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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/kory-crawford/god-is-in-control-in-the-storm/
Book of Jonah and chapter 1 and no doubt a story we're all familiar with from the word of God. Maybe even not much new would be Learned today, but it's always good to go back and to remind ourselves of this great truth that we find throughout Scripture.
Especially this story of Jonah the prophet is that God is in control. And so that is what I would like to just think about this afternoon for a few moments. The great truth that that God is in control and and knowing and understanding.
Something of God in his character in the storms of life. And so I just like to read here in Jonah chapter 1 and verse number 1. This is now the word of Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai saying arise and go to Nineveh that great city and Cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me.
But Jonah rose up to flee on to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa. And he found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare therefore and went down into it to go with them on to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea. So that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid and cried every man unto his God and cast forth the wares that were in this In the ships into the sea to lighten it of them.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him and said unto him what meanest thou? Sleeper arise call upon my God if he if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not.
And They said everyone to his fellow come and let us cast lots. And we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then they said unto him tell us we pray thee for whose cause this evil is upon us.
What is thy thine occupation and whence comest thou what is thy country and of what people art thou. And he said unto them. I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord The God of heaven which hath made the sea and the dry land.
Then were the men exceedingly afraid and said unto him Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told them. Then they said. Then said they unto him What shall we do unto thee?
That the sea may become unto us. For the sea wrought and was Tempestuous and he said unto them take me up and cast me forth into the sea. So shall the sea be calm unto you for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Nevertheless the men rode hard to bring it to the land and they could not for the sea wrought and was tempestuous against them. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord and said we beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee.
Well, let's not perish for this man's life and lay not upon us innocent blood for thou O Lord has done it as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah and Cast him forth into the sea and the sea ceased from her raging.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows. The Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights now I would Think it would be safe to assume in an audience of of this size here this afternoon.
Considering our life circumstances. Considering the difficulties that may be in front of each one of us that there are some believers here this day. And the storm of Life is very real before you. It says it's as if the waves are crashing down there.
They're coming in whatever it might be. The storm of life that we all go through and sometimes when we're in the calm of the sea the calm of life. We may let our guard down. We may not be seeing that next storm that is just around the corner.
So my desire this afternoon would just be to exhort to encourage our hearts. That in the midst of the storm just as it was the times of Jonah. God is in control. He's in control in the times of the storm.
Those storms of different sizes in life just this past week. We spent a few days in the state of Missouri and Tuesday night where we were there was an incredible storm a Fierce storm so much so that our our two of our boys came running into the bed.
For fear of the storm fear of the thunder fear of the the wind rocking against the house. And maybe today you could relate to that. Not the storm of the weather of a rainstorm. But in the storm of life you could relate to that you would look for one and try and and figure out who you could Flee to who you could run to for for that calming presence.
And even though it's so clear even though it's so so obvious many times we forget it need to be reminded it is the Lord He is the one. That we need to run to flee to in the in the storm the hiding place in the time of the storm.
I've always loved this book of Jonah. I'm sure most of the children having learned it in Sunday school and and and really understand the importance of this book. It is an important book. The Lord Jesus only refers to four prophets by name in the New Testament Daniel Isaiah Zechariah this man near Jonah and it seems as though he goes even a step further to and we know the story of the Lord and He would say the sign of Jonah would be given speaking of his resurrection.
So there's so much of Christ We see in the book as well. Maybe in the further chapters and maybe in chapter 2 another opportunity We can look at that and see Christ in it in the midst of that the belly of the whale and the prayer that went out in the cry that went out.
But a book that should not be neglected the Lord himself speaking in and associating himself with this prophet Jonah. God is in control of the storm. We see that in chapter 1 God is close in the storm as we see in chapter 2 He's he's right there in the belly of the whale with Jonah and so is in our lives in chapter 3 we see that despite man's shortcomings despite our failings God completes his purposes and He uses even Jonah.
He speaks to him the second time and he uses even him To fulfill his promises and his purposes. And in chapter 4 you see something of God Confirming his character once again and throughout the book that the sovereignty of God and and despite even Jonah's His hesitancy His lack of confidence God shows his character and leads that city and that city comes to Repentance a work of God as we have already been hearing in this conference.
I Just like to share our brother said it younger brothers tend to have too many points. I only have four points. So hopefully that's not too many too prickly today as he was saying earlier, but only four simple points I'd like to share from this chapter one of the book of Jonah understanding God is in control.
