The Honor of Humility Part 3 :: 4/27/16

Honor In Humility Part 3

Humble As A Child

Matthew 18:4

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Intro: Jesus is making a very clear statement here; the path to greatness is through the humility of a child. What is it about a child that illustrates humility?

I. Children are Touchable

·         Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.  And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

When it comes to being touched, most people are uncomfortable. They put up walls. We call it “personal space”. We are very selective in who we allow in our “personal space”. We are reserved and skeptical.

Children are willing to be held, touched.

Children are permissive of others showing affection, love and attention.

This word “touch” here does not mean a casual, simple contact. It is much more involved than that.

In fact, the word “touch” here is the Greek word – haptomai (hap’-tom-ahee) which means to fasten one’s self to, adhere to, cling to

It is the same word found in II Cor. 6:17 -

·         2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

It is also found in I Corinthians 7:2 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication,

This word speaks of an intimate, ongoing, touch.

I believe what Jesus was saying here was this: If you want to be great, you must be willing to let me touch you; hold you; make myself real to you; not have up walls and not be uncomfortable with me invading your “personal space”.

·         James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

II. Children are Teachable

·         Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Children are amazing. They are so hungry for knowledge.

They ask a million questions – about everything.

They ask everybody. They assume that everybody knows more than they do about everything.

Their questions are so sincere and so honest.

They are not worried about looking dumb or ignorant.

It never occurs to them that asking questions indicates a lack of knowledge.

To them, asking questions is normal behavior. They do not hesitate to ask questions.

They don’t sit there and debate with themselves whether or not they should ask the question.

They want to know the answer, so for them, it is a normal thing to simply ask someone that they think knows.

As a 12 year old boy, Jesus was found in the temple, in the midst of the doctors – both hearing them and asking them questions.

·         HEARING THEM:  to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider what is or has been said

·         ASKING THEM QUESTIONS: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate

The path to greatness is to humble yourself as a child.

Do you ask questions? Or do you pretend to know the answer?

The normal behavior of many Christians is to CRITICIZE, DEMEAN, FEAR or IGNORE things they do not understand, rather than to ask questions and LEARN.

III. Children are Tender

·         2 Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

Children are sensitive.

They are very aware of their surroundings.

They are sensitive to rebuke, reproof, correction, instruction.

They are tender to changes in their environment, more alert to hot and cold.

They are alert to people’s tone of voice, facial expressions, etc.

Children are more apt to cry.

Children are more susceptible to pain. They respond quickly.

Children are quick to respond to potential danger. (spiders, ants, etc.)

Children are quick to please. They get excited quickly.

Jesus said that the key to greatness is to humble yourself as a child.

Children are not normally calloused and out of touch.

There is no honor in being:

·         unemotional in your praise

·         unmoved by preaching

·         unaffected by truth

·         unbothered by your sin

·         unrepentant in your wrongdoing

·         unchanged by rebuke

·         approachable by the Holy Spirit

·         unafraid of the chastening of the Lord

That means becoming more tender.

Quick to cry over things that should make us cry.

Quick to rejoice over things that should make us rejoice.

Quick to notice when something is wrong.

Quick to pick up on danger and harmful elements.

A Whale of a Prayer :: 4/24/16

Journey through Jonah - Part 2

A Whale of a Prayer

Last week we looked at chapter 1 and preached on The Disappointments of Disobedience. Because of Jonah’s refusal to obey the explicit directions of God, he faced:

·         The Disappointment of Unnecessary Trials – vs. 4

·         The Disappointment of Unconvincing Testimony – vs. 9

·         The Disappointment of Unconditional Truth – vs. 14

·         The Disappointment of Uncelebrated Triumphs – vs. 16

Intro:

1. Notice Jonah’s Dilemma

He was in about as bad a place as you can possibly get.

I’ve been in some pretty bad predicaments in my life, but this one takes the cake.

2. Notice Jonah’s Delay

·         Jonah 1:17 And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

·         Jonah 2:1 THEN Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly.

What took him so long to prayer?

