord He will answer you! Let’s pray! Quirinusnoreply@blogger.com