Jonah: How to Get Right with God (Part 3) | Pastor Roger Jimenez, VBC

amen all right well we're there in Jonah chapter number 2 and this is now our third sermon third part of this series as we've been working our way through the Book of Jonah and if you remember last week's sermon entitled the sign of the prophet Jonah and we it was a like I said it was a more of a theological type sermon we're dealing with the pictures and the predictions and the prophesies of Christ from the Book of Jonah and we had to preach that sermon you can't preach through the Book of Jonah and not talk about the prophecies of Jesus going to hell and all of those things but if you remember the week before that one we started this series we began the series with a sermon entitled you know things to consider before you run or things to consider before you run from God and I want you to understand that that sermon and this sermon I mean basically the rest of the sermons except for last week's sermons are all connected and building upon each other so if you weren't here for the first sermon when we talked about things to consider before you run from God and we talked about the fact that we all have the urge and tendency from time to time to want to run away from God and I'm not gonna repeat that story but let me just remind you of what we learned in that sermon we learned that when you run from God or before you run from God you got to consider not only who you are running from and which is what we usually fixate upon who we are running from we're running out from you know your spouse that you want to divorce or your job that you you know feel like you're not getting what you deserve or your church or whatever might be but you may want to consider where you are running to right and we learn from Peter that great principle when Jesus asked them as his disciples well ye also go away and he said to whom shall we go thou has the words of eternal life and then of course before you consider we learned that you can run from God but you cannot outrun God and we learned that from Jonah he ran into the sea and the Lord prepared a tempest and he got thrown into the sea and the Lord prepared a fish and wherever you run God's gonna meet you there you can run from God but you can't outrun God and we also learned that before we run we should consider the fact that we run we will wreak havoc in the lives of those traveling with us so before you get back so then consider your wife or your husband or your children or your parents or those of you that are in the journey of life with you because you're not only bringing a storm upon your life but you're bringing a storm upon the Mariners that are traveling with you and then lastly we learned that when you run from God and you ought to consider before you run from God that God will do whatever he needs to do not to get back at you but to get you back and that is why God brings you know these storms and these trials into our lives now with that said this sermon is a continuation of that thought for those who do not consider it before they run for those who do not take heed of those lessons and then they go ahead and run from God they go ahead and get backslidden they will one day they will one day find themselves where we find Jonah are backslidden protagonists of this story here and they will one day find themselves in the belly of the well now you're there in Jonah I want you to look at chapter 1 we read chapter 2 and that's we're gonna be this morning but go to chapter 1 just real quickly and look at verse 15 Jonah 1:15 says this so they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea and the sea ceased from her raging then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows notice verse 17 now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah the Lord Jesus Christ quote sysm the New Testament as a whale and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights Jonah finds himself in this what I'm referring to in this sermon as the belly of the whale moment and you say what is the belly of the whale moment the belly of the whale moment is that moment when you've already you know ignored the considerations that you were supposed to take before you ran you chose to run anyway and you've had your fun you had your fling you had your you know time out there sowing your Wild Oats or whatever it might be and then God steps in and the judgment of God comes upon your life and the punishment of God comes upon your life and he corrects you and we have you know in our lives what Jonah is experiencing which is this belly of the whale moment where he's literally in the belly of a well now for Jonah the belly of the whale moment was literally being in the belly of a whale but you know for different people this moment might look like different things for the prodigal son if you remember the story of the prodigal son the belly of the well moment for the prodigal son came in the form of him filling his valley with the husk that the swine did eat remember that that was his belly of the whale moment when he was sitting there and he was alone and he was hungry and no one would help him and he's considering eating you know what the pigs are eating that was his belly of the whale moment for David the belly of the whale moment came in the form of having his newborn baby dying for Samson the belly of the whale moment came in the form of grinding in the prison house with his eyes plucked out for Jacob the whale the belly of the whale moment the belly of the whelp moment for Jacob was waking up the night after his wedding day and you know waking up next to Leah when he expected Rachel what I'm telling you is that whenever you do wrong and whenever you choose to ignore God and whenever you choose to what we call you know as as Bible believing Christians get backslidden with God just real life that however long your backsliding goes if you're saved if you have a Heavenly Father who loves you and corrects you you will at some point find yourself in the belly of the whale in that moment when you realize that the wrath of God the the judgment of God the chastisement of God is upon you and in this chapter we see Jonah get right with God we see him come out of the belly the world what I wanted to do this morning is just give you four steps four steps that we see Jonah take here to get right with God and to get out of the belly of