We see something in verses 1 2 of the message of God the message of God. We've already been hearing about the gospel message and at times it can be a difficult message to preach. You think of the man in the in scriptures who are given difficult messages by God.
Jeremiah Wouldn't want to be in his shoes. A difficult message that was given a message of repentance. That he had to preach to his own people, Isaiah the disciples and the Apostles. Given this message that that stared in the face of the Jewish practices and beliefs and the places that they would travel preaching of a one true God in the midst of many nations who worshiped many gods.
A difficult message often given by God. And you see something of the audience that he was to preach to in verse number two. He tells him to arise and go to Nineveh. That great See wasn't a small town.
That capital city of Assyria some they say 120 ,000 people or more at that time in Nineveh. He wasn't telling him just to go to a small farm in the in the countryside and preach this message. No, it was to this great city.
And it wasn't just that it wasn't just the size that would have been intimidating for Jonah. It was who the people were. They were his enemies. They were the enemy of him and the enemy of his people the enemy really of his God and That's where he was sent to go.
You say the Lord ever sent me to preach a message to my enemies. I hope he'd send me with a message of maybe prosperity a message of healings and any sort of thing. What was the message that the Lord gave to Jonah?
We noted in verse number two. He says go to that great city and cry against it. For their wickedness has come up before me. Imagine receiving that message from the Lord a Message that to go and to Lay the wickedness before the people the wickedness that their own hands and their own mouths of their own minds had committed.
He says go and tell them. That it's not a wickedness just recognizing this earth. It's not renowned on this earth. It's known in heaven because it's risen up to me. He says preach it to them and tell them of this message and we can think of how God feels about wickedness all throughout scripture, what does the Psalmist say he says the Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul.
The Lord God hates wickedness. The Proverbs could say the fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride. Arrogancy and the evil way for these things do I hate. So imagine being in the shoes of Jonah that day and receiving that message from God to go to your enemies with this message.
And maybe when we understand that we would maybe Wonder what we would do in that situation. Maybe we could relate a little more with Jonah that we would like to admit. And throughout the The New Testament as well that the gospel message that has been given and we have heard that Taught to us already today that yes.
There is a bounce and many times in scripture. It is that that need for repentance of sin that is emphasized that the sin brought before the people Christ Himself as he would preach his first sermon in in the book of Matthew.
He would say repent. For the kingdom of heaven is ending. He preached repentance the Lord himself Peter. He would preach in that. Amongst to his own brethren he would speak of the God of Abraham the God of our fathers and he would say this you denied the Holy One and Desire to murder to be granted unto you and you've killed the Prince of life.
Where are we always it's not an easy message to deliver. To stand before his own people and to declare them. You've murdered the Prince of life. You keep going throughout the book of Acts and you find the Apostle Paul there and he's he's preaching to a very religious a very People who weren't monotheistic in any way.
Even it passed by an altar to the unknown God. And he would go and he would preach them. He said there's a God you can know there's a God you can know for yourself a difficult message. That was that was given to the man to preach.
And he knows something of the messenger in verse number three. This messenger of God this prophet Jonah. What is that? We could see it then you you see even in the first verse and in the book of Kings when they make reference to Jonah.
Something of his upbringing of his roots where he came from. Even here in verse number one. It says Jonah the son of a media. And you read of the same the same father in the book of Kings as well. And if you think of the time when when when Jonah lived the place in which he found himself during the reign of Jeroboam II a man a king who had much like many of the Kings we can read in the book of Kings and Chronicles had much political success but no spiritual success and.
So this messenger of God it wasn't the nation he could look to. That would give him Inspiration that would convict his soul of standing for truth knowing he lived in a very ungodly society. Maybe like many of us do today.
But you can think of maybe who his father was we don't know much details other than his name. But it's interesting to know this man a media voracious is what it means truthful true and So even Jonah's grandfather as he would name his father hope to to to have this testimony in his household of this.
This will be a family that will stand for truth. And he gives Jonah's father this name this voracious truthful. Well, maybe Jonah raised in his home you get as we all like to put those verses in our home.
Maybe his own father Had put up the words of King Solomon in his house by the truth and sell the dogs. And so as Jonah is raised in this in this Environment of truth you'd say he had a good start. He had a good foundation most likely as his father this man and maybe I would raise him.
You see something of the destination that he was given this messenger here in verse number three that the Lord asked them to go to Nineveh, which is in present-day Iraq and In Joppa in present-day Israel.
