Jonah Comes Up

Last week, we looked at a selfish man who just happened to be a prophet of God. Jonah got a Word from the Lord to: Jonah 1:2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”The people of Nineveh were Jonah’s enemies, so he ran from God and God’s calling. We closed the message with: Jonah 1:17 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. Today, we will see what most scholars call Jonah’s Prayer. The renditions that I’ve seen of Jonah in the great fish, showed a man sitting inside of a whale. He had lots of space, and maybe even some of the things needed for his three-day stay. I have a very different picture in my mind. I envision a man bound in a tight space with seaweed wrapped tightly around him. I see him struggling for each breath. If I were painting Jonah in the fish, I would paint a man with no hope who is on the verge of death. The title of our message today is Jonah Comes Up. Our message points will be: All Distractions Removed Focus on God Recognize the Truth Get a Second Chance at Obedience Main Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10 Supporting Texts - Jeremiah 23:24, Jonah 1:17, Luke 10:38-42, Psalm 139:1-4, Isaiah 1:15, Jeremiah 10:14-15, Psalm 86:8-10, Isaiah 19:14, 1 John 1:9 Diving Deeper. After listening to today's message, consider asking yourself the following questions: Why are distractions bad? List some distractions that cause you to lose focus on God. What does focusing on God afford you? What is Truth? Should recognizing truth affect your life? Explain. What should we do with second chances?