the whale now let me just say a couple things some of you may think well I don't really need this sermon I'm you know everything's good in my life I'm right with God I'm right with the Lord I don't feel like there's any problems or issues that's fine you I would encourage you to write these steps down I would encourage you to take notes if there's a course of the week on the back of the course the week there's a place for you to write a note if you don't have a baby sitting on your lap I'd encourage you to write these things down because you may be able to help somebody one day who finds himself in the belly of a whale moment and they call you you know maybe it's their only phone call they get from where they're at and they call you maybe it's you know they're reaching out to you because they know that the way you live your lifestyle and your consistency like we learned about Elijah on Sunday night and and they know that they can go to you and they can come to you you know you might be able to walk someone through this and help them but here's the thing you may need it one day yourself because just because you're right now doesn't mean you'll always be right and just because things are going well now doesn't mean that things will always be going well some of you may be finding yourself right now in the belly of the whale excuse me that may be the reason you're even in church this morning I've noticed that people often make their way to church when they find themselves in the belly of the whale that may be why you're here that may be why you started coming that may be because you got to the place in your life where you realize that you're not getting away with it anymore God is not going to allow you to run anymore and all of a sudden kind of out of nowhere a whale popped up and swallowed you up and you're there right now and that's why you're actually here right now and this sermon is right for you but then there are those who are running maybe there's a teenager here this morning who's physically here because Mom and Dad make them be here but in their heart they're running in their heart they're gone maybe there's a wife here who's physically here because her husband or her children expect her to be here a husband who's physically here because wife and children expect them to be here there's someone who's physically here because they're expected to be here for whatever reason but in their heart they're already gone and they've already ran and and here's what I've learned you're not ready for this sermon in the heat of the battle you're not ready for this sermon in the midst of the adultery you're not ready for this sermon in the midst of the stealing the lying the corruption you're not ready for this sermon in the heat of but you may want to just listen up because one day you will find yourself in the belly of the wall if you're saved you'll find yourself in the belly of the whale and you may want to just write these things down jot them down grab that course Louie just write the notes down fold it up put in your Bible right there in Jonah chapter 2 and one day one day when you find yourself in the belly of the whale you'll know exactly where to go you can walk up to that shelf you can pull out the Bible you can take all the dust off of it you can open up the Jonah chapter to unfold the piece of paper and find yourself with the steps that you'll need to get right with God and the steps to get you out of the belly of the whale so what are the steps what is it that Jonah did number one this morning I'd like you to notice Jonah recognize his condition the first thing that Jonah did in the belly of the whale the first step that he took is that he recognized his condition notice verse 1 there Jonah chapter 2 then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly and said knows what he said I want you to notice the wording here he says I cried by reason of knows what he says mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cried I want you notice the wording here I and thou hurt is notice the wording my voice for thou hast cast notice me into the deep in the midst of the Seas and the floods compass nobody says me about all thy billows and my waves pass over me then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward the Holy Temple the waters compass nobody says me about even to the soul the depths close me round about the leech will rap about my head he said what can we learn from this is what we can learn Jonah recognized where he was and where was he he was under the judgment or the affliction of God and I want you to understand this because it's human nature in fact just a few months ago I think or earlier this year I preached an entire series we spent three weeks just kind of dissecting this that it is human nature to blame others and shift the blame for the problems in our lives there are people called psychiatrists and psychologists who make you know very good living by having people sit on a couch and talk about how it's your mom's fault that you're a loser it's your dad's fault that you're lose or at your neighbors fault that you're a loser it's your brother's fault you're loser it's everybody's fault than anybody's fault except for me and here's what I want you to sin even if there's truth to that even if your mom could have been a better mom and even if your dad could have been a better dad and even if your brother could have treated you better or your sister could have treated your better or maybe and I'm not minimizing you know some of you have gone through some terrible things in your childhood and and maybe you know if that person wouldn't happen this person would have or whatever it might be all of that may be true but realize when you're in the belly of the well it's just you it doesn't matter it doesn't matter you say it was my mom's well yeah but you're the one that's in the belly of the whale it's my dad's fault yeah but you're the one that's suffering the consequences see Jonah had to recognize where he was that he was under the judgment in the affliction of God and see before Jonah would have said well it's Nineveh if they weren't so bad if they weren't so terrible if they weren't so mean but now we see that his song has changed and he says it's me Lord it's me standing at the need of prayer he understood that he was under the judgment of God Brown should notice and I just want you to