Amen. Right, so Jonah, the book of Jonah is our new Bible study on a Sunday evening. Obviously
we're starting in Jonah chapter 1. Who was Jonah? Who was Jonah? Jonah was a prophet
who was alive in or before the reign of Jeroboam II. So he's also mentioned in, you don't have
to turn there, it's a quick mention, I'll just read it out, in 2 Kings 14, 25, which
talk of the second Jeroboam, son of Joash, king of Israel, says he restored the coast
of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word
of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son
of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hephir. Now this is approximately 820 years BC, so
before the Lord came and it is pretty clear obviously that Jonah was a prophet, a servant
of the Lord it says here, okay, so of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet.
Now we see in Jonah chapter 1 and verse 1, it says the word of the Lord came unto him,
it says now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of Amittai, so it's the same
one, saying arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness
is come up before me. I'd like to also go to the Lord in a quick word of prayer. Father,
I thank you for this great book of the Bible, I thank you for the book of Jonah, I thank
you for the truths we can learn from it, please help me to preach accurately and clearly now,
help me to preach boldly, help people to just be attentive now, to stay awake, please keep
the distractions to a minimum and help those here just to have open ears and open hearts
to what your word's got to say to them, help me to be fully a spirit, Lord, and in Jesus'
name I pray all of this, Amen. So God tells his prophet, this preacher Jonah here, to
go to a place called Nineveh and basically shout or yell against it, that's what he means
by crying here, he's not saying go and have a little sob and a little boo-hoo, he's saying
go and shout against it. Where is Nineveh? So just to give you an idea of this, well,
now it's Northern Iraq, it's the area we now know of as Northern Iraq, then it was the
capital of the Assyrian Empire, and it was a huge city, okay, it was a big huge city,
it had a population of more than 120,000 we see according to Jonah chapter 4 and verse
11, which without high-rise flats is pretty big, right, yeah, 120,000 single-story hard
imagined dwellings is big, yeah, very big. The books of the minor prophets Nahum and
Zephaniah predict its eventual total destruction as well, and by the way, no one seemed to
find any trace of it, so it was actually a bit of a kind of, people were even trying
to suggest it was possibly a myth and everything else and were questioning the validity of
the Bible account of this place Nineveh, but in recent history there have actually been
loads of archaeological findings of Nineveh and loads of things which have just completely
backed up the biblical account, and I'm not going to go into all that because no one really
needs that here, okay, we know the word of God is true by faith in the word of God, don't
we, and we know that every word is true, but it's just been quite interesting that
more recently having had a lot of doubt and debate about this, there's been a lot found
recently and it's basically this huge powerful great city, and it's by no means a city with
God's people in it, okay, I don't know if there was any, maybe there were some people
saved there, but it was very few if any, this is the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and
the prophet Jonah is told to go and preach against it, now notice he's not told to go
and preach there and cosy up and cuddle up with everyone and try and be a shining light
and everything else and hopefully he's going to blend in and people, no he's told to preach
against the city, preach against this huge, this powerful city because of their wickedness,
that's why he's being told to preach against it because of their wickedness, doesn't sound
like an easy job does it? That does not sound like an easy job, he's got to go to this place,
to this going to be a very hostile environment and preach against it and lift up his voice
and shout and yell and scream about how wicked a place this is, how wicked the people are,
the wicked sins that they're involved in, the wickedness that's going on there, that's
not an easy job is it? Yeah, that's not a job for the faint hearted, and you can kind
of understand why maybe Jonah here maybe isn't so keen on this job, yeah because we
can kind of look at it, oh God told him to do something, he's just running away, well
I would like to see how many people here would be willing to do similar and just go there
and start screaming and shouting in the streets of some city somewhere where there's probably
full of heathens and everything else, but it's not an easy job because being a servant
of God, preaching and look, again I'm not talking about myself here, you guys who do
men's preaching nights yeah, you ladies that go out preaching the gospel, you men that
go out preaching the gospel, visiting preaching in the future, just preaching the Word of
God, preaching the truth in what is a sinful and adulterous generation, it's not an easy
job is it? It's not an easy job at all, it's not all handshakes and five-star reviews okay
if anyone's honouring and I think some people maybe, maybe when they first got saved, maybe
people kind of looked at some of these preachers and thought I want to be there, I want to
be the next Pastor Anderson, you know and people are going to be just you know telling
me how great I am and it's going to be likes and wow and the fame and everything else and
there are people out there like that yeah and many Pastors talked about people like
that out there, but it's not like that is it okay because it's not, it's not a popular
job but it's not popular just going out and preaching the gospel anyway and praise God
that people here go and preach the gospel but I mean we had it today, we're preaching
the gospel, a guy was parked across what interestingly this kind of semi driveway-ish side of a house
was covered in rubble as well so no one could even park in it and the guy that we're trying
to preach through the car window wants to listen who's kind of jacked up half on the
curb you know it's a bit of a weird position he's in, wants to listen, we preach to him
suddenly the window opens, this guy starts effing and blinding you know shouting at us
I don't want to hear you're effing this and that and etcetera I mean just just unreal
and you know and you're in the middle of preaching the gospel and I said to him you know you
don't have to eff and blah blah blah I think I said to him well why do you hate the Bible
or why do you hate God or something along those lines and then then it starts winding
you up you know and I'm with brother Lucky here and brother Lucky's thinking oh wow you
know because it's just it's unreal isn't it but that's one guy and we find that hard sometimes
don't we and we're thinking you know and you start to get tempted to get in the flesh
there when someone's shouting abuse at you for daring to be near his house preaching
from the word of God let alone going to a city and crying against it and that's not
it's not easy is it and none of us have had to do that and look you know I know you get
these idiots that think they're so bold because they get soapbox out and you know stand in
the street and talk a load of nonsense but when you're really preaching the truth that's
