Jonah // Jonás

Today we start a brand new series titled Legends, and we're talking about men and women of great faith. In fact, in Hebrews chapter 11, we find this passage that the author of Hebrews begins to list down heroes of great faith, hero after hero, legend after legend, and what they did by faith. When you have time, you should read Hebrews chapter 11. But the author gives us this picture of a relay race, of a baton being passed down from a runner to the next runner. And we see the scripture, we see the passage that has been passed on from Enoch to Noah. And we see it passed down all the way to Abraham, Moses, and David. But now the baton has been handed down to us. Now it's our turn to run. And now these heroes of great faith have taken their seat in this stadium. And after the writer of Hebrews lists the names of all these legends, we pick up in Hebrews chapter 12. And this is our theme verse for this entire series. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, these are the heroes that have gone before us. Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. It's our race. It's our turn to run. And I want you to get this picture in your mind. It's a stadium filled with people. Heroes and legends of great faith. And they're cheering us on as we run. They have taken their seat because they've already finished their race. But we haven't finished ours. And as they cheer, we hear the roar of the crowd. Here's the thing, in any sporting event, there's a crowd cheering. And you play better when you hear others cheer.

You run faster when you hear others cheer. But the problem with the crowd, you hear the collective noise, but you don't hear the individual voice. But what if we could? What if we could hear what every hero would tell us? I wonder what we would hear. I wonder what they would say. I wonder what they would teach us. And I wonder how they would encourage us. And this is what we're going to do this entire series. We're going to pull out a hero of the great faith every single week and learn from their life and see how they would encourage us in the race that we have. And two things are going to happen. One, we're going to learn a whole bunch about the Bible. And number two, you're going to realize that God used ordinary people to do amazing things. So as we kick off this series today, we're going to isolate the voice out of the crowd of a man named Jonah. Maybe you've heard of Jonah. Maybe if you were raised in church, you know of Jonah. Jonah is the one who ran away from God. Jonah's the one that was swallowed by a large fish. See there was a little girl drawing Jonah inside a fish on an airplane. So she was just coloring it. And then there's this man next to her.

And the gentleman kind of looks at it and says, what are you drawing? Jonah inside a fish? And then he kind of just laughs. He's like, you really believe that happened? And she's like, yup. No, do you really believe that he was inside of a fish for three days? She's like, yup. Well, how did it happen? Explain to me how it happened. And she's like, I don't know. It's a miracle. And then he kind of laughs. And he's like, I don't think it happened. And then she just says, you know what, maybe when I go to heaven, maybe I'll look for Jonah and ask him myself. And he kind of laughs. And he leans over. He's like, what if he's not in heaven? And then she stops drawing. And she says, well, you could ask him in hell. That's messed up, man. That's funny, but that's messed up, right? It's like, come on, you're supposed to lead him to Jesus, right? But you're already sending him to hell. See, the story of Jonah, the book of Jonah is a very short book. Only four chapters. It doesn't give us a lot of details. So a lot of people get caught up talking about the fish. And we have a group of people here believing that, oh no, it's literal. And there's another group of people that says, no, it's figurative.

But if we catch ourselves fighting and arguing about these things, I think we missed the point. Because I think there's so much we can learn from the story of Jonah. In fact, Jesus took the story of Jonah seriously. He talked about Jonah. And I don't know about you, but I'm a follower of Jesus. And whatever Jesus says goes. And if he took it seriously, I'm going to take the story of Jonah seriously as well. Because I think there's powerful truths in his story. So let's pick up the story of Jonah from the beginning. Jonah chapter one, verse one. The word of the Lord came to Jonah, go to the great city of Nineveh. See, Jonah would have seen the people of Nineveh as his enemies. And now he has to go there for what? And preach against it because its wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarsus. See, it's one thing running away from something trying to harm you. But it's a whole different thing trying to run from a God that's trying to use you. See, I remember growing up in church. Sunday was all church day. In the morning we had Sunday school. Then after that we'll get something to eat. Right, maybe Golden Corral. Maybe a Chinese buffet. Then after that we'll go to Chuck E. Cheese. Have a good time. Go back home. Sleep for like 30 minutes.