understand this keeper plays there in Jonah chapter 2 that's our text for this morning caught me in the Book of Psalms if you open up your Bible just right in the center you'll more than likely follow Psalms keep your place in Psalm says we're gonna leave it and we're gonna come back to it throughout the sermon but I want you to notice psalm 119 and verse 67 I want you to understand that God uses affliction and judgment in our lives God uses affliction and judgment in our lives to get our attention psalm 119 and verse 67 notice what the psalmist said psalm 119 is verse 7 the Bible says this before notice what he said before I was afflicted this is what Jonah could say this before I was afflicted before I was thrown in the midst of the sea before I was swallowed by the whale before I was afflicted knows what he says I went astray see that I was running I was going astray but then I was afflicted you say why because God uses affliction to get our attention notice verse 75 same chapter psalm 119 verse 75 I know o Lord that the judgments are right knows what he says and that thou in faithfulness has afflicted me see when got afflicts you he does it in faithfulness he does it in righteousness he does it because of who he is and because of what he's trying to accomplish in your life so just realize when you find yourself in the belly of the whale moment whether it's grinding in the prison blind like Samson whether it's mourning the death of your newborn son like David whether it's realizing that you are now married to someone that you never intended to be married to like Jacob whatever it is realize when you find yourself in the belly of the whale realize that you're there because God is trying to shake you because God you know it's interesting how God is able to isolate us when he wants to see Jonah recognize where he was but I want you to stand something he not only dies where he was he recognized why he was there keeper blaze under Psalms go to go to Jonah chapter 2 here's what G zone derstand in the belly of the whale is just you and God in the belly of the whale it's just it's just you and God it's not you and wife and me or husband and me or mom or dad or whatever it might be it's just you and God and Jonah understood there's Anderson where he was under the judgment of God but he understood why he was there Jonah chapter 2 verse 2 knows what he says he says I cried by reason of my affliction notice again the emphasis unto the Lord and He Who the Lord heard me out of the belly of Hell cried up and thou knows who says thou hurt is my voice and I want you to really understand as I want crisis in verse three he says for thou whose thou the Lord knows what he says for thou has cast me into the deep and you got to ask this question who threw jonah into the sea and sea there was a time in Jonah's life when he might have said well it was nineveh's fault well it was the Mariners fault well there was a captain's fault and it was his person's fault and it was that person's fault but in the belly of the whale Jonah recognizes that this is just between me and God and he said yes there might have been other players that played a part in this but he said God you are the one for thou has cast me into the deep in the midst of the Seas and the floods come to me about all thy billows in my waves passed over me see before the belly of the whale moment we often blame others for our problems and it's human nature it's human nature to shift the blame it's human nature to pass the buck it's human nature to want to say is this person's fault and that person's fault in this way and that's enough but listen here's the problem with that here's a problem that you say well my wife hurt me yeah but you're the one in the belly of the whale well my my my coworker yeah but it's you who are now in the belly of the whale well of the church would have been if the pastor would over my parents would have yet but it's you who are suffering the consequences and you need to understand that it is you and God in the belly well and he says they're all the Mariners played a part the captain played a part Nineveh played a part but he says for thou had scats me into the deep please understand this jonah spent three days and three nights in the West Valley you say why do you spend three days and three nights well part of it was because God wanted to use this as a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ but Jonah didn't know that see Jonah spent three days and three nights in the whales belly you say why because it took him three days and three nights they come to the point where he could recognize where he was and why he was there see you can spend as much or as little time in the whale's belly as you want but you will never please understand this you will never get out of the belly of the whale until the moment that you are willing to take responsibility for your own actions and say you know what it's me and God God has brought me here I am under the judgment of God I know where I am and why I am there go to Psalm 51 Psalm 51 Psalm 51 remember we're talking about the belly of the whale moments in our lives remember David committed adultery and he found himself in the belly of the well and it came in the form for David it came in the form of a sickness that came upon his newborn child that ended up killing that baby after seven days but I want you to notice when David was in the belly of his whale and the prayer in Jonah 2 we have a prayer of Jonah praying out to God and getting right with God when Psalm 51 we have a prayer of David calling out to God from the belly of the whale getting right with God I want you knows what he says so I'm 51 in verse 1 is that the chief musician a psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone into Bathsheba you might have that written in your Bible as well knows verse says have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin verses notice verse 3 he says for I acknowledge my transgressions my sin is ever before me David said I'm willing to recognize I'm willing to admit and acknowledge and even confess and I want you notice verse 4 verse 4 bothered me for a long time when I would study this story or I'd read this song it would bother me he'd say against thee thee only have I sinned and he used to bother me when David would say that because I'd say but David what do you mean against thee the only adverse