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Show JONAH'S ASSIGNMENT FROM GOD "Now, the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son ofAmittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for there wickedness is come up before me." (Jonah 1: 1-2) always something for us to do. God never created anything without a purpose. So He assigned duties and responsibilities to every thing. He told Adam to take care of the garden. He told There is Noah to build ark and preserve a remnant of the people and His creation. an He told Abraham to have become a blessings a son and great nation by receiving the of the Lord. He told Lot to leave Sodom and Gomorrah and not look 1 back. He told Jacob to humble himself forgive his brother Esau. He told Joseph to save so he could feed the nations in famine. God gives us clear and that instructions so will for lives. our we can discern His Here in this text, Jonah is already a prophet/preacher when God comes to Him with are a special commission. These clear instructions and no doubt about setting forth this assignment given to Jonah by God. The name Jonah means "dove", a great name for one who would it be harmless and yet would mourn for the conditions of the soul. God wants Jonah to go to Nineveh and to preach city, yet a a specific message of judgment, of repentance for their wickedness. Nineveh was a great a heathen city, 2 city without the presence of God, a city wicked to the chore, a city in darkness, a city filled presumption and malice. F or this capitol city was known for it cruelty and its violence. God wanted that to change. There are some things we ought to leave behind for our good or gain. Their with up before God and whenever wickedness comes up expect wickedness is judgment to come come down. It was Jonah's warning, not whisper it shout it in the highways call to sound the in a comer There but are two .. or three lessons we can today. First, God is tired of our cruelty and violence and wants us to lay it aside. Some of the things we do to children, to our spouses, to those in mental facilities, to the hungry and the homeless, to the learn from this text for 3 us and the voiceless, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. Whether it be powerless sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, or physical abuse to please God, it up. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul begs "Wherefore seeing we also are we must give compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12: 1) In words, put off all of that which weights us down, the sin that comes easy others upon us. Second, God wants us to be instruments to tell others to quit their wicked ways. We may say" we are alright with God, but God says we have 4 a responsibility to call others to task on their shortcomings. Since we have gotten rid of our own challenges, we are to model good behavior and show others how to walk upright. Weare to become examples for those around us of Godly behavior. One of our greatest problems is that we have to walk and talk our faith in God. Third, don't try to run away from God. Jonah got up and headed toward Joppa away form the presence of God but God watched him all the way. He thought by leaving town and going in different a direction, he could get away from himself and his nature. But when you do not change, running will be in vain. Notice that when Jonah tried to get away from God, the book says he "went 5 down to Joppa." paid the fare. He ship. He went from the He went down in the presence of the Lord. It is not that the Lord left him but that he turned away from the Lord. He ignored the cost of doing his own thing and sought to where he wanted. All the way it down. I've was morning to invite us for the ready, easy, coasting, come not to settle go this downward way. The crowd is on that downward road. Even the best of men, left to themselves, going down away from the presence of God is headed for the untold storm. So, hear ye the Word of the Lord. Take the road less traveled, go the inconvenient way, travel in demanding paths, tread the upward road, head for the 6 hills of God, journey the straight and narrow way. Go, if you have to go hy . yourself. demanding hut it will pay high dividends. It will he challenging It will he hut it will cleanse you. It will he unfamiliar hut you will find God there. It will cost you your will he your all. all, hut life everlasting 7 |
