SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS | THE INCREDIBLE SULK

SERIES: “Summer Blockbusters” SERMON: “The Incredible Sulk”

Jonah 1:1-2 “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of

Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.’”

A blockbuster asks one question: Can Indiana Jones find the treasure? Can Luke defeat Darth Vader?

Can the Avengers save the world?

Book Of Jonah Asks: Will God Destroy Nineveh?

Jonah 4:2 “That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to

get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.”

God loves this City! God’s priority is lost people.

“Transforming lives to IMPACT their world.”

God Moves When We Move!

3 Observations: 1. God will not do our part. 2. Our part is natural. 3. Our part is first.

God needs you! London needs you!

1 Corinthians 15:46 “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”

Not A Church In London. Not A Church Of London. Not A Church Against London

We Are A Church For London!

Jonah 1:3-4 “But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down

to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping

to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, …”

Everything and everyone honours God’s voice except JONAH.

All of creation surrenders to his voice but Humans can say NO.

Jonah bought a ticket. Running has a cover charge. The ride away from God is never free.

Running doesn’t change your destination but it can bring turbulence to the journey.

Jonah 1:17 “Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for

three days and three nights.”

Jonah 2:9-10 “'But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my

salvation comes from the Lord alone.’ Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.”

Sometimes what swallows you … is actually what saves you.

Your deepest place may become your clearest place.

Lamentations 3:21-23 “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Jonah 3:1-2 “Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 'Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and

deliver the message I have given you.’” Same assignment

Jonah’s Eight Word Sermon: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”

Jonah 4:1-5 “This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the

Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I

knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what

I predicted will not happen.' The Lord replied, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about this?” Then Jonah went out

to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.’”

Jonah 4:9-11 “Then God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?’

‘Yes,’ Jonah retorted, ‘even angry enough to die!’ Then the Lord said, 'You feel sorry about the plant, though

you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people

living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals.’”

Matthew 12:41 “…and now something greater than Jonah is here.”

Jonah ran.

Jesus came willingly.

Jonah slept because he didn't care.

Jesus slept because He trusted.

Jonah was thrown into the sea because of his own selfishness.

Jesus walked into death because of ours.

Jonah spent three days in a fish.

Jesus spent three days in a tomb.

Jonah came out reluctantly.

Jesus came out triumphantly.

Jonah hated his enemies.

Jesus died for His.

Hebrews 13:12 “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside

the gate.”

Jesus was dragged, weeping, out of the city that he might save it.

The greatest miracle in Jonah wasn't surviving three days in a fish.

It wasn't a city repenting. It wasn't a plant, a worm, or wind.

It was God never gave up on Jonah.

God will never give up on you.

This is the story of God transforming the heart of a religious, heartless, bigoted prophet.

This is God’s invitation to you to invade your city with His gracious, merciful, lovingkindness.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses,

telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the

earth.”

Hollywood likes happy endings.

Jonah ends with a question. "Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”