when you come up against the the obstacles don't you yeah the repent of your sins preacher
generally gets laughed at but when you're up there and you're preaching the truth you're
preaching the gospel you're preaching what the word of God says and when you are a child
of God then you're going to come up against opposition aren't you and Jonah obviously
is that looking forward to this it's not always popular with God's people let alone with the
heathen let alone with the heathen look it's not always but look when I stand here and
I'm preaching on sins that affect people in the church I'm not expecting it to be popular
that's not necessarily fun when a man stands up on men's preaching I preach something that
maybe he feels that that's going to convict some people maybe he's felt drawn to preach
that look maybe he knows I'm not going to be that popular after this but that's not
why we're up here is it it's not a popularity contest I've said this many times before if
you're standing behind a pulpit trying to be popular trying to be everyone's best friend
that you're in the wrong job yeah you go and stand somewhere else yeah because when you
preach the truth the word of God firstly it's not going to be popular with God's people
let alone with the world let alone with the world so Jonah's been asked to go and do that
Jonah hasn't just been asked Jonah's been told to go and do that so how did Jonah respond
to God's command he legged it he legged it Jonah went literally the other direction says
in verse three but Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and
went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish so he paid the fare thereof and
went down into it to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord now it seems
that Tarshish is a port in the south of Spain and look if you if you know your geography
at all he's basically been told to go kind of northeast ish and he's gone kind of as
far as he can southwest yeah he's just gone look he's just gone as far as he can all the
way over to a port sort of in the south of Spain and look it's kind of a bit of a fleeing
that's not just like oh God give me a bit of time I'm waiting he's just legged it yeah
he's done the complete opposite now what was Jonah called here Jonah the servant of the
Lord yeah I just I just showed you didn't I the prophet yeah the prophet Jonah he's
directly commanded to go and preach in Nineveh and he basically says I quit yeah he says
no I quit now according to our unsaved think they're saved Christians out there many of
these what would be their initial response to Jonah must be unsaved must be unsaved he's
gone the other direction he's not even in church I mean in church he's literally legged
it yeah he's gone the other I must be unsaved how could he be saved isn't that the sort of
nonsense you hear well if he's not if he's not in the things of God was he saved in the first was
he saved he's a prophet of the Lord but he's one in the other direction isn't he must be in some
wicked sin how about that backslidden wickedness Jonah must be but but again we don't see any any
example that he's okay you could say it is a wicked sin just completely rejecting the commandment of
God but it's not that he's in some sort of debauchery or something else how about this
one well if you're saved you would follow God's commandments yeah that one a lot haven't you well
if you were saved you wouldn't do that what is it you wouldn't do that well they are but would
you don't you know when you ask someone a question what if you did that well if you were saved you
wouldn't do that so sorry what's the line what is it that you would have wouldn't do if you're
saved and not safe and again you hear all this stuff out there don't you and and it's just so
far removed from the Word of God if I was saved well I wouldn't go and do this Jonah went to the
other side of the world he was a prophet and he was told what to do and he went to the other side
of the world but but again it's lost on people that want to somehow justify themselves and not
just put their faith in the Lord for salvation now God's prophet on the high from God he said I'm done
I'm not doing it yeah okay we've seen that he said I'm not doing it I'm not going there I'm not going
to Nineveh no and we can all have times and we feel like that can't we yeah everyone here has
had times and they feel like just saying I'm not doing it I'm not going soul winning how about that
yeah I'm not going so winning now Jonah we've just been saying you can understand it with Jonah but
other people you go to you go to especially you know some of the false churches especially the
very liberal and weak sort of types and they'd be like what on earth you know you know is that is
that really do you really need to go out and preach the gospel or the Bible says preach the
gospel doesn't it but many people turn around and go I'm not doing it I'm not doing it no I'm not
going what about what about preaching the gospel and it might look for some for some going out and
preaching gospel to a stranger is petrifying yeah going out and approaching someone knocking on their
door going up to someone and trying to talk to them about the things that God is is terrifying
but for other people it's it's okay but you know for some people you know what else is terrifying
is maybe to family or friends maybe to that thinks they're clever evolutionist type you know family
member maybe that one's a bit more scary maybe the one who seems to be very well-read or just is just
awkward maybe one of those awkward people want maybe one of those mockers one of those mocking
scorn again but God tells preach the gospel to every creature doesn't he yeah doesn't he so
sometimes they're sometimes you're the only person look we can't knock every door how many churches in
this nation are knocking on the door with the correct gospel anyone know of any others knock
going out knocking on the door with the correct gospel not there's a couple that I know of a cup
I know of a couple of saved people that are at churches going out and doing that okay and and
look there are I'm not trying to be we're the only one and I look this nation by the way is different
to the US of when you do and I remind people is when you hear preaching from the US and it's good
preaching saying find a church go to a church there is a church don't be one of those where
there's no church completely agree in the US here it is a bit of a different kettle of fish okay
it's not that there's just all these like IFB churches but they're just not they don't agree
with us it's pretty bad isn't it okay you're hard-pressed to find a church where they believe
the gospel okay but but with that there are there's a couple but going out and knocking the
doors I mean you're talking like a couple of people in these congregations three four maybe
five once a week on a Sunday maybe going out knocking it is someone do you think gonna knock
the door of your family member who lives nowhere near this church do you think that's gonna happen
I don't think so and unless you can get one of your church members go knock on their door because
you think maybe they're more likely to listen to them and there's nothing wrong with doing that by
the way but the chances are you're probably the only person that's gonna have the opportunity to
preach in the gospel God tells us preach gospel to every creature but how many people go yeah well
I'm knocking the door on the week I'm knocking the door on the weekend I'm gonna preach in the
