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Tough Love

Jonah: God’s Matchless Grace
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Pastor Jojo Ma

 

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. 4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

I.         "But Jonah": A Rebellious Son [v3]
3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

“My God is slow to anger when I go astray, bless the Lord, O my soul. For all of my betrayals, He will not repay, bless the Lord, O my soul.” [“Psalm 103”, Sovereign Grace Music]

Heb 12:5-11 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.' 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

"When a person decides to run from the Lord, Satan always provides complete transportation."

Circumstances alone do not prove God's blessing; the confirmation we always need is the Word of God.

The question must be: What I'm wanting, what I'm doing, is it pleasing to the Lord, does it line up with the Word?

Sin always takes us farther than we imagined and faster than we ever intended.

Repent and return to the Lord. Get on your knees tonight, cry out to God for forgiveness, resolve to change your direction, get off that ship to Tarshish, and know that He forgives all who repent with a contrite heart (Psalm 51).

Actual repentance is required for actual forgiveness.

Lk 17:3-4 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.

Four (4) Results of Forgiveness: 1) You will not dwell on the issue any more, 2) You will not bring it up again and use it against the offender, 3) You will not talk to others about it, 4) You will not let the issue hinder your relationship any longer.

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

II.        "But the LORD": A Loving Father [v4]
4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

“Who holds our days within His hand? What comes, apart from His command?” [“Christ Our Hope in Life and Death”, Getty/Boswell/Papa]

Heb 12:5-6 My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.

4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

"He takes careful aim at the chosen target…and He 'hurls' His chosen weapon."

Jonah was a marked man. God the Father was going after Jonah with a rescuing resolve and some tough love --- because God loved Jonah so much.

"When we run from God, His response is more likely to be stormy and upsetting than quiet and subtle. He knows how to make us miserable."

 Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shall be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

As you turn toward the Lord Jesus Christ, as you repent and respond to the loving discipline of your heavenly Father, you will experience a path marked with His peace, His power, and His presence.