Those who have followed Christ for decades can fall into a dangerous trap. growing bored with God's awesome power. Today, on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl tackles this perilous trend through Jonah's story. A prophet so spiritually numb he could sleep through a life-threatening storm. While pagan sailors trembled at God's power, Jonah yawned with boredom at God's divine intervention.
In this study, Chuck reminds us that even when we've lost our spiritual edge, God's rescue plans are already in motion. Teaching from Jonah chapter 1, Chuck titled today's message, Prayers onboard, profit overboard. When the storms come, there are fears that frighten. It follows logically. Following the storms that shock us.
There are fears. accompanying the storms. that can frighten us. Storms can do that. Underneath this are two thoughts that come to mind.
We realize our human limitations. And hopefully, in the storm, we acknowledge God's limitless. Power. We see the fear in the unbelieving sailors. Don't miss that.
The ones who are fearful Or the sailors. We see them first in verse five. fearing for their lives. We see them again, verse 10. The sailors are.
Terrified. When they heard from Jonah That he's a Hebrew who worshiped the Lord, the God of the heaven and the seas. He made the sea and the land, and they wonder, why on earth then are you running from him? They've got a greater awe. of his God than Jonah does, and they don't even know him.
So they can't figure out this man. laying there in his mantle, Wiping the sleep from his eyes. Thinking he can run from the God of the sea.
So they're afraid. They realize that there is limitless power at work around them. And they are very limited in their own Lives, and so the story unfolds. Look closely at verse 11. Since the storm was getting worse all the time, They asked him.
What should we do to you to stop this storm? I want you to notice Jonah's answer. It is almost with a yawn. It's an absolute death wish. Throw me into the sea.
Jonah said, and it will become calm again. In fact, I know that this terrible storm is all my fault. To them that's murder. And their gods Look with great disfavor on someone who would take another's life. And so Instead, we read.
Verse 13, the sailors rowed Even harder to get the ship to the land. You know what that tells us? It's a small ship. But they can't get to shore. Because the storm is too great, they can't get the ship over there.
So they're in this dilemma. Look for yourself. The sailors rode Even harder to get the ship to the land. Stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn't make it. Then Now this is phenomenal.
They cried out to the Lord, Jonah's God. Their gods didn't work.
So they're saying, well, let's borrow his. Since his is the God of the land and the sea. Let's go there. You know why? Because they have an awesome respect for him.
Even though they're not related to him. If your God is the God of the sea, And if this sea is stormy and we can't stop this ship from. being torn apart, we can't get it to land. We're going to call on him. And so they call on God.
asking that he not hold his death. Jonah's death. To their account. Look at how they put it. They pleaded, O Lord, don't make us die for this man's sin.
If they keep him on board, they will die. They'll drown. And they add: Don't hold us responsible for his death, O Lord. You have sent this storm upon him for your own good reason. This storm didn't just happen.
Jonah, it happened because of you. And For God's reason, we don't know what they are. He sent this storm. And then they decide.
Okay, let's take him. And let's throw him over. Verse 15 tells us, and they threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once. Guess what?
Well, read it for yourself. The sailors, I love this. The sailors were awestruck by the Lord's great power, and they offered him a sacrifice, and they vowed to serve him. Don't you wonder how they served This newfound God of the sea. to whom they offered their sacrifice.
God loves our sacrifices. One of them is the sacrifice of praise. There's a statement in Hebrews: By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. He loves it when our lips pour forth his praises. That's a sacrifice.
that comes from our our hearts. The heart is like a well and the tongue is like a bucket. and it goes down and it pulls up. our gratitude and outcome praises. That comes in the form of verbal sacrifices to God, like a sweet-smelling aroma.
How marvelous is that? And it's coming from sailors. who only days before were cursing. one another and life and They're gods. No longer They're in awe.
of the slick sea. and the invisible God. whose invincible power has stopped the storm.
Now, the beauty of all of this is that the chapter doesn't end until there's a rescue. But let me pop your balloon quickly by saying. The rescue is not a miracle. It isn't a miracle. It's never called a miracle.
What we see, and look closely now, because we're coming to. This final verse of the chapter, the Lord had arranged a great fish. I've heard this taught that God created, it doesn't say he created. Create is the word. Darah.
Bereshith Bara Elohim eth Hashemayim wa eth ha'aretz. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The Hebrew uses a term to create out of nothing. That's not the word used here. This is a word That means to appoint.
To assign That's not a miracle. There's already a massive. Sea creature probably And we're not told it's species, but probably of a whale shark. The largest of the species that grow to 75 to 80 feet. and length of the esophagus is large enough To handle the swallowing of a human being.
