Sabbath Sermon Experience 12-27-2025

The story of Jonah presents us with one of the most profound truths about our relationship with God: we can run, but we cannot hide. When God's word came to Jonah like a ton of bricks, commanding him to go to Nineveh, the prophet made a choice that many of us can relate to—he fled in the opposite direction. But here's what makes this story so relevant to our lives today: God didn't choose Jonah because he was perfect or obedient. God chose a flawed, reluctant prophet to save a lost world, which tells us something incredible about how God works with us. We might feel unqualified, unworthy, or simply unwilling to answer God's call, yet He pursues us anyway—not because of who we are, but because of who He is. The dramatic imagery of God sending a great tempest for one single man reveals the extraordinary lengths God will go to reach us individually. Even in the belly of the whale, in our darkest moments and most desperate circumstances, God hears our prayers and provides a way forward. This message challenges us to examine our own lives: When was the last time we felt God's call? Are we running from something He's asking us to do? The cost of fleeing from God is always higher than the cost of obedience, and yet God's love remains persistent, chasing us through storms and darkness until we finally surrender.