Introduction:

1. Jonah was the prophet of God who backslid.
2. What a terrible testimony to have.
3. We look at Jonah and may be critical, but what about our lives when God tells us to do something.
4. Are we obedient or do we run from the task He sets before us.
5. Remember the prodigal son. He ran from His father's presence till he went downward to the pig pen.
6. Many believers run from the presence of God today.

Proposition: Running from the Presence of God is a downward Spiral.
Why?
In Jonah 1 we find three reason why running from the Presence of God is a downward spiral.

I. BECAUSE OUR SIN HANDCUFFS OUR TESTIMONY: verses 1-6

A. Sleeping Spiritually - verses 1-3

1. When criminals are handcuffed their actions are hindered or confined, because of the handcuffs.
2. Jonah disobeyed God and caused his testimony to be handcuffed.
3. He walked away from the will of God.
4. Jonah wanted to do his will and not the will of God. He went in the opposite direction of Nineveh and decided to go to Tarshish.
5. It is utterly foolishness to think you can escape the presence of God. No matter where you run to, God will always find you.
6. Jonah paid to escape the will of God - literally and spiritually.
7. He tried to sleep away his sinful deeds.
8. A missionary in India was once teaching the Bible to a group of Hindu ladies. Halfway through the lesson, one of the women got up and walked out. A short time later, she came back and listened more intently than ever. At the close of the hour the leader inquired, "Why did you leave the meeting? Weren't you interested?" "O yes," the Hindu lady replied. "I was so impressed with what you had to say about Christ that I went out to ask your driver whether you really lived the way you talked. When he said you did, I hurried back so I wouldn't miss out on anything."
9. If you are running from the presence of God your testimony is handcuffed.

B. Shamefully Rebuked - verses 4-6

1. God is after the backslider.
2. As the prophet of God is sleeping in his backslidden state, God is pursuing him with a storm or trial.
3. It is amazing in this story of Jonah how the Saint is sound asleep and the pagans are praying to their gods, Verse 5.
4. What a shameful state to be in, and worst yet the pagan captain rebukes the man of God and commands him to pray to his God. Verse 6.
5. What an embarrassment. Jonah's testimony was handcuffed. It was of no use.
6. Christianity is something which is meant to be seen. As William Barclay has well said, "There can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy." A man's Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men. One day as a woman was crossing a street at London station, an old man stopped her. He said to her, "Excuse me, ma'am, but I want to thank you." She looked up and exclaimed, "Thank me?" He replied, "Yes'm, I used to be a ticket collector, and whenever you went by you always gave me a cheerful smile and a good morning. I knew that smile must come from inside somewhere. Then one morning I saw a little Bible in your hand. So I bought one, too, and I found Jesus. --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 491.
7. The first reason why running from God is a downward spiral is because it handcuffs our testimony and secondly:

II. BECAUSE OUR SIN HARASSES OTHERS: verse 7-10

A. Jonah caused an expensive storm - verse 5

1. They threw all their cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
2. The sin of the prophet of God affected the men on the ship.
3. When you sin be sure others will be impacted.
4. The crew lost all their cargo because of Jonah's sin.
5. Jonah, instead of being a blessing to the men in the ship, was a curse.
6. Are you self-centered or do you look out for others?
7. Jonah, desiring his will instead of God's, harassed those around him.
8. Just like the Australian fires that are still raging and the destruction they are causing many people because of the sin of a few stupid people who started the fires.
9. I am sure you can think of many illustrations of how your sin can affect many in your family, and even in the Church.
10. Sin has far reaching effects. It was horribly illustrated in the September 11th terrorism.
11. Sin brings death, darkness, destruction, deception, and desperation.
12. Jonah's sin affected the whole ship and all who were on board. Your sin will affect all who are in your circle of influence. Your sin not only hurts yourself, but it does affect others also.

B. Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out - verse 7-10

1. "Come let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity stuck us?" So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
2. God has ways to reveal your sin and expose wickedness in your life.
3. I am sure Jonah never thought the pagans would fine out his sinful secret. Just like some of the preachers who sinned and thought no one will ever fine out.
4. Num 32:23 "But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
5. God will reveal your sin so as to turn you around, like he did Jonah.
6. If you are guilty of sin it is much wiser to confess your sin to the Lord and get right with Him, before He has to put you though the ringer.
7. What terrified the sailors was the addition of "who made the sea and the dry land." Verse 9
8. The frightened pagans asked the man of God, "How could you do this?" v.10
9. What an embarrassing question to be asked.
10. The answer is the power of SIN and SELFISHNESS.
11. Jack was being pulled over by the cops! Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often? The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this." "Hello, Jack." No smile. "Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids." "Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good. "I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct." Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics. "What'd you clock me at?" "Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?" "Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket. "Please, Jack, in the car." Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip. "Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice. Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it -- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."
Bob"
12. How many lives have been wretched because of sin.
13. The first reason why running from God is a downward spiral is because it Handcuffs our Testimony and secondly because it Harasses Others and thirdly:

III. BECAUSE OUR SIN HORRIFIES THE PAGANS:

A. The Prophet wants to commit suicide - verse 12

1. Jonah is depressed from his sin and now thinks that suicide is the answer.
2. However the pagans know that this would be wrong, and they try to carry on rowing to land.
3. Some commentators feel Jonah is asking to be turned over to God in his request to be thrown over board.
4. However in his backslidden state, I think this concept is questionable. He was running from God and feels death is the answer.
5. We know as the story progresses that God shows His mercy by sending the fish to take care of the backslidden prophet.
6. I believe we serve a God of mercy who is always ready to forgive the backslider.
7. When the saints sin they sinners are always affected.
8. Many will never come to God because of the sin of the saints. However there are some who do come to God because of what happens in the lives of the saints.

B. The Prophet wants to encourage murder - verse 12 - 16

1. I believe to the pagans they knew this would be murder to throw Jonah overboard. This is why they pray to the Lord for forgiveness when they throw him over.
2. Also the supernatural ending of the storm shows that the God of the sea and creation was involved in Jonah's life.
3. Verse 16 seems to imply a great impact upon the pagans and an influence to draw closer to the Lord.
4. One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster drove the truck.
Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase.
Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the backseat.
The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.
Likewise, many people run from God's provision of atonement on the cross, fearing what He might do to them. But His plans are for good not evil--to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. -James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 37.

Conclusion:

1. Running from the presence of God is a downward Spiral. Three reasons:

a) Because Our Sin Handcuffs our Testimony
b) Because Our Sin Harasses Others
c) Because Our Sin Horrifies the Pagans.

3. After hearing the gospel explained, people often say, "You mean there's nothing I can do to deserve it? That's too easy." It seems natural for people to object to the idea that God's unmerited favour can be given so freely to unworthy sinners. Many find it difficult to trust a God who offers salvation as a free gift.
4. Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan told of a coal miner who came to him and said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I cannot believe that He will forgive them if I just ask Him. It is too cheap." Morgan said, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the mine." "How did you get out of the pit? Did you pay?" "Of course not. I just got into to cage and was pulled to the top." "Were you not afraid to entrust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?" Morgan asked. "Oh no," said the miner, "it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink the shaft." Suddenly the truth struck him. What had not cost him anything -- salvation -- had not come cheap to God. This miner had never thought of the great price God paid to send His Son so He could rescue fallen humanity. Now he realized that all anyone had to do was to "get into the cage" by faith.
5. Are the saints sleeping while the sinners are praying?