Podcasts about scripture: jonah

Morning Services- "Who Can Understand God?" The story of the minor prophet, Jonah, is about God's love for all people and how God uses us to bring people into relationship with God. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah is an incredibly powerful and dramatic story. Being swallowed by a fish for three days and surviving sounds crazy and miraculous. However, that isn't the most incredible facet of Jonah's story. The most powerful part of the story is God's mercy and redemption of a people so lost, so broken, that God describes them as "not knowing their right from their left." God committed an act of mercy so incredible that Jonah was actually offended by it, and thought it was God who should repent of showing so much grace!

Prairie View Christian Church

In Jonah, the antagonists are the religious, moral people. It's us. It's the city-disdaining, city-phobic, religious, moral people. We're the antagonists, and God is the protagonist. It all comes down to this last question when God says, “Should I not have compassion? Should I not love that great city?” This is what the story is about. It's about God's love for a big, unbelieving, unjust, violent, pagan city. We can learn about three things here: 1) God's call to the city, 2) God's view of the city, and 3) God's love for the city. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 14, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

History tells us the Assyrian empire brought cruelty and massacre to a new level. It was a violent empire that slaughtered helpless people. And Jonah's response to it is anger. He wants them punished. Yet, in the book of Jonah, we see one of the greatest surprising turns of all the stories in the Bible. God refuses to accept either the violence of Nineveh or the poisonous anger of Jonah. Let's look at three things that this text tells us about violence: 1) the surprising sources of violence, 2) the remarkable strategy we should take with violence, and 3) the ultimate solution for violence. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 7, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 3:1-4:5. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah's spirituality was fine for his old world and his old situations. But when he's faced with a new situation, it just collapses. Then, when he's in the belly of the fish, Jonah begins to reflect and pray, and as the prayer moves along, we see he has a spiritual breakthrough. Now the new situation is something he can handle. How do we, too, move to the next level? By looking at Jonah's prayer we learn about 1) the key to spiritual transformation, 2) the method of spiritual transformation, 3) the marks of spiritual transformation, and 4) the continual need for it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 30, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-3:3. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah runs away for two reasons: fear and hate. God has told Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them, but Jonah refuses. He's afraid to put himself in the midst of his enemies, but he's also filled with hate toward them. So the book of Jonah addresses in a real way the questions “What do I do about my fear?” and “What do I do about my anger?” Let's notice three features of the story: 1) the story sea shows us who we are, 2) the religious sailors show us the wrong thing to do about it, and 3) the willing substitute shows us the right thing to do about it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 23, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 1:4-17. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Words like sin, sinner, heathen and heretic have been used for centuries to exclude and oppress people. That's one reason we need the book of Jonah. Jonah gives a concept of sin that can't be used to oppress people. In fact, it shows that it's one thing to believe in sin and another thing to understand it in your own heart. Jonah was a prophet, but there was a kind of sin in his heart that flew under his radar—until it blew up. Let's look at four features in the narrative that each tell us something about sin: 1) the coming word, 2) the running man, 3) the deathly sleep, and 4) the stormy hope. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 9, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah believes in love in general. But he doesn't understand how God's love actually operates. If it's possible that you stand where Jonah stood, then chapter 4 is critical because God gives Jonah an answer. And his answer shows that God's love, like God, is a fire. The strange thing about fire is that, on the one hand, it's life-giving and warming, but on the other hand, it's dangerous, consuming, and purifying. This text shows us two things: 1) God's love is refining fire, and 2) God's love is a seeking fire. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 16, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

How can we explain Jonah's mood swings, his tremendous emotional instability, how he's able to praise God and just a few days later say he's angry enough to die? The answer is a divided heart. To put it another way, Jonah believed in and served the true God, but he also believed and served a rival god. As a result, his heart was divided. And divided hearts create the kind of misery and drive we see in Jonah. So we must ask, is it possible that our own instabilities are due to a divided heart? Let's ask two questions of this text: 1) what is a divided heart? and 2) how do we solve it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 2, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Do artists get exceedingly angry when their art is chosen for display at the Met? No! So why would Jonah get exceedingly angry when, in response to his preaching, the Ninevites actually turn away from violence and turn to the living God?  The answer has to do with the love of God. The incredible collapse of Jonah is because he misunderstands God's love. And the collapses in our lives may very well have the same roots. So let's look now at how God's love is a patient love.  Let's ask two questions: 1) why is God's patient love not more operative and powerful in our lives? and 2) how can God's patient love be more operative and powerful in our lives? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 2, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Nineveh was the greatest city the world had seen at its time. And yet, God decides to besiege it and sack it with an army of one. How did he do it? He did it by turning one person, Jonah, into a world-changer. Are you an army of one? You have people all around you who need you, people all around you who are dying, and you see it. How could you become a world-changer like Jonah? There are four things God brought to bear on Jonah that made him into a world-changer: 1) God's persistent grace, 2) God's calling, 3) God's strategy, and 4) God's power. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 26, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 3. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

