Embracing Obedience: Jonah's Journey of Transformation

So what he was doing is he chose in this moment to run from his calling. So Jonah, just to summarize, God calls him to do something. He chooses to run to water, which lots of different. Maybe he just knew that the ship was the quickest way to get away. Maybe he wanted some peace because water can be very calming. But whatever reason, when he got there, he gets swallowed by a whale. [00:36:51] (29 seconds)

Confronting somebody that you love and telling them that they may not be living the right way is really hard to do. And yet this is what Jonah is supposed to do. Jonah is actually supposed to go and have an intervention with the city of Nineveh and he does not want to do it. So he runs. [00:41:22] (19 seconds)

But I think what's important here, there's this truth that we all know is that we learn best in hard times and not in easy times. We learn best in hard times and not in easy times. It's the school of the hard knocks. [00:41:40] (16 seconds)

He stirs up a great storm. The ship gets caught in the storm. The ship is going to be sunk. Before this happens, all the people on the ship, they cast lots. And essentially what they're doing is they're trying to figure out who's responsible for this storm. And they all come to the conclusion it's this new guy on the boat. His name's Jonah. So what do they do? They throw Jonah off the boat and they sail away. And as they throw him off the boat, immediately the storm calms. [00:42:27] (27 seconds)

He can't change his past, but what he does is he allows Jesus to use him in a moment. And I love that. It's the perfect example that God hears a repentant heart. God wants the real you and not part of you. [00:47:34] (17 seconds)

Like it doesn't matter anymore. You ever been to that place where you're so desperate, you just don't care what other people think about you. In the moment, you're so scared. You're just willing to say, if anybody would help me, I just don't care what they think anymore. That's what God desires for us. He doesn't want the show. He doesn't want the facade. He wants us to be honest. And in the moment of real honesty, God moves and helps Jonah. [00:48:01] (26 seconds)

And I think you need to know God is waiting for you to pray and cry out for the thing that you've been carrying. Maybe it's the secret or the thing that nobody knows. But this is your moment. You just say, God, I need your help. The only thing God requires is a repentant heart. [00:48:57] (23 seconds)

It's kind of crazy how that works, but the real blessings come after the sacrifice, not before. And there's these moments where God calls us to be generous. God calls us to share our faith. God calls us to a new job. God calls us to commit to church. God calls us to commit to leading a life that's following the scriptures. And in the moment, it feels like a sacrifice, but on the back end, it's always a blessing. [00:50:45] (30 seconds)

And I want you to know a life of Christ will cost you. In fact, what I've learned is every day God calls me closer. Jesus invites me to walk closer with him. And the closer I walk, the more I have to let go of the things I'm holding. And sometimes that thing that I let go of feels like a sacrifice. But the closer that I walk with Jesus, the more blessed I become. [00:56:51] (29 seconds)