In fact, some had been found. Ian fish Who have Ben taken out and they're alive and having been in there a short while. They lived to tell the story. They worked miracles. They just endured the innards of a fish.
Just as Jonah. What's remarkable is that it comes at just the right time. First of all, it's previously arranged. I love that about God's rescues. They are at just the right time.
Look at how it reads: The Lord had arranged a great fish. That is so good. Isaiah says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts. As the rains come down in the snow from heaven and don't return without watering the earth and making it bring forth in bud, so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth.
It shall never return to me empty, but shall accomplish the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55 verses 8 and 9, check it for yourself. God is high above us. That's why we hold him in awe. God prearranges events.
That's why he is an awesome God. He brings the great fish. The fish swallows Jonah. And in fact, rather than punishing Jonah, it is a gracious rescue of Jonah from drowning. He's almost drowning, and the fish.
Swallows him and holds him within. In that miserable internal part of that fish. for these hours. assigned for that purpose And precisely on time. And he's there inside.
The fish. Which brings up the main message of these verses. Don't miss it. I've left you room to write it. God's presence may be invisible.
But his plan and power are invincible. His presence may be invisible. But it's Plan and power are invincible. As we heard earlier, God knows what he's about. All of it to us is such a a shock and a surprise, none of it is either one to him.
So for our lives and application Three things I want to say. First, May I ask you, are you going through a storm that has shocked you. There's so many categories, I won't even begin to name them, but. May I add This is all part of God's mysterious plan. You will not see God in the doctor's office when the doctor is talking to you.
The doctor is not looking at an x-ray or film. from your procedure that has just preceded your visit. And there's God in the picture. God's invisible. You will not hear God's voice coming from the throat of the doctor.
But you can be sure of this. The words of the doctor that shock you. are all part of his plan. to get your attention. That's just one example.
Deuteronomy eight, verse two says. You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness. To humble you. To test you. To show you what's in your heart, whether you would keep his word or not.
To humble you. to test you to reveal not to God but to you what's in your heart. Storms do that. Surprising, unexpected situations that catch us off guard. Reveal the depth of our walk with God.
Now They shock us. Several years ago, I read of a well-known golfer. whose name you would know. who went to the dock. Was examined and was told by the doc after a careful examination.
that he had cancer. The golfer dismissed himself quickly from the office, went to the men's room, and threw up. Why? The shock. of hearing the C word applied to his own life.
It's shocking to hear that word. Storms shock us. They catch us off guard. This is always the disease someone else gets. And that day He got it.
or heard that he had it. God is at work. even in such storms. Second, there are fears that drive us to our knees. Make us aware of our human limitations.
Again, God may be silent. But he is not absent. Job 23, verse 10. gives these words from the Writings of Job. Listen to what he said.
Covered with sores. God knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held his steps. His way have I kept and not declined.
Neither have I turned back from the command of his lips. Get this last line. I have esteemed the words of his mouth. more than my necessary Food. What a statement.
Covered with boils. Totally bankrupt. Ten fresh graves of all ten children. on the hillside. His ranch is ruined.
His buildings are gone. He's sitting in an ash heap. At the town dump. Writing He knows the way that I take. when he has tried me.
I will come forth as gold. If you've been brought to your knees and your limitations have been revealed to you. Learn from the sailors. Learn from the sailors it's time to be awestruck. God, I don't have any idea what your plan is.
I would never have written the script. But you've written it I couldn't stop it if I tried.
Now help me to walk with you. Through it. Not to panic. and look for a ship to Tarshish. Help me to go there.
and trust you in the midst. Third, you need relief. Through a divine rescue, be ready for a surprise. Be ready for a surprise. These sailors needed relief.
They had no idea. what they were in store for.
Soon is there Uh Passenger is tossed overboard. The sea is Calm. The winds have died down. And they are amazed. that they are delivered.
from death. At sea. A divine rescue. As only God can put it together. will come in the most surprising way.
I will be very practical. You may have lost your mate. You may think You will never again marry for the rest of your life. And to your amazement, along comes the one that the Lord had for you. to marry.
Following the grief and the loss. of the one that you once loved. How surprising of God. You lose your baby. And I've said for years, there's no No feeling so helpless as a parent surviving one of the children.
And you think life is ended, but God graciously provides a pregnancy. And he gives you another baby. What a surprise. What a remarkable thing. With Jonah, it's a gigantic fish.