How did Jonah, who was in utter despair, fear, and rebellion, come to be in a position of triumphant faith by the end of his prayer? Faith is not a talent. Faith is being controlled by the promises of God instead of your own impressions. If we look at the phenomenon of Jonah's prayer itself, we will find how we too can respond to any situation in faith and come up through the waves and breakers onto dry land. Jonah exercised his faith in three stages: 1) he calls, 2) he remembers, and 3) he commits or sacrifices.   This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 19, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Speaker: Rosie Hatton // Date: Sunday 11 August 2024 // Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10

If it's true that Jonah, a person who got direct revelation from God, can be blind to grace to the point where it distorts his very life, it's even more likely that all of us, to one degree or another, are also blind to it.    Here is the thesis: our most severe problems are caused by our lack of understanding of the true depths of the meaning of God's grace. Grace. The deepest secrets you ever need to learn in your life are locked up in there.    So let's ask this passage questions: 1) what is the grace of God? 2) how do you receive the grace of God? and 3) how do you know you have received the grace of God? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 12, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

There's a subplot in the book Jonah: it's Jonah's impact on the sailors and their impact on him. Do you see the exquisite irony here? Jonah runs away because he hates the dirty pagan Ninevites. He doesn't think they can change and he doesn't care enough to want them to change. But then, Jonah ends up sacrificing himself for dirty pagan sailors. The very truth missing from Jonah's mind and heart is imparted even as God seeks him. Let's see what this shows us about how we should regard the world. Here is what the sailors teach us: 1) every human being has a deep, spiritual longing, but 2) in our natural state our deep, spiritual longings are distorted by fear. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 5, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:4-16. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Until you admit that you run from God, you can't know him or find him. You're not just a troubled person. You're not just a hurting person. You're not a self-sufficient person. Primarily, you're running.  Every one of us has unique, habitual ways of hiding and running away from God. Until you know what yours are, until you see them, you can't really grow as a Christian. And that's what the book of Jonah is about: it's about Jonah running and God chasing. Let's look at 1) the storm God sent and 2) Jonah's response to the storm. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on July 29, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

We all run away from God. It's in our nature. And the book of Jonah is all about Jonah running and God pursuing. Most of us are familiar with the words sin and grace, but what they mean is another thing. And here it is: essentially sin is running away from God, and grace is God's effort to pursue and intercept self-destructive behavior. That's it. Running and chasing. And the first step in any relationship with God is to admit you've run and that even now, to some degree, you're running. So let's look now at how 1) Jonah is called to do something, 2) Jonah runs away from it, and 3) God pursues him. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on July 22, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

   How often have you heard this phrase, often shouted with great emotion: ‘that’s not fair’? We all have a concept of FAIRNESS don’t we, especially when related to us or those we care about? But “fair” is so subjective, so relative, such an emotional concept that can move people to harsh words, poor choices and actions they’ll regret for a long time. You’ve seen it and so have I. Perhaps you’ve been caught up in it!? Today let’s take a fresh look at fairness, this time from God’s perspective. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Today’s Scripture: Jonah 3:10-4:11. Choose below to read or listen.​​Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   “Transformation” is a word sometimes used when an old, uninhabitable house is renovated to something beautiful and becomes  a home filled with love. “Transformation” is sometimes used to describe the life of a person who has been delivered from addictions or anger to a life of freedom and joy. “Transformation” is a word used in athletics to describe when a ‘losing team” becomes a champion in one or two seasons. “Transformation” is a word we often use when describing a person whose life has truly been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ as that person has trusted Jesus to rescue them from their sin and that person lives a new, Holy Spirit filled life with Jesus as their King! I wonder what examples of ‘transformation’ have you seen or experienced? (Click here to see full text, images and links)     Today’s Scripture: Jonah 3:3-9; 4:5. Choose below to read or listen.​​Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

Perhaps the greatest challenge to building the kingdom of God is the hearts of those who are the construction workers that lack compassion.Scripture:  Jonah 4: 1-11Helpful Links:Check out this week's sermon study.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.Watch on Youtube.Crossroads 2023 worship Spotify playlist.Info on Crossroads Church.If you'd like to give you can do so here.