I can imagine him down there for three days trying to figure out a way to extract himself from that situation.

I can just see him planning and plotting and scheming – trying to come up with a solution to his problem.

After he had finally exhausted every possible solution, Jonah thought to pray. Amazing isn’t it??

NOTE: A life of disobedience will completely destroy a prayer life. You cannot sin AND pray!!!

3. Notice Jonah’s Delight

Several times Jonah acknowledged that in spite of his disobedience, in spite of his hard-headed delay, in spite of where he was and what he had done, the Lord heard him!

I am so grateful for a God that has ears to hear our prayers.

I. The Reason for Jonah’s Prayer

Jonah’s desire to pray was not prompted by an overwhelming urge to sit at His feet.

Jonah’s decision to pray was not the result of a Prayer Conference or a message on prayer.

Jonah’s prayer was not one of intercession (praying for the needs of others).

Jonah’s prayer was quite simply a result of the fact that he had exhausted every other possibility.

Jonah’s prayer was the product of a living nightmare.

He is praying from the digestive system of a creature living in the ocean.

He is surrounded by partially digested fish and plankton, covered in digestive juices.

It is pitch black. This isn’t Pinocchio on a little raft with a candle and Jiminy Cricket.

He obviously had to have enough air to breath. Imagine breathing in gastric gas for three days and nights.

Look at how he described his predicament.

·         Vs. 2 “…I cried by reason of mine affliction; …out of the belly of hell cried I…”

·         Vs. 3 – …thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compass me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.”

·         Vs. 5 - The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about; the weed were wrapped about my head.”

·         Vs. 6 – I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever.

Jonah was thrust into a time of prayer because he had experienced the worst experience a person could experience.

He described it as hell and as jail.

II. The Resolve of Jonah’s Prayer – vs. “I will look again toward thy holy temple…”

Jonah said, “I am cast out of thy sight, YET I WILL LOOK AGAIN…”

Jonah felt he had been cast out of God’s sight.

First of all, that is an impossibility. PRAISE THE LORD!

David the Psalmist knew that when he wrote:

·         Psalm 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

·         8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

·         9  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

·         10  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

·         11  If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

·         12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Even though Jonah felt abandoned, he wasn’t.

But in a time of isolation and when he was feeling alone, he reflected on a place where he knew God was.

He knew that no matter how far away he got, or how abandoned he felt, there was a place where God met with his people!

Sometimes we have to experience that loneliness and that isolation in order to fully appreciate the pricelessness of His presence.

III. The Remembrance in Jonah’s Prayer

                A. He Remembered the Lord

Isn’t it funny what we have to go through sometimes before we will REMEMBER THE LORD?

Had he really forgotten the Lord? – probably not.

But he had without a doubt forgotten Who He really is!

He had no doubt forgotten what He could really do.

Why else would he have waited three days to pray?

                B. He Remembered the Lies

·         Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

OBSERVE – to watch, to treasure; to celebrate

LYING VANITIES – it literally means a worthless, empty vapor; an optical illusion; a mirage

How many people today are placing all their confidence in a mirage?

They think they can do what they want to do, and it will work out for them.

They think they can ignore the clear commands of God, and never have a problem.

They think they can pursue their own agenda and forsake God’s, and He will sit by and let them enjoy it.

That is observing lying vanities!!

Jonah remembered the fantasy world he had been living in when he bought his ticket to Tarshish (1:3)

Jonah remembered the fantasy world he was in when he thought he could flee the presence of the Lord. (1:3, 10)

Jonah remembered that living a life of deceit and disobedience will not produce mercy from God.

·         Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Jonah remembered the vows he had made to God that he had failed to keep. – 2:9 …I will pay that that I have vowed.

Conclusion: If you want to discover and experience God’s mercy in your life, you will need to acknowledge that you have sinned and cast yourself at the feet of Jesus. 

