Jonah & the Whale 10-6-1999

Sermon 10-6-1999 Jonah & the Whale

Intro.
Start at Cocoa Beach
Seagulls, sandcastles, ships on the sea
Kids thinking about sharks, [there is something int he water],
I'm thinking about Jonah

Jonah
Prophet [used to doing God's bidding]
Called to go, doesn't want to
God always calls us out of selfishness and into service

Runs
God follows
Jonah may not care, but God cares about people
That is good news
In a day filled with calamity and uncertainty, God cares about people
Thrown overboard
Swallowed by whale
Read Jonah's song of repentance
Delivers message
Ninevah repents and turns to the Lord
Jonah is still unhappy about God's grace being extended to the ninevites

What are you called to?
Have you ever run from it? [how do we do this?]
I'll do anything but that...
God follows you [sometimes its not what you want, but what God wants]
You notice & people notice the brokenness in your soul
Feel like you were in the belly of the whale
Will we repent?
What is the thing that you don't want to do?
Who are the people that you don't want to go to?
God has called you because you can do it with his help

Conclusion
Is there something you should do?
Is there some way in which God wants you to be more vulnerable?
Open, caring?
Are there people that you should be reaching out to?
Some of you are in the belly of the whale
Being squeezed, trying to fight off the call of God
Maybe there is someone that you should apoligize to
Maybe you should make an effort to touch your child
To rectify a wrong
To share God's love
To touch a soul
Some of you God is calling to stop saying no and start saying yes
To overlook the sins of others
To deliver to them the same grace that you received

I am asking you to hear the word of the Lord
I am asking you to respond to his leading
Find a quiet place to sit down, hear the waves roll in on the beach
Get in touch with your soul
Hear the call of God
Follow it. You and many others will be blessed.