Are we spiritually asleep? Pastor Angel addresses this question and explains God's love for those who are running away while navigating the story of Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17, Matthew 12:40 Presented by: Angel Maldonado   --- About The Path --- At The Path, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, our mission is simple: “seek, save, and send.” Our goal is to save as many people as possible and teach them to do the same. Please consider sharing this messages; this helps us realize our vision of creating churches that mobilize the next generation.   --- Media --- YouTube: @ThePathChurchAtlanta Website: thepath.church Instagram: @jointhepath   --- Music --- Intro/Outro Music: "Action" Artist: JC Muzik

Scripture - Jonah 4:4-11

Scripture - Jonah 4:1-3

Scripture - Jonah 3: 1-10

Scripture - Jonah 1:17-2:10

Scripture - Jonah 1:17-2:10

The story of Jonah reminds us that God refuses to be owned by any group, or our own good behavior. Scripture: Jonah 3:1-5,10

Welcome, Scripture (Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Mark 1:14-20, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31), Sermon "Kingdom Authority", Closing

(Natalia Terfa) Pastor Natalia's favorite story in the Hebrew scripture is in front of us again and of course, she isn't going to skip it! What do we do when God keeps Their promises? That's the part of Jonah's story in front of us today - let's see what he does. Scripture: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Support our podcast here Watch the Livestream Follow us on Instagram Visit our Website

Scripture - Jonah 1:11-16

Scripture - Jonah 1:4-10

Scripture - Jonah 1: 1-16

Sermon: Come On, Lord! Scripture: Jonah 3:10-4:11 Speaker: Rev. Dan Wunderlich Description: In the final and least familiar chapter of the Jonah story, the happy resolution of chapter 3 is shattered. We discover that Jonah didn't avoid Ninevah out of fear but out of anger. The book ends with an unanswered question we are forced to wrestle with: do we actually want to be in relationship with the God of the Bible?

With Pastor Jamison Doehring

When we hear the word “sin,” we think we know what it means. But we don't—not really.  If we don't understand sin, then Christianity makes no sense. But even more so, if we don't understand sin, then the knowledge of God's love and grace won't really transform or heal us. So how do we find out what the Bible means by sin? By looking at Jonah, who's said to be very religious, and seeing how he falls into terrible sin, we can then get a good idea of what sin is.  In the story of Jonah, we see him doing four things. And each one of them tells us something about the real nature of sin. We see Jonah 1) running, 2) sleeping, 3) sinking, and 4) rising. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 26, 1997. Series: Pointers to Christ – Directional Signs in History. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-5, 2:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah is one of the most fascinating books of the Bible because its primary focus is how God is the Lord over all of us and God loves all of us. Our own lives, friends, families, acquaintances, colleagues, and even enemies are loved by the Lord. Now, that is not to say God loves everything we do, however, no action anyone undertakes can separate us from the love of God and therein lies the Gospel. Scripture: Jonah 4 Pastor: Rev. Andy Nixon

As we come to the end of the book of Jonah, we can ask ourselves the question, “What's this story about?” Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? It's not Jonah who is the protagonist. It's not the fish who is the protagonist.  It all comes down to this last question in the passage. In the last question, God says, “Should I not have compassion? Should I not love that great city?” This is what the story is about. It's about God, who is the protagonist, seeking to bring grace and love and mercy to a big city. The antagonists are the religious, moral people who believe in God and who obey his commandments. It's us. It's city-disdaining, city-phobic, religious, moral, good people. We're the antagonists, and God is the protagonist. The book is about God's love for a big, unbelieving, unjust, violent, pagan city.  So, what are we supposed to learn about the city from this book? I suggest we learn three things here: we learn about God's call to the city, God's view of the city, and God's love for the city. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 14, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The book of Jonah is awfully relevant to our situation, especially today. Jonah has been asked to go to the capital of Assyria, the great rising, emerging imperial world power. It  was a violent place. It slaughtered helpless people. Jonah's response to that is anger. He wants them punished. He is angry at them for their violence. Yet, in one of the great surprises in all of biblical narrative, there's probably no more surprising turn than what we see in this book.  God refuses to accept either the violence of Nineveh or the poisonous anger of Jonah. Let's take a look and see what this text tells us about violence. First, the surprising sources of violence. Second, the remarkable strategy we should take with violence. And then lastly, the ultimate solution for violence. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 7, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 3:1-4:5. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

