Sermon Nuggets Monday Nov 29
Jonah 2:1-10
1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2 He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.
7 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."
10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jonah Prays
I didn’t give much attention last week to the part when Jonah was swallowed by this huge fish. That certainly has been a discussion and the major part of the story that most people remember of Jonah. Most popularly it had been identified as a whale because it is the largest sea creature we know.
An average sperm whale might have a mouth 20 feet long, 15 feet high and 9 feet wide. It’s about the biggest mammal on the planet. That explains how the fish or whale could swallow a person.
I have read stories of sharks and whales swallowing men who have capsized and lived through it. A popular story often quoted from other sermons is in the late winter of 1891, the whale-ship ’Star of the East’ was in the area of the Falkland Islands when it sighted a whale. Two boats were sent out with harpoons to catch and kill the creature. But the whale’s lashing tail overturned one of the boats spilling the crew into the sea. All were finally hauled back on board ship except for one sailor, James Bartley.
The whale was eventually killed and its body drawn aboard the ship to begin the process of stripping its valuable resources. By the next day good progress had been made in removing the layers of blubber, so a tackle was attached to its stomach to hoist it onto the deck. The sailors were startled by what appeared to be signs of life inside the stomach lining. Cutting the whale open the sailors found the missing James Bartley!
Bartley after he recovered his sense told of struggling for his life underwater and drawn into darkness and felt a terrible and oppressive heat. Reaching out his hand he felt slimy walls that gave slightly to his touch, but he couldn’t find any exit. When it finally dawned on him what most likely had happened he lost consciousness.
During his time inside the whale Bartley’s face, neck and hands were bleached deathly white by gastric juices and the texture of his skin was like parchment.
Great story! But is it true? There are some who put this in the category of an early urban legend. But whether it’s true or not, we know that there has been at least one man in the world who has truly gone through such an amazing experience and lived – and that man is Jonah!
My friend, Dale Lundgren shared from his devotions, ‘God did not say that a whale just happened to be swimming along in the vicinity and just happened to swallow him. This is where Satan likes to get people to discredit this important book here near the end of the Old Testament. This tale probably as much as any in the Scriptures, is one that scoffers will point to and say that the Bible is full of fairy tales, since there is no whale that has a throat large enough to allow for a man or even a child, to fit into it and go through down into its stomach.
God calls this a great fish, which he had prepared. He did not call it a whale.”
I take the view that even if no other account points to this happening we must not debate if it is possible, but can God do a miracle equal to walking on water with Peter, or parting the Red sea with Moses, or raising someone from the dead. If you ask how a man can survive in the belly of a fish three days, the answer is, he probably can’t—any more than a person can stay three days in the grave and live again. That’s why Jesus called it a “sign.” In Matthew 12:39 he says, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet.” Jesus knew this was no ordinary event. It was a miraculous sign of God’s gracious and powerful intervention.
The issue for me isn’t focused on Jonah or the fish, but on God, who does want He wants when he wants however he wants, and certainly God intervenes in situations like this in miraculous ways.
Last week we approached the subject of Jonah’s protest, some of the reasons for rebellion, the responses of rebellion and the results of rebellion. But praise the Lord, God is a God of second chances and there is a way back into his fellowship.
Part of any preparation for revival is prayer. Prayer is our heart response to God for Him to do His work in our lives, and Community, church, and world.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Nov 30
Theme- Repentance
Verses- Jonah 2:2 He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
A Prayer of Distress
The sailors reluctantly threw Jonah overboard. Jonah was the one who admitted it was his fault and they should throw him overboard. He acknowledged his drowning as a situation he deserved.
Yes, Jonah had an attitude adjustment of repentance although some question whether or not he really repented. He was drowning and cried out to God to save him. God heard his distress call and by grace provided a body of a huge fish.
When Peter was drowning, after taking his eyes off of Christ, he could have a spiritual lesson later in the boat when all is fine and safe, but when you’re drowning you cry out of help with complete sincerity.
The need of each heart is for salvation. You can talk about all the theology of prayer and sincerity and what repentance is, but “Lord be merciful to me a sinner.” “God help me, God save me.” usually comes from the heart and not our heads when we sense lostness and despair. Whether it is a cry for eternal salvation, or a call from backsliding to return to a previous relationship to the Lord, circumstances allows us to see our helplessness and need for Him.
Even though Jonah was a prophet he was in disobedience and experiencing the consequences for his rebellion. Now be careful here, not all bad things that happen are a result of specific sin. We live in a fallen world and will experience consequences of the fall of man in this life whether we are Christians or not. That includes sickness, natural disasters, violence, war, tragedy and the like. We are not exempt from those problems of society. But let me also say there times, like with Jonah were consequences are a result not of just bad choices, but sinful prideful, arrogant and rebellious choices.
People are told not to drink, to smoke, to do drugs, not be involved in illicit sex outside of marriage; not to steal, lie, cheat, dishonor parents and blaspheme God. So much of the personal problems we face are consequences of those behaviors. It is difficult for me to hear someone with lung cancer blaming God when they wouldn’t quit smoking. Jonah wouldn’t be where he was at if he didn’t say no to God. He is in distress that could have been avoided.