Jonah spoke the truth when he said – SALVATION IS OF THE LORD!! (2:9)

Honor in Humility Series Part 2

The Honor of Humility – Part 2

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Proverbs 29:23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

I. The Promise

·         Matthew 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

·         Matthew 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

·         James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

·         James 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

·         1 Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

II. The Process

A. Humility starts as an Inward  Recognition

·         Acts 20:19  Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

·         Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

·         Colossians 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

B. Humility becomes and Outward Revelation

·         1 Peter 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

III. The Price

·         2 Corinthians 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Thorns produce heaviness and humility.

Let me illustrate the price that many will have to pay to produce humility in their life:

Turn to II Samuel 15:30, we find David is going through a time of extreme heaviness due to the THORNS that God is allowing in his life.

David is walking up the hill – weeping, head covered, barefooted – and everyone with him was weeping as well.

1.       He had been run out of town by his own son, Absalom. (15:13-17)

2.       He had just been informed that Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom. (15:31)

NOTE: Ahithophel was one of David’s closest friends and counsellors – see verse 12 (Grandfather of Tamar)

This is what David was talking about in Psalms 55:12-15 “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:  But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.”

This is what is happening to David in II Sam. 15. He is in great heaviness and sorrow and pain. He is being THORNED.

Then we get to Chapter 16 and the pain, and the heartbreak, and the thorns keep on coming.

He is met by Ziba – the servant of Mephibosheth. He brought bread and raisings and summer fruits.

David asked him where his master was, and was told that he had stayed behind in Jerusalem because he hoped that the throne would be restored to him as a son of Saul.

This was the crippled man that David had spared and brought in to his own house to eat at his table as one of his own sons. Now he has turned on David and took sides against him with Absalom in hopes of somehow becoming king!

Then --- as he continues on in VERSE 5, a man of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei began to curse David.

The Bible says he cursed, he cast stones at David, and all his servants and called him a bloody man and a son of Belial.

Who was he anyway?

·         II Sam. 19:16, 17 tells us that he was a Benjamite man that had 1,000 Benjamites following him. He was a man of tremendous influence and power.

But why did Shimei hate David? We have no record of him ever meeting David, talking with David or crossing paths with David until this incident in II Sam. 16.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why Shimei hated David so bad?

Why was he so angry, that he would curse and throw rocks at David and his mighty men? (vs. 6)

This man was so mad he didn’t care if he lived or died!

Our text tells us that he was a man of the family of the house of Saul.

Now we know that Saul hated David, and we know why. But why did Shimei hate David enough to go stark raving mad?

·         Turn to I Samuel 22:6-8

Here, Saul brainwashes the Benjamites (his tribe) against David. He lies to them. He turns them against David.

We don’t know if Shimei was there or not, but if he wasn’t, he surely heard about it.

1.       The fact was that David LOVED Saul.

2.       The fact was that David had been Saul’s armor bearer.

3.       The fact was that David had already been anointed as the next king.

4.       The fact was that Saul had tried on two separate occasions to kill David with a javelin.

5.       The fact was that two chapters over, David spared Saul’s life. (I Sam. 24:4, 5)

6.       The fact was that David told Saul in verse 13 that he had no desire to harm him.

7.       He referred to himself as a dead dog and a flea in verse 14

But Shimei had no doubt heard all these horrible lies about David.

His heart had been polluted; his mind had been poisoned. His feelings toward David were based on lies.

He had heard so many bad things about David, and been influenced so incorrectly about David, that he HATES HIS GUTS!

So here he is, a man with 1,000 Benjamites at his disposal, and he is so angry that he is throwing rocks and cursing David and his mighty men.

Would you agree with me that David is being “thorned”?

What as the result of these thorns? What was the product of all these thorns?

IT PRODUCED HUMILITY in the heart and mind of David.

Notice his response in verse 11 – let him alone. Let him curse. For the Lord hath bidden him.

I want to close with this observation. In verse 9, Abishai said to David, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.”

David looked at Abishai and said, “Maybe so, but I too am a dead dog. And a flea. How can a dead dog get angry and upset at another dead dog.” (I Sam. 24:14)

A Critical Spirit :: 4/18/16 PM

A Critical Spirit

Luke 13:10-17

Definition of Critical - Inclined to find fault, or to judge with severity

Quote: It is impossible to help anybody after they have developed a critical spirit.

