작성일 : 26-08-26 09:47
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8/23/2026 영어설교 sermon "Throw Me Into The Sea" Jonah 1:7-17
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최고관리자
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Sermon English Text AKFPC / August 23, 2026 Rev. Yongjin Park
“Throw Me Into The Sea” (Jonah 1:7-17)
May the grace and love of God be upon you who is listening to God’s voice today in this worship.
On June 2021 Michael Packard, 54 years old man was diving into sea to get lobsters. He was 40 years experienced scuba diver to get lobsters. While he was working in, he felt suddenly strong impact and blackout. He could not see anything. He thought a shark attacked himself. He groped by his hand and felt there was not big teeth of shark. He understood that it is humpback whale. He was sucked into a whale accidentally. Strong pressure kept coming towards him. He thought he would die due to lack of air and whale’s stomach acid.
But the whale rose to the surface suddenly of the water and spit him out. So, his friends near saved him He was in about 40 seconds in it and saved from it. He was taken to a hospital immediately. He was fine except for some muscle damage.
Today Bible let us know Jonah, a prophet, who had a chance of being in stomach of a big fish. We can see why God took him in it and how persuade him with that kind of a special way.
Let’s read together Jonah 1:9-12,
“He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. This terrified them and they asked, “what have you done?” they knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so. The sea was getting rougher. So, they asked him, from the water. “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I have known that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon me.”
In this story of Jonah, the more miracle is to come big storm rather than entering stomach of a big fish. It was not just by chance. The captain of the ship tried to save all people on board from the shipwreck. So, he asked them to cast for reason of the dangerous storm.
Jonah was chosen by cast so, he had to experience himself avoiding from order of God. He asked them to throw him away into the sea instead of repentance. We must stand before Him with humble mind and trust.
When we must take off our shoes, we can hear voice of God. In the time that we are hearing God’s voice, the land I am standing is changed to holy land. This is not more physical space but is spiritual space.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we take off our shoes, we must take off everything that we keep in front of God once we meet Him. And we must answer, “Here I am, Lord!”
When Moses come closer to the burning bush, he heard voice of God. Burning bush is miracle and mystery. This is not common but special. This is not normal but strange. Jonah though that God wanted to forgive people of Nineveh, capital of Assyria. He very hated them because Nineveh destroyed his homeland, Israel B.C. 710. they were very cruel and killed many people of him and took away many his people. He couldn’t tolerate God’s forgiveness on his very enemy.
His choice was to flee from will of God. But God did not give up him and sent storm and big fish and cast. There was no way to avoid God.
Jonah only saw his enemy instead of God while God saw lives with love and grace. God wanted to bless all people that he created and to ask Jonah go for what God planed.
God wanted people of Nineveh repent and obey of his servant, Jonah. But Jonah refused the will of God forgiving his enemy. Although he dies in sea, he did not want his enemy be forgiven by God. His deep scar held him in hate and anger. He did not understand God’s mind to love even evil people.
Jonah 1:1-2 say,
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” but Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to fleeing from the Lord.”
In this verse, there are “ran away” and “fleeing.”
Jonah tried to break God’s will so big storm and cast and big fish came to him.
God’s character is love and justice. We love Him so much. We are thankful once grace and love of God come to me. But we are not easy to give thanks to God once God love my enemy. This is us!
Brothers and sisters in the Lord!
God is love and blessing on all people that he created. It was not easy for Jonah when he knew that God forgave and blessed his very enemy, Nineveh. Jonah did not forget his painful memory from his enemy. But God wanted to forgive them and to send him to them. God asked him to preach for repentance of his enemy. Jonah struggled in mind that why God only see peace of enemy not see pain of his own people.
So, he fled from the Lord to sea. If he fled to land, there might be similar miracles before him as well.
Verse 15-16 say,
“Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.”
Jonah did choose death instead repentance. God has never given up Jonah because of grace and love.
Verse 17 say,
“But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah eventually recognized in stomach of the whale how much God love him. The love made him repent finally. He accepted in will of God there and God made the fish spit up him on the land. He went where God wanted and preached the will of God and the people repented and be saved.
Only way to survive in stomach of the whale is that the fish swim on the surface of the water in 3 days for survival air. God made it for his lovely servant.
This let us know how hard to obey the will of God.
Our attention is not to the miracles itself but to the connected with God. Through many special things God wants to connect with us, His lovely child in spiritually.
In Matthew’s Gospel 5, Jesus said, “love your enemy.” but this is so difficulty for us to obey. However, if we obey this, big blessings come to us as well.
Judgement is work of God and obey is work of ours. Jonah preached there only 3 days and people there all repented. This was the other miracle. God wanted to obey of his servant and repentance of Nineveh. So only servant with obey can be used by God for his wonderful salvation plan. Later people of Jonah were blessed to be strong nation as well in history.
When Abraham obeyed God due to Issac, God made him the father of faith before all people.
One faithful man with weak health has been serving people of God in his church. but it was not easy for him to serve them because of some negative words from others. However, he did not give up his serve and focused on the relationship with God. Later his health became healthier and his love on People and God, more steadfast. He confessed God always see my attention to God not any other things.
Luke’s Gospel 6:35 say,
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
God will be with all of you, Amen.
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