and there's other people involved here Bathsheba's involved and Uriah the Hittite involved and what about your newborn baby and I hit the bell and all sorts of different people that are involved but you have to realize that what David is saying is not he's not minimizing the effect that he's had on those individuals but what he's saying is that he's realizing that this is between him and God and that where he finds himself now as a result of the choices and the actions that he made he says against the only have I sinned and done this evil a nice sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speak isn't clear when about judges you're there in Psalm 51 go to psalm 32 psalm 32 lagaa verse 5 psalm 32 and verse number 5 psalm 32 and verse 5 I actually look at verse 1 just real quickly blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man unto whom the lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile look at verse 5 I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgave us the iniquity of my sin Selah see the Bible says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness but he will not forgive us our sins till we confess our sins and we will not confess our sins so we are willing to recognize and acknowledge that where I am as a result of the decisions that I've made and this is where God brings you in the belly of a whale Jonah not only recognized where he was but he recognized why he was there and you will never you will never get out of the belly of the whale until you are willing to admit that God put you there in your current state and that God puts you there because of the actions that you've taken so we see the first step you say pastor Paris when I find myself in the belly of the whale whatever that looks like for you for some of you it may look like a divorce for some of you it may look like like losing a relationship with your children or with your spouse or with your parents for some of you it may look like prison I don't know whatever it looks like for you just realize when you get there the only way to get out of there spiritually with God to get right with God is to recognize and Jona recognize where he was and why he was there he's willing to admit it any knowledge it not shift the blame not say well if only the Mariners will if only the captain will have only Nineveh to just say it's me god I acknowledge my sin before thee and I confess it so how do we get out of the bull how do we get right with God number one don't recognize his condition number two go back to Jonah keep your place in song we're gonna come back to it Jonah chapter two once you notice not only step one is not only that he recognizes condition but I can notice secondly that Jonah remembered the Lord Jonah remembered the Lord notice verse six I went down to the bottoms of the mountains the earth other bars was about me forever yet has thou brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God knows were seven when my soul fainted within me there was what he says I remembered the Lord so not only did Jonah recognize where he was and why he was there but Jonah remembered the Lord here's what's interesting we usually only remember the Lord when we run out of options it's not true we usually only remember the Lord when there's nowhere else to go there's no one else to call there's no other bail money coming there's no one else to help us we usually remember the Lord when we've run out of options and that's what Jonah says verse seven he says when my soul fainted within me when I finally gave up and quit running and said you know what God I'm done he says then I remembered the Lord go to Luke 15 in the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke Luke chapter 15 and here's what you need to understand this is the purpose of the belly of the whale the purpose of the belly of the whale is not only to isolate you so that you will have to deal with things with God but the purpose of the belly of the whale is to isolate you so that you will have nowhere else to go but God so that you will remember the Lord this happened with our example the prodigal son Luke 15 look at verse 15 remember the prodigal son famous story famous parable Luke 15 verse 15 knows what it says and he this was the prodigal son runs from God run from his father went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into the field to feed swine and he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave up to him verse 17 and when he I love this phrase when he came to himself this is the same idea that Jonah said in chapter 2 and verse 7 when my soul fainted within me here's what he's saying when it says when he came to himself it says what it means when he came to the end of his rope when he ran out of options when there was no one else to call no one else to help no one else was going I have nowhere else to go then he remembered notice he said how many hired how many hired servants of my father have read enough to spare and I perish with hunger it's notice that when it's interesting that when he comes to himself he remembers I'm over here starving while the servants of my father are eating well and here's all I'm trying to help you with when you run go ahead and run you don't want to listen to the four reasons why you should not run and why you should consider the fact that you're gonna wreak havoc and your wife's life and your husband's life and your children's life you don't want to consider the fact that wherever you go God's gonna meet you there and God's gonna deal with you as a child because he's your father that's fine just realize this when you've ran out of places to go remember the Lord remember God because that's why he puts you in the belly of the whale so that you have nowhere else to go so step one Jonah recognized his condition but step two Jonah remembered the Lord go to Revelation chapter two Revelation chapter 2 Revelation chapter 2 last book in the New Testament should be fairly easy to find I know you have your place in Psalm continued to keep your place in Psalm but keep your place in Revelation 2 also because we're gonna go back and forth between Jonah to Revelation 2 and the Book of Psalms revelation 2 knows verse 4 this is of course Jesus speaking to the churches of Asia he says nevertheless I have someone against see knows what he says because thou has left thy first love notice what he says remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Jonah remembered the Lord and Jesus telling these people why don't you remember how it used to be remember how it used to be when you walked with God here's what he's saying remember how it used to be before the bitterness took root in our heart remember how it used to be before the rap took hold in your heart the anger the sin the world is what you say he's saying look what you run away from God that's fine God lets you run and run and run and run and run but one day the whale comes and you find yourself in the belly of the whale and you finally get to the place where you realize that I've got to do something I can't do this and you recognize that you're under the judgment of God and you're there not because of anybody else's fault but your own and then you remember the Lord and you remember you know my father's servants have more bread than this and here's what's interesting about the prodigal son he was running from what he was running from guidelines he was running from boundaries he was running from borders he didn't want to be under the supervision of his dad he didn't want to be under the commands of his dad he didn't want to be under the laws of that and isn't that why Christians run they don't want to be under the supervision of their Heavenly Father they don't want to be under the commands of their Heavenly Father they want to do whatever they want to do well listen to me you go ahead and do whatever you want to do but when you find yourself in the belly the well you'll realize it was better how it used to be and there is more freedom and the laws of God then there is running with the world there is more free look look you say pastor man you live this rigid life I mean you don't drink oh cool you don't go to parties you don't do this you're there but you know what that I'm actually living a much freer life than the drug addict is you know that I'm living a much freer and happier life then the drunkard is do you know that I'm living a much more financially successful life than the person that's addicted to gambling then the person that's addicted to prescription drugs then the person that's it you know I'm telling you when you get to the end of yourself remember therefore from whence thou art fallen because Jonah recognized his condition but step2 he remembered the Lord he remembered how he used to be but more importantly he remembered how it could be go back to Jonah chapter 2 how do we get out of the belly of the whale well number one must recognize number two you must remember but number three I want you notice Jonah repented from his wrong direction Jonah repented from his wrong direction in Jonah chapter 2 and verse eight he says this and verse eight is an interesting verse I think it's probably the most important verse in this chapter and I want you notice because it's an interesting verse the way it's worded he says they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy and I want to just take a boomers kind of just break this thing down he says they that observe they that give attention to they that put their energy behind lying vanities forsake their own mercy you say what are you talking about well you talk about lying vanities and if there's anybody in the Bible who understands vanity who's an expert in vanities it is King Solomon and he talks about it a lot in the book of Ecclesiastes in fact let's just go there real quickly ecclesiastical number two if you kept your place in Psalms front continue to keep your blazing song from Psalms you got the book of Proverbs then you have the book of Ecclesiastes because remember Jonah is running away from God and he's running towards whatever Idol whatever it is that you make more important than God you make more of a priority God whatever it is you want to run after that's what Jonah was running after vanity but it's interesting cuz he calls it live vanities now Solomon teaches us about Vantage's if you're there any pleased ask these two look at verse 1 notice what the Bible says he says I said in my heart go to now and I will prove thee with myrrh therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verse 1 notice the last verse the last word in the verse this also is vanity if you read the book of Ecclesiastes you're reading a book by a man an old man who has basically wasted his life he says over and over in this book you know vanity of vanities all is vanity Under the Sun and and God is telling us that by the way Solomon was saved he was a Christian man you could take his counsel he just didn't take his own counsel and and he tells us he tells us you know what he did with his life and he talks about the self life the life that pursues self that pursues vanity that pursues what I want notice what he says he's asked you to verse one I said in my heart go to now and I will prove thee with mercy different people pursue different things the self life may have different motivations some people pursue happiness he does I will prove thee with mirth the word myrrh means happiness joyfulness therefore enjoy pleasure and behold this also is vanity verse two I set up laughter it is man and of myrrh what do you think I I wish I could tell you about conversation after conversation that I've had with people over the last eight years of ministry and they maybe use different wording and there was different things but it basically came down to this I know what the Bible says but don't I have a right to be happy well I know what the Bible says about marriage and that it's supposed to be a covenant forever but in that you know I'm gonna look up committing adultery if I divorce and get remarried but don't I have a right to be happy it's the American dream isn't it life liberty and the pursuit of happiness but Solomon tells us that there are some people who pursue happiness mur pleasure laughter vanity other people they don't pursue happiness you know what they pursue alcohol and drugs okay verse three I saw in mine heart to give myself unto wine and use that wine alcohol drugs all the same thing there are other people who seek after possessions look verse four I made me great works i builded me houses i planted me vineyards i made me gardens and orchards and i planted trees and them of all kinds of fruit i made me pools of water and waters there with the wood that bringeth forth trees notice verse seven I got me servants and