We continue to see the relevance of Jonah's situation and the story of Jonah to our own. Jonah was a prophet and he had a relationship with God. He was a preacher. He had faith. He had an understanding of who God was and who he was. He was moving along in his world just fine. Then his world changed, because God came to him and said, “Now I call you into a new ministry, a new situation. I want you to go to Nineveh.” Ninevah was a violent, ruthless, imperialistic nation. It was, as it were, a clear and present danger to the very existence of Jonah's country. He was filled with disdain, hatred, bias, and bigotry. To use the technical theological term, Jonah freaked out.  What we see next is that Jonah has a spiritual breakthrough. He moves to a new level. Let's look at four things we can learn from Jonah through this experience: the key to spiritual transformation, the method of spiritual transformation, the marks of spiritual transformation, and the continual need for it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 30, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-3:3. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah is a prophet. God has come to him and told him to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, the implacable foe, the implacable enemy of his country. “Go to that city and preach against it. Warn them about God's anger.” What Jonah does, of course, is he runs away. He refuses to do it. He goes in another direction. Jonah's on the run. Why? Because Jonah has fear in his heart. He's afraid to go to Nineveh, because–why put himself in the very midst of his enemies?  We're going to see what the Bible says about fear by noticing three features of the story: the stormy sea, the religious sailors, and the willing substitute. The stormy sea is who we are. The religious sailors show us the wrong thing to do about it. And the willing substitute is what to do about it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 23, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 1:4-17. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The book of Jonah is really one of the best possible places to get an overview of what the Christian message is about. This passage is about sin. But it doesn't actually ever use the word sin. And yet, not only does it profoundly map out the real nature of sin, it gives us an understanding of sin that goes deeper than what you'd think the definition of sin is.  It's one thing to believe in sin. It's another thing to understand it and understand your own heart. We're going to take a look at four features in the narrative, and each one is going to tell us something about sin. The four features we see are in verse 1. We see the coming word. “The word of the LORD came …” In verse 3, we see the running man. In verse 5, we see the deathly sleep. And lastly, we see the stormy hope.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 9, 2001. Series: The Church in the City. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah was called to go to Nineveh to preach, and after a lot of detours, he did. When he got there and began to preach, we're told that Nineveh, by and large, turned from its violence and its evil ways. Now this is a marvelous thing and we would expect great joy in Jonah's heart. But surprise, in 4:1, we read, “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.” Why is that? The bottom line is Jonah can't figure out God's love. Jonah, like everybody, believes in love in general, but when it comes right down to it has a fatally inadequate understanding of how love actually operates, and in particular, how God's love actually operates. In the same way, many, maybe most, of our own struggles and collapses (just like Jonah here) are due to our own inadequate understanding of how God's love really operates. Let's look at two things that God is trying to get across to Jonah. First, God's love is refining fire. It is life-purifying. Secondly, God's love is a seeking fire, a seeking power, a seeking love. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 16, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10 Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah went into a big city like New York, and he saw a massive change. He saw repentance that was culturally transforming. The people turned from their violence and evil ways. In response to this amazing thing, we're told, “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.” What's going on here? How can we explain Jonah's mood swings, his tremendous emotional instability, able to praise God in chapter 2 and a few days later saying, “I am angry enough to die?” The answer is a divided heart. Jonah believed in and served the true God, but he also believed and served a rival god. As a result, his heart was divided between worshipping two different things.  Hearts divided between more than one god creates that kind of instability we see in Jonah. They create the kind of misery and drivenness of Jonah. And what we see is that it could be true of us as well. Now let's just ask two questions of the passage: 1) What's a divided heart? 2) How can we heal a divided heart? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 9, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The last chapter of Jonah is a surprise chapter. It's the most surprising ending of any of the books of the Bible. If you gave this whole chapter a title, you might call it “The Incredible Collapse of Jonah.” Why would a preacher get exceedingly angry when, as a response to his preaching, he's actually turned a culture away from violence, oppression, and wickedness to the living God? The incredible collapse of Jonah is because of a misunderstanding of God's love. There are several lessons we can learn, but one is that God's love is a patient love. Fruitful Christians like Jonah can fall back into old patterns of sin and self-deception, but  only the patient love of God stands between them and oblivion. God's patient love will always bring his children back. Why is God's patient love not more operative and powerful in our lives? How can God's patient love be more powerful and operative in our lives? Let's look at four things we can do: 1) Examine your heart, 2) Confess sin, 3) Make sure you realize God's patient love is the thing that will keep you out of despair, and 4) Seek reality. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 2, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 4:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Nineveh, which is the capital of Assyria, was the greatest city the world had yet seen. Nobody in their right mind would even think of besieging the city, let alone trying to capture the city, because you couldn't even get an army around it. Who had an army that could stretch around the circumference of this city? But the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men, and God decides, not just to besiege the city, but to sack it with an army of one. God did it by taking one man and turning that one man into a city-changer, into a world-changer. Then, by doing so, he was able to sack the greatest city in the history of the world up to that time. How did God make Jonah an army of one? First, God's persistent grace makes you an army of one. Second, God's calling makes you an army of one. Thrid, God's strategy. And finally, God's power. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 26, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 3. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

