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

WITNESS A LOOSER WINNING
THE LOTTERY JONAH 1:4-9

1. The direct action of God.

a. Jonah wont preach for God, so God preaches to Jonah through a storm.

2. The ship was about to break up.

a. God planned to stop Jonah's progress, Jonah just thinks he is fleeing

B. WITNESS THE . . . WAILING. v 5 a & b
5 Then the sailors became afraid, and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten {it} for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down, and fallen sound asleep.

1. "Then the sailors became afraid, . . . "
a. This gives us evidence this storm is out of the ordinary.
(1) Note: The Sin of one involves others.

2. ". . . and every man cried to his god, . . . "
a. What ever religion one has is stirred in danger.
(1) They were worshippers of foreign gods

1. THE SEAMEN PRAY -- ALL OKAY IF IT IS SINCERE. (-p 9 HAGEMAN)

2.EVEN PAGANS EXPECT GOD TO PUNISH SIN

C. WITNESS THE . . . WORK. v 5 c
". . . and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them."

a. Cargo becomes unimportant as the vessel will ride higher .

b. Notice practical help and prayer go hand in hand.

c. This can illustrate our need to discard habits etc.
 

D. WITNESS THE . . . WRONGDOER. v 5 d
"But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down, and fallen sound asleep."

1. Jonah WRONG in his . . DIRECTION.
"But Jonah had gone below . . . "
a. When one steps out of the will of God it is always a step down.
b. One step out of the will of the Lord may make it very difficult to get back into the will of the Lord.
(1) Jonah and the whale caused by one wrong decision.
(2) One wrong decision can greatly effect our lives.
a) One wrong date.
b) One wrong financial purchase (car, house).
c) One wrong business decision

2. Jonah WRONG in his . . DECISION. ". . . lain down, and fallen sound asleep."
a. He decided to . . . sleep and not supplicate. v 6 So the captain approached him and said,"How is it that you are sleeping?
b. How can he sleep? Who is giving him sleep?
c. God does give sleep; So does laziness

PRO 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger.
 

3. Jonah WRONG in his . . DEEDS. He did not pray. v 6
"How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps {your} god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."
a. Get up, call on your god.
1) Pagan theology says the offended god must be placated.
a) At this point inject the etymology of the word "propitiation".
2) The captain rebukes Jonah's lack of concern.
3) Here is irony as a heathen pleas - with the prophet
b. They did not care what god helped they just wanted help.
c. NOTE we have no indication of Jonah praying. -- why?
PSA 66:18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear

ILLUSTRATION:
Some times even good children do not want to pay attention. We told our daughter TAMI not to drive through a particular part of town late at night. She thought we were being silly. She expressed her feeling that she was able to take care of herself. Then one night as she was coming home she passed through this section of town and her car stalled. She could not get it started. She raised the hood and tried some adjustment I had shown her but nothing worked. Then 4 big routty looking boy started to the car. Tami remembered the words we had spoken and got into her car and locked the doors. Fear came all over her.

Then the boys came right up to the window and asked if they could help. They turned out to be young men who really did help her but she learned a lesson in obedience.

APPLICATION:

Tami did not listen to our advice until she went through an experience that confirmed our wisdom. Jonah refused to listen to God and now he is getting a first hand demonstration of the power and Wisdom of God.

And each man said to his mate, "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity {has struck} us."

Sailors believe somebody has offended a god

The basic passage is Prov. 16:33.

PRO 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the \ Lord.

1.The choice of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 6:8)

2.The division of the promised land (Josh. 18:5-10).

3.The detection of a culprit (Josh. 7:14-18 and Jonah 1:7)

4.The choice of Saul as King (1 Sam 10:19

5.the order of priest and their duties (Chron. 24:5 and Luke 1:9)

6.The choosing of an apostle. Acts 1:26

So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
God sometimes sanctioned the casting of lots as a mode of deciding in difficult cases.

B. WITNESS THE CASTING OF QUESTIONS. v 8
Then they said to him, "Tell us, now! On whose account {has} this calamity {struck} us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
1. Note five rapid and pertinent questions
a. One: On whose account {has} this calamity {struck} us?
1) They knew some action was displeasing to God.
b. Two: What is your occupation?
1) A sad when a prophet is not Known by his actions to be a prophet.
c. Three: Where do you come from?
1) They want a full confession from his own mouth.
d. Four: What is your country?
e. Five: From what people are you?"
1) Also about his parentage, and especially about the land. a) These questions must have gone home to Jonah's conscience

C. WITNESS THE CASTING OF ANSWERS. JON 1:9 And he said to them,
1. "I am a Hebrew, . . . "
Jonah answers the last question first.
The title Hebrew is used in the Old Testament, only when they are spoken of by
foreigners, or speak of themselves to foreigners.
2. ". . . and I fear the \Lord\ . . . "
Continuous action of fearing
If he mis-placed his fear the sea helped him recovered it.
Professed fear but His practice belied his profession
3. ". . . God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land."
The sailors did not ask Jonah concerning his God, but he was impelled to confess freely.
The prophet awakens in Jonah.
The title, the God of heaven, asserts the doctrine of the creation of the heavens by God
The absolute superiority of his God who made heaven etc.
His God is master of the seas (Jos. 3:10)

 The heathen had distinct gods for the"heaven,"the"sea,"and "land."

ILLUSTRATION:
Did you ever cast lots? Let me illustrate some ways I have cast lots in my past. See this soda straw? I have said this to a soda straw "She loves me she loves me not. "She loves me she loves me not. "She loves me she loves me not. Of course I was talking about my wife when she was just a girl friend.

I have also taken an apple like this and twisted the core as I said the alphabet and each letter represented a girl now it always breaks at "C" for Christa but I have cast lots. Have you?

APPLICATION:

It is interesting to find the last mentioning of casting lots in the Bible is found in Acts 1:26 just before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I think the message for us should be we no longer need to resort to casting lotts. We may call upon the Spirit within for guidance.

I. WITNESS THE EVENTS BEFORE THE LOTTERY. v 4-6

II. WITNESS THE ACTUAL WINNING OF THE LOTTERY v 7-9
 
 

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