We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!

A typical Stone's Hill service has:

* music (so feel free to sing out);

* some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of);

* a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word);

* and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your daily life.)

So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!

MESSAGE TEXT
Jonah 1:17-2:10
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Introduction
Jonah stands as a warning that human hearts never change quickly or easily even when someone is being mentored directly by God. But change can happen! “Salvation comes from the Lord.” Jonah 2:9 This is the theme of this passage and of the entire Bible. They were written by a broken man. Brokenness is being so crushed by our sin and disobedience or by the consequences of other people’s sin - that we recognize there is no place to turn but to God. Jonah spent three miserable days in a reeking aquarium of consequences. And then there’s this eruption of prayer – Psalm-filled prayer.
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Today, you get to see the breaking of a prodigal prophet. Don’t get side-tracked. 1:17 and 2:10 can sidetrack you. And because the focus has been on the fish, many have missed the message of the book – the relentless pursuit and love of God. God doesn’t beat us into submission, but He breaks us so that we can be used for His glory. Have you been broken by life?
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Proposition
As fascinating as the great fish is, I’m going to argue this morning that what’s going on inside of Jonah is more important than what’s happening inside the great sea creature. A broken Jonah gets hungry for God again and seeks Him!
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Contextualization
There are several truths about brokenness I want to talk about today.
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THE PRINCIPLE OF BROKENNESS (1:17-2:2)
THE PLACE OF BROKENNESS (2:3-6)
THE PAIN OF BROKENNESS (2:7)
THE PURPOSE OF BROKENNESS (2:8-10)
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Quotation
Alan Redpath said: “When God wants to do an impossible task, He takes an impossible man and crushes him.”
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Application
God's breaking is never pointless, for He is neither arbitrary nor cruel. His breaking is never purposeless, for he is too wise to ever be wrong and too kind to ever be heartless. He breaks us to shape us. He breaks us to mold us. He breaks us to use us. It is through the breaking that he makes us suitable for his purposes. It is through the breaking that he makes us a blessing. It is through the breaking that he makes us whole.
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Maybe your relationship with God feels broken. How can it be rebuilt?
1. Admit that it’s broken and not working right.
2. Acknowledge your responsibility and sin.
3. Affirm God’s goodness and provision.
4. Allow God to direct your life.
5. Accept the things you can’t change.
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Conclusion
Jonah 2:6 says "To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever." Jonah was talking about death. But Christ swallowed death. He ripped the bars of death, hell, and the grave open and set the captive free! Do you know how to receive this grace of life? You have to admit the depths of your sin, and you have to trust the substitute, Jesus Christ. Those two things together. Unless you see the depth of your sin, what Jesus did for you will not thrill you. Unless you see what Jesus Christ did for you, you will not have the strength to admit the depths of your sin. When you put the two together, there is a spiritual reaction. There is an explosion of grace in your life. It’s called regeneration. It’s called being born again.