I. The Causes of a Critical Spirit

                A. An Unhealthy Assessment of Self – vs. 14 the ruler of the synagogue

• Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

A critic is one that considers themselves an authority or a master of a subject which qualifies them to point out the good and the bad.  Their own knowledge and expertise is their authority; not a defined standard.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary: A person skilled in judging of the merit of literary works; one who is able to discern and distinguish the beauties and faults of writing. In a more general sense, a person skilled in judging with propriety of any combination of objects, or of any work of art; and particularly of what are denominated the Fine Arts. A critic is one who, from experience, knowledge, habit or taste, can perceive the difference between propriety and impropriety, in objects or works presented to his view; between the natural and unnatural; the high and the low, or lofty and mean; the congruous and incongruous; the correct and incorrect, according to the established rules of the art.

                B. An Unbiblical Adherence to a System – vs. 14

Where did this rule come from? Where did he come up with this?? You can only be healed on certain days?

• Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Truth is, he made this rule up.  Since he had never had a person healed in his synagogue on a sabbath, surely God cannot be in it!

A critical spirit will come when you are always thinking you know what OUGHT to be done when the truth is, you don’t have a clue!

Here he was telling people when they OUGHT to come get healed, and he had never healed anybody!  In essence, He was limiting God – trying to cram God in his own little test tube!!

He was an expert in a system that didn’t even exist except in his own mind.

                C. An Unreasonable Attitude toward the Sovereignty of God – vs. 14

NOTE: He was upset with what God did, so he took it out on the people.

God can do what He wants to, when He wants to, however He wants to.  Deal with it!

He mistook GOD working for MAN working.  (there are six days in which men ought to work)  It wasn’t man working – it was GOD.

You say – “I just don’t understand it.”  If you understood everything, you’d be God.

Keep your mind open to this possibility: God might work in a way you never thought possible or have never seen before.  God might use somebody you didn’t think He could, He might save somebody you never thought could be saved.  He might manifest Himself in a manner that you’ve never seen before.  He might be trying to teach you something!  Quit criticizing and learn!!!

II. The Curses of a Critical Spirit

                A. It will Ignore the Positive – vs. 14 (because that Jesus had healed…)

Positive things such as:

1. Jesus is in the midst – vs. 10 (theirs wasn’t the only synagogue; they were honored)
2. Jesus was teaching them things – vs. 10 (many people never learn anything or grow)
3. There were people in the place that were there in spite of their infirmities – praise God!
4. Jesus was still calling hurting people to himself – vs. 12 that’s a blessing!
5. Jesus was still laying his hands on people and touching people – vs. 13
6. People were still getting straightened out after years of being wrong – vs. 13
7. New converts were praising and glorifying God – vs. 13

Did any of this matter?  NO!!  The man with the critical spirit saw NONE of the positive things

• A critical person NEVER writes a thank you note.
• A critical person NEVER never compliments or brags on people.
• A critical person NEVER never spreads good news or positive reports.      

                B. It will Incite the People – vs. 14 …and he said unto the people…

For 18 years, she had been in a mess, and he never helped her. 

Now she’s right with God and he gets upset!

People with critical spirits have no problem confronting people when things don’t go their way.

He enjoys getting a crowd together and “teaching” them about what they are doing wrong.

He loves getting an audience and making his point.

He loves getting people off track and thinking in a completely different direction than where God is leading

                C. It will Interfere with the Praising – vs. 13, 14 they glorified; he answered with indignation

A critical spirit will quench the spirit and squelch the rejoicing of others.

• A critical spirit will cause you to pout when others are praising.
• A critical spirit will make you mad when others are magnifying.
• A critical spirit will make you tense when others are testifying.
• A critical spirit will cause you to hinder people when God is trying to help people.
• A critical spirit will cause people to ask “What’s wrong with him or her?”

Do excited Christians get on your nerves?

Do people that brag on the Lord and the church and their pastor irritate you?  You’re critical!

Do you rejoice when people are saved?

Do you get thrilled when the altars are full of people making commitments?

