JONAH AND THE WHALE...A TALE TO TELL!

Is it hard for you to follow God's directions? Is it hard for you to follow God's directions?
Why?
Are His directions plain enough to understand what direction He desires us to follow?
We can't go wrong if we follow what God says in His Word...and, as a committed
          Christian...we can't go wrong if we follow our heart.
In the devotion today, we learn that God will tell His servant where to go and what to
          do...as well as why!
The servant...Jonah.
Jonah 1:1-4:11 (The whole book)
Seven (7) things we want to learn today:

1. God is the Provider,
2. God is a Concerning and Discerning God,
3. God's plan and will is always to win those that are lost,
4. God uses His servants as instruments to do His work and to inform the world of sin,
5. God's servants have the choice of being obedient or disobedient,
6. God is a compassionate God who yields to obedient hearts,
7. God is not a tolerate God!...Compassionate and patient...but not tolerate!

Jonah: A prophet...Son of Amittai (Prophet) in Israel.

V.9 informs us that he was a Hebrew (Israelite), worshipped the Creator, the Lord, the God of Heaven, and specifically testified that his God was God of the Sea and Land. Jonah's problem: Selfishness and Pride. Jonah did not want to do what God told him to do because he did not want God to forgive the Ninevites...He wanted God for His people only.

1. God is the Provider!

• The Word of the Lord was sent by the Lord...(1:1)
• The Lord sends a great wind on the sea...(1:4)
• The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah...(1:17)
• The Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah...(2:10)
• The Lord had compassion and did not bring destruction on Nineveh...at this time (3:10)
• The Lord God provided a vine and made it grow...(4:6)
• The Lord God provided a worm...(4:7)
• God provided a scorching east wind...(4:8)
• God provided a way of escape for the Ninevites (the great city)...(4:11)

GOD IS A GOD THAT CREATES WAYS FOR MAN TO COME TO HIM...EVEN CONCERNED ENOUGH THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SEND HIS SON TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD!

2. God is a Concerning and Discerning God!

• Concerned about Jonah;
• Concerned about the ship's inhabitants;
• Concerned about the Ninevites;
• Discerning as to why Jonah was not wanting to preach to the Ninevites;
• Discerning and concerned enough to provide a lesson for us in the 21st century...to let us know that He controls everything except our will, our choices, and our emotions.

GOD CAN DO ANYTHING...HE IS ALL KNOWING, ALL POWERFUL...AND ALL COMPASSIONATE. HE GIVES US EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND HIS ABILITY TO LOVE THE UNLOVELY.

3. God's Plan and Will is always to win those that are lost.

• A plan that gives hope for the hopelessly lost generation...Generation after generation. God never gives up...He waits until the last breath to see what man will do with His soul.
• God is not willing that any man should perish...but because of man's disobedience and rebellion, he/she will not enter God's kingdom because of disobedience and rebellion to the very end of life.

4. God uses His servants as instruments to do His work and to inform the world of sin,

• Jonah...Word came to him...to go.
• Jonah...Rebelled and Disobeyed
• Jonah...Repented and Obeyed
• Jonah...Let lack of compassion make him angry at God.
• Jonah...Given a lesson on compassion and the real heart of God.

GOD'S WORK IS DEPENDENT UPON US...HOWEVER, HIS PLAN WILL BE _______________ WITH OR WITHOUT OUR HELP. WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE, SOMEONE WILL DO IT...IF YOU DON'T.

5. God's servants have the choice to be obedient or disobedient

• God did not make Jonah do His work...but Jonah saw the consequences if He didn't.
• Jonah could have disobeyed and been arrogant and selfish to the end of his life...but God's ___________ would still have been presented to the Ninevites.
• We need to obey God...but if we don't, He will use someone else to complete His plan.
• To obey or disobey...that is the question we need to ask ourselves.

6. God is a compassionate God who yields to repentant hearts:

• God requires a humble and a contrite heart before Him.
• A person must ____________ of sins before his sins are forgiven.
• When one repents, God is faithful to forgive those sins...and He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
• Faith plus repentance = Forgiveness.

7. God is not a tolerate God!...Compassionate and patient...but not tolerate!

• Sin is not going to be _____________ by God,
• Sin is not going to enter heaven,
• Repentant Sinners who love God and try to do what God tells them in His Word will enter heaven...Yes, He forgives over and over again...if we mean what we say and do what we say.
• The blood covers us...God has provided a way.

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...No man can come to the Father except through me." (Jesus...John 14:6).

The Results:

1. God was presented as the only God.
2. All inhabitants on the ship became God Followers...not just following gods.
3. Jonah knew God's will would be done and that he better get on board. Problem: Attitude...Repentant and Obedient...but pride and prejudice got in the way of receiving a great blessing.
4. Ninevah repents and asks for forgiveness.
5. God shows mercy.
6. God teaches Jonah that God is not a God that desires punishment over a changed heart. God has to judge sin. It is required...but it is only after plea after plea after plea.
7. We realize that Jonah's story is a story that is for us today. We must pray for others...those that are in deep sin...and those that don't deserve even another chance.
8. God is a God who wants to change our attitudes and our hearts.

Is your attitude right? Are you concerned about the souls of those that are in San Francisco, Iran, North Korea, and the neighbor who has given you a hard time for many years?

Let God change your attitude about the sinner...today...right now!