Jonah: Ability vs. Availability
Guest Preacher Adam Byerman – February 14, 2021
Opening Question
Scripture References
The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 3 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. – Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish,......7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. - Jonah 2:1,7(NLT)
11 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13 It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14 No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. – Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NLT)
Main Idea
God's callings will not be easy. But our Father does not need our physical abilities to complete his Goals for us. All God needs is for us to be Available to him and He can handle our fears, worries, and Anxieties
Minor Points
Questions for Reflection
Has God ever sent you, or been trying to send a personal message to you?
Do you remember what the message was like, and what he was asking or calling of you?
At your current moment in life how would you handle a calling similar to the one Jonah received?
Do you have the faith to trust God to handle your fears, worries, doubts, and anxieties?
How can we find more time to relax to be still, quiet and truly listen for God speaking to us?
- Have you ever felt like God was sending you a message to do something?
- If so, what was He asking you to do?
- How do I know I wasn’t just making it up?
Scripture References
The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” 3 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. – Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish,......7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. - Jonah 2:1,7(NLT)
11 “This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach. 12 It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?’ 13 It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?’ 14 No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. – Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NLT)
Main Idea
God's callings will not be easy. But our Father does not need our physical abilities to complete his Goals for us. All God needs is for us to be Available to him and He can handle our fears, worries, and Anxieties
Minor Points
- We are not very good at following or obeying things when there an inconvenience to us
- God’s callings aren't going to be easy, (putting us out of comfort zones and testing our faith)
- God handles all your worries.
- God doesn’t need our Ability. All God needs is our Availability.
- God has a handcrafted plan for every single one of us.
- Ask for the heart to hear God, the faith to trust Him, and the courage to obey Him.
Questions for Reflection
Has God ever sent you, or been trying to send a personal message to you?
Do you remember what the message was like, and what he was asking or calling of you?
At your current moment in life how would you handle a calling similar to the one Jonah received?
Do you have the faith to trust God to handle your fears, worries, doubts, and anxieties?
How can we find more time to relax to be still, quiet and truly listen for God speaking to us?