Sermon Notes 09-02-09

August 2nd 2009 “Symptoms of Needing God”
“The Lord sent this message to Jonah: “Go to the great city of Nineveh, and give them this announcement from the Lord: ‘I am going to destroy you, for your wickedness rises before me; it smells to highest heaven.’” But Jonah was afraid to go and ran away from the Lord. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket, went on board, and climbed down into the dark hold of the ship to hide there from the Lord. But as the ship was sailing along, suddenly the Lord flung a terrific wind over the sea, causing a great storm that threatened to send them to the bottom.” Jonah 1:1-5

Introduction: Jay Leno frequently does a "man-on-the-street" interview, and one night he collared some young people to ask them questions about the Bible. Mr. Leno turned to a young man and asked, "Who, according to the Bible, was eaten by a whale?" The confident answer was, "Pinocchio." Unfortunately, some in the church are just as clueless about the book of Jonah.
When we open the book of Jonah we must ask as one preacher said, “Is this a tale of a whale or a whale of a tale?” Could the events in the book of Jonah really have happened?

Some in our enlightened day think that the story of a fish swallowing a man it simply too amazing to believe. They obviously don’t research history often. The following documented account is just one of several Jonah-like incidents.

Quote: “In February 1891, the Star of the East was whale hunting off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
What are the indicators that we need to return to God?

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #1: We ignore God’s Word!Jonah 1:1 “The Word of the Lord came to Jonah.”
God constantly tries to speak to the hearts of His people.

Just like a parent trying to warn their children, God is trying to warn us that He is about to do something really big!

September 11th 2001; God was trying to tell America—“Get ready, I coming back! Repent!”
The Question is: God has spoken, but whether we are listening?

Jonah 1:1 “The Word of the Lord came to Jonah.”
Many times we ignore the Word that speaks to our heart for two reasons:
1st We don’t like what God says or commands. Imagine how Jonah felt when he heard the Spirit say, “go to Nineveh.” He didn’t like it at all. Concerning the Bible, someone wisely observed, “Sin will keep you from this Book, or this Book will keep you from sin.” When Christians drift from God they typically begin here.2nd We don’t love His Word as we should. God’s Word is truly a love letter. And when we love God we will want to hear from Him.

Jonah—ran from God’s Word—that’s why he was on the ship—he was running from God’s Word!
I see people every day running from God’s Word, just like Jonah!
Ignoring God’s Word is an indicator that you need to return to God.

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #2: We harbor Hidden Sins from Our Past!

Jonah 1:2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh, and give them this announcement from the Lord: ‘I am going to destroy you, for your wickedness rises before me; it smells to highest heaven.’”
Have you ever tried to hide a sin?

Jonah had harbored a hidden sin from his past. Look at the phrase “Go to Nineveh.”
He hated Nineveh
Jonah, the man whose name means “dove,” had grown popular as the prophet that denounced the Assyrians. And now he feared he would lose credibility with the Israelites if he went to preach the offer of grace to the Assyrians.
But this hidden sin had come back to haunt him. Now it became the excuse for his rebellion against God. We should all remember Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
If you harbor a hidden sin, this indicates that you need to return to God.

Illustration: A drunken husband snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he’d pulled one over on his wife. When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. “You were drunk last night weren’t you!” “No, honey.” “Well, if you weren’t, then who put all the band-aids on the bathroom mirror?” [“Stories for Preachers and Teachers”, Heaven Word, Inc]

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #3: We neglect our Evangelistic Responsibility!

Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah was afraid to go and ran away from the Lord.” God told Jonah to “preach against” Nineveh.
Most people know that the Jews are “God’s chosen people.”
But have you ever thought about what they were chosen to do?
They were chosen to take the knowledge of God to the nations.
When God called Abraham to become the father of His people, the Lord told the patriarch, “Out of your seed will the nations be blessed.” God entrusted evangelism to His people.
Today the church is under the “Great Commission” of our Lord. We have the responsibility to carry the gospel to the world just like Jonah!
Our indifference to the lost is an indicator that we need to return to God.

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #4: We decide to deliberately disobey God!

Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah was afraid to go and ran away from the Lord. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket, went on board, and climbed down into the dark hold of the ship to hide there from the Lord.”
Instead of listening, he decided to willfully disobey.

Sin is: “A Willful Transgression of the Known Law of God!”
For some reason, we have come to believe that God is willing to bargain with us over His commands.
We tend to think that it is reasonable for God to make exceptions to His rules or, at least, compromise to some degree on His expectations.

Know this: God does not negotiate His commands. He didn’t for Abraham, Moses or David. And He will not for us.
If you testify, “I believe in God,” but then qualify it with a “however,” then you need to return to God.

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #5: We run from our calling!

Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah was afraid to go and ran away from the Lord. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. A. “to Tarshish” – The insanity of running from God!
What is your “Tarshish?”
It is the place you have gone to that is the opposite of God’s will for your life.
He tried to run as far from God’s call as possible.

“he bought a ticket” – The irresponsibility of running from God
When it comes to our calling, the Christian can find himself or herself in one of three situations: [1] Never started, [2] Started but quit – and you’re making excuses, or [3] Going strong in service.
Neglecting your calling is an indicator that you need to return to God.

Indicator That We Need to Return to God:
Indicator #6: We disregard God’s Correction!

Jonah 1:5 “But as the ship was sailing along, suddenly the Lord flung a terrific wind over the sea, causing a great storm that threatened to send them to the bottom.”
In the midst of a God-sent storm “Jonah had…fallen into a deep sleep.”
His sleep is a good metaphor for spiritual indifference.
Some people today are so “asleep” that they completely miss what God is trying to say to them.

Conclusion: So, how do you return to God? John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace,” discovered grace and forgiveness through humility, honesty and confession. Newton signed on with a slave ship leaving from Africa with its "cargo." He was an experienced sailor and navigator, but his cursing and blaspheming turned hardened sailors' ears red. Soon the ship was caught in a horrible storm and was taking in water. The crew had to pump 24 hours a day to stay afloat. But the constant wind rocked the boat so dangerously that the sailors had to tie themselves to the deck to keep from being swept overboard. At one point, several of the crew tried to throw Newton overboard. They figured that God was punishing him like Jonah of the Old Testament. The captain declared that the only way the ship would make it in to safe harbor was by God's power. He commanded everyone--including Newton--to pray. "God, if You're true," Newton prayed earnestly, "make good your Word. Cleanse my vile heart."After four weeks of storms and constant brushes with death, the ship limped into an Irish port. John Newton, former "free thinker," former slave trader and atheist, declared his faith in Jesus. He became a well-known preacher and writer. In fact, we chiefly know him as the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace." “Come Unto Me, All Ye that Are Heavy Burdened and I Will Give You Rest!”