God's Surprising Grace

I'm surprised by the way that God graciously works in your life when you've done everything

the wrong way, been rebellious, been hard-hearted, been stubborn, just plain disobedient.

Sometimes I just get in awe of how God puts up with me, how He shows grace.

I am so thankful for His grace.

I hope you are as well.

Well, that's what we're going to look at this morning in Jonah chapter 1, God's surprising grace.

Jonah 1 · chapter mention

And the first thing we're going to look at today is that God sometimes uses unbelievers

to accomplish His gracious purpose.

I want you to look with me.

If you would, open your Bible.

We're in Jonah chapter 1.

Jonah 1 · chapter mention

We have read the entire chapter several times, part of it several times.

We're going to read more today, but I don't want to read the whole section again.

I want you to think with me and look at verse 5.

Think about the actions of the sailors on the ship with Jonah.

If you haven't been here, if you're not familiar with the story, Jonah was God's prophet.

He was called by God to go to a certain place and preach.

He didn't.

He went the opposite direction.

And as a part of going the opposite direction, He boarded a ship that would take him far away.

But then God hurled a storm at the ship to stop Jonah.

When the storm first struck, these pagan sailors prayed to their own false gods.

When Jonah was identified as the guilty one,

they began to question Him.

Look with me in verse 7 and 8.

And they said to one another,

Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.

So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

Then they said to Him,

Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us.

What is your occupation?

Where do you come from?

What is your country?

And of what people are you?

I want you to look at how Jonah responded.

I want you to think about his response and his description of God and how it affected these sailors.

I'm going to put this on the screen, verses 9 and 10 now.

And He said to them,

I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.

Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to Him,

What is this that you have done?

For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord because he had told them.

I want you to note that Jonah identified himself as a Hebrew, part of the people of Israel.

He identified himself as a Hebrew.

And his God as, look at it, the Lord.

And that is a translation of God's special covenant name, Yahweh.

God's holy name.

Jonah identified God by that name.

And then look at their response.

They were terrified.

When they heard he was a Hebrew, that their God, his God was Yahweh.

Why would they do that?

Why would such hardened men most likely be afraid of this Hebrew who served the Lord God?

Well, many commentators believe these sailors had heard about the people of Israel.

They'd heard about Israel's God.

And it makes sense.

They're professional sailors.

They sailed the Mediterranean Sea.

This trip that they're on right now began in Joppa, which is not far from Israel.

Richard Phillips, in his commentary, gives us a good explanation for why these sailors responded with fear

when they heard Jonah mention the Lord, that name.

Look at it.

The mariners likely would have heard about the Hebrews and their frightening God.

He was the God who broke Pharaoh's power in order to set his people free

and who parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Hebrews to pass through.

But then drowned the pursuing Egyptians.

This was the stern God who took his people into Canaan with such frightening power.

Therefore, they realized that this was a great God, this God of the Hebrews.

And it was this God, not a weak God, who was pursuing them for the sake of Jonah.

Here they are in the midst of a hurricane type storm.

They're scared to death of that.

And then they're described with even a heightened sense of fear

when Jonah identifies himself as part of the people of God

and calls God by that covenant name.

Even though they knew Jonah is rebelling against this God,

they still revere him, so to speak, by asking him,

what should we do?

And when Jonah told them that the only way for the sea to calm

and for them to save themselves was to throw him overboard.

But I want you to look at what they said in verse 13.

If I can find it.

Jonah has identified himself and his God.

They have confidence he knows what he's talking about.

And so they ask him, what should we do?

And he tells them very clearly.

It wasn't an answer he wanted to tell them.

He was actually being truthful.

But instead of taking this stranger

who had brought this storm on them,

caused them to lose their cargo

and maybe going to lose their lives,

instead of them gladly throwing him overboard,

they did their best to row out of the storm.

Now think about that.

It seems that their discovery of God

caused them to show Jonah mercy.

Mercy is a quality of God.

Mercy is one of the characteristics of a Christian

that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount

in the Beatitudes.

