Jonah - Submitting to Grace

And it's on page 927, and Harry is going to read that, so Jonah 2, he's going to perish.

Jonah chapter 2, the whole chapter.

Jonah 2 · chapter mention

Yeah, the whole chapter, Harry.

And don't generally get sight of the fish, right?

From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.

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.

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.

I said, I have been banished from your sight.

Yet I will look again towards your holy temple.

The engulfing waters threatened me.

The deep surrounded me.

Seaweed was wrapped around my head.

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.

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord.

And my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be there.

But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.

What I have bowed I will make good.

Salvation comes from the Lord.

And the Lord commanded the fish.

And it prompted Jonah unto try not.

Thank you very much.

Keep your finger.

1, 2, 1, 0.

Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 to 6.

Hebrews 12:1–6

And then verse 11.

Thank you.

Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 to 6.

Hebrews 12:1–6

And verse 11.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

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.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross,

scorning its shame,

and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God,

considering him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

so that he will not grow weary and lose heart.

When you struggle against sin,

you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,

and you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons.

My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

And verse 11.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace

for those who have been trained by it.

When I first came to Carigoline,

I met somebody who works with seaweed.

I've never met anybody before who's met with seaweed, wrong.

Is that man?

Now I've discovered that Jonah was probably the first seaweed man.

The first five seaweed was wrapped around his head.

Maybe he was the founder of cyber colloids.

I don't know.

But we're not here to think about that.

We're here to think about Jonah.

The title we've given to this morning is

Submitting to Grace,

and we're going to pray and ask for God's help

as we look at this together.

Let's do that.

Father, thank you for your grace to us.

We're people who are in need.

We need your help.

And so in your grace,

pour out your Holy Spirit upon us.

Generously fill us so that we may understand better

your word to us,

how it applies to our lives,

and how it all works out in practice.

Please encourage us through this morning, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

The Horse Whisperer.

It's a bit of a chick flick,

but it's a film starring Robert Redford,

who is highly regarded as a horse tamer.

He takes his wild and stubborn and aggressive horses,

and he gently breaks them to the control of the owner.

By gently applying pressure,

at times it can seem cruel and harsh.

He tames the stubborn will

till it submits to the will of the Master.

Now in our story of Jonah in chapter 2,

it seems that God is having to tame

a very stubborn runaway.

In chapter 1,

Jonah verse 2 was told,

Go!

But verse 3,

Jonah ran away from the Lord.

God had called him, do you remember,

to go to Nineveh

to preach against that great city.

But Jonah had other plans.

Stubbornly and disobediently,

he ran in the other direction.

The last thing that Jonah wanted

was for his enemies,

the people of Nineveh,

to experience God's grace

and forgiveness.

So God gently applies a little bit of pressure

to tame this stubborn will

so that he submits to the will of the Master.

And that pressure comes,

verse 4 of chapter 1,

that the Lord sent a great wind on the sea

and such a violent storm arose

that the ship threatened to break up.

Surely this is going to tame Jonah.

But it seems Jonah is somewhat arrogant.

Look at verse 5.

All the sailors were afraid

and they cried out to their own God

and they began to throw the cargo

into the sea to lighten the ships.

But Jonah had gone below deck

where he lay down and fell

into a deep sleep

right the way through the storm.

It seems that he is quite content

to be disobedient.

It's as if Jonah is saying,

God, you can do what you like.

You can throw storms,

but I ain't going.

But God, through the storm,

does not back down.

And eventually Jonah begins to be tamed.

Verse 11.

The sea was getting rougher and rougher.

So they asked him,

what should we do to make the sea

calm down for us?

Jonah replied,

pick me up

and throw me into the sea.

I know that it is my fault

that this great storm

has come upon you.

It seems that God,

through the storm,

has got Jonah's attention

and he's beginning

to be tamed.

Now at one level,

Jonah's request

seems a little bit like

a mad act of suicide.

Throw me into the sea!

They all knew

if he was going to be

thrown into the sea,

that would be the end of it.

But this isn't a rash decision

by Jonah.

This is a purposeful submission

to God's grace.

The request of being thrown overboard

is admitting defeat.

It's saying to God,

I surrender!

You see,

Jonah knew

who God was

and what he was like.

Look back at chapter 1,

verse 9.

He knew that he was

the God of heaven

who made the sea

and who made

the land.

We sang about it

at the beginning.

Indescribable,

uncontainable.

God is so big.

So for Jonah

to be thrown

into the sea

was in fact

to be thrown

into the hands

of God's grace.

Just to be thrown

into the sea

wasn't the end

of his life.

He was throwing himself

upon God.

And I think

that's what Jonah

is getting at

in chapter 2,

verse 8.