As he began to sink, he expected that God was finished with him and this was the end. This is a big part of what it means when you repent to become a Christian and in your walk with God ever afterwards. They way back to God is looking at your self made situation and no longer running from God or covering up your own sin. David said Ps 32 “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity,” and Ps 51 “I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me.”
When the prodigal son was in rebellion and at the end of his rope, hungry and lost and in need, he reached up to God -admitted it and then confessed it. He said “I’ll return to my father and say ‘I am no more worthy to be called your son, I’ve sinned against you and God. ‘
Admit sin. Face it. Confess it. Acknowledge that you have a problem. Don’t excuse it. Don’t blame someone else. Don’t get mad at God anymore than I should be angry at a police that caught me speeding.
Someone told me a story this week of a lady going to shopping mall and could not find a parking space so she prayed. “Lord if you help me find a parking space close to the mall entrance I’ll go to church every week, I’ll tithe my income, I’ll pray every day just then someone pulled out of their spot and she said, “Never mind Lord, I found one on my own.”
As chaplain in the ER room in Hennepin county hospital I often had people who were in life and death situations and I’d be with the family when the doctors where working madly on saving that life. When I offered to pray for them never once was I turned down. But later when I’d go on the floor a day or two later when they were out of danger, I might ask for prayer of thanks, ..No thanks Chaplain I really don’t believe in god. or I don’t really practice faith. Amazing that is not what you or your family said when you faced with eternity before your eyes.
Some of you are in trouble right now. Some are in need of salvation. Some are in need of coming back to God. And if you are wondering, “Is there hope? Will God have mercy on me and hear my cry of distress?” take heart from Jonah. His distress was the fruit of his guilt, but God answered him and gave him another chance.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Dec 1
Verses- Jonah 2: 2 He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'
7 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
A Prayer of Deliverance
Jonah cried for deliverance from drowning. He wanted to see the temple in Jerusalem. He realized his life was ebbing away. By God’s grace he was swallowed by this sea-creature instead. I’m not sure he actually knew what had happened and where he was until he was released. All he probably knew was that he was in the depths and – somehow – living. So he was humbled, confused and terrified in a totally strange environment.
There are some who will debate if Jonah actually died or is this passage used as a symbol of death. There is good reason based on the word, Sheol (grave, or hell) that it refers to the place of the dead. Most commonly that is the translation of the word. But it is also common that when passages such as this are used to point to the type of the death of Christ not every detail is literal but the point of comparison.
Some of the words Jonah uses are from Psalm 18:4-6 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”
The Pslams were no doubt memorized and sang and now I think brought to Jonah’s mind while in the stomach of the great fish. We recognize that David had many discouraging and disappointing times, and he used the word Sheol, but David did not die literally but felt his soul was like dead. Those experiences show prayer in distress. Prayer can be praise, it can be expression of relationships, it can be petition, but it can also be laments too, letting out our frustration and emotions in difficult times. Jonahs prayer of distress is coming to grips with his own rebellion while under the discipline of God.
The fact that he is in seaweed and acknowledges his life was ebbing away makes me conclude it was symbolic not physical death, but it could be, since either way God is a God who can raise people from the dead and this story points to that in Jesus’ fulfillment.
Where did faith’s eyes look? To God Holy Temple. The temple in the Old Testament was the special place where God met with His people; sacrifice was made; forgiveness sought, and lives re-dedicated to God. The only one you can turn to the Lord. He is the only one who can deliver us. The Lord is in fact merciful. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, which is punishment for disobeying and running from God.
Notice in Jonah’s prayer he saw God as his deliverer and prayed for deliverance and affirmed God’s deliverance in his prayer. God’s saving mercy came by way of a huge fish. He could pray a prayer of Thanksgiving and faith in what God did and by sending a fish Jonah knew God wasn’t done with him yet. There is hope. He makes his vows.
Eddie Richenbacher World War two act pilot was cut down and landed in the ocean on a life boat. But the time of starvation was coming. Miraculously a seagull came and landed on his head. Wasn’t that the sign of God also that he would be saved? He had hope God was involved. Gods’ provision of deliverance during the times of distress.
Jonah had a lesson to be learned. God was more merciful than man. God had the desire for people to come to him and return to him. Nineveh doesn’t deserve it, but God wanted to give them a chance for repentance. The sailors didn’t deserve it. They were praying to false gods and had false beliefs, but when the calm came to the ocean they were now seeing the might works of the God of land and sea and offered sacrifices to him and worshipped. And Jonah frankly doesn’t deserve it, but likewise he experienced the fish in the midst of drowning.
And we don’t deserve it, but God demonstrates his mercy to you and to me in the person of Jesus Christ, in our salvation, in our forgiveness of sin and in our ongoing deliverance day after day from the onslaughts of the evil one.
The Lord is more loving and forgiving that mankind is. There is that great statement at the end of the chapter. Salvation comes from the Lord.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thur Dec 2
Verses Jonah 2: 8-9 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."