If we have a right relationship with God,

if we want to please God,

we're going to have a merciful heart

and desire to show mercy to people

instead of just being cruel,

just giving people what they deserve.

And you see it in these pagans

right as they first become aware of God.

That's powerful.

God's doing a work in these men's lives right here.

And we see it in the way they treated Jonah.

I mean, be honest.

If you'd have been there,

you think you're going to die,

and some guy you don't know,

you don't care about,

you think this guy,

you know, he's running from this powerful God

we've heard about.

He says,

if we want to see the calm,

throw him overboard.

Wouldn't you throw him overboard?

I'd throw you overboard if it was you.

You'd throw me overboard if it was me in that setting.

But they didn't Jonah.

God used these unbelievers,

pagans,

idol worshipers at this time

to show grace to Jonah.

We're going to see later on

the actual way of grace

was to throw him overboard.

But right now, at the beginning,

they think the way of being gracious and merciful

is to try to row out of the storm

and avoid throwing him overboard.

But finally, God shows these sailors

they're wasting their time.

They cannot outrun the storm.

And so they've got a choice.

Either throw him overboard

or die themselves.

So they decide to do it.

But look at verses 14 and 15.

They call out to God

for mercy on themselves

before they do it.

Therefore,

they called out to the Lord.

O Lord,

let us not perish

for this man's life

and lay not on us

innocent blood.

For you, O Lord,

have done

as it pleased you.

That's their way of saying,

this is your call, Lord.

Don't blame us.

Blame you.

So they picked up Jonah

and hurled him into the sea

and the sea ceased

from its raging.

What I want us to see here

is that God will do

whatever it takes

to change us

if we are his child

and he has determined

to use us

in a certain way.

God will do whatever it takes

if he is determined

to use us

in a certain way.

God will do whatever it takes

to cause us

to change our mind

if we are rebelling.

God will do whatever it takes

to make us willing

to do it.

God works through

these unbelievers

and God will work

through unbelievers

around us.

God is never limited.

There may be times

in your life

when you are not close

to God,

you are disobeying him,

something is going on

and you don't come

to church

because you think

that's one way

I can get away

from being convicted.

Maybe I can forget.

Maybe the Lord

will leave me alone

so you don't come to church

or you don't want

to be around

Christian people.

Well, God could even

work through

pagans.

God could even work

through the worst people

you know

if he chooses to

to touch you,

to correct you,

to bring you

to the point

where he wants you

to be.

God sometimes

even uses miracles

to get our attention.

Look at number two,

this point.

God sometimes

uses miraculous

interventions

to put us

on the path

he has chosen for us.

This chapter

begins and ends

with a strong statement

of how God

sovereignly

intervenes

in Jonah's life

to prevent him

from escaping

God's call.

God first hurled

a great storm

at Jonah's ship

that we've read about

and talked about

already in verse four

and then in verse 17

God appointed

a great fish

to rescue Jonah

and prevent him

from drowning.

Look at that.

And the Lord

appointed a great fish

to swallow up Jonah.

That's what we're

going to start

looking at next week.

But these two

miraculous interventions

make it clear

that when God

chooses us

to carry out

his plan

he's going

to so

manipulate

things in our

lives

that we will

eventually

be willing

to do

his will.

Now I want

to pause here

and be clear

about this matter

of disobeying God.

we can disobey

God.

Jonah

disobeyed God.

Sometimes God

allows us

to disobey him

as his children

and miss out

on the blessing

that we would

have received

if we had

obeyed him.

We can see

an example

of that

in the book

of Acts

Acts 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13

when Mark

the writer

of the second

gospel

he took off

on the first

mission trip

of the New Testament

church

in Acts 13

he went with

Paul and Barnabas

but he didn't

go far

he quit.

You can read

about it.

He quit.

He turned around

and he went

home.

He abandoned

his mission team.

Well Paul

was offended

by that

angered

by that

and later

on

Mark

wanted to

go on a

second trip

with Paul

and Barnabas

and Paul

said you

ain't going.