                D. It will Instigate the Poison – in vs. 10, Jesus is teaching; where is the ruler then?

He let EVERYBODY know where he stood on the subject.  Notice that nobody asked him.

Watch out for this line – “Well, if you ask me…”  Nobody will. 

They don’t care as much about what you think as you do!

Critical spirits are not happy until they’ve poisoned everybody they meet with their criticism.

Question: Do the excited, testifying, praising Christians stay excited, keep testifying and are they still praising after you’re done with them?

Do you find yourself more comfortable around those that are uncomfortable?

Do you gravitate to other disgruntled and miserable people?

Do you find yourself always being approached by other critics and people with complaints and problems?

• Ever noticed that the people that are most critical are the one’s that’s not doing anything?
• Ever heard a soul winner complain about too many visitors?
• Ever heard a bus worker complain about the mess that bus kids make?
• Ever heard a grass cutter complain about how the grass was cut?
• Ever heard a friendly hand shaker complain about not getting their hand shaken?
• Ever heard a shouter and testifier complain about a service being too lively?
• Ever heard a servant criticize another servant’s way of doing something?
• Ever noticed that the one’s that never bring anybody to church can tell you how it’s done?

III. The Cures for a Critical Spirit

                A. Admit your Hypocrisy – vs. 15 “Thou hypocrite!”

Most of the critics in the church are guilty of having a double-standard.

They are experts at criticizing, but if you criticize them, they can’t take it.

Most of the things that people criticize in others are things they are guilty of themselves.

• Illustration: The beam and the mote in the eye.
• Start judging people by the same standard you judge yourself!  You’ll be more longsuffering.
• In my experience, it’s those that don’t tithe, don’t go soul-winning, never volunteer for anything, do not have a servant’s heart that has the most critical things to say about those that do.

Even if you had ALL YOUR DUCKS in a row and all your own personal issues resolved, you still wouldn’t have the right to have a critical spirit, but your own shortcomings and faults and failures make your critical spirit even that much more hypocritical!

                B. Be Ashamed that your Heart is not 100% right with God – vs. 16, 17 his adversaries were ashamed

God’s will was not their will.  Their will always will contradict what God wants to do.

God’s will was all about this woman’s problem getting healed. 

The critic’s will was all about his position being honored.

God calls those that had the critical spirit “his adversaries”.

                C. Acknowledge all the glorious things that are being done by Him – vs. 17

Stop looking for the negative and the problems and start seeing what God is doing.

There’s many faults and failures in the lives of everybody you come in contact with.

• Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
• I Cor. 13 Charity thinketh no evil…

Spend your time planting grass instead of pulling weeds.

You don’t have to elaborate on everything that you see wrong.  Why not elaborate on what you see RIGHT and what God is doing?

The Disappointments of Disobedience :: 4/17/16 AM

The Disappointments of Disobedience

Jonah 1

JOKE: One day, a teacher was talking to her first grade class about whales when a little girl had a question.

·         Little Girl: "Do whales swallow people?"

·         Teacher: "No, even though they are much bigger than a person, they have throat pleats that filter their food of krill and plankton.

·         Little Girl: "But Mrs. Thurston my Sunday School teacher says Jonah was swallowed by a whale."

·         Teacher getting angry: "Blue whales cannot swallow people."

·         Little Girl: "Well, when I get to heaven I'll just ask Jonah if he was really swallowed by a whale."

·         Teacher, still red with anger: "What if Jonah didn't go to Heaven?"

·         Girl: "Well, then you can ask him."

Intro: Of all the people in the world that disobey God, Jonah didn’t have any reason or excuse to live a life of disobedience.

1.      vs. 1 God’s Word had been Expressed

2.      vs. 2 God’s Will had been Explained

3.      vs. 3 God’s Whereabouts had been Experienced

·         He disregarded God’s Word – but he rose up to flee

·         He disobeyed God’s Will – vs. 3 he found a ship going to Tarshish, and paid the fare

·         He departed God’s Whereabouts – vs. 10

He underestimated the Power of God’s Word.