We've seen that when Jonah was called to preach in the great city of Nineveh, he refused and fled from God. God sent a storm to reclaim him, and he was thrown over the side of the boat into the ocean. There, he was swallowed by a great fish. Then in the belly of the deep, Jonah prays a prayer of faith, and he grasps the grace of God. We're going to look, not so much at the subject or topic of the prayer, but the phenomenon of the prayer itself. How did Jonah, who was in this condition of utter despair, of cowering fear, and of rebellion… How did he come from that position to a posture of triumphant faith by the end of the prayer? The answer is that faith rose up, and it brought with it Jonah's heart. We'll see his faith that he exercised was done in three stages. First, he calls, then he remembers, and finally he commits. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 19, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The plot line of Jonah goes like this. Chapter 1: God says to Jonah, “Go and preach to Nineveh, the greatest city in the world.” Chapter 2: Jonah refuses and flees on a boat. Chapter 3: God sends a great storm on the ocean to reclaim Jonah. Chapter 4: Jonah is thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish. The point of all of this is in this chapter, almost exactly in the very center of the book. The point is about God's grace. This book says a religious professional, a preacher, and even more than that, a prophet who received direct revelation from God can be deeply and profoundly in the dark about God's grace. Jonah's deepest fears, his racial prejudice, and his lack of endurance are all tied to his blindness to the reality of grace.  Let's look at three questions that this passage answers for us: 1) What is the grace of God? 2) How do you receive the grace of God? 3) How do you know you have received the grace of God in your life? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 12, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Jonah is called by God to go to Nineveh, the greatest city in the world, to warn the city about impending disaster and preach there. Jonah refuses, heads in the other direction, and gets on a boat. God sends a storm to hunt him down, endangering the lives of everyone on the ship. Jonah, recognizing this, offers to be thrown into the ocean so the lives of the other sailors will not be forfeit. We're going to pause and look at the sub-plot here: Jonah's impact on the sailors and their impact on him. God uses the sailors to teach Jonah something about himself and the world. In doing so, let's take a look and see how God will teach us something about ourselves and how we are supposed to regard the world. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 5, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:4-16. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

We're looking at the Book of Jonah, and we've seen that one subject in the book is sin and grace. Even though there are many places in the Bible that talk about those topics very theologically, the great thing about the book of Jonah is it presents these concretely. Sin is running away from God, and grace is God chasing us down, hunting us down in love, and intercepting our self-destructive behavior.  We've learned that Jonah ran from God – he literally decided to get as far away from God as he possibly could. Then God sent a storm, and so the plot thickens. This chapter is about the storm God sent and about Jonah's response to the storm.  Until you see you are not competent to run your life, you are not competent to run your life. This is an intervention of God. Let's look to see how God intervenes and uses the storm as a way of teaching Jonah about himself and about sin and grace.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on July 29, 1990. Series: Jonah. Scripture: Jonah 1:1-17. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.