You quit

on me

one time

you will

not quit

on me

a second

time.

Well Barnabas

was more

compassionate

more merciful

maybe.

He wanted

Mark

to go.

He wanted

to give him

a second

chance.

Paul

didn't

back down

and their

disagreement

was so

strong

over Mark

that they

split.

Paul went

one way

and took

Silas

Barnabas

took Mark

and went

another way.

You can read

about that

in Acts 15.

Here's what

I want us

to see.

Mark's

failure

quitting

the first

missionary

trip.

It had

some serious

consequences.

It led

to the

breakup

of the

Paul

Barnabas

mission

team.

The original

mission

team.

And then

Mark missed

out on

the blessings

of seeing

how God

used his

team

to save

many people's

lives.

To start

new churches.

Mark could

have been a

part of that

but he

wasn't

because of

his failure.

God

is an

example of

how God

sometimes

allows us

to disobey

him.

And he

uses other

people to

do what

he originally

wanted us

to do.

And the

result will

always be

that we

miss out

on being

used of

God to

bless somebody

else.

And we

miss out on

being blessed

ourselves by

being obedient

to God.

But God

does not

always allow

us to

disobey

him and

get by

with it.

I want

you to

hear this.

We've

talked in

some of

the other

messages about

how Jonah

disobeyed.

Mark did.

We have.

We've

suffered for

it.

We've missed

out on some

things most

likely.

But there

are times

when God

is not going

to allow

us to

disobey

him or

keep on

disobeying

him because

he is

determined to

use us.

Let's take

some examples.

Moses.

God

raised up

Moses,

called him

to be

his

spokesman,

the

deliverer

of the

people of

Israel

from Egyptian

bondage.

But a lot

of you know

the story.

At first,

Moses,

he didn't

want to go.

He didn't

want to be

that.

He didn't

want to do

that.

He made

excuses.

But God

would not

accept his

excuses.

God had

chosen him

for that

assignment.

And God

made sure

that Moses

fulfilled it.

Paul,

the apostle,

he was

chosen by

God.

He says in

Galatians

Galatians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

from his

mother's

womb.

Before he

ever entered

this world,

God had a

plan for

his life.

He was

going to be

a great

missionary,

a great

evangelist,

great church

planter.

God was

even going

to use

him to

write a

large portion

of the

New Testament.

But Paul

began his

adult life

as an

enemy of

Jesus Christ

and the

church.

He was

well known

in the

church,

before he

became a

Christian,

as one

who will

track you

down,

and have

you put in

prison,

and possibly

even executed,

all because

you are a

follower of

Jesus.

But when

the Lord

got ready

to use

him,

the Lord

miraculously

broke into

his life,

and you can

read about

this in

Acts 9,

God literally

knocked him

to the

ground and

blinded him

for a period

of time

because God

was serious

about getting

his attention

and changing

everything about

his life

because God

was going to

use him

in a

tremendous

way as

one of the

early leaders

of the

church.

God can

intervene in

your life and

mine at any

time.

If it requires

disciplining us

severely, he

will and

just do

whatever it

takes to

cause us

to want

to obey

him.

That's what

God's doing

with Jonah in

chapter 1 and

2, and we're

going to read in

chapter 3 a

little bit later

on that when

God called

Jonah the

second time to

go and preach

to Neva, he

went and he

did not argue.

But just

think, that

was after his

painful experience

of being thrown

off a ship in

the middle of

the storm,

nearly drowning

and spending

three days and

three nights

stuck inside

a great fish.

I want to

encourage you.

Always

listen

when God

speaks.

And God

speaks to us

through his

word.

That's the

clearest way he

speaks to us

today.

If you're a

Christian, he

speaks through

his spirit who

indwells you.

God speaks

through wise

people he's put

into your life.

God speaks to

us in all

different kinds

of ways.

And when he

speaks, we

need to listen

with the idea,

I want to know

God's will because

I want to do

God's will.