A Prayer of Devotion
Where is Jonah’s heart now? It changed from those days when he ran from God and disobeyed. He hid. Now he is open and willing to obey. From the heart he dedicates himself. He recognizes that the Lord is the focus of his love. He had experienced grace and from that act of God he responds in personal dedication.
Those who cling to worthless idles forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Vs. 8 Whenever a believer puts something else in the place of God and turns form Him, he also turns from the mercy of God and the mercy which God has shown Him. Jonah was not the pagan that worshipped graven images, which is the usually the understanding of an idol, but he didn’t worship the Lord in obedience. So in that sense he was on the throne of his heart instead of the Lord.
Now that Jonah realized he deserved death and judgment God was still merciful. Now he decided to lift up a song of thanksgiving both in his prayer as well as looking for hope to go to the temple and offer sacrifice of praise and gift in the temple. Whenever the human heart acknowledges personal sin and confesses it before God it results in God restoring the relationship.
Let’s never forget to express our thanks to God for all He is and all that He has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have just come out of the thanksgiving season allows us to once again count our many blessings. For some there hearts are full for they have seen dramatic ways in which God has worked. For others they have to stop and think of what God has been doing in his sustaining ministry and ongoing provisions and recognize that is also grace from God.
The one who has been out of work for months and finally gets a job is more grateful than the one who goes to work for years and never was laid off. Who seems the more thankful? Yet God provides both. God loves to hear our worship and praises.
Romans 1:12, Offering yourself a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. “This sacrifice is also our own lives in the NT understanding. It is out of gratitude for what the Lord has done. He realized his actions, compared to God’s forgiveness.
The first and foremost sacrifice we can give the Lord is our heart of devotion, of love, of commitment. More often than not is comes as a response to our grasping the grace of God and how He has initiated His devotion to us.
Ps 116:12-19
12 How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.
That praise song can be yours. Maybe it prompts your thanksgiving prayer and moves to offer yourself to the Lord anew.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Dec 3 – Dedication
Verses – Jonah 2:8-10 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD."
10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Prayer of Dedication
The OT means of sacrifice involved a slain animal to cover for the sins. The NT sacrifice is Jesus Christ slain for cleansing of our sins. The part of the person is thankfulness for forgiveness. Note too the last phrase of the verse, “Payment of vow.” That is different than making a vow. There are times of emotion we make promises to God. There is something precious and holy, but we are often promising Him willing, obedient hearts. O, if all the vows made to the Lord were truly fulfilled! What a different world we could live in. There would be no lack of candidates for the mission field, nether would there be deficits in the budgets, there would be various people using gifts together and not judging one another but serving the Lord and the world. Think what would happen if all the promises to God were paid.
Yet we expect, and even demand that the Lord pay off all his vows. Why should He if we don’t pay off our vows? Of course God’s name stands behind his promises and vows.
Jonah’s dedication includes praise which involves not just vocal prayer and verbal expression, but heart dedication too. (V9) “What I have vowed I will make good.” In the belly of the sea-creature Jonah vowed to the Lord that he would serve Him. If God saw fit to release him Jonah was determined to see those vows through.
Philip Yancy wrote a book “What’s So Amazing About Grace.” He writes:
”There is a simple cure for people who doubt God’s love and question God’s grace: to turn to the Bible and examine the kind of people God loves. Jacob, who dared take God on a wrestling match and ever after bore a wound from that struggle, became the name for God’s people, the “children of Israel.” The Bible tells of a murderer and adulterer who gained a reputation as the greatest king of the Old Testament, a “man after God’s own heart.” And it tells of a church being led by a disciple who cursed and swore that he had never known Jesus. And of a missionary being recruited from the ranks of the Christian-torturers. I get mailings from Amnesty International, and as I look at their photos of men and women who have been beaten and cattle-prodded and jabbed and spit on and electrocuted, I ask myself, “What kind of human being could do that to another human being?”
Then I read the book of Acts and meet the kind of person who could do such a thing-now an apostle of grace, a servant of Jesus Christ, the greatest missionary history has ever known. If God can love that kind of person, maybe, just maybe, he can love the likes of me. Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less. It means that I, even I who deserve the opposite, am invited to take my place at the table in God’s family.” (end quote)
But then we see also that God’s grace toward Jonah didn’t stop either: God persevered. That’s the significance of those concluding words of Jonah’s prayer: (V 9) “Salvation comes from the LORD.”
If salvation and service were in our hands we would have been finished long ago. But as God’s grace persevered with Jonah, so He perseveres with us. His grace is more powerful than any sin, and grace will overcome. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” Rom 5:20.
There is a prelude to revival. It is in prayer. It is in the type of sincere prayer of meeting with the Lord with an open and honesty. It is usually involved a coming clean by confession. It involves an openness to obedience. It is a desire to praise and worship. It is a time when vows, and promises are made. It is also a time when by the power of the Holy Spirit one senses a freedom and forgiveness and a desires to serve our Lord.
There can be people who have a personal time with God and get their hearts right. There are times when couples, or families ask forgiveness of one another or folks who are involved in secret sins repent and turn from their ways to the Lord. It starts with asking God to search our hearts and see if there be any wicked ways in us.
Pastor Dale