And then our parents would drag us back to church. But what I liked about our night service that after it was over man, all the church kids would get together and play. See, in the backside of our church there was this little light that illuminated enough space so we could play. But next to the church property was like this forest of trees, and I remember we were playing, and on this day we decided to play tag. You remember tag, right? One person is it, and their, you know, your goal is to, I'm just trying to touch anyone. So now when I touch someone, now their it, and I get to run away. And I was it this Sunday, and I hated it, because I'm slow, I can't catch anyone, so, so frustrated. But I don't know what happened on this Sunday, because I'm usually very slow, and some of these kids are way too quick. Like there was this one kid, man, he was like very skinny and bony, and I don't know why that detail matters, right, but he was so fast, like Speedy Gonzalez, like he was so fast, he would run close to me, just to taunt me. And by the time I'm just like, he would just take off, like there's no way I could catch him. But I don't know what happened this Sunday, I don't know if it was the presence of God upon my life, but in this moment I remembered, I like, I prophesied where he was going to be, and he was right in front of me, and he looked like he saw a ghost, and he did see a ghost, it was the Holy Ghost in me, and I put my hand out, and I started running after him, and I don't know what happened this day, I don't know if he got a cramp, I don't know if his shoe was coming off, I don't know if I'm the one that got faster, but I was so close, like I just wanted just to pa, just smack him in the head, and I'm so close, and he felt it. So what did he do?

He ran outside of the light, and into the forest, why? Because he knew that I wasn't going to follow him into darkness. I just stopped, and I was still with fear, and I just ran away. See it's one thing to follow Jesus in the light, it's one thing to follow Jesus when you can see clearly, but are you willing to follow him when he leads you into the unknown? What happens when Jesus leads you into what seems to be darkness? What happens when he leads you into what is uncomfortable? See God tells Jonah, I want you to follow me into the unknown. I want you to follow me to what it seems to be a dark place. I want you to follow me to Nineveh, because I want to touch that city. I want to reach that city. I want to change that city. But Jonah ran away. I wonder what we would hear if we could hear Jonah in the stands. He would say, learn from my mistakes. And he would say, number one, run the right direction. Run the right direction. Because direction matters. I remember I was in middle school, and we were playing some soccer. And suddenly this kid, he gets the ball and he starts running the opposite way. You ever seen that happen? And everyone's screaming. to him, you're going the wrong way. But because everyone's doing it at the same time, he thinks they're chewing him on. So he feels like he's killing it. He's like, ah, ah. And then he's there and everyone kind of just stops. But he just thinks he's going fast. And then he scores a goal in the wrong goal. And he puts his hands up. And then he realizes that no one is cheering because he was running the wrong way. And that little boy was me. Hey, direction matters. It doesn't matter if you had the right intention. Your direction matters. And Jonah ran away from the Lord. Look at the map. So this is where Jonah's at. He's in Joppa. He's in Joppa and God calls him to Nineveh. And he goes all the way to Tarsus.

Like that's not even smart, Jonah. You might as well just ignore God's voice and stay where you are. But he went in the opposite direction. And he ran from the Lord. He did not run in his purpose. He ran away from it. Verse three. So he went down to Joppa where he found a ship bound for that port. And after paying the fare, and he went aboard and sailed for Tarsus to flee from the Lord. And we need to catch this. When you run the opposite direction, it will always cost you something. Listen to the voice of Jonah as he shouts from the stands. Number two. Disobedience is a trip you cannot afford. The disobedience, it's not worth it. The lies, it's not worth it. The secret, it's not worth it. Ignoring God's voice. Running the opposite way. Running with the wrong crowd. It's not worth it. Because it will cost you more than you are willing to pay. And it will keep you longer than you want to stay. This is the story of Jonah. Verse four. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea. And such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. And all the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own God. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck where he laid down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, how can you sleep? Get up and call on your God. See the sailors are throwing things overboard. But it didn't stop the storm. Because the storm was not their fault. See some of you guys are experiencing a storm that does not belong to you. These poor sailors are going through it because of someone else's decision. I don't even think Jonah knew. He was asleep. He's in trouble and didn't even know it. I wonder how many people are in trouble and they don't even realize it. Sleeping through their purpose when God has called them to make a difference. So they wake Jonah up, and I like that Jonah, he took responsibility. He said, pick me up and throw me into the sea, he replied, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you. So they grabbed him and threw him overboard. Next verse, it says, Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. I find it interesting that it says the Lord provided. Because provision from the Lord may not always be what you want, but it will always be what you need.