Paul tells us

at the end of

Romans 12,

2,

that God's

doing God's

will will be

good for us

because God's

will is good

and acceptable

and perfect.

He describes it

that way.

Well, think about

it this way.

When we're

faithful to do

what we know

God wants us

to be, and it

may be something

small, maybe

about your

attitude, your

relationships,

some of the

people you live

with, the way

you go about

your job,

whatever it

is, when

we're faithful

to God to

do whatever it

is he's calling

us to do, he's

going to be

pleased, he's

going to be

glorified in it.

The people that

we're involved

with, they'll be

helped.

And we

ourselves, we

ourselves in the

long run, we

will be blessed

by doing God's

will and pleasing

him.

Let's look at

one more thing.

God sometimes

uses us in

spite of our

rebellion to

bless other

people.

Chapter one

begins with

Jonah refusing

to preach to

the pagan people

of Nineveh.

He hated

them.

They were the

enemies of his

country, they

were the enemies

of Israel.

They were ruthless,

savage, brutal

people.

He didn't

want to go for

a lot of

reasons, but

one of the

reasons was he

wanted them to

die and go to

hell.

He didn't want

these people to

be saved.

He didn't want

to go and

preach and

them turn.

And we'll see

some of the

things about how

he didn't like it

when they did

later on.

This chapter

begins with

Jonah refusing

to go and

preach to the

pagan people of

Nineveh, but

it closes with

Jonah unwillingly,

preaching to the

pagan sailors on

the ship.

God worked

through Jonah in

spite of his

rebellion to

save these men.

That's what verse

16 indicates.

Look at it.

Then the men

feared the Lord

exceedingly, and

they offered a

sacrifice to the

Lord and made

vows.

Again, they call

on God's covenant

name, the Lord,

Yahweh.

Here's what I

want you to

know.

They did this

after the storm

stopped.

Think about it.

If they had done

this before the

storm stopped, we

might think they

were just doing

whatever it took to

try to save

themselves.

Jailhouse religion,

foxhole religion,

whatever you want to

call it.

A lot of times,

people, maybe some

of us in here,

will bargain with

God, will tell God

what we'll do, and

maybe even go through

the motions of doing

certain things until we

get out of a jam.

Then we forget about

it.

Well, these people,

they feared the

Lord, offered

sacrifices, made

vows after the

danger had

passed.

It appears that

these men had

truly been

converted.

It seems that

what we read there

in verse 16 are

expressions of

faith, real faith

in God, gratitude

to Him.

They are

thankful.

They love this

God, this one

true God, Yahweh,

who has rescued

them.

God graciously

used rebellious

Jonah to

accomplish His

purpose in these

men's lives, to

call them to be

His children.

Now, I want you

to think, if God

could do that with

uncooperating

Jonah, think about

how God could use

us when we

willingly cooperate

with Him and are

willing to do

whatever it is He

tells us to do.

You know, we've

looked at chapter

one now for five

weeks.

There's a lot of

great lessons here

about God's

grace, about how

God graciously

works out His

purpose in our

lives and in this

world.

God's grace.

Therefore, we

must not be

intimidated by

anyone's unbelief.

You shouldn't

write off anyone

as beyond God's

ability to save.

If God could save

these pagan

sailors who

worshipped false

gods with this

unfaithful prophet

of His, He can

save anyone.

one.

Here's the point I

want to make here.

Most of us in this

room, we have

family members or

close friends who

are not Christians.

And some of them, we

may think, they're

beyond hope.

Some of them may

claim to be atheists.

Some of them may just

be hard-hearted, mean

individuals.

You may have tried to

share the gospel with

them before and they

just brushed you off,

cussed you out even.

There may be people in

our lives that we've

just sort of given up

on, but what I want us

to see to happen with

Jonah and these sailors

is no one is beyond

hope.

So don't quit praying

for that person.

Don't quit trying to

live out your faith in

front of them and be a

real friend to them.

And don't not share

the gospel with them

because you're afraid,

because they've not

responded well in the

past.

