Sermon Notes 08-09-09

August 9th 2009 “Getting Our Attention”
“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. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” Jonah 1:3-4

Did you know? “On Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar, a big fish story is read in synagogues. As worshipers fast, confess their sins, and reflect on the words of Moses and Isaiah, they listen once again to the account of a catch and release that is so amazing no one would believe it if it wasn’t in the Bible.

Here’s a great question: What is God willing to do to bring us back to Himself? God is willing to do whatever it takes to get our attention and bring us back to Him.

Attention Getters:
God has many ways to get our attention.1st God will send Storms!

Jonah 1:4 “Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.”
What is God willing to do?
It is important to remember that these actions by God are intended as correction, not punishment.
Jonah was heading in the wrong direction both physically and spiritually. So God intervened to turn him around.

Jonah 1:4 “Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea,”
“The Lord hurled a violent wind.” The Hebrew term translated “hurled” or “flung” is the same word used when King Saul “cast” the javelin at young David.
The word carries the notion of “violent force.”
Here we see that the wind and waves served as God’s servants to disturb the sleeping prophet.

God often uses the storms of adversity to teach us or to correct us. Quote: Patrick Fairbairn wrote, “God’s goal in affliction is to awaken.” Sometimes God has to shakes us to awaken us. The Bible is full of “Awakings!”
Jacob deceives his father Isaac and claims to be his brother, Esau, and steals his birthright! God sent an angel to wrestle with him! Finally Jacob repented and followed God!
The Israelites refused to seize the promise land and were forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
Sampson lost his eyes and spent the rest of his days pushing a grind stone like a donkey.
King David had to run from his own son.

Attention Getters:
2nd God will Touch Someone Near You!

Jonah 1:4-5 “Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.”
Although Jonah had sinned, “the sailors were afraid.”

Quote: Dr. A.C. Dixon wrote, “Our sins will certainly get others in trouble.”
What happens when a pastor gets caught in sin? Others fall!
When the storm came Jonah was about to drown. But remember, “No one drowns alone.” The storms that touched his life, touched the lives of all those around him.
After King David sinned he remained in an unrepentant state for nearly a year. It was eight months before the prophet Nathan confronted David.
Nathan told David that the child born of the king’s adultery would die.

“What is God willing to do to bring someone back to Him?” The answer is: whatever it takes! God knows which nerve to touch to get your attention.

Attention Getters:
3rd God will Send Someone!

Jonah 1:6 “But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” A. As the storm raged, “the Captain approached him.”
The Captain did not follow the Lord God—Yet God used this unbeliever to correct Jonah.

God my send a donkey to talk to you!
Number 22:1-35 there is a story of Balaam’s donkey talking to him!
Can animals speak?
Remember the snake spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden!
Balaam was told by God—“don’t speak until I tell you to speak!”
Balaam didn’t obey God so God spoke to Balaam by way of his donkey: Numbers 22:28-30 “28Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” 29Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” 30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” 31Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.”

Pastor Phil says: “When the Lord sends someone to us we can respond to those messages with anger or humility. But we cannot ignore that God is speaking.” Illustration: Glen and Norma came to my door and said, “God is not finished with you!” It literally changed my life!
Attention Getters:4th God will Expose Disobedience!
A. Jonah 1:7 “7Then 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.”
It is an interesting contrast that while the unbelieving sailors discerned that the storm represented God’s hand against someone on board the vessel [1:7], Jonah did not!

God used Mordeci to expose Haman’s plot to have all the Jews exterminated [Ester 3-4].
God used Peter to expose Simon Mangus’ false motives [Acts 8:14-25].
God used Paul to expose Peter’s hypocrisy [Galatians 2:11-16].
God can expose any sin of any sinner.

Attention Getters:5th God will Touch You Physically!
A. He touches you physically – Jonah 1:15 “Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.”
Once they learned of Jonah’s guilt “they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea.”

God is no respecter of persons.
He struck Miriam, Moses sister, with leprosy [Numbers 12].
In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira who had tried to deceive the church and lied to the Holy Spirit.
God desires to awaken our spirit.
Why would God use seemingly drastic intervention to get our attention?
Is God mad at us?
Does He desire to punish us? No!
His correction is another expression of His love grace and goodness.
God desires for us to submit to His will – 1:2 God told Jonah to “Go to Nineveh.”
Obedience to the Lord’s command will bring an end to His correction. We should notice that the call to Nineveh did not change [Jonah 3:1].
God requires genuine repentance.

Max Lucado has put it: “If there are 1000 steps between you and God, God will take 999 of them and leave the last one for you."