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Jonah & Repentance

 May 23, 2007

Bob Bradley

_________________________ 

Jonah 2:8

 

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

 

 

God is a gracious God.  God does not take pleasure in punishing people.  Remember, God, because of His grace and through His grace, He speaks to us since we are His children and we have been born again.  He speaks to us and asks us to do certain things.  It is up to us whether we do it, or not. 

 

Here is a story about a prophet.  I did not think about this until today, but this guy's prophecy is about no one but himself.  This whole book is about God and Jonah.  It is about himself.  The Bible says that God came unto Jonah and spoke to him.  God said to Jonah, "I want you to go to Nineveh and preach unto that city and cry against its wickedness because their wickedness came up before me."  That is all He wants Jonah to do. 

 

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

 

The word “observe” means, to “conform to.”  We know what “lying” means.  We know that lying is something that is not true and that is false.  We know that “vanities” are something that is empty.  They that “observe” (conformed) by (things that are empty) they forsake their own mercy. 

 

In our lives, we chase many dreams.  In our minds, we think about many things.  We have dreams about things that are positive.  If we have dreams about doing things that are positive for Almighty God, such as:  bringing people to church, moving up, singing, or teaching a class, then those kinds of dreams are okay. 

 

However, Jonah's visions/dreams were empty and full of lies.   Jonah's dream was never going to happen because it was something that was not in the will of God.  What is the will of God?  God said, "Jonah, arise and go to Nineveh and cry against that place."  The Bible says that Jonah goes down and flees to Tarshish about 2000 miles from where he is.  God wants Jonah to go 500 miles in one direction, but Jonah is thinking, "I'm not going to go where God wants me to go."  Jonah is thinking all the time that it does not really matter whether I do what God says, or not. 

 

God is speaking to Jonah with words.  God had graciously just spoke to Jonah and told Jonah that this is what He wanted him to do.  However, in Jonah's mind, he thought that it did not really matter what God said for him to do.  Jonah said, "I'm going to go to Tarshish.  I am going to get on a ship.  I am going to take a cruise.  I am going to resign my job as being a prophet.  I am not going to preach anymore.  I am just going to give it all up and take a vacation and everything is going to be okay. 

 

That is vanity.  That is lying vanities.  Jonah is going to observe those things and conform to them.  It is going to direct Jonah in way that he never should have gone. 

 

We think sometimes that whatever direction we want to go in, God is going to bless it.  That is not always the case. 

 

When God speaks to me about going in a certain direction, then that is what God wants me to do.  If God does not speak, if God does not direct then I need to stand still where I am because there is not going to be a blessing, or protection for me when I get out on my own.  Many times, we observe the thoughts of our minds and conform to them.  We believe all kinds of lies that will not happen. 

 

Jonah is going to go down unto Joppa and get a ticket.  He is going to get on a ship and take a cruise where he thinks everything is going to be fine. 

 

It is a sad and scary, when God speaks and we know the will of God for our lives, and we do not go.  It is dangerous. 

 

Here Jonah is going in the opposite direction.  Do you know why he is going in the opposite direction? 

 

He is allowing the dreams of his mind to cause him to think that everything is going to be fine.  That is a dream.  He cannot be disobedient to God and expect everything to be fine.  He cannot be disobedient to the hand and to the voice of Almighty God and expect everything to be fine.  That is impossible.  That is a dream that will not come true.  Jonah was conforming to that dream/thought and he was following those things that were not true.

 

We have many folks that are doing that today.  Even in our church world today, we think that we can live in sin.  We think that we can live and rebel against Almighty God.  We think that we can live in the world just any way that we want.  We think that God is going to bless us, but it is not going to happen that way.

 

The Bible says that Jonah goes to Joppa and pays the fair.  He gets on the ship and starts sailing towards Spain.  I do not know how long he sailed.  Jonah may have thought that everything was fine.  He may have thought that his life was just falling into place.  He went down, found a ship, and had the money; he was going where he wanted to go.  He thought that everything was fine. 

 

You cannot sin against God and expect everything to be fine. 

 

He gets on the ship and starts sailing out to the Mediterranean Sea.  There is no doubt, that Jonah thinks that his life is perfect.  However, God, in heaven, did not forget about Jonah. 

 

You might think that you can just quit, and say, “I don't have to do this.”  However, if God says to do it then you had better do it.  God speaks to us with words, but when we do not listen to words, God speaks to us with storms.  I promise you, that you will not like it. 

