Running To God
November 2, 2019
Life Group Lesson 11/3
Running to God (The Story of Jonah)
As we have looked through chapter one of Jonah we find a man of God who has prophesied previously for God and has been called again to bring a message from God. This message however is not one he wants to deliver and we find him running away from God’s desire instead. Jonah instead of going to Nineveh he decides to run the other way to Tarshish.
Why do you think he was not willing to deliver the message to Nineveh?
Why then does he decide to go to the other extreme rather than just refusing or ignoring what he was called to do?
Jonah faces a dilemma that we all tend to go through. We have dedicated ourselves to Gods service through our acceptance of Christ sacrifice and have become servants of God and He calls for us all to go to our own Nineveh’s.
Romans 12:1 – 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Hebrews 9:14 – How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
John 12:26 – Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Most of us have our own Nineveh and Tarshish. One is a city of faithfulness and obedience; the other a place of escape. Our Nineveh can be as simple as a change in behavior or a action for God that makes us uncomfortable. Where as our Tarshish tends to be what we fill our time and efforts with to block out or run from God’s desire for us to do.
The question then becomes what is your Nineveh in your life and what is your Tarshish? What is it that God has called you to do that you for whatever reason don’t want to do? And what are you using to “Run Away To”?
Read Jonah 3 again. What does it finally take for Jonah to submit to the will of the father? Did God force Jonah to obey his will or rescue Jonah from himself?
What can we learn from the prophets actions so far?
Take time to pray for each others Nineveh’s.
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