gospel forget them I just can't deal with the embarrassment the awkwardness of mocking the
shame or whatever it is that you feel you're gonna get from that person it's gonna be awkward at
family parties afterwards oh dear it's gonna be a bit funny yeah how many people yeah but we're
told to preach the gospel friends and like I said sometimes strangers sometimes strangers it's other
people that are fine with the family and friends they're alright with the people that they're
comfortable with it's not so easy with the strangers well we don't want to be leggy it
do we we don't want to be on that ship to Tarshish and here's another one how many preachers though
are on the ship to Tarshish how many preachers are not doing what they've been commanded by God
to do because what the reason that we haven't got churches around this nation going out preaching
the gospel and going out and doing that is because the preachers aren't send them out because the
preachers aren't preaching the Word of God and how many of them are on the ship to Tarshish just
on the first point alone God said in verse to arise go to Nineveh that great city and cry
against it for their wickedness has come up before me because a man of God is told to shout
against sin he's told to lift up his voice against sin you don't have to turn to Isaiah 58 one a
famous verse Isaiah is told to cry aloud that shout aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a
trumpet and show my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins we are commanded to
do that aren't we now look you don't have to shout every word that comes out of your mouth if you're
behind a pulpit but we are told to go and show God's people their transgression and sometimes
and in fact all the time as well we are also told to shine the light on those nations around us and
shine the light on their wickedness because we have to live amongst it so on that just a quick
list of thought of here Jeremiah Zechariah John the Baptist Jesus Peter and Paul in Acts are all
described as crying or as we would call it shouting when they preach okay and that's just
ones who are described as that and I'm sure that the rest of them were doing it as well okay that's
just what I what I found once when I went through this a while back as Jonah was commanded to hear
and the cry against the wickedness of that city of that nation yeah but if you're going to a church
week after week yeah and again it doesn't have to be every week but if you start getting into the
multiple weeks and you're not hearing any sin getting preached about no sin being named and
shame no sin getting preached about then that preacher is already on his way to Tarshish isn't
he he's already running from the Lord he's running from the commandment of the Lord and going any
other direction and where does that direction end up it ends up in just some sort of liberal
excuse for a church where people are just standing there trying to tickle the ears of their
congregants and it's wicked and look it's hard going I've said it before and I know for many
people here it's still early days of being in a proper church being in a church where really
you're getting your sins preached on being in a church where sometimes getting shouted at where
sometimes you're getting your feathers ruffled but and it can be hard going but you know what
that's what the Word of God commands and it's good for you and and good on you that you look
many of you are still sitting here going yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna hear I'm gonna hear some some
preaching sometimes I'm not saying I'm the best preacher but what I am saying is I'm trying to
preach the Word of God like the Word of God commands it to be preached and how many preach
they're doing it nowadays and how many of these guys are probably already in Tarshish on a deck
chair eating tappers because they're sure as hell not doing what God commanded them to and
haven't been doing it for a long time and I don't think the journey is that long and I think they
end up there and they're just saying it's just all downhill from there isn't it because you go
to these places you and you at these places you got the King James you seem to have the gospel
right yet we're just spending week after week after week kind of dissecting one verse and we
haven't really got anywhere or we're spending week after week after week here in the gospel just
dressed up with a different ribbon and a different kind of different story proceeding and following
it but that's not what the Word of God calls for and that's and and what was Jonah told to do preach
the word now it's not just the preachers because there are there are many hard things not just
preaching there many hard things that God commands us to do yeah where every single person here has
hard things that God commands them to do and that's often when we start hiding that's when
we start hiding from God when we know there's something that we should be doing as men women
children of God that's a lot of the time when we start hiding when we start getting the boat in
the other direction that's when the Bible goes away isn't it when there's something you know you
should be doing there's some decision you know you should be making there's something you know
you should be doing and that's when you start to distance from God it happens it will continue to
happen and probably everyone hears lives at some point or another the praying gets less yeah suddenly
the prayers get a little bit harder don't they when you know there's something you should be
doing for God when you know there's some sin in your life you should be getting rid of when there's
some decision you should be making when there's some thing you should be doing to be in the in the
will of God that's when the praying gets less that's when the Bible reading gets less isn't it
that's when the church attendant starts to get less doesn't it that's when there seems to be
more and more excuses not to be at church well how many hide from the Lord because maybe they
don't want to make that journey to church how about that they don't want to make that journey
they don't want to be around God's people so then they start hiding from the Lord they start hiding
from the Word of God a lot of the time you'll find someone who's not in church do you think
they're really sitting there and their Bible readings like solid every day at this time I'm
reading my Bible my prayers solid my soul when he saw I just don't go to church look it might
go last for a little while it quickly slips yeah and the end it's kind of it's a bit of a vicious
circle as well because then in the same way the people who aren't reading the Bible regularly the
people that aren't praying regularly the people that aren't so winning regularly a lot of the
time the church going slips doesn't it and the church attendance slips and other things start
to coming away and other excuses start to be made if you're not in church or let's just point this
out because I preach this stuff and I know we have people viewing sometimes and people that we do try
and make the live stream accessible yeah it's not a replacement but we do have people in countries
where there is not a church but look if there's literally nothing nothing at all it doesn't sound
like they're going to be able to start up some something soon they should be making effort to
try and find a way of being in church okay look I understand that's hard yeah I understand it's not