 

Jonah is conforming to lying vanities, empty thoughts, and empty dreams that are never going to happen.  He thinks that everything is fine. 

 

How many of us work towards empty dreams that will never happen?

 

They have nothing to do with glorifying God.  They are things that we get our mind and we think that it is going to be just fine when all along, in the back of our mind; we know that we should not be going that way.

 

When Jonah went down to Joppa, when he found the boat, when he paid the fare, and when he got the ticket in his hand, Jonah knew he was going the wrong way.  However, he still listened to that voice in his mind that was saying, “…everything was going to be fine.”

 

Listen friend, you had better pay attention to the voice that you are listening, because there are all kinds of voices out there, and there will be some that will lead you the wrong way. 

 

Before I continue, I want to say that I have all kinds of dreams in my mind.  I have all kinds of dreams in my heart and it has to do with the church and with Campbell Chapel.  I believe the best days for Campbell Chapel are still ahead.  I may be in the grave.  However, I know that the God in heaven is going to bless this place. 

 

If we will get some things out of the way, and get to where we need to be with God, then God will do some things here, which will astound this community.  I know the God I am serving is the God that can do things, which man cannot do. 

 

If you do not know Him, it would be a great night for you to find Him. 

 

I am not going to allow two or three idiots to de-rail the plan of Almighty God.  It is worth fighting for what we have here.  It is worth taking a stand for what we have here.  It is worth the persecution for what we have here.  The power of God and the hand of God being upon our lives are worth taking a stand for. 

 

As long as I am here, we are going to do everything that we can to keep things going in the right direction.  If you do not like it, there is the door. 

 

It is time that we realize, if we are not going to conform to the things of God, we need to move on.  It is time that we, as the children of God, and as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, understand that we are living in the Saturday evening of time.  Your children and my children, your family and my family are dying.  They are losing their soul and we are playing games.  We are listening to the wrong voice.  We are conforming to the lying vanities.  We dream about things that are never going to happen.  The dreams we have is all about ourselves.  They do not have anything to do with God, the church, people being saved, or people glorifying God; but it is all about self. 

 

Dreams about having a better job, a bigger home, and a bigger car, is all about self.  You can conform to all the lies, vanities, and empty dreams that are in our minds, but you will go through life empty, dissatisfied, and miserable.  You will wake up one day, if you live to be 80 years old, and you will say that I have wasted my whole life on empty dreams.

 

Jonah thought that everything was going to be fine.  Jonah was going to take a boat ride and going to ride for a while.  He forgot about God, but he did not really understand, he did not really believe that God was going to do what God was going to do.  He gets down in the side of the ship and he goes to sleep.  He is taking a nap.  However, the Bible says in chapter one, verse four:

 

4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

 

Jonah is in the side of the ship taking a nap.  The Bible says that God is the one that sent the storm.  The storm came because there was somebody here that had disobeyed Almighty God.  There was somebody sitting here thinking that they could sin against Almighty God and everything was going to be fine.  He was allowing the thoughts of his mind to conform him into thinking that God was not going to judge. 

 

When you forsake the hand and ignore the commands of Almighty God, He is going to get your attention.   It is time that we repent and get things right with God.  I do not want the storms that come from Almighty God.  Some of you are there.  Some of you have been there for a long time. 

 

Do you know why? 

 

Some of you think that you can get through a storm because you are a Christian, and some of you may be, but some of you are going through storms tonight because of the way that you live.  The way you live is NOT Godly.  The way you live is NOT Christ-like.  The way you live is NOT bringing pleasure to God and that brings a storm that you have no idea how great it is going to be.

 

When Jonah got on the ship, down at Joppa going towards Tarshish, he had no idea that he was going to end up in the belly of a fish.

 

If some of us here do not change our ways, the belly of a fish is going to be a good place in comparison to where you are going to end up. 

 

The Bible says that the storm came.  They people on the ship had no idea what was going on.  They did not know what Jonah did.  The only thing that they knew was that there was a storm, as they had never seen before.

 

It is sad when family members bring storms upon families.  Part of the family has no idea why the storm is there.  It is sad. 

 

That is where Jonah is.  Jonah is on the ship and the storm is coming.  The Bible says the people on the ship were scared and they begin to pray.  They wake up Jonah and say, "O sleeper get up and call upon the name of your God.  You need to pray that we may not perish."  Jonah was lying in the side of ship and sleeping.  The people on this boat were all about to perish and it did not concern Jonah.  He had walked away from God.  God wanted him to go preach to Nineveh, but Jonah did not want to do that. 