And he's now alone. And sometimes it takes being removed from certain places, certain situations, certain relationships, to really have a clear mind and to see things clearly. And he realizes what happened. See, he thought it was a dead end. He's inside of a fish now. He's in darkness. He thinks it's a dead end. But it's really God preparing him for the next chapter of his life. And then I think you can hear the voice of Jonah as he says this, number three. It's not too late to make the right choice. Because in the next chapter, Jonah chapter two, we find the prayer of Jonah. He repents. And repentance is I'm running one way. And now I'm changing my direction. He's turning his heart back to God. And he prays this. In my distress. I wonder how many of us in here are in that place right now. In a place of distress. I called to the Lord. And here's the good news. And he answered me. And the next verse says. From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help and you listened to my cry. I love what Bruce Wickinson says. He says repentance means you change your mind so deeply that it changes you. See, see, see. Jonah, he's repenting. He's taking responsibility.

I love what Proverbs 28 says. A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. I could picture Jonah shouting from the stands. When you've made bad choices, I got good news. Number four. God always gives you a second chance. Why? Because we serve a God of second chances. See, you might have fell asleep. Maybe you ran away from God. Maybe you got on the wrong boat. Maybe you have been ignoring the voice of God. But even after we make bad choices, we serve a God of second chances. Jonah chapter 3 verse 1. Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Why? Because he's a God of second chances. That's the grace of God. God, grace will meet you where you are. See, see, God could have said, Jonah, I can't use you anymore. You ran too far and you made too many mistakes. But God didn't say that. God said, I'm not giving up on my son. I'm the God of grace. I'm the God of second chances. I'm going to meet him where he is. I love what John Maxwell said about grace. Grace always runs downhill. It met me when I was at the bottom and not at the top.

See, the same grace that saves you is the same grace that will sustain you. It's the grace that, there's grace for your mistakes. So when it comes to bad choices, don't let bad choices define you. Don't let bad choices define you. Too many people let what they have done define who they are. And that is not the heart of God. Romans 8, 1 says this. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And there's a big difference between conviction and condemnation. See, conviction is when God puts a finger in a part of your life that needs to change and he says, I'm here to help. It empowers you to change. But condemnation is what the enemy uses to paralyze you, to keep you in shame, to keep you in guilt, to keep you in a spiritual prison. When Jesus said, I have come to set the captives free. So don't let bad choices define you. And the second thing, don't let bad choices disqualify you. And I know we've made mistakes and I know you got a past but God has a promise.

It doesn't matter how many things you have done. Nothing can disqualify you from being used by God. 2 Corinthians 5, 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone and the new is here. So when it comes to bad choices, Jonah made plenty. So this next part, I want to give you three very practical things that will help us make better decisions. So number one, use God's word to guide you. See, Jonah would have said, I had God's word. But I chose my feelings over what he said. Don't let the feelings of your life lead your life. Because your feelings change and your feelings will deceive you. Use God's word. Psalms 119 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light unto my path. See, and the written word of God points to the living word of God. That's Jesus. Let Jesus guide your life. Number two, ask God for wisdom. And that's my prayer all the time. God give me wisdom so I can see clearly. I don't want to make decisions out of emotion. God give me wisdom.

And you can ask yourself these two practical questions. Are my choices God honoring? Because I want my purpose, my life, my decisions to honor God. The second question. How will this affect my spiritual health? Will it lead me closer to God or away from God? Because I don't want to make a decision if it's going to lead me to Tarsus when God has called me to Nineveh. And number three, seek godly counsel. Be careful who you ask for advice. Don't just put your business on Facebook and let anyone say anything to it. You need some godly men and women in your life. People that over the years have given fruit who have proven themselves to be great men and women of faith, character, and integrity. See, Jonah did none of these things. I love what Proverbs says in 13, 20. He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. And Jonah, he made some decisions that weren't wise. But we come to the end of the story of Jonah. The word of the Lord comes to him a second time. And he goes to Nineveh. He preaches to Nineveh. And you know what happens? The whole city comes to God. God has compassion over the city. God used Jonah to reach Nineveh.