Where we have

this phrase,

those who cling

to worthless idols

forfeit the grace

that could be theirs.

An idol,

explains Tim Keller

in his book

Counterfeit Gods,

he says,

an idol is anything

more important

to you than God.

Anything that absorbs

your heart

and imagination

more than God.

Anything that you

seek to give you

what only God

can give.

Now for Jonah,

his idol

was autonomy.

He wanted to be

his own boss,

to rule his own life,

to be in charge

of his life,

to do what he wanted.

That was what

was most important

to him.

But as Jonah

was discovering

to push God out,

to rule

your own life,

is to forfeit

the grace

that could be yours.

I think we all

need to be tamed

just like Jonah

needed to be tamed.

Because we all

have the same

kind of idol

as Jonah.

We all want

to run our own lives,

we all want

to live our own way,

we all want

to pretend

that we're God.

We want to be

in control of everything

and we make up

the rules

for our own life.

But to fight God,

to run away from him,

to disobey,

and stubbornly

refuse to submit

to his will,

is to forfeit

the grace

and love of God

that could be ours.

So Jonah

has come to see

that the only

place to be

is in the security

of God's hands.

it's no good

running away

from him.

The only place

for him

is to be

with God.

And so

Jonah

throws himself

or he requests

that they

throw him

into the sea

because in doing

that he is

submitting himself

to God's grace.

We all need

to be tamed

and we all need

to submit

and surrender.

But how do

we do it?

Does that mean

we all have

to jump

into our cars

and drive

off down

to cross

Aden

and jump

off the pier

into the sea

and expect

a great big

fish to swallow

us up?

Now I don't

think we should

do that.

That would

be suicide.

But I think

here in chapter

two through

Jonah's prayer

we do have

a model

of how we

should submit

to God's

grace

in our life.

So first

in this prayer

submitting

to the

personal God

who listens.

Verse one

chapter two

From inside

the fish

Jonah prayed

to the Lord

his God.

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.

Now there's

something

that seems

not quite

right about

this prayer.

It sounds

a little bit

presumptuous

and almost

disrespectful.

Remember

Jonah has

stubbornly

and disobediently

run away

from God

but yet he

has the audacity

look at verse

one

to pray to

and he refers

to him as

the Lord

his God.

In fact

in verse six

it's even

stronger

at the very

end of verse six

he called

him

O Lord

my God.

How could

he do that

after all

his running

away?

How could

God still

be his God

my God?

Well this

is the kind

of God

that we have

that even

in the midst

of our sin

and disobedience

he is still

the personal

intimate

God.

He doesn't

block

his ears

to our

cry and

say

sorry

can't hear

you wouldn't

listen to me

Jonah

so I'm not

going to

listen to you

tit for tat.

No God's

not like that.

God is

gracious

slow to

anger

and abounding

in love

and so Jonah

can say with

confidence

that he cried

out

he answered

me

he called

for help

and you

listened

to my

cry.

Jonah had

written God

out of his

life

but for

those who

belong to

God

God

will never

write you

out

of his

life.

God

remains

steadfast

and loyal

so that we

can always

turn to our

personal God

confident

that he

will listen.

Sometimes

people say

to me

when they're

in a state

of running

away from

God

I can do

it myself

in my own

dialoguing

with God.

There's no

way

after what

I've done

that God

is going

to have me

back.

There's no

way after

what I've

said

that God

is going

to listen

to me.

Well we

should never

blame God

that he is

not going

to listen.

His grace

is wider

than we

could ever

imagine

and even

in the midst

of our

sin and

disobedience

even in our

running

he is still

the personal

and intimate

God who

comes close

and who

will answer

and who

will listen.

So this is

where submission

to grace

starts.

It's crying

out

independence

on a

personal

God

who will

always

listen

and answer.

But then

we discover

something else.

Submitting

to the

sovereign

Lord

who

intervenes.

If the

first part

of the

prayer

seems

somewhat

disrespectful

this next

part seems

contradictory.

look at what

Jonah says

in chapter

1 verse

12.

He said

to the

sailors

pick me

up

and throw

me into

the sea.

Then in

verse 15

of chapter

1

the sailors

took

Jonah

and they

threw him

overboard

and the

raging sea

grew calm.

man.

Now look

at chapter

2

verse 3.

Remember

he's

praying

talking to

God

and look

what he

says in

verse 3.

You

God

you hurled

me

into the

deep

into the

very heart

of the

sea

and the

current

swirled

about me

all your

waves

and breakers

swept

over me.

So my

dear Watson

who threw

Jonah

overboard?

Was it the

sailors

or was it

God?

