6/13/10 “Who’s In The Bottom Of Your Boat?”
Who is in the bottom of your boat?
6 13 10 HT PM
Jonah 1:1-17 NKJV
We live in a time in which other people in peoples lives are causing massive storms; who do you need to separate out of your life what item in your life is causing the seas to roll?
Jonah 1:1
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Jonah 1:2
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
Jonah 1:3
But Jonah arose 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 down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah 1:4
But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
Jonah 1:6
So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
Jonah 1:7
And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:8
Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
Jonah 1:9
So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Jonah 1:10
Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
Jonah 1:11
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
Jonah 1:12
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
Jonah 1:13
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
Jonah 1:14
Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”
Jonah 1:15
So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
Jonah 1:16
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
Jonah 1:17
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
A look at this story from the sailors point of view – in looking at their life we see a parallel to ours and those who we allow to nearly sink our ship.
When a Jonah sleeps in the bottom of your boat, you will possibly lose your boat.
Define Jonah:
• People, places or even things. Jonah represents the things in life that make the seas around you role.
• People of your past, fear of your future or even the management of your current moments. Example; these sailors had Jonah in the bottom of their boat.
• Things, something that you hold or holds you that causes disturbances in your journey. Example; Achan had the spoils in his tent (Joshua 7)
• Places, an area of challenge, comfort or even discomfort that creates turbulent waters. Example; Israel could not get Egypt out of their mind.
Characteristics of Jonah:
• Running from the presence of God
• Running from the purposes of God
• Running from the plan of God
Discovering Jonah:
• The seas around begin to roll
• Abandonment seems to be the only option
• Disillusionment on deck
Passage Observations:
Notice how Jonah asked to be thrown overboard, why didn’t he just jump?
Notice the sailors tried to continue with him, its NOT easy to move wrong people out of our life!
Notice how the seas stopped and the men were once again saved once they were rid of this hidden determent beneath them.