easy to change your whole life to relocate but what do you think God wants you to do do you think
it was easy for Jonah to go to Nineveh no but what did God tell him to do to go to Nineveh and look
God wants us in church but there are people that may be in the process of what might eventually be
a church plant in the future maybe there are people that are starting to form what we formed
here and look praise God that's great yeah they should still try and visit a church regularly I
think as regular as they can but I wouldn't say right like if everyone just moved then there would
be probably only a couple of countries with Christians in it wouldn't they yeah okay and we
should try and work sometimes what we got but they should be networking they should be you know
should be trying to find other believers they should be so winning they should be congregating
they should be doing things they should be trying to be part of some the nearest church they can in
the meantime and trying to find a way of being some sort of capitalist to a church in the future
so you should be one of those two things because if not you might as well be in Tarshish yeah you
might because what you're gonna be what you're doing you might as well be in Tarshish if you're
swerving so winning you're sailing to Tarshish by the way if you're swerving so when if you're
refusing to go to someone you already you already got one foot on on on deck haven't you and by the
way you don't want to have like one foot on because when those boats start moving and stuff
you suddenly you're doing the splits yeah you know you don't want to be doing the splits you want to
be making sure that you're in the things of God make sure you're in the things of God and you're
not starting that slippery slope start in that voyage that journey hiding from God because it's
not always easy to come back from there and and look God wants you back it's not always easy so
is that journey do you think that journey is going to be a pleasure cruise was it a pleasure
cruise for Jonah well what you can hide from God it's up to you well it definitely was it look at
verse 4 but the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea
so that the ship was like to be broken now I'm sure when Jonah boarded that ship that he probably
didn't imagine it was going to be like that he probably thought he maybe got on a nice nice
cruise ship he probably thought he's going to have a nice comfortable bed on it I think he did
have a comfortable bed because he's sleeping actually further on but he probably thought
it's going to be a nice journey but no it looks like there was then a mighty tempest in the sea
and sometimes it does take a mighty tempest to get our attention isn't it sometimes it's sometimes
often it's the storms in life which then put our attention back to God yeah it's often the storms
in life that is that when we do turn back they're the times that we do start praying to God and look
you start you a lot of the time when things get a bit easy that's when we don't really seek God
isn't it yeah that's the truth of the Christian life and we need those storms a lot of the time
and those storms make us get on our knees and pray to God they make us get back in the word they make
us get back in the church for those who aren't doing those things and for those who are out of
church they make us do the things of God yeah but you know what's even better is to be doing the
things of God anyway yeah make sure you're doing the things of God in the first place you want to
swerve those storms don't get on the ship in the first place because it's quite stormy out at sea
apparently well it seems here it's quite stormy it was a mighty tempest in the seas that the ship
was like to be broken and and there is another point here is it there that that you can run but
you can't hide yeah Christian you're saved you can run from God but you can't hide and God is long
suffering sometimes and some some people might be sitting here thinking well I haven't really been
doing much I've you know come along or whatever else it is whoever it is here maybe not maybe
people watching online maybe people in the future maybe people look back in the past and think that
but you know you can't hide forever yeah I don't know how far they've gone on their way to Tarshish
but God will find you in the end yeah and God will get your attention and God does want you
back you can still choose not to be you can still choose not to have the things of God but and you
can run but you can't hide the eyes of the Lord are ever aren't they beholding evil and the good
and and they are everywhere okay God sees everything you do it doesn't matter if you've
got out of this church oh it's okay the other church members can't see me now look we're not
who you who you should be worried about yeah it's God who you should be worried about oh well God's
not wherever it is God is not in my workplace yeah he is he's in your workplace yeah oh well
God's not God's not at home when I'm just selling my own with the kids yep God's at home when you're
there with the kids mums yeah God is everywhere okay and he sees everything you do and and he he
hears everything you say and in fact he hears everything that you say in your mind and on your
heart in fact he knows it before you say it yeah so you know it's probably good idea to get right
with God yeah so verse 5 says in the mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his God and cast
forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them but Jonah was gone down
into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep so the ship master came to him and said unto
him what meanest thou O sleeper arise call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that
we perish not now there are a couple of points here firstly I would hope and maybe maybe you
would miss it you know sometimes you could just got to sit down and read it carefully you can't
miss a picture of Christ here can you okay you can't miss a picture of Jesus Christ turn a mark
chapter 4 here in Jonah we see a great wind a mighty tempest the men are afraid and Jonah is
somehow asleep yeah during what is seems to be a pretty pretty mighty tempest now look at Mark
chapter 4 and from verse 36 mark 436 and this is Jesus Christ and when they had sent away the
multitude this is mark 436 and when they had sent away the multitude they took him even as he was in
the ship and there were also with him other little ships and there arose a great storm of wind and
the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full and he was in the hinder part of the ship
asleep on a pillow and they awake him and sound to him master carest thou not that we perish makes
you think of that him doesn't it well is that a coincidence you think is it a coincidence that
this seems to be the exact same situation as with Jonah have a many 800 odd years before 850 years
before no way Jonah's a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ in this event by the way is also recorded
in Matthew's and Luke's Gospels in case you make it miss it it marks yeah it's in three of the four
Gospels and and here it's clearly a picture there because it's showing that he's he is this picture
Jesus Christ when in also when you read after as you're seeing Jesus Christ you're seeing then this
this similarity to Jonah here okay so and also it's not just the sleeping bear okay the sleeping
bit while this storms going on just like Jonah's actions stop the storm so does Jesus so where you
