Introduction

- Greet our guests.

* Thank them for bringing their kids.

* Thank them for coming to church with us.

- I want to begin by telling you about something that happened to someone I knew, a friend at the time, really.

- Well, he didn’t have the best home life and his parent’s told him they weren’t paying for his college.

* So, he went to college, but he did so by borrowing money and having to work student jobs.

* It was a tough road to hoe but he was getting it done.

* Then, he started a job as the mailroom director for a dorm with over 700 students.

* This was where a problem began.

• The Columbia Record Club

- He ordered everyone their free CDs, collected them when they hit the mailroom then turned around and sold them.

* It was brilliant but, as you have likely figured out, really illegal.

*Long story short – He Got arrested.

- Things got bad, never jailed but it messed up his life in a way.

* John got taken to jail as they booked him.

- His parents were livid as you might imagine and they let him languish there.

- Thing is, the Athens prison had a problem.  It smelled awful.

* For him, things got really dark and they stunk.

Jonah

- Sounds kind of familiar to today’s story from the Bible.

- To get this story, you’ve really got to get the background.

- Jonah hates the Ninevites.

* FOR GOOD REASON – They’re his nation’s enemies.

- And they were quite awful, really.

- Eventually, they’ll cart Jonah’s people off into exile.

- But, at the time, they were known to be militarily ruthless and cruel to the nation’s they captured.

- So, it’s rather surprising to hear that Jonah is called by God to tell them to repent.

* God’s giving them a second chance.

* Jonah doesn’t want them to have it and it’s understandable.

- Carolina/Duke rivalry

- Space Jam came out – I was resolved that if it ever came down to an alien versus Duke for the fate of the world, I was still not gonna pull for Duke!

- So, I get the hatred, I really do.

* Jason, didn’t you go to Duke?

- I wasn’t thinking well at the time!  Lol!

- For perhaps good reason, Jonah rejects God’s direction.

* NOT A GOOD IDEA, Y’ALL.

* This is where our mortal, created souls really get bigger than our britches.

- Us telling God what we’re going to do or not do is pretty preposterous, really.

- God created us, ordered the universe and does everything to uphold it.

* IT’s at this juncture that Jonah runs.

- In short, HE SINS.

- This is a sin of omission.

- When you know what you’re supposed to be doing and just aren’t.

* That’s SIN, TOO by the way.

- So, what happens?

* Jonah gets swallowed by a whale.

- This is the consequence of sin.

- EXCURSUS – whether you believe this literally or metaphorically what we can say is this.

* THIS IS THE BIG POINT.  Sin leads to a dark place, a place where literally and figuratively, things stink.

The Problem of Sin

- Sin always leads us to dark places that stink.

- John’s story, Jonah’s story?

* Although extreme examples, they do represent us as well.

* Why?

- Because we sin.

- Romans 3:23 – “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

- And that isn’t to get us feeling too terribly about ourselves BUT WE DO NEED TO SEE THIS ABOUT OURSELVES.

* EXCURSUS – Social, emotional learning – Self-esteem.

- They’re perfect on the inside, it has consequences.

- Oversaturation of this ideology leads directly and inexorably to narcissistic personality disorders.

- Sometimes we need to realize that we are the problem.

     * GOSSIP AND SLANDER.

     * LYING AND DECEIT.

     * ENVY AND RESENTMENT.

- JUST NAILED MY WEEK.

     * Neglect of personal responsibilities.

     * Apathy towards the needs of others.

- See, we’re all sinners, all being led to places that are dark and smell bad.

* So, if that’s where you are NOW, don’t feel bad.

- The rest of us have been there and are likely on the way there now so, don’t think like you’re the only one.

Solution

- But there IS a solution!!!

- Jonah’s prayer.

* It’s a prayer of repentance and embrace of God’s designs and plans.

- Repentance as a word in the Hebrew means TURN.

- As in you literally turn and go in the other direction.

- And a great place to do this turn is in prayer to the Lord.

* "Repentance is not merely the start of the Christian life; it is the Christian life." – John Calvin

- The idea being that repentance isn’t a one a done deal.

* We tend to gravitate back to sin.

- Jonah’s going to show us this drift when we read it all.

- He is mad that the Ninevites repent and SINS AGAIN.

* So, we’re always in need of checking ourselves to see how we can do things better.

- This happens in prayer.

- We go to God and say, essentially, “God, I’m sorry.”

* The really cool thing about this is how quickly things start to feel better.

- We take our sincere contrition to the Lord, a sincere desire to do better and He blesses us with improved emotions but also enhanced desire to do better.

- Repentance begins a process of change that can lead you to the greatest joys life can offer us.

* Prayer can be like to our best friend.

- This doesn’t need to be some high and mighty thing.

- Just a simple, heartfelt acknowledgement that things have gone wrong.

BE Real

- Maybe sometimes you’ve done this BUT things still didn’t change.

- Like, maybe you’ve gone to God and confessed and expected things inside you to get better…and they didn’t.

* There may be a reason why you’re not getting the Jonah effect.

- Being spit out from a whale into a nice place.

* It maybe that you’re ONLY offering words and not sincere change.

- There’s more to it than just that.

- Imagine that it takes action.

Jonah’s repentance leads to HIM HELPING PEOPLE.

OUR REPENTANCE SHOULD LEAD TO OUR HELPING PEOPLE AS WELL.

Repentance is Aided BY Something.

- An extra piece of the puzzle.

- Some special sauce, if you will.

- Zacchaeus

* RIGHTS THE WRONGS HE’s DONE (pays back the money he’s taken).

* AND

* Do good for others as a means to stay out of the dark and smelly Zaccheus Gives half of what he’s got to the poor.

- We need to right our wrongs.

* Say you’re sorry.

* Make amends.

- Then, IMMEDIATELY TURN TO HELPING SOMEONE ELSE.

* This interrupts the cycle.

- Remember, sin felt good to begin with.

- Well, this feels good forever.

* "God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination." – Augustine of Hippo

* Do this today, we have people ready to pray for and with you.