He would he would think of another place much further away and what is now present-day Spain and Tarsus and and he's weighing these things in his mind and What's his desire this man? You know, maybe he's been raised in a good home.
Maybe he's had all these benefits brought before him. He's a prophet of God. And what does he do? First number three says this but wrote Jonah rose up to obey. It doesn't say Jonah rose up to flee. Now I can look at these first verses at the first words of verse number three and I can find my own self in these Verses now when the Lord has said something and we know the next necessary step is obedience.
But as this brother rose up Jonah rose up. Not to obey him and he doesn't want to just go a little ways from the presence of the Lord. I was doing the math just a little earlier Joppa where he was leaving from to Nineveh.
Some I'm Canadians. I'll say 900 kilometers, but 500 or so miles give or take. So the distance the Lord was telling him to go to let's say Des Moines to Detroit Is a manageable journey in those days and no doubt would take longer.
But that was the distance they were talking about some 500 or so miles that the Lord had told him to go to bring the message of repentance to. But it says he turns around he goes the opposite way. Joppa to Tarsus some 2 ,500 miles.
The Lord tells you to go to Detroit. Let me turn around and go all the way down to Guatemala City. He was trying to flee as far as he could go. What the Lord the task the Lord had given to him that the the self-doubt the Fear the pride whatever it was.
He was struggling with. He turned around he went the other way. And I thought what an application what? We can see the Lord working it. Maybe there's some here today and that would apply to you in salvation.
You're not saved. And you have fleeing you have run to the to the farthest parts of this earth that you can maybe get yourself from out of Your Christian home wherever it might be and you flee from God.
Knowing you need to be obedient on the salvation. Turn from your sins and trust in Him. And maybe there's others here today and you're saved and we've been hearing a bit of this already today. And you know what the Lord has for you in consecration.
And you've risen up. About to take the next step. And you turn completely around and you go in the other direction. You flee as far as you can go from the presence of the Lord and you can identify with Jonah today.
Lord desires us to have consecrated lives, but how often we we take up an about-face we turn and we had the other way. Maybe there's some here today and There's an application to you in restoration. That you've already fleed from the Lord.
And you've seen in his life the things that the movings of the of the hand of God in your life. And you know. You've went the wrong way to turn and went the wrong way. Lord's inviting you back. Jonah rose up and he fled.
In the opposite direction the Lord wanted him to go times five he could say. And maybe that's some of us here today. We could relate and we could apply that to our own lives. But then the bulk of this chapter I would just like to think just very briefly.
Something of the manifestation of God in verses 4 all the way down to the verse 16 because oftentimes in the storm. It's God who's revealing this character to us. And that's what he's doing here for Jonah and for these other men these mariners as well.
He's doing that. He's revealing something of himself and maybe the storm has come into our lives. Because God wants to reveal himself more clearly to us. Oftentimes I confess myself first in line to say we try to flee the storm.
Just look for the calm waters. Well, maybe the Lord has bought it into our lives in order to reveal himself to us in something. And you see something of the sovereignty of God in verse number four. Who was it that set the storm?
It wasn't, you know a strange westerly wind. It wasn't global warming wasn't climate change. It was the Lord himself. He said this. It says that but the Lord sent out a great wind Into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in The sea so the ship was like to be broken just as a point of of going under you can say the ship that Jonah was in.
And you think of God was in control of this story. The waves seemed high there was probably points waves coming into the ship and you'd say all is lost. Jonah and the men there seeing that they would think all was about to be lost, but God was in control.
Wonder how Job would have felt When that storm of loss came into his life. Tremendous loss, excuse me in the life of Job. You'd say the Lord was in control. Was he? Yes, he was. You can think of other people throughout scripture.
You can think of Joseph and in that storm of abandonment of betrayal. Is it the Lord really being controlled that storm? He was. We know how the story ends. Think of Paul and Silas sitting in that small prison cell that night singing hymns to the Lord.
Was a storm in was the Lord in control the storm of persecution. Absolutely, he was. There was a jail in his family in that you're in the middle of that jail. The only way to get to them to preach the gospel need a couple creatures right in the prison.
God was in control the story and we think of our lives and in the storms of our life and in the differing levels of suffering and in tribulation that come. The times of loss and the storms of loss in our life when we lose loved ones.
Some gone much earlier than we would like much earlier than we think was necessary. God was in control the storm. In times of abandonment in our own life. Well, there seems like there's no one that cares when we lost hope maybe.
