Jonah, part 4 The Unredeemed Showed More Grace than the Redeemed

Jonah 1:10-17

10  Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.11  Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.12  And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13  Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.14  Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.15  So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.16  Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

When faced with the truth, Jonah finally owned up

• Jonah had to admit he was the reason for the storm
• God needs us to quit blaming everyone else and face up to our responsibility in the storm

• Is it possible that an unholy church has brought God’s judgment upon this nation?

• Is it possible that the church has forsaken her first love? –

Revelation 2:1-5

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them  which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let ustherefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ephesians 5:13-16

  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as  fools, but as wise,16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The world today is rowing hard to solve the problems of this age in which we live

1. They try hard to be good
2. They rely on their own effort to satisfy God
3. They sometime have more compassion then the church

Luke 6:35-40

your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37   Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39  And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Christ’s command to believers

1. LOVE

2. Forgive them

3. Give to them

4. Do not judge them or condemn them

John 3:17-19

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

5. Show mercy

Love is how the world knows we are real

The result of NOT BEING the light

1. We are thrown into the stormy water
2. We become shipwrecked
3.  We sink to the bottom
4.  We get swallowed up by the burdens of this life