Worthless idols and amazing grace - May 21, 2023

NewLife Christian Fellowship's Podcast

This morning, I am continuing in my sermon series through the Old Testament book of Jonah, which is a masterfully told story with a great deal of relevance to our lives today. Over the last two weeks, we looked at the chapter 1 of Jonah and talked about how God called Jonah and calls us to find our identity and purpose in Him and to share His message with others. But Jonah, like many of us, rejected that call. Instead of submitting to that call and finding true purpose and freedom, he decided to run as far as he could from God’s call. We saw that although he boarded a ship and tried to sail as far as he could in the opposite direction from where God wanted him to go, he could not escape from God’s omnipresent sovereignty. As others on the ship experience a storm of suffering because of Jonah’s disobedience, it becomes evident that the only way to survive will be for Jonah to be thrown overboard, to submit himself to God’s saving discipline. And so the sailors reluctantly throw Jonah overboard.

This morning, we are going to read from 1:17 – 2:10 to see what happens to Jonah after he hits the water:

Jonah 1:17 - 2:10 - But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. NIV Jonah 2:1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.' 5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." 10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.