The Lord's in control the storm of abandon. Times of persecution. The storms of doubts the storms of tears that come into our lives. Whatever the circumstance may be. Without a doubt there are some going through storms here today and Dear brother your sister from the Word of God.
I would just like you to see that God is in control. He's in control. Where else could we turn God is sovereign? He brought the storm right into the boat where Jonah was. He's in control. And so what was the result in verse 5 those mariners?
They cry out. They're afraid they cry to their own God. That doesn't say how many? Every man cried on to his God. If there was 50 sailors that day, maybe there was 50 gods. They cried out unto. But you know they had all this in common there was no answer to it wasn't their God that was in control the story.
There was only one true God and he was the one who was bringing those waves and it brings to mind. Of that sleeping God those prophets of Baal as Elijah would would say it and proclaim to them as they would cry out.
Maybe he is talking. Elijah would say or he or he's or he's pursuing or he's on a journey or maybe he's asleep. These men they were crying out to the wrong for the wrong place. And God his sovereignty as we'll see further down was drawing these people to understand something about the true and living God even in the midst of the storm.
God is Sovereign. I love that Declaration of Isaiah 46 that compares the the idols of this earth the idols of the times of the true and living God and it says this to whom will you liken me and make me equal and Compare me that we may be like.
Speaking of the idols. He says they lavish gold out of the bag and weigh silver in the balance and hire a goldsman. And he make it to the God they fall down. Yeah, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulders.
Look you see it's it's the people carrying the God. Supposed to be the other way around they bear him upon the shoulder. They carry him and set him in his place and he standeth from his place. He shall not be removed.
Yeah, one shall cry unto him. Yeah, he cannot answer. Nor save him out of his trouble. What a lesson to us today that if we look to anyone else for the Lord God of heaven. There will be no rest. And he continues on and Isaiah he says this remember this.
And show yourself men and bring it again to mind. Oh you transgressors. Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no else. Sometimes I need to remind myself of that great truth. I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning.
From the ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall sustain. It's great to trust in that one. Even in the midst of the storm the one who could declare My counsel shall stay.
And these men they cry out to their own God no answer. But it's in verse 6. It's it seems as though that they understood something of the God of Jonah already. They they'd heard something of maybe of this Hebrew God.
In the verse 6. It says the ship master. He comes in and He says if call upon my God he says to Jonah if it be so that God will think upon us that we perish not. They knew something about this Hebrew God that he was a God of compassion.
Or don't think they would have went to Jonah asking for help from his God. And I was thinking in a way. What a testimony of whoever those people had learned something of the Hebrew God of the Almighty God from.
This is what they took away from the testimony of the Jews of maybe even Jonah before. Their God's a compassionate God and when our gods have failed us have left us net deep in the storm. We'll go to the God of compassion.
And maybe think of my own heart if Those I know of unsafe people. Even pagan people we live in a country with much idol worship. What would they think of the testimony? I've given of my God of the true God.
And say all the God of his God. Just the God of rules and laws, that's all I know about him. All that they would know that the God of heaven the true God is a God of compassion God of love and they come running in to Jonah asleep there.
They asked and they plead with them. Please call out. They could be like a psalmist. I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my help and my delivery. Make no tarry. Oh my god. They noted something about the sovereignty and the compassion of God.
Would you come down to verse 9 and you see something of the restoration of God? The God is a one who delights in restoration. Jonah having fled having in a sense abandoned God and his beliefs. He's presented with this opportunity to in some way make amends because if they come in and said well, I Can't tell you much about that God in fact, I've disobeyed him and There's not much I can say.
But what is it? What is the testimony that that Jonah has? He's like that son who has just come out of the pigsty and goes running back to the father and he says this in the First time he says he takes pride.
Simon. I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord. And his own soul may be being convicted of the wrong decision that he had made when he did not fear the Lord. When he was disobedient and had turned his back, but here we find I fear the Lord the God of heaven which made the sea and the dry land.
What an exhortation to us that despite Jonah disobeying the Lord. The Lord presented the opportunity for him to be restored and he's going to throughout this book restore him even further. In their own lives the the exhortation has already been mentioned today that if a brother is overtaken to fault There's a need for restoration.
What is what is the way in which to restore to kick to the curb? No. To put off by themselves. No, it says those who are spiritual restore the spirit. The spirit of God is a God who loves to receive the God of restoration.