He underestimated the Potential of God’s Will

He underestimated the Pricelessness of God’s Whereabouts – see 2:4 “I am cast out of thy sight…”

And at that moment, he brought upon himself THE DISAPPOINTMENTS OF DISOBEDIENCE.

I. The Disappointment of Unnecessary Trials – vs. 4

Christians today that deliberately go in the opposite direction of God’s Word will encounter a storm.

This storm was one that Jonah brought on himself.

This great wind; this mighty tempest; this life-threatening trial was all a result of a disobedient life.

·         Hosea 8:7 For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind…

·         This storm wasn’t sent to injure; it was sent to intervene.

·         This storm wasn’t sent to retaliate , it was sent to retrieve.

·         This storm wasn’t sent to destroy; it was sent to deploy.

Many Christians today turn their back on God’s Word, God’s Will and God’s Whereabouts – and then act shocked when storms come their way.

They lash out at God; they lash out at their church family; they lash out at the preacher – but they brought the storm on themselves because of their disobedience to CLEAR, BIBLICAL INSTRUCTION and COUNSEL.

NOTICE JONAH’S REACTION – 2:2 I cried by reason of my affliction…

II. The Disappointment of Unconvincing Testimony – vs. 9

One of the most powerful things a Christian has is his or her personal testimony.

Christ spoke of the influence of a believer’s testimony many times in his parables and in his preaching.

Jesus compared our testimony to:

·         SALT - Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

·         LIGHT – Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

            A. He was Fearless – vs. 5 everyone was afraid but him. He said in verse 9 “I fear the Lord”

            B. He was Prayerless – vs. 6 “What meanest thou? Referring to his lack of a prayer life” See 2:1

            C. He was Shameless – vs. 9, 10, 12 – no record of him apologizing to everybody he had affected

            D. He was Senseless – vs. 12 – just cast me overboard (rather than repent and get right with God??)

            E. He was Heartless – vs. 14, 15 – he insisted on making everybody around him suffer even more

III. The Disappointment of Unconditional Truth – vs. 14 “…for thou O Lord, has done as it pleased thee.”

The disappointing fact for many believers is this: they do what they please.

They know what God wants, but they go their own way.

They know what God commands, but they rebel against His Word.

They know what God wants them to do, but they do what they want to do.

They know the direction God wants them to take, but they insist on going in the opposite direction.

Here’s the unconditional truth that will always confront the disobedient:

YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU PLEASE – BUT GOD WILL ALSO DO WHAT HE PLEASES.

·         Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God created man with a free will – a free volition.

You can do whatever you want to do.

But remember this – God will do whatever He wants to do also.

·         Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

·         8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

·         9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

·         10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

·         11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

These uneducated, unsaved sailors recognized that God will do what pleases Him.

IV. The Disappointment of Uncelebrated Triumphs – vs. 16

·         Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared God exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

Here he was – a prophet. His job; his occupation was to persuade men to follow the God that made the heavens and the sea.

The mariners; the men on the ship saw the Divine hand of God, and they began to fear the Lord exceedingly.

They offered up sacrifices unto the Lord. They made vows.

They had an altar call on that ship like nobody has ever seen.

Imagine that! A bunch of rough, rowdy, nasty, filthy, cussing, immoral, ungodly sailors on their knees getting right with God – AND JONAH MISSED IT!!

I look back on the times I’ve seen people get out of God’s will, fall out of church, get bitter, disgruntled, take their eyes off the Lord and flee from His presence, and I see all the things they missed because of their disobedience!

They may have prayed for years for teenagers to get right with God, and then when they do, they miss it!

They may have prayed for years to the missions program to explode and grow, and when it does, they miss it!

They may have prayed for years for someone to walk the aisle and get saved, and when they do, they miss it!

They may have prayed for the church to grow and expand, and when it does, they miss it!

They may have prayed for God to put a home back together again, and when He does, they miss it!

Reminds me of Thomas – laying out of church and missing Jesus showing up in their midst.

One of the greatest disappointments of disobedience is all the great moves of God that you miss out on!