Well the

sailors

physically

manhandled

him and

picked him

up and

threw him

into the

sea.

but I

think the

bigger one

behind it

that God

stands behind

their action.

I think

this is what

chapter 2

is telling

us.

That God

is the

one who

has ordered

these events

to take

place.

Chapter 1

verse 4

told us

that it

was the

Lord who

sent this

great storm.

He sent

the winds.

He purposed

and willed

that Jonah

would go

overboard.

Now that

tells us

that the

events and

circumstances

of our

lives

do not

happen by

chance.

There's no

such thing

as luck.

The trouble

that we

find ourselves

in,

the suffering

that comes

our way,

yes,

God

stands

behind it

all to

fulfill his

purpose in

our lives.

what?

In

protest,

we

stamp our

feet,

we say,

God could

never bring

anything bad

or unpleasant

into our

lives.

The God

that I

know is

a God

of love.

He would

never do

anything

rotten

and mean.

Well,

who are we

that created

to tell

our creator

what he

should do?

And as

much as we

may come

to struggle

and try

and work

out what's

going on,

and it

will take

a whole

other sermon

and a big

series to

explore that

idea,

in this

context,

it seems

that God

is ordering

the events

deliberately

and purposefully

in the life

of Jonah

to bring

him back

to himself.

And if

God will do

that for

Jonah,

why can't

he do

it with

us?

In fact,

Jonah has

come to

see that

what God

did,

he did

for the

purpose of

changing

his life

around.

Look at

verse 4.

He said,

I have

been banished

from your

sight.

Verse 5,

the engulfing

waters

threatened

me,

the deep

surrounded

me,

seaweed

was wrapped

around my

head,

to the

roots of

the mountains

I sank

down,

the earth

beneath

barred me

in forever.

Do you

remember back

in chapter

1,

verse 3,

it tells

us there

that Jonah

ran away

and the

translation

is literally

Jonah was

running away

from the

presence

of the

Lord.

Of course,

it's rather

silly,

isn't it?

We can't

run from

the presence

of God.

How can

we run

away from

the creator

who made

the sea

and the

land?

We can't

get away

from God

even if

we tried.

But you

know what?

God can

remove his

presence

from us.

And that's

what Jonah

was experiencing

in verse 4.

He said,

I have been

banished

from your

sight.

God

took Jonah

and he

put him

into the

storm.

He allowed

Jonah

to sink

beneath the

waves.

He allowed

him to

struggle

under the

weight of

seaweed.

He allowed

him to

fall to

the very

foundation

of the

mountains.

As if God

was saying

through it

all,

if you

want to

run away

from my

presence,

Jonah,

this is

what it's

going to be

like.

And it's

only when

Jonah

begins to

submit to

God's

sovereign

control

over his

life and

over the

world that

he made

that God

intervenes.

Look at

the end of

verse 6.

In the

midst of

all that

going down,

he can

say,

but you

brought my

life up

from the

pit.

O Lord

my God.

It's at

this point,

I imagine,

when the

great fish

was provided

that God

intervenes in

his life and

Jonah is

saved.

And no

wonder he

can finish

his prayer

at the end

of verse 9.

Salvation

comes from

the Lord.

Now I'm

not saying

that everything

bad that

happens or

every experience

of suffering

is because

you are

running away

from God.

It does not

necessarily mean

if you're in

that place

that you are

running from

God.

We mustn't

think like

that.

But what we

can say

see is that

God will

bring into

our lives

whatever it

takes.

He will

let us

experience

distress.

He will

even let us

experience the

removal of

his presence

only to

cause us to

submit to

his grace

when we are

running away

from him.

who are we

to tell the

creator

what he

should do

in our

life.

And this

is where

submission to

grace begins.

Trusting in a

sovereign God

who is in

control of

every single

detail of our

life.

A sovereign

God who

works to

intervene

to bring us

back to

himself.

But then

there is also

submitting to

the gracious

God who

restores.

Jonah's

experience inside

the fish of

the belly and

through the

storm, it

couldn't have

been easy.

There is no

pretending that

this was hard.

But God

uses all of

these experiences

to bring Jonah

back to

himself.

And thankfully

God doesn't

do things in

half measures.

Verse 8

chapter 2.

Those who

cling to

worthless idols

forfeit the

grace that

could be

theirs.

But I,

says Jonah,

with a song

of thanksgiving

will sacrifice

to you what

I have

vowed I

will make

good.

Salvation

comes from

the Lord.

In other

words, Jonah

is making a

vow, he's

making a

promise to

commit himself

to God.

In response

to God's

amazing grace

intervening into

his life on

the ship,

putting him

into the

storm,

providing this

great big

fish, Jonah

responds and

says,

you did this

for me.