And you keep coming down to get the verse number 13 and 14 and you see something of the salvation of God. That these men these mariners these pagan men who know who knew very little maybe of the true God.
What is it that in this storm God reveals? That then in verse 13, it seems they make their one last effort of their own their last-ditch effort of their own strength. It says nevertheless the men rode hard to bring it to the land and they could not.
Why because it says the sea the sea was wrought. It was it was too tempestuous. It was too strong for them to overcome. And maybe was finally at the end of verse 13 when these men understood the only means of our salvation is the God of joy.
That's the only way. And even in the midst of the storm God comes in and he reveals himself in in this way. Understanding they repent they beseech the Lord. They understand the sins that the Jonah has committed.
That God was using the soul of the storm to to convict these men as well. Of their own sinful nature. And how does it end this this this encounter in the story? First number 16 over these men's reactions.
It says in the men after they had thrown Jonah over the side in this the storm ceased its raging. What does it say first number 16 when the men feared the Lord? Exceedingly. And offered a sacrifice unto the Lord in a balance.
But after these mariners had come through the storm these sailors and They had saw God move and God work and God respond to their cries as well. The only thing they could do was worship. And maybe many times in the storms of our life at the end of it all.
Well, maybe we understand a little bit when the seas come again, and we can look back at the storm. What is it that God would desire from us that we would worship? Even in the midst of the storm. But once the waves cease just like here we could say serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments. Maybe the song of our heart could be that the praise like the psalmist could say ye that fear the Lord.
Crazy. That's what the psalmist could say. But God doesn't have this this is revealing himself as you'll see throughout the book of Jonah. But I'll just end with verse number 17. You see something this last stamp that God wants to put upon what he is revealing in his character.
And maybe only Jonah came in to understand the mercy of God. How easy it would have been for Jonah to be cast in the sea down to the depths and the end of his life. He failed God. He was disobedient. He turned his back, but God has mercy sends a fish to rescue Jonah.
And how wonderful to think that our God is a merciful God a merciful God. For thou Lord are good ready to forgive in plenteous in mercy. Unto all them that call upon you our Lord our God is plenteous upon in mercy.
The Lord is merciful and gracious gracious. The psalmist could say and you can see throughout Scripture God's mercy revealed. Even in the midst of the storm here at the end of the storm for those sailors.
Yes, but really the storm is just getting started. Maybe the waters are calm, but now that chapter 2 you're going to have Jonah in the depths of that fish. But God's mercy in the storm you can think of Joseph all hopeless falsely accused cast in a prison.
What does it say. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper. Even in the lowest point of the storm and Joseph's life no doubt when he when he was cast into that prison.
So the Lord showed mercy in the midst of the storm. You think of Moses and the children of Israel as they would come that day to the to the sea in front of them and Doubts would start to arise and some of them would want to turn back and go back to Captivity and the raging army is coming towards them.
In the midst of that storm after they crossed the sea they could write that tremendous hymn of praise and Thanksgiving. They would say this thou and thy mercy Has led forth the people which thou hast to do in the midst of the storm army in the back raging sea in the front Red Sea.
You said you've let us they will do a chant and they would cry and they would sing now thy mercy has led the mercy of God in the midst of the storm. David in that in that in that song when he would when he would consider God as great as he was to remember.
Oh Lord, I tender mercies and I loving kindness where they have been told. They have been ever In the midst of the storm. We think of God's mercy shown to us in salvation. It's not by works of righteousness, which we have done but according to his mercy.
He saved us. We could see the hand of God and really in the storm before salvation that he that he that he comes in in his hand of mercy and he saves us and To us now in the Christian life in the Christian battle with storms raging all around some maybe more than others.
Some may be enjoying the calm right now of life. But certainly the storms are on the way Made to us in the Christian battle. We could say when I when I said my foot slipping thy mercy O Lord Hallelujah when the foot slips.
When the ground feels shaky when the foundation starts to tremble a little bit in our lives and the storm comes. May we be like the psalmist and say my foot slip it but thy mercy O Lord the whole being.
Praise God that even in the midst of the storms God is a God of compassion a God of mercy. And right now dear brother dear sister that the waves and the billows of the storms of life of trials and tribulations just seem.
They're too much to overcome never forget God is in control and may one the storm even in the midst of the storm. May we praise the Lord our God the one the maker of heaven and earth. That when we come through the storm We may have learned to be able to live lives more consecrated more obedient to the honor and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May God bless this word to our hearts.