 

He made excuses.  He knew about God.  He knew that God was a gracious God.  When God was speaking to Jonah and having a conversation, after this all transpired, Jonah knew about God and he knew that God was a gracious God.  He knew that if he went over there and preached to Nineveh that the people would repent and God would forgive them.  Jonah did not want the people in Nineveh to repent because he hated them.

 

There are things today that we are allowing to motivate, or shape our thoughts and direction in life.  Hate is a bad thing.  When we hate, I do not care who it is, or how bad they have treated you, you have no right to hate anyone.  Jesus Christ died for murderers, whoremongers, drug addicts and drunks.  He loves them and if I am saved today, I will love them too. 

 

They wake up Jonah and tell him that he needs to pray because they all are about to die.  Jonah is in the midst of the storm and he knows the reason that the storm is here, but he will not repent.  If Jonah had repented here, he would not have ended up in the belly of a whale. 

 

Many times, we sin against Almighty God and we know that we have sinned.  The storms come.  Instead of repenting then we still allow the thoughts of our mind, the lying vanities, and empty dreams to continue to shape us and mold us into thinking, "I'm going to get out of this.  No one is going to know.  Everything is going to be cool."  That is just a lie.  That is a vanity because you are going to be caught.  In fact, you already are caught.  God already knows. 

 

They wake Jonah up and tell him that he needs to pray. 

 

7 And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

 

Sometimes they put little wooden things or coins in a jar and they would cast them out then whomever they fell upon was the guilty one.  When they cast their lots, it was a gambling game is what it was, but when they cast their lots, they fell upon Jonah.  Jonah was the guilty one, but he was not about to admit that until he was exposed. 

 

Why do we want to do that? 

 

Why do we want to put people's lives in danger? 

 

Why do we want to put our own life in danger? 

 

Why do we not repent and straighten up?  We will not get in the belly of a whale if we repented.

 

The Bible says:

 

8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

9 And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land .

 

"...and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven..."  He did not fear God because if he had feared God, he would not have been where he was.  

 

It is amazing what we try to do.  When we make decisions to go the wrong directions, do the wrong things in life, and everything becomes unglued it is amazing how we say that we fear God.  “I still yet love Him.  He is still yet blessing my life”, even though everything is crumbling and falling apart.  God is sending a storm and we want to say, "I still love God.  I still fear Him."

 

If Jonah had feared the LORD, he would have been on a boat to Nineveh instead of on a boat heading towards Spain.  He says, "...I fear...the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land." 

 

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.

 

They say, "Jonah why have you done this?" 

 

10 ...For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

 

When the lots fall upon Jonah, he tells them the whole story.  Jonah tells them the whole story of what he had done.  God spoke.  He wanted him to go Nineveh to preach unto that city.  Nineveh was the enemy of the northern kingdom of Israel.  Jonah hated them and he did not want them to repent.  He said that he was not going to go. 

 

It is dangerous when God speaks and asks us to do something and when we do not do it; we put our children, our family, and ourselves in danger.  We put people in danger.  We put ourselves in danger. 

 

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.

 

All this came to Jonah and the others on the boat, because Jonah was following empty dreams.  Jonah had thoughts in his mind, "God will never judge me.  God will never do anything towards me.  I've been a good fellow." 

 

You are right that God does love you, but you are wrong if you think that God is not going to judge you.  He will judge you. 

 

Jonah followed and allowed those lying vanities to mold and shape him.  In addition, it directed his path.  If Jonah had not allowed those lying vanities, and thoughts that he had, to mold and shape him, then Jonah would have never got on this ship. 

 

Many times, we think about all kinds of things and put all kinds of things in our minds that are empty, and that will never happen.  Yet, we allow those things to shape us and then we start following those things that are empty and meaningless.  They have nothing to with living on planet earth.  We wake up one day, like Jonah, in the belly of a whale. 

 

They asked Jonah what to do and he says, "...just cast me in the sea and everything is fine."  That is what they do.  They cast Jonah into the sea and the sea stops raging. 

 

Where are you?

 

Are you following things that are empty?

 

Are you following lying vanities?

 

Are you following thoughts in your mind?

 

Or

 

Are you following the promises of God?

