Jonah’s Flight From Duty
Lessons we can learn about our own duty that God has given to us.

Jonah 1:1-3
“The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”

FACTS WE SHOULD NOTICE
God spoke a command.
Jonah heard and did not misunderstand.
There was no doubt of what was commanded.
The task was distasteful to Jonah.
Why?
The Assyrians had been cruel to God’s people, the Jews.
Jonah hated the Assyrians.
So Jonah fled.

The Duty:
Was clear.
Was difficult.
Was evaded.
Was God pleased with Jonah?
Do we not also do the same thing?
Our duty is clear,
Our duty is difficult,
That is why we need to make an effort.
And lots of times we evade our duty.
Can you honestly say that God is pleased with you when you do the same as Jonah?
Let’s Notice some things that it is our duty to do.

Our Duty Is To Love
Luke 17:10—only have done our duty
1 John 4:7-12—the love of God
John 15:17—love one another
Luke 6:27,35—love your enemies

Our Duty Is To Worship God
John 4:24—spirit and truth
1 Corinthians 16:2—on the first day
Revelation 14:7—Fear God
Revelation 22:9—worship God

Our Duty Is To Teach God’s Word
Acts 8:4—everywhere teaching
1 Peter 3:15—be ready to answer
Hebrews 5:12—ought to be teachers
Colossians 3:16—teaching in song
Colossians 4:6—speech with grace
Hebrews 10:25—assemble together

Our Duty Is To Grow
2 Peter 1:5-11—add to your faith
1 Peter 2:1-2—long for the word
2 Peter 3:18—grow grace and knowledge
Romans 12:9-21—Christian behavior

Our Duty Is Inescapable
Our Duty Is Non-transferable
Our duty is clear, difficult, and up to us to do it.
James 4:17—knows right thing to do
2 Corinthians 5:10—all must appear
Galatians 6:7—God not mocked
Colossians 3:24,25—the consequence
Romans 14:10—we shall all stand before
Revelation 22:12—render to every man
How we respond to our duty is revealing
It reveals our character
1 John 2:15—do we love the world?
It reveals our heart, mind, and soul.
It will also reveal our eternal destiny.
Matthew 7:21—he who does the will…

Conclusion
Jonah’s duty was and our duty is:
Clear
Difficult
Will we evade our duty like Jonah?
Or will we rise up and do our duty?

By Carey Scott from a sermon by Foy Vinson

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