are verse 39 it says in he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea peace be still and the
wind ceased and there was a great calm and he said unto them why are you so fearful how is it it how
is it that you have no faith and they feared exceedingly I said one to another what manner
of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him and we're going to also see the continual
fear of Jonah's shipmate similar situation here go back to Jonah chapter one with that in mind
and it doesn't stop there by the way because then there's a symbolism of Jonah giving his life for
the people so and obviously it's it's because of that that then eventually the the wind stops and
the Pete and the sea still like we just saw a mark there but verse 12 in Jonah 1 we just jumped
forward for a second says and he said unto them take me up and cast me forth into the sea so shall
the sea become unto you for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you okay so that's
some of the many pictures of Christ right at the beginning of this story and we're going to see
more but let's look at it just on the surface for a minute though okay so take away that picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ at foreshadowing of Christ and there's this mighty tempest right verse 5
where you are in Jonah 1 says then the mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his God and
cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them but Jonah has gone
down into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep now that for me is a pretty down
and depressed Jonah isn't it to be able to sleep through that now whether he slept through the
whole thing or he knew what was happening and managed to go to sleep either way that's some
ability to go to sleep there and I would I'm okay it can't be a hundred percent here but I would say
it's some ability to go to sleep here because he's pretty depressed and if you've ever been pretty
down in the dumps or even clinically depressed you probably know that you're pretty tired when
you feel like that and it's pretty easy for most people who feel like that to sleep and to see hours
and hours and hours you're thinking how on earth does someone sleep that long well because they're
depressed and here's the thing running away from God running in the other direction when you're a
child of God when you have the Holy Spirit okay there's no indwelling Holy Spirit at this point
here but you're a child of God you know the Word of God you know what you should be doing and for
us as children God with the indwelling Holy Spirit it's a pretty depressing thing to then be running
in the other direction okay it can make you pretty low it can make you pretty depressed and I'll tell
you what when you see Christians who are very low a lot of the time not all the time but a lot of
the time it's because they're going away from the things of God but then it becomes this vicious
circle doesn't it because then they're just feeling tired they just want to sleep the whole
time now he just wants to sleep but does that solve anything does it solve it for does the
tempest just stop did you just sleep it through and then things just start to get better again
doesn't solve anything because we have to face things eventually don't we so if again look it's
not always easy sometimes people go through some hard stuff in life sometimes people deal with it
different to other people and sometimes people can be feeling pretty low and pretty tired but
it doesn't solve your problems does it you still have to face your problems you're better to face
them earlier than face them after you've been sleeping in the tempest has been going on for
several hours and all the wares of the ship are being thrown overboard and you're back and you're
down to a point of kind of no return yeah it's better to just deal with it because the sleep
ain't going to solve anything is it the sleep doesn't solve it and it doesn't solve it for Jonah
here so the ship master came to in verse 6 and said unto him what meanest our sleeper arise call
upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not now notice how these guys
are at least a ship master is pretty ecumenical like most worshippers of false gods are yeah
they're pretty ecumenical verse 5 it said then the Mariners were afraid and cried every man
unto his God in small G so they've got all these different gods these different idols you know
different pagan gods in verse 6 a ship must says arise call upon thy God if so be that God will
think upon us that we perish not and it's kind of a bit of a just like any God will do you know
all one path is in it it's like because most of the time most of these people aren't really that
sincere are they yeah you knock how many times you're not going to do oh yes I'm a Catholic oh
okay so you believe in blood oh no I believe in reincarnation oh no I obviously don't you get
that I know I well I believe there's not really a heaven or hell so the Catholic Church teach
heaven and hell or I'm I'm you know I'm a you fill in the blank yeah it doesn't really matter
I mean how many times you knock it I'm a Muslim well I believe that the you know as long as I had
this VC as long as it's one God any God doesn't matter I mean this guy gone beyond the world it's
it's one God the Abrahamic religion type thing it gone way beyond that as long as like the Hindus
worship one girl whatever God it is one God fine go to heaven I mean it's a nonsense isn't it but
because really because it's just another false God and I say this many times as well how all these
people all these like different versions of work salvation whether it's pre salvation during
salvation in terms of at that time you had to do something or post salvation it's all work
salvation they don't really seem that fussed by each other today they don't really seem that
fussed by the other work salvation who do they really see worked up by grace through faith how
angry do they are you saying you can do anything how angry do they get by grace through faith yet
they don't seem to be fussed by all the other like well if your ways away if your beliefs away why
do you not care about the other work salvation is who's always differ from some way to another
because it's all work salvation because they're all just one big religion and that's why they
don't care but they try and just just try and gaslight you and try and get you like you're some
sort of you know how dare you suggest this and it's like that's what the word of God says it's
what the word of God says but hard isn't it and these guys are the same these guys just any God
any God will do any God just call upon your God yeah call upon your God you know if we call upon
enough gods one of them might answer it's that sort of attitude isn't it do it enough way some
something will work out and people do that don't they there are people that will go into many
different you know types of all I try a bit of this a little bit spiritualism I went and tried
a bit of Buddhism I tried a bit of this and any God will do you know just just you know spread
your net far enough well verse 7 says and they said everyone to his fellow come and let us cast
lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us so they cast lots and a lot fell upon
Jonah and this is kind of like drawing straws and Jonah's the odd one out here verse 8 says
then said they unto him tell us we pray thee for whose cause this evil is upon us what is thine
occupation and whence comest thou what is thy country and of what people art thou and he said