 

If you are following the promises of God, that is one thing.  Even Christian people, the enemy will fill our minds with all kinds of things that will never happen. 

 

Believe the promises of God and you will never be disappointed.

 

Jonah is in the belly of the whale.  They throw him overboard, the whale opens its mouth and Jonah goes down.  It swallows Jonah up and he goes to the bottom.  The whale takes him to the bottom of the ocean as far as he can go.  That is where Jonah is. 

 

You think about a horrible place and I promise you that would be a horrible place to be swallowed by a fish.  That is not a fairy tale.  That is reality. 

 

Here Jonah is at the bottom of the ocean.  He is in the belly of the whale.  He has seaweed wrapped around his neck.  There is no doubt in my mind that he thinks he is going to die. 

 

We follow lies.  We follow things that are never going to happen.  We get this picture in our mind and we allow this picture to mold us and direct our path in life.  When I follow this picture, that does not have anything to do with God, it is far away from God.  When I allow this picture to mold me and direct my path, then I will end up just in a bad a place just as Jonah in a whale at the bottom of the ocean.

 

Jonah is there because he had been disobedient to God.  Jonah is going to repent in a minute.  When you read on down through Jonah, he repents.  He comes to himself and repents. 

 

Do you know why many folks do not want to repent? 

 

They simply do not want to, sure.  Furthermore, they are afraid what people are going to say about them.  They are afraid of what kind of image they are going to portray about themselves.  If that is what you really think, and occupying your mind, then I feel sorry for you. 

 

Why do we want to spend our entire life in the belly of a whale? 

 

Why do we not repent and say, "God I'm sorry that I have sinned against you.  Please forgive me and get me out of this mess that I got myself into and I'll live for you forever."  Why do we not want to do that? 

 

That is what Jonah did.  Jonah repented and said, "Lord, I'm going to pay the vow that I vowed unto because salvation is of the Lord."  If you read on down through Jonah, he repents.  Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the whale. 

 

What I have read about the acids and the things that are inside the whale, Jonah was probably white as chalk when he came out.  His was white.  His skin was white.  He would have been a horrible looking fellow.  Jonah did not care what he looked like.  Jonah did not care what he smelled like.  Jonah had one thing on his mind after spending some time in the fish, and that was getting to do what God asked him to do. 

 

He did not care about what people would say.  Jonah was concerned about repenting, getting out of the belly of the whale, and getting on with the program of God. 

 

Do you know what Jonah did that I wished some of us here would do?  Jonah repented. 

 

I would like to have a church full of Jonahs that would repent.  We have many people that are in the belly of a whale, but we do not have many people repenting. 

 

Why do we want to live separated from God, and separated from family, down deep in the ocean, in the belly of a whale?

 

If you do not repent, you are going to die in the fish.  It is going to be a horrible death.  Your family may never know why you died the horrible death. 

 

The empty dream that you have on your mind is vanity.  If you are allowing this picture to shape and mold you, then you are going to end up in the same place that Jonah is.  You will end up in the same horrible place that Jonah did and you will never be happy. 

 

You can say I belong to this church, or I have done this or that.  I do not care what you have said or done, but if you do not repent, your life is going to stay here.  You will be separated from people that love and care about you.  Above all, you will be separated from God. 

 

Do you know what happens when Jonah repents?  God speaks to him with words.  Jonah hits the ground running.  He goes to Nineveh.  He preaches the word that God gave him to preach and the city repents.  Even though Jonah may not have liked it, he was still obedient. 

 

Repent and ask God to forgive you. 

 

What is so bad about asking God to forgive you? 

 

You do not have to tell me anything.  I may know, and I may not know.  I cannot forgive you.  I cannot wipe the slate clean. 

 

Why does repenting scare us so much? 

 

"Lord, I've sinned.  Lord, I know that I have messed up. Please forgive me of that." 

 

Jonah realized that.  Jonah realized all that matters is being obedient to the Word of God.  That is all that matters.

 

The promises of God are as sure as the God of heaven is sure.  When He speaks and when He says; God does what He says.

 

Repent Now

 

Be a part of what God is doing and is about to do here at this church.  I want you to be a part of it.

 

I was looking at the word “vanity” which means “emptiness.”  Also, it means a “make-up table.”  Many are sitting down at a make-up table, putting on makeup, trying to hide things that you cannot hide. 

 

You cannot take make up and hide sin.

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