Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

Jonah Called of God
JONAH 1:1-3

INTRODUCTION:

Do you believe in a God called ministry? Several years ago I attended a retreat for ministers. The beginning session had every minister tell of their salvation experience, and call to ministry. It served as a great way to begin a retreat. All ministers were very open after that first session because of a common experience known as the call of God.

Preempted what Jonah was doing
Without the call and Revelation of God there can be no Prophet
How God spoke is not as important as knowing God spoke.
the book begins wit divine activity

B. This is a . . . PERSONAL CALL.
". . . to Jonah the son of Amittai saying,. . ."

Jonah means dove -- Gen.8:8-9
actual personage
K & E say Jonah was an old man ... p379
2 Kings 14:25, Geth-Hepher, in the tribe of Zebulon.

ILLUSTRATION:
I can easily recall God's call for me to enter the ministry. I tried to persuade the Lord that I could not be a minister. I had dropped out of High School and did not want to go back to school.

Finally I realized God would work out the details and I submitted to the call of God. I can tell you I received a personal call and that it preempted my plans and thoughts for my life.

APPLICATION:

There is an absence of a call, when the word of God is neglected. God does call. His call shows itself more in churches who preach the word and win others to Christ.
 

B. The ... WHAT Of The Call Is Clear.
". . . and cry against it, . . . "
This word "CRY" 8 times in Jonah, 5 different ways to proclaim or recite the message of God
Translated "CRY" in KJV Jonah 1:6 call
Jonah 1:14 Wherefore they cried
Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried<
Jonah 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach:
Jonah 3:4 and he cried:, and said, Yet forty days,
Jonah 3:5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed
Jonah 3:8 cry: mightily unto God:

C. The ... WHY Of The Call Is Clear.
" wickedness has come up before Me."
What happens with men is known to God.
God knows about their fertility cult worship, cruelty to victims in warfare etc.

ILLUSTRATION:
Dr. Jess Moody presently pastors a large church in Van Nuys California. He is from a town called Mule Shoe Texas. As a teen age young man he sensed the call of God into the ministry. His Father owned a Liquor store and tried to discourage his son from entering the ministry. When it became obvious Jess would surrender his life for the ministry his dad came home late one night and threw the keys to the liquor store on the table and told his wife we'll have to get rid of that store. I can not own it and have a son in the ministry.

APPLICATION:

When we hear the call of God we need to obey. When our children hear the call of God we need to encourage them. We should do all we can as Christians to make a climate for those called to answer the call of God.
 

A. The Contradiction In ... PERSPECTIVE. "But . . . "
Jonah needed to "bow," instead of saying "but."
Will Pollard is Editor of The Ohio Baptist News Paper he says "butter has killed a lot of people.
It has spiritually killed many as they say with a stutter "I would, but-er, or something similar. Jonah tried to get away from the call of God his perspective was all wrong.

B. The Contradiction In ... PLAN.
". . . Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish. . ."
Jonah resigned, renounced the office of prophet rather than to carry out the mission
A prophet fleeing from his God you can flee from duty but not control.
to Tarshish a mining colony near the Rock of Gibraltar. Jonah knew the city he wanted to go to in advance This is the only record of a prophet charged with a message concealing it

C. The Contradiction In ... PRESENCE.
" . . . from the presence of the \Lord."
He probably knew Ps 139:7-10 but ignored it.
Some thought the presence of God was localized.
This may mean from the special presence of God.

Illustration
Where in this church building would you say is a special place where we could notice the Presence of the Lord. I would vote for the Prayer Room. HOW MANY HOURS OF PRAYER HAVE BEEN SPENT IN THE PRAYER ROOM? Equal to more than 30 years of prayer time during our weekly prayer meeting.
D. The Contradiction In ... PATH.
So he went down to Joppa,. . . "So he went down to Joppa, part of modern Telaviv. As far away as he could go in going to Tarshish.
Paid the fare, and went down into it. Note the direction - down
To go with them to Tarshish, notice he is not going to the heathen but with them

ILLUSTRATION:
A young man at one of the iron works at Sheffield, Alabama, was thrown accidentally on a red-hot armor plate. When he was rolled off by fellow workmen, it was doubtful he would live. His work mates cried, "Send for a doctor." But the suffering man cried: "Never mind the doctor. I'm dying without God. Who can help me?"
Although three hundred men were around him, no one could tell him the way of salvation.
After twenty minutes of agony he died. One man who witnessed the accident and heard the cries of the dying youth was inactive in his church. When someone asked him about the accident, he said, "I have heard those cries ever since, and I wished I could have stooped down and pointed him to Jesus, but my life closed my lips."

APPLICATION:

Does your life close your lips to those around you who need to know about God?"
Jonah failed to preach to the sailors his life sealed his lips.

JON 1:1 The word of the \Lord\ came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."

I. THE COMING . . . OF THE CALL OF GOD v 1

II. THE CLARITY . . . OF THE CALL OF GOD v 2

III. THE CONTRADICTION OF THE CALL OF GOD v 3