Jonah’s Journey Begins (sermon: Jonah 1:1-16) | 8/03/25

This is from the Sunday Gathering worship service at 9AM at PAX Christian Church on 08/03/2025

We are a non-denominational church in Gardnerville, NV.
The current series is Jonah
This week’s message is “Jonah’s Journey Begins” (sermon: Jonah 1:1-16)
Speaker: Mandy Lucas | Co-Lead Pastor

Get the notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49473906

Jonah's Journey Begins (sermon: Jonah 1:1-16) | Pax Christian Church 8/03/25 – PAX Christian Church Sermons

This is from the Sunday Gathering worship service at 9AM at PAX Christian Church on 08/03/2025We are a non-denominational church in Gardnerville, NV.This week's message is "Jonah's Journey Begins" (sermon: Jonah 1:1-16)Speaker: Brian Lucas | Co-Lead Pastor Find out more about PAX: http://paxchristian.church

NOTES:

Jonah 1:1-16 NIV

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.”Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

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The Structure of the Book of Jonah:
• God calls and Jonah flees (Jonah 1:1–17)
• Jonah’s prayer in the fish (Jonah 2:1–10)
• Nineveh repents at Jonah’s preaching (Jonah 3:1–10)
• Jonah’s anger and God’s response (Jonah 4:1–11)

A Summary:
”It depicts a reluctant prophet who stands in contrast to the sinful but ultimately repentant foreigners described in the book.”

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

Jonah 1:1 NIV

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai

Jonah, the son of Amittai, was a prophet during the days of King Jeroboam.

Prophets were called to deliver a message of the Lord to people–often the message was of impending judgement with a call to repentence.

Prophetic books in the bible contain a message for the people God sent the prophet to as well as a message for readers and the church today.

2 Kings 14:25 NIV

He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

Jonah 1:2 NIV

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

Ninevah was the capitol city of Assyria.

God calls the prophet to go and preach against it–to bring a word of judgement from the Lord.

Jonah 1:3 NIV

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Typically when the word of the Lord or a vision of the Lord comes to a prophet, he writes it down and delivers it. If the Lord calls a prophet to go, he goes.

Not Jonah.

Jonah would rather run away to the ends of the earth…than go to Nineveh.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO RUN AWAY FROM GOD.

Psalms 139:7-12 NIV

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the seaeven there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

The Lord has called Jonah to deliver a message to a nation of people he is unwilling to go to.

Are there people in your life, that you are unwilling to engage because of their sin, or their life choices?

Jonah 1:4-7 NIV

Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

Jonah boards the ship and falls into a deep sleep.

A storm of such magnitude over takes the ship, that even the pagan men on ship realize it a form of supernatural judgement.

Jonah 1:8-10 NIV

So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

Even these pagan men, realize the folly of Jonah’s decision.

Acts 1:8 NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jonah 1:11-12 NIV

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

Jonah acknowledges the consequence of his sin.

But Jonah is so committed that even when faced with his own demise, he still refuses to bring the word of God to those he was called to–he’d rather be thrown off the ship.

Disobedience to God, whatever your motivation, has real world consequences.

Jonah 1:13-16 NIV

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.”Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

The actions of the unbelieving, pagan sailor’s stand in sharp contrast to the actions of the prophet of the Lord.

Jonah refuses to bring the word of the Lord to the people God has called him to and his actions and attitude impact him and those around him.

The lesson here, is not that God still uses you to bring others to him when you are living in sin and rebellion, yes God can do that, but that is not the point of this text…

The lesson of Jonah, and we will see Jonah double down on this even after he does what God has called him to do, is that the man of God is less willing to honor God than the pagans. It is indicative of the state of the people of God in his generation and it is a warning to ours.

Romans 5:8 NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:15-17 NIV

that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spiritand teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We have all been entrusted with the message of the gospel, we are meant to share it.

So who are the Ninevites in your life? Who are the people that when you think of sharing the hope you have with them you want to run the other way?

What if God has brought them into your life so you could see just how much they need him? What if he is calling you to share the message of his love with them? Will you answer the call?