You couldn't write that in if you had the creativity of a poet. But God had the fish already. With Daniel, it was being thrown in the lion's den. It was the making of Daniel. and of his role as a prophet.
With David, remember Abigail? David is on his way to murder Nabal, and up comes Abigail with a crock pot. And she's standing there with those big, beautiful blue eyes. Saying, you don't want to do this, David. He sits down and eats from the crock pot.
And his men say to him, We're going the wrong direction. Put up your swords, everybody. And the Lord saved him. With John the Apostle, it was being sent into exile on Patmos. If you want to know what an isolated island looks like, visit Patmos.
look like the end of the world. No, it was the beginning of the writing of the book of Revelation. Only God could have done that. What a surprise. With Noah, it was stepping onto the ark he had just built.
And all of his neighbors had told him what a fool he was to build this gigantic boat. on dry land. With Saul of Tarsus, it was being blinded on the road. to Damascus. God never meets his match.
He has surprises ready. And it's only in our unbelief that we mark off the impossibility of a surprise to bring a rescue. Don't mark it off. Don't say into the book. You may say, end of the chapter.
But the book is still being written. God's working. is phenomenal and he knows what he's about. including your life. and including mine.
I want you to bow your heads right now just Fold up your notes and just sit quietly with your Bible in your lap. I don't know where you are in all of this. I don't know if you're one of the sailors on the ship. I don't know if you're a Jonah. I don't know where you fit in the story.
I don't know if a storm is still raging. Or if you now find yourself awe struck At the way God has begun to move. I want to believe that for some of you, the rescue that you've been. searching for occurred when you stepped into this place today. You're sitting there.
realizing God's speaking to me. And I I need The hope that only He can give. He so loves you that he gave his one and only son. That if you would simply believe in him, you would have peace within, and everlasting life. For your future.
Trust him. Turn to him. The vow God waits to hear is. Lord, I I take you at your word and I commit myself to you. I will.
I will walk with you and serve you for the rest of my days. If you will deliver me from this life of sin, that has marked my days for long enough. I trust in you right now. Let us help you on your journey. If this is you and you need help, You need to contact us.
You need to be in touch with us. That's why we exist. to help you find your way from earth to heaven. in a path that makes sense. I mean, is doable.
And it starts today. With you. At the cross. as you trust in Christ. Thank you, Father, for hearing us.
And for understanding us in the mess of our lives. Thank you for writing a book in an ancient time. that speaks with such relevance. to our own day. I can even thank you for the storms.
The days when life seemed so fearful. And I was brought to an end of myself. as you came with such a magnificent rescue plan. I pray for those. Who have yet to come to that place that you would give them That faith to turn to you.
to trust in you. Hear their prayer today. They turn their lives over to you. Thank you in advance for the change you will bring. As a result of our relying on you.
to get us through these difficult, stormy days. And thank you for Christ who loved us. and gave himself for us. It's in his name we pray. In His name we believe.
Everyone said Amen. It's possible that you're asking God to provide a solution, a rescue from an unwanted storm in your life. We're praying that Jonah's story reinforces your confidence in God's willingness to do just that. You're listening to Insight for Living and the third message in a biographical study of Jonah presented by our teacher, Chuck Swindahl. To purchase the nine sermons in this series on Audio C D or MP three, or to access the other Bible study tools for our study on Jonah, go to insight.
org slash offer. Chuck titled this study, Jonah the Reluctant Prophet. In addition, we'd love to offer you a brand new booklet by Chuck Swindahl. In October of last year, Chuck preached his last sermon as the senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church. It was the weekend of his 90th birthday.
In his final sermon, Chuck reflected on the final word of the Apostle Paul, who who in his letter to Timothy looked back on his lifetime of service to Christ. We'd love to send you a copy of this booklet containing Chuck's last sermon. It's called Look Beyond. Will you focus on eternity? and we're pleased to send a copy to your home when you include a donation to support the Ministry of Insight for Living.
Let me say a word of thanks to all those who consistently support Chuck's teaching ministry. Because of your generosity, Insight for Living is available to millions of listeners on the radio, YouTube, our website, our mobile app, and all the different digital platforms that are so popular these days. We couldn't provide these resources without your support. Be sure to mention you'd like to receive Chuck's booklet called Look Beyond when you write to us at InsightForLiving. Post Office Box 5000 Frisco, Texas 75034.
To make a donation online, go to insight.org slash donate. Or call us at 800-772-8888. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindahl continues his biographical study of Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Monday on Insight for Living.
The preceding message: Prayers on Board, Profit Overboard. Was copyrighted in 2018, 2019, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindahl Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