unto them I am in Hebrew and I fear the Lord the God of heaven which has made the sea and a dry
land now this is only part of what he said because look at verse verse 10 verse 10 that says then
were the men exceedingly afraid and said unto him why has thou done this for the men knew that
he fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told them so we kind of get this statement in
in verse 9 but the statement yeah he it's not it's not a full statement he clearly said this
but he didn't say this is the only thing he said okay so he's also told them other stuff now I just
find it interesting because he's answered more in depth but the highlight in verse 9 is that he
declares unto them who the Lord is verse 9 he said and he said unto them I am in Hebrew and I fear
the Lord the God of heaven which has made the sea and the dry land so he makes it real clear who God
is yeah I mean he's a preacher at heart this guy isn't he even when his backslidden state he's
running the other way and then he's like let's preach the Lord to these worshipers of false gods
how far do you think he went verse 11 then says then said they unto him what shall we do unto
thee that the sea may be calm unto us for the sea wrought and was tempestuous and he said unto them
take me up and cast me forth into the sea so shall the sea be calm unto you for I know that for my
sake this great tempest is upon you so there's this picture of Jesus Christ being the only way
of salvation remember he's a picture of Jesus Christ the only way of them being saved from
this is by casting him is by shedding his blood yes okay he's not necessarily going to bleed in
the sea but you get the point yeah it is by him paying for it verse 13 nevertheless nevertheless
so he's told them this is the way nevertheless the men rode hard to bring it to the land but
they could not for the sea wrought and was tempestuous against them and again that for
me it's just a picture of work salvation isn't it they they're told you you know you could be saved
if you throw me overboard yeah he's preached to them as well who the Lord is you need to get rid
of me and they're like no we're going to try and work our way we're going to work our way to shore
we're going to roll our way to shore but it doesn't matter how hard you work you can't save
yourself it doesn't matter how hard you work how hard you try and work to get safe how hard
do you think you're working after your salvation whatever it is it ain't salvation if you're
working for it and you cannot work hard enough you want to get good luck to you you want to try
and be judged by works great because Romans 11 6 says and if by grace and is it no more of works
otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of work then is it no more grace otherwise work is
no more work so look if you want to go for work go ahead go for work but that means you the grace
is gone you're the grace is gone any little addition of works you add to salvation and
you're working your way to heaven and good luck with that because they try to work their way to
salvation yeah this is obviously a picture here and they couldn't because look you try and row
in a tempest and you're gonna be going all over the place aren't you every angle it's coming from
you every way which way you go the sea the waves are tossing you about it's not gonna happen is it
it's not gonna happen and look life is a tempest you're unsaved yeah you're in a tempest yeah and
there's one way out of it and that's the Lord Jesus Christ there's one way of salvation and
that's the Lord I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me not
him plus your works not him plus anything else it's him and it's him it's the Lord Jesus Christ
not your own version of the Lord Jesus Christ not your oneness version of the Lord Jesus Christ not
any other version of the Lord Jesus Christ it's the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in scripture the
Son of God God manifest in the flesh okay they're trying to row they obviously probably at some point
felt like they were getting somewhere don't you think they probably you know had a little bit when
they were going downhill down a wave and they're like hey we're getting somewhere I don't know I
managed to I've managed to get rid of that sin and then suddenly you know let's smash with the next
one because look you try and work your way you ain't getting nowhere you're not getting nowhere
wherefore they cried unto the Lord they tried to work they saw the folly they cried unto the Lord
and said we beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee let us not perish for this man's life and lay not
upon us innocent blood for thou O Lord has done as it please thee so they're saying don't blame us
for killing him yeah don't blame us you know basically I know what they're gonna do here so
they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea and the sea ceased from her raging now that
must have been an amazing sight to see right imagine half of these guys they've finally flown
him into the sea and suddenly just calm amazing right this happened every single word of this is
true that happened and those men witness that okay so what was the result after that amazing sight
then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows
so what's happening don't forget in verse 5 they were calling to their God small G now they're
shouting to the Lord the Lord Jehovah Oh Lord capital letters and then verse verse 6 so before
that we saw the ship master is kind of referring to the Lord God as a generic God because he's
saying to him what many South Sea but arise call upon thy God you know if so be that God will think
upon us that we perish not and in verse 8 to 10 said then said they unto him tell us we pray thee
for whose cause this evil is upon us what is thine occupation whence comest thou what is thy country
and of what people art thou so remember he said unto them part of what he said was I am in Hebrew
and I fear the Lord the God of heaven which made the sea and the dry land then when the men
exceedingly afraid something why has thou done this for the men knew that he fled from the
presence of the Lord because he had told them so according like I said to it seems like he's
preached something to them according to verse 9 he's preached some amount of truth about God for
them to understand why he was fleeing and everything else and in verse 10 it's apparently
he's told them more obviously than verse 9 then in verse 14 they're praying to him the Lord by his
name Lord Jehovah wherefore they cried unto the Lord and said we beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee
let us not perish for this man's life lay not upon us innocent blood for thou O Lord is done as it
pleases there's a definite difference there doesn't there and then in verse 16 and the men feared the
Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord it may valve now they're not only fearing
the Lord exceedingly but offering sacrifices to him okay I don't want to like jump to right they
got saved yeah but I tell you what they don't all seem to have a better understanding of God don't
they they understand need and look I think many false religions offer sacrifices but they're
offering it to God here okay they're offering sacrifices we don't know what they've been
preached you know what's being preached them at this point I don't know but what I do know is
that there seems to be some sort of picture there I believe at least a picture of salvation