Can I tell you, God is still looking for people to reach their city. And if he reached Nineveh, I believe he can reach our city. I believe he can use you and I. And I wish that's where the story ends. That would have been a good ending. But it doesn't. Because in chapter 4, it's actually called the anger of Jonah. Jonah is angry? Why? Because God just used him to reach a city he disliked. Which tells me you could be used by God and still have some issues. He's angry. And he tells God, I knew this would happen. I knew you're so full of love and full of grace that you are slow to anger and abounding of love. I knew you would forgive them. Jonah, why are you mad? You're so mad because God has given them grace. But you wanted God to give you grace. Isn't it interesting? When it comes to our lives, we are quick to receive grace. But when it comes to other people, we demand payment. Jonah is so frustrated. He even says, God, take my life away. It's better for me to die than to live. What is wrong with you, Jonah? God just used you.

And now you want to die? And it's hot outside. And God provides this little plant for some shade. And then Jonah gets under the plant. And he's happy under the plant. But then that plant dies. And he gets angry again. My plant! My shade! The sun! What happened to my plant? And God stops him right there. Jonah, you care more about vegetation than their salvation. You care more about your own comfort than a city that is lost. And the story ends. Well that's it. Where's the happily ever after? Where's the part that Jonah says, I finally understand my Lord. I am so sorry. And he bows, you know like, none of that. It just ends. It seems like, it seems like the story of Jonah doesn't really have an ending. And when you look at the story of Jonah, it's really hard to see him as a hero. See when I look at Jonah, I don't see a hero. What I see is a shadow of a hero that would come. Because thousands upon thousands of years later, the true and better Jonah appears. Jesus. See the story of Jonah points us to the story of Jesus. For Jesus succeeded in every area that Jonah failed in. So when Jonah ran away from his mission, Jesus comes in and runs straight towards his mission.

While Jonah refused to preach to his enemies, Jesus gave his life up for his enemies. He died in the hands of his enemies. And he said, Father forgive them. But they don't know what they're doing. They're so lost, they don't even see it. While Jonah suffered in the middle of the storm, Jesus is the one that by the sound of his voice, he calms the storm. While Jonah was swallowed up by a large fish, Jesus was swallowed up by death. But he overcame death from the inside out. And he walks into the Nineveh of our hearts with the message of grace and salvation. See when I look at the story of Jonah, I really see that it points to the story of Jesus. It's not about a man and a great fish. It's about Jesus and his great grace. So I wonder what Jonah will tell us right before his voice just blends in with the rest of the crowd. Right before Jonah leaves, what would he tell us? As we're running in this race, I believe he will ask us a question. He would ask us this, what direction are you running? Because it might be a trip that you cannot afford. And it's never too late to make the right choice. Because we serve a God of second chances. Close your eyes and bow your heads. Some of you guys are in this place.

And if you're honest, you feel far from God. Like you acknowledge that God is there. But he's not priority in your life. If you feel far from God, maybe you feel like Jonah. Thousands of miles away from God. But honestly, you're just one decision away. If you feel far from God and you want to change that this morning, on the count of three, I'm gonna ask you to put your hand up and put it right back down. I promise I'm not gonna tell you to stand up or come to the front. I'm not here to embarrass you. I just want to connect you to your Heavenly Father, but if this is you, if you fall from God and want to change that, on three, lift up your hand, one, two, three, just put your hand up and put it right back down. God bless you, God bless you, God bless you. If you raised your hand, just whisper this prayer in your heart. Heavenly Father, I give you my life, I give you my sin, I give you my past, and I receive your grace, I receive your love, and I receive your forgiveness. I choose to follow you. Say it this way, say I surrender my life to you. Heavenly Father, I pray for everyone in this place. There's some of us in here that we feel like Jonah, we're in the middle of a storm. There's others that feel like we have been swallowed up by something, swallowed up by pain, disappointment or regret, but no matter how many bad decisions we have made, or what has happened in our life, your grace meets us where we are, for the word of the Lord comes to us a second time, because you're the God of second chances. We receive your grace, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we run the race you have called us to run. In your name we pray.

Thank you so much for watching the message. Subscribe to this channel so you won't miss a video. Enjoy. We can take this message further and faster and make a difference in the lives of so many people. You can give using the link below, or by visiting our website at myvisionchurch.org. We love you so much, and we're looking forward to seeing you back here next time.