Prayerfully, carefully,

lovingly, ask God to

use you as you willingly

try to influence them.

Ask God to use you the

way he used unwilling

Jonah.

Ask God to let you see a

miracle happen before

your eyes and see that

hardened family member or

friend.

See that hardened person,

that person with a hard

heart's heart melt and

embrace Jesus as their

Lord and Savior.

A second lesson we find in

chapter one is we as

individuals, we must stay

on guard against becoming

hard-hearted toward God

ourselves.

throughout this ordeal, Jonah

is running from God, unwilling

to change, unwilling to stop.

It comes to the point where

Jonah realizes these sailors,

they now know that the only way

for this storm to stop and save

their own lives is throw me

overboard.

And he's willing to be thrown

overboard before he will confess

his sin to God and repent.

There is every reason to believe

that if Jonah at any point on this

ship, if he had just said, God, I'm

tired of running, you win.

If Jonah just confessed his sin, his

disobedience, repented, changed his

mind and said, Lord, I will go now and

preach to the people of Nineveh.

There's no reason to think that God

wouldn't have stopped the storm

then.

That was the whole point, getting

Jonah to go.

But his heart was so hard, he was

so stubborn, he was willing to die,

be thrown overboard, rather than to

go to these people and preach.

You and I, we could become so

hardened by our sin and disobedience

that we destroy our own lives.

You know, the writer to the Hebrews

issued a warning about this.

Look at it.

He says, but encourage one another

daily as long as it is called today,

so that none of you, writing to

Christians, may be hardened by sin's

deceitfulness.

In a room this size, there's most

likely people, professing Christians,

and if you're honest, your heart is a

whole lot harder right now than it was

this time last year.

You think, are you less sensitive to

the Spirit of God right now?

Are you less merciful and compassionate

and loving?

Have you developed some calluses in

your heart?

Not just toward God, but even toward

people.

This is a warning to us.

Don't be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

I want you to understand, it can ruin

your life.

It can cost you some relationships.

It can cost you more than you want to

pay.

Let's learn from Jonah.

Don't become so hardened that you're

willing to die before you'll do God's

will.

He may, he could let you do that.

The final lesson I want us to look at

this morning is, it's always to our

advantage that we maintain an open heart

and mind to God's call and a willingness

to do His will.

Just think, if Jonah had obeyed God the

first time, he would have avoided all the

pain and misery that he went through and

that he caused these sailors and everybody

else in the ship to go through.

God's will is always the best for us and

the people around us.

Don't make God teach you every lesson the

hard way.

All of us in this room, we've learned a lot

of lessons the hard way.

It's no fun, is it?

We don't need to learn God's lessons the

hard way and we don't have to.

Let's learn from Jonah's mistakes.

Let's learn to trust God.

To obey Him willingly the first time,

every time.

And if we love Him, why don't we do it?

If we're confident that He loves us, we

have to be confident that His plan, His

will will lead to the best life possible

for us.

So let's learn to trust God and be

faithful to obey Him every time.

Let's pray together.

Father, show us now how we should

respond.

Make it clear if our heart is hard.

Maybe we don't even see it.

We don't know it because it's so hard.

Lord, intervene in whoever's life needs

your intervention to make this known.

If there are people here who are not

Christians, make it clear to your God that

their real problem is that they don't

know you.

They're far from you.

And I pray that you'll help that person to

be honest and admit it, turn from their

sin and trust Jesus as their Savior and

Lord right now.

If there's Christians in this room, Father,

who are running from you, running from

doing something specific that they know

you want them to do, help them to

understand they can run all they want to,

but they can't get away.

And Father, help us all to understand that

if there's something that you have

determined that we will do, we will do it.

But Lord, help us to avoid the pain,

the discipline

of getting us in a position where

we do want it.

Let's just all be still and quiet before the Lord

and respond to Him as He speaks to us.

And I would be happy to pray with you during this time.

If you want to come down to the front as musicians play.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.