In

thanksgiving

for all that

you have done,

I am going

to give my

life to

serve you.

God's

God's

intention all

along.

God's

call to

Jonah had

never changed

as we will

see next

week in

chapter 3.

God still

comes to

Jonah and

he still

sends him

to Nineveh.

Rather than

throw Jonah

up onto the

trash heap

because he

failed, he

graciously

restores him

to the

work that

he had

originally

been called

to.

The

culture that

we live

in and

the society

that we

are used

to gives

no room

for failure

and very

often the

church family

can look

down on

those who

sin and

disobey and

just write

them off and

say, I

mean look at

them, all

their disobedience

and their

sin, out.

We need to

take time to

see how God

works with

his people

and we

need to be

gracious with

one another.

God does

not throw

us out on

the garbage

can every

time we

fail.

He

graciously

restores

us, bringing

us back to

himself.

Have a

look please

with me at

Hebrews

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12.

It's on

page 1210.

When Jonah

was running

away from

God, he

had certainly

lost sight of

God's grace

God's love.

Jonah had

taken his

focus off

the God

who saves.

So for us,

chapter 12,

verse 2,

let's not

lose our

focus.

Let us,

verse 2,

fix our

eyes on

Jesus,

Jesus, the

author and

perfecter of

our faith.

He is the

one who

starts our

salvation,

and he is

the one who

will complete

our salvation.

And how does

he do it?

Well, look at

the rest of

verse 2.

who for the

joy set

before him

endured the

cross,

scorning its

shame,

and sat

down at the

right hand of

the throne of

God.

When Jesus

was on the

cross,

it was like

he was

thrown by

his father

into the

ultimate

storm,

into the

storm of

God's

wrath,

where Christ

on the

cross was

taking all

of our

sin,

and all

of our

disobedience,

and all

of our

failure on

himself,

and we're

told here

that Jesus

submitted

himself to

the cross,

he didn't

run away

from it,

because of

the joy

that was

before him.

The joy

would be

our salvation.

And when

Jesus died

on the

cross,

it was as

if he was

overcome by

the waves

of judgment,

he sank

down into

the depths

of hell

for you

and for

me,

so that we

would never

be banished

from his

presence,

so that we

would know

his grace

in our

lives each

and every

day.

God

not only

saves us,

his desire

is to

keep his

children,

and to

never lose

his children,

even if

and when

we run

away from

him.

Look at

verse 5

of Hebrews

12.

Have you

forgotten

that word

of encouragement

that addresses

you as

sons or

as children?

My child,

do not

make light

of the

Lord's

discipline.

Do not

lose heart

when he

rebukes

you.

Jonah

knew what

it was

to be

disciplined.

Verse 6,

9,

he

gently

corrects

everyone

he

accepts

as a

child.

verse 9,

we have

all had

human

fathers

who

disciplined

us,

and we

respected

them for

us.

even if

our

human

fathers

were

wrong

in the

way

they

did

it,

and

even

though

they

can

get

things

wrong,

the

comparison

is not

to say

God is

like our

fathers,

but how

much

more

should

we

submit

to the

father

of our

spirits

and

live?

Verse 11,

no

discipline

seems

pleasant

at the

time,

but

painful.

Later on,

however,

it produces

a harvest

of

righteousness

and peace

for those

who have

been trained

by it.

And we

see that

the hard

things that

we go

through in

life at

times is

all part

of God's

love,

all part

of his

grace,

that he

doesn't want

us to

wander

too far

away,

but he

wants to

bring us

back,

he wants

to tame

us,

he wants

to train

us,

he wants

us to

submit

to the

will

of the

father.

God

in his

grace sent

his son,

the Lord

Jesus,

to save

us,

and should

we ever

run away

from God,

by his

grace,

he will

discipline

us,

he will

tame

us,

he will

train

us,

he will

bring

into our

lives

whatever

he sees

fit,

so that

we stay

close to

his grace,

so that

we stay

immersed in

his love,

so that

he will

never ever

lose us.

This is

where

submission to

grace

begins,

entrusting

ourselves

ourselves

to a

gracious

God

who will

restore.

Let's

pray

together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And in so doing we forfeit the grace that is ours.

Lord, please that you would forgive us for the times we run our own way and cling to other things instead of you.

Please be gracious to us.

In your love, gently discipline us so that we come back to you.

Father, if we have drifted, please forgive us.

Please restore us afresh.

Fill our lives with the joy and the wonder of your amazing grace.

Please overwhelm us with your love.

And let us stay close to you as you hold on to us.

We thank you for the gracious God that you are.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

We're going to sing a, I think it's a new song.

Some of you may...