they've thrown him in there now say and then what do they go and do after that what everyone should
go and do after that and he's offer sacrifices to the Lord yeah and go to the Lord and serve the
Lord and just because everyone doesn't doesn't mean that they should just because people get
saved and go cheers mate I'm done with that or I'll do it in my own time doesn't mean that they
shouldn't go and serve the Lord yeah and we should it be encouraging people to serve the
Lord shouldn't we yeah and I know it sometimes feels uncomfortable because because on one hand
you preach it's grace through faith it is grace through faith yeah but but we should be trying to
encourage them in the church as well afterwards shouldn't we and these guys here they then they're
then offering a sacrifice unto the Lord they're making vows then verse 17 now the Lord had prepared
a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights
now something familiar about this three day and three nights isn't there yeah turn in Matthew
chapter 12 well I read Matthew 16 4 you're turning to Matthew 12 Matthew 16 4 says a wicked and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign
of the Prophet Jonas and he left them and departed now you've turned to Matthew 12 so there's a sign
of the Prophet Jonas that's a sign they're being given Matthew 12 and verse 38 to 40 says then
certain of the scribes and that the Pharisees answered say master we would see a sign from thee
but he answers sent unto them an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no
sign be given it but the sign of the Prophet Jonas for as Jonas was three days of three nights in the
whale's belly so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
wait a minute look the error he said the whale's belly Jonah said a fish what's happened it's an
error in the Bible isn't it is it an error in the Bible no it's not an error in the Bible yeah
because just because our world's decided that a whale is a mammal yeah because they have their
own classification well under God's classification which I'm more willing to go with God's
classification then some some people there that think they know it all God decides that a whale
is a fish yeah and we don't need to change and we don't need to apologize for that do we and
and be embarrassed that look a whale's a fish according to God yeah it swims in the sea yeah
it goes underwater yeah it does cool stuff in the sea it's got fins and all of that stuff for
me it's a fish I do remember when you were young it used to be like the catch-out thing didn't it
when you're really young it's like what's a whale fish oh no it's about because we all just look at
it and go it's a fish yeah you don't show like you show kids like you know right fish swim
underwater look here's a load of fish swimming underwater look at this one and they go mammal
they don't do they they go look at another big fish then you have to train them and teach them
that no no because the world's decided that's a mammal yeah look there's many similarities
between different creatures and things and yeah they breathe and all this other stuff yeah great
yeah they're a fish okay cuz God says they're a fish and that's probably about as far as the
science lesson is gonna go on that God said they're a fish so they're a fish yeah if you
got a problem with that tough okay because that's what the Word of God says doesn't it
the Word of God says it's a fish because we've just seen that the comparison there and he then
says Jesus Christ says a whale's belly and and the Word of God said that he was swallowed by fish
okay so but back to the point of he said so shall the Son of Man be three days of three nights in
the heart of the earth and the you know ladies and gentlemen case you're wondering there that
is hell okay that is held the heart of the earth how do we know that hell is in the heart of the
earth well we could literally go to many places in Scripture but turn to number 16 because number
16 is just a nice quick quick story on this just to make it very clear what happens when you go
to the heart of the earth numbers chapter 16 and verse 28 because again this is one of those
teachings which you know the what seemed to be you know independent fundamental Baptist churches
there seems to be this kind of rising chorus of people saying it's heretical to suggest that
Jesus Christ went to hell and they don't really seem to have much of a reason for that I don't
really know what their argument is other than they just start shouting and getting angry and
really upset about it and then you know what's a damnable have some even say it's damnable heresy
strange because what's the Bible say well the Bible said that for his Jonas was three days
three nights in the world's belly so shall the Son of Man be three days three nights in the
heart of the earth well what's in the heart of the earth well look at verse 28 where you are number
16 and Moses said hereby you shall know that the Lord has sent me to all these works who have not
done them of my own hand so basically just to give you an update here these guys have tried to rebel
against ultimately the Lord but against Moses okay and Moses is you know understandably a little bit
annoyed yeah okay so he says if these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited off
the visitation of all men then the Lord has not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing and the
earth open a mouth and swallow them up with all the app attained unto them and they go down quick
into the pit then you shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord and it came to pass he
had made an ender speak all these words that the ground clave asunder that was under them and the
earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up in a house and all the men that app attained unto
Korah and all their goods they and all that app attained to them went down alive into the pit
and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the congregation okay so the grounds
opened up these guys have just gone down into the pit yeah the earth's opened up they've gone into
the pit what's the pit then well the pit is hell revelation chapter 9 and verse 2 turn there if
you want if you're quick how quick are you revelation 9 to talking of the angel Abaddon
or Apollyon says and he opened the bottomless pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as
a smoke of a great furnace and the Sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit
okay sounds a bit hellish doesn't it sounds hellish well that is the pit and that's and
that's basically where the devil goes for a thousand years into the pit okay and that
unfortunately is where everyone's going who doesn't have their faith in Christ alone for
salvation now Jesus Christ went there for three days and three nights and Jonah as we're going to
see when we go to the next chapter is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ spending three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth in hell in the pit which is what happens when the earth opens
up and swallows people and they go to the heart of the earth the pit is hell now turn to Acts 2
where Peter is preaching on the day of Pentecost and and we're just going to see this little
passage as well Acts chapter 2 and verse 22 Acts 2 22 says ye men of Israel hear these words Jesus
of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by
him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also know him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain whom God has raised