maidens and had servants born in my house also I had great possessions and great and small cattle above all that we're in Jerusalem before me he says look I pursued happiness and I pursued alcohol and pursued possessions houses and gardens and vineyards and trees and servants and maintenance I pursued all of it and verse eight he tells us that he pursued after money some people pursue money verse eight I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasures of Kings and of the provinces at the end of verse eight there he tells us that he pursued entertainment notice what he says I can't mean many singers and women singers and the delights of the songs of men as musical instruments and that all of the swords is that you know some people they're pursuing entertainment others are pursuing possessions others are pursuing money others are pursuing happiness some people are just pursuing success verse nine so I was great and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem also my wisdom remained in me this is the one that pastors often I mean pastors fall themselves into all these categories but you know something that pastors have to guard themselves is to guard themselves against the motivation what is your motivation is my motivation to pass through the largest church in Sacramento so that I could be successful or is it to do the will of God and here he says he says I was great and increased more than all that were before me and look all of this all of it we could we could go through the whole book of Ecclesiastes he pursued women had 700 wives 300 concubines he pursued wisdom and he pursued education he pursued in ecclesiastical II pursued everything that anybody could pursue this one man pursued everything and anything that the world would tell you would bring you happiness notice verse 10 and whatsoever mine I desired I kept not from them I mean doesn't that sound like a great life in the flesh I mean doesn't it just sound like a wonderful life if you had the money and the ability the freedom to do whatever you want that's what Solomon said he said I he said whatever mind I desire I kept not from them he said there was nothing I saw that I never told myself no to you say well how did it end up for Solomon well it ended up for Solomon like it ends up for most of you know the rock star and most of the movie stars and most of the rich and famous people in this world looking for 17 therefore I hated life I don't don't miss that pastor Jimenez I'm pursuing money you're gonna hate your life I'm just pursuing entertainment you'll hate your life I'm just I just want to be happy don't I have a right to be happy you will hate your life you say why because they're lying vanities they deceive you they tell you they will make you happy but all they do is make you hate your life he says therefore I hated life because the work that is wrought under the Sun is Grievous unto me for all is and by the way Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes is song where we're now with Solomon in the belly of the whale and the belly of his will looks like an old man that had every advantage in life and wasted it he says for all is vanity and vexation of spirit see here's what Jonah says go back to Jonah's have to do they that observe lying vanities Jonah says I realized that I was falling after something that I thought would make me happy but it lied to me and like Solomon he could say I hated life and then he says this notice verse 8 they that observe lying vanities don't miss this forsake their own mercy he remembered Jonah is in the belly of the whale and Jonah is realizing this here's what he's realizing and just write this down just you can write a note right next to Jonah chapter 2 and verse 8 just write the statement now Jonah realizes that when you walk away from God when you walk away from God whatever it is that you're pursuing if it's women if it's wealth if its wine if it's success if it's money whatever it might be when you walk away from God you walk away from the blessings and the protection of God see he says they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy do you know what the best thing you've got going for you is God you know that it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed great is thy faith in I've got going for me it's the mercy and the grace of God and when I walk away from God I walk away from the protections and the blessings of God and I find myself in the belly of the whale so what is Jonah do when he repents he chooses to come back notice notice verse 9 he says but I will sacrifice him to thee with Thanksgiving I will pay that that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord see Jonah is choosing to come back to God to keep his commitment to God even if it costs him something even if he didn't want to remember our friends in Asia the church at Ephesus go back to Revelation 2 it's interesting how this all just fits perfectly together Jonah recognized Jonah remembered Jonah repented what is Bible say in revelation 2:5 Jesus telling a backslidden Church of Ephesus he says remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent turn back go back to where you should have been go back now next week we're gonna talk about repentance in regards to salvation when we get to Jonah chapter 3 but here we're talking about a turning direction I'm not talk about salvation so I'm the Christian life someone's already saved what does it mean to repent it means that you are going in one direction and you start going in a different direction you not only confess your sins go to proverbs 28 I know we're going a lot of verses but just look at these together if you have your place in Psalms right after Psalms you got proverbs proverbs 28 look verse 13 proverbs 28:13 he that cover this thing shall not prosper Jonah you want to cover your sin you think you're hiding it from everyone look you may be hiding it you may be hiding it from your husband or your wife or your pastor or your children but there's one person you're not hiding it from and that is gone you can look that way and you're gonna look that way and you look behind you and you're gonna walk all around but don't forget to look though because nothing is hid from God he that cover the sin shall not prosper notice but whoso confesses say yeah I'm willing to recognize okay and forsaken them that's the repentance shall have