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JONAH 2:3

"LYING VANITIES"

I. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LYING VANITIES MEN OBSERVE?
        A. With Jonah, he thought he could run away from the call of God.
                1. Tarshish the last outpost of the then known world.
                2. Opposite direction from Nineveh.
                3. You can't run from God.
        B. Happiness can be discovered by direct pursuit.
                1. If I just had that.
                2. If I could just live there.
                3. If I could only do that.
                4. We see man's vain quest for happiness. 
                5. Happiness is a by-product.
        C. That you can strive with God and win.
                1. We watch people fight with God.
                        a. They're going to pit their intelligence against
                           His.
                        b. So deceived they think they have won the point.
                2. God has been calling you to surrender your life to him.
                        a. You fight and resist.
                        b. What if you are successful?
                        c. All who have been able to successfully resist
                           the call of God now in hell.
        D. That you can find God your own way.
                1. All roads lead to God.
                2. You don't need Jesus Christ.
                3. We see their vain search.
                4. We sometimes see counterfeit results.
        E. That the Word of God doesn't apply to your case.
                1. You have some kind of special dispensation.

II. WHY WOULD SOME PEOPLE OBSERVE A LYING VANITY?
        A. Satan is a master deceiver.
                1. He will give them initial success.
                        a. Moments of pleasure to draw them.
                        b. He uses his deadly opiate to blind.
                2. Watching spider and fly.

III. THE RESULT,  "THEY FORSAKE THEIR OWN MERCY."
        A. They make it tough on themselves.
                1. Jonah describes his misery in the fish.
                2. Like quicksand the more you struggle the deeper you
                   sink.
        B. When you run from God you run from your own  good.
                1. God wants to display His mercy.
                2. People think God wants to wipe them out negative, that
                   is a lying vanity.
                        a. Fathers story of early childhood.
        C. When you fight against God you fight your own good.
                1. God loves you and desires to inaugurate His plan of
                   love in your life.

IV. DON'T FOLLOW LYING VANITIES.
        A. Make it easy on yourself.
        B. Submit to God and enjoy the good life.