up having loosed the pains of death so what the pains of death he loosed the pains of death this
is what happened when he was raised up out of the pit out of the heart of the earth out of hell he
loosed the pains of death because hell is torment hell is torture hell is burning in fire it's the
pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holding of it for David speaketh
concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is on my right hand I should not
be booed now keep a finger there turn to Psalm 16 which is what is being quoted here Psalm chapter
16 in Psalm 16 it's the Psalm of David who obviously didn't go to hell yeah David didn't go
to hell there's only one person the only begotten of the dead the Lord Jesus Christ yeah who
actually came back from spiritual death in hell okay no one else because like we see in Luke 16
they cannot pass from thence to us yeah there's no either way and we know that that David David
clearly is in heaven he's a man after God's own heart well Psalm 16 we're gonna look from verse
8 because like that like Jonah David was another Old Testament picture of Christ and many of his
Psalms are also prophecies of Jesus Christ as Paul is explaining here where where and he's
referencing Psalm 16 and from verse 8 we're seeing where it says I have set the Lord always before
me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad and my glory
rejoiceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt
thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption now David neither went to hell nor was described as
thine holy one was he no David wasn't described as thine holy one a name for the Lord he says in
verse 11 thou wilt show me the the path of life in thy presence his fullness of joy at thy right
hand there are pleasures forevermore he also didn't end up at the right hand of God something
reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ you have to turn to Colossians 3 1 says if ye then be risen
with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God
okay so what's he talking about well it's the prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ with that in
mind go back to Acts 2 Acts chapter 2 and verse 26 Acts 2 26 says therefore did my heart rejoice
and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope because thou wilt not leave
my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption thou has made known
to me the ways of life thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance now listen what he says
here men and brethren this is uh this is Peter so men and brethren let me freely speak unto you of
the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried and his sepulcher is with us unto this day
therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit
of his loins according the flesh he would raise up Christ sit on his throne he seeing this before
spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left in hell and neither his flesh did see
corruption this Jesus have God raised up where we are all or we all are witnesses and look we often
go to that verse alone don't we and most people it doesn't really take more than that verse because
it shouldn't really have to take more than that verse but look it's clear as day isn't it it's
clear as day and aside from that all of those burnt off why all those burns why all those
sacrifices burn in the old testament why they're all burnt with fire burnt with fire none of it
remaining burnt with fire burnt with fire what what's the burning about what's the burnt sacrifice
about because they're all they're pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ it's to be burnt with fire not
sodden yeah burnt with fire because it's a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ burning in hell for our
sins and yes that was enough yeah that was enough to pay for our sins yeah he's paid for all our
sins past present and future sins that's what he paid for in hell he didn't just pay for some of
them he's burned for some of them you know well just just burn for the like the previous ones you
know no for the law okay and and look it's a clear doctrine of the bible we're not going to hide away
from that doctrine are we you could argue you know it's not necessarily a doctrine that someone has
to believe for salvation you know if they believe in that you know his death paying for your sins
fine but i want to preach when i preach to gospel i preach hell i preach i preach the Lord Jesus
Christ going to hell because if the Lord Jesus Christ went to hell why would we not make that
point because it's an amazing truth isn't it yeah it's an amazing truth that that for me just gives
even more power and strength to the gospel and the love and the love of God yeah yeah the love of God
and that there's a great truth there and and that truth is pictured in the book of Jonah and that and
and again what an amazing just one of the many evidences again you know we don't have to go into
all these but they're just interesting aren't they to help to strengthen our faith you've got a story
here 800 odd years before the Lord Jesus Christ and what an amazing thing how God like and it's
not just a story you've got a an event that happened a historical event that pictured the
Lord Jesus Christ how God just molds and shapes and that it just it's amazing isn't it alongside
men's free will as well alongside just just amazing how it all works out but it does and
with that um with that we're going to continue uh when we go next week into chapter two and what
what then happens in that whale all that fishes don't matter which one you want to call it it's
belly so on that let's pray
father thank you uh thank you for a great book of the bible the thing with that great chapter
and thank you for the great truths that we we can get from there and truths that you know
running from you is is is never going to profit us you know we're going to be down we're going
to be depressed we're going to be we're going to ultimately have it catch up with us that you you
know we're going to have things happen to get our attention help us not to do that help us not to do
that in in the many areas of our lives where we can be tempted to do that help us to just
just follow you help us to seek you help us to be in your will help us to follow your commandments
to want to follow your commandments to when you tell us to do something to want to do it to do
our best to do it lord we know that we're all sinners we know that we're going to get things
wrong we know that we all sin regularly that there's you know not a just man upon us amongst
us sorry but we we we know that look that that you're a forgiving god we we we want to do our
best we want to try our best help us to all feel like that but help us also to to preach the truth
the truth is that that you know that that we're saved by grace through faith that jonah's a picture
of that they're being cast into the sea to save those men and that you know once he's cast there's
no more casting he they didn't have to pull him out and cast him in every time they did a sin
it was one time it was one time that he was cast in to save them there's a picture of the lord
jesus christ that death once and for all we we thank you for that we thank you for that truth
help us to preach that truth this week help us to get home safely help us to return back wednesday
for the last service in south end in jesus name we pray all of this amen