mercy and see Jonah says they that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent go back to Jonah Jonah chapter 2 if there's one thing what one of these days I'm gonna preach an entire sermon on this but if there's one thing that I'd like you to understand with this idea of repentance just a few nights ago we you know we sat down my wife and I sat down with our kids and and and I went through this with them because if I can help them understand this when they're young children it'll help them for the rest of their lives and I hope that some of you would just get this that you will get this in your life direction determines destination direction determines destination see people come in my office and they say pastor I need you to fix fix my relationship I children fix my relationship with my spouse fix my financial problem fix my health problems fix this fix that can you tell me what the Bible says I can fix it and here's the thing we can't fix that you took steps that got you there direction determines destination where you are is a result of the choices and decisions that you made and when you get there when you get see you never said I'm gonna start heading towards divorce I'm gonna start heading towards bankruptcy I'm gonna start heading towards an addiction those homeless people out there never say you know what I'm gonna start heading towards you know just being on the street being dirty being strung out to the burning every bridge that no one's willing to help me they never said that's where I'm wanting to go but they did begin to take steps and that's where they ended up because direction determines destination you say pastor fix my problem I can't fix your problems use that the way you the same way you walked into that you're gonna have to walk out it and you're going to have to start making directions steps in an opposite direct it doesn't happen like that fix my problem you fix a car you don't fix a life you take steps that lead you in a certain direction and your direction will determine your destination why is Jonah in the belly of the whale because he went down to Joppa because he paid the fare to get on the boat because he went down to the bottom of the boat and fall asleep because direction determines destination and if you want to fix your problems you're gonna have to repent and start walking in a different direction that's how it works if I could say 1 2 3 let's pray this prayer here's this first and fix your drug addiction out of mate I would've wrote a book and made millions one two three say this prayer and read this verse I'm gonna fix your marriage problem it doesn't work that way you've got yourself in the mess you're red and you gotta walk your way out and it doesn't happen overnight so Jonah recognized and Jonah remembered and Jonah repented he changed this direction he decided I'm gonna start taking the steps the same steps that got me into the belly of the whale I'm gonna start going in the other direction to get myself out of the belly of the well step 4 this last point we're done Jonah's Jonah chapter 2 whoever stay and the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited him out and it vomited out Jonah I love the the wording there it Mahmut it out Jonah it's not pretty and look when you start getting your life right it's not gonna be pretty it's gonna be work and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land look at verse 1 chapter 3 I love this and the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time aren't you thankful for a second chance aren't you thankful for the God or the second chance see gotta just give up on Jonah Jonah you're completely useless you're worthless I'm done with you no I have to put Jonah and take Jonah to do some things but when Jonah was ready the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time I want you to notice something in this in this passage here notice verse 2 of chapter 3 notice the wording arise go unto Nineveh that great city remember that Jonah chapter 3 verse 2 when the word of Lord came again the second time what was the word of the Lord hears the word of Lord arise go to Nineveh that great city here's what's interesting in Jonah chapter 1 in fact go there before this whole mess with the whale and the fish and the storm happened before Jonah ran away from God and got Baxley and got away from God the word of Lord came to Jonah verse 2 knows what it said arise go to Nineveh that great city before the well it was arise go to Nineveh that great city after the widow it was arise go to Nineveh that great city please understand this God's plans and God's will does not change God sometimes has to change you to fit his will but his will doesn't change and by the way just understand this please please understand this when you leave off but please get this and some of you need to just write this down because some of you are getting ready to leave and that's fine that's fine just remember this where you leave off with God is where your to start back with God when you get back Jonah said I'm not going to Nineveh God says okay we're gonna have a whole little episode and we're not have to add a whole book in the Bible just for you Jonah and they have the storm in the well and blah blah blah and everything gets done in the river he he recognizes and he remembers and he repents and then when he gets back God says Nineveh is still on the agenda in fact Nineveh was never off the agenda and just remember just remember this where you leave off with God is where you'll have to get back with God when you come back see God is not the United States public school system he doesn't just pass you on whether you pass the test or not it's not No Child Left Behind with God if you fail the test you got to take it again and if you fail it again you got to take it again you got to take it again you got to take it again wherever you leave off with God that's where you'll have to step up restart with God and let me say this also please here's what we're learning from Jonah here's what we're learning is that you cannot run away from your problems you can't run away from let me give you let me just give you a little a little you know tip here there is a reason why the people who get divorce the first time are more likely to get divorced the second time statistically proven not my fundamental Baptists statistically just just a a truth is