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!
