RUNNING FROM GOD: Finding Grace in the Belly of a Whale 1-14-24

RUNNING FROM GOD: Finding Grace in the Belly of a Whale 1-14-24

 

Text: Jonah Chapter 2

 

Thesis: Grace demands a personal response.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

What do you do when you find yourself in the belly of a whale?  Well, Pinnochio built a fire and smoked his way out, but that is just a fairy tale.  What would you do?

 

28 years ago I discovered that I had been riding the seas for some time.  At a church leadership conference, I saw the reality of the fish so clearly I could smell it.  The Lord showed me my deception and opened my eyes to Himself.

 

I once had a vision of coming to Cleveland and winning the town for Jesus.  After almost 3 years here, God gave me the chance to see His vision come true.  The only problem was that I was caught up in a fish and couldn’t see a thing.  God had reopened my eyes to His vision.

 

The second chapter of Jonah shows us a wonderful prayer of this prophet.  In this prayer, Jonah shows us how to get out of the belly of a whale.  (1) We must receive the grace God is extending.  (2) We must remember the God of grace.  (3) We must revel in the grace.

 

Let us read the chapter and pray.

 

”Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.“

               Jonah 1:17 NIV

 

”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 deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, 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 toward 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, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “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 turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.“

               Jonah 2:1-10 NIV

 

  I.  We Must Receive the Grace God is Extending.  (Vv. 1-6)

 

In the Bible there are three distinctive meanings of grace: it means the mercy and active love of God; it means the winsome attractiveness of God; it means the strength of God to overcome.

               Charles L. Allen

 

”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 deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, 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 toward 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, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.“

               Jonah 2:1-6 NIV

 

“God’s grace is magnified my man’s ruin. The more keenly the ruin is felt, the more highly the grace is valued.”

               C. H. MacKintosh

 

              A.  Calling unto Him.

                              1.  In distress

                    2.  Executioner and redeemer

              B.  Regain perspective.

                              1.  Look past horizon to Holy Temple

                              2.  Saved in the midst of “lostness”

               C.  Seize the grace.

                             1.  Accept God’s provision

                           2.  Humbly grasp

 

 II.  We Must Remember the God of Grace.  (V. 7)

 

”“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.“

               Jonah 2:7 NIV

 

               A.  Never forget

                              1.  Great sin of the old testament people.

                              2.  Great sin of the church.

           B.  Memory demands action.

                              1.  Active prayer

                              2.  Active acceptance

 

In a small cemetery of a parish churchyard in Olney, England, stands a granite tombstone w/ this inscription:

 

“John Newton, clerk [pastor], once an infidel & Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the Faith he had long labored to destroy.”

 

You may not remember his name, but all of us know the song he wrote as a testimony of his life: “Amazing Grace.”

 

III.  We Must Revel in the Grace of our God.  (Vv. 8-9)

 

”“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”“

               Jonah 2:8-9 NIV

 

               A.  We can hold to only one God.

                          1.  Worship as God centered.

                              2.  Grace as connected to our God.

               B.  We must praise the one God.

               C.  We must commit to the one God.

 

Spurgeon illustrated grace with this story in his book, All of Grace. A man visited a woman he knew to be in great financial need. He visited with a generous gift to help her with her expenses. He knocked at the door. She heard the knock, panicked and hid so no one would know she was there.

 

The next weekend he told her about his visit. She said, "I heard you knock, but I did not realize it was you. I thought it was my landlord collecting the rent I could not pay!"

 

Let that sink in for a moment. The man came desiring to give, but she mistook him for someone coming to take. So often God is mistaken as one exacting payment from people, when the fact is that he is the one giving gifts to people.

 

So many people and religions in the world today are geared to think, "Here is what you must do for God." In Christianity, that is turned over. Our message is, "Here is what God has done for you!" That's grace.

               C. H. Spurgeon, All of Grace, Christian Heritage, 2008.

 

CONCLUSION

 

”And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.“

               Jonah 2:10 NIV

 

Now that is grace!

 

Are you in the belly of a whale?  If so, accept His grace and find freedom.  Remember His grace toward you.  Revel in the grace of our God who is overflowing with grace.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.