that people who get divorced the first time have an increased chance of getting divorced the second time that's why people get the first time and I'm getting divorced a second time and a third time and a fourth time you say what you guys here's what happened people say I'm having all these problems with my wife I'm having all these problems with my husband I'm gonna leave them I'm gonna run from them and I'm gonna go find me another husband I'm gonna go find me another wife but when you get there your problem is still there why cuz you can't run from your problems I'm mad at Pastor I'm mad at pastor's wife I can't get along with church people at church I'm gonna quit and go to another church but when you get to that church you're gonna have problems with the people there because you can't run away from your problems and my boss doesn't know what he's doing he's such an idiot if he would just listen I'm gonna quit and go get but when you get to the other job that boss is gonna be an idiot too according to you because you don't run away your problem you say why because you are the problem because it's you it's not anybody else it's you that's why you can't get along with anybody that's why you have problems with your mom and with your dad and with your brothers and with your sisters and with church people and with coworkers and with random people you meet at the grocery store you think everybody has a problem and it's like no the common denominator is you you cannot look here's all I'm saying if you leave because of nineveh when you get back when you get back go ahead and have your little story that's fine get your little testimony in but when you get back you stop to deal with Nineveh because when the word of the Lord came again unto Jonah it did not change arise go to Nineveh that great city notice verse 3 so Jonah arose and went where did he go unto Nineveh Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh what is Jonah doing here's what he's doing he's doing what he should have been doing all along pastor I have failed as a father my children hate me that I don't have a relationship with them I took steps and directions that brought me to a place where I fail what do I do here's what you do let me just let you in on a secret here's what you do you begin to do today well you should have been doing all along that's what repentance is I failed as a wife I failed as a husband I've made choices and decisions that have caused my relationship what do I do here's what you do you begin to do today what you should have been doing all along and nothing's gonna get fixed till you do that do you change your direction so Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh go back to Revelation have to sit we're almost done we're gonna look at revelation 2 we're gonna look at one more verse in Jonah 3 and we'll be finished up revelation 2 remember therefore from whence thou art fallen right Jonah recognized Jonah remembered and repent Jonah repented notice and do the first works Jonah returned and he began to do what he should have been doing all along pastor I've made a financial mess out of my life I'm in so much dad I'm in this I'm in that I you know what do I do yeah if you get this idea I'm gonna go get this debt this is low and it's gonna consolidate my debt it's gonna get me out of that you're gonna you're not look you don't get yourself out a hole by digging deeper the the loans is what got you into the debt to begin with and I'm not preaching on finances I'll do that another time but here's what I'm saying here's what I'm saying your finances your children your marriage your health whatever problem you have just realize this start going in a different direction and begin to do what you should have been doing all along because that's what Jonah did he said I should have just gone to Nineveh now let me say this let me just end with this why why why could not why does God do this why doesn't God do this to Jonah why did God put Jonah why did God put Jonah in the belly of the whale why did God bring the prodigal son in the story there why did Jesus and that story bring the prodigal son to the place where he feigned to feed himself with the husks of the swine that eat why why did Jacob wake up next to Leah instead of Rachel why did David have to bury a seven year old a seven day old baby why did Samson have his eyes plucked out and his hair shade of shaved off and and was made a mockery by grinding in the middle of the prison why why does God do that one reason why did God do it for Jonah one reason for nineveh jonah chapter 3 verse 2 arise go unto Nineveh God did it for Jonah but you know who God really did it for Nineveh Nineveh needed it and God unfortunately doesn't have a lot of options that's why he said pray ye therefore the lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest and God says Jonah you're it you're all I've got and if I've got to get you swallowed in a whale to get you to go and I'll do that so here's all I'm saying Jonah here's all I'm saying teenager when you realize prodigal son that your sin has hurt and affected the relationship with your siblings and your parents here's all I'm saying husband or wife when you realize like Jacob that your sin has affected and hurt your marriage here's all I'm saying mom or dad when you realize that like David your sin has now affected the lives of your children here's all I'm saying Samson when you realize that your sin has ruined your life and you find yourself in the belly of the whale head over head over to that bookshop pull out that Bible take the dust off of it open up to Jonah chapter 2 pull out the little course of the week with the notes you took years ago that say recognize and remember and repent and return because God is doing a work in your life not for you but for Nineveh and Nineveh may be your wife Nineveh may be your husband Minerva may be your children Nineveh may be your mom or your dad or your friends or your co-workers but God puts all this time and energy into us because he wants to use us and in Chapter three we're gonna see one of the greatest revivals that ever took place in history because of God but Jonah in the belly of a whale let's bow our heads Heavenly Father

Channel: Verity Baptist Church

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Length: 55min 1sec (3301 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 21 2018